Aaron’s Corporate Furnishings Women’s Pro Cycling team recently held their pre-season training camp in Santa Cruz, CA. Training camp is always a good time, it’s usually the only time the complete team is all together to train, strategize for the upcoming season, and most importantly bond together as a team. It’s also the time of year that new bikes are issued to riders. For 2008, Aaron’s team members will find themselves training and riding on Specialized’s top of the range S-Works Ruby SL. The Ruby SL improves upon Specialized’s very successful Designs for Women Ruby line of bikes. The new SL utilizes S-Works FACT 10r carbon, with Az-1 construction, and Zertz inserts (in both the seat stays and front fork). The end product being a frame that is lighter and stiffer than last years top of the range S-Works Ruby.
Aaron’s will continue using SRAM components, but this year, the team bikes will be outfited with SRAM’s new Red groupset. Race trimmed bikes will sport full Red componentry, except for the cranksets, which will be Specialized’s integrated over sized designed S-Works FACT carbon cranksets, with or without an SRM power meter depending on the rider. The Red group boasts improved shifting and ligter weight than the previous top-end Force group. The whole group (with Red crankset) weighs less than 2,000 grams, 168 grams lighter than Force.
The team will be rolling on Specialized’s line of Roval wheels. A line that Specialized resurrected a couple years ago and has since refined. The team will be using both the Roval Fusée Star Wheels as well the Roval Rapide II Carbon clincher. The Roval Fusée Star wheel sports the Star hub which has been shown to yield 50% less frontal area and minimizing wind drag. The Rapide II clincher uses a 100% FACT composite clincher rim and DT Aerolite butted spokes. These wheels will help keep the overall weight of the bike at just around the UCI limit of 6.8kg.
For time trials, Aaron’s will be riding Specialized Transitions.
Words and photos by Thien Dinh
Specialized Ruby SL user reviews.
SRAM Red groupset user reviews.
Specialized Transition user reviews.
These wheels are quite normal in comparison to the star wheels, beautifully cold forged in a gold color. The axles are adjustable for extra smoothness and maximum rolling on the bearings. The hubs are small and unobtrusive, the spokes are slim and sleek and the rims are strong and have an aero profile, they look very smart and would be the weapon of choice for any course profile, except perhaps cobbles and very rough road conditions.