We are at Eurobike wandering around the various stands: the fairs seemed dead until a few years ago but in reality they are more alive than ever. The lack of some big brands, which do not believe it is useful to be at trade fairs, gives space to new, more motivated and aggressive companies to show their products and their potential.
Let's get to know the 10 things that most impressed us at the Eurobike fair in Frankfurt. We also recommend the article 'the 10 best bikes from a purely aesthetic point of view'.
QUOC – BRITISH CYCLING BRAND
Shoes with a strong British personality. Then the SPD suede boot is Hors Categorie!
The catalog has few models but of excellent quality: the shoes range from XC/Gravel to road. I like brands that deviate from the crowd and therefore Quoc struck me, also for the excellent build quality and its design that calls for adventure.
MICROSHIFT ADENT
The 12 speed is not necessarily necessary: Microshift focuses on the 10 speed.
Is 12v necessary? Not according to Microshift: more precise, lower costs, greater resistance of the rear derailleur and less fragile chain. With a shorter cage and revised pulley location, ADVENT X Ver.2 has more chain wrap on both the cassette teeth and derailleur pulleys. Having more teeth engaged improves shift response and cassette life. The only drawback in our opinion? The gear range could be brutal if we don't have a well trained leg.
LEATT ENDURO 3.0
The 3 in 1 helmet should have been called Power Ranger: open face, full face and jet all in the same model!
Winner of the prestigious Design & Innovation Award 2023, the 3.0 Enduro helmet confirms Leatt's excellent intuition in the world of mountain biking: depending on the route, you can adapt the helmet to optimize ventilation, weight and safety.
BRANCHY PROTECTION
Finally mounting the gold SRAM XX1 may no longer be seen as a sclerotic poser gesture.
Branchy protects the rear derailleur from direct impacts and from hitting rocks, branches, ruts or whatever it is. We saw it by chance Maxiavalanche of Andorra used by Borja Perez Esteban, then 2nd in the final classification, and we found it here at Eurobike: a very simple but functional idea. Instead of continuing to dream of integrated gearboxes, for now let's assemble this one and partially solve the problem.
RIDE CONCEPTS
Shoes with D3O internal protection. But where do we put the flat-soled slippers? So we can finally hit the beach in style pulling a few doubles if it happens. Elba MTB Approved.
In addition to the structure, as in the photo above, each Ride Concepts insole uses D3O Zone technology to provide impact resistance and comfort. D3O material absorbs energy from impacts through atoms that realign themselves on the outer surface when an impact is received.
EARLY RIDERS
A brand that makes products for children with the same quality as adults. And innovative, like the Velio balance bike, suitable from the first months of life.
What better way to build physical and mental confidence before you start developing self-doubt? Thanks to the Early Rider models, our children are best equipped to face challenges and ride big as they say. Defects? Naturally, by mounting good-level components, the prices won't be much lower than our adult bikes.
HT COMPONENTS
The attention to detail of HT pedals amazes me every time: look closely, you notice the love and attention to detail. And a vastness of colors to make us dizzy!
Pedal specialists: we can find from road models to gravity, through XC, trail and even low-end pedals for leisure. Clipless pedals are compatible with the classic Shimano SPD cleats but, using proprietary HT cleats, it is possible to vary the angle of play of the foot on the pedal.
REACT SWITZERLAND
The fastest sunglasses in the world: thanks to cells on the frame, they change shades based on the incoming light.
How cool is it to have glasses that lighten and darken in real time? Here, React has studied a system that responds positively to this question. The only doubt is the fact that a friend told us that, in case of sudden changes (dark light style in the woods) they flicker and create a very annoying effect (thanks Simone for the feedback: we will keep your identity unknown to avoid retaliation by spies Swiss).
Topeak
Topeak's additions: between inserts to be inserted in the handlebar, sugar holder on the horizontal tube, tools in the bottom bracket, multitool under the bottle, now there is also a digital torx key with impressive dimensions!
There is something for all tastes in the Topeak house: with the right amount of patience in ordering the various tools, and a little sound money, it is possible to equip your bike with everything necessary to solve various types of problems without have your backpack with you. Many tools lack the functionality of their older brothers but remain usable with a minimum of dexterity.
THOK E-BIKES
THOK E-Bikes builds the first E-MTB prototype made with 3D printing technology!
Thok shows us what his first lightweight E-MTB will look like, which will be equipped with the latest Bosch SX motor. The tests are taking place with an aluminum prototype created by 3D printing, but we are assured that the final model will be in carbon (even if the raw aluminum look it now has is absolutely stunning).
