TI dreams become reality

As frames made of carbon fibre are becoming more and more mainstream, customers are searching for new materials to set their very own frame apart from the rest of the pack. One material which surely is worth a closer look within this search is Titanium. One new company which tries to fascinate customers with their craftsmanship is Baum, a company based in North Shore, Southern Australia. One speciality of the guys is certainly the nomenclature of their product lineup, where every frame is named after a special Italian coffee creation.

Similar to Litespeed with the Archon, Baum offers their frames with individual paintjobs, enabling the customer to choose out of a wide variety of more than 55,000 colors and designs. The durability of the coating is achieved by using a two component system, where the bare metal is treated with a special adhesion primer, which is finalized with a colored topcoat. To ensure highest quality standards in color match and stone-chip protection Baum utilizes a PPG Automotive paint system for this purpose. But next to the optics the frames of Jo Banks and Darren Baum also seem to impress with their technical datasheets. The frames can be build as light as 950g, but then there is a weight limit of 85 kg for the rider to consider. The pictured Cubano weights, with a frame at 1080g in the shown configuration ( including coating, company emblem on the headtube, seat clamp and cable stops ) at a frame size of 57cm, just over 5.2kg. These weights are possible due to the multiple butted tubes of the frames ( e.g. the Corretto can consist of tubes in ti grades of 9 to 3/2.5 ) and additional machining in the areas of the bottom bracket, the headtube and dropouts. Customization into the endmost detail.

The prices range from $4995 for the Romano to $6995 which have to be paid for the Coretto ( all values in Australian dollar ) - incl. fork & headset. For frames shipped abroad you can substract 10% GST tax on those prices, but do not forget to add your country specific VAT and additional costs for custom clearance. The shipment itself will cost you between $125 to $200, depending on how long you can wait, but always fully insured. The leadtimes on the frames are 8 to 12 weeks at present, depending on the material of the bike, Titanium being the latter. Have a look on the full price list for yourself:

Steel framesets
Cappuccino
Frame, Baum carbon fork & Ritchey Pro headset $2495
Upgrades:
• Edge 2.0 or Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork +$150
• Espresso paint (single band, two band) +$200
Espresso
Frame, Edge 2.0 or Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork & Ritchey Pro h/s $3595
Upgrades:
• Chris King headset +$120
• Wound Up fork +$100
Ristretto
Frame, Edge 1.0 fork & Chris King headset $4195
Upgrades:
• Time carbon seatstay +$400
• THM Scapula SP fork +$795

Titanium framesets
Romano
Ti frame, Edge 2.0 fork & Chris King headset $4995
Upgrades:
• Reynolds carbon seatstay No cost
• Paint (single band or ¾ painted) +$400
Cubano
Ti Frame, Edge 2.0 fork & Chris King headset $5995
Upgrades:
• Reynolds carbon seatstay No cost
• Edge 1.0 fork or Reynolds Ouzo Pro SL fork +$125
Corretto
Ti Frame, Edge 1.0 fork & Tune Bobo headset $6995
Upgrades:
• Time carbon seatstay +$500
• THM Scapula SP fork +$795

Prices for complete bikes can be found on the Baum website . Next to their lineup of racebikes, there is also a similar collection of MTB frames waiting to be explored, named similar after Cappuccino, Espresso, Ristretto, Romano & Cubano. The frame of the Ti model Cubano weights just around 1350g. A singlespeed option, 29′ frames or even carrier eyelets are possible.

The guys from Baum Cycles are searching for potential distribution partners in key locations around Europe at the moment, you can contact them via email: Jared(at)baumcycles.com and - honestly speaking - we think it would be a shame if not more of these frames could be seen around Europe in the near future.

Lightweight BlingBling

Those wheels were made for Mario Cipollini. He was supposed to ride them in Milano-SanRemo but obviously he wasn´t a member of that squad on the raceday and Rock & Racing was not allowed to start…

More Lightweight Individual Design on CarbonSports Forum.

Oakley Radar - the successor

No other shades are bound so closely to one single rider than the MFrame of Oakley. In all stages throughout his seven Tour de France wins Lance Armstrong wore them, whether during time trials, mountain stages or on the podium. After more than ten years Oakley took the courage and announced a successor to the MFrame, after Armstrong’s retirement, named Radar.

These newly designed shades had immediate success in the pro peloton and were worn by more than one third of the riders in the last tour, a clear sign that many people were eagerly awaiting a new design from Oakley. So what are actually the improvements of the Radar in comparison to the MFrame for being able to beat the commercial success of its predecessor.

The latest evolution in performance eyewear, as Oakley states, features an improved interchangeable lens design with 3 different lens shapes and a spectrum of over 15 lens colours, including polarized and vented versions, for adjusting the shades to every weather condition. All lenses of the Radar have the new hydrophobic coating which prevents water from leaving streaks and sheens on the lens and also maintains smudge resistance.

The fit of the Radar can be adjusted with interchangeable nosepieces and to a certain degree mouldable temples. Impact resistance meets all ANSI Z87.1 standards, and UV filtering is 100%. It all comes with the clarity of Oakley’s High Definition Optics (HDO). Other features in telegraphic style:

• Integrated surge ports to channel cooling airflow
• Optimized peripheral view and side coverage of Polaric Ellipsoid lens geometry
• Comfort and performance of Three-Point Fit that holds lenses in precise optical alignment
• UV protection of Plutonite® lens that filters out 100% of UVA / UVB / UVC & harmful blue light up to 400nm
• Glare reduction and tuned light transmission with Iridium lens coating (optional)
• Protective sports-specific Oakley Soft Vault included with capacity for an extra lens
• Prescription inserts available +2.00 to -4.00 with cylinder up to -2.00

The standard models come in over 15 different versions, including special version named LIVEstrong or Team CSC, priced between $155 up to $255, depending on the version an extra lens can cost between $70 to $105.


We ordered a pair of Radars over the Oakley Custom program, which is unfortunately only offered to customers with an US shipping address currently. There you can design your shades from scratch out of 14 different frame colours, 3 lens shapes and 15 lens colours.

But the customization goes even further by selecting the colour of the Oakley icons ( out of 14 ) and ear socks ( out of 5 ). The final touch receives every pair of Radars by adding an etching on the lens, which can consist of up to 15 letters in 3 different font styles. Out of all these options we designed our sunglasses, which you can see on all pictures in this article with the following attributes:

• Frame colour: Polished aluminium
• Lens type: Path G26 iridium
• Icon colour: White icon
• Ear socks: White ear socks
• Etching: RASCEL in font Stencil

Our customized pair cost $220 + 7.25% taxes and we received it roughly 3 weeks after ordering online. As being a fan of the MFrame before, we can say nothing negative about the Radar so far, very light ( 18g ), good fit and tremendous optics. One flaw we found on our custom pair is the frame coating and the nosepiece, which shows a tendency of flaking, especially when you often switch your lenses. Additionally you see in the last picture, that the coating is applied on the frame after assembly of the temples to the front part of the frame, thus leaving some areas around the joint unpainted, which could be easily avoided. We will wait with our final judgement on the Radar for some warm days to penetrate the hydrophobic coated lens with some concentrated, salty sweat and want to see how it performs in those conditions. Nevertheless you can be assured that with buying a pair of Radars, you will receive one of the most advanced pair of sunglasses available on the market.

Campy Record Red Ergopower

SPECIAL ERGOPOWER CONTROLS IN A LIMITED SERIES

Special Ergopower controls made for the professional teams are to be sold in a limited series. There will be 600 pairs and they will only be sold as complete Record groupsets with the same specifications as those of the racing teams: 39/53 crankset and 11-23 or 12-25 sprocket set.

Even though the peculiarities of these special Ergopower controls are in clear contrast to what the market has been asking for in recent years (softer and lighter actuating force), the demand has been conspicuous. It would in fact appear that some cyclists wish to feel the same sensations that professionals get when they are on their bicycles and want sharper and sonorous shifting.

The Record groupsets with special Ergopower controls will be available starting from mid March and at the same price as the standard Record groupset.

Swisspower Mountainbike Team

Athletes of Swisspower Mountainbiketeam get ready for the racing season

It’s already a habit and almost a second home for Thomas Frischknecht, Nino Schurter, Florian Vogel and other riders of the team, who stay in Massa Vecchia in Tuscany (IT) for two weeks at the beginning of the racing season for their training camp. A huge network of awesome bike trails and endless roads that are in excellent shape offers the best training possibilities for the riders.

This will be the first time the riders get on their new equipment for the upcoming season. The Spark, Scale and Addict are the weapons the riders use for the daily training and competition. The new designs, even more dynamic in white and yellow, match the carbon frames. The Scale, the fastest and one of the lightest bikes on the World Cup circuit, is still considered the rocket of the team. To be well-protected, the team will wear the Fuga helmet for a second season. Thanks to 27 ventilation holes, the riders can remain cool-headed about their competitors during the races.

After the camp, riders split up into different groups for more season preparations. Florian Vogel and Nino Schurter went directly to Croatia for a road race while Frischi is looking forward to the Cape Epic in South Africa with Tom Ritchey.

Spark

- Spark IMPTM carbon technology (HMXTM NETTM fibres)
- integrated seat post
- Tracloc lever system (0/80/110mm travel)
- SCDS Scott carbon dropout system
- Ritchey WCS
- SRAM
- DT Swiss
- complete bike weight 9.8 kg

For more information please visit: Spark

Scale

- Spark CR1 carbon technology (HMXTM fibres)
- integrated seat post
- SDS Shock dampening system
- Ritchey WCS
- SRAM
- DT Swiss
- complete bike weight 8.6 kg

For more information please visit: Scale

Fuga
- Shell Construction In Mold Technology
- Venting 27 vents
- Fit system m.a.s.
- Magneto System
- Fuga Magneto Visor

For more information please visit: Fuga

The Team

Team members, from left to right:
Patrick Gallati, Jürg Graf, Nino Schurter, Matthias Rupp, Thomas Frischknecht, Till Marx, Florian Vogel, Richard Njuhauser (mechanic), Andi Seeli (team manager), Thomas Hess (Massage)

source: scottusa.com

Bianchi D2 CRONO CARBON

The Barloworld team will use this model in the individual time trial of the fifth stage at Tirreno-Adriatico

The Barloworld team at Tirreno-Adriatico has faced Sunday’s individual time trial from Macerata to Recanati (stage five, 26 km) in the saddle of their brand-new Bianchi D2 Crono Carbon.
The latest generation of the Bianchi D2 Crono frame is made of high-modulus carbon fibre nanotechnology. The project for this new frame centered around the geometry, the aerodynamics and the research for ultimate rigidity: the quintessential features for this kind of frame.

The seat tube has an angle of 76° and a unique “multiposition” seat post. The head tube has reduced dimensions and is designed so that the rider can obtain an “extreme” but perfect position. The top tube has been reduced in dimensions, too, and positioned low to decrease air flow. These characteristics make this frame perfect for time trials.
A special care has been devoted to the chain stays which are oversized and perforated to ensure better aerodynamics and maximal rigidity; in fact, the perforations enlarge the surface of the stays and make them more rigid.
The horizontal rear drop-outs are built to minimize the distance between the rear wheel and the seat tube, reducing the turbulence between the lenticular rear wheel and the oversize seat tube.
The weight of the frame is amazing: 1,35 kg, which is extremely light for an aerodynamic frame.
The Super Aero full carbon forks, in high-modulus carbon fibres using nanotechnology is designed to exploit aerodynamic and fluid air motion technology, vital elements for top-class performances. The carbon blades are straight and winged, oversized at the top for a perfect synergy with the head tube and the down tube. The final weight is 450 g.
Moreover, the Bianchi D2 Crono Carbon bicycles have an appealing design that will attract attention for sure.