Bikerumor doesn’t generally cover BMX, but this frame couldn’t be passed up.  The CAD images look way too intriguing.  Phoenix Pro Cycles just released the Talon frame, constructed from 6061-T6 aluminum.  They claim that this frame is carefully designed for flex in the right places.  Phoenix Pro Cycles was founded from Phoenix Pro Scooters, a company specializing in top of the line aluminum trick-scooters.

The frames will come in seven ‘Class’ sizes and six ‘Cruiser’ sizes.   Among the differences between ‘Class’ and ‘Cruiser’, one difference is that the class frame is designed with relatively straight tubes to take more impact from larger jumps.  Cruiser frames, on the other hand, generally have a more stylish curvature than a Class frame.  The color selection of the Talon consists of anodized black, blue, red, and green or a powder coat white.  The frames, depending on size, will have a weight range of 2.5lb-3.75lb.

More images after the break…

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Fyxation just released a new pedal, the Mesa MP.  This is Fyxation’s first metal pin flat pedal and it looks super grippy.  Ideal for Mountain Bikes, BMX, winter riding, and urban commuting, it’s designed to take a beating.  It features a wide platform, thin 15.5mm profile, and impact grade nylon material.  Fyxation claims that when this nylon pedal takes a hard hit, it merely absorbs and flexes around the object, as opposed to alloy pedals that don’t flex as much upon impact.

Derived from the Mesa, which has proven itself highly since it’s release, we look forward to seeing the Mesa MP in action.  The weight of these are 351g/pair, lighter than their alloy counterpart.  The nested steel pins throughout the pedal are replaceable with an Allen key in case of breakage.   The Mesa MPs have sealed bearings, but Fyxation states that these bearings are easily serviceable. Unfortunately, the Mesa MP is not compatible with the Gates strap by Fyxation, so no foot retention there.  But, if you value foot retention, the original Mesa is compatible.

They run $59.99 per set.  Click here to check out the Mesa MP pedals at Fyxation’s website.

Cane Creek is a small company with a big name. Like any other small company, their people cross over between roles to get the job done. Chris Strout is no different, juggling customer service -which means shops, distributors and consumers like us- with sales while also getting out in the field to promote the company at events like Interbike, Sea Otter Classic and smaller events throughout the U.S.

It’s a job that’s gotta get done, and like any other job in the cycling industry, it’s got some pretty sweet perks. His story also continues to illustrate the benefit of having a broad variety of life experiences and jobs outside of the industry before trying to “break in.” Here’s his story…

BIKERUMOR: Who are you and what are you doing here?

STROUT: I am Director of Domestic Sales and Customer Service at Cane Creek Cycling Components. I’m part of a a “new guard” at Cane Creek, a management team that has come on in the past couple of years and really paved the way for Cane Creek to be successful as we develop our future. Cane Creek has this amazing history and legacy that we want to preserve; our challenge is to figure out how to do that while moving forward and staying cutting-edge against the backdrop of today’s business realities.

My focus is to continue to strengthen our relationships at the distributor level while providing resources and education for dealers across the country. I’m also the “advocacy guy” here. Finally, my team and I are responsible for all customer service – and we have big shoes to fill in that regards, as Cane Creek has built an incredible reputation for service. It can be tough sometimes: Our staff isn’t very large, but we take our customer commitment very, very seriously.

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In all honesty, I didn’t expect to like Lezyne’s Super Drive.  As a commuter who regularly starts and finishes his morning commute in the dark, I’ve been spoiled by trail-ready 900+ Lumen lighting systems and the vision -and visibility- that they guarantee.  Coming from substantially more powerful lighting systems, I wasn’t sure what a 450 Lumen light with a mere 90 minute runtime could offer- especially at $110.  After about eight weeks of near-daily use, I now know- and have taken quite the shine to the little light.  Click through to find out more…

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Photo submitted by Dirk Coenen, “Belgium’s Sandman. Riding the trails in Eupen, Belgium.”

To see more Pics of the Day, click here, and to submit your own photo to be shown to the world, go here.

PRESS RELEASE: Privately held Marin Bikes announces that it has reached agreement for sale to Minestone Limited, a European based investment firm. Since its inception in Marin County California, the birthplace of mountain biking, Marin Bikes has been a cycling innovator.

Robert Buckley, President and Founder of Marin:

“The acquisition of Marin by Minestone will allow us to strengthen our brand through increased investment in product innovation, marketing and human resources. We will continue to operate from our Novato headquarters in Marin County California, designing and testing on the trails and back roads that have inspired us for over 25 years. I greatly look forward to accompanying our talented and dedicated staff during this exciting new phase in our company’s history.”

Ross Patterson, Sales and Marketing Director, ATB Sales Ltd added…

“This is excellent news. The investment this acquisition will bring will strengthen Marin’s position globally and we look forward to the exciting times ahead for Marin in the UK”.

Founded in 1986, Marin has pioneered the application of cutting edge materials and production processes to lightweight performance bicycle frames. Sold by specialty retailers in over 40 countries, Marin has international offices in Canada, Switzerland and Taiwan.

In an effort to have a bit of fun, and showcase how durable a light weight carbon bike / build can really be, Fairwheel Bikes put together this fun video. It showcases two Neil Pryde frames. The first is built of with Shimano Di2 and Dura-Ace carbon wheels, while the second showcases a full Enve cockpit along with their new Smart 6.7 wheelset.

Watch riders Rick Roth and Tony Roth take these high end road bikes on a nice trials ride, as well as hit a few dirt jumps.

That’s not all we have though. Greg Minnaar, downhill rider, was set up with a cyclocross bike decked out in all the nice bits Enve Composites makes. The video after jump showcases a bit of that bike, and him riding it on some very nice single track. Plus, it’s a nice interview with Greg.

Click through to kill another 5 minutes and 10 seconds.

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Once upon a time, before I became obsessed with cycling, I used to just love biking. In those days my brakes barely worked, I didn’t know what cadence was, and I didn’t understand the importance of protective gear. The Six Six One Raji gloves remind me of those times because they are so comfortable it is almost like riding gloveless. These attributes keep me more closely attuned to what the bike is doing while keeping my hands safe. In the past, the trade off was these gloves self destructed after a few months of hard riding but they were so comfortable, I bought a new set in September. I’ve had a few bails since and can personally attest that the production quality has improved.

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Previously only available as a complete bike built with expensive, high-end groups and wheels, Cannondale’s top of the line road bike will now be offered as a frameset.

The full tech breakdown on the 2012 Cannondale SuperSix EVO bikes is in this post, and we weighed a few of them here. Here’s the quick refresher: The 695g frame, which they claim is the lightest production road bike frame available, uses such tricks as one-piece rear triangles with co-molded dropouts and continuous fibers to maintain strength and durability. It even incorporates their Speed SAVE stays to help with rear traction by offering a hint of compliance. The head and main tubes are slimmer to give it a thinner frontal profile against the wind. Lastly, weight’s not the only claim to fame. C’dale also says this frame has the highest stiffness to weight ratio of any bike tested.

The frameset comes with a Speed SAVE BallisTec fork (same material as the frame) and SRAM PFBB30 bottom bracket and headset installed. U.S. MSRP TBD. Check the original launch video for this bike after the break…

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If you subscribe to the ‘Steel is Real’ mantra and appreciate a little design flourish on your bicycle, Vendetta Cycles could be for you. Builders Conor Buescher and Garrett Clark hand polishes the lugs and shapes them into true works of art, giving an already custom made frame that little something special to set it apart from any other build they’ve done.

BIKERUMOR: What have you been working on since NAHBS last year?

CONOR: At Vendetta, we’ve been doing pretty much the same thing that we have always done – beautiful and functional lugged steel frames. All of our bicycles are custom, and we tune every bicycle for the specific customer, so our ‘model year’ only lasts for one bike! That being said we have been doing some exciting stuff this year, including race winning track bikes, and a city bike with extensive lug carving and a slick and functional design. Of course, as you would expect, we’ve also been spending a lot of time polishing stainless steel lugs.

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We love reading about innovations in the cycling industry, but children’s bikes don’t often make the list.  This time they did.

Grow, by Orbea, is a new line of bikes designed to grow along with your kids.  With a frame that expands, Grow bikes should fit children for 3-5 years after purchase.  The price for these bicycles ranges between $240-$330 (based on my Euro ->USD calculation).  Grow consists of four models sized for children ages 1.5 to 9 years old.

Details and a video after the break…

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On Friday, federal prosecutors closed their investigation into whether Lance Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs without filing any charges against him.

Today, in a separate case, an appeals court found that Alberto Contador did use clenbuterol, a weight loss and muscle building drug, when he won the 2010 Tour de France. If you recall, Contador blamed tainted meat for introducing the substance into his body, though he tested positive for plasticizers commonly found in IV bags at the same time.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, overturned the original ruling by the Spanish cycling federation that cleared Contador. The effect is a two-year racing ban from the time of the accusation, which ends on August 5th and strips him of all race results during that time, including the 2010 TdF. That means Andy Schleck will become the de facto winner of that year’s Tour, and Contador loses his 2011 Giro d’Italia win, among others.

For Armstrong, he can breathe some sigh of relief that the federal criminal inquiry has been dropped, which included investigating possible crimes of defrauding the government, money laundering, drug trafficking and conspiracy. The charges were under consideration largely because his Postal Service team was funded by a U.S. government body rather than private enterprise. This little victory is somewhat overshadowed by an ongoing investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which is supported by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).

More on Contador’s case here, and the full Armstrong story is here.