SKS
They had a bunch of new products for the coming season, highlighted by two tubeless tire filling systems, the portable air tank RideAir and the TL Head which utilizes a CO2 that attaches to a retrofitted pump head unit. They also had the heavy duty AirWorx Plus 10.0 pump, the SpaceCage water bottle system with a hidden storage compartment, the S-Guard fender that attaches to a saddle.
RideAir
The RideAir system remedies filling finicky tubeless tires by giving you the ability to inflate them using a pressurized canister at home, the trailhead, on road trips and during race situations. The system ($70) consists of a small air canister that can be pumped up to 230 psi, which facilitates seating a tubeless tire bead onto a set of rims.
It features the air canister, an easy to read pressure gauge, a filling valve, and short filler hose with a screw-on head. The canister is sized to fit within a water bottle cage for the ultimate in portability. I like how the filling hose rolls back into a slot on the unit, keeping it hidden and out of the way.
To use the RideAir: attach a regular floor pump to the fill valve on the top/end of the unit, stroke the pump 40 or more times to fill the canister, attach the head of the hose to the tires valve and push the inflation release button to seat the tire.
TL Head
The new pump head from SKS Germany is an excellent retrofittable solution for filling tubeless tires on existing floor pumps. It’s compatible with SKS floor pumps and others brands which have the same air hose diameters. The TL head gets attached to the end of the pumps hose and provides the ability for both for conventional pumping and with CO2 cartridges for seating up tubeless tires. The TL Head can be removed from the floor pump and carried by itself for a portable and stand-alone C02 inflator.
To fill tubeless tires, attach the pump head to the tires valve, thread in the C02 cartridge to seat the tire, and then finish things off with a couple of strokes of the pump handle.
The $33 kit comes with the TL Head and two tire levers and two 16g CO2 cartridges.
AirWorx Plus 10.0
The pump is larger than the regular AirWorx 10.0, and the high-performance metal pump (max. 10 bar / 144 psi) features high-quality materials and easy handling. The tall barrel is easy on the back and pumps tons of volume per stroke. The pressure gauge, positioned at the top is fitted with a pressure release button. This function makes it easy to reduce the pressure in tubes with Presta or Schrader valves. Suitable for all valve types with a Multi-Valve head.
SpaceCage
The new SpaceCage is not only a bottle cage, but it also features storage located at the bottom in a screw-on container. The storage compartment is easily secured in place with a bayonet catch. You can use the compartment to carry your repair kit, keys or change. The bottle cage is made of light but high strength plastic and is equipped with the tried and trusted nose to adjust the cage for different bottle sizes.
S-Guard
The super lightweight 24-gram fender is a little 290mm long mudguard that protects your bottom from mud and water. It’s made from a super soft material and will fit nearly every saddle. Additionally, you fix the S-GUARD with a cable tie if desired.
Anywhere Without TopCage
The Anywhere Mounts were created to solve the problem of attaching just about anything to just about anywhere on the bike. If you are looking to mount an extra water bottle on your carbon frame for a longer race, or you are looking to add an anything cage for that long bikepacking trip, these Anywhere Mounts will do the trick! It utilizes heavy duty velcro with rubber straps to create a solid mount for a solid no slip closure. I can’t wait to try the mount out on my bike for carrying a saw while doing trail maintenance.
SQlab
SQlab has Innerbarends and new trick saddles including the 612 and 611 Ergowave models. The key features for SQlab’s saddles are there multiple sizing that is specific for the riders sit bone width, the stepped rear design, which pushes the riders weight onto those sit bones and the MaxContact nose section.
612 and 611 Ergowave Saddles
The new Ergowave saddle has a sleek raised rear that offers more rearward support and maximizes power transmission. The saddles have a new shell designed in conjunction with the Univ of Frankfurt and offer optimal ergonomic positioning while sitting on the rear of the saddle. The elevated wave shaped Ergowave profile contours from the back to front and the form-fitting design transfers energy for forward movement instead of wasting energy in a poor sitting position. It has a lower and more level nose section and a pronounced center dip, so less pressure is applied to the sensitive nether regions.
The saddle uses their Active Technology system which offers up to a 7° pelvis movement which mimics the biomechanics of walking, and this correlates to an increased pedaling efficiency and decreased pressure on the sit bones and a mobilization of the spinal discs. The Active damping system uses three different density elastomers, which are swappable (plug-n-play) depending on the riders desired amount of lateral movement of the hips.
Innerbarends 411
The new Innerbarends are wicked cool and highly functional, and the hand and arm relief they provide are greatly appreciated.
The new Innerbarends provide additional leverage and positioning when using wide handlebars, and they reside just inwards from the standard hand grip locations. Allowing an alteration of how the bars are held offers muscle relief for the hands, arms, shoulders, neck and back and it’s particularly advantageous for fire roads, mellow climbs and long days in the saddle.
SQlab designed the Innerbarends with a hand positioning that is natural and ergonomic, which should help with hand numbness and tingle. Additionally, the tucked and relaxed elbow position should improve aerodynamics and increase riding speed, and be assistful on windy days.
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