The Trigon AR01 looks like most other modern aero road bikes until you get up close. Small protuberances on the frame, located on the sides of the headtube, downtube, and seatstay-seat tube junction, keep air flowing more smoothly over the surface to reduce drag.

It’s called Vortex-Tubing Technology, and they say it cuts a cylinder’s drag in half, and the protrusions allow for thinner (lighter) wall thicknesses than dimples would, so it’s a win-win.

We’ve seen strips and grooves from Ridley before, and Zipp’s known for their dimples, but Trigon’s design has the bumps, um, bumping outward, and has them spread across more of the frame. And, apparently, the UCI is OK with this.

Small fairings over the disc brake calipers smooth air more, but still leave plenty of room for ventilation. While the AR01 name suggests “Aero”, it actually means “All-Rounder”, offering lightweight and stiffness in addition to aerodynamics.

And it fits 700×32 tires, so “All Road” isn’t out of the question. It’s available as a complete bike with BLKTEC cockpit, Dura-Ace Di2 and Fulcrum Racing wheels for $8,990.

The Zephyr Route Oh La La is an “electric rally” bike designed to go far. It has two PowerTube batteries for a total 1500W of power. Combined with front and rear racks and a compact build, it looks like a sweet way to get around town, or up the mountain for a picnic, or exploring a new city all day…which was the point of the design. It’s inspired by the Tour de France, and with a 200km+ range, you could take it up the mountain for a day, watch a stage, and then roll around town celebrating all evening.

The upcoming KMC Racing Duo is a chain plus chainring combo with teeth specifically shaped for the chain’s rollers. They match up perfectly, maximizing contact and power transfer for a claimed 5% improvement…for as long as you can hold 400 watts, that is.

This rear hub design from Wei-Ting uses a SFE (Separate Floating Engagement) design that puts a ratchet ring directly on the freehub body, all the way at the outer edge. It clicks across individual pins that line the entire perimeter, with stepped engagement to offer quick engagement since only every third pin is engaged at any time. The design’s main benefit is that it can use larger diameter bearings and place them further outboard, making for a stiffer hub.

The AirShif auto-shifting derailleur is interesting in that it takes a concept more typically used with internally geared hubs and applies it to an external derailleur. Using the app, you input your gear combos and set preferences for cadence, with the ability to have several modes. Pick the mode you want and the system will shift for you to maintain a desired pedaling cadence range. (click to enlarge any photo for more detail)

Yes, this is basically the same system we saw at the 2019 show, but for some reason it’s now won a Design Award.

The Gouach Repairable e-bike battery system is a great concept. They say that in many cases, when a multi-cell e-bike battery fails, it’s often just one or two cells inside that have gone bad. And pretty much every e-bike battery is a multi-cell design (listen to our interview with Bosch about e-bike battery safety to learn why), with 20+ individual cells in each battery pack.

So, if one cell goes bad and then you need to replace your entire battery pack, clearly there’s a lot of waste happening. Gouach solves for this by making e-mobility batteries with user-replaceable cells. Much like you’d replace a remote control battery, you simply pop in a new cell where needed, no soldering or electrical engineering expertise needed – the system tells you which cell needs to be replaced.

They’re offering ready-to-install battery packs as OEM options for bike brands, plus developer kits (shown here, coming soon) for those who want to design their own system. They’ll do custom battery designs for brands, too.

Random Gadgets & Accessories

This section is going to be rapid fire… here’s a CO2 chuck with a bezel that lets you adjust the air pressure limit for your tire. Just twist it to the setting you want and it’ll inflate to that PSI rating.

If you need more air than a CO2 can provide, this Co-Luck AIr Turbo HP/HV mini pump switches from High Volume to High Pressure and will “easily” inflate to 300psi.

CL-Massload makes all sorts of accessories, but this AxleMount kickstand for e-bikes is brilliant. If you have an e-bike, chances are high that the bolt-on kickstand comes loose or has sheared the bolts and broken off entirely. This has happened to me on multiple bikes because the extra weight is simply too much for them.

This system attaches the kickstand directly to the thru axle, using a specific interface on the dropout. So, no, you can’t add this to your existing bike, but here’s hoping bike brands adopt the interface (shown in detail on their website) and start using the already robust thru-axle as the attachment point.

The Digirit Pedal Park has a strong magnet in it so you can stick your bike to any metal rack, rail, pole, fence post, wall, sign, whatever.

Wellgo is working on a Quick Release Device that lets you quickly take any pedal on or off the bike without tools. The pedal slots into the mount and, basically, uses the pressure of your weight on the pedal to keep it cantilevered in place, but with a sleeve that slides over the slot to physically capture it so it doesn’t just fall out at certain angles. Ideal for commuter and folding bikes where you may need to get your bike into tight spots, but not intended for performance bikes.

Velo’s Angel Revo saddle won an award for it’s eco-cred. From materials to construction processes, the nitrogen-infused foam and bio-plastic shell substantially reduce the emissions and energy when making it…and it’s also a very comfortable saddle, I’ve been riding one on my road bike since it launched.

TransX showed an adjustable height dropper seatpost. Just pull the lever up and you can adjust it’s height by up to 30mm independently of its travel. Good for bikes with multiple riders of different heights, it makes adjustments quicker and easier.

Fulchee’s QUIK Thru Axle has two tricks up its sleeve. First, it has an adjustable length, helping it fit more bikes with fewer SKUs. On the other end is a twist-to-lock nut. Rather than thread the axle in like normal, you slide it in, then twist the nut on the opposite side to capture the axle. Then close the lever to pull it tight.

The design not only prevents the axle from coming out if the lever comes open, but since would-be thieves won’t know how it works, it provides some security for your wheels, too…but takes just seconds to open and remove if you know what you’re doing.

This light-duty cable lock hides in your handlebar, just twist the lock out of the bar plug and pull it out. The cable end slides into the lock, working just like most of the cable locks integrated into hitch racks.

RideRever Arc hydraulic brakes are made for those with smaller hands, using a lever that sits closer to the bar but with a leveraged actuation so it doesn’t just pull into the bar under hard braking. It uses a twin master cylinder design to deliver plenty of power from a very compact design. Bleed ports on top and bottom mean you can use them on either side for Moto/UK or US brake placement, no need to swap hoses between them.

This disc brake piston return tool uses a grip lever to expand the plates, which you put inside your brake caliper to force the pistons to retract should you accidentally over extend them by squeezing your brake lever when the wheel’s removed. Compared to other tools that use a twist-to-expand design, this makes the job much quicker and easier.

Vincita’s Big Nash is an oversized rack bag meant to haul what you’d otherwise put into pannier bags, but designed for folding bikes or those with smaller wheels that sit too low to use traditional pannier bags. MSRP is $139, available in multiple colors.

Check out more fun stuff from Taipei Show in these roundups:

• 17 Weird & Wonderful Bikes
• Tech Randoms: Cockpits & Components
• Tech Randoms: Wheels, Drivetrain & VanLife

The post Taipei Show Design Winners: More Weird & Wonderful New Cycling Tech appeared first on Bikerumor.

BLKTEC’s C1D wheels had a quiet launch a few months back but had a solid presence at the show on multiple booth bikes. Aimed at road and all-road riders, the one-piece, full carbon construction uses thick, non-radial spokes for zero lateral or torsional flex, putting all of your power into forward motion.

The rims are hookless, so they’re tubeless-only, and have a 20.7mm internal width to fit tires from 25mm to 35mm wide. Rim depth is 40mm, and claimed rim-only weight is 380g, complete wheels are 695g (front) and 796g (rear). Rider+bike weight limit is 120kg (~265lbs). The only downside? A budget-busting $4,880 MSRP! We have a set of these on test.

Not yet listed on their website is this 13g carbon bottle cage, which makes it the third-lightest cage we saw at the show. BLKTEC is more known for their cockpits, which were displayed on a beautiful steel road bike in their booth (check that in our “Bikes Roundup” from the show).

FFWD was showing off prototype mountain bike wheels, their first ever from the traditionally road and triathlon brand.

Called “Outlaw” and coming later this year, they’ll have 20mm deep hookless rims with a 30mm internal width. Claimed (target) weight is 1,595g and price will be €1,499.

Jetset’s new rim design uses a unique ribbed internal profile. They say it allows them to make them lighter while increasing strength and stiffness.

They also had a new patented design for spoke holes that allows the nipple to act more like a ball-and-socket joint that keeps equal pressure on the entire nipple surface, even as it angles out from the rim toward the spoke. They say traditional designs end up resting one edge of the nipple on the rim’s eyelet or hole, which causes uneven forces that can bend or weaken the spoke and wear the nipple out more quickly.

Recon Components makes ultralight CNC’d cassettes, but only for traditional HG freehub bodies. Rather than reinvent the design and work their way around SRAM’s patents, they created (rather ingeniously, I might add) a sleeve that threads onto XD freehub bodies (the black bit on the end of the hub). Then you just slide their cassettes onto that, where the back slots into the notches made for XD-compatible cassettes, and tighten it on with a standard lock ring. Brilliant.

Hubsmith’s HS-G001R hub has typically come with a 60-tooth drive ring (shown above, on left) for a 6º engagement, engaging all six pawls at once. But they’re releasing a 90-tooth ring with new offset pawls to speed up engagement to 2º by keeping only three pawls engaged at any time.

The Hubsmith E001 is their first motorized hub designed for gravel and touring bikes. It can have up to 500W of power and assist up to 45km/h, depending on the OE customer’s specs. It can be laced to any typical rim, including lightweight carbon rims, and has a standard cassette fitment with, as best I can read it, torque sensing for smoother power delivery.

KT Taiwan has been making hubs for decades; they were one of the earliest drum brake manufacturers and a major supplier throughout the industry. With the patent expiration for star ratchets, they’ve ramped up production of those, saying their ability to do the high-precision machining gives them an advantage in offering 36- and 54-tooth star ratchet systems…and that business has been quite good over the past couple of years because of that.

But this hub (shown above) shows off another use of their machining prowess – a 6-pawl ratchet with 204 points of engagement from 102 teeth and an offset 3 on/3 off pawl design. That translates to a less-than-1º engagement for ultra-quick pick up.

The Fun 5º bottom bracket has a unique way of keeping bearings in line while also making them very easy to replace. Each bearing, and the “cup” in the BB’s shell that they fit into, is angled at five degrees. So, rather than requiring special tools to remove and a press to put new ones in, you just pull them out and pop them in. Super easy. The BB itself comes in a press-fit and a thread-together design, with a custom tool (that looks very much like something most shops will already have) to aid in installation.

I snapped this because I didn’t realized Hope Tech made derailleur pulley wheels. They’re available in four size combos and six colors to fit a variety of modern rear derailleurs. Not quite as extreme as the Token Shuriken I spotted, but still very cool.

SunRace’s MZ12 group gets more polished since we last saw it, with a full black finish. The latest version uses a horizontal parallelogram movement with offset upper pulley to better handle modern wide range cassettes.

They also make a variety of cassettes that fit HG freehub bodies and a new Microspline-compatible model that drops down to a 10-tooth small cog and 51-tooth big cog. There’s even a shifter if you wanted to build a budget 12-speed group.

Lezyne’s tubeless tire pluggers get a minor update, coming in a mix of diameters to fit more holes, with a revised shape to make them easier to use. These seal a puncture from the inside, using a stick-on base that’s similar to a tube patch, but stuck to your tire with the plug poking through to the outside. Once installed, just trim the excess off the outside and it forms a permanent repair.

I have two totally random things to share before we get to the vanlife stuff. Above are the Ziyu inflatable shoe insoles. Remember Reebok Pump shoes? These work similar, with a tiny pump letting you adjust the air pressure and support/cushioning level.

Abus let me in on a little secret: Many (most?) e-bike brands use their lock cores to secure the batteries in models with a removable battery pack. If you give them the key code (which you’d normally use to order replacement keys), they can create matched bike locks, too, so you have one key that works for your bike and any locks you want.

Dirty Formosa is a Taiwanese group that promotes outdoor experiences and off-road cycling. Surprisingly, given the terrain and forests (and cultural norms), mountain biking is still a relatively small sport there. But people and groups like this are helping to change that, and car camping is a thing there. This setup shows a killer arrangement for the smaller vans popular in Taiwan.

Wild Land makes a wide range of rooftop tents, racks, and other car camping equipment, plus outdoor camp furniture, ground tents, etc.

Wares from Barebones and Monterra displayed from a local outdoor gear shop.

Thule was showing off their Tepui rooftop tents and accessories, too…

…and this giant add-on storage that was attached to a folded-up bike rack. These types of things are more popular in Europe (and I guess Taiwan? Asia in general) where smaller cars are more popular and people just stick these on for weekend trips.

For more tech and products from the 2023 Taipei Cycle Show, check our Cockpits & Components Roundup.

The post Taipei Show Tech Randoms: Wheels, Drivetrain & Vanlife appeared first on Bikerumor.

The Windner Brachii crankset uses opposed oblong carbon tubes to mimic your forearm bones, providing stiffness in all directions. They’re also wicked light at under 400 g for a set (excluding the spindle):

It’s a Red Dot design winner with a modular design that lets you use different spiders. That makes it compatible with analog and electric bicycles. It’s still undergoing certification, but considering SRAM’s new T-Type XO crankset has holes in it, it’s not such a wild idea.

Windner also makes full carbon saddles with little texture nubs under the clearcoat to keep you from sliding off. And carbon fiber shoe horns with gold leaf, of which I am now a proud owner.

VAZALAB’s B3F Formega seatpost uses an elastomer damper under the saddle clamp to provide three-axis motion (video here).

It absorbs shock and lets the saddle tilt and sway under you, but without bobbing in ways that could sap power from your pedal stroke. If you’ve ever ridden behind someone who seems to be sitting off-center (you know you have) or you feel like you’re always putting more pressure on one side than the other, maybe this solves that.

Deda Elementi and Selle Italia have combined forces on their ID Match concept.

Introduced with insoles, the ID Match lets bike fitters place different shapes and widths and stuff on a fit bike (or your bike in a fit) to ascertain the best parts for your anatomy and flexibility.

Once your fit is dialed, the Deda Gera gravel lineup expands from the original cockpit parts to forks, offering two options for gravel, adventure, and bikepacking rigs.

The Gera Curvy DCR above is the more equipped option, with rack, fender, and accessory mounts, plus these sweet offsets that let you bring the gear forward (or backward?) to slim the profile, clear other accessories, or just accommodate different shape bags.

The shapely legs clear a 29 x 2.2″ (700 x 57) or 27.5 x 2.6″ tire. Dynamo and brake hose routing are fully internal, part of their DCR design:

Compatible cockpits, which it makes plenty of, can run hoses and cables and wires inside the handlebar and stem, through the headset, and then into the frame … or fork:

A flattened front edge of the steerer tube makes room for control lines to sit in front of it, and ports just above the taper are where dynamo wires and brake hoses enter.

On the left is the Gera EDG DCR fork, the racier of the two options. It slims down tire clearance a bit to 700 x 45 or 27.5 x 2″, and loses the accessory mounts but keeps the internal dynamo and brake routing. Both forks are €625 each plus VAT. More details at DedaElementi.com.

Sister brand Selle Italia’s new Novus Boost EVO 3D Kit Carbonia SuperFlow has a super long name and a new 3D-printed design on its cushioning. Compared to the SLR introduced at Eurobike 2022, this one uses varied density from front to rear to improve comfort for lighter riders.

Denser latticing at the rear supports sit bones, but more space toward the front gets squishier under the soft tissue as you lean forward to climb or get into the drops. This will probably launch this summer. Its size is 145 x 248 mm, coming first in full carbon with 7 x 9 carbon rails.

After launching “short” versions of its saddles last summer, Selle SMP follows up with a gravel lineup based on its VT20C, VT30C, and Well models. Other than the attractive gray clay color, I’m guessing the difference is padding material, but … well … I didn’t ask. The “C” refers to Compact, which is the shorter 255mm length, versus a very long 283 mm for its regular versions.

ReadyGO’s Lumis LF01 Glow Bike Fender won a design award from the show for integrating a light underneath that bounces the illumination off the bottom of the fender to give the rider a larger visual presence at night.

LightSKIN has been making handlebars and seatposts with integrated lights for years, but now it’s making them brighter. As in, bright enough to see where you’re going, not just help drivers see you.

The update brings a new lens element, cleverly displayed here like a diamond ring, that has 40 distinct angles on its face to direct the light where it needs to go — on the ground, in front of the bike. That lets it comply with European, and German in particular, standards. Max output is 50 Lux of clear white light. Coming soon for regular and e-bikes, the former is getting a new dual-battery system for longer run times, and the latter is powered by the bike’s battery.

IB Grips 1.0 version has integrated turn signals with stealth buttons on the inboard side that let you turn them on and off, and indicate your change of direction. The arrows face backward too, so drivers behind you can see what you’re planning to do.

Running lights add a bit more visibility, and accelerometer-based brake lights provide more safety and communication to those around you. The 2.0 version is coming soon and will add sound to the turn signals, with an amber color for the signal arrow so it’s more discernable. It’ll also add the ability to be dynamo or e-bike powered.

Ebon is a handlebar tape supplier (one of many) that had some cool designs. You’re unlikely to see them in shops under its brand name, but these show just a few of the prints it can do.

CICLOVATION, however, had a retail website for its very colorful, metallic, reflective, and shiny tape. There are tons of options; note the reflective ends on the top right.

Ridenow makes some incredibly lightweight TPU tubes, with a lot of folks claiming they’re thinner and lighter than Tubolito. At just 24 g for a road bike tube (other versions are available, and with black valve stems on all of them, they might be worth a try … if you don’t mind ordering from abroad. And they’re cheap, as low as $5 each if you search around.

In the U.S., RockBros is basically an Amazon brand, however, it seems to get good marks. Its display collection of frame and saddlebags use Fitgo dials (like BOA, but not) to tighten the straps around the frame, saddle rails, etc., to attach them to the bike. These aren’t on its website yet, but they definitely look like a step up from current offerings.

The white looks good too (until it doesn’t), and bungee straps along the outside let you shove small, soft things in there without having to stop. It might be an affordable way to dabble in bikepacking once these launch.

Stay tuned for more roundups and tech from the 2023 Taipei Cycle Show!

The post Taipei Show Tech Randoms: Cockpits & Components appeared first on Bikerumor.

Built to show off BLKTEC’s integrated handlebar and stem, the bike’s paint scheme appears rough and rusted in spots, but it’s all paint, and it looked fantastic. If I could’ve taken one bike home with me, this was probably it. Word is, Ioklin will be exhibiting at the MADE Bike Show this fall in Portland.

Ora Engineering is a Taiwanese titanium bicycle manufacturer, offering shaped tubes …

… and maybe even custom racks! Noticed a trend yet? Full internal routing and cockpit cables are a thing now — and won’t be going away anytime soon.

While we’re on metal, Speedvagen’s reps were showing off a few of the latest. The Wavy Road is an all-road bike with a groovy paint scheme.

The Rugged’er Road fits big tires and adds a suspension fork … I’m not sure if they painted the bike to match the fork or vice versa, but it looks good.

The Urban Racer probably has Ron swooning right now. It looks retro, but the details from its road bike (swoopy seatstays, integrated seatmast, paint-matched frame pump) would make this just as much at home with some fat slicks as these full knob mountain bike tires.

Rear coaster brake yields to a front disc brake in emergencies, and an integrated chainguard levels the whole thing up to Show Bike status. This model’s not listed on the Speedvagen website, though.

The Tommasini Mini T is, well, a road bike with tiny wheels. Go figure.

The Trigon ARO1 won a show design award (we’ll have details on it in a roundup post for all award winners) thanks to cleanly integrated and novel aero features like dimpled surface textures across much of the frame, brake rotor fairings, and more.

The 2023 Argon 18 Dark Matter gravel bike is out now and has more mounts than almost any other non-bikepacking specific frame I’ve seen.

Three mounting points on the fork legs, two on top, four on the seat tube, two on each seatstay, and six on the downtube. Some are pretty close together, making them better for small accessories or just fine-tuning your bottle cage’s position, but still …

Sitting next to it is this mystery bike. It’s not online yet, but it looks like an all-road bike borrowing features from the brand’s performance and endurance road frames and the Dark Matter gravel bike, then adding an internal storage compartment opened with a low-profile lever that would sit flush against a bottle cage. I’ve reached out for more info, and will update as they arrive.

The Giant Revolt X Pro gravel bike adds a suspension fork to its top carbon frames, plus a dropper seatpost.

This cargo e-bike caught my eye for the design, and then I saw the wireless charging spot it’s parked on. From Voltraware, it can deliver up to 150 W of juice from 15 cm away. As the sign says, don’t put your cell phone anywhere near it.

This Santillo e-road bike has a very distinct look, and it’s also available in human-powered versions. It has a Polini drive system …

… which is named E-P3 — branding that’s suspiciously similar to Shimano’s EP8 at a glance.

I couldn’t find a website for Travix, but its HAMR folding fat-tired e-bike looked rad. Full suspension, fenders, front basket, and cleanly integrated battery in the seatpost powering a hub motor — very nice.

Travix’s mid-drive Powerkat e-bike with moto-style fork and handlebar looks like fun too.

Second to last is this full suspension prototype from Aryen Motor & Aeronautics Co, Ltd., which has a Taiwanese address on its card but Google says is an Indian company making motors and pumps. Such is the mystery of trying to find some of these things after the show.

The model is, I think, called the Fronbital. This one’s a proper test mule it used to figure out geometry and suspension kinematics. Note the different mounting points for the linkage (and the comically short rear shock), but my favorite part is the wooden rockers:

They told me it allowed them to more quickly test different pivot positions than machining a part from metal, and it worked just fine for kinematics work in the lab. No explanation for the downtube friction shifter, but it looked cool and could be a fun way to provide a rear shock remote lockout without adding an MTB lever to a drop bar layout.

Finishing off this roundup is a frame (technically #18, consider it a bonus) from Grat Co. Ltd. With a claimed weight of just 540 g for the standard version, and 614 g for the one with a seatmast, it’s rated for a rider weight up to 220 pounds (100 kg).

The front triangle uses a low headtube with space for an inset top tube cover to keep it clean. Both the top and down tubes have shaping to add torsional rigidity, and the round BB tube can be 68 mm or 86 mm wide depending on the customer’s spec. As shown, it’s 100% carbon with no metal inserts. The rear dropouts are hollow carbon fiber.

Stay tuned for more fun stuff from the 2023 Taipei Cycle Show!

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The new casings will come on base-level commuter and city tires first as Maxxis increases testing to make sure they’ll meet expectations for higher-performance mountain bike tires, but the plan is to use them across most of its portfolio.

The process starts by pulling lost and discarded fishing nets from the ocean. About 12.7 million tons of marine debris is formed annually, and about 640,000 tons of that comes from fishing gear. Called “ghost fishing gear,” it can damage reefs, kill sea life, and generally pollute.

The plastic nets are collected and cleaned, then turned into fresh nylon plastic pellets. Seawastex says its process, performed with Formosa Chemical & Fibre Corporation, creates a product with the same tensile strength, impact resistance, and weather resistance as virgin material. They provide recycling collection methods to help prevent the waste from getting left in the ocean in the first place too.

Those are melted and extruded into yarn, which is then woven into the casings. Effectively, it should work just like virgin nylon, but Maxxis is doing long-term testing to ensure the performance characteristics are the same.

From there, the casing is laid up with other materials to form the tire’s carcass before being heat-molded into shape, forming the tread patterns, and bonding everything together to create a rideable tire.

Maxxis.com

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It was the ultralight collection of water bottle cages that caught my eye first, ranging from just 10 g up to 15.5 g for road, gravel, and mountain bike use, so we’ll start there.

The new Feza Light bottle cage line is led by the R10S 10g Kevlar-reinforced tubular carbon fiber bottle cage. This one’s for road bike use only, but …

… the Feza G12 is a 12g bottle cage for gravel bikes. Also carbon fiber with Kevlar, it’s presumably just a bit stronger or holds tighter. Or both.

The heaviest of the bunch is the MT16, a 15.5g mountain bike bottle cage that’s also a Kevlar-reinforced carbon fiber material. I think I could suck it up for that matte-black finish and put this clunker on my road bike too.

This combo bike stand and floor pump has fold-out legs that are long enough to counterbalance an eMTB’s weight. The clever design holds your bike while you pump up the tires, but I’m not sure the non-drive side pedal would clear it for spinning the cranks for minor maintenance, cleaning, or tuning.

It’s a two-stage pump, filling up high-volume tires quickly, then switching to a high-pressure pump for finishing off-road bike tires.

The Topeak Prepstand T3X is a three-axis frame mount that doesn’t clamp to your seatpost to hold your bike. Not sure how this works around any patents the SILCA-owned Hirobel mount may have, but it’s a safer way to hold your bike in the work stand without putting pressure on carbon tubes.

These TetraFender M1 and M2 mountain bike-size fenders use universal fit straps to mount to almost any bike and fork. They provide much broader coverage than the typical fork and saddle-mounted options.

Topeak’s collection of bikepacking frame bags, saddle bags, and mounts continues to grow, making a good argument for e-gravel bikes.

Topeak’s Pakgo line is expanding with a TT version for longer, weirder triathlon and time trial bikes. The built-in tray captures the fork’s axle and straps around the BB area to keep it secure, then adds Velcro-equipped pads and parts management to keep everything secure and rattle-free.

The Ratchet ‘n’ Roll tool roll comes with various Allen and Torx bits, a torque wrench, a ratchet driver, plus extensions. Straps let you mount it to your frame or stuff it in a pack or jersey pocket.

Lastly, a new series of saddle bag mounts combine accessory, tool, and light mounts into a modular system that lets you swap things in and out.

No word on pricing or availability for any of these products yet.

Topeak.com

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The Bosch ABS system got a big update in 2022 to a smaller form factor with improved performance. It’s intended for the front brake only and pairs with (and is powered by) a Bosch e-Bike drive system.

It works by having a sensor monitor the speed of an additional plate mounted to the brake rotor. If it detects lockup, it’ll pulse the brake caliper much as a car’s ABS system does, keeping the wheel rotating for improved traction and control. And no endos.

E-bike-specific forks, like the Fox AWL, have dedicated mounts for ABS systems, specifically to hold the brake controller and manage its wiring — though sometimes fender mounting tabs are borrowed for them too.

The brake calipers are the same as normal, and levers can be had with or without a sensor to trigger brake lights.

It’ll offer three systems at launch later this year: two Tektro versions for city and touring bikes (which include some lightly loaded trekking bikes popular in Europe) and a TRP version for eMTB and eATB bikes.

Bosch-ebike.com; Tektro-USA.com

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The new EnergyPak battery system uses higher-volume Panasonic cells to pack 400 Wh into a battery that weighs just 2.3 kg — about half the weight of typical e-bike batteries — and 4 kg (~9 pounds) lighter than Giant’s prior model.

Admittedly, the heavier cells usually have 500-600 Wh of power, but 400 Wh is still a lot more than the ~250 Wh usually found on lightweight eMTBs. So, these new Giant and Liv bikes strike a balance between the two and pair with an 85Nm Yamaha SyncDrive Pro motor.

The result is a bike that weighs as little as 18.8 kg (41 pounds) in size medium — also a middle ground between the ~32-pound ultralights and 55-pound big bikes.

Giant says the larger battery cells make it more efficient and run cooler, but there’s no mention of a range extender external battery pack to boost playtime.

Able to provide up to 400% assist, the motor’s output is customizable with a companion app. Slide the torque adjuster up or down to match your needs and maximize output or range, or just try to match your buddy’s eMTB output so you can ride at the same level.

It’s not just the battery that’s saving weight. A full carbon frame with integrated one-piece 255g carbon bar-and-stem cockpits helps too, without giving up fit options.

The bar can adjust its mounting position to have an effective 40mm, 45mm, or 50mm stem length, and rotate the bar’s angle slightly too. Grips are size-specific as well, for an even more custom fit and feel.

The bike has a one-button mode/power control built into the top tube display that shows the battery level and assist level. The tiny Ergo 3 handlebar remote gives you more control over modes, and you can add a second Ergo 3 controller on the other side to give you control over lights or use the Walk Assist mode.

The bike uses Giant’s Maestro suspension platform to deliver 140 mm of rear travel with a 27.5-inch rear wheel. Up front is a 150mm fork with a 29er wheel.

Top builds get Fox Live Valve suspension powered by the e-bike’s battery…and come in at $10k and $14k. A third model shares the same full carbon frame without Live Valve to hit $7,200, and a carbon front/alloy rear base model runs $6,000. Full specs for all on Giant’s website.

Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ Elite Women’s eMTB

Using all the same tech and features but in women’s builds and sizing, including travel, mixed wheel sizes, and geometry-adjusting flip chip, the Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ eMTB gets three of the same builds ranging from $6,000 to $10,000. Full specs and details on its website.

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FSA Aero Gravel Cockpits

The new top-level K-Force Loop AGX handlebar and carbon fiber aero extension are upgraded from its already extremely ergonomic K-Wing AGX handlebar. With sculpted grooves and indents for multiple hand positions, both the K-Wing AGX and K-Force Loop AGX offer very comfortable hand positions, but the new Loop bar goes wider with a massive 25º flare for a 50mm offset at the tops (double the Loop’s 12º flare and 25mm offset).

The bar comes in 42/44/46cm widths with 25º flare, 100mm drop, and 70mm reach. Weight is 320 g.

It includes the new bolt-on AGX Loop aero extension, which has a round nose for easy accessory mounting, and included pads and cradles give your forearms somewhere to rest. Combined, they should provide long-distance gravel racers and tourers with everything they need.

For alloy lovers, the new Pro-Wing AGX builds a bar and loop into a single piece for a 472g ergo/aero cockpit. Also in 42/44/46cm widths, it shares the same 25º flare, 50mm offset at the drops, 100mm reach, and 70mm drop. The drops have a classic rounded profile and round tubes, though, lacking the additional shaping of the carbon version.

The new VAS (Vibration Absorbing Stem) uses swappable polyurethane bushings to damp harsh vibes before they reach your hands. They come in 70a (gray), 80a (dark gray), and 90a (black) durometers that absorb up to 47% of vibration. Aftermarket stems will ship with all three, and OEM placements will get the medium-density insert.

The VAS stems come in 80/90/100mm lengths with -6º rise and have a 31.8mm clamp diameter. Claimed weight is 291 g.

New Vision Metron Wheels

Vision’s Metron aero wheel lineup expands with new 37mm deep climber wheels and a 91mm deep aero wheel for TT and triathlon pursuits. These add to the reasonably light Metron 45 and 60 that launched in 2021. At that time, those two replaced slightly shallower wheels while also dropping weight, so these could be replacing the 30 and 81 wheels. We’ve reached out to FSA for more details on these wheels (we will update as we get them).

All three get its Floating Ratchet Ring hubs, which disengage the toothed rings when coasting for less noise and drag.

Headset Integrations, E-Bike System, and Other Fun Stuff

FSA is a monster when it comes to OEM placement. Its headset offering goes way beyond the increasingly popular ACR integrated system for getting cables and hoses stealthily into the frame. Other things it makes include:

• HBS – Headset Block System to limit total bar rotation
• RAS – Reach Adjust System allows multiple headset positions for adjustable head angle and reach
• CBS – Control Bike System steering damper helps prevent speed wobble
• CBS – A self-centering version that returns the steerer to the center if you let go

With its ACR system getting spec on so many bikes, it has started offering a wider variety of custom cone spacers and top caps to blend into the design of major brands:

One size definitely doesn’t fit all, so it’s nice to see FSA offering more custom-fit options for their customers. They’re available for select Trek, Specialized, BMC, Cannondale, Cervélo, and Pinarello bikes for now.

While many brands will spec their own spacer with whatever stock handlebar comes on the bike, if you wanted to upgrade to an FSA handlebar or stem, these custom cone spacers keep the clean, integrated look while opening up more cockpit options.

The new KFX SIC ICR (Stable Integrated Cockpit, Integrated Cable Routing) mountain bike handlebar combines the bar and stem with full internal routing for the next generation of MTBs. It uses its ACR headset system to run everything inside the frame for a very clean cockpit and includes an out-front computer-and-accessory mount that’s attached to a spacer that fits under the bar.

Available in 65/85/105mm effective stem lengths, all are 780mm wide. The effective stem angle is -12º, with 9º backsweep, 5º upsweep, and 5mm rise. Claimed weights from 265 g to 315 g.

Its WE electronic shifting system finally gets the TT bull horn bar-mounted brake levers with integrated wireless shift buttons. They include the junction box that goes in the stem, and are compatible with any 22.2mm OD bars.

The FSA System is its integrated e-bike system. It can be had with an internal downtube battery, an external water bottle-size battery, or both … and both are 252 Wh. The hub motor is the high-tech bit, featuring a built-in speed and torque sensor that requires no additional, external sensors to clutter the bike, and it has very low friction so it should ride normal once you’ve exceeded the 25km/h assist limit.

While it looks like a bolt-on system, frame integration is required for the control pod, which gets embedded into the top tube, and a charging port that can go pretty much anywhere. And wires are run internally, so ports are necessary. The whole system weighs just 3.98 kg.

Unrelated, it also has a wider variety of 12-speed compatible chainrings for its cranksets now too.

FullSpeedAhead.com

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KS GTC Gravel Suspension Fork

Much sleeker than the early prototypes it had shown previously, the new KS GTC gravel fork gets a mixed material lower with alloy at the bottom and carbon fiber uppers and brake arch.

It’ll offer a 40mm travel model with a 50mm option rumored.

It has an air spring with the negative chamber filled via a check valve as you set positive air pressure. An external low-speed compression adjustment with a lockout lever sits on the top of the right side.

A low-speed rebound adjustment is on the bottom, with holes for inserting a small Allen wrench as a lever for easier turning.

It gets a 12×100 thru-axle with a slide-out lever, giving it a stealth look but tool-free use. Claimed weight is 1,385 g with uncut steerer and without axle. Included weight with thru-axle is 1,445 g.

The release date is mid-summer with a $639 target price.

Rage-iS Suspension Dropper Seatpost

Aimed at both gravel and XC riders, this post is now available. We spotted this at Sea Otter a couple of years ago as a prototype, but now it’s added a 27.2 option in two travel lengths to fit more bikes.

The Rage-iS (integrated Suspension) combines a full air system with an air suspension spring to keep it light. A Schrader valve lets you use any shock pump to adjust the spring pressure, which gives lets you set the effective travel. More air makes it firmer, and less soft, delivering up to 30mm travel depending on how much pressure you put in there. KS recommends 15mm sag as a starting point.

The Rage-iS’ suspension works at all points in its drop travel too. Whether you’re topped out or sitting somewhere in the middle of its travel, the suspension is still active, and top-out and bottom-out bumpers keep it from bumping too hard in either direction.

It’s available in 27.2/30.9/31.6 diameters, with the 27.2 getting 65mm and 100mm drop options. MSRP is a very friendly $199 (without remote).

KS offers a variety of remotes, but the KG Drop 2.0 shown here ($59) is ergonomically amazing for drop bars, making it easy to use in multiple hand positions. Other remotes range from $50-75.

Ether Gravel Cockpit

KS has been making cockpit parts for a while, for both mountain bike and gravel. The forged alloy stem ($75) is basic-looking, but very lightweight at just 86-103 g, depending on size. It’s offered in 70/90/110mm lengths, with 6º and 17º rises for 31.8mm handlebars.

The Ether carbon gravel handlebar is more visually interesting and backs it up with impressive features, like internal cable and hose routing ports are large enough that you don’t need to cut the olive and barb off brake hose lines to fit them through. If you’ve ever had to do this, you know how nice of a feature this is.

The tops have a slight rise and rear sweep for an ergo, aero hand position when you want it, and 18º flare to the drops when it’s time to party. The Ether bar is $225 and comes in 42/44cm widths; claimed weight is 230-235 g.

KS M3.6 Inverted MTB Fork

Working on a basic inverted fork for eMTB, built on 36mm diameter lower stanchions for stiffness. Its chassis comes from a SASO design, which is typically sold as OEM for budget bikes (often unbranded), but this one gets the KS touch to bring performance up to enthusiasts’ standards.

Specs are slim as it’s still in development, but here are the basics …

The damping cartridge will have an external lockout switch (blue) with an adjustable blowoff platform (gold). Called a “sprint” lockout, the blowoff adjustment lets you set how much (or little) of an impact is needed to start the fork moving when locked out.

Low-speed rebound damping is externally adjustable on the bottom of the right leg. It’s a dual air spring, with independent positive and negative chambers that each get their own valves so you can fine-tune the initial feel and sag. KS is still deciding on travel specs, but leaning toward 80/100/120mm options.

LEV Circuit Wireless Dropper Seatpost & Everglyde Coating

The upcoming KS Circuit LEV wireless dropper post builds on the proven internals of its popular mountain bike LEV series but gives it a fully wireless control.

The post gets a removable battery pack, just pull it out to charge.

The remote itself uses a replaceable CR2032 battery behind its incredibly short-throw button. A flat thumb “lever” has its pivot far from the button underneath, and takes barely any motion to actuate it. There’s still a firm “click,” but it’s very quick to hit it with less overall thumb motion required to drop the post.

No word on price, weights, or availability for this one yet.

KS’ new Everglyde anodizing is impregnated with Teflon, which is more slippery and avoids seal stiction than typical anodized finishes. And it works with dry lube, so it stays cleaner.

KS could have done a variety of colors, but went with gold to match Fox’s Kashima forks (but it’s not a Kashima coating), helping its posts blend in on top-spec bikes. It’ll be available next spring 2024, across the entire LEV dropper post series.

A30 Carbon Youth Suspension Fork

As KS moves into a more complete suspension lineup, it hasn’t forgotten about the kids. Borrowing the carbon-over-alloy lowers design from the GTC, the A30 is a high-performance (yet affordable) fork for youth bikes.

It’s a simple air spring with basic adjustments but offers the tighter tolerances and smoother action of premium full-size forks we all ride. Available for 20-, 24-, and 26-inch wheel sizes, pricing and weights are TBA.

Original KS SuperNatural Dropper Seatposts

KS was one of the earliest brands to create a production dropper seatpost. Like any brand, early models started off with on-the-post remote levers followed by external remote cables hitting the top of the post.

Above, the first SuperNatural dropper post with a top-mounted lever. Great for dropping it before a big descent, but …

… the SuperNatural Remote 27.2 gave us a remote lever for more aggressive use without having to stop. Part of the mechanism was kept outboard to give it room to put the early tech into a slim 27.2 post.

KSSuspension.com

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The Topaz D1 shocks get new controls, and an all-new Garnet 2 dropper seatpost has a very unique external travel adjust feature — all of which come later this year as 2024 models.

The Onyx 38 lineup will also introduce several new air spring features and options across its three levels. The top D1 model keeps its externally adjustable “OTT” coil negative spring, which lets you adjust small bump sensitivity completely independently from the main air spring’s feel in the mid and end stroke.

The new SL air spring combines positive and negative into a familiar system using a small dimple/check valve to equalize pressure during setup and sag, saving weight but minimizing your ability to fine-tune it. OTT is the starting spec, with SL being an option on D1. But now D2 and D3 forks will get the SL air spring only, with no more internally adjustable OTT option.

D1 forks get external high- and low-speed compression damping with its best damper cartridge. D2 forks get low-speed compression and a slightly lower spec damper, and D3 forks (likely to be OEM only, not available aftermarket) use a more basic cartridge but keep the external low-speed compression and rebound controls. All three can use air volume adjustments to tune performance.

The 38mm chassis gets a new hollow forged crown on all models. D1 and D2 forks get lighter-weight 7000-series alloy stanchions, and the D3 gets 6000-series alloy. Now only available for 29-inch wheels, the bigger chassis adds 20 mm of travel with 160-180 mm options.

The bigger stanchions get new lowers with an automatic pressure bleed valve. During deep compression hits, it’ll let out a little bit of air from the lowers to maintain consistent performance. Unlike the manual release found on Fox forks (that RockShox tried to use too), this is a fully automatic system that you won’t have to touch.

All three models use a new floating thru-axle with a right-side pinch bolt. Numbers and specs are:

• 15×110 Boost
• 29er only
• 160-180mm travel
• 44mm offset
• 597mm axle-to-crown
• 203mm rotor disc brake direct mount
• Integrated fender mounts

Available this fall (2023); the price should be around $1,200 for the D1 model. All three models will also get an E1/E2/E3 versions for e-MTBs, which adds 28% more bushing overlap inside for improved durability.

2024 DVO Topaz D1 Shock

The Topaz D1 Shock gets a new dual high/low compression knob, adding more controls for the top-spec model. Available around July, the price should be around $600. Also available in a Jade X coil version.

2024 DVO Garnet 2 Dropper Post

The new DVO Garnet 2 dropper post will hit the market in late fall with two travel options, but with a trick up its sleeve that gives you a total of 14 different travel lengths.

It’ll come in 170-200 mm and 130-160 mm versions, but each can be changed in 5 mm increments.

The secret is this bezel that lets you adjust the travel externally, without tools. Simply compress the post, twist it, and each indent is a 5mm change in travel.

It works by using a stepped sleeve inside. Three pins keep the post sliding up and down without twisting, and they top out against a stepped cylinder. Twisting the outer bezel changes the step that they contact, and each step sits 5 mm higher (or lower) than the one next to it.

It’ll be available in 30.9 and 31.6 diameters. Full specs like weight, total height, etc., are TBA. Targeting $349 with this premium alloy lever that pivots on a bearing, which actually makes the post a decent deal considering some droppers come without a lever, and levers are surprisingly expensive.

DVOSuspension.com

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The rack is just 975 g, and with pivots at the mounting points and stabilizer bars, it can be configured to lay flat on most normal bikes. The top platform accepts any MIK-compatible accessory, from baskets to bags, rated for loads up to 16 kg (so, probably no kid’s seats). Or click or strap pannier bags to the sides, or mount all those things for bigger trips.

SKS will offer its own accessories to outfit it too, including fender sets for both gravel- and MTB-size tires and frames, a tail light that straps into the rear but includes an adapter to strap around your seatpost when the rack’s not in use, and a water-resistant bag.

The Infinity Universal rack runs €110 and is available now.

The SKS Rennkompressor claims to be the world’s first floor pump, saving cyclists from having to use a hand pump every time they inflate their tires. It’s remained largely unchanged save for updated materials over its decades in existence, but now it gets a digital counterpart.

The SKS Rennkompressor NXT gets a large digital gauge that switches between psi and bar. A tall shaft and long hose with separate Presta and Schrader ports and a big lock lever make it easy to pump tires with a bike in the workstand or on a car rack.

It also gets two feet with rubberized pads, which fold up against the pump. The beechwood handle can be quickly threaded off too, making it more travel friendly. A non-digital version with a standard analog gauge is also available, and both pump up to 230 psi (16 bar). MSRP from €100-110, available in Q2 2023.

The new SKS AirSpy TL (on right) is a new tubeless compatible version of its wireless tire pressure monitor and has a wide range of valve stem heights to fit more of the high-performance wheelsets for road, gravel, MTB, etc.

It pairs via Bluetooth with its app to show you real-time tire pressure on either its app or Garmin cycling computers, so you can monitor as you ride (possibly confirming that nagging feeling that you’re slowly losing air). It can measure up to 120 psi (8.3 bar)

Sold as a set for under $100, valve lengths are 60/67/74/81 mm, and they’re as light as 17 g. Available Q2 2023.

Check these and a few more new little goodies on the SKS website.

SKS-Germany.com

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All the other features that make its OSPW system unique are here too, from the ultralight carbon fiber cage to the chamfered tooth profiles that make surprisingly little contact with the chain to reduce wear and noise. Here’s how it works.

The upper pulley is offset slightly from the cage’s pivot point. It’s subtle, maybe only 6-7 mm, but it’s enough. Offset upper pulleys are nothing new, they’re used on wide-range mountain bikes and gravel drivetrains to help bring the pulley further down as you shift into bigger cogs, thereby allowing more room while letting modern derailleurs use a more stable horizontal articulation.

With Shimano’s top-end cassettes now coming in only two (historically) large 11-30 and 11-34 options, the road cassette has up to a 23-tooth gap to cover. Token says this new Shuriken’s offset design keeps the chain closer to the cassette across the entire gear range while allowing them to run bigger pulleys for better system efficiency.

Token’s Shuriken uses a 13-tooth upper pulley and 19-tooth lower, both with ceramic bearings. By contrast, Shimano’s stock 11-tooth pulleys seem puny. To be fair, the new Shimano groups shift extremely well, so I’ve requested a Shuriken to test on the new group.

Weight is halfway between the Ultegra and Dura-Ace, pricing TBA (we will update when we get it).

Not willing to void your very expensive derailleur’s warranty? They make a wide variety of drop-in derailleur pulley replacements for Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo derailleurs.

Token S-Box & M-Box Stealth Routing Headsets

Much like the new Ritchey headsets, Token is looking to provide more options for frame manufacturers and builders beyond FSA and Deda (not that there’s anything wrong with those).

The S-Box and M-Box headsets are for road/gravel bikes (shown above) and mountain bikes that use the 1.5-inch upper and lower headset cup standards. Top caps and spacers allow cables and hoses to run into the headset while using a standard stem and handlebar.

A variety of parts and spacers help it fit brake hoses, shift and dropper post cable housing, and shift wires, while still letting you get the stack height where you need it.

The M-Box and B-Box for mountain bikes (including e-bikes, with slots for bike-powered light and computer wires) come in two versions, one with its Rotation Block that limits how far the handlebar can turn so it doesn’t smash into your top tube if you wreck.

Token has also updated some of its wheels with hookless rim profiles for easier tubeless setup. The ROUBX G33 (shown above) is its 33mm deep gravel wheel with a 25.3mm internal width. Above it is the Konax Tri Disc with 76.3mm deep aero rims.

TokenProducts.com

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There’s also new colors for the Ascent and Breakaway frames, a new MTB stem, and its shallowest gravel adventure bar yet.

Ritchey Comp Corralitos Handlebar

Offering the shallowest drop Ritchey has ever done, the new Corralitos is a wide alloy riser drop handlebar with tons of flare. It’s designed for any adventure; whether that’s around town or around the world, there’s a lot of space for bags and gear between the drops.

Like the recent Skyline road bar, it’s starting at the Comp level with double-butted 6061 alloy. If they prove popular, then it’ll add WCS and carbon versions later.

Drop is just 67.5 mm, with a short 52mm reach. It has a round top to make accessory mounting easier but gets its ergonomic bend in the drops. Other measurements are:

• 24º drop flare
• 12º outward flare
• 5º backsweep
• Widths: 46/48/50 cm (center to center)
• Width at ends: 62/64/66 cm (at outside edge)
• 350 g (46 cm)

Pricing and availability are TBA.

Note the new sand/tan colorway for the Ascent gravel bike shown up top. That and this marine/cornflower blue with cream accents on the Breakaway travel road bike frame are new for 2023.

And yes, that 50th Anniversary Ultra hardtail that just came out was the last of the limited-edition bikes celebrating Tom’s half-century milestone. Turns out supplier issues and paint lead times helped stretch that celebration beyond the actual 50th year, but who doesn’t enjoy a good, long party?

Ritchey Integrated Stems & Headsets

The new Comp Switch Stem is a streamlined road stem that uses its C220 clamp (the body of the stem wraps around 220º of the bar for a more secure grip — most bars are 180º), but with a wider body for increased torsional stiffness compared to its round stems. Available in 80/90/100/110/120 mm lengths with -16º rise. Claimed weight is 180 g (100 mm).

The underside has a channel to make room for shift cables, wires, and brake hoses, which are then hidden by the upper transition spacer plate on the new Comp Logic-E Switch Headset. The nylon and glass-fiber spacers and plate conceal all of the cables and run them through the oversized 1.5″ bearing cups (fits standard tapered and 1-1/8″ steerers).

The Zero Stack headset uses sealed angular cartridge bearings for smooth operation. Its weight is 54 g (upper portion only, it works with any lower bottom bracket cup).

For mountain bikes and others without fully integrated cockpits, there’s a Comp Logic-E Universal Switch model that simply puts external ports on the upper headset spacer cover, making room to feed cables and hoses into the frame. Available in Semi-Integrated (IS) and Fully Integrated (ZS) versions, it works with any standard stem.

The new Comp Trail 35 mountain bike stem is 3D-forged 6061 alloy, fits 35mm handlebars, and uses an offset bar clamp. It can be run with the offset up or down, letting you raise or lower your cockpit by 5 mm from the center. Available in 35/45/55/65 mm lengths, the claimed weight is 135 g (35 mm).

All products are coming this spring — we got a sneak peek at Taipei Cycle Show — so pricing and ship dates for all are TBA.

RitcheyLogic.com

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First up is the Token Block headset which is an interesting take on the headset stop. Physical stops in a headset can prevent damage to your frame or bike by keeping your handlebars from over-rotating. Normally, those stops are built into the headset upper. That can be a problem for bikes with special headset uppers like those used for internal cable routing on aero road bikes.

The Token Block offers a fix by incorporating a headset stop into the lower part of the headset instead. While specifics aren’t given, it’s part of a semi-integrated headset lower that include an alloy cup and crown race that are “locked in place mechanically after installation.” Better yet, everything can be easily removed without damage to the steerer or headtube. The rotation restriction is apparently customizable meaning you can set how far you can turn the bars before the stop engages.

Jagwire Pro Needle Driver Tool & Elite Cooling Brake Pad

Jagwire always seems to have cool stuff when it comes to brakes and brake tools, and this year is no different. Their new Pro Needle Driver looks like it will provide a better way to drive unthreaded needle inserts or barbs, into the end of hydraulic brake hoses. The two way clamp is designed to work with both 5.0 and 5.5mm brake hoses, with adjustable tension for odd hoses. There’s also a Needle Starter Pin for initially setting the insert into the hose.

Going home with two awards, Jagwire was also recognized for their new Elite Cooling Disc Brake Pads. Built with a three piece construction, the brake pads apparently use a graphene thermal transfer plate to help pull heat from the semi-metallic brake pads to the aluminum cooling fins.

Classified Powershift

This one comes as no surprise. The Classified Powershift system is very interesting, and has the potential to add another dimension to road and gravel gearing. If you haven’t checked out our previous posts, the Powershift system essentially hides a front derailleur inside your rear hub. That gives you 2x range, but with a 1x setup at the crank.

ifworlddesignguide.com

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RST Stem Shock

At this point, we’ve seen a number of integrated suspension into the front end of gravel and road bikes, but the RST Stem Shock manages to do it in a new way. Instead of building it into the frame, or requiring a special stem, the Stem Shock plugs into your current fork’s steerer and provides a mounting point for a standard stem.

The lower part of the Stem shock inserts into the inner diameter of your steerer tube and appears to lock in place with a clamp at the top. Then, stems mount to the upper section with an adjustable angle of 0 or +/-4°.

Stem shock provides 20mm of travel, and effectively adds 50mm in height to your steerer tube. The Stem Shock weighs in at a claimed 380g.

KS LEV C12

Want a lighter dropper post that’s still durable? The KindShock LEV C12 claims to have increased strength while maintaining its low weight by using high compression molded carbon fiber. Available in 65/100/125/150/170 travels, the 65mm version is claimed to weigh just 328g.

TranzX YSI15 Integrated dropper for standard frames

We’ve seen a few integrated dropper concepts over the years, but the catch has been that they require a specific frame design. What if you could get the benefits of an integrated dropper for any frame you already own? That’s what the TranzX YSI15 seems to offer. The special integrated collar/seat post clamp replaces the one on your bike giving you the most travel length possible.

Better still, the YSI15 seems to have a very simple and infinite travel height adjustment. If we’re to believe the first graphic, this is not for dropper post actuation. Instead, the small lever under the seat looks like it allows you to set the height limit for the post. Meaning if you bought a YSI15 in 170mm travel, but could only use 163mm of that, you could set the height limit with the lever, and the post wouldn’t extend past that when you used the actuation lever at the bar. Compared to other height adjust posts, the YSI15’s adjustment is infinite meaning you can perfectly dial in your needed height.

Between the semi-integrated nature of the post and this clever height adjust feature, the YSI15 looks like it could provide the most usable travel of any dropper post out there.

ifworlddesignguide.com

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Merida Reacto Team-E

The only non-e-bike to receive the gold award, the redesigned Merida Reacto Team-E wins for its redesign focused on both integrated aerodynamics and comfort. In the Team-E Bahrain McLaren livery, the bike sells for a hefty £9000 / 10,300€, but that includes a true team level spec with a complete Dura-Ace Di2 group with powermeter, Vision aero carbon wheels, and premium Vision carbon cockpit & bars.

Gmigo One / Gmigo Modular Smart E-bike

The Taipei Cycle show is always filled with interesting micro-mobility devices, and the Gmigo would certainly qualify. Calling it a modular electric moped, the vehicle can be transformed into different designs including a scooter and compact e-bike. The components can be easily removed for compact storage, and it can fit easily into a car’s trunk.

Votani H3

Another compact, folding e-bike, the BESV Votani H3 includes an easily removable 252Wh battery with an “Algorythm power system.” The quick release battery design allows for you to park and lock the bike outside, and bring the battery inside to recharge.

Cadex Boost Saddle

Short nosed saddles are becoming very popular for the road and beyond – like the CADEX Boost. Built with a two-piece Advanced Forged Composite frame that claims to prevent flex for greater power transfer, the saddle also uses their Particle Flow technology which uses “Free-flowing, CADEX-specific ETPU particles, strategically placed in two separate pockets at the contact area, mold to the rider’s unique pelvic contact condition. This eases pressure points and distributes that pressure across a broader contact area for a firmer, more comfortable ride.”

Liv Tropic Collection

Want your entire kit to match? Liv’s Tropic Series includes the same motif across the range of Liv Avail Advanced bikes and Liv clothing for a cohesive women’s’ collection that “aims to empower all female riders from beginners to pros.”

Gold Award Young Enterprise – Lightmove TA

The Young Enterprise category for the gold awards is specifically for companies that were established after January 2017. Founded in 2019, Litemove Technology Co. has won yet again, for their integrated e-bike rack taillight. The light can also be mounted to standard carrier mounts (50 & 80mm), and the design prevents damage to light from parking against walls or bike racks. The shape of the lens also allows it to be viewed from multiple angles.

ifworlddesignguide.com

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2020 Taipei Cycle tradeshow cancelled over coronavirus concerns

As big cycling industry tradeshows in the US & Europe have seen restructuring to deal with changes to retail models & product development schedules, Taipei Cycle has remained as a strong behind the scenes show in Taiwan where much of our bikes and components are actually produces. With frame & component producers sharing their capabilities at the show, both in Taiwan and mainland China, this is a show where big business deals are still being made. We at Bikerumor try to attend Taipei Cycle whenever we can, as it gives us an early first look at what’s coming up in the development pipelines of many companies, as well as a good chance to speak with a wide range of industry insiders.

The cancelling of the show is rather last minute, less than four weeks ahead of when we expected to land in Taipei. But there have been rumblings in the industry for about a week. Travel restrictions had already prevented all Chinese exhibitors (a large part of bike & component manufacturing) and Chinese visitors from attending the show, important meetings & announcements had already been cancelled (Giant was set for a grand opening of a new global HQ building in Taichung), many international visitors had expressed fear over the spread of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. It just was starting to not make commercial sense for either buyers or exhibitors to attend.

The implications down the pipeline are already being anticipated as well, as a result of coronavirus. Industry news site BRAIN is reporting that bike producers in Vietnam & Cambodia are also feeling the impacts, warning some of the biggest bike brands in the world about potential delivery delays, due to international worker safety concerns. As the health risks continue to grow globally, we anticipate this could continue to spread through the global cycling industry for some time.

Full statement on Taipei Cycle below:

TAITRA to Hold TAIPEI CYCLE+ & TaiSPO+ Exhibitions in May 2020

The TAIPEI CYCLE show and TaiSPO, hosted by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, was originally scheduled to be held from March 4th to 7th. These 2 globally significant shows together, would normally attract over 5000 booths representing industry exhibitors from around the globe. Due to the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), there have been significant developments in the number of travel and logistical restrictions; bringing into question the practicality this year’s planned dates.

The resulting restrictions have left many exhibitors unable to travel to, or ship exhibition stands and sample goods to show as travel and freight restrictions start to be put in place. This has led the organisers to make the difficult decision to re-schedule the March 2020 edition of the event.

In these uncertain times, TAITRA stands together with Taiwanese industry and government to stabilize global confidence in Taiwan as the benchmark for sourcing quality and innovation. TAITRA will continue to organise several economic and trade development activities.

Subject to the further development of the outbreak; in 2020, upon the request of those who still need this platform to explore business opportunities, TAITRA will hold the TAIPEI CYCLE+ & TaiSPO+ exhibitions, which will be held at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2 from May 14th to 16th.

These special edition versions of these globally important shows will be held to support both the cycling and sporting goods industries. We expect to have companies with bicycles, components, electric bicycles and motor systems, fitness equipment, sportswear, smart sports, sporting services, ball sports, watersports, outdoor supplies and more.

The 3-day exhibition will also launch the first ever online exhibition concept, one-to-one procurement meetings, video conferences, and live-stream broadcasting. Services are provided to SMEs who need TAITRA’s assistance to find International customers.

TAITRA will coordinate its 63 international branch offices to invite buyers to visit Taiwan and send out a firm message to ensure confidence in the safety and quality to be expected when trading with Taiwanese companies.

For the latest details, please visit www.taipeicycle.com.tw and www.taispo.com.tw.

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Birzman tools for the home & professional bike mechanic

This mega Wedge Wedge 2.0 tire lever is a good example of Birzman’s gadgets, designed to offer some extra leverage to pry stubborn tubeless tires on & off. The notch in the end of the fixed lever is placed over the opposite side of the rim bead, then the hook grabs the stubborn tire bead, stretching it over the rim – pulling the tire, instead of prying against the rim. The long body offers plenty of leverage, plus enough room to squeeze in road, gravel, and XC-sized mountain bike tires. Birzman also has a new more traditional short set of one-piece Tubeless Tire Levers that have an integrated clip that can hook over the rim bead to ease tire installation.

Birzman Tubeless Repair Kit

The new Tubeless Repair Kit is a pretty common tubeless tire plug setup, but it all has been designed to fit into the casing shape of a standard small CO2 canister. That way it can be stored on the bike in typical C)2 carriers. The kit includes a files to roughen up the hole, a plug insertion needle, and a set of 5 plugs. Birzman will also likely sell it as a kit together with a CO2 cartridge, a thread-on inflator, and a carrier to mount to behind a bottle cage.

Birzman Internal Cable Routing Kit

Their new Internal Cable Routing Kit also gets a sleek alloy case, that tucks enough cable/wire/housing end adapters to work with rim or hydraulic brakes and mechanical or electronic shift setups.

Everything fits inside the body of the 120mm long x 21mm diameter cylinder, then a strong magnet on one end or a flexible extension with a strong magnet on the other helps you guide the cables inside your frame, then retrieve them from the other end.

Besides the neat overall package, it also includes a spike/awl embedded in the end to clean up the opening of a freshly trimmed section of housing.

Birzman Halo Valve Head

The new Halo pump head is meant to be a simple, but low cost solution to work with both Presta & Schrader valves. Birzman says the reverse lever direction (clamp down to lock) is more intuitive, and works well to compress the internal O-ring for secure engagement/seal. A low-cost plastic version & more premium alloy lock version will be available.

Birzman Rotor Wear Indicator

The new Rotor Wear Indicator is a simple gauge to tell you how thick your braking surface is. Pick your brand of brakes and try to insert your rotor. If it fits, your rotor has worn beyond the recommended minimum thickness for that brake system, and should be replaced.

Birzman Bottom Bracket & Lockring Socket range

Birzman has made plenty of Bottom Bracket Sockets before, but now adds a few more to fit a wider range of bike setups, specifically catering to more e-bike standards. These will also be available in special home e-MTB tool kits designed to work with common e-bike systems.

Birzman Feexstand

The new Feexstand is a combination bike repair stand and just a place to store your bike. Designed with a simple set of two legs on one side you can just hang your non-driveside chainstay & seatstay over the adjustable hooks to keep the bike upright….

Or flip the stand down and mount your bike with the front wheel removed like a Euro road pro mechanic stand. The Feexstand slides the fork mount back & forth to fit any front center length, resting the BB on a soft mount. Interchangeable endcaps on the front hub mount fit QR road, 12, 15 & 20mm thru-axles with standard or Boost spacing.

A few of the new tools & gadgets are already available, with the remainder set for early 2020 release, when retail pricing will also be made public.

Birzman.com

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Granite Stash hidden, bar-end chain tool

Stashing tools on your bike is all the rage these days. Why carry gear on your back, when it can be on the bike ready anytime. You don’t find a chain tool on every mini multi-tool these days, so the Granite Stash makes sure you don’t get stranded in the woods when your chain does snap.

The $25 Stash is a simple 7075 alloy chain tool that slides up to 10cm deep inside a 18-21mm end of your handlebar and tightens in place with a simple rubber expander. It comes with endcaps to work with standard or locking grips. Designed to fit your bar, it can fit inside many hollow axle MTB cranks as well to get its 52g weight lower on your bike.

The anodized alloy Stash includes a couple of holes and a rubber O-ring to stash an extra quick link, and features a handle that you thread out to get leverage, and is used together with a compact multi-tool. Yes, you need a separate 3mm hex to install or remove it to repair your chain, plus a 4mm to break the chain…fortunately you’ll find both of those on their new Stash GCX mini tool that hides in your steerer tube.

Available direct and on Amazon with free Prime shipping, along with a new tire plug tool for the other side of your bar.

Granite Juicy Nipple valve core wrench caps

We actually got a first look at Granite’s latest valve caps back last November, but now we’ve had more of a chance to play with their Juicy Nipples. While I would always toss the plastic caps that came on tubes, with a tubeless setup I’m more likely to try to keep the valves protected. And what better way than adding a small $9 splash of color, and with actual functionality.

Sure, if you have a tubeless setup, you probably got some free plastic valve core tools along the way. But with a 2.5g pair of Juicy Nipples you won’t ever have to dig through your pack to find them, or suffer rounding off those cheap plastic tools when your sticky sealant-encrusted valves are stuck.

This neat little machined alloy valve nut comes to the rescue, and can add a splash of ano color to your wheels too.

Granite-Design.com

Funn Funndamental platform pedals

These Funndamental pedals are something of an update to an old machined alloy platform pedal Funn used to make. The new pedals were updated to deliver quality performance and tons of grip in an affordable package.

Instead of just using a single length & size of traction pin for grip, on each side the Funndamental gets 4 larger blunt pins in the middle of the body, then 7 more tall, thin pins along the front & back edges to offer more customized grip.

Across the middle, Funn machined the 6061 alloy body down over the axle for a bit of a concave shape. The $90 Funndamental pedals use a chromoly axle, and spin on an inner bushing & outer cartridge bearing. They use Funn’s Grease Renew System which makes it easy to keep them spinning smooth by regularly squeezing grease into the small port over the axle with a standard grease gun.

The Funndamentals have a upper platform 103mm deep x 106mm wide (112mm deep overall) and are 16.5mm thick at the axle. At 416g for the pair, the pedals hit a respectable weight and come in a six different anodized color options (to match your Juicy Nipples?)

FunnMTB.com

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Ritchey performance alloy cockpit components

Kyote MTB bar

The biggest departure from what they’ve made before is the Comp Kyote (pronounced Coyote) mountain bike riser bar. Obviously its distinguishing feature is a generous 27.5° of backsweep for comfortable control of anything from your single speed to adventure touring bike.Besides just adding a ton of sweep, the 35mm rise Kyote first sweeps the bar forward so when you replace a standard flat bar, your hands will end up in the same position front-to-back relative to the stem. The Kyote is a super wide bar too at 800mm, with Ritchey saying it leaves plenty of room to cut to fit for riders who want something a bit more narrow. The 31.8mm bar has a nice wide section at the clamp so you can attach accessories like a GPS, lights, or bag setup too.

The Kyote will be available in a few weeks, and for now only comes in this $40/42€ Comp Kyote level bar made from 6061 alloy. Ritchey says the single 355g Comp bar is a bit of a test to see the demand for the new shape, but is open to making it in lighter, high-end materials too.

Butano dropbar

The Butano is Ritchey’s new gravel & adventure bike bar. Meant to go fast, it takes a compact drop (73mm reach, 118mm drop) and adds a gentle 12° outward flare from the hoods to the drops for stability & comfort off-road.

The Butano is available in 38-46cm widths, measured c-to-c at the hoods. By the time you get to the ends of the drops the bar adds four centimeters, then measuring 44-52cm outside. Up top the bar also gets a small 4° backsweep after coming away from the clamping area. Like the Kyote, the Butano has 100mm of 31.8 clamping area to fit the stem plus accessories for your dropbar adventure.

The bar does not feature internal routing, but is drilled for compatibility with Shimano’s newest Di2 bar end junction box.

The Butano bar will be available in two versions starting later this month. The 7050 alloy Butano WCS sells for $95/100€ with a weight of 275g for a 42cm bar. Or the 6061 Butano Comp which adds around twenty grams, but cuts the price down to $50/53€.

Baquiano dropbar

Ritchey had another bar called the Baquiano on display in Taipei as well, showing it for other bike companies to check out. It’s essentially the same shape as the Butano without the little backsweep on the bar tops, meant to hit a slightly lower price point. The Baquiano is now OEM-only, so expect to see it pop up on complete gravel bikes next season, and maybe hit the consumer market after that.

Chicane aero stem

The Chicane is Ritchey’s latest take on the hard-working forged aluminum road bike stem. Designed to chip away at the drag on the front end of your bike, the Chicane uses a hinged faceplate with rear-facing bolts and a more sleek overall profile.

A big part of that is a new-for-Ritchey hidden internal wedge-style steerer tube clamp, which is then covered by a flush-mount, snap-on magnetic top cap.

The result of the aero design is that all bolts seem to disappear for a clean look, but also the back of the stem gets rid of the bolts and point shaping most likely to come in contact with your knees. Ritchey claims the design is just as stiff as their other current non-aero designs.

Of course the proprietary top cap means you need to cut your steerer perfectly, and cannot install a spacer above the stem (as pretty much every stem & fork maker actually recommends for a secure clamp.)

Update: We talked more with Ritchey about the setup, and they said that the Chicane was specifically developed to not need an extra spacer on top. The stem’s steerer clamp stack height is increased over their core C220 stem to offer more secure clamping. And the internal wedge steerer clamp was also designed to provide smooth clamping over a larger area of the fork’s steerer tube, alleviating any concern regarding use on carbon steerers. Ritchey tested it extensively with carbon steerers, and assures us it won’t be an issue in regular installation.

They also sent over this small detail photo of the stem with its low-profile top cap. The cap works just like any conventional top cap to compress the slack in the headset, but sits flush down in the recess on top of the stem to be covered by the magnetic cover with the Ritchey crest logo on it above.

Claimed weight is rather heavy at 175g (100mm) for this forged, but not machined 2014 alloy stem with steel bolts. That’s a good 50g over a WCS C220 stem of the same material, or 70g over the forged & machined 7050 alloy WCS C260.

The WCS Chicane aero stem will sell for $105/110€, and comes in 90-130mm lengths for 1.125″ steerers. It is pretty much exclusively targeted at road bike builds since it will only come in a -10° (80°) version and cannot be flipped.

Logic-E headset & integration solution

Also a part of that Chicane setup is Ritchey’s new Logic-E headset & integration solution. Designed to help cleanly integrate Di2 & STePS wiring, Ritchey has a new headset with an internal channel to get the wire inside the headtube even on frames that are not drilled for Di2. While this is again most important for OEMs looking to create an integrated solution (either external of the stem or together with special spacers), it could also be nice for cyclists looking to upgrade an older bike to Di2.

Comp Zeta wheels

On the rolling stock front, the new Comp Zeta wheels offer a ton of value for road, gravel, even some light XC riding. With a 19.5mm internal, the rims are hooked & tubeless-ready (requiring tape) with a shoulder bead-lock.

The build uses Ritchey’s alloy Comp level hubs with standard j-bend flanges, 6-bolt disc interface, sealed cartridge bearings, 64-point engagement, and an alloy freehub body, plus  DT Swiss spokes & brass nipples.

Disc brake wheels have a claimed 1750g weight (795g front, 955g, rear) and will sell for approximately $380/420€ when they land mid summer 2019. A rim brake version is also coming at the same time for roughly $280/320€ offering even more value.

2019 Ritchey Logic Break-Away & other steel frames refreshed

As for the Ritchey frames, for 2019 it is going to be a simple refresh. The always popular Ritchey heat-treated, butted chromoly steel Break-Away Road frameset is the first to get the new look in black & tan.

Gone are the more traditional panels, in favor or a new single color look with just one main logo on the downtube.

Then the new design adds the logo contrast color on the inside of the accompanying fork blades with an inverted Ritchey logo. The new 2019 Break-Away Road frameset is already available in Ritchey’s revamped EU website, with direct to consumers sales in both the US & Europe for $1600/1700€

The rest of the bike line is slated to roll out with the more modern look this year as well. We’ve seen new paint jobs for the Road Logic , Swiss Cross, and Ultra, with more on the way.

Oh, and if you want to buy one of those new black Break-Away Road framesets or anything else currently in stock, Ritchey is offering a one-time 15% off discount on your entire first new order at on their newly expanded/revamped consumer-direct e-commerce site. Check out the details here and order before April 30!

RitcheyLogic.com

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S-Ride M700, budget 1×13 MTB drivetrain

The M700 groupset may not look like the most refined complete setup, but it seems to deliver a solid spec while also making upgrading to another gear easy.

While most 12 or 13 speed setups we’ve seen require a new freehub, the S-Ride M700 fits their new cassette on a standard 10/11-speed mountain bike hub with a HG body. That alone is reason enough to give this group a second look.

To do that S-Ride machines a large, hollowed-out upper gearing cluster out of a single block of alloy, that can cantilever over the spokes.

The next three gear cluster of steel cogs gets pinned to an alloy carrier, then five more loose steel cogs. The final gearing breakdown: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-40-46-52.

The S-Ride M700 1×13 setup is meant to play nicely with what you already have making it an easy upgrade. Use any 11-speed HG compatible hub, any 12-speed chain on the market (like Rotor’s 13s, cog spacing seems to be the same as 12s), and modern 12-speed-ready crankset & chainring already on the market.

That 13-speed rear derailleur looks to share the same construction as S-Ride’s other derailleurs. Real concrete specs are thin, but it uses a mix of forged & cast alloy body parts with a machined alloy cage and aluminum pulley wheels without any narrow-wide tooth shaping. Geometry-wise it features a horizontal parallelogram and an offset upper pulley to maintain constant distance to the cogs across the wide-ranging cassette. It does not include a separate, adjustable external clutch mechanism, but refers to a ‘chain stabilizer’.

We tossed the three 1×13 components on our scale, and they weighed in at 287g for the rear derailleur, 408g for the 11-52T cassette & 124g for the 13-speed trigger shifter.

How much will a 1×13 setup cost you?

The only other single ring, 13-speed group you can buy now is Rotor’s. Still only offered for the road, the cheapest possible setup now will cost over $2000, and you’ll have to lace a new wheel. Surprisingly current 1×12 comes at a much lower price, from $250 for a three-piece NX Eagle setup to a surprisingly affordable $770 XTR 1×12 upgrade kit, assuming you can buy the right freehub bodies for your current rear wheel.

So, S-Ride’s new M700 1×13 components? They should set you back $780 including the 13-speed rear derailleur, 13-speed 11-52T cassette, and righthand 13-speed shifter.

What about 1×12?

That does sound like a lot when you stack it up to current XTR or the super affordable NX Eagle, but remember both of those are still 12-speed. If you want affordable 1×12, S-Ride also makes a $288 M600 combo (rear derailleur+shifter+cassette) with an 11-52T cassette, a $225 M510 combo with an 11-50T, even some M600 combo with an 11-50T as low as $190.

There’s even a 1×11 M520 derailleur with 11-46T or 11-50T cassettes made to work with Shimano 5800 shifters.

So how do you get ahold of any S-Ride drivetrain components to try them for yourself? S-Ride is currently working on developing European distribution. But for the time being they say that Aliexpress is a viable distribution channel. That sounds shady to us (and the 1×13 stuff isn’t there yet anyway.) Clearly S-Ride is still built more like an OEM supplier than a company working to deliver straight to consumers. Maybe the next mountain bike you pass at Walmart will be spec’ed with a wide-ranging 1×13 groupset?!

S-Ride.net

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TOR Mountain Products mountain bike components

Building on decades of experience designing, developing & sourcing components in the cycling industry the new company is set to hit the ground running when their products get an official introduction later this year at Eurobike. Until then, we got a pretty good summary of what is in the pipeline, a bunch of affordable new products with some creative design solutions.

Pedals are certainly one of their most unique looking components, not just for their hexagonal shape, but for the cheap & easy to maintain bearings they spin on. Each pedal shares the same pedal spindle that rotates inside the pedal body around a split composite bushing. Instead of worrying if you keep your pedal bearings properly greased, just ride until the bushing wears out. To replace the bushings, all you have to do is remove these two small grub screws, pull the spindle out, and two pairs of bushings snap off the axle in halves, and new ones are snapped back in.

The pedal is coming in three versions as of now. The thin $140 silver TR platform (top left) is CNC machined from 6061 alloy, features adjustable traction pins, a premium spindle, and a claimed weight of 330g. The Composite platform (top middle) with an injection molded nylon composite body will sell for just $50 with the same easy-to-maintain bushing design, simple Allen head traction pins, a cromoly spindle, and a weight of 300g. The thin $140 black GR platform (top right) is also CNC machined 6061 with adjustable pins, the premium spindle, and a 340g weight.

Following up a universal naming convention, Tot also will offer a line of mountain bike stems as well: XR for cross-country & light trail, TR for trail to enduro, and GR for downhill & other gravity riding.

The lightest of the stems is the $85 XR stem with a slim two-bolt faceplate design and Tor’s new Constrictor steerer clamp. This XR is designed for a 35mm bar, and is available in two stem lengths – a 130g 38mm long version and a 165g 50mm stem.

TR stems get a slightly more bulky & angular look for a bit more strength to cope with aggressive riding.  The $85 TR uses a four-bolt, removable faceplate clamp design. These TRs are for 31.8mm bars, with a claimed 138g weight for 38mm, and 170g for the longer  50mm stem.

Both are CNC machined from 6061 aluminum and share the same captured wedge Constrictor steerer tube clamping mechanism. The Constrictor is a wide clamp that is said to offer a more even squeeze around the steerer than conventional designs, plus the parts won’t easily fall out. (I had to fiddle with the stem for a minute to get them out to take a photo.)

A DH ready stem will also be offered for direct mount installation. The also $85 GR stem will be available for either 31.8mm or 35mm bars, and features an adjustable reach of 45-50mm, for a weight of 139g.

Tor Modular Headsets use a mix-and-match system that makes it easy to set up for any mountain bike. Three different upper cap heights will be offered (5, 10 & 15mm) to get a clean install without a bunch of spacers. You also get to pick a standard bearing spec, or an upgraded premium bearing with headsets ranging in price from $40-80.

The TR Thru-axles are meant to be a solid, but light option for riders looking to replace the clunky axles on their bike. They are all CNC machined 7075 aluminum with a lightweight hollow design, available to fit all MTB thru-axle standards. The axles get standard M6 threads on each end (thread end only for QR axles) and the option for a simple bolt-on or QR handle. Weights run from ~40g at a price of just $20 for the bolt-on, or from ~60g & $35 with the adjustable angle lever.

For seatposts, Tor will offer a forged alloy post with a classic two-bolt head in 27.2, 30.9 & 31.6mm diameters.

Coming this summer, more in the way of slightly new looks at compact tools you take with you on a ride, clipless pedals, affordable alloy mountain bike bars, seatposts, and quick engaging hubs.

Plus, they have a whole range of their own branded mountain bike wheels coming with wide internal tubeless carbon and alloy rims, that again hit at affordable pricepoints. For now Tor are in the later stages of finalizing the design & production of pretty much all of these parts that will get officially launched in summer 2019.

Expect availability of pretty much everything here and more to turn up at the end of the summer following Eurobike where we will check back in with Tor to get a more in-depth look at the complete line-up.

TorCycling.com (will be the place to find them soon)

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Automatic Gearshift System, 1x MTB smart drivetrain

The concept behind this prototype smart mountain bike derailleur is simple: once you set it up, the bike is always in the perfect gear. This is not the first time we’ve seen an automated gear shifting system on a bike, but pretty much every previous functional system we’ve seen work has been rather complicated or clunky. But now that mountain bikes have truly adopted 1x setups with wide range cassettes, the possibilities of a simple, truly automated shift setup is much more feasible.

This setup is still in a prototype stage, or rather a proof-of-concept stage, built on top of an off-the-shelf MicroShift 1×11 XCD mechanical mountain bike derailleur (not MicroShift’s newer version with a clutch released last year.) The idea of the design team was to develop both electronic shift mechanics AND automated shift sensors & controls that could be but into a single self-contained smart rear derailleur.

While HIPCI is a name we’ve never heard of, the design engineers behind the project have worked on unique drivetrain solutions in the past, like their previous derailleur pulley-based dynamo designed to recharge electronics as you pedal. They are essentially showcasing their technology, in hopes of drumming up further support to develop a more refined, production ready solution.

So, how does it work?

This Automatic Gearshift System prototype bolts a machined alloy housing directly onto the back of the XCD derailleur with an internal electronics controller and an internal motor that actuates the conventional mechanical mountain bike derailleur.

Inside that main alloy housing is also a wheel speed sensor that registers each time the spoke magnet passes by, providing bike speed data. The system currently uses two wheel magnets because it give faster data sampling (two inputs per wheel rotation), but ultimately could use any number of magnets. A black control wire also runs out of the top of the housing to another sensor located on the lower derailleur pulley. There, a magnet imbedded in the pulley wheel registers the speed at which the chain is moving past. And since the system uses only a single chainring setup, this is interpolated into actual pedaling cadence.

The only other connection for this prototype Automatic Gearshift System derailleur is the white wire that runs to an external battery pack that the developers have located in the saddle bag. For now they were using a standard compact lipstick-sized powerbank of around 3000mAh that they said would run the drivetrain for around 40 hours.
With bike speed & cadence data inputs, the internal brain of the derailleur can be programmed to automatically shift into an ideal gearing ratio, with separate up & down shift points based on these two data points, plus the option to prioritize speed or cadence data when choosing to shift. The whole thing is adjusted via Bluetooth from a mobile app interface (currently Android-only) that lets a user fine-tune it to their riding style.

While this version does not yet include any more data inputs, the design team said they are working now to communicate with power meter data to further optimize shifting based on rider power, and to make it smoother to shift under periods of decreased load.

Now that there are many more electronic rear derailleur options on & coming to market –  think Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo, FSA, even MicroShift – the idea of a premium fully automated shifting system seems ever more possible. HIPCI says this solution adds just 500g over the base derailleur, plus the external battery. That’s not bad if you figure in the weight savings of losing a shifter, housing & wire. As for pricing, nothing concrete yet. But they say that while the derailleur will likely cost more than most conventional mechanical rear derailleurs, it will literally be the only shifting component you will have to buy, making it cheaper than say a similar XT shift & derailleur setup.

Even though this derailleur is 11 speed, the HIPCI setup currently tops out at 9 speeds. But working with the same mechanics, there is no stopping them from adapting the system for a more modern 1x rear derailleur to bring it up to 12-speed (or more) compatibility, or adding an internal battery pack.

Maybe your next 1x mountain bike derailleur could be not only electronic, wireless, but also even shifter-less…

hipci.com

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All-Wings Falcon flexible noseless endurance saddle

The All-Wings Falcon pares down saddle design to the bare essential, support for your sit bones, while shedding everything else deemed unnecessary. The result is a saddle that looks unlike pretty much anything else we’ve seen strapped to the top of a seatpost, and promises all-day, pressure-free comfort especially geared toward ultra-endurance cyclists.

Many saddles attempt to relieve perineum pressure issues with a central relief channel or cutout, but even that only really works while you stay seated in the ideal position on the saddle and pressure from the nose changes depending on shifting hand positions on the bar or even pedaling up vs. down hill.

So that’s why designer Vincent Tseng completely eliminated the saddle nose in his patented desfgn, leaving just two supportive wings with a deep central channel in the middle.

What makes the All-Wings Falcon saddle actually work is a flexible & virtually unbreakable BASF engineered nylon wing that flexes between four contact points with the single looped tubular chromoly rail.

The bulk of the rider’s weight seems to be supported by the sit bones just inside of the outer rail position where the saddle offers plenty of support with just a small amount of flex.

Then the outer extension of the wings help distribute more of your weight across a wider area of the saddle, and gives you something stable to push against (since you are missing the stability you often get from having a saddle nose between your legs.)

While weight is transferred into the top of the saddle, the sloped front edges sits against the back of the upper thighs, comfortably flexing as you pedal. From a few minutes trying it out myself, the feeling of sitting & pedaling on the saddle is quite different, but offers a surprising feel of stability even without a nose for the saddle.

The curved forward shape of the Falcon also makes it ideal for varying you position on the bike. You can’t move front-to-back like on a conventional saddle, but you essentially maintain the same level of comfort whether on the tops or in the drops, as you pivot forward and nothing is in between your legs to add any pressure points. That also makes it comfortable to slightly rotate your weight forward or back on the arc of the wings’ top whether you shift your weight forward or back from steep climbing to steep descents. No more uncomfortably sitting on the nose of a saddle to get up the steepest climbs.


With its unconventional design, the Falcon saddle is unsurprisingly lightweight even without exotic materials. All-Wings claims a weight of 207g, but it tipped our scales <200g. The Falcon is 300mm wide overall to give support across your entire butt, and is 70mm tall & 140mm long overall from the tip of the rails to the wings’ back. The extended orientation of the tubular steel rails essentially mimics the sit bone position of a conventional saddle, so you shouldn’t need to change seatpost offset, and the rails themselves allow a relatively normal amount of fore-aft saddle adjustment.

The All-Wings Falcon saddle was entirely designed & is produced in Taiwan. It retails for $130, probably most easily found shopping on Amazon. The Falcon has a max 100kg/220lb rider weight, and is available in six colors: two  black versions, white, dark red, yellow & celeste.

All-Wings.com.tw

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Rondo Ruut Ti adjustable geometry titanium gravel bike

Here’s what we do know…

The Ruut Ti will feature the same two-position full-carbon Ruut fork which adjusts both the bike’s headtube angle and fork trail, as originally debuted on the carbon, steel & aluminum versions of the unique gravel bike. Two positions – relaxed gravel adventure cruising or fast gravel racing.

The fork still features rack mounts, and those carry over to the titanium frame as well, in addition to eyelets for full coverage fenders. The ti bike gets a tapered headtube, with internal headset, and modular internal shift cable routing through the main triangle with locking cable stops, and external brake routing.

The Ruut Ti gets flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles, and will clear up to a 650b x 2.1″ or 700c x 40mm tire. It achieves that not with a dropped chainstay design like the other metal Ruuts, but with a nice machined ti chainstay yoke & chainstay bridge. The bike does stick with a standard threaded bottom bracket as well.

No word on the time frame for availability, or if it will be offered as a complete bike only (like with this SRAM Force 1x build) or as a frameset for you to build as you please. We’ll update as soon as we know more, hopefully it will be coming this spring or summer. The other Ruuts we have had a chance to ride were a lot of fun, and this could turn it into one of the ultimate gravel adventure bikes.

Rondo.cc

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ControlTech Sirocco wave-shaped aero carbon wheels

ControlTech’s new aero carbon Sirocco wheels are the latest effort we’ve seen to propose a new approach to aerodynamics. While ControlTech readily admit that the wheels were developed in CFD, not an actual wind tunnel, they say the undulating rim depth works well to produce air movement across the rim more in line with the deepest portion of the rim, with some of the benefits of the softer profile.

The UD carbon rim waves between 35mm and 45mm deep around the wheel, with the higher depth at the paired spokes. Essentially you should get improved aero performance, with only half the weight penalty and half of the extra resistance when riding in crosswinds that would otherwise come with the same step up in depth.

For right now the Sirocco wheels are first being offered in a rim brake version with conventional QR axles and 20 front & 24 rear spokes. The rims are specific to each spoke drilling to have spoke pairs pull in the deeper section for increased strength & stiffness. While ControlTech didn’t have any disc brake versions to show, we were told that they are not far behind these wheels.

The 35-45mm deep rims measured 17.4mm inside, 23.5mm outside  and use a hooked bead that is said to be tubeless-ready. The wheels use straight-pull, machined alloy hubs and are available in Control Tech’s current 2019 catalog with either Shimano or Campy compatible freehub bodies.

These pre-production ControlTech Sirocco aero wheels measures 1591g on our scale (745g front, 846g rear) which doesn’t make them incredibly lightweight for this relatively narrow inner width. But Control Tech says they are designed to pair with 25mm tires for the best aero performance. And at $1400 for the set, they offer solid value for a unique aero carbon setup.

ControlTech Cougar Alloy Aero, ergonomic aluminum handlebar

At first glance of the new aerodynamic & affordable aluminum Cougar Alloy Aero handlebar, you’d be excused for mistaking it for carbon. ControlTech takes advantage of more advanced aluminum manufacturing techniques to combine aerodynamic and ergonomic profiles, plus internal cable routing.

The bar joins two other in the Cougar road family that each share the same compact 75mm reach & 125mm drop, plus varying degrees of aero/ergo shaping. The standard Cougar Alloy (top) is mostly round, then both the Cougar Alloy Aero (middle) and Cougar Carbon (bottom) add indentations at the bends on the top, plus wide flat aero tops.

Quite unique for an alloy bar, the new forged Cougar Alloy Aero features internal routing channels, plus full Di2 compatibility.

It has a 100mm wide, 31.8 clamping surface to work with almost any aero stem, plus room for an out-front GPS mount.

The $130 alloy bar comes in 40, 42 & 44cm widths, and features a gentle 4° outward flare at the drops for added comfort & clearance. You can’t see it because I am holding the bar here, but it features a subtle triangular shape here in the drop which makes it comfortable in my hand without any pressure spots, making it easy to have a secure grip without squeezing tight.

Looking at the bars on our scale, the $330 Cougar Carbon Aero handlebar is the lightest at 240g of course. This new Cougar Alloy Aero handlebar does add quite a bit of weight at 377g, but with more advanced shaping than probably any other $130 bar. The more simple & cheap $75 Cougar Alloy round handlebar still offers a bit of oval shaping on the tops & triangular profiled drops.

Sirocco Aero Bar with unique clip-on attachment

The new carbon Sirocco clip-on aero bar uses a new short, compact, and upright shape that will likely make it a good fit for riders looking to get aero with a new hand position, but not at the expense of comfort. But what is most interesting about the new aero bar is the modular clip-on system that allows riders to mount it to either the stem or conventionally to the bar.

The way it attaches to the stem is with a special U or D-shaped bracket that mounts around the body of your stem. ControlTech says they will offer mounts for their stems, but also for common stems from other manufacturers. A rubber insert in the bracket allows a secure fit to your stem, then tightened in place with four bolts. I levered on the one they had set up with their stem and did not feel any flex, but suspect you’ll have to be super careful if using any non-ControlTech stem.

So why attach to the stem anyway? One reason is the possibility for more fore-aft stiffness, plus you will likely be clamping to an alloy stem vs. a carbon basebar. As a clip on option, some aero drop handlebars also don’t have a lot of extra clamping area (see those Cougar bars above), so this could offer an option where no other is possible. But the biggest selling point in our book is just flexibility. The new stem-mount system also works with the two standard bar clamps, so you can pick whichever works for you, and the extra position may allow a shorter (less stretched forward) fit for those looking to fine-tune their aero position on the bike.

In addition to the new carbon Sirocco aero bar shape (left), ControlTech also showed us a 3D printed prototype of an aluminum version. So the new modular stem-mount setup will also be offered in their affordable alloy clip-on aerobar as well, also with more fore-aft adjustability.

Hex adjustable offset seatpost

Looking to simplify the number of products needed to dial in that perfect fit, ControlTech’s Hex seatpost design gives you 0, 5, 10 & 20mm of saddle offset in a single seatpost.

The way it works is simple, by removing the seat guts, the Hex can be rotated & flipped around to the desired setback. Once in place, a small setscrew in the top of the head keeps it from moving around, and clamping the saddle secures everything in place. Of course changing the setback will also require readjusting your saddle height as well. But it shouldn’t be something you would need to do regular, possibly just if you change saddles or get an updated bike fit.

The design is available in either this 252g Cougar Carbon Hex seatpost for $260, or a more affordable Falcon Alloy Hex seatpost for $120.

Bosch e-bike integration

Bosch e-bikes have a new integrated HMI control computer option, so e-bike component makers have been scrambling to make new solutions vs. the mess most e-bikes deal with mow. ControlTech has a few projects in development, including an adjustable angle stem (left rear), a 3D print of what will be a separate alloy stem cap mount (middle right), and a third stem cap mount that will use a Garmin style mount (left front) like new e-bike control unit computers coming from Shimano in the near future.

Falcon aero alloy stem & spacers

Lastly from the interesting new 2019 Control Tech components is a clean looking, semi-aero aluminum stem. The 6061 Falcon Aero Stem gets a boxy, dropped shape (that works with the new clip-on), plus a smoothly integrated stem cap. It comes only in -8°, and 80-120mm lengths.

ControlTechBikes.com

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SunRace 1x horizontal parallelogram derailleur prototype

So why did SunRace introduce a line of 12-speed mountain bike derailleurs just last fall, only to supplant them with new designs claiming to be better just a few months later? Those MZ (with carbon cage) & MX (with alloy cage) derailleurs we saw in November still shared SunRace’s long-standing slant parallelogram design which works best on more narrow cog size ranges than current 1x cassettes. They were essentially just old SunRace 10 & 11 speed designs with a longer cage to fit a larger rear cog. But that older shifting geometry (that SunRace SunTour actually invented back in the 1960s) moves the lower knuckle of the derailleur down & in as it shifts up the cassette which does not tend to maintain consistent distance from derailleur pulley to cog when you factor in the necessary chain wrap for wide modern 1x gearing spreads.

So a new horizontal parallelogram design like on SRAM’s current X-Horizon derailleurs and the new Shimano M9100 XTR, allows better chain gap & wrap control plus more precise derailleur actuation.

So the new SunRace 12-speed design if for a 1x-specific derailleur meant to be a budget alternative to top Shimano & SRAM setups. This derailleur will be made available in four versions, two each that work with Shimano or SRAM shifters and cassettes, with either the same carbon pulley cage MZ option, or the alloy cage MX option.

SunRace told us pricing had not yet been officially set, but that the MX option should be slightly cheaper than an SLX derailleur, and the MZ just under XT pricing. Curiously, the Shimano compatible MX & MZ versions of the new derailleur will be available to consumers first, before any real thoughts of SLX or XT 1×12. Expect the Shimano style to arrive in October 2019. The SRAM compatible ones will be a couple of months later, still anticipated before the end of this year.

SunRace 11-51T Shimano HG compatible cassette

Following up on the 10-50 & 10-52 12-speed cassettes that SunRace introduced last fall as replacements for your SRAM cassette on XD drivers, now they will offer a Shimano compatible version as well. This new 11-51T Shimano replacement cassette fits on a standard HG freehub body and uses a standard lock ring.

The 11-51 cassette features steel cogs on a pair of aluminum carriers, dished in to allow them to extend up and over the tapering spokes of your rear wheel for that larger cog. While the gearing range is limited to an extent, the compatibility with almost every wheelset on the market is a big plus. The new cassette will be available in May with a pricetag of about $100. No word if the premium machined version that is made for Eagle will get a Shimano model as well.

The SunRace derailleurs and cassettes look like they are most likely to see application as lower-cost replacements when you damage or wear out the 1x 12 speed setup on your mountain bike. But SunRace offers shifters too, which means you could build up your own complete wide-range 1x MTB drivetrain at a fraction of the cost of the premium alternative.

SunRace.com

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Alligator Disc Covers, prototype cooling rotor protectors

Alligator is probably first known for their shift & brake cables, but for a while have been coming up with creative alternative solutions for disc brake setups as well, always in a design that is quite affordable. Those vented orange Turbo Cooling disc brake pads are a good example, with simple twisted allow pad backing to allow for more airflow.

Now Alligator are taking a new approach to preventing your brakes from overheating with these new vented, cooling Disc Covers. The Alligator design proposes front and rear specific solutions that combine more common vented openings along the front, combined with a ducted air intake at the bottom of the rotor to compress air to be blown onto the brake caliper body, just where the rotor re-enters the brake.

These Alligator Disc Covers are obviously still rough as 3D printed mockups, but the design is quite intriguing. The front uses a larger forward-facing intake port to deliver the increased cooling capacity needed for greater front braking forces, then a smaller opening at the rear, which also prevents any shoe/heel interference.

Alligator says these 3D printed rapid prototypes represent the final shape of the Disc Covers. Production tooling is apparently almost ready for serial production, and the final parts will be constructed of ABS plastic to balance stiffness, durability, impact resistance, and most importantly of all – affordability. We couldn’t get a definitive answer if the final product would be a single piece, or more likely a two-part product that would be bonded together to enclose the cooling air channel.

The idea is to let the rotor cool naturally as it spins through the air. The concept is not to just cool the rotor itself, but to direct airflow to a concentrated location on the caliper & brake pad just as the rotor rotates back into the caliper. That way heat dissipation in the system would continue as normal, with additional cooling at the point source of heat buildup to prevent brake overheating. Obviously that is an important feature for hydraulic systems, but also to maintain consistent performance in mechanical systems like seen here.

The Disc Covers are designed to simply slide over your existing thru-axle and be held in place when you clamp the axle tight (sliding off when the axle is removed.) It isn’t entirely clear how that might impact the need for longer axles to accommodate the additional material being clamped or any possible clearance issues with the thru-axle-to-dropout interface. We will have to wait for final products for more clarification on that.

Pricing isn’t yet set either, but availability is already expected for the start of this summer. What we also know is that they should be made to work with 12mm front & rear, and 15mm front road axle standards, and versions will be available for both 140mm & 160mm rotors in front & rear specific designs.

As for those rotors themselves… they are another new product coming soon. The new Heat Sink rotors should be a relatively cost effective solution to improved cooling. The rotors are not a separate carrier and braking surface, but rather start life as a conventional looking flat 6-bolt stainless steel rotor, and then get a sandwich of thin formed aluminum cooling discs riveted around the core to offer more heat dissipating material.

AlligatorCables.com

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Chiru Kegeti titanium adventure gravel bike

Chiru has turned the adventure touring experience of founder Pierre-Arnaud Le Magnan and a small group of his fellow off-road endurance athletes over the years into a brand building bike for us mere mortals. Most riders aren’t going to ride across a continent or 1000km in one fell swoop, but we all can benefit from endurance developed comfort & control. The new Kegeti adventure bike is a perfect example.

Pierre-Arnaud originally planned to ride the wild SRMR across Kyrgyzstan on his standard 650b gravel Vagus, but when he tested it out on similar terrain closer to home he realized he needed to go bigger. That meant scaling up to 29″ wheels, essentially building a drop bar rigid monstercrosser interpretation of an extra burly gravel bike.

To make it all work with the larger wheels, 100mm suspension corrected carbon fork & bigger 29×2.2″ tires, geometry got tweaked to make the bike a bit more relaxed with a longer, more stable rear end (moving about halfway in the direction of the MTB Divider.) Instead of keeping the bike’s name as the Vagus+, Chiru rechristened the ultra-rough gravel bike as the Kegeti, in honor of the grueling 4000m Kegeti pass in the SRMR.

The now renamed 3/2.5 ti bike (this one still has the prototype name under that framebag) is officially available now for a frame+carbon fork price of 1980€, keeping all the same specs & bikepacking ready attachment points.

Chiru Kunlun titanium endurance all road bike

Then there is the completely new Kunlun road bike that Chiru is classifying as ‘enduroad’. Essentially developed to be a modern endurance road bike for everything from gran fondos to light hard surface touring, Chiru sees this as the ideal bike for anyone who wants to ride fast, enjoy the ride, and not be afraid to venture off the pavement from time to time.

The Kunlun shares much of the same tech as other Chiru bikes, from the 3Al/2.5V shaped titanium tubing to disc brakes and a 1.5″ tapered headtube. But the Kunlun does adopt more road-focused features like the internal (main triangle) routing, 12mm thru-axles, flat mount discs, and quick handling 71.5° headtube.

Chiru wasn’t looking to develop the Kunlun as a gravel bike (their Vagus already has that covered), but looking to build a road bike around 32mm slicks (these here actually measured 34mm with a few extra mm of wiggle room to bump up to 34mm rubber on most rims). Just like the Kegeti was developed for the SRMR, this Kunlun was built to take on the 2019 running of the Transcontinental Race – 4400km of a mix fo road surfaces in an ultimate test of ultra-endurance racing across Europe.

The biggest thing there is a need for comfort, so Chiru created extended seatstays to curve outward & bow to allow flex, while also bypassing the seattube. That allows the seatpost to flex for even more comfort for long days (and nights) in the saddle. The bike also gets a whole host of braze-ons for three bottles, rear fenders, plus a toptube bento box.

The bike uses a stiff cold-formed downtube, threaded T47 bottom bracket, 27.2mm post, long & strong chainstays for comfort, and gets a lightweight set of rigid CNC machined titanium dropouts that take about a week to craft.

All in all the new bike isn’t much more expensive that the others at 2100€ for frame & fork, including a lifetime warranty on the ti construction. The Kunlun is available in five stock sizes (XS-XL) with a claimed frame weight of 1450g in M.

Carbon Endurance Component textile spoke TeXtreme wheels

Chiru continues their use of TeXtreme fiber reinforced carbon in components like carbon rims where it creates more impact resistance, and a unique look.

Of course pair that with Berd textile spokes and you get complete XC wheels from around 1100g and up, or mid depth gravel wheels from around 1300g. And the TeXtreme fibers are said to make them pretty much impervious to accidental damage.

Chiru, or rather CEC are also going to be offering a new ‘dark version’ of the TeXtreme top layer for those who want to be a little more subtle. Or there is the half and half option, like on the road bike above where half is just painted over black.

MTB riser bars get the same TeXtreme treatments in XC  to DH widths, as do carbon seatposts, with the unique fibers making a much more vibration damped ride.

Chiru/CEC are also getting into some forged titanium stems too. For the price of a premium carbon stem, now ti will be an option too, around 300€. Just don’t paint it black or someone will mistake it for carbon!

A more traditional looking forged ti stem popped up on their original Vagus gravel bike, which should be available soon at an even lower price point.

ChiruBikes.com & CEComponent.com

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