Not content with burly frames and complete bike packages, Transition Bikes is launching a full line of components. First up is the chromoly-railed Park'n'Ride saddleNew TBC Components Saddle. It claims to mix long-haul comfort with freeride strength, and will set you back £30. Look out for seatposts, stems, bars and pedals appearing over the next few months. More details at uk.transitionbikes.com.
Niner Bikes is another niche US brand being brought to the UK by the crew at Sorted Cycles. The particular niche that Niner occupies is 29in-wheeled singlespeeds built from custom-drawn Easton Scandium tubing. We like the idea of a Scandium singlespeed a lot more than we like the idea of 29in wheels, but that's just us, and the One 9 frame certainly looks really rather lovely. The frame includes a custom-made eccentric bottom bracket to tension the chain without moving the back wheel, so running disc brakes is a breeze (indeed, it's a necessity - there're no canti bosses). The top tube is very sloped, to the extent that Niner recommends a 400mm seatpost - four frame sizes are available to suit riders from 5'4" to 6'8" (and if you're 6'8" then 29in wheels certainly make sense, if only on aesthetic grounds). And you get a choice of three colours. Frames are £600 with various deals available on forks, brakes and wheels if you buy everything at the same time. More details at www.sortedcycles.com or www.ninerbikes.com.
If you've been at certain 12 and 24 hour races this year, you might have seen our irComp test bike in slightly uncompromising rigid singlespeed format. We were quite pleased to build up the Slovenian carbon fibre frame into a 20lb bike just with stuff that was kicking around the workshop, but the company itself has gone one better - it's built its own carbon rigid fork, stuck it on the Race frame (which is even lighter than the 2.8lb one we've got), built it up with a full complement of gears and ended up at, apparently, 8.5kg (18.7lb). Madness. More at www.ircomp.com.
