Last week I expressed my enthusiasm for the upcoming October 10th-14thInterbike trade show. After checking out the list of exhibitors forthis year’s show, I got to thinking about the host of manufacturers whoweren’t going to make it to Vegas this year. In speaking with afew of the manufacturers who couldn’t/wouldn’t make this year’s show itbecame clear to me why so many companies won't be making the trip outto Interbike: Cost.

Even on the cheap, when all is said and done, to lease the smallestspace available; design, build and ship even the most a modest booth; paythe mandatory set-up charges; transport, put-up and feed a skeletoncrew of company rep's for four nights, a small manufacturer's bill caneasily top $10,000 - $15,000. One would have to be awfully successfulin drumming-up new business (or just plain lucky at the craps tables) torecoup that investment. For most, it’s a solid business decision, for others,the financial incentive just isn’t there.

For example, one company not showing in Vegas this year is Sampson Sports.Based in Lakewood, Colorado, Eric Sampson himself invited medown to his workshop/outlet store to take a test ride on his new vibrationdamping technology designed for road bikes.

Now, in one form or another, we’ve all heard of vibration damping technology. Whether it’s been tubeset (shaping or material) or mechanical engineering(Serotta’s Hors Categorie or Specialized’s new Roubaix), manufacturershave long sought to quell road vibration.

With an early background in ski racing, Sampson realized that bicyclescould benefit from the same multi-layer construction that skis use to dampenvibration. But instead of laying-up plies of alternating materials to forma frame, Sampson found that by injecting a co-polymer foam into his frametubes, he was able to achieve significant damping characteristics.

Sampson calls his system SAS, or Sampson Attenuation System. The processwas developed in response to Sampson’s interest in aluminum alloys alongwith his distaste of the materials inherent harshness. He felt that ifhe could provide a little more ride smoothness that more people would beable to benefit from the aluminum’s attributes of providing exceptionalpower, light weight and lower costs than titanium.

SAS is a special vibration absorbing material that is injected into the frame. The material adds only 55-90 grams (2-4 ounces) depending on frame size, and does not mask or deaden the feel of the frame.

The 00 Sampson Z9 with the SAS system

Photo: Andrew Juskaitis

“With a standard hollow tube, you have an efficient conduit for thetransmission of vibration, typically aimed directly into the rider's contactpoints," Sampson pointed out. "With SAS, this vibration ‘expressway’has a huge traffic jam. With SAS, there are now thousands of new routesthe vibration must follow in order to reach the top of the bike where youcan feel them. Typically, the vibration(s) simply run out of gas from travelingthe extra distance it must maze through to make it from the wheel to yourseat post or handlebar where you can feel it.”

And while I have to admit I was a more than skeptical of this technology’sbenefits, one ride aboard a SAS bike shattered my preconceived notions. Sampson let me have at a 62cm aluminum/magnesium Z9 road bike for an afternoon test session. I’ve ridden aluminum/magnesium alloy frames before and as a side effect of the frame’s lateral stiffness, I’ve found these frames tend to be rather harsh.

This particular bike was equipped with Sampson’s SAS system (as will his complete line of titanium, carbon, aluminum and steel bikes for the remainder of 2003 and 2004). If Sampson would have covered the bike on my ride, I would have guessed from the vertical forgiveness that I was riding a titanium frame-the SAS’s effect was that significant.

Sampson has experimented with injecting almost every tube of his bicycleswith the SAS “foam.” Lately he’s been injecting stems, handlebars, forksand even rims with the copolymer to experiment with differing vibrationdamping characteristics. He’s claims he’s found great results with forks;enough so to garner the licensing interest of a few major manufacturers.

How far will this technology go is hard to say, but one thing is clear,it’s a significant step at making superb-riding bicycles more accessibleto the budget-conscious and performance-minded masses.

Check out www.sampsonsports.com for more information

Free Is For Me
As a final note, if you are planning on attending the 2003 Interbike trade show, I just got word that Ergomo will be giving away one of its complete bottom bracket power measuring systems at the show. With a retail price of over $1000, this is one give-away you don’t want to miss.