Stop signs, who cares?

Simple, elegant and, it's a Bridgestone:

Dealer Camp New Products Report 4- Ellsworth, K-edge, Ashima

Josh Bender was hanging out at the Ellsworth booth, so Fahzure had to stop by and see what's new.  Ellsworth is still making frames in Vancouver, WA so one thing they can do is offer custom and mixed anodized colors.  This one was about a $350 upgrade, Mardi Gras!:

This is a Fahzue-type bike, a prototype, coil sprung  7 in freeride bike.  The seattube, headtube and shock rate are all tuned for Freeride fun:

K-edge had a neat mountain bike chain catcher on display, which they promised to forward a sample of, so Fahzure could check it out. Report coming. Looking for Di2 for your mountain bike? The K-edge folks have can mod a Dura Ace rear derailleur with a longer cage to work with wider range clusters, they call it Ki2 and a two derailleur and shifter kit will run you about $3400: 

These Ashima brakes are of a novel design, no pistons in the caliper, rather a diaphragm moves the pads.  some of their other brakes have two different sized pistons in the caliper:

 Check out the transfer pipe and groovy lightweight rotors:

Dealer Camp New Products Report 3-SRAM, Pivot, BH, Fuji

The buzz around SRAM as a responsible partner in growing the bicycle industry was very strong at the Dealer Camp.  You and your kids will probably appreciate SRAM's efforts at supporting cycling without knowing it. What you will know about is what's new from SRAM, like this SID 29er:

 New rotors, with consistent, even, standard sizing (140, 160, 180, 200mm) including the pinner 140 XX:

Air bubble in your SRAM brake after hanging it? New master cylinder porting eliminates the trapping of that bubble (found on all Elixer models):

I've been slow to check out Pivot, mostly because Pivot has been slow to build the kind of bikes I like to ride.  Not anymore:

This tight little dirt jumper frame retails for $500:

The Mach 5.7 Carbon has been the most popular mountain model in the Intermountain west. I rode it and it was delightful in a typically DW fashion:

BH, Pivot's road sister, has specialized in carbon for years. Bottom bracket shells are getting enormous. "BB386";750 grams/56cm:

It was a bit disappointing to go by the ASI family of brands tent and find no SEs or Breezers, but I really liked this Fuji bike.  Good colors, spec, pricing and a Horst link:

There were several Asian hydraulic brake models that I had not seen.  This one looked cool:

Tektro Auriga Pros, I think:

Sugoi 2012 Sneek Peek

Well it wasn't Audrey Webster, but I did get to see some of the 2012 Spring Sugoi line.  Sugoi, Pearl, Craft, et. al are a little light duty, shrinkwrap look side for Fahzure.  I prefer to wear things that look and act more like clothes.  In the West you can't be cotton...day in, day out (I can wipe my glasses!). Worried about not surviving a chilly downpour in Oct.? Put a plastic trash bag in your seat bag. Sugoi takes a different approach, they're into high tech fabrics and multiple fabrics in the same piece like this lingerie weight top:

Mesh back is almost see through:

They've also got these techy shorts with dual BOA adjustment (Boa's to be relocated to the back for production):

I don't think this BOA/shorts thing is really going to work out.  Shorts waist bands are kind of a set it and forget it adjustment. Pack interference? Falling?
 
Here's the best item I saw, Arm Coolers, again some type of high tech, super light wicking fabric with gripers top and bottom, SPF 50...$20 retail!!!

Yes, you can get them with "your own" fashion/social statement.  I'm sure the Ed Hardy and Livestrong (well, maybe, not) models are soon to follow.

   

While I try to maintain a good selection of long sleeve cotton Ts for riding, I'm often short such an item when working around the property (I ride that much!).  I'd imagine these would be just the thing for working in the garden, up on the roof or down by the water.

Somebody get on making these in a lightweight cotton/spandex (5%) blend, I'm buyin'!