Eurobike round up, part one

Ridley – 01
Suddenly of particular interest to the UK retailer, much thanks to its fresh distribution link with Sportline, a sister offshoot business of Madison’s parent company H Young, Ridley’s wind tunnel provided a welcoming jet of cool air for the crowds exhausted by walking 14+ Zeppelin hangers.
It wasn’t there simply to cool industry folk down, however. The emphasis on aerodynamics is a big part of Ridley’s 2014 product, none more so than in the flagship Noah Fast, which will cost between £5,465 and £6,400 for a complete build and £4,000 for the frameset. Look out for the ‘Dean Fast’ build which is set for the UK in March next year and will be both mechanical and electronic groupset compatible, with the battery tucked inside the frame on the latter.
Ridley was also keen to emphasise the strength of its custom build program, for which UK customers will be able to design online and collect from their nearest certified Ridley dealer. A £180 cost is added for any custom paintwork and the service is to be available on all full carbon framesets.

Thule– 02 
If you were at the show and wondering why Swedish label Thule’s stand was so busy, it could be for several reasons. The manufacturer continues to expand its wares, having introduced a child seat, further phone handset holder configurations, a basket with a clever mounting system and both hard and soft shell bike case, both of which contain a Eurobike Award winning modular bike stand assembled from the side supports of the bike bag itself. The bike bags will cost €599, so are by no means the cheapest on the market, but for the frequent traveller, the addition of a bike build and service stand could be worth the investment. Wheelbags are included in the cost and the cases will house 29ers with ease, offering space for up to a 46-inch wheelbase.
The child seat looked to be well thought out too, with water repellent padding, a 20 degree tilt, allowing the child to relax, height adjustment for both the washable seatbelts and foot cups, as well as subtle additions such as a protection wing to ensure small fingers aren’t caught against walls when placing the child in the saddle. The Thule child seat will land in Q1 and retail for around €135.

Nukeproof– 03
You’ll be able to get your hands on stock of Nukeproof’s Mega AM and TR completes from Early November. As was the trend at the show, the complete bikes are offered in 650b, or 27.5 if you’d prefer, only. The All Mountain Mega will cost £3,200 at retail and the TR trail bike at £3,000. BikeBiz was told by Nukeproof staff that the TR is the best trail centre bikes they’ve produced to date.
Sam Hill’s signature Pulse continues as one of Nukeproof’s better sellers, while the Scalp downhill rig gets a Boxxer fork upgrade for the year ahead.

Tern – 04 
Working with Nordic lighting experts Herrmans, Tern has introduced a new 150-lumen dynamo powered light which will feature on select models.
It’s a tidy little unit, that emits a good amount of power through a wide beam and even provides a little side visibility. The design draws heat away from the LEDs, which will continue to operate for a short period while stopped at traffic lights.

RaceFace – 05
‘New’ tags were littered around the RaceFace stand, though the new Atlas and Effect pedals were centre stage. The Effect is the cheaper unit at €119.90, while the Atlas line provides a lighter 355 gram pedal with a thinner concaved platform and a fully sealed four bearing per pedal design.
Sticking with the Atlas catalogue, there’s a new 35mm stem that claims to be stiffer than predecessors and though burlier in appearance, we’re told it’s lighter.

Various new handlebars join the catalogue, including a new Turbine flat wide bar, measuring 720mm wide, as well as a SixC 800mm wide 35mm riser bar.
There’s a new saddle in black, red or blue landing too, with a 240-gram weight. The base is a blend of honeycomb flex and firm foam to elevate your customer’s sit bones and reduce perennial pressure.

Rocky Mountain– 06
Now with Greenover distribution in the UK, Rocky Mountain dealers will soon have access to the Instinct 999 MSL 29ER. With a complete bike weight of just 24.8 lbs, the 1×11 Sram geared bike sports RaceFace’s new Next SL crank and a handful of other top-spec aftermarket parts.
What’s particularly exciting about this build is the ability to fine tune the ride geometry and suspension feel to suit different styles and terrain. This is thanks to the angular bearing concept, which aside from providing an uncompromising stiffness over cartridge bearing systems, saves around 20 grams per pivot. The Instinct frame is a looker too, with internal cable routing provided even for the Reverb post and rear shock.

Kona – 07
With Kona now shipped to the UK via a warehouse in Holland we were keen to see what’s on offer to the dealer interested in the distributor-less business model.
Ben Gaby, the head of the UK operation, told BikeBiz: “We’re quite excited about this year’s product as some of these bikes have been four years in the development and launched here at Eurobike.”
Going via the independent store only, Kona told BikeBiz of an imminent store POS and custom store-in-a-store program that will be available to larger accounts. Trials have begun in Europe and select UK stores, so if you’re looking to expand your Kona offering contact the label on Dan@konaworld.com. Shipping of bikes from the Netherlands takes two to three days and strong early settlement terms are available, alongside ‘improved margins’.
On to the bikes and the new carbon Operator will join the wish lists of many downhill enthusiasts this year. This is the first time Kona has placed its trust in carbon for a gravity application and the uni-directional weave should ensure that it’s a compliant ride, while the shock is mounted near the bottom bracket to maintain a low centre of gravity. The hollowed dropouts are said to have taken some time to develop. Oversized pivot bearings feature to ensure longer life. The result of all of these subtle developments is a bike with a more progressive leverage rate curve compared to the original Operator.
If your customer is more into sportives, check out the Zone range, which offer a large clearance frame for tyres up to 28c with a full mudguard, for which hidden eyelets feature near the frame’s dropouts.

VP Components – 08
Passing through the halls, it was hard to not be drawn to VP’s new Blade pedal. This has to be the lightest platform pedal around at 223 grams and made from CNC machined titanium. The picture does the talking on this one – minimal surface area, but with pins in the right places to maintain grip. Independent distribute VP in the UK should you fancy an eye-catching pedal for your store’s cabinets.

Bell  – 09
Bell is particularly chuffed with its Super helmet and for good reason. It packs in a lot of in demand features for the money, such as mounts for a GoPro included, a ‘Goggle Guide’ that channels and holds the straps and four overbrow vents that ensure your customer’s forehead remains cool. 25 vents feature elsewhere on the in-mold constructed lid. At 390 grams, it’s a light lid too, available for head sizes up to 63cm. A supplied removable visor has a 35-degree range, so it’ll slip aside when you want a breather from the goggles.

For a broader gallery, including more from the brands shown above, see here.