During the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com team launch that we attended last week, we had the opportunity to sit in with the team to learn about some of their sponsor products, and found a few noteworthy items we wanted to share with you.
FABRIC
Fabric saddles have been out there for a little while now, being found on some Cannondale and Intense bikes. The unique construction is worth a second look—the saddles are only three pieces. The absence of screws, glue and staples not only lightens it up, but makes the padding more supple and uniform, since the foam isn’t under the tension of a stretched cover. Team rider Stephen Hyde reiterated this, remarking that having ridden several different bikes during the previous night’s racing, all the saddles felt the same.
Fabric is also entering the accessory market in a big way, with a line of mini pumps, lights, grips and—the most impressive product—tools. Its ratcheting mini tool kit is so hot, the folks at the Fabric office have to lock up their stash. It houses the bits inside the handle, covering almost any tool you’d need on the road or trail, with the convenience of a ratchet.
SUGOI
Sugoi finally joins up with the team to provide their custom clothing. The team kit has all the usual suspects you find on a high-end racing kit: exceptional fit, quality material. The standout out piece is the Neoshell Elite rain jacket, which utilizes a waterproof, breathable fabric from Polartec, a leader in the outdoor sports fabric market—they invented modern fleece in 1979.
CANNONDALE
The last product that we were impressed with, was the new 2017 Cannondale Super X. Since we’ve already covered that bike here, we’d planned to get each team member to describe the bike in one word… But the team received their bikes, and had their first chance to race them while we were there. We caught up with Stephen Hyde, who’d ridden a prototype of the new bike, and thought his answer couldn’t be beat.
And be sure to grab a copy of grit.cx issue #009 when it’s printed in about a month. In it we’ll have a full story on the White siblings of the Cannondale cyclocross team!
