Forget racing, if you want to thoroughly thrash yourself, a trip to Eurobike is guaranteed to leave you completely frazzled. Here’s my top bits from three days at the show…
I’ve never been a massive Zipp fanboy – somehow the big white logos didn’t do it for me, but I started to look at them when Wout Van Aert and Anna Van Der Breggen started using them. Recently I’ve built more bikes up with the brand and I’ve really started to fall for them. The 302’s I used on a fully custom bespoke-build started me thinking about the brand and then I got to demo the 303 NSW wheels on a Wildside Cycles bespoke-build that I built. Now the brand has added tubeless compatibility, their own tubeless tyres, more disc options and a very exciting 650 wheelset to cover pretty much all usage.
The Dura-Ace Powermeter looks super clean and tidy, as does the Stages double sided powermeter. Time will tell which one works best, but we’ll get them on some bikes and see over the next few months.
Ceramic Speed is a brand that I’ve worked with before along with Lightweight wheels. Testing the systems out I think that the Oversized Pulley System seems to work really well – rider feedback has been very positive and the Danish brand has released a new chain treatment to help further reduce friction. Lightweight have developed a disc brake wheel which looks like it’ll do the business for high-end builds and they’ve also widened the rim width in their new lines, which was well overdue.
Lots of exciting things are going on in the bearing world (obviously that’s my definition of the word “exciting”) and I managed to get my hands on a fairly new product, which will be on my bike by tomorrow evening, so keep your eyes peeled for some fresh #aeighttech in the next few weeks!
DMR’s SLED looks amazing in the flesh and their friends at Praxis Works were showing off some real surprises. A new Girder Carbon and Zayante Carbon crank help support the top of the line options and they seem to tick all the right boxes. The great thing for me is the readily available options in terms of ring choices – doubles, singles, boost, sub compacts, etc all fit on the same crankset which is compatible with just about all frames! I’m looking forward to testing out the new Zayante M30 Carbon X which is claiming some impressive stats!
Chris King have a new colour out! Matte Candy Pink – just buy it all.
On the Colnago stand where do you start? I found myself wanting one of everything. The Prestige is really sorted and now comes with a really smart paintjob, as does the V2r which is especially beautiful in the black/gold art-deco paintwork. The Arabesque and Master both continue to stun, but of course the C60 is the bike that gets everyone drooling. If I could I’d have one of each colour – the painted lugs are such a simple touch which won’t ever look tired, unlike me after trying to take everything in!
The best thing though has been catching up with everyone and sharing so much knowledge and ideas with different people – I’ve really learned a lot and got some great new tricks up my sleeve for bikes to come – now to get back to the workshop!
Photos by Glen Whittington.
Glen rides for the Southborough & District Wheelers. He races mountain bikes, road bikes, TT and ‘cross at local and national level. He receives personal support from Helly Hansen, Wildside Cycles and the.æight.bicycle.cømpany.