As usual, Paul Components had some nifty solutions to problems you probably didn’t know existed, the most unique of which was their new Twin Pull Lever. Aimed at fixie riders that actually want brakes but want to keep a minimal cockpit, this lets you control front and rear brakes with a single lever. And that’s just the beginning of their finely machined collection.
HED Wheels had their new tubular Ardennes and a reshaped Flamme Rouge carbon tubular to increase tire spread, and Sampson had his superlight new carbon Stratics pedals on display. See it all after the break…
On the left, another view of the Twin Pull Lever. It has separate mounts for the pivot to allow it to be used for either V-brakes or cantilevers. On the right, their new inline cyclocross brake lever.
On the left, a singlespeed chainring for use with their SS crank arms. They also do one with the Royal Flush suits machined into each of the four circles. At right, their Funky Monkey seatpost mounted brake hanger lets you convert a bike that came with V-brakes into one that’ll run cantilevers (like taking an old MTB frame and making it appear more ‘cross ready.
They also had new Salmon all-weather brake pads and sealed bearing Melvin pulleys for their Melvin chain tensioner.
Lastly, their new Tall and Handsome seatpost uses a massive 26mm setback section with dual bolts to allow for fine-tuning of the seat angle. It’s available in the black and silver ano on either end or the high polished version in the middle. Price is $102 to $107 and it’s only available in a 27.2 x 360mm for now. Made of 2024 aluminum, 320g. And (seriously), you can download the instructions for this part on their website.
Eric Sampson’s new carbon fiber road pedal has a massive platform that he’ll happily tell you is much larger than a Look Keo, and it’s damn light. Laughably light, actually, once you’ve held it in your hand. Check this post for more info, but here’s the nutshell: The C8 (shown) has a chromoly steel axle at 238g/pair and the C9 has a ti axle at 190g/pair but comes with a 175lb rider weight limit. $239 and $319, available now.
Sampson’s TT levers are available now with alloy or carbon lever blades. Their standout feature is that they have a ton of cable pull, which helps give a little strength to brakes on time trial and triathlon bikes. 60g each.
HED showed off the latest version of their Flamme Rouge (formerly the Stinger). The new rim profile (bottom, at left) is shallower than the old shape (top) which lets you mount a narrower tire. Our guess is it also provides a broader contact patch for better tire shape and cornering grip.
The hubs get a new grease port that’s covered by a sliding carbon fiber ring in the center. Pump in new grease and the old stuff comes out of the sides of the hub to be wiped away.
We’ve covered this in bits and pieces already but just to recap: The Ardennes becomes a full line of wheels, absorbing the Bastongne and others. They all get a new 2x/2x lace pattern to stiffen them up. Also, for 2011, all Ardennes will be available as tubulars, too. Same price as the clinchers, all are 23mm wide.
