NAHBS 2010 – Eric Sampson had his full array of eponymous components on display, including a few brand new goodies coming out in April.
The most eyecatching was this gold-colored full alloy cassette that’s machined out just like the SRAM Red Powerdome into a one-piece, rock solid set of 7000-series aluminum cogs. It weighs in at a mere 109g! MSRP? A cool $179, which makes it 51g lighter and $51 cheaper, plus the bling quotient is off the charts. Sampson said the tooth profile is cut sharp and it actually will shift better with a bit of wear, but it’s intended only for races and important illustrations of your climbing prowess. Expected life is about 1,500 to 2,000 miles depending on care and conditions.
Check out all the new, lightweight goodies just after the break…
The smallest cog is part of the screw cap.
The Titanium road cassette is built in traditional form and has an aluminum carrier, but it still weighs in about 25g under the SRAM Red unit…135g! The MSRP on this one, though, is pretty high at $439, but you’ll get about 4,000 miles out of it.
It’s shown with the freehub in it to hold it together for the show…the lower cogs are individual rings.
The new Stratics-5 road pedal comes with either a steel spindle (121g/pedal, $139) or titanium (99g/pedal, $249).
Tension adjustment on the rear has a wide range.
The new Stratics CN (for CNC) stem is fully CNC’d from a solid block of 6000 series aluminum. The front has a 40mm wide clamp area with center stress reliever connecting the sides of the faceplate and helping to spread tension across a wider area on the handlebar, an especially good idea for carbon bars.
It weighs in at a very respectable 135g (100mm). The body of the stem tapers wider toward the front, increasing rotational stiffness. It’ll be available in late March 2010 for $139.
While not a new item, the Stratics SL crankset/BB is an impressive item. The thick appearance conveys the stiffness Eric claims, and they’re very light. Cranks, rings and bottom bracket together weigh in at a claimed 645g and retail for $599.
Of course, there’s no better way to showcase your parts than on your own bike, and the recently redesigned Sampson Kalispell is a nice, curvy, carbony display platform.
