Following closely on the heels of their recently announced Ultra Light Sealed Shift Cable System, Gore RideOn will soon add a slimmer 4mm-diameter version for better compatibility with some internally routed frames and external housing guides, along with a more svelte appearance better suited to many road and triathlon machines.
Gore's original Ultra Light shifter housing used aramid-jacketed plastic fiber optic cables (which, yes, would actually transmit light if you took the time to polish the ends) in lieu of conventional steel wires but the redux goes with aramid only. Gore are claimed a 40 percent reduction in weight over standard steel housing, at around 19g per meter. They say the aramid also lends more flexibility for tricky routing configurations.
Additional changes include a new stainless steel inner wire beneath the low-friction coating for improved corrosion resistance and slightly shortened 'grub' seals designed to work better with current-generation SRAM and Shimano derailleurs. Gore's Ultra Light system is fully sealed from end-to-end for improved all-weather performance and fully lubricated liners supposedly decrease friction by 20 percent relative to previous iterations.
Retail price for the new 4mm kits will be US$64.99 when they become available in January. Color options will be limited to black and white. That fully lubed liner will also find its way into Gore RideOn's standard sealed system, which will drop in price to $54.99. The road-specific Professional System kits will be cheaper by $10, too.
Power Cordz Prime claimed to be "lightest cycle cable system" available
Power Cordz have announced a new lightweight cable housing design built with aluminum strands instead of steel ones. The new Prime housing is said to weigh just 18g per meter – roughly half that of conventional housing – and in combination with the company's synthetic fiber Power Cordz inner wires is claimed to be the lightest cable and housing system available.
Despite the lighter weight, company PR man Matt Doyle insists there's no degradation in lever feel. In fact, the alloy housing is said to be more flexible than conventional housing for better compatibility with today's increasingly convoluted internal routing configurations. Power Cordz Prime isn't a fully sealed system, however.
"A fully sealed system inherently creates more drag," said Doyle. "Prime does come with our new nosed ferrules and e-z-bend shifter ferrules protecting the Cordz and sealing the housing." Users can create their own sealed system with a Power Cordz inner wire and available full-length liner run through Nokon segmented aluminum housing if desired.
Power Cordz Prime will be offered in brake and derailleur varieties for both mountain and road bikes in white, red or black. Complete sets will be available beginning this winter for $69.95.
Power Cordz will not only offer housing color options but colors for the nylon coatings on the inner cables, too