New Arrivals – November 15, 2005 By John Stevenson & James Huang Got Tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech-heads. Welcome to New Arrivals, a section showcasing the latest equipment that's landed on the Cyclingnews tech desk. Look out for reviews over the next few months when we've clocked up some saddle time with this stuff. The Litespeed Sewanee Litespeed Sewanee The Sewanee is Litespeed no-holds-barred full-suspension cross-country race bike. This all-titanium frame has just 60mm of rear wheel travel but reportedly weighs just 4.4 lbs for a medium-sized frame. A Fox RP3 rear shock (with Propedal) coupled to Litespeed's unique Constant Leverage Ratio linkage makes the most of the limited travel while keeping pedaling performance fast and zippy. Our test rig came equipped with a Shimano XTR disc kit with Dual Control levers, Mavic Crossmax Enduro UST disc wheels, and was topped off with bits from FSA and Thomson. As shipped, our complete bike (with pedals) weighs just 24.5 lb (11.5 kg)./JH MSRP: US$2995 (frame only) More info: www.litespeed.com Etxeondo Antra Etxeondo Antra jacket As well as the extensive men's winter range that we looked at some of last week, Basque clothing manufacturer Etxeondo offers a wide range of women's clothing, including this toasty item. The Antra uses Thermolite to keep you warm, a fabric that's like a cross between a very light fleece (as used in outdoor clothing) and the brushed 'Roubaix' Lycra used for lots of cycling winterwear. There's plenty of reflective piping on the body and sleeves for visibility. We particularly like that there's a reflective stripe diagonally across the back as well as one across the top of the pair of rear pockets./JS More info: www.etxeondo.com Etxeondo Grilda Etxeondo Grilda tights The companion tights to the Antra jacket and to the other jackets in Etxeondo's range, the Grildas are made from a heavy brushed Lycra and are available in black and orange, shown, to match the Antra, or with red, yellow, blue or white highlights./JS More info: www.etxeondo.com SRAM raises the bar SRAM X.0 Blackbox rear derailleur SRAM's X.0 rear derailleur has quickly earned a loyal following due to its light and rigid structure, snappy shifting, and ultra-cool appearance. SRAM ups the ante for '06 with the addition of a carbon fiber pulley cage assembly. The cage itself actually uses two types of carbon fiber: one for structural rigidity, and the other to resist wear from the chain. Actual weight for our mid-cage test sample was 196g./JH MSRP: medium & short cage - US$248; long cage - $235 More info: www.sram.com SRAM’s much-anticipated X.0 trigger shifters SRAM X.0 trigger shifters SRAM's foundation was laid on the backs of its venerable twist shifters. Last year, SRAM made a big push into the trigger shifter models with the X-7 and X-9 models, but '06 sees the introduction of an X.0 level model. As expected, the top-drawer version is a step above previous offerings with aluminum and carbon fiber construction surrounding precision internals and heaps of adjustability including individual pod and lever positioning. Actual weight for our test pair was 222g without cables./JH MSRP: US$248 More info: www.sram.com Topeak uses a proven tripod base design Topeak PrepStand Pro Topeak's PrepStand Pro is the company's entry into the pro-level repair stand business. This stand uses tubular aluminum construction and a folding tripod base for light weight and stability. Unique to the PrepStand is an integrated digital scale for weighing bikes and bits. The whole sub-14 lb (6.2 kg) package folds up to fit neatly in the including carrying case./JH MSRP: US$249.99 More info: www.topeak.com Yikes, where’d the tread go? Maxxis Maxxlite 310 So you say that your current mountain bike tires are too heavy, eh? Maxxis offers up the antidote with the astoundingly light Maxxlite 310 (as in grams!) cross-country race tires. This obviously is not meant to be a do-everything, go-anywhere tread, but for its intended purpose, there likely aren't many other offerings out there that are as light or fast. Our 26x1.95in test tires actually come in a bit underweight at 295g each./JH MSRP: US$60.00 More info: www.maxxis.com The triple compound tread on Maxxis’ new Courchevel Maxxis Courchevel Maxxis says that the Courchevel is the first and only road clincher tire to incorporate three distinct tread compounds in a single tire. The firmer center section offers up good wear characteristics and fast-rolling which progressively softer shoulder compounds ensure Velcro-like grip. Our 700x23c test tires weigh 200g each./JH MSRP: US$60.00 More info: www.maxxis.com