Tradeshow Randoms: Part One – CarboCage, ZenCranks, Ryde, Pinhead, iBike & More!

We’re on the home stretch now, with a few final collections of things that mostly didn’t have a home in any particular category. Everything from lights to electronics to single components to new pedal/cleat systems that claim to increase your power output. It’s all fun to look at – here we go!

Carbocage had their usual assortment of super light carbon fiber bits and pieces, with a rainbow of colors for the anodized bits. Above, their steerer tube top caps, and below are derailleur pulleys and chainrings…

Nothing really new from the brand this year, we just like looking at the parts.

Spotted these marbled carbon rims at a wheel brand who’s name escaped me. Upon asking what was special about them or if there were any tech details worth mentioning, we got a nonresponse so there were no notes taken. Pretty, though.

Netherlands-based Ryde showed off their 260g road bike rim prototype. While they wouldn’t disclose the material, Scandium is a good bet. They also have a new 27.5″ mountain bike rim available in their Edge extrusion.

Samox appears to be mainly a private label manufacturer, of which many set up at the trade shows to show off their capabilities. Their new Road 2-in-1 chainrings look an awful lot like Cannondale’s SpiderRings by combining numerous thin arms with single-piece double chainring designs.

Pinhead introduced new all-in-one Ultimate Security kits that include a small U-lock with locking axles/pins for both wheels, your saddle, seatpost and headset. It’s keyed the same, so you only need one key to secure it all.

The saddle one (bottom left) was something we hadn’t seen before and a nice bit of additional security if you’ve got a really high end Brooks’ style saddle.

ZenCranks PAS (Power Acceleration System) has an interesting take on crankarm and pedal setup. The crank arms and a pedal adapter have been around for a few years, but these pedals are new and make for a more streamlined appearance. Essentially, they use crankarms that are ~15mm longer than normal (175mm riders would run a 190mm ZenCrank) with offset pedal spindles.

The pedal sits higher than normal, and the combination supposedly gives you more leverage on the downstroke and throughout the most powerful part of your pedal stroke, then feels like a normal crank on the upstroke because the pedal is sitting closer to the BB.

The ZenSlip pedal cleat spacers attempt to mimic some of those benefits without replacing your entire crankset. These seem to still be a work in progress…or their website is very much out of date since neither of the new products are listed yet.

Orontas is a Canadian maker of bicycle care products that are all naturally, sustainably sourced. Honestly, I thought this was a body care line when I first walked up, the packaging is very much like a line of lotions and such. Should stand out in a shop.

Click to enlarge for easier reading.

Introduced earlier in the year, the Syntace C6 clip on aerobar system streamlines the entire assembly for a more aerodynamic package. Foam grips on the ends make them a bit safer but still work with bar end shifters. The center fairing smooths air along the bottom and over the stem, gently leading it into the frame for less drag compared to traditional clip ons.

The also had this extremely low drop stem for 35mm OS handlebars. Top tube says “ouch”!

We first spotted iBike a couple years ago with their all-in-one iSport power measuring cycling computer. It’s come a long way since then, with the introduction of the Newton version and, now, the Newton+.

The iBike Newton+ has more features, like built in wireless, 4x the memory and a claimed power data measurement that matches units from PowerTap, SRM, etc. In their tests, they’re within 3 watts average of standard strain gauge power meters.

The Newton+ Power Stroke adds left/right power balance and body movement. It does this by using the cadence sensor to tell it which pedal stroke is happening, and an accelerometer in the computer tells it how much the bike is swaying back and forth or front and back. That takes energy, which the program shows as wasted energy. It also graphically animates your pedal stroke and bike movement so you can see just how good or bad your form is. There’s video of it on their website.

The best part is all that info is available to current owners as a firmware update.

Other improvements on both the Newton and Newton+ include a fin at the front of the air intake that significantly improves performance in crosswinds. Both new units have a built in rechargeable battery and quicker, easier set up on up to four bikes.

They also have the new Newton Tracker app that tracks GPS data from your ride, sends the data to the cloud and automatically syncs that data to your ride data when you upload the ride info from the Newton to your computer. And all if the ride data can be easily sent to Strava and Training Peaks from within the program.

If your unfamiliar with iBike, they measure wind speed against forward motion and slope (incline) from the accelerometer to determine power. Set up on the new units takes just a few minutes by simply doing a short back and forth ride and inputting your body information.

Lastly, they also have a new TT Mount that’ll put the Newton on aero bar extensions.