Denmark's New Ultimate specialise in making lightweight, race-focused components. Their products are now available in the UK through Axel Imports (also responsible for Industry Nine hubs and wheels and Guru frames).
New Ultimate's 2011 kit is mainly mountain bike orientated and includes a couple of ambitious projects. The Evo carbon fibre seatpost is a standout item, with a tapered carbon tube and titanium bolts giving a claimed weight of just 114g for a 350x31.6mm post.
It's also available in 30.9mm diameter, with a 410mm length option in both sizes. The two-bolt clamp is the same as that used on New Ultimate's untapered carbon and butted aluminium posts.
At the other end of the cockpit, New Ultimate have launched what they say is one of the lightest handlebars in the world, at 99g for a 580mm flat bar. If you need more width, the Lowriser bar comes in at 620mm, with a 30mm rise and eight-degree sweep – still not wide by trail standards, but they're designed for racing. The Lowriser's extra length and rise adds weight, but not much – it's still only 120g. Both bars are 31.8mm diameter at the centre.
More ambitiously, New Ultimate also have a carbon fibre mountain bike frame, currently in prototype form but to be available soon. The Warp SL includes all the currently in-vogue frame features, with a head tube ready to accept a tapered 1.5-1.125in steerer, BB92 bottom bracket shell and post mount for the rear brake. Dropouts are full-carbon, with a replaceable derailleur hanger. Flattened seatstays are claimed to add comfort. The Warp SL has a claimed weight of 1,050g and will cost £1,290,
Also only in prototype form at the moment is a mountain bike crank. While the looks are somewhat retro, the through-axle design is entirely contemporary. Unlike most cranks, New Ultimate's design doesn't have one arm permanently attached to the axle – the drive side can be detached too, allowing access to remove the spider to switch between triple and double configurations.
Finally, and possibly even more ambitious than the frame, New Ultimate have their own hydraulic disc brake system. The SL brake has a slightly wider remit than many of the other parts in the range, promising sufficient power for all-mountain use as well as cross-country. It's certainly slimline in appearance, and the post mount callipers are compatible with universally-available Shimano-pattern brake pads.