As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.
When you really start digging around in the world of bicycle components, it doesn't take long to find out that a handful of companies own a good chunk of the landscape.
Zipp, Rock Shox, Avid, Truvativ — all SRAM brands. Campagnolo has a separate wheel brand — Fulcrum — that handles more affordable wheels.
And then there's Shimano, which has a pair of side projects going. One is Pearl Izumi, which is owned by Shimano USA. Pearl is pretty much its own independent entity, though you'll see some Shimano design cues in the 2010 shoe lineup.
The other side project is PRO, which you may have seen spec'd on the bikes of most of the Shimano-sponsored teams. Of course, you might not have seen it, too — the marketing effort behind the brand is fairly non-existent.
Look for more PRO in 2010, both online and in shops. Shimano reps are pushing it hard, trying to get more of the company's products into more hands. Depending upon what kind of shop you have, that may or may not materialize into a large presence. This is performance-related stuff, so if you go to a shop that specializes in hybrids, with a few race bikes on the side, you probably won't see it.
From the early looks at the 2010 lineup, there are some fairly solid options. One that we're going to carry in our store is the bar tape. It comes in several varieties (microfiber, cork and something called "digital carbon") and has a nice feel to it. I'd rate the microfiber on par with Fizik, though it's just a little bit softer.
Bottle cages will be making an appearance as well. Judging by the GamJams bottle cage reviews from a few months back, good cages are worth keeping. The PRO cages look quite a bit like Elite cages, but I haven't been able to actually test them. A bottle cage can look cool as hell, but if it doesn't hold a bottle over the rough stuff, it doesn't matter. Look for more info on those in the coming months.
Finally, I'll also be checking out the road stems, which for 2010 have an almost Ultegra SL (ice gray) finish to them. It's hard to beat Shimano's aluminum machining, so a lightweight road stem is a pretty solid bet.
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In addition to being GamJams Tech Editor, Bryan Redemske manages the Trek Store of Omaha, is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a lot of coffee.
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