"Oh, OK, hardly encyclopaedic, in fact unencyclopaedic, and only 83.7% accurate....
It would seem for all the different brands of, this year, shoes and saddles, nevertheless they're all made by the same manufacturer.
This year many different saddle manufacturers just happened, by coincidence, to come to market with the identical new saddle design. It is truly split in half, not with just a small oval cut out for the perenium. As one who has now twice experienced pereneal agony with each pedal stroke in the midst of long, multi-day rides, ,I would like to think resting the perenium on nothing but air (at the supposed risk of producing no heirs), looks pretty good to me.
Also: an increasing number of saddles with no padding at all. None. Just a bare piece of carbon.
Similarly, all the shoes brands appear to emanate from the same factory. This year's fashion statement: aerated shoes, made so by the expanses of a thin wire mesh in place of leather/Lorica/plastic.
For $480 you can buy a custom(izeable) shoes from Lake. You put it in a convection oven at 180º for four minutes, then press the back half of it to your foot/heel and it will mold to your shape.
Helmet coloring changes. But looking for changes, or even distinct colors in tires from one brand to another? Don't bother.
All the better custom jersey manufacturers seemed (or should I say ""seamed""?) to be offering the same ""latest, newest"" fabric. There are such manufacturers in Poland and Romania, not that you'd know it unless you plumbed for it. And, finally, I found there is one, and only one, who is manufacturing in China (and using a drum printing technique that is superior to and way ahead of the world's other technologies for printing on fabric.
Oddly, Shimano's booth featured only wheels among high end wares, and, in fact no road components at all--just MTB shifters.
As always, Campagnolo showed its wares as though they were precious jewels: encased in showcases, not to be touched, felt, handled, or seen from all sides. And, as always, their handout/literature was grossly inferior to Shimano's and just about everyone else's.
Mavic-Addidas has an ultra-ultra lightweight, maxi-thin, highly compressable jacket with back and side vents and removeable sleeves, making the garment into a vest. Rear pocket, reflective piping. That was the only garment in the show that spoke to me. I traveled this summer with a sub-3 lb. medium saddle wedge that contained all my off-the-bike clothing and toiletries and some on-the-bike clothing. I try to be more and more compact for each trip, but, even as I think I've reached the point of reductio ad absurdum (or some such Latin phrase), I can't wait to see the weight and volume reduction this offers.
Speaking of weight reduction, I didn't see him but heard Eddy Merckx was there looking many, many pounds trimmer than in recent (read: tubby) years.
One personnage seen walking around the show, as in past years, is past NYCC president Lisa neé Halle who states she is finishing her last year of racing.
Phil Liggett attracted a small, small line of people waiting for him to autograph some product or another, maybe a video of the Tour. I saw no road heroes autographing or walking the show. There was the perennial Jock Boyer strutting as usual and people oblivious to, or uncaring about his criminal transgressions with a muh too young girl. Sort of the Kobe effect.
What I bought at the show: A photograph by cycling photographer Beth Schneider, an overhead shot of a hairpin turn on the snow covered Stelvio Pass during the Giro. Also, a reprint of Coppi and Bartali in the mountains.
Perhaps looking at these with rigor and dedication for hours as I indolently sit on the sofa this winter is exactly what I need to make me go faster uphill next year.
"
Rosenthal's comprehensive, thorough, encyclopaedic review of
"I add this as a separate note in the event someone has ead the above one so this will not be mi ssed. ""This"" isthe loopiest thing I came across in the show.
It is merely, and I do mean nothing but a very narrow, maybe half-inch, rubbery plastic headband that cinches around your foehead and catches sweat in what I can only describe as a rain gutter and directs it down the sides of your face, i.e. out of your eyes. Product name: Tunnel Vision. I sweat. It clouds my eyes. I got one. Would I have paid for it? Depends on the price which I didn't get. But cf. the Do Rags @ $18, although they promise to block sun burn as well as sweat. Well, how much can a yarmulke cost?"
Depends on if you want them to match your Shimano or Campy Drive train.
Or
Tour De france motif or NY yankees logo
or
Simple Black satin for funerals or White for Rosh Hashana
I have a good collection, But none of them collect sweat
like my doo rag.
Have a Happy New Year
Seventeen cents?
"Sram's new 10 speed road group – This component group is not yet available but was displayed on a bike in a Plexiglas case so how its brake/shift levers work is still a mystery. They have a small shift lever behind the main brake lever, but the big lever doesn't appear to pivot as does the Shimano system. The display sign read ""Concept 2007 Road"" and is expected to be available during the '06 season. Sram expects to offer two levels, one mostly carbon, the other mostly aluminum. The components in the case looked reasonably nice but given Sram’s use of artistic CNC machining in it’s mountain components, I’d hoped for more of this CNC aesthetic in its road components. SRAM says it will release some details on the braking/shifting mechanism on Oct. 13; ultimately, this will be the key & this is where Sram has traditionally excelled.
10 speed road chain standard sizing – At present, Campagnolo’s 10 speed chain has a 6.1 mm width while Shimano’s measures 5.88 mm; this means that a Campagnolo chain cannot be used on a Shimano 10 speed drive train. While the Shimano chain will work on Campagnolo drive trains, it is not recommended by Campagnolo, as expected. It is now widely expected that Campagnolo will add a new chain with approximately a 5.9 width, creating a near standard. As best I can understand, both Campagnolo chains will be available (6.1 mm & 5.9 mm) for use on the same drive train components so they’re interchangeable.
Of course, as with most other bike components, I’d expect the tradeoff to be weight for strength/durability. At present, much of the bike industry considers the Shimano 10 speed chain to be the most fragile chain; in fact, many lube manufacturers use this chain to test & perfect their chain lubes for this very reason. Either way (6.1 mm or 5.88/5.9 mm), 10 speed chains require more care & better attention to cleaning/lubrication than chains for less than 10 speed systems – not only are the chains narrower with thinner plates, the cogs are narrower & all tolerances are far more precise, meaning greater risk of breakage & early wear if you don’t take care of it.
No calorie electrolyte supplements – A number of companies are now offering no or low calorie electrolyte concentrates. While electrolytes are critical, too much sugar (dextrose/glucose/sucrose, etc.) can be as damaging as too little, resulting in a sluggish tired feeling, as well as being potentially damaging to overall health. Along with potassium & sodium, a key ingredient to look for is magnesium. I used a liquid concentrate, zero calorie electrolyte product this past summer in one water bottle, along with a traditional/sugar product in a second bottle & had far better results than before using the zero calorie electrolyte product. I added about 30 drops of concentrate to plain water.
Shimano compact road crank – This is now being offered & is considered to be of the Ultegra quality level.
"
I have not seen the new SRAM gruppo in person but in pictures the carbon version looked sweet. Many seem to be eagerly awaiting its release to the general public.
"Doug Kalb wrote: ""Of course, as with most other bike components, I’d expect the tradeoff to be weight for strength/durability. At present, much of the bike industry considers the Shimano 10 speed chain to be the most fragile chain; in fact, many lube manufacturers use this chain to test & perfect their chain lubes for this very reason. Either way (6.1 mm or 5.88/5.9 mm), 10 speed chains require more care & better attention to cleaning/lubrication than chains for less than 10 speed systems – not only are the chains narrower with thinner plates, the cogs are narrower & all tolerances are far more precise, meaning greater risk of breakage & early wear if you don’t take care of it.""
Then there's a good reason to choose Shimano 9-speed over 10-speed, even now that 105 comes in 10-speed. It seems that the advantage of an extra cog doesn't outweigh the fragility and cost of the narrower chain and cogs.
"
I agree 100%, but eventually Shimano will stop making 9 speed components in the higher quality grupos. Then you'll have to switch.
In 30+ years of riding I never broke a 5, 6, 7 or 8 speed chain. In the last 3 years I've broken three 9 speed chains. It may be time for me to downgrade.
