|
|
FEATURES: QUICK RIDE: SAMPSON STRATICS GROUP
Philip Booth
December 3, 2008
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
In the last year the road component market has been a battle between the big three SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo. SRAM fired the first shot when they introduced their Red group. Shimano quickly answered with their new Dura Ace 7900 and Dura Ace electric groups. Campagnolo was the last to put their cards on the table, but when they did they upped the ante by going 11-speed. With the big three stealing the headlines and fighting for market share, few people noticed a new entry into the market-Sampson Sports. Sampson first unveiled their new 10-speed Stratics group at the Portland handmade bicycle show in February, with production models reaching the market in May.
Sampson is a small company in Colorado that has been making bikes and components for close to twenty years. While best known for their carbon bikes, Sampson has been quietly developing the Stratics group over the last few years. Road Bike Action was recently invited to Sampson’s headquarters for an up close look at the new Stratics group.
Shifters
The Stratics Shifters are unique in their shift lever design and placement. The Sampson Stratics feature two shift levers, both positioned behind the carbon fiber brake lever. This prevents accidental shifting while braking. The larger lever is made of aluminum, and is used to up-shift with a similar inward motion that is found on Shimano or Campagnolo. A second smaller lever is positioned above and behind. This lever handles the downshifting and uses the same inward motion of the up shifting lever. The lever is small enough and has a short enough throw that it has a button or trigger like action.
Rear Derailleur
The Stratics rear derailleur is a mixture of aluminum and carbon fiber. The front faceplate of the pulley cage is machined aluminum to reduce weight and increase stiffness. The pulley wheels are CNC machined aluminum with sealed cartridge bearings. The Stratics derailleur is designed to work with a 2:1 cable pull ratio and works with most Shimano derailleurs. The Stratics rear derailleur weighs 186-grams.
Front Derailleur
The Stratics front derailleur is forged aluminum with a steel cage. While the steel cage is heavier than other metals, Sampson believes that steel adds stiffness and increases shifting performance. The Stratics front derailleur also uses a double point cage attachment to provide extra support against twisting loads.
Brakes
The Sampson Stratics SL Brakes are cold forged for strength and better performance. The brakes feature steel mounting posts, and steel cable clamps and bolts for extra security in these key areas The rest of the mounting hardware is aluminum while the pad holders are carbon for further weight reduction. The Sampson Stratics SL brakes weigh 262-grams.
Crankset
The Stratics SL cranks weigh 645-grams including the bottom bracket in a 50/34 compact setup. The cranks are carbon wrapped over an aluminum spine with a one-piece integrated spider. For 2009 the bottom bracket features external cups with a steel axle integrated with the drive side crankarm.
Pedals
The S3 features a magnesium pedal body with a CNC machined 6/4 spindles that feature a titanium nitrite coating for extra wear. The large pedal/cleat platform is designed to deliver power and eliminate pressure points. The S3 pedals weigh 116-grams per pedal and feature an adjustable release tension and 15-degrees of rotation.
Cassette
Sampson is currently using Shimano cassettes because even Sampson admits that they are well engineered and provide excellent performance. Despite their respect for Shimano, Sampson believes there is still room for improvement. While not yet in production, Sampson has a prototype, all aluminum cassette that weighs an astonishing 105-grams for an 11-23 10-speed cluster. Because of its alloy construction, when the Sampson cassette does reach the market it will be for racing-only with a life of 3000 to 5000 miles.
First Impressions
Our time with the Stratics group was limited, but we were able to get a quick feel for what the group has to offer. The double lever design is simple and easy to use. The shift levers placement is neutral and is easy to reach from either the hoods or the drops.
The shifting action has a light but solid feel. Shifting was quick and accurate with a crisp feel on both the up and down shifts. Both shifter levers require minimum throw to shift gears. This aided in making the shifting quick and easy, especially between the large and small chainrings. The SL crank is light and gave no indication of flex, while the Stratics SL brakes offer good modulation and produced plenty of stopping power.
Overall impression of the Stratics group is that with an MSRP price of $1300.00, it is a viable alternative to an Ultegra or Rival group. The solid all around performance has us looking forward to completing a long-term test of the Sampson Stratics group in an upcoming issue of Road Bike Action.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|