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.

New for 2012, Camelbak has two tone-matched freeride packs, the Agent and Asset, complete with color-matched insulation sleeve for the hose. They’ve also got a new Charge LR lightweight XC-oriented pack that borrows the lumbar reservoir of the Octane LR’s but gives it a taller cargo section with more room for a pump/shock pump and rain jacket.

I rode with the Charge LR at PressCamp and really liked it. Having the water weight sit lower is quite comfortable, albeit slightly more challenging to fill in a hurry, and the hose runs through the pack and over the shoulder, which is a nice change from the Octane’s under the pack hose run (The Octane’s really more of a running/multisport pack anyway). Interior pocket size and placement is also really, really good, fitting an iPhone into the Velcro’s mesh pockets perfectly and keeping it in easy reach without having to take the pack completely off. The side panels have zippered pockets with plenty of storage for gels, etc. The exterior material is their super light Mini Ripstop with DWR coating.

Now, if Delta could just locate my suitcase, I’d be able to spend a little more quality time with it and all the other schwag I got from PressCamp…AAAAARRRGH!

Alex Rims, the company behind A-Class Wheels, sources the raw materials to make their own alloys, which are then used on their wheels. They showed off new models for road/triathlon, mountain bikes and folding commuters at PressCamp last week.

Their new ALX850 carbon fiber tubular road wheel (front, above) has a 50mm depth, uses their own mold and is made in one of their factories. It uses sealed cartridge bearing Japanese hubs with DT Swiss spokes. MSRP $1800, weight for the pair is a claimed 1370g.

The ALX820 (middle) has a 40mm deep carbon rim with scandium brake track and rim bed bonded to it. Its not just a carbon aero shell bonded to an alloy rim like most similar wheels, it’s a full carbon rim with the alloy brake track added on top. MSRP is $1700 with a claimed weight of 1780g and can be used for cyclocross.

Speaking of cyclocross, they have some new disc brake cyclocross wheels coming out in two models with 130 rear hub spacing.

ALX 730 is one of their top end alloy clincher wheels. It uses their proprietary EXA alloy and comes in at 1540g for the set. MSRP $800 with DT Swiss aero spokes, available in white or black, and it’s tubeless compatible.

Skip past the break for more…

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There’s no doubt the Niner Jet 9 R.D.O. was the hot mountain bike commodity at PressCamp, with constantly empty racks and lots of orange, white and black carbon 29ers on the trails at Deer Valley.

Here, Niner Bikes president Chris Sugai gives us a complete run down of the bike. It’s a little long and jumps around a bit, but somehow we don’t think you’ll mind. For more pics and details, check this post.

Acros was on hand at PressCamp to show off their new A-GE hydraulic shifting drivetrain setup. The system works via two fluid filled hoses running between each shifter and the respective derailleur.

Based in Stuttgart, Germany, Acros’ factory has 46 CNC milling machines shared with their bearing company, which is where their bearing expertise comes from. Those bearings are incorporated into the shifters and derailleurs, and almost every part is machined in house. That’s a big part of why the system retails for $2,000 USD, but it’s also why it’s so light and so smooth.

The video above shows how it works, and more pics after the break fill in the story…

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GT Bicycles unveiled several new bikes at PressCamp, ranging from the race-ready carbon fiber Zaskar 29er above to an alloy version of their Fury DH bike to a pair of throwback urban BMX bikes with 26″ wheels.

Starting with the new Zaskar Carbon 29er, this one’s the second generation even though the first never saw the light of day. The 2011 model that we saw last year never made it to actual production, but this one’s ready to go. The design philosophy was carried over from the 26″ model, but it foregoes the pressed carbon dropouts in favor of new alloy bolt-on vertical dropouts for gears on complete bikes. The frameset will be available with sliding dropouts for singlespeed setups. Frame is monocoque hi-mod Ultra Blend carbon fiber that keeps their trademark Triple Triangle design. GT says the design offers better tire clearance and lateral rigidity, which is why a lot of brands are starting to bring their seatstays to the outside of the seattube.

More on this and the rest behind the break…

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