The easy-to-use quick release function is modeled after a retractable ballpoint pen mechanism.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The new Vamoots RSL is designed to use the new press-fit BB30 bottom bracket.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Moots claims its new Vamoots RSL titanium road frame weighs just 1,180g (2.6lb) yet is its stiffest road chassis to date.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Trick machined socket-style dropouts keep rear-end rigidity high while also shaving grams - and looking good in the process.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The Vamoots RSL uses relatively large 3/2.5 chain stays matched to tiny 6/4 seat stays in order to provide good pedaling reflexes but also a comfy ride.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Moots says its new RSL titanium stem weighs just 120g thanks in part to aggressive machining.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Two cams will allow for easy cross-compatibility between Shimano Dura-Ace 7900/Ultegra 6700 and other brake levers.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The widely braced arms should presumably cut down on fore-aft flex for a solid braking feel.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The Hive's new Revl carbon fiber road brake calipers are superlight yet apparently also powerful thanks to a clever cam design and stout arm construction.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber construction yield a feathery 115g claimed weight per wheel - with pads.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Moots is continuing to stick to its titanium guns with a new Vamoots RSL (Race Super Light) road frame that it claims to be its best performer to date. Claimed weight for a 56cm frame is just 1,180g (2.6lb) but its healthily proportioned down tube, chain stays and seat tube supposedly make it Moots' stiffest ever, too.
Butted 3/2.5 titanium tubing (made for Moots by Reynolds) is used throughout, save for the spindly seat stays that use a stronger 6/4 alloy to better match the tiny diameters. 6/4 is also used for all fittings (such as cable stops) and the trick machined dropouts, which stick to a stouter non-replaceable derailleur hanger for improved shifting. Up front, Moots fits the RSL with a standard 1 1/8" head tube but a press-fit BB30 bottom bracket beefs up the bottom end.
Moots will offer the new RSL solely as a frameset for now, including an Alpha Q GS40 fork with a custom 41mm offset. Suggested retail price is US$4,300 and Moots expect to begin shipping frames around February.
The Hive introduces trick-looking REVL carbon fibre road brake calipers
Design and manufacturing collective The Hive has been better known for mountain bike gear to date but its new REVL brake calipers demonstrates its mettle in the road arena, too.
As is becoming increasingly popular, the REVL calipers blend the weight advantages of a single-pivot brake but the power of a dual-pivot thanks to a clever 'Rockarolla' leverage-enhancing linkage. Unlike most such brakes though – with the notable exception of Zero Gravity – the REVL linkage can be interchanged between two leverage ratios to suit either Shimano Dura-Ace 7900/Ultegra 6700 brake levers or the more standard setups from Campagnolo, SRAM and other Shimano groups.
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Braking performance is further enhanced by the deep carbon fiber caliper arms, which use no internal aluminum skeleton and are also mostly symmetrical and widely braced front-to-back to eliminate any unwanted bending moments.
SwissStop pads are included as standard equipment, too, and a slick quick release mechanism is also integrated into the tidy barrel adjuster. Titanium and aluminum hardware help keep claimed weight down to an ultralight 116g per wheel – including pads. Suggested retail price is a fairly reasonable (for the genre) at US$225 per caliper and production brakes will begin shipping immediately following Interbike.
