NEW PRODUCTS: Fresh gear

RockShox
Fisher Outdoor
01727 798345
The long-established SID World Cup fork is back with significant upgrades this season and claims to have shed 110 grams. The crown and steerer has evolved to a hollow one-piece carbon fibre composition and the fork lowers are now full magnesium compared to the magnesium and carbon fibre combo found in the 2009 version.

The changes cut the overall weight, bringing the fork with full steerer in at 1,400 grams, maintaining the incredible steering precision it’s famous for. The updated carbon crown and steerer add strength and stiffness and more than meet tough CEN standards.

Sugoi ‘09
euroinfo@sugoi.com
00800.4321.3350
The Fall ’09 Sugoi collection is designed to better service athletes’ needs by moving excess heat and moisture away from the body and balancing the core temperature. For this reason, the brand has announced a new layering system, the SUGOI Comfort System (SCS), as well as the new first layer fabric FinoCarbon.

Sugoi’s back-to-basics approach has seen a new integrated layering system – the Sugoi Comfort System – that provides an optimal body climate. FinoCarbon combines moisture management and thermal insulation with an outstanding soft touch.

Wildoo Drinking Straw Bottle
Wildoo
0870 977 1550
EU-bottle now offers a new drinking straw pulling spout for its sports bottles range. Most traditional drinking straw bottles are based on a plastic beaker with a snap-on cap, which must be kept upright so that they do not leak. In the closed position the new straw is sealed and the bottle will not leak.

The straw is made from the same soft, flexible thermoplastic rubber as the existing standard pulling spout, which for many years has been a major selling feature of the bottles. The new straw fits the existing caps so that it can be supplied with any of the current range of bottles.

Magnum Locks and Kids’ Comfy
Oxford Products
01993 862300
Oxford Products latest ‘Magnum’ U locks are tested to Gold Sold Secure standards and the internal locking mechanism offers two secure mechanisms.

The locks are pick resistant too, so thieves will need access to either of the two keys supplied. The keyhole is also grime resistant with a dust cover. A £1,000 anti-theft guarantee is included with the OF173.

Also new from Oxford this month, the Comfy range of neck warmers – which can double up as pretty much any form of headgear – has expanded, offering kids sizes. For boys, there’s the Little Devil Comfy and for girls, the Little Madam.

SRAM XX
Fisher Outdoor
01727 798345
The much-hyped XX groupset is special because it’s the first time the SRAM Group has brought together its component arms – RockShox, Truvativ, Avid and SRAM – to create an entire mountain bike groupset.

The groupset targets cross-country enthusiasts, utilising a two-ring crankset linked with a ten-speed cassette. Both a press fit GXP and BB30 bottom bracket will be available to buyers.

The entire package will set a customer back around £1,525 and weighs in below 2,300 grams, a full 300 grams lighter than Shimano’s equivalent offering, the XTR M970. The ten-speed cassette is perhaps the biggest highlight of the new group, weighing in at an astonishing 208 grams, mostly due to the heavy milling on each cog.

The Avid XX brakes carry a new magnesium calliper and stainless steel rotor, although they share many features with the existing Elixer brakeset. The weights and prices do not include the RockShox XX fork, however, as this is an optional extra. An XLoc remote lockout features on the race inspired 80/100mm fork.

And the groupset has already got off to a flying start; Julien Absalon won the Madrid World Cup using XX at the end of May, marking the first World Cup victory for the new package.