iBike Pro power meter
Too good to be true?
Photo ©: James Huang
 |
There’s an accurate power meter that requires no additional componentry and costs less than US$400? It sounds too good to be true, but that’s exactly what the folks at Velocomp are claiming with their new iBike Pro computer. Instead of directly measuring your power output somewhere in the drivetrain, the iBike Pro measures all the forces you’re working against and then back-calculates based on Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
Included among those forces are gravity, wind speed, inherent rider and bike aerodynamic drag, and frictional losses that are calculated using embedded accelerometers, static and dynamic barometric pressure sensors, and careful user calibration. It certainly makes sense in theory, and if it actually works as promised, we’ll be kicking ourselves that we didn’t think of it first.
The iBike Pro weighs just 90g complete with all mounting hardware. Three distinct calibration profiles can be stored on the unit for multiple riders and/or bikes, and additional mounts cost US$49.
More info: www.ibikesports.com
MSRP: US$399.00
Hutchinson Fusion 2 tubeless road tires
Tubeless clincher road tires finally hit the market.
Photo ©: James Huang
 |
The tubeless revolution has finally hit the road market after a long development period. Touted benefits mirror those of UST for mountain bikes: lower rolling resistance, a larger contact patch, and fewer flats.
The Fusion 2 is one of two Road Tubeless models Hutchinson is launching for 2007 and is intended as an all-conditions race tire. The 23c casing is shod in a new triple compound slick tread that offers a long-wearing and fast-rolling center section with progressively stickier rubber out to the sides for better cornering grip. Our test set weighs in at 305g (+/-5g) and, so far, have proven to mount and inflate easily on our tubeless-compatible Shimano Dura-Ace WH-7801-SL test wheels.
More info: www.hutchinsontires.com, www.roadtubeless.com
MSRP: US$55.00
Knog Toad and Bullfrog LED lights
Knog's Toad boasts a linear array of five white LEDs
Photo ©: James Huang
 |
Those clever folks at Knog that brought you the surprisingly versatile Frog LED light are at it again with the bigger and brighter Toad and Bullfrog. Both sport a similar silicone rubber body that provides easy wraparound mounting as well as nearly waterproof protection. The handlebar-mounted Toad is equipped with five white LEDs while the seatpost-mounted Bullfrog uses five red emitters. Both are said to be visible to up to 600m and run on 3-AAA batteries.
Our test Toad and Bullfrog weigh just 80g and 60g, respectively, complete with included batteries.
More info: www.knog.com.au
MSRP: US$35 (Toad); US$30 (Bullfrog)
On-One Superlight Carbon forks
On-One's Superlight rigid MTB fork
Photo ©: James Huang
 |
On-One’s new Superlight Carbon rigid forks buck the suspension trend completely with a grand total of 0mm of travel. Huge 34mm diameter carbon fiber legs virtually guarantee precise steering yet should provide comfort-enhancing vibration damping that metallic forks can only dream of. The legs are bonded to a hollow forged and CNC-machined aluminum crown and CNC-machined aluminum dropouts with forward-facing slots.
The Superlight Carbon is offered in both 26” and 29” varieties, the latter of which is specifically designed with a larger offset for more consistent handling. Readers of our 26” vs. 29” MTB wheel comparison study will note that these are the forks we’ve been waiting for for Phase Two of the testing, so rest assured that we’re moving along here!
Both forks will handle up to a 3” wide tire and are equipped with a 260mm long shot-peened 1 1/8” alloy steerer. Our 26” version weighs an impressive 910g uncut, while the longer 29” version adds just 10g.
More info: www.on-one.co.uk
MSRP: US$299.00
Velocarbon ceramic bearing bottom bracket
Velocarbon brings its own ceramic bearing external bottom bracket to market
Photo ©: James Huang
 |
And the ceramic bearing movement carries on. Velocarbon’s ceramic bearing-equipped external-type bottom bracket sings a similar tune to the rest of its round non-ferrous friends: dramatically reduced friction, lighter weight, and improved durability. We’ll find out over the next few weeks if this version performs as remarkably well as other versions we’ve tested. Titanium bearing races help shed a few grams and bring the weight of this new contender down to just 90g complete.
More info: www.velocarbon.com
MSRP: US$199.99
|
