15.8.09

ที่ 06:03

Sneak Peak or Rumor or Lier
This is image of XTR Crankset.
It's not Shimano XTR 07 08 09. May be, It's XTR 2010

5.5.09

ที่ 09:15

Cross-country world champion Christoph Sauser seldom races in the United States, but he made the long trip from South Africa, site of the 2009 UCI World Cup kickoff, to tackle the short track and cross country at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. That team sponsor Specialized Bicycles sits just up the road in Morgan Hill likely influenced his travel plans.

We took advantage of the opportunity for a quick look at his bike, a Specialized S-Works Epic replete with all the personal touches he’s come to be famous for. The bike is actually a spare, but built to the same spec as the bike he’s been racing this season.

The bike

The heart of Sauser’s bike is the frame that Specialized developed last winter for his run at the 2008 world championships in Livigno, Italy. The S-Works Epic Carbon Disc uses Specialized FACT carbon fiber, the usual oversized press-fit bottom bracket, and a tapered 1-1/8th-to-1.5-inch headset for frame stiffness and torsional rigidity. A Specialized AFR remote mini rear shock with BRAIN inertia valve keeps the rear end moving under control and riding smoothly on sealed cartridge bearing pivots. The fork is a Specialized Future Shock e100, with a standard air spring and rebound adjustment.

Mechanic Benno Wiliet says that the suspension is almost standard issue, the same as every S-Works Epic available to consumers. The only difference is that compression damping is tuned to be a little stiffer.

“The platform is a little bit stiffer for Christoph, Burry (Stander), and Todd (Wells),” he said. “They like a little more platform because they use less pressure, so they get full travel.” Sauser runs 65 psi in the fork and 160 psi in the rear shock, plus or minus 5 psi.

Drivetrain choices

The drivetrain on Sauser’s bike is based on SRAM XO components, but with a few (well, many) modifications. A SRAM XO rear derailleur in new Redwin Red anodized trim moves across a PG-990 XO 11-34 cassette. The chain is a hollow pin PC-991, and the crankset is a Specialized S-Works OS carbon, length 175mm.

Rotor Q-rings are new to Sauser’s bike this year, but have proven to work fine so far, in concert with a SRAM Red road front derailleur. Sauser’s seat tube sports a special road-style braze-on that permits the use of a Red front derailleur, which works well, according to Benno.

“It works nice with the Grip Shift (shifters) because you have the micro-adjust, even if the cage is a little bit smaller. With the micro-adjust you can still adjust it to the right position,” he said.

Pro road riders have been known to use special-edition Red front derailleurs with stainless steel side plates, but Sauser is using a standard titanium version. The only issue is accelerated wear, so Benno has to change the part out more frequently. It’s worth it, says Benno: “55 grams you save just in the derailleur.”

Brakes

The brakes on this Specialized Epic deserve special mention as well. We had the feeling of having stumbled across something new and secret, likely an iteration of SRAM XX (the logos were marked out with black electrical tape). However, the brand is clearly Avid, and the brakes look almost identical to an Elixir CR set in shape and outward appearance. In a few photos, red logos peek out from behind electrical tape on the calipers.

The rotors don’t look anything like current Avid product, hinting at future offerings. A 6-bolt aluminum spider holds what appears to be a standard stainless steel rotor, cut out in G2 CleanSweep fashion. Only three titanium bolts hold the rotors, another effort at shaving every gram.

Wheels, tires and contact points

Sauser rolls on Roval Controle SL disc wheels. This particular bike was fitted with Specialized tires, marked as the SLK in 2.2-inch width. Benno says that Specialized works closely with the team in developing tread patterns, tire casings, and rubber compounds.

“We just got the new Renegade 2.1,” he said. “It’s the same tire and profile as SLK, but new casing, new compound. We did a lot of tire testing over the last year. That’s the latest version.”

Typical tire pressure for Sauser is 28 psi, but with some tires he can go as low as 25. The team uses a blend of Stan’s NoTubes sealant and Specialized’s own Airlock sealant.

Sauser runs Grip Shift shifters on a Syntace Duraflite carbon flat bar, with a Syntace F99 stem in 90mm length. He also uses Tune bar ends. Rounding out the package is an S-Works carbon seatpost and Phenom SL saddle. Pedals are typically Crankbrothers Eggbeater 4Ti while grips are Specialized Sidewinder.

28.4.09

ที่ 09:11

I've just found this image from another site.

It's cool image for specialized fan.
One question. What's model in picture?
Cheer!!!!

25.4.09

ที่ 09:39

	This year at Sea Otter SRAM released its revamped 2010 Force group. After the official product launch Road Bike Action was invited on an exclusive test ride of the new group. When we arrived at the SRAM hotel we found a 2009 Specialized Roubaix SL2 with our name on it (literally). Along with the 2010 Force group, Zipp made it possible for us to test two new products simultaneously and outfitted our test bike with their new 303 wheelset. The most obvious change from the 2009 Force group is the new styling, which borrows heavily from SRAM’s professional Red group. The 2010 Force barrows Red’s bold graphics using a newly designed white Force logo against black carbon. Another visual carry over from Red is that the SRAM logo will be featured on the inside of both crankarms. Exclusive to Force is that all the aluminum parts are anodized with what SRAM is calling Zephyr Silver. The Force brake levers move to unidirectional (UD) carbon, which adds strength and reduces weight. The shift levers remain magnesium and have a much lighter and crisper feel than the previous Force versions. Side by side it was nearly impossible to tell the difference in feel between the Force and higher end Red shifters. Like the brake levers, the crankarms have also moved to unidirectional (UD) carbon. The cranks were stiff and delivered solid power transfer from the pedals. The new white graphics give the cranks a professional look, and are easily mistaken for SRAM Red. Shifting performance was quick and reliable. The quality of shifting was on par with SRAM Red. The rear derailleur never missed a gear and with the new lighter action shifters, the shifting feels faster and more precise. We were particular impressed with the quality of the front shifting, which was super fast and required minimal lever throw. Some of the front derailleur’s performance can be attributed to the use of a steel cage. While this adds a bit of weight over Red’s titanium version, it also adds stiffness. Don’t be surprised to see SRAM sponsored teams running Force front derailleurs. The new Force brakes get a major overhaul and now mirror the top of the line Red brakes in both appearance and performance. The Force brakes offered good modulation and it was easy to tell when the brakes were about lock. This was particular impressive since we were running the new carbon Zipp 303s without carbon specific brake pads. The 2010 SRAM Force is another big step forward for a company that just entered the road market three short years ago. With the redesign and improvements, the 2010 Force feels virtually indistinguishable from Red. Zipp 303 Wheelset The new Zipp 303’s debuted this year during the cobbled classics and were officially launched at Sea Otter. The new Zipp 303s feature several changes over last year’s model. Most Notably the rim width has been increased from 22.4-millimeters to 27.5-millimeters and given an angled braking surface for better modulation. The wider rim is designed to increase lateral stiffness and impact resistance. The new design is also suppose to provide a more forgiving ride. Like the old 303s the new version feature Zipp’s dimple surface design for improved aerodynamics. The new Zipp 303s feature Zipp's new 88 front hub and 188 rear hub. Both hubs are named for their weight in grams and feature a 17-millimeter axle and higher flanges. The hubs are attached to the rims using Sapim CX-ray spokes with external nipples for serviceability. The wheels we rode were outfitted with Zipp's Tangente tubular aero tire, which is now available in a 23-millimeter width. From the side the Zipps appear to look like normal deep section carbon wheels. Its not until you look down on them that width of the rim becomes apparent. The added width required a minor readjustment of the brakes, but otherwise they fit the frame perfectly. First impressions of the Zipp 303s were that they are smooth, fast rolling wheels. They have great acceleration and once going they hold their speed well. In crosswinds the Zipp 303s felt stable and easy to control. Perhaps most impressive aspect of the wheels was the ride quality. The 303s were lateral stiff, but provided a subtle ride. While we were unable to weigh the wheels, we have no reason to dispute Zipp’s claimed weight of 1182-grams for the pair. Even though the Zipp 303s are designed for the cobbles of the Northern Classics, our first impression is that they should not be overlooked as all around aero wheels. The 303s would be ideally suited to a fast century or high mileage rider looking for an aero wheel that is easy to control and smoothes out the road.

ที่ 09:31

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will not face disciplinary proceedings from the French anti-doping agency AFLD.

The AFLD said Friday that it has "decided to take into consideration the athlete's written explanations and, in consequence, not to open a disciplinary procedure against him." It also confirmed that no abnormalities were detected in the urine, blood and hair samples taken during the control.

Armstrong's Astana team spokesman Philippe Maertens confirmed to Cyclingnews that the AFLD met Thursday, and said "the disciplinary commission checked the evidence and explanation from both Lance and the tester and decided not to take the matter further."

Posting on his Twitter account, Armstrong wrote: "the word from the French agency AFLD on the shower gate incident. Case closed, no penalty, all samples clean. Onward."

The AFLD had previously said that Armstrong did not obey the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency's International Standard of Testing, specifically Article 5.4.1, which states that 'the person being subjected to an anti-doping control must remain within the sight of the doping control officer from the time of notification until the sample is collected'.

Armstrong could have faced a suspension from the incident which may have prevented him from racing the Tour de France. With the case closed, he will be free to attempt an eighth career victory in the Tour.

Armstrong is currently training in Aspen, Colorado, in preparation for his first attempt at the Giro d'Italia next month. He is recovering from a fractured collarbone that he sustained in the first stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Léon.