The Dauphine is often a proving ground for new technology ahead of its debut at the Tour de France in 3 weeks time. This year, along with a number of teams debuting Dura Ace 9000 groups, Trek has put several Radioshack Nissan riders on what appears to be the new Madone. Supposedly dubbed the 7 series, it's currently unknown if this aero offering will replace the current 6.9SSL or be an addition to the lineup.
After the much hyped Dura Ace 9000 has been floating around for a while, details were released today about the new Di2 group which will be numbered 9070. Expect significant changes in the styling and functionality of the group; the most significant highlights are discussed here.
You've already seen the crankset several times in the past. But now we get more information on it: Shimano is offering the crank in a single BCD. That's right, gone is the standard and compact options, replaced by a single 110mm, 4 bolt BCD. The hollow chainrings will be available in a multitude of sizes from compact to cyclocross, standard and TT configurations. Supposedly, the chainring design allows any chainring produced to be stiff enough to work with the compact BCD. Be wary though, those chainrings won't be cheap, so choose your gearing very wisely or be prepared to lay out a large sum in order to change it out.
Having retired my Vittoria Rubino Pros after about 5500 miles on them (and finally wearing through to the cords) I was in the hunt for a new set of rubber. As luck would have it, the Trexlertown VeloFest a couple weeks ago, and it was the perfect opportunity to score some new rubber at a good price. As luck would have it, I picked up a pair of Michelin Pro 4 Race Service Courses for $70, which was a pretty decent deal (and no tax either.) While I was not terribly fond of the Pro Race 3 (both for longevity and puncture reasons) I was willing to give these a go.
Well, like any new product, “substantial research” was put into the development of the Pro 4. Michelin claims longer lifespan due to a dual tread compound with a more durable center tread. They also claim that technology trickling down from MotoGP has led to a more pointed profile which rolls faster and corners 13% better than the Pro 3. Tests apparently showed that the average lean angle increased from 21 degrees to 27.5 degrees before slipping. And most importantly, durability and puncture resistance has been increased substantially. All this supposed improvement led me to take a chance (although to be honest, at $35 per tire, it's not much of a risk.)
My Rubino Pros weighed in at an average of 236 grams. The Pro 4s weighed in at 198 grams (average.) This equated to a total savings of 72 grams (about 1/6th of a pound, which isn't much.) The Pro 4s were quite a bit harder to mount up than the Vittorias, even for a set of new tires. They were TIGHT on the rim and I had to actually work to get them on, but they may stretch slightly over time. Once inflated, they are definitely more of an oblong/pointed profile as opposed to a round profile, and they seem to be closer to a true 23mm tire than the 23mm Rubino Pros (which were more like a 25mm.)
Sidebar: Yes, I know all about the research that shows how larger contact patches roll faster etc etc, but honestly the difference is so minimal that I'd sooner go for a better quality tire then a wider tire that rolls .001 mph faster. Now, back to the review at hand.
I inflated the front to 85 PSI and the rear to about 92 PSI and took off on a 67 mile ride. Right out of the gate, the Pro 4s seem to roll a bit quicker: while it's impossible to quantify via hard data, the Pro 4's didn't seem sluggish when coasting. Cornering seemed to be somewhat better than the Rubinos as well, but this could be due to the slick Pro 4 shoulders. The Vittorias felt a little “squishy” when being pushed to the absolute limit, which I chalk up to the shoulder siping squirming around a bit. Ride quality seemed to be a little compromised, which could very well be chalked up to the 110 tpi of the Pro 4 compared to the 150 tpi of the Rubino and the smaller volume. I wouldn't call it rough, but it certainly is a little bit more “chattery” which may be a turn-off for some riders. The best thing: no flats, even in wet conditions with cinders (and even some gravel roads.)
Since I've mounted them, I'v put about 250 miles on them. 250 miles is really not even close to enough time to form a solid opinion on these, but you know what they say: you only have one chance to make a first impression. So far, the Pro 4s have made a good one, and I hope that continues to be the case.
Dear Garmin,
It's been painfully obvious to even the most casual observer that the fitness end of your business model is far from a primary concern to your executives. Between continually pushing back your “revolutionary” Vector power meter, firmware that is loaded with bugs, devices that crash frequently and expensive, limited use mapping cards.
But perhaps the most egregious infraction, at least in my mind, is the crappy quality sensor that you bundle with your cycling GPS units. For something with supposedly so much research in it, how in the hell can you build such a shoddy product? First of all, the design of the speed sensor arm lends it to being caught up in the spokes any time it should shift even a small amount. Secondly, the quality of the Reed switch in the speed sensor arm is utter crap.
I've been through five speed/cadence sensors in the past year (including two in the past WEEK!) Each and every time the Reed switch has gone bad, either from a small shock or just random cessation of existence. Seriously…there has got to be a way for you to make a decent quality sensor without losing money on it (although you seem to be fine with losing money, what with the Vector program purchase and subsequent failure….)
So while you're busy ironing out the Vector trainwreck, I implore you, on behalf of all the useless speed sensors out there, USE MORE ROBUST ELECTRONICS!
Since this request will probably fall upon deaf ears, perhaps there is a way to attach a more robust sensor to the existing Garmin unit, even if it's not a pretty solution. I'll try that in the future and post results of how it works out.
Looks like Shimano's new Dura Ace carbon wheels were on display this past weekend (on top of a Team Sky support car.) These look like 60mm rims to me, but they could be 78mm depending on the perspective.
Interestingly, it appears these wheels are set up for 10 speed, so they probably didn't go on the bikes that have been testing the new 11 speed Dura Ace 9000.
Photos after the jump: