NOW AVAILBLE: ENDURO® ZERŲ CERAMIC HYBRID BEARINGS
Posted March 3, 2008
Real World Cycling is proud to announce the release, in limited sizes, of the "ZERŲ"
line of ceramic hybrid bearings. These are the finest ceramic hybrid bearings on the market today. They feature
Grade 3 ceramic balls manufactured in the USA. We've added a rust-proof Magnetite finish to our hardened and cryogenically
treated chromium steel races, and added dual-lip non-contact seals. For more details on what makes
the ZERŲ line the new standard in ceramic hybrid bearings, be sure and check out the "ZERŲ" SPECIFICATIONS . Check HERE for available sizes (more sizes coming soon!).
UPDATE: TREK MADONE® BEARING UPGRADES
Posted February 9, 2008
The Madone® frame is getting a lot of attention
from serious roadies right now. Consequently, many of you have been asking about ceramic hybrid upgrade bearings
for the proprietary integrated bottom bracket. We are happy to announce the release of several new Madone-specific
ceramic hybrid bearing kits.
If you are running a Shimano crank
on your Madone and wish to upgrade to ceramic hybrid bearings, our:
CERAMIC HYBRID
HOLLOWTECH 2®
OUTBOARD BEARING KIT
FORTREK® MADONE®
supplies you with new ceramic hybrid bearings and Madone-specific silicone seals:
Click on photo to visit the Bottom Bracket page...
If you are running a SRAM or Bontrager crank on your Madone, you can upgrade your
GXP integrated bottom bracket to ceramic hybrid bearings with our:
CERAMIC HYBRID
GXP®
(SRAM®, BONTRAGER®)
OUTBOARD BEARING
KIT
FOR TREK®
MADONE®
CLICK ON PHOTO TO GO TO BOTTOM BRACKET SPECIALTIES
This kit includes new ceramic hybrid bearings and a new drive-side Madone-specific silicone
seal. This seal is the only other "hardware" subject to wear. You will re-use your existing wave washer and
stainless non-drive bearing cover. If you wish to replace all of your GXP hardware, see the GXP "conversion kit" below.
If you wish to convert to a SRAM or Bontrager crank from a different brand, you will
need the additional hardware that comes with our:
CERAMIC HYBRID
GXP®
(SRAM®, BONTRAGER®)
OUTBOARD BEARING
CONVERSION KIT
FOR TREK®
MADONE®
CLICK ON PHOTO TO GO TO BOTTOM BRACKET SPECIALTIES
If you are still not sure what you need, please feel free to call or send us an email!
NEW ENDURO® HUB BEARING
PRESS TOOL NOW AVAILABLE
Posted December 14, 2007
Covering 10 common hub bearing sizes, the BRT-5 Hub Bearing Press combines function, ergonomics,
and aesthetics into one tool. For 608, R6, 6802, 6803, 6805, 6901, 6902, 6903, 6000, and 6001 bearings.
Available for direct purchase on our BEARING TOOLS page.
NEW BB30® BOTTOM BRACKET
BEARING PULLER/PRESS TOOL NOW AVAILABLE
Posted November 21, 2007
Changing BB30 (Cannondale SI/Specialized S-Works) bearings has never been
easier now that the ENDURO BB30 Puller/Press Tool is here. Forget punches, hammers, and improvised "presses."
Quickly and smoothly change the bearings without risk of damage to the frame or the bearings. Available for direct purchase
on our BEARING TOOLS page.
NEW ROCKSHOX® REPAIR PARTS
NOW AVAILABLE
Posted November 21, 2007
It's going to take us a while to get them all posted, but we have quite a few "new
old stock" repair parts for RockShox forks and rear shocks. Be sure and check out our OE ROCKSHOX PARTS page for updates. You can always give us a call or shoot us an email to check stock. We have many rebuild
kits, replacement dampers, stickers, and CSU's (upper assemblies).
MORE INTERBIKE NEWS
Posted October 5, 2007
Bearings at InterBike...
Among SRAM's new offerings
this year are some products that integrate ceramic hybrid bearings. While a step in the right direction, we would have
expected the engineers at SRAM to know a little bit more about bearing materials. Take, for example, their new ceramic
hybrid derailleur pulleys...
SRAM's choice for the bearing race material is stainless steel. To understand
why stainless is not well suited for for this application, one need only keep in mind one of the main reasons
for using ceramic balls in the first place: superior hardness. Ceramic balls are more than twice as hard as
steel balls. This increase in hardness results in longer bearing life and less ball deflection. The idea of "hybrid"
bearings is to get the best match possible between a ceramic ball and a non-ceramic race. This is why Enduro
Ceramic Hybrid bearings use a specially treated chromium steel (52100) for our races. Here are the hardness numbers
in Rockwell C-Scale:
While a 2-6 point difference between the stainless and chromium steel may not sound
like a lot, the hardness scale is exponential, and this difference translates into a 15-20% increase in bearing life.
Since one of the main reasons to upgrade bearings is to reduce friction, ball
and race compatibility is critical. In addition to being softer than chromium steel, the grain structure of stainless
steel will not allow it to take as fine a polish as our treated chromium steel races.
Our jockey wheels weigh in at 9 grams for the top pully and 10 grams for the
lower pulley including our anodized dust covers. The SRAM pulleys come in at 12 grams each.
INTERBIKE NEWS
September 29, 2007
For now, just a couple of supsension updates...
ROCKSHOX has redefined the SID fork. This is not
a matter of tweaking an existing platform. Would you believe 32mm stanchion tubes and "Power Bulges" (think Lyric and
Totem) in the lowers?
For the World Cup model (pictured above), carbon fiber is used in some key areas.
The black areas on the arch and the back of the power arches are "windows" into the carbon locations.
For those familiar with "Motion Control Damping," the concept of that red plastic
"spring" actually compressing up to 3mm was a hard thing to get our minds around. What about a similarly shaped machined
titanium version? That's exactly what you'll find in the "BlackBox Motion Control" equipped SID forks. Along with
that, a shim stack will be added and the compression/lockout lever will have detent positions.
While still the flagship cross country race fork, the new SID will handle more
than racing. Word is it will be able to handle any duties a 100mm REBA will...
MANITOU has been going through some serious changes
since being acquired by the Hayes Bicycle Group. Some of the changes, such as the redesigned crowns, are visible from
the outside, but many internal refinements have been made.
Manitou has had some good air/coil hybrid spring systems in the past, but these
required the use of various "ride kits" in order to set up the forks for individual riders. A couple of years ago,
the R-7 came equiped with a negative coil spring and positive air chamber. This eliminated the need for ride kits, but
the performance was not really where Manitou wanted it to be. The new "NOBLE AIR" system is a self-equalizing positive/negative
air system that is supposed to deliver a great ride with nothing more than an air pump needed for setup.
There will be some damping changes, as well. As far as Manitou forks are
concerned, SPV is pretty much gone. "Absolute" damping will be the new buzz word, and there will be platform and
non-platform versions of it. Look for damping "cartridge" options on many of the forks to reduce oil volumes and rod
diameters (increases adjustment sensitivity while reducing weight). TPC damping will still be an option on various fork
models.
One Manitou fork already getting a lot of attention is the Minute 29ER. We
saw it on many 29-inch mountain bikes at the show.
The Dorado is slated for a comeback with improved carbon fiber outer tubes, improved
tube clamping system, and 36mm stanchion tubes. The new Dorado MRD Race will feature 203mm of travel and is expected
to weigh in at 2902g (6.4 pounds).
While we're on the subject of inverted forks with 36mm stanchion tubes, MAVERICK had their new DUC 36 on display.
The DUC 36 features a carbon monocoque "H" fork body and 165mm of travel.
Claimed weight is 4.5 pounds. According to Maverick, the DUC 36 will be 22% stiffer than the DUC 32. Expected
delivery of the fork is "Summer 2008."
WHITE BROTHERS, a pioneer in the 29-inch fork market,
has a 150mm travel 29er fork that was just the ticket for the 165mm rear travel prototype bike from NINER
Bikes.
