Mavic were very keen to show off the new Carbone SLR wheel, and an very innovative bit of kit it is too. The rim extrusion and carbon section are lighter for 09, but the big change is in the spokes. 
Mavic have used a rim-to-rim build, so spokes start at one side of the rim and cross the hub to the other side. The tension in the spokes is the only thing that really keeps them in place – the spoke has a rectangular block half way that sits in between stops on the hub flange. The hub flange is stronger because it’s not drilled at all, and the system has many of the advantages of a bonded spoke construction but with the obvious advantage that if you crash and break a spoke, you don’t have to throw the whole wheel in the bin. 
Also updated for 09 is the Ksyrium Elite, which borrows a lot of the technology of the Carbone Sl including the spoke lacing and asymmetric rim. It’s effectively a completely new wheel, and for the same price as last year you’re getting a 100g weight saving too. Mavic have also teamed up with Powertap, and for the first time they’re offering the Powertap hub as a factory build with either the Carbone SL clincher or Carbone Pro tubular rim. 
Mavic’s shoe range has been a big hit in the last year. The range starts at £64.99 but if your pockets are a bit deeper you can have a pair of Theo Bos’s yellow Zxellium SSC shoes for £239 – they feature a 4mm thick full carbon sole, completely bonded construction and a carbon heel counter. 
The lightest road shoe in the world (Mavic claim…) was also on display – the Huez costs £199 and claimed weight is just 195g a pair. The Zxellium Ultimate, at 205g, is also a super-lightweight but if you feel you really need the Titanium fittings then be prepared to part with £279.
Mavic wheels and shoes
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Um, the only 'abuse' I see in there is the 'fat bastards' bit, and that's referring to userrecycles' words - it's clearly not meant to be Rendel's own opinion.
Well there was this thing recently:
@Rendel Harris A bit dense or slow on the uptake could be symptoms of mental health / dementia issues.
Mechanical isn't simpler. It's nostalgia. If you look objectively at a mechanical derailleur, it's an amazingly complex device. And all praise to Shimano for inventing it. It does however have many ways to go wrong, mostly due to mechanical parts stretching or bending, and isn't nearly as reliable as many make out. My experience with SRAM AXS had been much better, both for daily commuting in British weather and epic tours. Personally, I wouldn't go back to mechanical for either.
On the other hand... A few short years ago, all those pros were on skinny tyres at high pressure. So were they right then or now? Don't abuse people just because they're not experts, their opinions are just as valid.
@Rendel Harris You can also use the companion app nowadays to add a route to a todo list and then it shows up on the main screen of zwift for you to select and ride.
@Rendel Harris I'm not sure, which is why I am a bit "may" and speculative. It is used for all sorts of interesting things.
@John Emms My parents in law lived (they both died in the same year two years ago) in Croydon and as they lived to a very ripe old age I made a lot of visits there over the last couple of decades and it was noticeable that bicycle use increased considerably with these new, now removed, cycle lanes. I know it's a cliche but there is still no better sentence to sum it up than "build it and they will come".
@Rendel Harris Yes. It does rather remind me of hoons who insist on pushing through a road closed sign, just to find out half a mile later that it IS closed, and have to come back. Perhaps we need a Bikeability for Pedestrians !
@mattw I am not entirely clear on the law but I'm not sure that would work, would it, because surely once the road has been closed for the race doesn't it cease to be a public highway? I would guess that a charge of reckless endangerment would have a better chance in court, carrying as it does the element of acting with a conscious disregard for human life or safety, but one would imagine in this case it would be hard to make it stick given the fact that the lady appears to have mental health issues/dementia, so it would be hard to prove she was acting consciously, and also given the fact that the organisers had not actually provided adequate barriers/stewards/warnings to stop people entering the course.