Interbike 2014: Outdoor Demo, pt 2
images by Andrew Strauss
Sep 9, 2014  hits 96,113

Lezyne had an arsenal of high end pumps, adaptors, and tools on display
Lezyne had an arsenal of high end pumps, adaptors, and tools on display Misc. » 
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Each year, Interbike begins with an Outdoor Demo day in Boulder City, Nevada. Although it's primarily catered to off-road bicycles, there is always some very high-tech aero gear hidden away in the sand. We managed to find so much of it that it's going to be split into two separate galleries. This is the second of the two, featuring the Quintana Roo PRsix, the Argon 18 E118 Next, and the Garneau Gennix TR1 TRI, as well as some miscellaneous bits. The first article featured the brand new Scott Plasma 5, the LOOK 795 Aerolight, and the Fuji Norcom Straight.



Tags » argon18,  e118,  interbike,  interbike2014,  louisgarneau,  prsix,  quintanaroo

Quintana Roo PRsix 

The Qunitana Roo PRsix is an aero bike that is also easy to work on. There are many options for brakes and bars allowing one to customize it quite a bit. The non-drive side chain stay is flush with the rest of the bike, and presents no additional frontal area.

  • The Qunitana Roo PRsix.
  • The front end of the PRsix leaves a lot to be desired in terms of aerodynamics. The Shimano direct mount Ultegra brake and exposed brake cable generate a bit of drag. The PRsix uses a proprietary stem that is only available in one height. Spacers can be added to raise the hight of the base bar. The stock base bar is a Profile Design Aeria wing carbon.
  • The cable routing on the PRsix leaves a lot to be desired. It looks like they ran the rear brake cable trough a hole on the top of the stem in an effort to minimize frontal surface area, but it would have been nice to see a more complete solution that would keep all the cables out of the wind. The cables feed into the frame via a port of top of the top tube.
  • From the side, you can see how stack height is increased by adding spacers on top of the stem.
  • The non-drive side chain stay of the PRsix is flush with the rest of the bike. This presents no additional frontal area for the wind to hit.
  • The non-drive side chain stay of the PRsix is flush with the rest of the bike. This presents no additional frontal area for the wind to hit.
  • The front brake on the PRsix is an Shimano direct mount Ultegra. There is also a hole in the center that could be used to mount a standard brake.
  • In this shot, you can see how the PRsix's down tube isn't symmetrical, it has been slightly shifted towards one side.
  • In this shot, you can see how the PRsix's down tube isn't symmetrical, it has been slightly shifted towards one side. You can also see the rear brake, which sits below the bottom bracket. The stock rear brake is a Shimano direct mount Ultegra. There is also a hole that can be used to mount a standard brake.
  • The stock rear brake on the PRsix is a Shimano direct mount Ultegra. There is also a hole that can be used to mount a standard brake.
  • The fork / frame don't have a stop to prevent the fork from hitting and damaging the frame. You can see that they have added a bumper to help minimize the damage, but a more elegant solution like what we saw on the <a href='2013_02_Cervelo_P5_Frameset' >Cervelo P5</a> would have been better.
  • The PRsix has bottle bosses on the top tube. We are very happy to see more and more manufacturers doing this, as it allows for many storage choices. This can be a convenient place for nutrition, tools, or misc. items depending on what your needs are.
  • The PRsix uses a single bolt wedge to hold the seat post in place.
  • The saddle rail clamping hardware on the PRsix can be moved forward or backward to achieve different geometry.
  • The top of the PRsix's seat post is VERY narrow, but the saddle clamping hardware is quite wide

Argon 18 - E118 Next 

The Argon 18 E118 Next had a number of improvements, and was cleaned up quite a bit. The cable for the front brake is now hidden from the wind. There are more options for pad placement. Argon also says that the steerer tube has enough space to hold a Di2 A junction internally, which should make the bike cleaner aerodynamically while improving cable routing.

  • The Argon 18 E118 Next
  • The front end of the Argon 18 looks quite clean. The front brake cable doesn't stick out into the wind at all.
  • There are a number of options for pad adjustment on the Argon 18. There is a good chance that you will be able to adjust the front end to fit your needs. But you will want to make sure that the Argon 18 is a good fit before purchase, as you can't swap the stem or bar out for anything else. You have to use Argon's proprietary stem and bar.
  • There appears to be a decent amount of clearance for the front wheel and tire. Argon says that you can run a 25mm without issue, but we have yet to try it.
  • The cable routing for the TRP brake on the Argon 18 is much improved over past versions. The cable no longer sticks out in the wind. The fork / frame don't have a stop to prevent the fork from hitting and damaging the frame. You can see that they have added a bumper to help minimize the damage, but a more elegant solution like what we saw on the <a href='2013_02_Cervelo_P5_Frameset' >Cervelo P5</a> would have been better.
  • There is a cable port on the top tube.
  • You can't swap the Argon 18's stem or bar out for any other option, so you will want to make sure that the bike is a good fit before purchase.
  • The Argon 18 has bottle bosses on the top tube. We are very happy to see more and more manufacturers doing this, as it allows for many storage choices. This can be a convenient place for nutrition, tools, or misc. items depending on what your needs are.
  • The seat tube clamp calls for a seemingly high force of 10nm.
  • The seat tube on the Argon 18 can be reversed to allow for additional riding positions.
  • There would normally be a cover on top of the rear brake, but the show bike had it removed for ease of maintenance.
  • The bottom bracket on the Argon 18 is a BB86.
  • There is a Di2 battery mount on the non-drive side chain stay of the Argon 18.
  • The mounting system for the risers which control pad height.
  • With the stem cover removed, you can see the large hole in the steer tube, which Argon says will hold a Di2 A junction internally.
  • A special tool is required to tighten the headset. This tool is included with every bike.
  • The left and right pad holders are attached via a bridge that can be reversed to allow for more fit choices.

Garneau - Gennix TR1 TRI 

Garneau's Gennix TR1 TRI seemed like a big improvement over the previous model, but still left a lot to be desired.

  • Garneau's Gennix TR1 TRI.
  • The cable management on the Gennix TR1 TRI was a bit of a mess.
  • The Gennix TR1 TRI has a tower behind the stem for the cables to route into.
  • The front end of the Gennix TR1 TRI left quite a bit to be desired. There was no fairing covering the front brake. While the brake cable was routed internally, the tip still stuck out into the wind. There also did not seem to be enough clearance between the brake and the front tire.
  • The front brake on the Gennix TR1 TRI did not have enough clearance from the tire. You can see in this picture how bad the clearance was. Their rep said that they will have a holder to keep the brake from rubbing, but I would bet this bike will still have a tough time with large wheels / tires.
  • The Gennix TR1 TRI had a chain catcher mounted just in front of the front derailuer. This is a nice addition, and might help prevent damage to the frame should your chain drop off on the inside.
  • The Gennix TR1 TRI has bottle bosses on the top tube. We are very happy to see more and more manufacturers doing this, as it allows for many storage choices. This can be a convenient place for nutrition, tools, or misc. items depending on what your needs are.
  • There are bottle bosses on both the down tube and seat tube. Also, there are 2 different mounting options on the down tube. This is still a pretty poor location aerodynamically for a traditional round bottle, but if that is what you prefer, you have some mounting options with this frame.
  • Garneau positioned the center of mass behind the center of the front rim to help with handling in crosswinds

Misc. 

  • Interbike's Outdoor Demo can seem like an endless sea of booths and flags
  • Lezyne had an arsenal of high end pumps, adaptors, and tools on display
  • Lezyne had an arsenal of high end pumps, adaptors, and tools on display
  • Lezyne had an arsenal of high end pumps, adaptors, and tools on display
  • Lezyne had an arsenal of high end pumps, adaptors, and tools on display
  • Enve had wheels of various depths on display.
  • GoPro had a cool solar array to power their music.
  • Sony had their ActionCam on display. Their camera is very similar to GoPro's model. It has a clear plastic housing that can be used to take it swimming or underwater. They also offer a remote control with a live view screen that can help you frame shots.
  • Sony had their ActionCam on display. Their camera is very similar to GoPro's model. It has a clear plastic housing that can be used to take it swimming or underwater. They also offer a remote control with a live view screen that can help you frame shots.
  • Sony had their ActionCam on display. Their camera is very similar to GoPro's model. It has a clear plastic housing that can be used to take it swimming or underwater. They also offer a remote control with a live view screen that can help you frame shots.

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