Quick Spins – May 14, 2007 Edited by James Huang Got Tech? Send press releases, news, and tech questions to the Cyclingnews tech-heads. Welcome to Quick Spins, an all new section within Cyclingnews' tech coverage were we put some of the smaller items that land on the tech desk to the test. Ritchey WCS Carbon 4-Axis stem - Best of both worlds The WCS Carbon 4-Axis stem from Ritchey Photo ©: James Huang The use of carbon fiber has brought about unprecedented weight losses in just about every bicycle component it has touched… but so far, with very few exceptions, handlebar stems aren't included in that pile. High-end production aluminum stems regularly flirt with the 100g mark, while full carbon ones often top that figure by 100% (and no, we're not counting small volume offerings from boutique builders). So are they sexy looking? Sure. Do they offer the user more performance? Well, they're often more rigid, but if you consider weight to be a large component of that performance metric, then the answer is usually no. Ritchey pledges to deliver the best of both materials with its WCS Carbon 4-Axis stem, using what it says is a structural carbon fiber skin fused over a forged 2014 aluminum 'skeleton' that combines the best properties of each material (does that mean the stem is just skin and bones?). According to Ritchey product development manager Maris Adamovics, this 'Matrix carbonalloy' is "tougher than carbon, and resists fatigue better than alloy." Ritchey supplements the carbonalloy construction with a similarly finished paired-four-bolt faceplate and its signature bias-cut steerer clamp (both of which are claimed to reduce stress on clamped parts), along with a full set of titanium hardware. At the very least, the resultant 121g weight for our 110mm test sample is impressive for any carbon stem, be it full carbon monocoque or otherwise. The faceplate uses four titanium bolts Photo ©: James Huang All of this techno mumbo jumbo and marketing hype means nothing if the product can't deliver on the bike, though. As compared to a standard Ritchey WCS 4-Axis aluminum stem, the matrixalloy version doesn't feel all that different on the road and is nearly identical in weight. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, as the all-aluminum version is already surprisingly solid-feeling given its feathery 118g weight. However, that similarity isn't necessarily a good thing, either, as the WCS Carbon 4-Axis stem is twice as expensive. We can't confirm or deny Ritchey's fatigue improvement claims, but to be fair, it's worth mentioning that components usually experience the highest stresses on the surface and carbon fiber generally displays better fatigue properties than aluminum, so things at least make sense. Even if you go on the assumption that the fatigue improvement is real, though, it's unlikely that the carbonalloy version will last twice as long. The WCS Carbon 4-Axis stem is certainly a nice piece of kit, but unless you have to have the carbon look, we'd rather have two of the aluminum ones instead. Weight: 121g (110mm extension) Price: US$199.99 Pros: Carbon aesthetics but significantly lighter than most full-carbon stems on market with a more elegant appearance, carbon-friendly steerer and handlebar clamps, wide 90-130mm range of extensions Cons: Rather expensive, not enough of a performance advantage over the standard aluminum version Cyclingnews rating: More info: www.ritcheylogic.com Photography For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com The WCS Carbon 4-Axis stem from Ritchey is hewn from so-called 'carbonalloy', otherwise known as a structural carbon fiber skin fused on top of a forged 2014 aluminum skeleton. The faceplate uses four titanium bolts in a paired configuration to reduce clamping stress. Shimano PD-R540 pedals - 'Lance Jr.' Shimano's PD-R540 pedals Photo ©: James Huang At first glance, Shimano's PD-R540 pedal simply looks like a black version of the pedal that Lance Armstrong made so famous (the one he helped develop, that is, not the old Look-style ones he started out on that Shimano was embarrassed to admit he used). To a large extent, that assumption would be mostly true as the 105-level pedal uses the same excellent SPD-SL retention system, easy-to-walk-in cleats, and a nearly identical aluminum body (and no, it's not resin like it says on Shimano's web site; we filed into ours to make sure). To bring the price down to a more reasonable level, however, Shimano equipped the PD-R540 with a cheaper bearing system that uses only two sets per side (one roller bearing plus one adjustable angular contact ball bearing) instead of Dura-Ace's three. The less expensive chromoly axle and flat black finish bring the cost down to roughly half of Shimano's top-end offering, and weight creeps up to 332g per pair (without the 72g cleats). In general, we'd be hard-pressed to tell any difference between the PD-R540 and Lance's signature pedal while sitting in the saddle. Entry and exit lose nothing in translation, and the bearing and axle system, while technically inferior, offers up no noticeable hint of its more humble roots. And what about the weight difference, you ask? Weight weenies will undoubted pass on the PD-R540 for something lighter (every little bit counts), but if you can honestly say that you can feel fifty extra grams at the pedals while riding, we have a job waiting for you. One cost-cutting measure is the axle and bearing system Photo ©: James Huang In fact, our only real gripe seems to lie in the black finish, and we're not talking cosmetics here. The PD-R540 pedal offers the same amount of float as Dura-Ace, but it just doesn't feel as smooth or fluid as that black paint somehow adds appreciable friction to what would otherwise be a superb system. Lubricating the front and rear edges of the cleat helps quite a bit, though, but we've never had to do that with its big brother. All in all, though, the PD-R540 delivers outstanding value and performance and would be an excellent choice for anyone looking to save a little bit of coin. Weight: 332g per pair (72g per pair for cleats and hardware) Price: US$69.99 Pros: Superb SPD-SL performance, exceptional value, surefooted cleats Cons: Slightly stickier float as compared to upper-tier models Cyclingnews rating: Photography For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com Shimano's PD-R540 pedals offer nearly all of the performance of the Dura-Ace model but at a greatly reduced cost. One cost-cutting measure is the axle and bearing system which makes do with two sets of bearings instead of three. Cleat retention is easily adjustable and a handy window displays the setting. Korotek BionClino 401 computer - climber's delight The BionClino 401 might just be a climber's best friend Photo ©: James Huang These days it's become increasingly difficult for computers to stand out from the crowd of competent 'me-too' models, but climbers may take particular interest in the Korotek BionClino 401 which might just provide exactly what they'd want to know when the road points skyward. The key to the BionClino 401 is an on-board accelerometer that quickly detects changes in the angular position of the computer head (from -30% to +30%), which is then combined with speed information to yield instantaneous grade and rate of ascent. Unlike barometric pressure- or GPS-based units that display averaged readings (which can also drift with temperature), the BionClino's accelerometer promises to react nearly immediately, meaning that now you can actually tell exactly how steep it is in the apex of that switchback right when your quads are screaming for mercy. To sweeten the deal, the BionClino 401 also displays an estimated power output during climbs. , However, this field is only calculated and displayed at grades of 2% or more (where the majority of your energy is spent on combating gravity) in order to retain some semblance of accuracy. Sound too good to be true? Maybe. Did we mention yet that the whole package only weighs 54g? The BionClino 401 also calculates power output Photo ©: James Huang It turns out that the gradient information is not only useful, but quite amusing as well. While the BionClino 401 doesn't make the climbs themselves any easier, it does offer a bit of entertainment on the way up and maybe even some solace when particular pitches proved steeper than originally thought. Interestingly, though, negative slopes didn't display as readily as positive ones. Power measurements proved to be astoundingly accurate on longer sustained climbs (within a few percentage points of a PowerTap SL 2.4), but figures churned out during short power climbs are noticeably a step behind and somewhat erratic. Unfortunately, this information can't be downloaded later for review, but the information is still useful nonetheless. Otherwise, the BionClino 401 is a fairly pedestrian piece of hardware: the display is fairly small and crowded, and the side-mounted buttons are difficult to access while riding. However, we can't deny that thing does work as advertised, and we'll admit that we're now a bit spoiled on the additional capabilities. Still, though, the BionClino is rather expensive; those living in mountainous regions can probably figure out a way to justify your curiosity, but flatlanders have better choices available to them. Price: €109 Weight: 54g (including head, mount, and wheel magnet) Pros: Instant display of grade and climbing rate, surprisingly accurate power readout during ascents, easy installation and setup, straightforward operation Cons: High premium to pay for additional climbing-specific features, otherwise rather mediocre Cyclingnews rating: Photography For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com The BionClino 401 from Korotek sounds different from other computers, but also provides some unique information. The BionClino 401 might just be a climber's best friend , and the 54g total weight doesn't hurt. Mounting bracket fits easily on either the stem or handlebar. Sensor mounts with zip-ties for easy fitment on virtually any shape fork leg. An on-board accelerometer is used to calculate instant road grade as well as rate of ascent. The BionClino 401 also calculates power output on climbs steeper than 2%. The BionClino 401 head offers up a lot of information but the display is fairly crowded and difficult to read at speed.