******Just realised that some of the images in this post are rotated but not sure how to fix it..will reorient as soon as I figure it out *****
OK, so went on a daytrip to Eurobike yesterday and I think I have bike-tech fatigue (although I never that that was even possible)..my mind is totally blown. My impression after digesting what I saw was that 80% was..meah..20% was eye candy and of that 20% about 10% was really interesting. Disc brakes are the new rock `n roll...there were gravel bikes a`plenty but no earth shattering tri focused stuff. I did see the infamous Parlee Tri bike with disc brakes and I have to say it was very well executed - it was very clean with not a cable showing to the wind but I wouldn`t shell out for it.
Of the tri-bikes there were three that caught my eye. The first was the new Storck aero2 Platinum G2 - that was a thing of beauty weighing in at only 6.8kg ! the front and rear brake calipers were very nice and extremely well integrated into the frame...however, the thing that left me feeling disappointed by the bike was the cabling...noodles!! I mean, why bother going to the trouble of such beautiful caliper integration and then throw a couple of sloppy looking noodles on there:
The second tri-bike that was just jaw-droppingly gorgeous was the new Look 796. The head tube was so narrow it was really amazing to see. Again, great front caliper integration - the rear, not so slick BB mounted job.
Another slight weird issue here was that although they had gone to great lengths to improve the aero profile of the frame - the front of the fork crown was basically flat. When I asked about this the guy at the stand just looked at me blankly and said it must be more aero than a gradually tapered fork or we wouldn`t have designed it that way...whatever...still an amazing looking bike.
The third tri-bike that I thought was worth a mention was Jan Frodenos Canyon..fresh from Roth..and I mean fresh..unwashed with splashes of spilled race nutrition down the side of the frame...Awesome! Man he was running some narrow extension spacing:
To be honest, having seen all of these bikes up close, I was most impressed with the Canyon, everything was so solidly integrated and clean..this is one that I would and may shell out for.
Most of the usual suspects had their tri-offerings there (except Cervelo, who were not there..pity as I was looking forward to asking WTF happend to the P6). Many of the top brands like Colnago were unimpressive with same `ol same `ol TRP brakes etc. Ceepo had some interesting, if not clumsy looking storage and hydration options on display:
I also kept an eye out for new gravel bike offerings but after the 20th gravel bike I sorta lost focus. There were a couple that stuck out basically from an aesthetic stant point, the first being the Colnago of Wout Van Aert complete with Dugast tubs:
Also, this pretty sweet Niner:
And my fave, the 3T Exploro LTD
In terms of other random tech - the folks at USE who brought us the TULA aero bar had a new (and to my mind more practical) aerobar..can`t remember what it`s called. The brake levers are in the more conventional orientation but are seriously narrow so, I would suspect also quite aero.
TACX deserve a mention also. If you guys have not seen the new "Magnum" treadmill already it`s definately worth a look.
This thing is AMAZING! - it`s a treadmill bike trainer that also functions as a regular running treadmill. It`s construction is very solid (think high end gym equip) and it has a display incorporated. The whole system is apparently compatible with Zwift and many of the other online systems. Apparently they have been working on this for some time and it`s not just a repurposed running treadmill. At the front of the belt, at tyre level, there is an array of sensors (you might be able to make them out from the image) that adjust the speed of the system to maintain your front wheel within a fixed position on the belt. That way you don`t fly off the front or the back. The guys at TACX were awesome and actually let me have a go..and now I want one :-( the riding expereince was phenominal...initially not unlike the sensation of riding rollers but as the terrain on the screen changed, the sensation of elevation and realistic road feel was unlike any trainer I have ever ridden. I didn`t manage riding out of the saddle but I imagine with a bit of practice it would be easy.
The Magnum will be available in November at a mere $8000 including installation by TACX (insert eyes popping out emoticon). Anyone want to give me 8 grand for a lightly used NEO :-)
I will add a few more bits and pieces after I`ve had a chance to sift through some more images on my phone.
All the best,
Niall
