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INTERBIKE 2010: INTERBIKE REPORT, PART 4
Ron Lawson
September 29, 2010
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Don’t give up on steel! Cinelli uses seamless stainless-steel tubing on
the XCR frame and it can still come in under 17 pounds. Each frame
member is actually machined from billet. A frame sells for about $4500.
Bob Rutten at AME Grips has cold, clammy hands. Ask anyone. His solution is the new AME heated handlebar wrap, which is a battery powered warmer that goes under your bar tape. You can adjust the heat level between five different levels and it’s said to last for over two hours. Their mountain bike version works great. A kit with everything including the battery pack and charger should sell for about $362, which sounds like a lot unless your hands are frozen.
If your 9-year-old thinks he's the next Lance, all that’s standing between you and early retirement is a 24-inch road bike. Problem solved: Asahi Bicycles USA specialized in bikes for little people. This model comes with an extra set of hand brakes up top and sells for about $600. Asahi can be reached at (760) 908-8999.
This was the most expensive bike at the show. We hope. The carbon-fiber Blacktrail was made by PG Bikes to showcase its electric technology. It’s said to weigh about 20 pounds without the battery (which is another 20 pounds) Price: $80,000. PG has less-expensive electric bikes at www.pg-bikes.com.
Carrera has an interesting idea on what a carbon-fiber monocoque frame should be. The company is said to be working on a hidden electric motor, just like the one that Fabian Cancellara didn’t use. The $5000 Phibra certainly could hide one.
We never knew satellites could be so inexpensive. Goplanet has a line of GPS products that offer navigation, HRM and trip computer functions. The Venus 200 will be renamed the Saturn 200 and will carry a suggested retail of $250 Check out www.goplanetgps.com.
This man is the guru of Guru Cycles. Mathieu Fagnan is the Product Development Engineer for those cabin-crazy Canadians at Guru. They have developed ways to completely customize bikes in steel, titanium or carbon fiber. A machine sizes you up and something like 80 variables go into the making of a frame for you. A titanium frame starts at $4000. Steel is only 15 percent heavier and sells for half that much. Mathieu says they can create the same handling characteristics in any of the three materials.
Interbike had carbon-fiber wheels leaking out of every crack. Some were very affordable, too; a set of Hermes is assembled in the U.S. from Asian-made parts. The weight is 1360 grams and sells for $1100 (for tubular tires, clinchers are $175 more). Call Alex at (951) 217-6078.
The guys at iBike have a power meter that uses a collection of variables to determine your output without any kind of hub or crank sensor. Now they have a product called the Dash that lets you incorporate their computer with an iPhone. That gives you more on-the fly read-outs and allows you to trade stocks while you ride. “Sell, sell!” The Dash and computer are $849, you buy the iPhone. www.iBikesports.com.
Ever eat a bicycle? You can’t; don’t try. But a landfill will swallow the Organic Bike without burping. It’s made of aluminum and bamboo in Viet Nam. The Caleb sells for $799. Call (866) 995-9918.
This is nicer than any piece of furniture owned by the RBA staff. Masterworks wooden bikes are beautiful. They are making progress in the weight department, too. This model weighs considerably less than the Santa Maria, but more than the Nina or the Pinta. (408) 825-7252.
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