Sampson Sports have added a new carbon fiber variant of their impressive aluminum-bodied Stratics S5/S6 road pedals to their range for 2012 that promises ultralight weight but still with good value.
The new Stratics Carbon's fiber composite body and rear cam reduce claimed weight to 119g per pedal when paired with chromoly axles and just 99g apiece with titanium spindles. The bearing configuration has been updated, too, with a CNC-machined surface, 15mm wrench flats and a new cartridge-style layout for easier servicing.
According to Eric Sampson, the rear cam shape has been revised for faster entry, too. As on other Stratics pedals, the platform is generously broad for what should be a rock-solid interface, and there's a polished steel plate up top to protect the body and reduce cleat friction for smoother float.
Carryover dual-density cleats incorporate walking pads and are pseudo-Look KéO-compatible – genuine KéO cleats will work in Sampson pedals but the opposite combination won't. Retail price is US$239 for the chromoly axle version and $329 for the titanium set.
A visual indicator on the back of the gate helps users keep the release tension even on both sides
Also new from Sampson Sports are new 10-speed cassettes in sizes suitable for both road and mountain bike applications (11-23, 11-25, 11-28, 11-32, and 11-34t with additional sizes planned for summer). Rather than go after the hyper-lightweight title, the company instead stick with a tried-and-true formula of steel cogs, aluminum spacers and aluminum spiders to shed grams while still keeping the end cost very reasonable.
"[It's] pretty standard tech on the steel cassette – just alloy carrier and alloy spacers," Sampson told BikeRadar. "But it shifts well, looks good, is pretty light and has a good retail price." Claimed weight for the 11-25T size is 222g and retail price is $89 up to the 28T size and $104 for the bigger ones. For more information, visit www.sampsonsports.com.
Sampson Sports have launched a new range of low-priced cassettes with steel cogs mounted on aluminum carriers