Speaking of easier gearing for the hills, Shimano's new Dura-Ace group will now accept a 28-tooth cog. Also helping on the climbs, they've shaved grams from every component, now offer a Dura-Ace compact crankset, and have a new chain with dedicated sideplates designed specifically for smoother, faster shifting. This chain also includes a connecting link. No more tricky pins. Yay!
Equally pleasing, they've hidden the shift cables, too, and added carbon to the rear derailleur pulley cage for that high-tech look. Carbon is now used for the Dual Control levers, as well, so you get the nice warm feel of plastic when you handle them not the cold feel of aluminum, but you'll want to be a bit more careful how you lay your bike down. And, showing their engineering muscle, Shimano's new D-A cranksets feature a wild-looking hollow outer chainring now, plus their new bottom bracket is said to have improved seals, which hopefully means less friction than current models. A thorough report about the new group is here.
Finally, just for fun, and since we're talking about new high-tech gadgets, maybe you'll get a kick out of Swiss Army's Swisschamp, a $425 pocketknife, the perfect gift for any geek dad for Father's Day. It includes a dizzying array of blades, tools and gizmos, like a pharmaceutical spatula, watch opener, thermometer, altimeter and even a hacksaw and chisel! Read all about it.
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