Thermoses and Cable Housing

We have our first shipment of leather covered thermoses. These are the ones that fit in a water bottle cage. It's getting cold and this is just the thing to keep you warm on those long winter rides. Fill it with coffee, tea, calvados, whatever.

We'll probably run out of these, but we can get more in about two weeks.

We also now have derailleur and brake cable housing in red, yellow, silver, dark green, blue, and stainless mesh. The orange we ordered turned out to be electric pink; I'll try again.

ALPS to Close

A few days ago I learned, through a private e-mail, that Hagiwara-san is closing the ALPS frame shop. I see that the announcement has now been made public on his web site.

As you may know, ALPS has long been one of the finest constructeurs in Japan, and in the world. Hagiwara-san stopped taking orders from outside Japan some years ago. He wanted his bikes ridden, not admired.

I think the photos of the bikes have been removed from the web site. I'll try to find a link to some additional photos later. If you have some please post them in comments. The photo is from the Classic Bicycles site, where there are lots of other special bikes to be seen.

Interestingly, the very last ALPS frame to be built is going to one of our friends and customers.

Friction Shifting -- Part 3

We found some new-old-stock rear derailleurs.

The Simplex SX610 is the little brother to the famous Simplex SLJ5500 and SLJ 6600 that many experts think are among the best friction derailleurs ever made. Michael Barry of Mariposa fame, and perhaps the world's foremost derailleur expert, said that if equipping a bike for a 5 year world tour, he would use an SLJ5500 rear derailleur.

The fasteners and the parallelogram arms are steel on the SX610, rather than alloy as on the LJS5500 and SLJ6600. But some say that just makes them stiffer. The SX610 also has the more advanced drop parallelogram geometry that was clearly superior to the "straight" geometry on the SLJ5500, yet for some reason was never actively promoted by Simplex. Perhaps proud old Simplex didn't want to tout an advance copied from the Japanese.

The SX610 will handle 28 tooth cogs. Use with a 7 or 8 speed chain for the ultimate performance. Add a Simplex 102 or a Simplex SLJ523 front derailleur, and you'll have about as nice a friction derailleur system as has ever been made.

Thw SX610 uses the old Simplex style mount. That means it fits modern dropouts, but uses a bolt that goes through the back of the hanger. It's not a big deal, but confusing if you've never seen one.

We also have a few Huret Rival derailleurs. This is a very well designed late model classic derailleur. It handles 30t cogs and shifts beautifully. In fact, old magazine tests rated the shifting as "excellent". It is also a well built and rugged unit.

Front and rear Rival derailleurs would make a great, and reasonably priced, system for a randonneur or cyclo-touring bike.

UPDATE: We just found a small quantity of NOS Simplex Retrofriction levers. These are the very pretty type that Simplex made for Gipiemmi.

We'll be Closed Thursday to Monday

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Photos From The Frame Shop

Johnny sent a few photos of the rando frame.

The white piece of paper taped to the down tube shows where the single decal will go on this frame. That's right, on top of the tube as the old constructeurs used to do. But two decals in the modern style are optional. Also, note the lovely curve in the fork blades. Johnny had to get a special mandrel to get that classic French look. I'm sorry that the photo of the seat stay caps isn't sharper; Johnny does those so well. The details on that rear Paragon dropout are also worth studying; that's art.

Please click on the photos to enlarge them.

VO Frame Update & New Models

The first Velo Orange randonneur frame will be in the paint shop next week and we'll have photos and final specs posted soon after. We've made a few small changes since the initial announcement:

• We've switched to Henry James lugs as they better match our frame angles.
  
• The fork crown is by Richard Sachs, the Richie-issimo.
  
• You may choose between a standard and oversize downtube.
• There will be eyelets for running generator wires on the inside of the right fork blade.
  
• Brazed-on centerpulls are still the standard brakes, but cantis or sidepulls are optional.

NEW MODELS,

We are working on three new models,

The first is a fillet brazed city bike frame based on an old Rene Herse design. It can be speced with either derailleurs or internal gearing and will use 650B wheels. We'll have the prototype soon. This frame will be less expensive and may be powder coated, rather than painted. We also hope to have a mixte version.

We will offer a version of the current Randonneur frame, to be called the Cyclo-Tourist with 650b wheels in all sizes.

We are also designing a 650b "camping" or touring frame with braze-ons for full front and rear racks.

And finally, I am considering offering a premium version of our rando bike built up with classic new old stock components, Simplex deraileurs, TA crank, Mafac brakes, etc.

The frame decals on the upper left are by Chuck Schmidt of Velo Retro.

Thoughts? Ideas?

No More Delta Headsets

Lets have a moment of silence for the famous Stronglight Delta headset. I was informed today that they have gone out of production. We bought the last five at the factory.

The Delta used the same bearing as the Stronglight A9, but had additional seals for riding in rain and mud. It was light, long-lasting, and reasonably priced. We still have a few, but when they're gone....

In other Stronglight news, we've ordered more Impact cranksets and will again have the 165mm size. Since the 165s sold out in days last time, you might want to reserve one.

Brakes

We're working on a brake section and have our first few products.

The brake that everyone is talking about is the Tektro R556. This is the first really high quality extra long reach sidepull brake; their reach is 55-73mm. It's perfect for those who like to run big tires, and also for converting 700c frames for 650b wheels. While they won't have the stopping power or modulation of top quality centerpulls or cantis, these are really well made brakes with a nice quick release and the extra power of dual pivots. At $59 per pair the price is great for a unique and high quality set of brakes.

Campagnolo has never made great brakes, but they make the very best, and most expensive, brake levers. So Tektro copied Campy's design to produce the high quality yet affordable R100A and R200A aero brake levers. They even have the push button quick release which is the best ever devised. The R200 are for people with smaller hands and the R100 are for those with larger. I find these have the most comfortable brake hoods; they are wide and really fit my hands.

We also have some French CLB sidepull brake sets. these have a reach of 46-60mm. They include the calipers for nutted mounting, classic style drilled non-aero levers, grey cables, and an extra set of pads. The finish is a sort of metallic grey. They are $78 per set.

You may know that I'm a big fan of center pull brakes. There is a post about them here. So we'll soon have Paul Racers as well as Paul Touring and Neo-Retro cantilever brakes, but that's another post.

We'll also have Kool Stop pads. Another thing I've always wanted is modern brake and derailleur cable in an assortment of colors, blue, red, green, yellow, metallic silver. Anyone else think that would be cool for dressing up bikes? I think we've found a source.

I'll get this stuff into the store in the next day or two. Are there any other brake related items you'd like to see us stock?

Non-Index Shifting -- Part 2

One of the problems with modern front derailleurs is that some don't work as well with classic cranksets. That's because the outer cages are often shaped or too wide and hit the crankarm. This is especially true with Shimano derailleurs

So We found some of the best classic front derailleurs.

The Simplex Super LJ 503 front derailleur, upper left, is made for triples and is simply one of the best and prettiest derailleurs ever made. The cage has a lovely brushed finish and it's very light. We only have a few of these and they will not be cheap.

The Simplex on the upper right is the Super LJ 523 which is almost the same derailleur, but with a shiny chrome cage and the cable attachment on the front. The Simplex derailleurs have narrow cages, this means you may need to trim the front more often, but it helps them shift like butter. This is also a handsome derailleur. I should have wiped the oil off the cage before taking the photo; these were actually packed in oil-paper.

On the lower left is the Huret-Sachs Rival for double chainrings. It's not quite as nicely finished as the Simplexes, but shifts just as well. Unlike some of the early Huret front changers, the Rivals were improved to be more rigid and less fragile.

Finally the Simplex 102 for doubles is less expensive and a touch heavier, but still a rugged and fine shifting mechanism that will last for decades. It is also a very good looking derailleur. I think this is the best value of the bunch.

Notice that the triple derailleurs have deeper, or lower, back cages. This helps them upshift from small granny rings. But they are fine for doubles too. In fact many people even use double derailleurs with triples.

All of these derailleurs will shift with Campy Ergo levers and some Shimano systems. I'll have them in the store in a few days.

Arts and Crafts- Updated

My wife has been bugging me to get her a thermos that fits into a water bottle cage. Actually I've wanted one too; we're both coffee addicts. Anyway, I found this little kit to make a leather covered stainless steel thermos bottle that fits perfectly into a water bottle cage.

All there is to it is sewing on the leather strip and putting some leather conditioner on it. You could also tool a design on the leather if you have an artistic bent. I just put neatsfoot oil on this one and it turned a nice light honey color. I'll try some shoe polish on the next one to make it brown.

The bottle holds 12oz and has a handy push button top and a lid that serves as a cup. We could sell these for about $20-$25. Should we? Would anyone buy one?

This has me thinking, macrame messenger bags, make your own leather saddle kits, assemble a derailleur kits, the possibilities are endless.

UPDATE: We'll have these next Friday and the cost will be $19.75. Let me know ifyou want one just to help me figure out if I've ordered enough.

ATAX Internally Expanding Seat Post

Here is something you don't see often, a seat post that expands like a stem. So no seat tube clamp is required. It's a bit heavy so no weight is saved, but you do get that cool clean look. A number of Constructeur bikes used posts like this, though usually custom made. Of course you can remove the bolt and expander and use it as a regular post, but that would be a shame. There is a black plastic plate that goes under the rails, shock absorber? The polishing is very nice. I might save one for my custom city bike. We only have a few of these, but if your bike is worthy....

Right now we have some in 27.2mm and will get a few in 26mm. The price is $50.

UPDATE: These are sold out and, so far as we know, are no longer available anywhere in any size.

Non-Index Shifting -- Part 1

There is a certain joy to shifting the old way, reaching down and gently nudging a lever on the down tube. If you are practiced the chain will almost silently hop onto the intended cog.

But today there are few down tube shifters made and very few good ones. So we've dug up some classic new old stock shifters. On the left are genuine Campagnolo Nuovo Record shifters ($39). Next are the superb Suntour Superbe shifters with the ratcheting feature. These, like the Simplex Retro Friction, allow a similar tension when shifting up or down (though Simplex used a different mechanism). These are among the best down tube shifters ever made ($45) . Third are the Suntour LD4850 which also have the "Power Ratchet" mechanism, but weigh a few grams more and are not as shiny ($32). Finally, on the right, are the inexpensive, but very usable Suntour LD4250 ($22). We also will have some Suntour shifter stops for those of you who prefer bar-end shifters or brifters. We'll have them available in the store in a day or two, but like all these old parts, quantities are very limited.

Soon I'll post about some classic brand new Simplex, Huret, and Sachs derailleurs we've found. We're also waiting for some cool old ATAX seat posts and a few Stronglight, yes Stronglight, seat posts. It's like 1980 all over again!

Finally, due to several requests we now stock the less expensive Quicker X-Treme MTB pump. This is a nice pump for big 650B and 29er tires.

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

And ride your bike to the polling site.

Fenders and Trees

We now have four types of Honjo fenders. On the left are the new 35mm smooth fenders, next is the 35mm hammered fenders. These fenders don't have any indented lines running along their length. The third fender is the 43mm smooth and the one on the right is the 43mm hammered.

The 35mm are great for racing bikes and bikes with minimal clearance.

The rest of the photos are from the National Arboretum, in Washington DC, where I went for a ride yesterday. It's a beautiful place to do a few laps. The trouble is you want to keep stopping to look at the amazing foliage and gardens and soon realize you haven't actually ridden very far. The slow-growing conifer collection is especially lovely and worth a stroll. I also spent some time in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum which is on the Arboretum grounds. There are more photos here.

News From TA Specialites

We get e-mails asking about TA pedals almost every day. Today I learned that TA pedals won't be available again until December. Sorry.

I also confirmed that TA will not make any further runs of Pro Vis cranks after this next production run. That last run is in honor of their 60th Anniversary. We have a bunch of the cranks on order, but have already sold out of some sizes. So I've been thinking about trying to increase our order. Does anyone else want to reserve some, assuming I can up our order.

The latest is that they are due to arrive in late January. The cost is probably going to be around $225 without chainrings. There is more info here.

The Quicker Pro from Sweden

Though most of us use full sized frame pumps, there are some disadvantages to them. It's hard to carry your bike with a pump under the top tube. You must take the pump with you when leaving the bike in a less than safe area. And you can't hang you bike on a horizontal rack. Mini pumps would seem to be the obvious solution, but most of them simply don't work. And those that do require several hundred strokes to reach 80-100psi.

So I was very interested when a reader (thanks Peter) sent me a copy of Velo News' recent pump test showing the Swedish Quicker Pro to be the hands down winner. In that test it reached 100psi in 100 strokes while the next best pump took 200 and the other 18 models required 300-500 strokes. It also pumped enough volume to work well with mountain bike tires. So this is a mini-pump that compares favorably even to full sized pumps. At $31 it's not cheap, but it appears to be very well made, it will fit in a Velo Orange saddle bag or jersey pocket, and it actually works well.

The following is condensed from Quicker's description:

Everyone who has tried to inflate 5 bars of pressure or more with a mini-pump, knows that it is in most cases even impossible! Quicker Pro has a pump design called Multi-Chamber Double Action. Unlike all other hand pumps on the market, Quicker Pro produces a constant airflow! Meaning that Quicker Pro generate the same air-volume per stroke independently what pressure you have in the tyre! So if you, for example pump, from 2-3 bars or from 9-10 bars the number of strokes will be the same!

The pressure can be read at the integrated pressure gauge, which is cleverly placed in the front cylinder of the pump. Quicker Pro is very popular among road bikers since they require very high pressure in the tyres.

Quicker Pro features a valve lock that fixes the pump to the valve and prevents leakage. The valve/nipple seal can easily be unscrewed and in order to change the valve just turn the inner parts.

An important factor when it comes to pumping, is how much arm power you need to use!
The force used when inflating with Quicker Pro is by 7 bars only 5 kilos/11 lb.!
Compare this with a conventional pump which requires 17-20 kilos /37-44 lb.!

A clip is included in case you would like to attach the Quicker Pro to your bike.

Specs:
Length: 180 mm
Diameter: 34 mm
Weight: 160 grams
Capacity: 105 cm3/stroke
Maximum pressure: Guaranteed to 11 bars / 154 PSI

Saddle Covers and Stuff

It may seem like a minor thing, but saddle covers have been on my mind. I really don't care for the Brooks saddle cover. It's too loose, it's not totally waterproof, and it wrinkles and slides around when you try to ride on it. If that wasn't bad enough, it has "BROOKS" written on it in huge letters. It might as well say "Steal My Saddle".

I remember a nice Italian saddle cover I had in my youth. It was a perfect fit due to being stretchy. It was waterproof, and it had no logos. This is a saddle cover that would not only protect my expensive leather saddle from rain, but also from thieves when I had to leave my bike in a dodgy area.

We now have those Italian saddle covers in stock. They only cost $6.50 and they fit most saddles, even the B-17. But they won't fit the big Brooks city bike saddles.

Speaking of saddles, we now stock the gorgeous Brooks D-shaped saddle bags and the Brooks Challenger tool bags. These bags really are works of art.

We also have Brooks Proofide in the 40 gram tins.

The VAR bike stands are all gone and I'm not sure if I can get more. The VAR tool kits have also been flying out the door and there are only a few left from the second shipment.

We should have the Swedish Quicker Pro pumps in stock is a few days. These are said to be the hands-down best mini-pumps ever made. They won the recent Velo News pump test as well as a bunch of tests in Europe.

I'm also looking for a good floor pump to stock. Since my 30 year old Silca track pump is still going strong that may be the one. Anybody have other suggestions.

Var Tools

VAR of France was the very first manufacturer of bicycle specific tools. They still produce some 250 bike tools, most of them for professional mechanics. We're slowly adding a selection of VAR tools to our store.

I was very pleased to find some of the old VAR #64 tool kits. These are a great kits for travel or for the home shop. They includes 2 cone wrenches, a pedal wrench, a chain rivet extractor, 3 real steel tire irons, a genuine French shop rag, a screwdriver, and a multi sized "dumbell" wrench. They are old fashioned enough to include the sorts of tools needed for working on a classic bike, tools modern tool kits often lack. And at $24 they are a real deal, but we don't have many.

There is something very elegant and old world about the VAR circular spoke wrench. It's chromed steel and fits 13, 14, and 15 gauge spokes. $9.75.

Finally the VAR bike stand is a step up from the economy two-legged we sell. I've used and liked this stand for a while now and wasn't sure I could get more. $24.

The C&O Canal Trail

We had planned a 3 day family inn-to-inn bike trip this past weekend. But a flu going around Alec's elementary school canceled our plans. When we felt better we decided to salvage what we could and spent a day riding along the C&O canal towpath. Every time we return to the canal, we are reminded that it's one of the most pleasant places we've ever ridden.

Perhaps it's not quite as nice as riding along the canals of France, but the scenery, especially in fall colors, is almost as spectacular. And it may lack canal side inns and cafes, but the B&Bs and restaurants in the towns are acceptable.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal runs for 184 miles from Washington, DC to Cumberland Maryland. The canal is a National Historic Park. It starts near downtown Washington in the fashionable Georgetown neighborhood. Then it runs along the Potomac river and beside the spectacular whitewater and waterfalls of Nader gorge. Further along is the historic town of Harper's Ferry. It continues along beside the river, through small mountains, dense forests, and a 3100 foot canal tunnel.

There are camping areas every 10 or so miles. Small towns along it's route allow riders to stop at B&Bs or motels or just for a meal. So the rider can travel light and need not ride long distances to get to the next campsite or bed.

The surface varies from crushed stone to dirt and gravel. A rando style bike with 32mm tires is ideal. There are big rocks, mud holes, and fallen branches here and there. Last year I cracked a rib when I hit one and crashed near Cumberland. So don't ride as fast as you do on a road on this surface. I find 15 or 16 mph is about as fast as I can ride without having to continuously concentrate on the trail surface.

Here is a fantastic site with more details. What's your favorite local ride?

Prototypes and Ideas

Here are a couple of prototypes I picked up from the metal shop today.

The rack fits on the VO rando frame and can also be used with p-clamps on other frames. It should work with all types of brakes.

The the tube is a rear LED light that can flash or stay lit for about 50 hours. It mounts to the rear dropout eyelet.

I'll have both the rack and light mounted tomorrow and photos soon after. Any thoughts?

Notes

We recently ran across a batch of French sized, gold colored Edco competition headsets. Edco of Switzerland made some of the finest classic components and their quality rivaled or exceeded Campy's. If you have a French bike you would be hard pressed to find a nicer headset. the wholesale price on these was $59, so retail was probably near $100. They are $36in the store.

The lugs on our randonneur frame will be Henry Hames, rather than Kalavinka. Johnny, our builder found that the Henry James lugs are a much better match for the geometry and thought they would result in a straighter and better aligned frame. And we both feel that proper alignment is the basis for a good frame. Fortunately the Henry Lames lugs look very much like the Kalavinkas and the cost is about the same.

The hammered Honjo fenders have arrived. Again, these are not the special type that Honjo is making for us, but are nonetheless very nice. We also have some Honjo hardware.

We now include 1/4" p-clamps with our flashlight brackets. This allows the brackets to be mounted on racks without threaded eyelets. They are also available separately. However we are eliminating the leather pads for the brackets because we simply cannot find an adhesive or tape that will secure them to our satisfaction. I suggest that you put a wrap of bar tape around your flashlight instead.

The Nitto shim that allows 25.4mm handlebars to fit a regular 26mm road stem is a very useful item that's sometimes hard to find. So we've decided to stock them.

The Davos frames and bikes we were trying to import are no longer available. I was told the builder retired, he was over 70, and they simply had not taken the web page down. But I'm now on the trail of a similar Japanese bike.

Frame Geometry and Goeland

Two web sites have caught my eye recently and are well worth sharing.

The first is Dave Mann's Bike Geometry Project. Dave says: "The goal of my bike geometry project is to collect as many road bike geometries as is practically possible and to make them available to others who might be interested. This project is being driven by a) my own curiosity on the subject and b) my hunch that most bike frames made today are variations of older designs."

He puts all frames into eight basic classes and aims to show how most bikes are simply variations on these designs. It's worth downloading Dave's spread sheet which is fascinating to study. And you can help the project by providing the geometries of your bikes.



I've always enjoyed EBykr's Bicycle Artistry site, but the current article on Goeland bikes really caught my attention. I was struck that Louis Moire, the man behind Goeland, had a vision for the company that is much like my vision for Velo Orange. Goeland bikes were often alternatives to the super expensive Herse and Singer bikes. By using outside builders and compromising on fancy details and some components, Louis Moire was able to build construteur bikes for, if not the masses, at least for a wider audience.

Be sure to read EByker's previous articles. Also look through the photographs; there are some wonderful details there. For example, notice how the old French bag in the photo on the right opens from the front, just like an Ostrich bag.

A Few New Items and Some Updates

We have, or soon will have, a few new items.

We've started carrying the MKS RX-1 track pedal. The RX-1 is a high-end track pedal with a highly polished finish. It uses sealed bearings that are as smooth as any bearing I've felt and they weighs only 281 grams. The RX-1 is a good alternative to the unavailable TA track pedal. Actually it's much nicer than either the TA or the old Campy pedals. At $98 they're not cheap, but the quality is astounding. Note the special loop under the pedal for the strap and the little grips where the strap turns up along the pedal body. They are NJS approved, of course.

We also have MKS half clips. These little stainless steel clips give you most of the advantages of a full toe clip, but without straps. They are fantastic for city bikes, kid's bikes, or any bike when you want the extra efficiency of toe clips without the bother of straps. Highly recommended; I use them on my city bike.

Honjo 43mm hammered fenders will be here next week. These are not the custom fenders we've ordered from the factory, but they are still lovely. We'll also have spare hardware for Honjo fenders, which several customers have asked for.

We'll also have Carradice saddlebag supports from England and a few Carrdice bags. Are there any particular models you think we should stock?

Brooks saddle covers are in stock.

It looks like we won't be stocking our French stainless steel fenders, at least not for a long time. The company that makes them has gone out of business. The machinery has been sold to another French company, so they may one day reappear. I'm looking for other sources of stainless fenders.

Back to the TA pedals, I've heard that the factory may have the broken mold replaced in a couple of weeks and we may see production re-start.

The Taiwan Bike Industry

I've started thinking about having some products made in Taiwan. The massive size of the Taiwanese bike industry is simply amazing. The Taiwan Bicycle Source is an online and print guide to the industry. It lists some 1,800 companies and 15,000 products, though there are many others. I spend hours browsing the site and going to various company websites looking for unique products. Though most of the industry is geared to low end bikes, there are some gems.

Since we like steel bikes a good site to visit is Maxway. They make frames for Jamis, DMR, Ritchey, Surly, QBP, Planet X, Dawes, Greenspeed, Rans, Da Bomb, Kogswell, VooDoo, Rivendell, Sachs and so on. If you look through their e-catalog you may find stock frames that have been re-labled by various companies. I suspect that most of their business is frames designed by the above companies. How about that Reynolds 653 Audax frame? The lugged racing frames looks nice too.

Of course there are also dozens of carbon fiber frames on offer. Amazing as it may seem, carbon frames are becoming commodity products. There are several companies that make nice racks, pumps, rims, fenders etc. Most of these products have to be ordered in very large quantities, but not all. So if you find any great items, let me know.

Another neat site is Bicycle Today which is full of industry news and has it's own industry guide.

The photo is from a good site about riding in Taiwan.

Three Island Factories or MKS -- UPDATED

As you probably know, MKS is a major Japanese pedal manufacturer. The actual name of the company is Three Island Factory. It was started in 1943 to manufacture airplane parts. In 1946 they started making bicycle pedals. Today they have 75 employees and two factories and make auto parts as well as at least 41 models of pedals.

Though most of the MKS pedals imported into the US are the mid-range Sylvan pedals, MKS also makes some of the best and most expensive pedals in the world. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with the Sylvan touring, track, or road pedals; they are very well made and an excellent value. At Interbike I was very impressed with the quality of their best pedals. With sealed bearings, replaceable cages, and a mirror-like polish they outclass even TA and Campy pedals.

In the bottom row of the photo above you see the Nuevo Record Custom Wide which we may carry. This is the pedal with the wider cage for us big-foots. The cost will be around $130. In the middle of the bottom row is a track pedal that, if I understood correctly, can only be released by reaching down and flipping a lever. We might not stock that model.

The photo on the right shows the MM-Cube, a pedal I use and like. But this pair uses a quick release mechanism between the pedal and crank making the pedal easily removable to prevent theft, for air travel, or for rinko. Several MKS pedals are available with the quick release mechanism.

Have a look at the MKS site and let us know if there are any other products we should carry. The pedal catalog is the first link in the second section on the left; there are 4 pages of pedals and accessories.

UPDATE: MKS touring pedals, which have been in short supply, should arrive today (Thursday) as will MKS half clips. Stronglight A9 headsets are also on the way.