New AX-Lightness MORPHEUS crankset

The new AX-Lightness Morpheus. Informations from the AX-Lightness website:

The development target has been to get a modular, as flexible as possible crankset on the newest technical level going, that sets new standards regards functionality as well as the system weight without loosing focus on the price.

The result is the lightest currently available crankset, that definitely is to be considered a heavyweight in the matter of stiffness and durability. The per piece (without spider) 80 grams light crank arms on the hightest technical status with Formula1 technology feature a torque and durability optimized layup - a guarantor of the high rider weight limit of 110 kg. A 30 mm thick, hollow and highly workload optimized aluminium spindle is paired with the carbon arms in order to keep the costs down without doing functional sacrifices.

Separate crank arms, spindle and attached parts offer the highest possible flexibility: the adaption of one’s own crankset to different bottom bearing standards or bolt circle diameters (standard / compact) as well as also the customization in regards to the crank lengths or colour preference.

Technical specifications
System weightt: 375 grams, complete with (standard steel) bearings and bearing cups
Material: Carbon-Prepreg in autoclaving
Oversize 30 mm hollow aluminium spindle with proprietary multi-tooth profile:
the spindle easily withstands powers of 500 Nm as being put out by good sports cars
External bearings with a wide bearing stance of 85 mm (in BSA version) for maximum stiffness and durability
modular system for highest possible flexibility
Bolt circle diameters:
Compact Road BCD110
MTB Double BCD104×4 (in preparation)
Standard Road BCD130 (in planning)
Bottom bracket standards:
BSA 68 mm
BB30 (in preparation)
PressFit (in planning)
integrated extractor
Interchangeable aluminium pedal inserts, that are included in the scope of delivery, for a fast, uncomplicated length adaption:
lengths of 170, 172.5, 175 mm are freely and independantly adjustable between right and left side
all several parts are available separately:
- various spindles for different bottom bracket standards
- Exchangeable crank arms, for instance for standard / compact
- the attached alu parts (bottom bearing cups, crank bolt, extractor, pedal inserts) are available in different colours (and also as update)
embossed AX-logo integrated into the side of the crank arm
no exterior clamping integrated into the crank arms, but instead a positive connection with an ascending multi-tooth profile:
as a result as homogenous as possible stiffnesses between the left and right side
DIN tested
deflection of 1.5 mm at a pedal force of 1800 N / 1600 watts
Q-factor: 152 mm
low “U-factor” for a high knuckle and heel clearance
chainstay clearance: 125mm
rider weight limit: 110 kg
preorders are officially opened and follow the FiFo-principle:
please send your preorder to nils.wiedemann@ax-lightness.de
Delivery starting from midst April 2010
Price: ca. 890.00 Eur

Subject to changes

(source: AX-Lightness.de)

Chris King R45 Road Racing Hubs

An all-new, lightweight hubset designed expressly for the demands of road racing

Chris and our engineering team began every design meeting for the R45 with two words - Light & Fast. Every element of each hub was reconsidered and much of the design is all-new including new dimensions and new materials. Something very important we did carry over, however, is the soul of a King hub. Same user serviceability and same 5-year warranty.

The R45 hubset is 20% lighter than our already light Classic hubset. We started by making both front and rear hubshells smaller and sleeker and then adding all-new 17mm axles. That’s 17mm from dropout to dropout resisiting deflection during cornering or when the power is full on. We designed a new driveshell to fit the new rear hub design, removing as much weight as possible from the shell and its inner components. But the highlight of the new rear hub is the 45-tooth titanium RingDrive. We chose titanium for this new design not just because it is light but also because with a lower tooth count than our standard RingDrive it is remarkably quiet.

The R45 hubset has it’s own all-new stainless steel sealed bearings. As with every King bearing, these bearings are made in-house in Portland, Oregon and individually hand-checked for precision and smoothness. Our proprietary bearing design allows us to place more rolling elements per bearing meaning greater durability and precision. R45 bearings also feature lightweight, low-friction seals for fast rolling and can be easily serviced at regular intervals using only a single 2.5mm hex wrench and penknife.
In response to demand for handbuilt, low-spoke count wheels, we offer the R45 in a wider array of drillings than our Classic hubs. The R45 is also designed to be compatible with radial lacing patterns. Your favorite shop can help you determine the best spoke count and lacing pattern for your riding style.

Chris King R45 Road Racing hubs are available in ten colors.

(source: ChrisKing.com)