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Take one look at a 27-speed, dual-suspension rig in the local bike shop and you'll appreciate the engineering that lets cyclists glide over boulders and spin up precipitous trails. But after one test drive, you'll realize that a medieval seating position and byzantine shifting are also along for the ride.
"Bicycles still require a lot of tinkering," says Richard Cunningham, a former bike builder and the editor of Mountain Bike Action magazine. "Imagine buying a car as you do a bicycle, where the salesperson has to show you how to adjust your brakes. You'd walk out of the dealership."
But cycling innovators have a new strategy for eliminating buyer's remorse: Think small. By working on the tiny details - aluminum spokes, cableless derailleurs - manufacturers are addressing big issues like ease of use and reliability.
"We're asking ourselves, What are the problems most cyclists encounter?" says Chris DiStefano, a product specialist for Japanese component giant Shimano. "Can we provide them with more information related to shifting or braking? Can we improve the ride?"
Beyond this year's more reliable shock absorbers and handlebar-mounted dashboard displays, one top new product for 2000 is Shimano's automatic transmission, a computer-aided device that always puts you in the right gear. DiStefano says other "intuitive components," like antilock brakes, are a possibility. "The point of cycling isn't to worry about whether you're braking properly," he says. "It's about having a good time, riding along with the wind in your face."
But no company can promise as many blithe moments on two wheels as Mavic S.A., which has cured that most common mechanical breakdown: the flat tire. Flats, of course, force riders to wrestle roadside with levers, patches, tubes, and pump. So Mavic's engineers designed a wheel that does away with vulnerable inner tubing and continues to hold air despite thorns and other trail detritus. After two years of development, the company has unveiled the Crossmax UST for mountain bikes.
"We knew that if we could make the UST tubeless, lightweight, and simple to implement, we would demonstrate that the wheel can be reinvented," says Michel Kubacsi, Mavic's managing director. "But to do all of that, we had to develop the technology from scratch."
The 110-year-old manufacturer of wheels and components, headquartered in southeastern France, has sparked previous revolutions in bicycle technology. Mavic developed the first aluminum rims, in 1926; exceptionally narrow, aerodynamic wheels for America's 1996 Olympic cyclists; and last year's wireless shifting system.
In creating the handsome, matte-black Crossmax UST, Mavic's first uncharted step was to build an airtight rim onto which the tire could be sealed. Most wheel manufacturers bore holes through the rim wall that faces the tire to facilitate adjusting and replacing spokes. Sealing each of the holes proved to be laborious and troublesome, so Mavic's R&D team agreed on a different solution: no spoke holes at all.
Borrowing from the aerospace industry, the company used a technique called flow drilling, in which a custom machine bores only through the rim's inner wall, which faces the hub; the rim's outer wall remains intact. These bores are subsequently threaded to create attachment points for the spokes. "It's a very efficient interface between spoke and rim," says Kubacsi, an MIT-trained engineer. "We don't have to add extra material."
Since overall weight wears down riders' legs and lungs over the long haul, the UST team kept working to pare down its creation. The front wheel has 18 spokes, the rear, 20 - a fraction of what other rims require - to reduce weight by a quarter pound.
The UST's flat-sided, aluminum-alloy spokes are 10 percent stronger, yet no heavier, than rounded, conventional stainless steel versions. To keep the wheel from bending, the rear spokes are set in two patterns, with a radial arrangement emerging from the gear side of the hub for a better balance of wheel tension. These spoke layouts, engineered on Mavic's custom CAD software, earned the company one of its five patents on the wheels. "We tried hundreds of prototypes before coming up with the final design," says Jean-Francois Granat, Mavic's product manager.
The Crossmax UST is the most reliable wheel Mavic has ever tested. In a room next to the R&D department is a lineup of torture machines: One runs wheels over bumps, another sprays mud at precision bearings. On a third device, which torques a wheel from side to side while it's spinning, the UST lasted three times longer than Mavic's other rims, essentially surviving a 1,200-mile sprint.
Mavic's newest invention has garnered rave reviews and widespread industry attention - perhaps to the point of espionage, according to one company insider: At last season's World Cup race in Madrid, several UST prototypes disappeared. But the buying public's reaction hasn't kept pace. Granat can't hide some disappointment at the tepid response to the $800 wheel set. "Our new road wheel is selling at 150 percent of what we expected. The Crossmax UST? It's doing, uh, very good."
Mavic's new road wheel still requires a tube, which, ironically, may be why it's been more successful than the UST. Many cycling enthusiasts enjoy the idiosyncrasies of bikes; they're often as reluctant to try something new as they are to trade in their wool jerseys. "This is an industry that's still heavily influenced by traditionalists," reflects Kubacsi, who admits that Mavic has enjoyed only limited success so far with its innovative Mektronic radio-controlled shifting system. "Sometimes inventions are too far ahead," he says.
Kubacsi, who devotedly rides 4,000 miles a year, believes cyclists will soon grasp the benefits of the tubeless wheel."We're already working on trickling down the concepts behind Crossmax UST, as well as Mektronic," he says. "We fully expect our technologies to become the standard."
Shoe-In
The Coombe system boils the clipless pedal down to its most elemental form. The spare, cross-pattern, stainless steel unit attaches to the shoe cleat via a simple, springless tongue-and-groove design. The neatly enclosed bearing system further reduces weight and complexity. Coombe Universal Pedal System: $249. Journey Cycles: +1 (303) 541 9294, www.journeycycles.com.
Fork It Over
On your bike, Marzocchi's RAC suspension fork looks upside down. The result, though, is unconventional in a good way. An impressively strong piece of lightweight carbon fiber crowns the Bomber, and its supreme torsional stiffness keeps the individual fork legs from wandering independently on harsh terrain. Two spring technologies and fork travel lengths are available, but you'll have no such luck with the front hub - Marzocchi supplies its own model, and you must build a wheel around it. Marzocchi Bomber RAC: $1,500-1,600. Marzocchi: (800) 227 5579, www.marzocchi.com.
Hot Seat
Filled with spongy foam developed for medical mattresses, SDG's Satellite seat has approximately the same degree of firmness as human tissue. The material also happens to be extremely light and waterproof, so it won't soak up sweat or rain. Better yet, the saddle is available in stars and stripes or leopard skin. SDG USA Satellite: $92-94. SDG USA: +1 (714) 258 1224, www.sdgusa.com.
Point and Click
Mavic's Ksyrium system gives your bike one-touch digital shifting - just add a frame and sprockets, and go. Press a button and the handlebar computer sends a low-frequency coded signal to the rear derailleur, which changes gears. And since the mechanism's chain-driven pulley jockeys generate power, battery life is measured in years. Mavic Ksyrium SSC Road Group: $1,949. Mavic: (888) 466 2842, www.mavic.com.
Blown Away
Developed and tested on the World Cup circuit, the Airlines shifting system uses pneumatics to help preoccupied downhillers make smooth gear changes. A near-effortless press of the shift lever releases a measured breeze from a canister of compressed air, precisely moving the rear derailleur to another gear. The limited production of Airlines almost ensures that you'll be the only blow-charged rider on the block. Shimano Airlines: $1,600. Shimano: +1 (949) 951 5003, www.shimano.com.
Petite Frame
For women under 5'8", the biggest obstacle to a great ride is often the clumsy fit of the steed. Rather than simply shrink a bike engineered for men, Trek built the 19.2-pound 2300 to distaff proportions. The shortened distance from saddle to handlebars accommodates smaller torsos, the seat - located more directly over the pedals - maximizes hip strength, and downsized wheels make the pavement easier to reach. Trek 2300 WSD: $2,000. Trek: +1 (920) 478 2191, www.trekbikes.com.
Flex Time
The lowly inner tube gets a face-lift with the reengineered L2O. The latex-based tube is about 30 percent lighter and a whole lot springier than standard versions: Each time a tire deforms over a bump in the ride, the superelastic tube quickly returns to its speedy shape. And the L2O won't come apart at the seam, a spot where other latex tubes often lose air. L2O Tubes: $12.99. Delta Cycle: +1 (508) 698 0606, www.l2otubes.com.
Pump It Up
Inside the tapered aluminum body of the TP-5 floor pump are two barrels, one for high-volume work (mountain-bike tires) and one for high-pressure duties (road-bike tires). Inflation is effortless, and the pressure gauge atop the housing lets you know when you're done. Blackburn TP-5: $99.99. Bell Sports: (800) 456 2355, www.bellsports.com.
Autopilot
Bianchi's commuter-friendly Auto-Milano outfits a retro-look town bike with a forward-thinking automatic transmission. Shimano's weatherproof shifting computer is about as big as a deck of cards and sits behind the chain guard, just aft of the 27-pound Auto-Milano's seat tube. When the rear wheel starts moving more quickly or slowly, the CPU commands the four-speed hub to shift. An LCD readout displaying your gear and speed perches between a pair of red-leather handlebar grips. Bianchi Auto-Milano: $730. Bianchi: +1 (510) 264 1001, www.bianchiusa.com.
Lite Bearer
The competition-ready, road-going Palmarès frame redefines tube. The pipes at the heart of Litespeed's 16.5-pound, handmade titanium machine are anything but cylindrical. The triangular top tube (running from front to seat) resists the torque generated by yanking on the handlebars, the 10-sided seat tube opposes pedaling stresses, and the tapered down tube slices the wind. Available in Land Rover green and Ferrari red. Or save a fraction of an ounce with a naked Ti finish. Litespeed Palmarès: $5,900. Litespeed: +1 (423) 238 5530, www.litespeed.com.
Hit The Roadless
The interactive CompuTrainer system, with its stationary bike stand, software, and load generator, has been around for some time, but this coaching program adds a new twist for the true fitness wonk. Once you're done with your virtual Tour de France, complete with computer-generated graphics and resistance, you can chart your performance - and get the cold, hard facts about your cycling abilities without putting rubber to road. CompuTrainer Coaching Software: $1,598, with CompuTrainer Pro 3D package. RacerMate: +1 (206) 524 6625, www.computrainer.com.
Rocket Fuel
CamelBak's newest hydration system sits flat across your back for a better fit. But that's just the start: The Rocket's valve is easier to bite down on and faces your mouth, thanks to a clever bend in the hose. The baffled reservoir resists sloshing, while a snack pocket on the shoulder strap turns the Rocket into an on-the-go buffet table. CamelBak Rocket: $75. CamelBak: (800) 767 8725, www.camelbak.com.
System Shock
The camera doesn't lie: The dual-suspension Raven, designed for absorbing hard hits during relentless descents, stands one-legged on its front wheel. That loss in weight is a rider's gain. Cannondale's HeadShok Lefty suspension fork packs 4 inches of travel into one very sturdy support; the fork is 1.5 pounds lighter than its predecessor, reducing the 900 SX to a respectable 27 pounds overall. The rear suspension also provides 4 inches of boing, and disc brakes keep your stops fade-free. The frame - two rigid carbon-fiber shells mated to a magnesium spine - holds everything together post-big air. Cannondale Raven 900 SX: $2,925. Cannondale: (800) 245 3872, www.cannondale.com.
Hands On
You'll never know how much better you can grip the handlebars until you slip on a pair of gReptiles. Pearl izumi worked with 3M to develop a rubbery glove fabric with the texture of a cat's tongue. Despite their tenacity, the gReptiles have zero peel resistance, so you'll have no trouble taking a hand off the bars. For viselike results, use the gloves with gReptile handlebar tape (at bottom of page). Pearl izumi gReptile gloves: $40; tape: $20. Pearl izumi: (800) 328 8488, www.pearlizumi.com.
Soft Touch
Cross-country mountain bikers will find the Ibis SilkTi the most comfortable soft-tail to date. Like others in the genre, this pivotless frame incorporates a rear shock, but the SilkTi provides a generous 1.75 inches of cush that takes the edge off a daylong ride. The crown jewel of the handcrafted titanium frame is the one-piece, extra-strength chainstay, engineered to bend easily but resist lateral movement. The chainstay's holes shed another 6 ounces from this 23-pound flyweight. Ibis SilkTi: $3,869. Ibis: (800) 283 0943, www.ibiscycles.com.
Dyno Bike
A single-speed cruiser with sweeping handlebars, GT's steel Tiki is made for laid-back parallel processing: You can simultaneously put your pedal to the metal and check out the scene. SoCal hot-rod stylist Von Franco provided design expertise, chopping the fenders and adding a flashing tiki-head hood ornament. The frame also features simulated cork trim and a faux gas tank. Franco on the GT's weight: "Who cares?" GT Dyno Taboo Tiki: $429. GT Bicycles: (888) 482 4537, www.gtbicycles.com.
Form Fitting
These wraparounds will hug every head: Bend the metal temples around your ears, shape the rubber-bumpered bridge to your nose, and angle the lenses to perch precisely on your face. But first you've got to choose from 80 lens-and-frame combos. Kerosene: $99.99. Rudy Project: (888) 860 7597, www.rudyprojectusa.com.
Air Head
There's never been a cooler mountain-biking helmet. The E2's 24 big vents dissipate heat when you're creeping up a trail; head downhill and a half-dozen deep, wind-tunnel channels on the helmet's underside invite a healthy breeze. A refreshingly durable sun visor adjusts easily. Giro E2: $160. Giro: (800) 294 6098, www.giro.com.
WHEEL, REINVENTED
Wheel, Reinvented
Componentry
Accessories
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