The Stu Stick is simple but it gets the job done. Named for the famed cyclocross team mechanic and retailer Stu Thorne, this new aluminum offering from Abbey Bike Tools weighs just 44 grams, so it is lighter than steel rotor tools, but also includes a bottle opener. Not everyone might need a brake rotor straightening tool, but considering this one is so light there is no reason not to have it on race day.
Tag: aluminum
Get You Zipp On
Zipp is offering up two new bottle cage designs, one made of aluminum and the other made of carbon fiber. The Alumina aluminum cage weighs 27 grams and has the same design as the SLSpeed cage. It has an anodized black finish and an MSRP of $35.
The SLSpeed carbon cage weighs 18 grams and is designed for side or direct bottle entry. The side entry is useful on smaller frames and those with tight frame angles. It has a gloss finish and an MSRP of $75.
Both cages will be available this month.
Pedals on the Launch Pad
Launch Components launched it Magnesium Launchpad flat bicycle pedals last year and for those looking to reduce the weight the new Aluminum Launchpad is ready to roll. These are designed for downhill racing, but are light enough for the cross country riding as well.
These feature an ultra low profile body that is just 120mm x 100mm, and yet offer a low surface area that retains grip even when wet. The Aluminum Launchpad pedals weight just 367grams per pair while the CNC machined pedals are hard anodized and ready for off-road adventures.
Pump of Steel
This summer is being hyped up with all that “Man of Steel” stuff. Of course if you had Superman around to inflate your bicycle tires that would be pretty cool. However, since he’s only a comic book/movie character and is probably off battling some super villain you have your own pumping to do.
In that case the Serfas FMP-696 floor pump is the way to go. It isn’t from another planet and isn’t here to promote truth, justice and the American way, but instead it can get your tires pumped up and get you on your way.
This new Serfas pump features a rubber-coated stainless steel braided hose, CNC’d hose clamp and oversized pressured gauge – we call it “super sized.” The pump further offers an aluminum handle and plunger to keep the weight down, but don’t tell anyone because “Pump of Aluminum” doesn’t have the same ring to it as “Man of Steel.” That doesn’t mean that this pump can’t do some super things.
Just as Superman has his dual identity and can change into the persona (and clothing) of Clark Kent, this pump fits both Presta and Schrader. It has a maximum inflation capacity of 260 PSI, which few but Superman will need to get up to.
Hybrid Bike
When we think hybrids we think of a bike that is a cross between something for the road and off-road, but Boo Bicycles had something very different in mind. The Aluboo, which was shown at the recent North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show (NAHBS) is an aluminum alloy and bamboo bicycle! The company has even launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring this thing out.
The rational for the choice of materials is that it provides the ride characteristics of bamboo at a much more attractive price. Boo yeah! Video after the jump
Holiday Gift Idea: Colorful Handlebars
Whatever the question maybe this holiday season you can offer up the Answer ProTaper aluminum handlebars. Made of 7050 aluminum these feature ProTaper designs that provide more wall thickness at stress points and clamp areas and for the holidays these are available in six new color combinations. Sizes include 780mm DH, 720mm All Mountain and 685mm Cross Country. They’ll look festive under the tree and colorful during the riding season.
Holiday Gift Idea: American Made “Liberty” Bottles
Show some patriotic spirit this holiday season with a bottle from Liberty Bottleworks of Washington State. The company was founded in 2010 and makes water bottles in its Union Gap factory from recycled aluminum. Currently the only American-made metal bottles, these are BPA free and made from 100 percent recycled materials. The company offers a number of collections, but we’re partial to the Freedom line above!
Made in America: ReCycle Makes Recycled Bicycles
With a name like ReCycle you can pretty much guess what the company makes: bikes made from recycled materials, including aluminum. The concept behind the company is that recycled aluminum takes 95 percent less energy and creates 95 less CO2 emissions than creating it from virgin material. As such 75 of aluminum processed since the 1880s is still in use.
Based in Los Angeles and headed up by Bryce Edmonds, who moved out from Pennsylvania in the 1990s, the company has three models including the mBula, a cruiser made for beach or city riding; the Mudmaste, an “all-terrain bike;” and the hipster friendly Moshi Moshi, a fixed gear/single-speed. The company is looking to get in gear via a Kickstarter project, with bikes ready to roll soon.
ReCycle Official Website
[Via Onward State: Alumnus Creates World’s First 100% Recycled Aluminum Bikes]
Interbike 2012: Purely Custom(ize) Your Bike
You’ve just bought or finished building your new bike and it is just about perfect. The weight is where you want it and the positioning is spot on, but there just is something that doesn’t make it feel like your bike yet. A splash of color or some custom engraving can often be that ‘cherry on the top’ to finish off your ride and really make it feel like yours. Purely Custom, of Twin Falls, Idaho, is in the business of manufacturing and customizing anodized aluminum parts for the bicycle industry and they are doing it in America for a very reasonable price. Video after the jump
Interbike 2011: 29ers Worth Riding
With so many manufacturers offering 29er hardtail mountain bikes, it can be difficult to pick one that is right for you. Just as demo days that many companies host around the country for the public, the Interbike OutDoor Demo, that occurs each year before the Interbike tradeshow, allows individuals involved in the bike industry to test the newest and latest rides on the market. Not all manufactures are present, but most of the major players are there alongside the little guys offering a fleet of bikes to ride on the trails of Bootleg Canyon outside of Boulder City, Nevada. Having had a chance to test numerous bikes, 29er hardtails were this writer’s choice to put trough the loops of loose, dry and rocky trails of Bootleg Canyon. Before you lay down your hard earned cash on a hardtail 29er, give any of these bikes a spin. Continue reading Interbike 2011: 29ers Worth Riding
Made in America: Paragon Machine Works
Paragon Machine Works is a name that may not be familiar to you, but one of their products might be right in your garage. Machined from aluminum, steel, stainless steel and titanium, Paragon Machine Works manufactures and stocks precision made components for bicycle frame builders. They stock the largest variety of titanium bicycle frame building components in the world, plus they offer design development and high volume manufacturing capabilities allowing them to offer competitive pricing.
Founded in 1983 by Mark Norstad, Paragon Machine Works had its humble beginnings in the Marin County basement of his parent’s house with just a lathe and mill. From that basement, Paragon Machine Works has grown into a 6,000 square foot operation in Richmond, California, employing ten full and part-time employees. Continue reading Made in America: Paragon Machine Works