We had a chance to weigh Niner Bikes’ new Air9 RDO carbon hardtail race bike at the SE Bike Expo. Then, we got some images and weights from Pro Bike Supply with a fully stock build and their Pro build, which dropped a full half pound off the already impressively light bike. To top it all off, we then weighed a range of sizes for the full carbon Jet9 RDO as well as our own bare frameset.

Above is the only Air9 RDO on the eastern demo fleet with a non-stock build. It’s equipped with Sun-Ringle’s Blag Flag wheels, Ergon grips and a full XTR XT drivetrain and brakes. Not a bad build at all, and this size Large XL comes in at 22lbs 9oz without pedals.

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Occasionally, the showstopper for a booth isn’t the bikes or components, but a one-off afterthought like this. Acros’ booth had their hydraulic shifting system, which was shown in a couple additional anodized colors from what we saw at PressCamp, but the real eye candy was this carbon fiber chess board with headsets for pieces.

Jump on in for plenty more…

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We put some hands on a few of Assos’ new Winter 2011/12 rain gear at PressCamp this summer, but somehow posting it when temps were topping 100º just didn’t see right. Besides, it wouldn’t have been available until about now and our pictures turned out pretty crappy.

So here we are on a cool, rainy day wishing we had a stockpile to go around.

Built around their new Clima X system of rainproofing the cycling, the “system” is comprised of five pieces, the sturmPrinz jacket, sturmNuss knicker shorts, Rain Gloves, Rain Bootie and Rain Cap. From our first glances at them, they’re all super nice, and we’re really lusting after the knickers and rain cap for sure.

The main material in the garments is a thin 3-layer fabric with a hydrophobic triple-laminated PTFE membrane to repel rain and keep it from getting through. Wind blocking panels are selectively placed to keep you warm. Even with all that, Assos says the pieces are light enough to wear during summer downpours, too, and are designed to fit over their other “systems” to build layers for winter warmth. The upper back panel is ventilated, and there are access slits to get through to your jersey pockets. Elastic shoulder sections maintain range of motion. MSRP is $529.99.

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GT introduced the full suspension Zaskar 100 26″ and 29er hardtail Zaskar this summer at PressCamp, and now they’ve got the full squish 29er, too.

The full moniker is the GT Zaskar 100 9R Carbon, and the Pro model is shown above. It’ll carry a retail of $5,500 and come in around 27 lbs without pedals. Rather than simply adjust the geometry for the larger wheels, GT designed this bike from the ground up to be a stiff racer but with improved small bump sensitivity and less ramp than the outgoing Marathon models. Like on the 26″ 100, they moved all bearings and linkage mounts to the outside of the frame to improve lateral rigidity and durability. The 29er also shares the commonly available 1-1/8″ bearings for all main pivots. They’re installed using a simple pinch bolt, which means parts are easy to find and just about anyone can make adjustments or repairs.

Out back, they’ve gone with a 142 rear axle on the 29er 100. The Pro model gets Shimano XT 2×10 with Formula brakes and DT Swiss’ all-mountain wheels for a pretty bombproof build that won’t damage the scales.

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While the new Noah RS stole the show at PressCamp, Ridley did actually have some other newness hiding in its shadow. The plain ol’ regular Noah got some love and attention for 2012, too, with updated chassis standards and some trick wiring/cable ports that pull double duty for electronic or mechanical drivetrains.

They also showered some love on their cyclocross bikes, giving the full range PFBB30 bottom brackets, tapered headtubes and more. Video above is for the Noah, make the jump for the ‘cross reel and a non-moving picture show, including frame and complete bike weights…

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Gore Ride-On cables have just introduced two new cable systems, the highlight of which is the incredibly lightweight housing shown above.

Called Ultra Lite, the cable housing is made of fiber optic materials and weighs next to nothing. For a road bike it would weigh under 40g for two meters length versus about 80g for standard housing. For mountain bikes, there’s no metal in the system, so it won’t rust. Gore says it won’t compress any more than regular housing. Pricing TBD.

UPDATE: First impressions, real weights and pricing posted here.

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Assos lays claim to inventing the the first carbon fiber bicycle way back in 1976.

Lately, they’ve been playing with the design of a bike for their own club team use, designing it more as a hobby than a business venture. The result turned out quite nice, so they’re launching the equipe-Campionissimo G731 “Goomah” (Italian for “mistress”).

Born of their desire to create something that suited their tastes in terms of weight, stiffness and geometry, the G731 doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Rather, it uses Assos industry partnerships to create a gorgeous carbon fiber bike that’ll be available as a frame/fork/seatmast/seat clamp for $3,950. The subtle graphics are reflective, and the carbon layup has different modulus depending on the location to fine tune the ride.

It’s made by Goomah SA, which Assos has a minority ownership stake, which also makes carbon components for Moto GP, GT1 and America’s Cup race boats. 329g tapered carbon fork, 947g frame. Available in September, their staff has been racing it and earlier versions for years.

More pics, specs and the official flyer from Assos after the break…

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One cool detail we (read: Seth) overlooked when covering the new Camelbak Agent packs at PressCamp was the new matching colored bite valves. Small detail, sure, but very cool. We just ordered a case of orange ones so we can make all our hoses/bite valves the official Bikerumor colors. Sweet.

Cateye introduced a few new lights at PressCamp. The Rapid One (top row, left and center) is a $35 USB rechargeable that’s available as both a front and rear light with for flash modes that’s pretty bright. The Rapid Three (front, center) is a 3-LED tail light with three modes that’s $25 and runs on a AA battery. The Rapid Five is a $30 tail light with three rear facing LEDs and two side facing bulbs for maximum visibility. It runs on two AAAs.

Coming up is the Nano Shot (right). It’s a 250 lumen, USB rechargeable light that has a really small form factor and is pretty lightweight. It has a Li-Ion battery that’s good for about 3.5 hours on high. $120 target MSRP and should be available later this year. I shone it on the ceiling in daylight and it was visibly bright.

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On my way home from PressCamp last week, I mistakenly offered to gate check my roll-on suitcase to ease overcrowding of the overhead storage bins. I was already on the plane, so I figured I was safe…silly me. Nevermind the hellish delays and flight swaps in Atlanta (suffice to say I had to literally bum rush the overcrowded secondary flight just to get home…at 3am!), the real trouble is in the woefully inadequate reimbursement limit set by Delta (and others). Here’s what was in my suitcase, none of which I’m ever likely to see again:

My advice: Don’t ever check your cycling gear, it’s just too expensive.