Interbike: Random Sightings #2

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Some more unconnected sightings from the Interbike show floor. Don’t worry, we still have plenty more stuff to show you from there.

Breezer

It’s always nice to see some of the recognisable characters from our sport walking the show floor, or working in booths. There’s everyone from pro racers looking to renew sponsorships or celebrity cycling fans to true old school legends like Joe Breeze, below, who brought along Breezer number 1. The first mountain bike he ever built, back in the late ’70s

Clement tubulars

Don’t scroll through just yet, this might be of interest. This is a tubeless tubular tyre from Clement. Tubs are great for cross racing, and pretty immune to pinch flats, but the inner tubes are still delicate and prone to thorn punctures. With the PDX, Clement has eliminated the inner tube. Running this with sealant should then make a pretty bombproof setup. Should be ready for next ‘cross season.

 

Clement's three 'cross treads

 

This was made just to show the carcass, but enough people want to buy a 33mm slick that Clement will probably make it

Paul Components

Paul Price has long been the friend of the niche rider, the singlespeeder and riders of quirky or old school brakes and frames. He’s now moving into seatposts – and has a cassette hub that uses Industry Nine internals.

Lovely seatpost, but what's going on with that chunky head?

 

Need to add 'cross cable hangers to your bike. Ta-daa!

 

A huge selection of 'cross brakes, V-brakes and even caliper brakes.

 

Paul makes a great delivery bike rack (that'll take two 12 packs). Here is a zip up rack bag that looks like you can moonlight delivering pizzas

 

A Paul hub with Industry Nine cassette and internals

 

Giant rider Adam Craig was spotted at the CrossVegas event, not racing, but getting into the spirit of the thing.

 

Glad to see there are funny wags here too. It did say 'Bonk Town' - not that that's much better...

Fizik Kurve

Here’s Fizik’s new Kurve saddle. It takes a different approach to comfort in that there’s minimal padding, but the carbon shell of the saddle is designed to flex instead. The one piece rails also add to this flex. The little black chip (top right) is bolted in place to tension the rails and it comes in a couple of different sizes that give different rail tensions. It seems to really work. Should be out at the end of the year and we’ll try to get one to let you know how it is.

 

One piece, cold forged aluminium rails and dual layer carbon base.

 

The Kurve from above, showing the minimal padding. It'll come in Fizik's three body-fitting styles for 'bulls, snakes and chameleons'

Yurbuds (www.yurbuds.com)

 These odd looking ‘phones are meant for those of us who like to listen to music while training, or running or racing or whatever. First off, they come in several sizes and you can get your ear measured and find the right size. They also come as an ‘Ironman’ set that should fit the majority of earholes.

The coloured bit is medical-grade silicon and they’re designed to fit well in the outer ear, rather than by being jammed in your ear canal. Although they feel a little loose at first, the fit is very secure – and as you sweat, the rubber stays tacky and helps keep them in place. Because they don’t plug the ear, it’s still possible to hear traffic and conversation too. We’ll get back to you with a review of them soon.

If you have problems with 'phones sliding out when you sweat, or don't like to jam things in your ears, these might be the headphones for you.

 

Although they look like they're falling out, they're surprisingly secure. (Ear, model's own)

Mountain Cycles

Mountain Cycles had a booth at the show, and we’ll bring you that in due course. In the meantime, how about this 20 year old wonder?

Shiny and stocked with year-accurate components

 

Did anyone else really want a pair of these Manitous. Those 'disc brakes' will never catch on though.

 

Thumbies! From Microshift. Seen on many Surly bikes, they were doing a good job of winning back friends.
MRP should now have a 1x chain guide for everyone, whether E mount, D mount, high or low mount.

Osprey

We like Osprey’s packs and here are three new packs. The middle on, the Zealot comes in a couple of sizes and is a full clamshell freeride pack. The full-round zip gives you access to your gear without having to undo all your pads from the outside of the pack. It also has a super-neat integral tool roll.

All three new packs come in an assortment of sizes
A zip at the base of the pack reveals...

The neato tool roll

There’s still a lot of colour around at the show. How about these pedals from Twenty6?

You wouldn't dare smack these on rocks, would you? You might scuff them...

Ritte bikes - we like the paint job

Ron from King Cage had a couple of days spare before the show, so he welded up these titanium toe clips. As you do...

(Who let these guys in?) "We have been your Interbike reporters... Stay tuned for many, many more stories."

Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 23 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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