On the way back, Chipps, Ross, Wil and I were discussing who had the best booth at Eurobike. There was Thule, giving out incredibly good coffee. Endura looked like they were ensconced in some kind of arctic base. Vaude were one of my favourites though: Spacious, somehow quiet despite being on such a busy showfloor, plenty of places to sit down, and just all round a relaxing place to be compared to most of the show.
Among the things there were their new Moab Pro backpack, and the Eurobike award winning Tsali shoes. Read all about them below.
This is the Moab Pro backpack, which is also available in black. It has helmet and pad retention on the exterior.Inside is this multi-layer, multi-impact back protector.The waist belt is height adjustable for the best possible fit.On the bottom is this tool pouch, which is not just a clamshell but fully removable.Secured by just two clips, and a zip at the back……it pops open…… then can unzip entirely…… leaving the rest of the bag still sealed.Inside, the tool pouch has a clamshell design.They told us it was a happy accident, but that seam also makes for very handy zip tie storage.Icons are printed on the bag to tell you which pockets are for which things.“Did I put my pump in the left side or the right side?”The Moab Low AM gets some new colours for 2017.Hannah reviewed the waterproof mid-tops in issue 107, and I’ve been trying out the (non-waterproof) lows. We concur: finally, flat pedal shoes suited to UK weather and a bit of hike-a-bike.Vaude designed these with vertriders based in Innsbruck. Those Vibram sections front and back make all the difference when you’re carrying your bike up something too steep to ride.As well as good design, Vaude have a strong focus on sustainability. 88% of their apparel bears this label, which you can read about here.In the same vein, the Tsali AM Mid STX shoes cross a waterproof hiking boot with SPD cleats.Aimed at touring or bikepacking in anything up to alpine terrain, they’re made of leather, waterproof, and designed to have plenty of grip off the bike.Here’s the sole, if you’re in any doubt.Like the Moab, the Tsali is sustainably manufactured.
David started mountain biking in the 90’s, by which he means “Ineptly jumping a Saracen Kili Racer off anything available in a nearby industrial estate”. After growing up and living in some extremely flat places, David moved to Yorkshire specifically for the mountain biking. This felt like a horrible mistake at first, because the hills are so steep, but you get used to them pretty quickly.
Previously, David trifled with road and BMX, but mountain bikes always won. He’s most at peace battering down a rough trail, quietly fixing everything that does to a bike, or trying to figure out if that one click of compression damping has made things marginally better or worse. The inept jumping continues to this day.
