Welcome to Bikerumor’s Sneak Peeks, where we bring you the latest bikes and technology we’ve found floating around the web and socials. This stuff is fresh, so new it’s likely not available, or even official. From prototypes to concepts, these sneak peeks are a glimpse into the future…
WRP Stem with Integrated Garmin Mount
William’s Racing Products, creators of the CentreHub spider that permits pedal-free gear changes, have expanded their lineup of mountain bike stems with the new Stuart stem with integrated computer mount. Inspired by World Cup mechanic, Lachy McKillop, the Stuart stem boasts his favored dimensions; 31.8mm clamp, 44mm reach, and 36mm stack.
The stem has a regular faceplate design, save for the topside wherein a computer mount is integrated at the border between the main body of the stem and the faceplate. The mount itself is compatible with Garmin and Wahoo GPS Computers. The stem is available in two options; with an integrated pre-load cap, for those who already have their steerer length and ride height dialed in, or one with a regular open cap design.
How does the Stuart Stem wedge clamp work?
Williams Racing Products opted for a wedge clamp design to secure the stem to the fork steerer. They tell us that the conventional pinch clamp design that we see on the vast majority of stems does not apply even compression on the steerer. When it is tightened, it tries to ovalize the bore of the stem thus forcing it into a shape that isn’t complementary to the outside surface of the steerer tube.
With WRP’s wedge clamp design, tightening the bolts forces a centrally positioned wedge up against the steerer tube. The wedge interfaces with the steerer at approximately 180° of its circumference. Pressure from the wedge exerts a force on the opposing ~180° of the stem bore. The only part that isn’t clamped is the 2mm gap between the wedges. WRP say their computer models validate that theory. They claim their machining tolerances guarantee almost all 360° of the stem bore/wedges are touching the steerer.
The WRP Stuart stem is available for pre-order now at $229 AUD, with shipping expected around mid-February.
Snik GPS Tracker Hides inside your Head Tube
Vancouver-based bike security brand, Snik, are looking to make bike security much, much smarter with the introduction of the Snik GPS Tracker that resides within your fork’s steerer tube. This anti-bike theft device connects to your phone via the Snik App which will display the location of your bike on demand. The brand are yet to launch, so we’re yet to hear details on exactly how precise a location it can give, as well as details on battery life and signal strength.
Tucked away inside the steerer tube, the Snik GPS Tracker is pretty stealthy. The Snik has no obvious branding, so a thief would have to look very closely at your bike to realize the stem top cap is hiding a GPS device, something they’ll be unlikely to do in a rush.
The device is installed much like OneUp’s EDC Lite 9-Function Multitool. To free up space inside the steerer, the star nut needs to be shunted downwards a few inches. That then allows space to slot the carrier in. This is the point at which you thread the headset screw in to cinch everything down, eliminating play from the headset. The Snik GPS device is then dropped into its carrier and locked into place with a special tool. You can’t remove the device unless you are in possession of said tool, so it needs to become part of your kit list for everyday riding. We’ll have more on the Snik Bike Security device when launch date finally comes around. In the meantime, get your updates here.
Ride5Dev Titanium Compact Disc Chainring
5Dev is a relatively new bicycle componentry brand born out of parent company 5th Axis, a self-described world leader in manufacturing complex components for the aerospace and medical industries. They caught our attention before now with their 7075 aluminum MTB and eMTB cranksets, as well as their 110g titanium stem. Now, they are turning heads yet again with a very unusual-looking prototype chainring.
The 5Dev Chainring is of a compact disc design (with ridges), not entirely dissimilar to what we were seeing in the world of BMX back in the day. This prototype is direct mount only, set up on 5Dev’s beautiful black-anodized CNC-machined aluminum crankset. We got in touch with 5Dev for more details on this but they were unable to share much. Seen here is a prototype that they are currently testing, though they did tell us they have a complete product line coming soon with options from 30T to 34T that will include both alloy and titanium options.
Release date is rough, suggested as Spring 2022. Expect it to be light. Don’t expect it to be cheap.
