After introducing the EPS electronic shifting group late last year, Campagnolo has quickly added compatible TT/Triathlon bar end shifters and brake levers. The new items add push button shifting in aerodynamic packages and bring along a pair of new aero carbon cranksets, too.

Above, the shifter brake levers put the buttons on top and inside edges of a control box with a full carbon lever blade. Wiring and brake cable run through the center of the expansion wedge to keep everything cleanly run inside bullhorn bars and out of the wind. The brake levers have a quick release function to open the brakes for easier wheel changes. Weight is 109g for the pair.

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When reviewing Lezyne’s Superdrive earlier this year, I mentioned that the coming helmet mount would improve the focused beam’s off-road utility.  Since then, Lezyne’s $20 LED Helmet Mount has become available- and a sample made its way to our door.  Built of Lezyne’s trademark polished aluminum and Composite Matrix (plastic), the Helmet Mount is compatible with all of Lezyne’s rechargeable LED headlights. Click through for more images and and in-use impressions…

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Thanks to a reader suggestion (fist bump to MJ), we checked in with Reynolds and turns out they’re introducing a new line of road wheels this summer.

Based on the RZR 92, which they call “the fastest wheel in the world”, the new line will be called AERO and use wider rim profiles with a wide inner and outer bead. Word is three depths will be offered and they’ll be introduced officially in June. The pic above is of their current SixtySix wheels on a team car at the Amgen Tour of California where a few of the AG2R team riders were testing them between stages (not in the race).

Ok, power lovers, imagine this: what if there was a power meter that was accurate, light weight, fit any of your wheels, you were able to switch back and forth between bikes, and was fairly inexpensive? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, that’s exactly what Laser Spoke creator Gennady Lubarsky is envisioning with his laser based power meter. Yes, lasers.

Like many before him, Lubarsky has turned to crowd-funding with a project on Indigogo in an attempt to fund development and production of Laser Spoke. Rather than a dedicated hub, crank, bottom bracket, or pedal based power system, Laser Spoke is intended to be an add on for any wheel that allows for accurate power measurement. Lubarsky is quick to point out that the working prototype above is considerably more bulky than what he plans for the final product, which will be manufactured from injection molded plastic, rather than the aluminum housing of the prototype.

How would a laser based power meter work? More after the break.

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Alongside a bunch more new items in Paul Components NAHBS booth were these Minimoto linear pull brakes, and they’re now shipping.

The Minimoto is a compact V-brake designed to work with short pull levers, which includes standard drop bar road bike levers. This lets you run your standard brake/shift lever road group and get the right amount of leverage at the brakes without any force amplifying gizmos in between. It’s also way easier to install and set up than traditional ‘cross cantilevers.

Claimed weight is 108g per wheel and retail is $129 (update: per wheel). They’re available in silver or black ano, come with Kool Stop pads and use Paul’s easy quick release design and sealed stainless steel pivot bushings.

Hammacher Schlemmer is out with a rearview camera to compete with Cerevellum’s Hindsight. Though it may be the epitome of visual bulk, Hammacher’s Bicycle Rearview Camera can be picked up for a tad cheaper than the tech-loaded Cerevellum. It retails at $180 compared to Cerevellum’s $299.

Hammacher’s Bicycle Rearview Camera doesn’t provide any fancy tech, instead fulfilling only the basic promise – a screen that shows what’s behind you. A quick-release 3.5 inch LCD monitor mounts to the handlebar (up to 1 1/4″ diameter) with a cable that runs to the camera. Surrounding the camera, a light-sensitive circular pattern of red LED lights flash when the sun goes down.

It’s said to be fully weather and vibration-resistant. Run time is 10 hours and it’ll charge to full in two hours. Click ‘more’ to see up-close pictures…

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Following their introduction of the fully integrated crankset power meter for the new SRAM Red, Quarq has added specific models to work with Specialized and Cannondale cranksets. They’ll be available in both 130 and 110 BCDs for standard and compact chainrings.

Full PR and more pics after the break…

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Following our Factory Tour of Parlee, which included a bike fit at Fit Werx, I was set up with a Z5 road bike for review.

Parlee’s Z5 line, which includes this standard model and an SL/SLi option that has full ti hardware, and lighter tubes and fork, is their top of the line “stock” offering. The frames are available in 12 sizes, ranging from XS, S, M, ML, L to XL in both standard and tall configurations. This lets Parlee offer their trademark ride and construction at a lower price point than full custom while being able to fit the vast majority of riders. The full construction method and details are covered in the Factory Tour post, but the short of it is this: The layup schedule and details for the Z5 are all based on Bob Parlee’s decade-plus experience in building custom bikes, and they say it rides very much like the custom ones. And it’s lighter because it’s monocoque construction rather than lugged like their custom bikes.

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This commercial is a dream within a dream. At first Matthew Busche, a sponsored Spy athlete and 2011 U.S. National Road Race Champion, is out on a wicked training ride when he envisions himself hitting some sweet and tacky trails. Stunt double Mike Montgomery, a professional free rider, steps into a sleek bib and clips in for the rest.

My best guess is that he’s riding a specialized TriCross. Can’t tell for sure, but the clip is definitely worth watching.

When it comes to reviews of clothing it is always a highly personal matter, especially with road kit it seems. In Tyler’s recent review of the Icebreaker Wool cycling gear, he notes that he prefers shorter shorts, where as I prefer longer. Then of course there is the general fit of the clothing, as we all have different body types. To further complicate matters, the Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Leader bib shorts are their top of the line gear, so of course they are supposed to be good.

They are good. Really, really good, in fact. For me, they’re almost perfect. Find out what that means after the break.

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Campagnolo has just made it a bit easier on cyclists losing sleep over whether to go with a compact or standard crankset.

Their new 52/36 EVO chainring options will be available only for their 11-speed  groups: Super Record, Record Chorus and the carbon Athena in all four lengths (165, 170, 172.5 and 175).  It’s an option for their 2013 groups, and they’re EPS compatible. Claimed weights for the cranksets with the new rings are 663g for Athena Carbon, 690g for Chorus, 650g less for Record, and 607g for Super Record.

They use Campy’s proprietary compact 110BCD, and the rings are called mid-compact and are retrofittable to any of these four Campy compact cranksets. Since 2011, Campy has stiffened up their chainrings in anticipation of their EPS group. Jerry Ott, Campy’s US Customer Service Manager, says the EPS front derailleur puts out 70% more force than their mechanical ones, so everything had to be made stiffer. Despite the gap, they says they’re designed to shift just as smoothly as the rest.

Still need more gearing? Shift through the break…

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See all of our Project 24.2 posts here!

While it has worked so far, I decided to go in a different direction when it came time to update the contact information on my Road ID Wrist ID Elite.  As temperatures have gone from wintery to downright hot, the wide silicone band has been on the warm side.  More importantly, I’ve been spending more time on our mountains’ rough and rocky trails and the weight added by the Elite’s stainless deployment clasp has caused the ID to rattle around more than I’d like.  When I saw that a new Wrist ID Slim would cost $1 less than a replacement ID Tag for the Wrist ID Elite, the decision to give the smallest Road ID a try was easy. Cross the line for my thoughts…

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