Puppy paws & turned-in levers are out, but ultra-narrow super-aero bars are in – and TRed’s TOOT Racing has a UCI-compliant Ashaa RR solution. A bar first developed on the track, the Ashaa RR is a customizable super-narrow, flared & ultra-aero road handlebar designed to get you in the most aerodynamic position, without sacrificing safety or control. To quickly get bars into racers’ hands, Toot 3D-print the handlebars to fit the rider from stainless steel for maximum strength or titanium for additional weight savings.

Or if you have a little patience, weight weenies will be able to get an even lighter carbon Ashaa RR aero handlebar option soon. And it’ll be a lot cheaper too!

TRed’s TOOT Ashaa RR 3D-printed aero road handlebars

Aero gains are everything these days. And refining your position on the bike has always been one of the simplest and most effective ways to save watts. As much as brands like to sweat over the incremental improvements of hidden nipples or tweaked rim profiles, the rider still accounts for most of the drag on a bike at speed.

First developed on the track, then refined on the road

TT & Triathlon racers have long accepted that refining their hand position has been the best way to go faster. But road riders have been stuck with conventional drop bars, as the UCI continues to ban any alternate hand positions.

The latest UCI rules eliminated the “puppy paws” or “invisible aerobars” position for real safety concerns as riders weren’t actually holding onto their bikes in the bunch. So riders opted for turned in levers to keep their hands “on the bars”. But again, lightweight carbon bars were not designed for metal clamps at the unusual inward angles, so that got banned too.

Side note: I’ve both broken a bar off under the clamp in a small crash racing. And removed a ‘factory set’ lever to find the carbon bar crushed under the imperfectly installed metal lever clamp. So, I get the concern.

But pro racers want to go fast. And amateur riders like to emulate their pro cycling heroes. So, there needs to be a solution.

Italian bikebuilder TRed’s component division TOOT has been working on alternate ergonomic and aero handlebars for some time. We last caught up with their Ashaa bar on the track a couple years ago – when the patented it. Updated more last summer. But now, with more UCI restrictions on road racing, the customizable aerodynamic nature of that original bar seems like it could pay off even more. Both for pro and amateur racers alike.

This version then was developed and tested on the road & track with Argentinian former pro cyclist Facundo Lezica working with TRed/Toot’s Romolo Stanco. Then, proven with current Madison World Champ Jan-Willem van Schip.

What’s unique about the TOOT ASHAA RR bar?

TRed calls the TOOT ASHAA RR, the “first handlebar to guarantee an extremely aerodynamic position without compromising control and safety.” That gets to addressing all of the UCI’s concerns, it seems.

It is built around a unique narrow geometry that puts your hands further forward, higher, and closer together, than even a narrow conventional 38-42cm bar (all dimension discussed are measured center-to-center) at the hoods.

Note: UCI regulation dictates allowable outside dimensions for racing eligibility, which is why Toot lists those.

Ultra-narrow and complexly curved

That means a long bar Reach of 118mm and deep Drop of 105mm. That’s designed to fit with your same stem – your arms reach more forward as hands come closer together.

Width is wildly narrow at around 24cm wide at the hoods, which are slightly raised above the stem. Then, they lean the bars themselves in around 5° towards a clamping area, further rotated in another 5-10° to safely interface with turned-in levers – resulting in the end of your hoods being 19-21cm wide.

Wow, right?

Super narrow.

But the Ashaa RR road racing bars also feature dramatic (for the road) ~20° flare for a stable sense of control. Officially it is not “flare” as Toot explains that it is a non-linear curve (a key part of their patent). There are very few real straight angles on the bar. But the result is that it puts the ends of the drops 33-35cm wide. And the roomy drops feature angles to offer a natural-feeling position and plenty of stability.

It’s certainly a dramatically different position – something in between regular drops and aero bars. Yet even though you are narrow and leaning forward, the rider can keep their hands firmly held in the familiar stable position of a dropbar for maximum control.

How Much Faster?

“Both with low and high grip the position is stable and comfortable with perfect handling. From the data collected with the Velocomp Aeropod V5 pitot system – which detects the CdA in real time – my overall aerodynamic efficiency improves by more than 4%. This means that if with a normal 40cm handlebar at 320W I am at 45km/h, with the position that this handlebar allows me to assume (both on the controls and on the handlebar) I ride at 47km/h keeping the levers perfectly aligned with the handle. And remember that the more the speed increases, the wider the gap between the two values is.”

– Facundo Lezica, professional track & road cyclist, and ASHAA RR 3D designer

3D-Printing Tech

Of course, 3D-printing allowed TRed / Toot to quickly turn an idea into reality. But it also means they can customize the actual shape to best fit riders individually – much like we see in custom aero bars. But it is a bit simpler here, Toot refines a proposed shape with a custom bar buyer, then mocks-up a plastic dummy for final testing before printing a metal bar.

Their standard 3D-printed Ashaa RR is made from 316L stainless steel, which allows Toot to tailor strength & stiffness to individual rider needs as well. They say that can vary total bar weight from 360-480g.

They print each steel or ti bar in two interlocking halves, welded together in the middle (see inside, between where the stem clamps), and then ground perfectly smooth for a 31.8mm clamping area.

How strong is that?

This is a 3D-printed Toot Asheeta steel track bar I saw after a massive crash into the barriers last summer at something like 50km/hr, so hard that if folded-in the downtube (but didn’t crack any tubes or welds). And the bar is just scratched. And the ride walked away, although bleeding and missing some skin.

All bars are also compatible with full internal cable routing. In fact, Toot can also make you a custom carbon, aluminum, or titanium stem in any desired length to work with the most common internal routing systems.

Fully customizable in 3D-printed steel

They 3D-print the Ashaa RR in stainless steel in Italy at the University of Pavia. And offer either in this stock geometry. Or you can get a fully customizable size and shape to make it fit perfectly in your own hands and against your own forearms. Importantly, all custom bars are also stress and fatigue test certified by a industry 3rd party.

Toot even says that it can “also be customized for gravel“. We’re quite curious what we’d change to ride off-road. But at this price, they’ll make it whatever shape you need.

Lighter weight in Yottalight 3D-printed titanium

The bar is also available in the standard dimensions as the Toot Ashaa RR Yottalight. 3D-printed in titanium in Germany by ApWorks (a division of the Airbus group) to save weight without sacrificing strength. Weight savings over the optimized steel version is said to be about 15%.

More affordable AND lighter in carbon

If you want to save weight AND some cash – contrary to everything else in the bike industry – you can even pick carbon, instead. But you will have to wait a little longer. Toot manufactures the carbon bar with more conventional molding techniques. Although for now in 3D-printed steel molds in Italy for the early production. So only the stock size and shape is available. The carbon bar is also 2cm wider with wider wings up top, offering a bit more universal appeal.

Toot Ashaa RR – Pricing, options & availability

Essentially 4 versions of the new Toot Ashaa RR aero road racing handlebar are available. Standard geometry in 3D-printed steel for 1390€. Standard geometry in 3D-printed titanium or custom geometry in 3D-printed steel for 1990€. Or ‘just’ 429€ for the carbon bar if you pre-order now.

The 3D-printed bars are all made-to-order with a max 21 working day lead-time for standard geometry. Toot offers the carbon Ashaa RR bars as a pre-order until mid-February, with the first deliveries slated to begin at the end of Mach 2024.

What’s next?

One piece 3D-printed steel or titanium handlebar+stem cockpit combos?

Yeah, Toot is already working on that too. This is a custom Ashaa RR 1-piece cockpit in 3D-printed titanium!

Performance.TootEngineering.com

The post TOOT Ashaa RR Ultra-Aero Road Bars Beat UCI Turned-In Lever Rule in Steel, Ti, or Carbon appeared first on Bikerumor.

Over the weekend at CX Worlds in Tábor, we spotted a small CeramicSpeed crew meeting with several different teams to talk ceramic bearings and low-friction lubrication AND showing off a next-gen prototype OSPW system. Designed for both road & cyclocross, this new version of their Shimano oversized pulley wheel system upgrade gets solid pulleys and ADR tech inherited from MTB for smoother, longer running…

Prototype updated CeramicSpeed OSPW for Shimano Di2

We’re always psyched to find prototypes in the pro pits. Whether hidden in plain view like the new Campy power meter. Or slightly more incognito like this classic black tape covered derailleur cage. Here, fitted to a Cube Cross Race bike from Team Charles Liégeois, the cyclocross racing offshoot of Intermarché–Wanty. And CeramicSpeed was roaming the pits checking in with mechanics from several top riders. We later caught up with the CeramicSpeed crew. And they said they were checking-in with existing sponsored riders, meeting with potential new partners, and even quietly handing over some product to unsponsored teams who use CeramicSpeed gear without sharing that publicly.

So, what’s new in the OSPW department?

The CeramicSpeed prototype that we spotted is an updated version of their long-running Over-Sized Pulley Wheel (OSPW) upgrade for Shimano rear derailleurs. In fact looking back, it’s been almost a decade since we first spotting the CeramicSpeed OSPW solution for Shimano. And outside of a few changes in pulley teeth numbers, that core curvy carbon cage upgrade hasn’t changed much since.

Now, that appears set to change with a new angular design.

CeramicSpeed suggests that their next-gen OSPW gets more angular aesthetics. That better fits with the shaping of modern road bike groupsets. Even under a strip of black electrical tape, this prototype certainly looks like a better fit with the latest Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur, compared to the existing curvy CeramicSpeed cage.

A closer look reveals that both upper and lower pulleys are solid on this prototype. Just like those Alpha pulleys of the recently introduced OSPW X for SRAM MTB Transmissions. We’re not sure. But it looks like the same composite teeth combined to a smooth alloy disc, like on the new MTB system.

This lower pulley is also marked ADR. It features that mountain bike cage’s same Active Debris Remover shaping at the central cover over the bearing. As it’s been described to us, this tangential groove shaping is a patent-pending design that pulls dust, dirt & grit away from the bearing cover as the pulley spins. A self-cleaning solution that promises even longer bearing life

Unlike the mountain bike’s X system with narrow wide teeth, this road OSPW prototype stick with a 19T lower pulley. And appears to keep 13T for the upper pulley.

How else does it differ from the current road OSPW?

Besides the more angular recent mountain bike OSPW cage with solid pulleys & ADR tech, CeramicSpeed’s latest OSPW innovation had been their fully-enclosed Aero cage. Interestingly, that one also broke cover on an Intermarché-Wanty pro’s Cube race bike.

The new road prototypes are also more angular and feature solid pulleys. We’d have to expect that the new design will be heavier – it surely has more material in the pulleys. But time will tell if that is balanced by decreased aero drag, reduced drivetrain friction, or longer bearing life.

We’ll have to wait and see what CeramicSpeed has to say once they make the new design official.

Were there actually CeramicSpeed OSPW-equipped bikes racing in the mud?

To be honest, not many.

No one actually raced this prototype here in the mud, as far as we saw. The team mounted this one to the bike of a rider who wasn’t even at Worlds, I believe. Perhaps as a backup if one of his teammates had any major bike problems.

It may have been just here to tease all the other pro riders about the new tech coming soon. But to be fair, it was so muddy out there, it’s possible that I simply missed it.

With very muddy conditions on the Tábor World Championship course, I can’t imagine there were too many friction-reducing gains to be had in a set of oversized pulleys. At least, those not offset by more real estate to collect mud on. But you know that incremental gains are always there, relative to the baseline standard. And theoretically ceramic bearings should operate more smoothly relatively – the worse conditions get and the more team mechanics clean the bikes with pressure washers.

Anyway, the U23 development team riders of Intermarché–Wanty’s CX team Charles Liégeois were sporting existing OSPW setups.

We also noticed one or two other riders on CeramicSpeed OSPW X. Like this nice SRAM AXS mullet setup. With an X01 MTB derailleur paired to an otherwise Force 1x for the easier gearing to tackle deep mud.

What else do they have up their CeramicSpeed sleeves?

Everywhere they went – ducking in and out of pro team buses – CeramicSpeed was also carrying a small black case full of pulley cages, ceramic bearings, and who knows what else.

Probably some of their UFO Drip wax lube that is quite prevalent in top-tier racing.

We only officially see CeramicSpeed logo stickers on a few pro road and a couple pro XC mountain bike teams. But, we’ve definitely seen OSPW cages on a number of other ‘non-sponsored’ bikes. And against the high cost and focus on aero gains of most pro bikes these days, it seems like a relatively small leap for more pro riders to see if CeramicSpeed can deliver on their promises of incremental gains. Rumor in the peloton – both on- and off-road – suggests that CeramicSpeed supplies a LOT of additional teams. And all the times we saw CeramicSpeed crew pop up all over the CX Worlds pits backs that up.

CeramicSpeed.com

The post Spotted: Prototype CeramicSpeed OSPW Update for Road & Cross Teased at CX Worlds appeared first on Bikerumor.

Last fall, Silca released their Tour de France Stage-winning hollow 3D-printed titanium derailleur hangers to the general public. But they were mostly limited to riders with Shimano drivetrains or UDH-equipped bikes – seriously limiting on-road applications. Well, Silca listened. And after quickly selling out those initial ti hangers, they are back with universal fits for 9 popular road & gravel bike makers. And the original run are available again too.

Do you think an $85-99 titanium replacement derailleur hanger will improve your bike’s shifting?

Silca 3D-printed titanium derailleur hanger fits more bikes

Developed as a project to improve the shifting on WorldTour road bikes… a lighter, stiffer hanger upgrade promising faster, more precise shifts for your road, gravel, and mountain bikes…

Silca claims that “modern electronic derailleurs shift so fast and with such force that conventional hangers made from low-grade aluminum plates will flex up to 4 degrees during a shift, resulting in less precise, noisier, and slower shifting. Traditional hangers also bend easily, even in minor incidents, resulting in unnecessary bike changes and additional workload for mechanics.“

If you had a Shimano derailleur, these direct mount hangers promised faster, more precise shifting. Silca promised a whopping 8-10x higher stiffness when using the direct mount ti hanger vs. a standard replaceable aluminum hanger and the extra link on the derailleur. On a UDH-compatible bike, they said their hollow 3D-printed titanium hanger was “5-6x stiffer than conventional aluminum hangers”. We assume those quoted UDH gains will apply to their new universal fit derailleur hangers for more road and gravel bikes, too.

Sounds like a no-brainer upgrade, right?

Of course, the 3D-printed hanger is meant to be a sacrificial element that breaks before your frame does. But Silca assures that even though their ti hangers are ultra-stiff, there’s still an internal structure designed to break before your frame.

So, what’s new?

The new bit here is, that Silca expand their offering for the same 9 bike makers as before. So, you can either get a 100-series Shimano direct-mount-specific hanger. Or get a 200-series Universal Fit one that you can use with SRAM, Campagnolo, MicroShift, TRP, Ingrid, or whatever you have lying around…

Plus, there’s still the Shimano or Universal Fit option for UDH bikes.

And they are all in stock again.

Or if you had a UDH-compatible frame, you could use one with either any conventional derailleur or a Shimano Direct Mount.

Silca 3D-printed derailleur hanger – Pricing, options & availability

The Silca 3DP Derailleur Hanger is available to fit 9 brands of bikes for $85 a piece. That then, includes Cannondale, Canyon, Cervelo, Factor, Giant, Pinarello, Scott, Specialized & Trek. Check out our original Silca 3d-printed derailleur hanger article for a full breakdown of compatible bike models.

Pick from 100-series for Shimano or 200-series for Universal Fit for SRAM, Campagnolo or other drivetrains. UDH-compatible hangers are also available for $99 in Shimano-specific or Universal Fit.

Silca.cc

The post SRAM & Campy Shift Better on Silca Pro-Spec 3D-Printed Titanium Derailleur Hangers appeared first on Bikerumor.

Italian tubing and component maker Columbus has an all-new Trittico system of carbon bars, stem & fork developed to bring modern fully internal cable routing to the custom handmade bike market. Designed to fit inside a conventional 1 1/8″ upper headset cup, the Columbus Trittico features a unique Trefoil fork steerer tube that outperforms many other shaped steerers. Plus, a creative stem solution delivers unmatched cockpit adjustability, without messing with your brake lines…

Columbus Trittico carbon cockpits integrate handmade bikes

The idea behind these new Columbus Components carbon Trittico parts was simple. Give handmade bikes the option to build fully internal cable routing with existing tubing – specifically headtube – sizing.

Columbus sells a lot of steel and (increasingly) titanium tubesets to custom frame builders. And even though most of those now use so-called ‘oversized’ tubing diameters relative to old school 1″ steel tubes. We’re still talking about a maximum 44mm headtube for tapered 1.5-1.125″ steerer tubes.

While oversized carbon bikes can often get away with going to a massive 1.5″ upper headset cup to fit shift & brake lines inside. Metal bikes start to look weird with bigger headtubes.

So, Trittico means keeping whatever 1 1/8″ upper headset cup you prefer. And routing cables inside it. Electronic shifting only though, so we’re only talking about internal routing of hydraulic brake lines, or electronic wires on older groupsets.

How does it work?

To make that fit, Columbus developed a new Trefoil steerer tube shape for their own full carbon forks. Their patent-pending design lops off the front 2 corners of the carbon fork steerer for the cables to slip down into the frame. And of course requires a proprietary expander to go inside.

As compared to similar 1.125″ internal routing solutions with D-shaped or I-shaped steerers, the Columbus Trefoil design is uncompromisingly stiffer both front-to-back AND resisting lateral forces.

Unmatched integrated cockpit adjustability

Now, it is relatively straight-forward to route just a couple of hydro brake lines inside a separate bar and stem, assuming the correct size routing holes all line up. But Columbus goes one step further with their carbon Trittico stem. Here, they use a oversized steerer clamp diameter, and fill out that space with an alloy sleeve spacer.

The result, one -8° stem can be adjusted in length by 5mm and its angle by 5°. All without removing any hoses. The regular black steerer sleeve can be left in its 0 position, or rotated 180° to offset stem length by +5mm. Or swap in the red -5° angled insert sleeve, which keeps the original stem length, but lowers the handlebar creating an effective -13° stem angle.

That sleek carbon stem gets a removable alloy faceplate with hidden 3-bolts, and hidden GPS mount. So you get both streamlined looks and real-world ease-of-use.

Combine it with ergonomically-shaped “Smart Fit” handlebars, and you can fine-tune your cockpit positioning, exactly as you prefer. Columbus gives their Trittico carbon bars unique shaping. With a divot for extra space behind the lever for more secure braking from the hoods – especially for riders with small hands who’ve adjusted their lever reach – and triangulated shaped drops for extra grip while sprinting.

Trefoil forks

The Columbus Trittico system is built around the Futura Trefoil full carbon 1.5″ tapered steerer road fork.

425g with 32mm tire clearance (367mm axle-crown, 45mm rake), flat mount 160mm (or 180mm) brake rotor compatibility, and a magnetic cover to hide the front mounting bolts.

There also will be a Trittico-compatible Futura Trefoil Gravel fork with bigger 700c x 57mm tire clearances, anything cage & fender mounts, and dynamo wiring routing. The Futura Trefoil Gravel fork gets a 405mm a-c and adjustable 47/52mm offset, at a claimed 565g.

Trittico component specs & sizing

The carbon Trittico stems are customizable in both length and angle with their adjustable steerer tube sleeve. The 5 sizes are 90-130mm (in 10mm steps) with the standard -8° stem angle. Rotate the stock black steerer sleeve 180° to offset length +5mm. It keeps the -8° angle, but shifts the stem lengths to 95-135mm. Or an optional red angled -5° insert sleeve keeps the original lengths, but lowers the front handlebar clamping area to create a -13° angle.

Columbus also created a direct out-front GPS/GoPro mount. Called the Race Spoon, it mounts to 2 bolts on the bottom of the Trittico stem.

The Trittico carbon road bars come in 40/42/44cm widths at the hoods, with subtle 4° flare in the drops (below the levers) for an extra 2.7cm of width (center-center) at the ends. The 31.8mm bars feature 71mm reach and 128mm drop, with a claimed weight of 215g.

Wider carbon Trittico gravel bars will add more dramatic 15° flare. Plus, they feature an extra ergonomic loop at the ends of the drops, yet only a shade heavier at 225g. The 75mm reach/110mm drop gravel bars will also come in 40/42/44cm at the hoods. But, in the end, 11cm wider at the drops thanks to the flare and further 4° oustweep at the ends.

There’s also a matching carbon Trittico seatpost to finish out your contact points. It’s available in 27.2 or 31.6mm diameter (200g or 210g). The seatpost features swappable 2-bolt head guts for 15mm or 25mm offset, round or carbon rail compatibility, and an asymmetric carbon shaft layup for optimal rider comfort.

Columbus Trittico – Options, Pricing & Availability

Columbus designed the Trittico cockpit system as an integration solution for custom handmade bike builders. So for now, your best bet it to buy a new custom road bike. Then, tell your frame builder that this is what you want. Columbus says a number of builders are already using the Trittico system. Beyond the Jaegher bikes I photographed above, you can also already find Trittico-equipped bikes from Barco, Beach Club, Belle, Bixxis, Cinelli, Condor, Festka, Ioklin, Legot, Onguza, Passoni, Repete, Stelbel, Titici, Victoire, Wittson, and more.

Officially, only the road bike series with the Futura Trefoil road fork has launched so far. But Columbus shared renderings with us of a gravel series with a Futura Trefoil Gravel fork and flared carbon bar. And we’ve seen the gravel product names already pop up with some distributors. Those likely are already making their way to bike builders early this year.

As for aftermarket retrofit installation into your existing bikes… Columbus has a “Pre-Order Now” contact form on their microsite for consumers looking to buy the Trittico system components. But we’ve also seen the individual components already being offered online separately. With fork prices around 475€, stems/seatposts/bars for around 420€.

Columbus1919.com/Trittico

The post Columbus Trittico Brings Modern Full Internal Routing to Classic Handmade Looks appeared first on Bikerumor.

Classified has 3 new carbon road & gravel wheelsets, ready to turn your 1x drivetrain back into a 2x bike. The revamped stock carbon road and gravel wheels make setting up a bike with a Classified Powershift internal 2x gearing hub easier. And now those wheels are wider and faster thanks to the improved aerodynamics optimized for 30mm road tires.

Classified’s wider, faster R36, R50 & G42 wheels for Powershift

An update to their 3 debut carbon wheelsets from 3-years ago, the new road R36, R50, and gravel G42 wheels are all wider, aerodynamically faster and more stable, plus they are just as light as ever. In fact, the new gravel wheelset is even lighter than the original, shallower Classified gravel wheels. And the new wheels get the same pricing as the old ones.

Why get Classified wheels in the first place?

Classified wheels are not a universal fit designed to just drop into any road or gravel bike. What they are is the starting point to put Classified’s uniquely innovative 2-speed internal gear hub onto your bike. The wheels are “Powershift-ready” meaning you get a wheelset, with the big empty oversized rear hub shell, ready for you to pop in the Classified Powershift rear hub, and convert your 1x bike setup back to a 2x, but without a front derailleur.

Read our full, detailed tech breakdown of the wirelessly-actuated, internal reduction gear, virtual-front-derailleur-inside-the-rear-hub Classified Powershift system here. It’s some genuinely cool tech, all made in Europe. And as the cassette options have grown in the last few years, a Classified Powershift setup has become even more enticing than ever.

Upgraded Aerodynamics & All-terrain capability

Core to the overhaul of the carbon Classified wheels was making them wider to better fit modern wide tires. But at the same time, Classified worked to make them more aero than before, too. Both reducing aerodynamic drag, and improving crosswind stability.

Classified shared several aero graphs illustrating that the new wheels are better or pretty much on par with leading aero wheel competition in the market. And they show the clear aero performance improvement of opting for 30mm tires vs. 28mm tire on the new wheels. They also illustrate good relative crosswind stability.

The new R road wheels are also rated for classics cobble riding, and teh G gravel wheels for gravel racing & adventure riding.

Wheel tech details

The new carbon wheels all feature hooked tubeless-ready rims. And they are all laced by hand by Classified in The Netherlands.

The road rims are now 3.5mm wider internally, but just 1.5mm externally to create a smoother transition to wider 28 or 30mm tires. Classified wind tunnel data confirms they are actually aerodynamically faster with 30mm road tires. Not even counting the reduced rolling resistance or improved comfort of the wider tire. Plus, the complete road wheelsets have the exact same claimed weight as the original generation, making them bolt quite light. (Although the weight excludes the Powershift hub. So you might need to add a few tens of grams in your mind to directly compare them to conventional wheelsets.)

The new R36 (a mm deeper than the R35) is 36mm deep x 22.5mm internal and 28.5mm wide externally, at 1315g for the pair. The new 50mm deep R50 is the same width (22.5mm internal, 28.5mm external). And then, just a hundred grams heavier at 1415g.

The gravel wheels are now measurably lighter and deeper, with vastly improved aerodynamics. Plus, they also feature upgraded stiffness thanks to a new asymmetric rim profile. Classified says the 42mm deep hooked tubeless gravel rim itself weighs 415g, with a new 25mm internal width & 30mm outside. Claimed weight is just 1350g, yet Classified rates them for everything from gravel racing to loaded bikepacking touring.

Classified R36, R50 & G42 wheels – Pricing, options & availability

All three new Classified Powershift-ready R36, R50 & G42 carbon wheelsets sell for the same 1500€ price tag with simple black on black graphics. That’s a bit of an increase since Classified first debuted their own carbon wheelsets, but it is the same price across the board for all the wheels they offer – old & new.

Now to actually get a functional Classified Powershift drivetrain setup, you need to add those wheels to a Powershift hub, the shifter, control axle, and the appropriate Classified cassette to match your rear derailleur. That complete Classified setup with these wheels will run you 2600€ in total. Which actually gives you a decent discount on the smart drivetrain bits vs. buying it separately and getting a wheelset from someone else. Really you only buy the 1500€ wheelset on its own, if you already have a Classified-equipped bike. And are looking to get a 2nd set of wheels for it.

Now, the new R36 & R50 road and G42 gravel wheels aren’t quite ready to order just yet. Officially they debut at the Velofollies consumer bike show in Belgium this weekend. So you’ll be able to order a set through Classified’s dealer network, starting next week.

Classified-cycling.cc

The post Classified Revamps Wheels with Wider, Light, More Aero Road & Gravel Wheelsets appeared first on Bikerumor.

We already got a sneak peek at Old Man Mountain’s new carry-anything Axle Pack back at the MADE show last fall – giving any fork more accessory mounts. But now they are available to buy. And we’ve strapped a couple onto a Mastodon fat bike fork to carry more and take our winter adventures further…

Old Man Mountain Axle Pack bolt-on fork accessory mounts

Two-position 3-pack mounts that fit any fork, no eyelets needed.

The Old Man Mountain (OMM) Axle Pack easily bolts directly to the end of your axle (requiring OMM’s own thru-axle Fit Kit ). That means they are strong and have nowhere to slide down or spin around your fork legs as you ride. The direct mount also means they get rated for a full 10kg in total 5kg/11lb per side. More than the 3-4.5kg per side that eyelet mounting is able to deliver.

The super-secure off-road-rated setup is relatively light, and gives you 4 mounting bolts to get that weight low. Two position options for a 3-pack Anything cage OR the ability to install two separate 2-bolt mounts. For ex. a regular water bottle cage up top, and a tool cage down below.

What you carry is really up to your imagination. I’ve bolted a couple up to a Manitou Mastodon fork with a couple of cages. And strapped on a tent & sleeping bag. Or a couple of 1l Nalgene bottles. The most I’ve attached so far has been about 1.6kg per side. So, I’ll have to get more creative with packing to push up close to that 10kg weight limit.

Anyone have any ideas what I should carry in the snow?

Tech details & Actual weights

The core of the Old Man Mountain Axle Pack are the two brackets that extend up the side of each fork leg. CNC-machined from 6061 aluminum in Taiwan. They then mount directly to a custom thru-axle made in the US by The Robert Axle Project with threads to bolt onto from either end. Up top, a pair of plastic fork Pucks get strapped around your fork leg with “ultra-strong” UV-stable Panduit zip-ties, providing a set of upper eyelets to attach the brackets.

All that, and an Old Man Mountain Axle Pack setup adds 265g to my fork, including all steel mounting hardware and the 3-pack bolts. OMM claims a weight of just 73g per side, which is just a single bracket without all the necessary hardware and special axle. Still, 265g is likely as light as other clamp-on mounting solutions. And the axle mounting is rock solid, with huge carrying capacity.

Figuring in a complete weigh-in… A couple of titanium King Manything Cages would be 68g a piece. Or a pair of the adjustable length aluminum Apidura Cargo Cages at 85g a piece. My Old Man Mountain 25″ Voile straps weigh 28g a piece.

All in my setup with 4 straps & one of each cage totals 531g, less than the weight of the water in my smallest bottles.

Easy mounting & setup

Installing the Old Man Mountain Axle Pack was pretty much as easy as replacing any bolt-on thru-axle. Then bolting on a 3-pack mount Anything Cage. With that said, between the Axle Pack & Fit Kit – it came with 12 bolts of 3 different sizes, 6 washer/spacers of 3 different sizes, a couple of Axle Pack brackets, 8 heavy-duty Panduit zip-ties, and a replacement axle.

What it didn’t include were installation instructions, just a couple of QR codes that link to the OMM support page. Part of the adventure of testing things before they officially launch… Of course, I ignored those QR thingamabobbers, and plowed ahead.

Of note, the Axle Pack instructions are now online (here) – even though persinally, I still prefer the trial-and-error method.

Sure, I switched up a couple of the longer bolts/spacers from top to bottom, at first. But it all fit and worked pretty well.

Then, I realized that installing the longer bolts and the spacer up top between the bracket & plastic fork Puck better aligns everything. So, I sorted that out before my next ride. It’s all steel bolts and sturdy aluminum brackets, and I’m hauling much less than the max weight. So, it wasn’t a big deal.

But, correcting my install mistake meant I could drop the King Manything Cage to the lower position and get the 1kg weight of my 1L Nalgene bottle a bit lower.

So, I would recommend looking at the install photos on the Old Man Mountain Axle Pack product page. Or this double Nalgene photo – here only – to get it right on the first try.

Unlike me.

Old Man Mountain Axle Pack – Pricing, options & availability

The new Old Man Mountain Axle Pack is available starting today and ready to ship for $60 for the 2-leg mount kit. They also come with a lifetime warranty for use on- or off-road.

To install it on your bike you will need an OMM front Fit Kit with its custom The Robert Axle Project thru-axle. Our Fit Kit for a Manitou Mastodon fatbike fork sells for $82 or $80 for our Fox 36 kit. Old Man Mountain also makes classic quick-release kits, but the new Axle Pack was only designed to use with thru-axles and their special Robert axles.

Old Man Mountain says the new Axle Pack makes any bike a bikepacking bike. Whether it has a carbon, aluminum, steel, or suspension fork. It’s already helping us load up some fat bikes for bigger winter adventures!

Axle Packs and Fit Kits to fit virtually any fork in existence are available now, direct from Old Man Mountain.

OldManMountain.com

The post First Look: Old Man Mountain Axle Pack puts Bikepacking Anything Cages on Any Fork appeared first on Bikerumor.

Velogic’s Studio 4 release brings dual-sided 3D motion capture to the game, offering a more advanced bike fit report that covers everything from power, cadence, and pedaling dynamics to aerodynamics!

The data capture provides a complete report, giving bike fitters everything they need to speed up the process and deliver better results. And, now, they’ll have unique data for each side of your body, then apply it to almost any bike on the market.

Velogic’s database of 18,000 bikes lets fitters take the data and overlay it with video to show a rider how they can better fit their own bike, or create the right fit on almost any new bike they could want. It can even overlay your motion from different settings, letting you compare changes visually as well as through data.

The process uses Orbbec Femto Mega cameras linked to a computer, where software reads the input and spits out a report with exact measurements and shows both client and fitter the results on screen as video. The aerodynamics data should prove interesting for roadies and triathletes when it comes online in Q2 2024.

Pricing for studios ranges from $1,200 to $1,800 per year depending on the plan, with an upfront first-year price of $3,000 to $4,500 for setup (monthly pricing also available, and subscription does not include hardware costs).

VelogicFit.com

The post Velogic Doubles Up on 3D Motion Capture Bike Fits appeared first on Bikerumor.

9point8 grow to their Slack-R angle adjust headset family with new press-in ZS and EC cups that can slacken your ride out between 1-2.8°. If you’re riding a bike that you wish wasn’t quite as steep to better tackle tougher trails, a 9point8 Slack-R Get Slack-R headset might just be the ticket to getting slacker…

9point8 Slack-R ZS & EC angle adjust headsets

A few years ago, Canadian component maker 9point8 launched the first angle-adjustable headset that worked on bikes with IS Integrated headset cups. That original thread-together affair worked by relocating your existing IS bearings above & below your headtube, into new eccentric offset cups that sat in the old bearing races. Now, riders of bikes that have Zero Stack headsets – where alloy cups are first pressed into your frame, with their own pressed-in bearings – can get the same slacker Slack-R conversion, as well.

What do you need to know?

Modern tapered press-in headsets come in essentially 2 varieties – Zero Stack (ZS) where you don’t really see the cups and External Cup (EC) where you do. The 9point8 Slack-R headset solution again works by moving the bearings of your headset, outside of the headtube and offset a few millimeters from the centerline to effectively change your headtube angle.

Doing so results in between a 0.8-2.8° slacker head angle. (Or the same amount steeper if you want to go that direction.) It is dependent on headtube length, so shorter headtubes will see more dramatic changes.

Swapping in the external cups means a taller combined stack height of your headset. So, it’s important you have a spacer or two you can pull out from under your stem. Lest your steerer tube be too short. It will also most likely raise your headtube by up to 10mm, increasing frame Stack. And in addition to slackening your headtube, it will also increase fork Trail a bit.

Quite a bit of small geometry changes will take place. But that’s why you want to give it a try, right?

If you want more of a geo change explanation, 9point8 offers a deeper look at their Slack-R system, here.

Tech details

9point8 calls the Slack-R design “creak-free”, made with machined 6061 aluminum cups and sealed stainless cartridge bearings. Headset kit weights range from 57-104g depending on your desired ZS/EC combo.

The 9point8 Slack-R now comes in press-in options to fit ZS headtubes. Upper bore diameter is available as 44mm, and lower bores of 49 or 56mm. With that, you can mix-and-match. Internal ZS44 or external EC44 up top. Then ZS 56, EC49, or EC56 down below, to get the angle change you want, within acceptable stack height increase.

ZS cups have minimal added height and less angle offset; while EC brings bigger changes.

9point8 Slack-R ZS & EC – Options, pricing & availability

There’s a “Filter Your Slack-R Kit” tool on the left side of ZS/EC Kit page. It will show your options based on headtube length. Select 44mm upper and 49mm or 56mm lower, then it will show the resulting angle change and headset stack height of all possible options.

All Slack-R ZS/EC headset kits sell of $99USD including upper & lower cups with bearings, a crown race, star nut & top cap, and 9point8 installation and alignment tools. These new Slack-Rs, and the wide range of $109 IS integrated Slack-R headsets are available now. 9point8 includes free shipping in North America direct from 9point8.

9point8.ca

The post More 9point8 Headsets Get Slack-R for ZS appeared first on Bikerumor.

Gemini calls their new Rigel carbon ring the “most technologically advanced chainring” to ever be made. And says it is “truly the lightest chainring in the world.” Crafted from continuous fiber ‘forged’ carbon over an aluminum skeleton, the narrow-wide 1x Gemini Rigel carbon chainrings are stiff, long-wearing, even aero, plus of course incredibly lightweight.

Gemini Rigel carbon 1x MTB chainrings

We’ve seen a number of carbon and composite chainrings over the years. I even made a full carbon chainring for my singlespeed mountain bike more than 2 decades ago that seriously outlasted alloy rings. Carbon lightness and stiffness have been promising in the chainring department. But none have really solved the issues of creating sharp & complex teeth from carbon that can handle varying chain angles, aid chain retention, and survive regular wear and tear. The most successful until now have resorted to making the outer ring of teeth out of various metals. And limiting the carbon to structural reinforcement or a lighter spider design.

Until now…

Gemini crafts the Rigel direct mount chainrings mostly from carbon, but with alloy at the chain’s contact surface with the chainring’s teeth.

Who is Gemini again?

We mostly know Gemini Composites for their premium carbon mountain bike bars and 1-piece cockpits. Started in 2015 to develop advanced carbon MTB components by Roland Baides, a bike design engineer out of the Cero design studio. Baides became the chief design engineer for Unno for the first 2 years of the new mountain bike brand, before returning full-time to Gemini.

Now, situated in a small industrial zone a 1/2 hour up the coast from Barcelona – on top of auto repair & paint shops – Gemini combines their design and carbon production in a single combined studio and workshop. Everything from idea to components, made in-house.

How is Forged Carbon made?

Gemini’s secret sauce is multi-part construction, dubbed ‘Forged Carbon’, aka compression molding. First, a continuous aluminum ring of hollowed-out 7075-T6 alloy is cut. Then, they sandwich the toothed ring between precision-cut prepreg carbon discs, pressed inside a mold, and heated, under more than 100 tons of force to arrive at the final shaping.

The real secret is not entirely revealed – but is patented. The detail of how Gemini orients the fibers in the teeth. Based on our understanding of the patent, the pressure of molding squeezes the unaligned fibers (Discontinuous Fiber Composites similar to what we know as UD) in the precut carbon discs. This aligns the fibers concentrically (3 in Fig. 8-B), as they squeeze into the narrow channels of the teeth in the mold.

Gemini says the result is “an organization of continuous fiber structure in the tooth that is unattainable with traditional carbon fiber manufacturing processes“.

Out of the compression mold, there’s still plenty of hand finishing to clean up excess resin flash squeezed out. And to polish the finished Rigel ring.

Tech details

According to Gemini, the resulting Rigel is the lightest Direct Mount chainring available. They claim a weight of just 39g for a 30T SRAM 3-bolt ring. “This is primarily thanks to the use of carbon fiber for both the structure and the teeth, despite having an internal metal core dedicated solely to extending its lifespan.”

The Rigel rings ultimately expose the edges of the inner alloy ring. That provides direct chain roller to aluminum contact, to transfer pedaling loads through the carbon body.

This means long-term durability against wear. At the same time, the carbon sandwich reduces friction, quiets the chain, and improves the overall aerodynamics of the system.

Gemini doesn’t explicitly state how many miles or kilometers you can expect to get out of their new carbon Rigel chainrings. But does advise cleaning & maintaining it like a regular ring – preferably using a dry chain lube. They also claim that real conditions durability is effectively similar to conventional aluminum chainrings.

All are manufactured in Barcelona, Spain right where they were designed and engineered.

Gemini Rigel carbon chainrings – Pricing, Options & Compatibility

The new carbon Gemini Rigel chainrings seem surprisingly affordable actually. OK, at 125€ a piece, they aren’t cheap.

But plenty of machined alloy direct mount chainrings already sell for 70-90€. This is officially cheaper than a stock SRAM XX SL replacement chainring. Even a heavier, non-DM Carbon-Ti 1x chainring made from a similar material mix will set you back 181€.

Gemini limits options to just three tooth sizes for the time being, each with Boost standard 3mm offset: 32, 34, or 36T. If you think you are faster than that, you’ll have to wait until Gemini develops bigger rings…

Gemini has been coy with the details, but suggested gravel-ready 38, 40, 42 & 44T rings will come “Soon“, as will a 52/36T pair. And they are also thinking of oval rings, and a version for SRAM’s latest thread-on ring-around-a-powermeter.

Compatibility is wide, though. Gemini makes the carbon Rigel chainrings in 5 direct mount interface standards – SRAM 3-bolt, SRAM 8-bolt, Shimano, RaceFace/Easton & Cannondale Hollowgram. That covers the vast majority of direct-mount MTB crank arms out there today. They are said to work with 11 & 12-speed drivetrains from Shimano & SRAM, including T-Type Flattop chains.

Get them now, direct from Gemini.

rideGemini.com

The post Gemini Forges Rigel Carbon MTB Chainrings, the World’s Lightest at 39g Make You Faster! appeared first on Bikerumor.

Back at the start of December, Ratio unveiled their new drivetrain universal-fit Aero DM 1x chainrings, but also quietly rolled out a tiny alloy cable spool to bring life back to old SRAM dropbar shifters. And it’s a tiny little widget that’s the perfect example of what Ratio Technology does best.

• Develop low-cost solutions to extend the life of, or even significantly upgrade, the drivetrain components you already have. So…

What’s a Ratio Cable Spool? Why your SRAM shifter needs it?

Alright, so inside every SRAM 10-speed and 11-speed righthand shifter is a little plastic cable spool. That serves as the connection point between the end of your inner shift cable and the toothed ratchet inside the shifter that controls the indexed shifting of your rear derailleur.

Ratio says, “the most common failure mechanism for a SRAM shifter appears to be the cable pulling through [this] cable spool“. But SRAM doesn’t typically offer this as a service part, so a damaged shifter would most often be trashed.

A couple of years ago, Ratio made a 3D-printed nylon replacement spool with the double benefit of keeping old shifters on the road AND allowing further upgrades with custom Ratio ratchets. And they routinely sold out.

See, Ratio’s 3D-printed steel ratchets allow you to upgrade SRAM 11-speed mechanical shifters.

First, that was an upgrade to Eagle 12sp, then 1x or 2x road 12sp, then Campy Ekar-spaced 13sp, and most recently to road 12sp Shimano cassettes for even cheaper upgrading. That’s a lot of new life for old 11sp shifters.

But even first gen SRAM 10-speed that debuted in 2006 (two years older than Bikerumor!) can get those same upgrades, if you replace their original cable spool & ratchet with Ratio’s new versions.

Now, Ratio machines this new aluminum version from 6082 alloy in the UK’s Lakes District for extra durability.

And of course good looks. At least for those moments you see it during the DIY upgrade installation. And maybe for the glimpse you might see when changing your shift cables.

Ratio Cable Spool – Pricing & Compatibility

The new machined and anodized blue Ratio Cable Spool sells for just £24.50 (~$26 / 24€). That just includes the spool, install bolt & a sticker. Ratchets sold separately.

It will fit inside every 10 and 11-speed version of SRAM’s dropbar road, cyclocross & gravel righthand shifters as a replacement for the stock white or red plastic cable spool if damaged. That’s Red, Force, Rival & Apex. It is compatible with the stock SRAM 11sp ratchet, or… You can also install the alloy Ratio Cable Spool in the oldest (white spool) 10-speed shifters to upgrade them to one of Ratio’s newest 12 or 13-speed ratchets.

Note: 11sp SRAM shifters do NOT need this spool in order to upgrade to 12/13sp. That is, if their red plastic spool is not damaged. Read more here if you need extra clarification.

Get the new spool, upgrade ratchets, derailleur cage upgrades, and 1x chainrings that work with ALL 12 & 13-speed drivetrains – all UK-made and direct from Ratio now at:

RatioTechnology.com

The post Indestructible Alloy Ratio Cable Spool Revives Old SRAM Shifters, Opens Up 12-speeds too! appeared first on Bikerumor.