Look out Reynolds RZR and Lightweight, there’s a new face in the sub-1,000-gram wheel world. Although Mercury has been putting out numerous quality wheelsets the past few years, we were still surprised by what they had to show us. The 30mm deep Mercury Zero wheels are claimed to be 900 grams, and have one big advantage over the few wheels on the market that break the 1,000-gram mark—replaceable stainless steel spokes.
The Boulder, CO made Dash hubs help the Zeros to achieve their paltry weight with full carbon hub shells, and a very minimalist design. The rims are in line with the “wider is better” trend, and have a 25mm width. Pricing is expected to be around $2,800—well below others in that weight category. We’re told that the Zeros will be available around the first of the year.
The Dash rear hub looks for every possible way to save grams. The alloy freehub body has been drilled to relieve any unnecessary material. It might seem like overkill to some, but when creating a 900-gram wheelset, everything that's non-essential has to be on the chopping block.
K-Edge may not have invented chain-catching devices, but they managed to make a small piece of aluminum a fashion statement on the bike. The K-Edge Chain Catcher comes in more colors than you could dream of; and is available in custom laser etched versions, like the ones used by Leopard-Trek, HTC-Highroad, Exergy and other professional teams. The chain catchers are CNC-machined in Boise, Idaho, weigh a paltry 10 grams and sell for $39.95.
K-Edge must have read our minds and is planning to add mounting brackets for GoPro video cameras. Our biggest complaint with the current cameras on the market is the unsatisfactory, multi-sport mounting brackets they come with. K-Edge put their CNC-machine to work and created a prototype that allows a GoPro to be mounted securely on the handlebar with easy rotational adjustment. K-Edge expects the mounts to be available within the next two months, but pricing hasn’t been set yet.
To catch the suffering faces behind, K-Edge has a GoPro mount which attaches to the seat rails. We were able to pry a prototype handlebar and seat rail clamp from K-Edge for our own video making pleasure. Stay tuned for video clips from our K-Edge mounted GoPro.
Sockguy’s SGX socks are their most advanced to date. They use a material blend that includes polypropylene, and feature compression ribbing, mesh venting on top for moisture management, and a hidden toe seam to increase comfort. The SGX was in development for over a year with the help of the likes of the Omega Pharma-Lotto and Fly V pro teams. The $14.95 SGX’s are available in three different cuff heights: 1/2-inch, 3-inch, and 5-inch, or any height for custom orders.
The pioneers of the modern cycling shoe are constantly refining and improving their shoe line; and Sidi's new $499 Ergo 3 is a perfect example of this. In addition to the features that were found on the Ergo 2, such as: the adjustable heel retention device, Techno II buckle, and the Soft Instep Closure; the Ergo 3 gets a re-designed Carbon Lite sole. The updated sole shaves nearly 40 grams of weight, and is now available in a Speedplay specific 4-hole pattern.
With Speedplay grabbing more and more pedal market share, it's not surprising to see more shoe companies adopting the 4-hole pattern, allowing the cleats to directly mount to the shoe without the need for the 4mm thick plastic adapter.
Although the Quartz helmet has been in the Louis Garneau line for the past two years, it has garnered a lot of attention as of late. Although the 250-gram helmet isn’t the lightest in their line, it’s the helmet of choice for the Europcar Professional Cycling Team. Thanks to Thomas Voeckler wearing the maillot jaune for 10 days and his teammate Pierre Rolland winning the stage that finished atop the Alpe d’Huez, and taking the young rider jersey in the process, the Quartz has been a hot seller. To celebrate their Tour de France conquests, Louis Garneau is adding two new colors to the Quartz line: yellow and white. Standout features are the Spiderlock SL retention system, and the massive vents that maximize airflow through the 250-gram helmet.
|