The I-Ride Show Report

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We tripped along to our local world-class velodrome the other day (as one does…) to see I-Ride’s latest offerings for 2016. Set up centrally in the middle of the banked boards, it was a great venue, and only slightly distracting to have Sir Bradley Wiggins and friends doing hot laps above our heads.

Green Oil

First up, we went to see Simon at Green Oil. Green Oil has been doing more than paying lip service to the whole green thing and all of its products, from its degreasers to chain oils are made to have as little impact as possible. For this year, Green Oil is giving you less in its Bike Cleaner formula. Much of the volume of bike washing liquid that you buy is actually water, so Green Oil has removed the water from its solution, leaving just the concentration. This makes the product lighter to ship and everybody’s a winner, right?

Green Oil Bike Cleaner – now with less. Just add water.
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New packaging is on its way too. The high-tech look on the left two is edging out the cartoony stuff on the right.

 

Bristles! Green Oil’s bristle chain cleaning brush doesn’t wear out like sponges quickly do.

Speedplay Syzr

After what seems like years (and what actually has been years and years) the much anticipated Speedplay Syzr finally exists! It’s even in stock in shops now at £199 a pair for the chromoly axle versions). What makes the Syzr more than just an SPD knockoff? It’s all in the cleat really. The self-centreing, titanium cleat has Speedplay’s famous ‘standing on an ice cube feeling’ float, but the inner and outer limits of that float is adjustable (by the grub screws on the left, below). This allows you to perfectly dial in where the pedal releases, along with how much float you get. Ceramic rollers at either end of the cleat make sure there’s no ‘cold fusion’ between the Ti cleat and the steel jaws, so – in theory – the pedal will release exactly when you want it to. We have a pair zooming their way for test right now.

The grey bit rotates around the black circle.

 

Smart pedal too, with a composite cover to limit strike damage

 

Now it’s in the shops, there will be a lot of very happy people out there.

 

The most aero cleat in the world? This special single-sided Speedplay model was used for Bradley Wiggins hour record. Mmm… golfball!

Northwave shoes

It’s time to get all trail shoe! (Or enduro! if you prefer…) – this is the Explorer 2GTX which features some of the fruits of Northwave’s recent collaboration with rubber giants Michelin. The sole features Michelin rubber lugs while the upper features Gore-Tex Path water and windproof membrane. There’s the SL2 ‘superquick lacing plus elastic supportive band’ too. Looks a good all-round trail shoe.

Ready to ride?
Super speedy SL2 lace lock

 

 

They’ll find you if you’re upsidedown in a ditch

 

Just some of the new Northwave shoes

 

You have to race fast in these

 

Or these… Those crazy Italians, eh?

 

The Mission Plus Wmn is the women’s SPD trail shoe. We’re sorry, but ‘Butch Barbie’ is the only colour option.

 

Great looking women’s trail shoe if you’re OK with pink.

Northwave Enduro Mid

Cedric’s shoes.

As we showed you earlier this month Cedric Gracia has been working closely with Northwave to make some signature shoes for Enduro. It also features Michelin rubber soles and Northwave’s own ratchet dial system.

 

Almost subtle!

 

 

My eyes! Like a waffle trainer from the ’80s

Deuter Packs

Deuter was showing it’s comprehensive range of packs. Everything from 25litre overnight bags to short, fast ride bags.

 

 

A 28L riding pack for those autumn bivvy rides

 

We saw this neat rear light built into the seat clamp of a road bike. Nice!

 

Catlike’s road helmet – not for trypophobics

Guee

A new company for I-Ride is Guee, makers of silicon lights and clever nifty things like GPS holders that also hold a GoPro

Rubbery lights from Guee

 

A GoPro mount underneath, a Garmin mount on top and a light at the front. Complex!

 

Richard couldn’t resist having a play with the Birzman tool range

Team GB

All afternoon we had to put up with the likes of Sir Brad (in the gold Giro shoes) doing hot laps above our head. It’s not a bad facility to have just down the road.

Just another day at the office

 

The women’s team just warming up.

Argon 18

A quick road aside from Argon 18. It had no mountain bikes on show, but we saw this, which’ll interest readers over at our sister site, grit.cx

There were road bikes too. This road disc bike from Argon 18 looked tasty.

 

Lots of room

 

Won’t get a 2.4 Minion in the though…

 

Got legs like these? No? Then you probably won’t make the team.

 

 

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.)

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