Eurobike! Your starter for ten

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We’re running on limited internets here in Germany, but here’s a quick look at some of the things that caught our respective eyes on the first day of the show. There’ll be more detailed stories up shortly.

Let’s start… NOW!

First up, we have a new DH brake from Hope. It looks like a regular M4, but the two unevenly sized pistons are big. The smaller one is the same size as the large piston on an M4. It still runs a Tech lever, but should offer lots more power. The vented disc version is now slimmer too.

Why yes, it IS on a fancy Orange... more of them later.

 

A Transition 450 for your delectation.

There were a lot of ‘fresh from London’ Olympic bikes around. Specialized has a whole wall full. Kulhavy’s bike took centre stage though…

It's bright, it's 1x11 and it still has a long stem. One Gold Medal winning bike.

How about a limited edition Ned Overend signature single speed?

They're limited and numbered. This is number 1.

Now, next is a thing that’s had everyone scratching their heads. Specialized maintains (rightly) that much of the time and expense with making a carbon rim is in the tyre bead hook. It takes ages to make and it’s dead fiddly. Seeing as mountain bike tyres run at low pressures that don’t really blow tyres off rims, they thought ‘Let’s just get rid of the bead hooks’. And here we go – it’s the Control Carbon wheel set, the carbon 29er weighs in at 1450g and in the US they’ll retail for around $1500 a pair, which is pretty cheap. But… no bead hook? The 23mm rims just have stubby sidewalls. And that’s it! And yes, they’re tubeless/2Bliss ready too.

 

No tyre bead hook? Let the debate begin!

 

Elsewhere, Specialized showed its new carbon disc cross bike. It’s not just the regular Crux with a disc on though. The fork, headtube and whole front end is beefed up, while the seatstays have been pared down. Reckon people are going to start aftermarket-installing just a front disc fork on their bikes (like we did with single front discs in the old days)? Then expect to see some headtubes fall off, reckon the engineers.

 

Fingers crossed that Specialized UK brings this in to the UK.

 

50mm (x27.5in) Dugasts on the Scotts, fresh from London. According to the neutral pit mechanics, every single puncture in the Olympic MTB race was on bikes running tubs... Hmm.

 

It's a Cooper Monaco and it's lovely. That is all.

 

Finally we get to see a real Genesis Grapil in the flesh!

 

Carradice is going to be coming out with some designer leather/wax cotton rucksacks. On a fixie rider near you soon.

 

A fully faired (and therefore UCI unsanctioned) Cervelo P5.

 

Here's a little Nicolai taster for later.

 

And another. This is the Helius TB.

 

 

 

Spotted on a Rock Lobster 'cross bike on the Easton booth. It's a high-end BB7. It's mechanically the same, but runs Ti hardware and aluminium backed pads. Is there room for a posh mechanical? We think so.

Bell Super.

This is a brand spanking new All-Mountain helmet from Bell called the Super. It features a removable GoPro mount, great rear coverage and goggle compatibility. There’s even a (removable) goggle clip that bolts on the side so your goggles won’t ping off. It’ll be £125 when it’s out late spring 2013.

It's super, the Super.

After making race shoes, then some leisure riding shoes, Giro has finally released its new flat and flat/SPD shoes. This is the flat (Vibram) soled version. The SPD version is similar in good looks too.

 

Black with a white Vibram sole. Nice.

 

Yes, we know that Hope has shown pedals at every show for the last two years without releasing any, but it promises that these will make production. The axles are on their way and the pedals will be out by late October.

 

 

 

Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 22 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)

More posts from Chipps

Comments (8)

    Michael RyanMichael Ryan August 30, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Liking the bell helmet and hope pedals. Be interesting to see if those spesh rims work. Give a set to Danny Hart.

    kiwijohnkiwijohn August 30, 2012 at 9:54 am

    I’ve been waiting for a BB7 Ultimate.

    1961Bikie1961Bikie August 30, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    I’ve said since the whole disk braked CX/Road bike thing came about that a high end mechanical would be good. I’d prefer top fit pads and a better pad adjuster than the current BB7.

    DavidDavid August 30, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    The Bell looks like a POC.

    The Giro shoes and Hope pedals are lovely tho!

    sandwichsandwich August 30, 2012 at 8:05 pm

    Carbon wheels and Suffolk (county of your choice) mud/clay I foresee some sealing problems.

    juanjuan August 30, 2012 at 9:05 pm

    I though Absalon “had” to gave up due to a puncture? And he’s running whatever this stuff is called.

    1961Bikie1961Bikie August 31, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    +1 for the POC copy. Giro shoes – lovely? really? Exactly the same as many others IMO but still beauty in the eye of the beholder etc.

    I can’t see a company the size and rep of Spesh releasing these rims without some serious testing. I doubt they just thought – “oh it’s a bugger making beads on carbon rims. lets not bother anymore”.

    Time will tell I suspect.

    Lets await the “real” world feedback on here when they hit the shops (and trails).

    1961Bikie1961Bikie August 31, 2012 at 1:08 pm

    What size is the biggest sprocket on Kulhavy’s bike? I’m waiting to see a pic of a wheel with a 42 on. Must look ridi cu lous!

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