At first glance, the new Trickstuff Deckele may not seem like much, but it’s the world’s lightest star nut at just 12g. That, and it provides the perfect item for pulling your stem and spacers tight when using a carbon steerer tube because it is not, in fact, anything like a traditional star nut…
The center bolt is there only to hold the top cap, which is included and necessary because it’s designed for the thinner than normal bolt. To secure the Deckele inside the steerer, the other bolt pulls up on a wedge that evenly expands the entire body of the part to apply full, even pressure all the way around the inside of the steerer tube. They say it shouldn’t slip like typical expansion plugs used on carbon steerers can.
Another nice feature is that it can run wires and hoses right past it, with plenty of roomy holes for multiple lines to slip past. It fits inside diameters from 23.3mm up to almost 25mm.
The new Gandhi seatpost collar puts the bolt as close to the post as possible, which prevents uneven pressure and binding. It’s also perfectly round on the inside, and requires less torque, which is good for dropper posts since it won’t have to be tightened so much that it binds the telescoping element (yes, that can happen).
It, too, is very light.
New Beta brake hose made from Kevlar is just 17g per meter but will handle up to 630 bar, so it won’t expand under braking. Compared to their Goodridge hose, it’ll save about 40-50g per bike.
Friendship adapter allows you to put Shimano shifters with a SRAM brake, opposite of what their Matshi does.
The biggest item at their booth was the all-new Direttissima brake lever. The name is derived from Italian and means “most direct route.” They say it has the weight of an XTR trail brake, but provides 10% more power than Shimano Saints.
Both the lever and the piston pushrod move on bearings rather than bushings. It’s a mineral oil system.
The lever is totally new, but the caliper will get a 1mm larger diameter piston. For two piston brakes, it’ll bump to 17mm, and the four pot goes to 13 and 17. Available end of this year. €800 for both wheels in any colors you want.