Each year seems shorter for the bicycle industry. Bike engineers just can't wait 365 days to create something new. At Total Bike, we are keeping you informed on almost every new product that will be introduced.

We have compiled a list of most of these new products that manufacturers worldwide are planning to market during 2002. If you have a few spare bucks or can save some from the daily food, you should read on to see how you can best spend it.

It is also expected that Campagnolo will introduce new products from their Metal clothing line. The market has accepted very well this new business, and maybe there will be some surprise coming from Vicenza soon.

Fi’zi:k -- The Italian brand will release the aliante saddle, which features the new Twin Tech structure. The saddle has a carbon fibre frame that includes the rails and the saddle’s contour, with a central deck made of carbon fibre reinforced with Kevlar. The rails have an aluminium protection in the zone where the post clamps. It will be available in Nytek Blue Suede finish and black leather.

Manitou -- They will introduce two new product lines for 2002: Six and Black. The Six will take the place of the Magnum range. The Black range appeared in Total Bike News a while ago, but let us refresh your mind.

Reverse Arch: The arch is now on the rear side of the fork. This allows 23% more stiffness than the X-Vert, because it can be shorter due to the lower height of the wheel at this point, it can be also freely shaped because there is no possible interface with V-Brakes. It also works as a mud protector.

Quick Range TPC Damping: Just a quarter of turn on the dials is needed to make the hydraulic system change from an extreme position to the contrary one.

Fluid Flow Damping: It is a new version of the TPC Sport system, found on the most economic forks. There is a wider range on the adjuster, and it is possible too to vary the rebound control.

The pistons and other components meet now motocross fork specs. These forks are the first manufactured by Manitou that do not have elastomers.

The New Black Range

The dampening mechanism will be hydraulic, allowing rebound regulation and a lock position. This system will be mounted on the right leg, while the left one has two inner air chambers: one of them working as a conventional absorbing spring, and the other one as a negative spring that works against the rubbing forces provided by the seals.

For MtB, the changes will mainly regard the disc brakes: Deore XT and Deore disc hubs will be lighter. The XT will feature a new design with wide, drilled wings. The Deore will look very similar to the existing Deore XT, and will use conventional spokes.

The Deore will offer also an Octalink bottom bracket, together with a new splined hollow crankset.

For the XTR only a new component is expected: Some changes in the shifting levers will allow an even smoother response.

In the road field, the main newness will be the availability of a Dura Ace triple chainring crankset. It seems Shimano is not able to build a reliable narrow chain that makes possible to create a 10-speed transmission that allows the top end groupos from the Japanese company to compete face to face with Campagnolo, so they will try to offer wider gear ranges by adding a smaller chainring.

This new crankset needs a new, wider Octalink bottom bracket (118.5 mm); same for front and rear derailleurs that need modified cages. A left-hand triple shifter is also introduced.

The rear derailleur features a so-called SMARTCAGE with two larger 13 teeth pulleys. This concept offers more flexibility in product specification. The cage length is reduced (something that most pro riders have demanded) while it pulls a wider range of chain length. Finally, the Dura-Ace triple version offers one chainring  more, adding 173,5 grams. This new Dura-Ace triple chainring version is fully compatible with the Shimano Flight Deck computers.

Shimano will also open soon their new factory at Karvina, Czesk Republic.

It is not clear if they will be able to finish the tuning to make this system ready for the 2002 season, but anyways there is no turning back and sooner or later there will be bicycles for sell featuring this new system.

The UNO will not substitute the FSR, but will be a different option for XC riders. Our spies have brought us this photograph.

The Xyclone wheels' main characteristic is the use of PBO fibre spokes instead of the traditional stainless steel made ones. This allows a better shock abortion and a much more longer spoke life, due to the extreme fatigue resistance of PBO.

For example, the new 9.0 SL rear derailleur features excellent functioning insured by the DiRT design with the reliability that provides aluminium made A-knuckle (the part where the attaching bolt is at) and parallelogram arms.

The 9.0 shares the same characteristics, but the B-knuckle is made also of aluminium. While the SL is thought for weight saving junkies, this one tries to join a bombproof construction with a better balance mark than the XTR.

For 2002, all the Sram hubs will share a new, extremely simple concept that will allow a very lightweight and a very easy maintenance, together with a great reliability. These hubs will be available for road bikes as well as for MtB’s. This seems to be an approach to the road market. We must not forget that Sachs had a long tradition in the tarmac field.

The new hubs will only mount two bearings, one at each side, and the freewheel mechanism will feature a big ratchet interfacing the hub carcass with the cassette body.

Starting from this new hub concept, Sram will develop a range of complete wheelsets. There will be two models: one of them will correspond to the 9.0 and 9.0 SL quality standards, while the other one will be equivalent to the 7.0 componentry.

The cassette range will suffer a tweak on what regards to their aesthetics. The teeth profile will not change, because it works at least as good as those from the competitors.

Sram is also developing a new chain. It will feature hollow pins, so it is expected to be the lightest chain in the world, without losing performance or reliability.

And the latest Sram surprise for 2002 will be the new disc brakes: there will be two models, one featuring the quality levels of the 9.0 SL componentry, and another one of a 7.0 level.

The first one will be a hydraulic, four pistons brake, that will be based on the Grimeca, but with a softer pad compound.

The other one will be a mechanical, two pistons brake. It will be very light and compatible with almost every brake lever on the market.

Rock Shox -- Some changes in the SID Race, that show a new treatment for the stanchions that allow less friction between them and the seals. Its golden look is really attractive.

The Boxer features a new upper crown that has the stem integrated on it.

And the Psylo will try to follow the successful path opened by adding a switcher on the top of the left leg that will allow an easy shift from the different strokes available, instead of the extra long screw needed for 2001 versions.

Intense will develop a new Dual Slalom bike featuring VPP that will be the machine the team racers will use instead of the Tazer, and a new DH bike that will also rely on this suspension system will take the place of the worldwide acknowledged M1.

The Californian manufacturer will market soon their new tire range featuring the Sticky Rubber compound. Its name explains it all.

Speedplay -- More than a year of research works will result in a new pedal called Zero. It will be the first Speedplay to use springs for cleat retention. These will not be conventional pedals, they will allow an infinite regulation of the cleat angle so as to avoid knee injuries.

Timex -- Probably you are an Internet junkie and that is why you are reading this. Then, surely you will like the new Timex Internet Messenger watch. It will allow you to send e-mails wherever you are, so maybe if you buy it; you will spend more time riding. At Total Bike we are waiting for a watch that allow us to work on the trails.

Tioga has also designed a rear mudguard that attaches to the saddle rails.

Truvativ -- This brand, together with Race Face and Chris King, follows developing new ISIS Drive components. Let’s remember that ISIS Drive is a standard for bottom bracket spindle and crank arm interface featuring ten splines, instead of the eight splines system of Shimano Octalink.

Truvativ will prepare some lighter cranksets and bottom brackets for 2002.As you can see, each year this world gets faster, so you better not think twice if you want to buy something for your bike. Maybe in a few months it will be completely old fashioned.