Expected to be in stock around the beginning of July, Stan’s newest rim is the successor to the 355 650b. The New ZTR Crest 650b improves upon the 355′s stiffness-to-weight ratio via Stan’s internal arch design. In addition, the new Crest 650 features a wider, 24.4mm internal cavity to aid in tire stability, especially when run at lower pressures. The wider rim shape also allows the use of larger volume tires while still providing a confident feeling contact patch.

While the 650b movement isn’t exactly taking off, at least those who have already made the jump will have the option for some new wheels. The ZTR Crest 650b is fully tubeless compatible with Stan’s 25mm yellow tape and valve stem, or the Flow rim strip and will retail for $88.00.

Check out the full specs after the break!

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NuVinci’s new N360 takes their original planetary gear hubs and drops three to four pounds depending on the model, coming in at about 5.4 pounds. That’s still a little heavier than Shimano’s Nexus hubs, but close, and the real difference is in the ride quality.

The planetary gear design allows for an infinite range of gears between their highest and lowest setting, there are no predefined gear ratios. This means the shifting action is smooth as butter (we’ve ridden them around on various occasions) and can be set exactly to the effort level desired. The other benefit is it can be shifted while standing still, like at a traffic light.

Internally, they’ve redesigned the amount of cable pull required to shift through the range, reducing it from 1.5 turns of the shifter to 0.75.

The weight savings comes from a better look at the power actually generated by riders and motorized e-bikes. The original designs were “way over built and were even being used on two stroke scooters,” says Kim Merrill, NuVinci’s PR manager. The new model is designed specifically for bicycles.

It’s available now for $399 for disc, rim or roller brake models. It should also be popping up on commuter bikes from Novara, Breezer and Jamis. Also, because it’s so much lighter, even Dahon is spec’ing it on their folding bikes that are designed to be carried up stairs.

Parlee has a new SLi frame that’s a Di2-only version of their SL full carbon road frame that removes all shifter cable stops and runs the electronic wires internally. It has a custom battery mount bonded to the carbon chainstay, which puts it out of the way and keeps the center of gravity low. Price is the same as the regular SL, $4,700, and includes a ENVE 1.0 fork, carbon seatpost clamp and carbon front derailleur clamp. Weight between the SL and SLi frames will be within 15-20g – it loses the weight of the cable stops but gains the battery mount.

Lots of closeup detail pics and more info after the break, plus their new solution to running standard Shimano cranks on new PFBB30 frames!

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I have come to the conclusion that I am a backpack person.  I tried messenger bags for a while.  In fact, I have two in my closet still.  There is just something about a backpack that feels more secure.  A while back I posted a review of the Chrome Soyuz laptop bag.  Shortly after that, a Chrome Pawn roll top backpack showed up.  I swapped all my goodies to the new bag and went forth testing it out.  After a couple of months of daily use its time to share my thoughts and opinions on this bag with you.  Jump past the break for the full story.

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As one of the bikes that helped Orange make its name in the DH and FR world, Orange lovers should be happy to see that the Patriot is back! The all new Patriot slots in nicely between the current Alpine 160 and 224, with 180mm of slack, big mountain travel. Suspension wise, the Orange Patriot continues with their proven single pivot design.

Coupled with its 180mm of travel, a 1.5 head tube and Maxxle rear end should guarantee a bike that is built for whatever you can throw at it. Even so, it can still be built fairly light, with one of the tester’s bikes coming in at just above 32 pounds.

For more details jump past the break!

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Clif Bar gets a new Coconut Chocolate Chip made with organic coconut and a new seasonal flavor coming this holiday season, Peppermint Stick. Two existing flavors get upgrades: Apricot gets 50% more apricots and they’re now organic. Peanut Toffee Buzz has a new toffee piece and more peanut butter.

Mojo gets new Chocolate Almond Coconut, White Chocolate Macadamia and Dipped S’mores flavors. Crunch gets two new ones, Blueberry Crisp and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Not shown, there’s a new Citrus flavor bloks that replaces Lemon Lime in late fall/early winter after Interbike.

From the Clif Family Winery, there’s The Climber, a new “indestructible” 1.5L pouch (equals two standard 750ml bottles) that’s easy to portage on your backcountry adventures, picnics, etc. Available in a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The spout won’t let air back in so it’ll stay fresh for a month after opening. Because the pouch is so much lighter, it has an 80% lower carbon footprint thanks to less shipping weight and their manufacturing process, and it has 90% less waste. $16.99 each.

They’ve also got a little philanthropy going on the side with Meet the Moment. You can create your own postcard online by uploading a photo and share it with friends. When you create a moment, Clif Bar will donate $5 to one of five organizations, and if they get 10,000 submissions, they’ll double the donation, up to $125,000.

In Jagwire’s Ripcord semi-sealed cable sets,which I reviewed back in December,

“fairly standard (but smooth) L3 housing runs where cable housing usually runs.  At the cable stops, special ferrules with little straws that stick out of the stops are used, over which stretches of “sealing liner” fit, covering what would otherwise be bare cables runs.”

This setup makes the Ripcord set an easier-to-install and less expensive alternative to fully-lined cable systems, while offering much of the same protection from the elements.  After wearing out my first set in about a year and second set in seven months- but having grown attached to the SID Blue housing- I re-upped and bought a third set for my go-to trail bike. Unfortunately,

“When installing [my third] kit, I found that the little straws on the ferrules had shrunk, allowing them to fit into cable stops much more easily and presumably reducing drag.  Unfortunately, while this was a step in the right direction, the failure to shrink the tubing [which seals the cable between housing stops] correspondingly represents two steps back.  The revised Ripcord sets now have sizable gaps where the tube meets straw, with no o-rings or other seals to back them up.”

Ever vigilant, Jagwire USA were quickly in touch.  They’d identified the same issues as I had and already revised the supplied tubing to better fit the set’s ferrules.  Click through to see photos of the revised interface…

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Photo submitted by Mark Newman, “25+ trails of some of the best singletrack in Europe are around Molini di Triora, Italy.  It’s a mecca for all the downhill world cup riders who are based in South of France/Monaco/Italy.  Karim Amour, Anne Caro Chausson, Fabien Barel are all regulars to Molini.  Easy
access from Nice airport in an hour.  Great bars to chill out in the evening after stoking all day.  Lots of accommodation in B&B or hotels.”

A pic of the “World famous Agrifolio course 1km from Molini” after the break.

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Tern Bicycles, headed up by general manager Florence Hon and vice president Joshua Hon, has spun off from Dahon.  Florence and Joshua took with them (update: some of) the core employees responsible for product development, sales, marketing, and distribution for Dahon over the past 20 years.  Tern now employees 70 people between their headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan and their satellite offices around the world.

From Tern:  “We did some amazing things at Dahon, including kick-starting the entire folding bike revolution,” stated Hon. “But we’ve wanted to take things even further and in recent years we were running into a variety of issues with the Chinese factory that has registered the Dahon trademark in some countries. After a lot of soul-searching, we all decided that it would be better to start with a fresh clean slate, and after seeing the 2012 product line, we know we made the right decision.”

Tern is focused on safety, comfort, convenience, and portability, rather than just trying to make the fastest or lightest bike out there.  Their line up should have something for everyone as well.  It contains 21 different folders with prices ranging from $400 all the way up to $3,500.  The new rides should be in shops by Fall 2011.

If you would like to stay up to date on all things Tern, follow them on Twitter @ternbicycles

Peak past the jump for the Tern product teaser video (UPDATE: and a comment from Dahon).

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Whenever I get paid via PayPal for something, I generally go straight to one of two sites to spend it; Embrocation Cycling Journal or Upright Citizens Brigade. ECJ has never let me down, providing a great magazine and a selection of only the best products; if they don’t use it, they don’t sell it. Considering this is a company named after a type of skin care product, you know they take that real serious, so when I saw that they began carrying Sportique products, I was intrigued. I contacted Sportique to request some samples to try out and share with you all, and a week or so later a package arrived full of goodies. Read about what they have to offer, and some initial reactions, after the jump…

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I grabbed my first pair of Swiftwick socks from Embrocation Cycling Journal, which is my go-to timetowastesomepaypalfunds shop, and was instantly in love. Every other sock I owned joined the general population and I will only wear these for riding now. It’s hard to explain exactly why, especially since most people say, “oh it’s just socks,” but they’re just better. Try them. But first, check out my thoughts on the wool version after the jump…

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In an attempt to make cruising with the family even easier, Buddy Bike is now offering a special edition Buddy Bike Family complete with a Nuvinci N360 CVP rear hub. If you’re not familiar with the Buddy Bike, it is an interesting alternative to a tandem where the shorter stoker actually sits in the front of the bike. This set up is particularly handy for those who wish to ride with kids or small adults with special needs.

Now, for the first time the Buddy Bike is offered with a Nuvinci hub to make riding even easier. The captain can simply rotate the twist shifter to any one of infinite positions in it’s 360% gear range. In addition to making shifting easier, the lack of a derailleur should decreased needed maintenance, make transporting the Buddy Bike easier, and keep the chain from falling off the gears. Basically, making a family outing as easy as possible, which is a good thing.

For more details, jump past the break!

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