Round up: The London Bike Show

USE and Exposure
With the Boat Show next door it was fitting that Exposure would show visitors the underwater capabilities of some of its specially developed lights. Visitors were treated to the introduction of a prototype dynamo light system capable of emitting up to 650 lumens at its peak. The technology is already at the stage where it lasted through 24 hour endurance events as part of product testing.
A range of packages will be available when this unit hits production, including three and four LED versions. The housing seen at the show will also change to a slimmer unit resembling the Diablo light, BikeBiz was told. What’s more, once the rider has stopped pedalling, there will be some charge remaining that will continue to be delivered at 450 lumens, making this light ideal for quick breaks on the trail.
From USE, there’s a hydraulic cyclocross brake on the way, dubbed the CX-11 disc, but details are as yet thin on the ground.

Madison
Madison again occupied a sizeable chunk of space, with the organisers apparently joking that the distributor has its own postcode at ExCeL. Who’s joking? Madison Mainstreet became a reality and the stands offered the latest from each bike range, Madison’s own brand clothing line and much more.
Changes to the Saracen line drew BikeBiz’s attention and it was soon explained that the Mantra line had undergone a revamp, among other additions. The new Tuff Trax Comp Disc features a front and rear set of hydraulic brakes, something the minds behind the brand believe to be unmatched by the market at £399.99.
A 160mm Ariel was also revealed, offering a direct solution for the increasing numbers looking to mix it up with some downhill enduro riding. The rear triangle is also beefed up to handle such abuse. A frame, with shock, will cost £1,199.99 and a gravity Dropper 125mm seatpost has the added bonus of a handlebar mounted remote for quick adjustment.
Saracen also now has an entry-level downhill bike in the Myst Pro, costing just £2,499.99, bringing it in well below the team build used by the professionals.

Chicken Cyclekit
Sadly the news from the Chicken Cyclekit booth was marred by the theft of a rare Cinelli Strato Carbon at the show.
The standout £5,500 build, complete with Campagnolo Bullet wheels and a Super Record Groupset, is believed to have been taken at around 4pm on Sunday.
Chicken Cyclekit director Cedric Chicken told BikeBiz: “As you see from the image it is unmistakeable [see above] – somebody will be offered it, no doubt. We are offering a substantial reward if it is found.”
If you have any information, or are offered the bike, please contact Chicken Cycles on 01525 381347 as soon as possible.

ATB Sales
ATB’s stand revolved largely around Whyte and its 29er and cyclocross bikes. ATB’s Andy Jefferies told BikeBiz: “Cyclocross has taken off in a big way, so we’ve developed a line of bikes spanning £799.99 to £1,299, all built around the same frame. To date, orders have been incredibly strong and ahead of forecasts, so next year we’ll need a more substantial order to meet the demand here.”
Last year’s launch of the R7 in the commuter space largely prompted the move into drop bars and knobbly tires, offered best by the Saxon Cross, which comes ready built for cyclocross.
Jefferies continued: “The UCI’s allowance of disc brakes opened further potential for us to develop this space. We wanted to make a workhorse at a reasonable price that came disc brake equipped. We’ve now got a full line with plenty of clearance on the frame – it’s a great base to build on for anyone considering cyclocross, though it’ll handle well in urban spaces too.”
Each build comes specced with a gear range of 11-30, though the frame can accommodate any cassette.
Three Whyte 29ers are now with ATB, featuring Whyte’s own adjustable dropout which allows the rider to adjust the range of the dropout by up to 20mm. The seattube bends around the rear wheel to allow a short, responsive back end and clearance, while a 69-degree head angle keeps things responsive up front.

Extra
Thanks to the addition of ‘The Hornit’ bike alarm, the Extra stand was drawing curious glances from the show floor. More can be found on this ahem… alarming, new product on page 58.
Brooks, meanwhile, continued to push things aside from saddles with new bar tape, bags and coats taking centre stage. You may have heard of the ‘Criterion’, a Timothy Everest collaboration, super high-end cycling jacket with tweed lining, water and wind proofing credentials. Well, now there’s a ladies version, so if any of your customers have £830 burning a hole in their pocket, these could be worth pointing out.
A selection of new bags join the Brooks catalogue too, including the pictured £260 treated cotton rucksack, which has a 30 to 43 litre capacity and is fully waterproof. Other additions include a Gym Bag, various other carry bags and leather bar tape in ten colours.

Upgrade
Upgrade’s main news was the appointment of a new national sales manager Ian Manning.
Kenesis has made the much-loved Decade frame available as a complete bike, with Upgrade stocking two build kits. These are a 2 x10 SRAM X5 spec, retailing for £1,220, or SRAM X9 spec for £1,599. The rest of the build will be made up of FSA finishing kit, WTB tubeless wheelsets and X-fusion forks. The Decade features DMR’s Swapout dropout should the customer prefer a singlespeed rig.
Upgrade also told BikeBiz that it has just taken stock of Pivot’s carbon 5.7, available as a frameset for £2,099 at retail.

Eurobike
Moda continues to be the main focus for Eurobike, as Russ Masters told BikeBiz: “It’s a very significant brand for the business. We’ve had one chap come down to the show simply to view a Stretto before buying one himself.”
On the back of the news that the UK workshop can now build bikes with Campagnolo, as well as SRAM and Shimano, Masters let us in on another secret.
“We’re currently working with a Staffordshire-based carbon fibre expert to create our first fully UK handmade carbon fibre frames. Eurobike managed to secure some additional funding through the Government’s small business subsidies and that’s allowed us to set up the tooling to create something very special. We expect around 300 units will be made in sizes 52 to 56 and we’re looking at having samples by June and production soon after, perhaps July.”
Another snippet of news, Eurobike has also secured distribution for Moda in France.

Endura
The London Bike Show saw the debut of Endura’s Urban Range, which is perfectly suited for city cyclists, combining functionality with subtle, contemporary, office-compatible chic.
The new Photon Jacket was flagged up thanks to its 2.5-layer waterproof breathable fabric. This latest member in Endura’s family of cycling jackets is extremely lightweight and ultra packable for a fully waterproof, completely seam-sealed jacket.
The Photon features a slimline inner storm flap with a wrap over zip guard and is available in a men’s and a women’s version in a range of colours. A lightweight ‘Emergency softshell’ also joins the range, which offers a value for money, slimline solution for when the clouds open unexpectedly.

Magura
The buzz around Magura’s now announced RT8 TT hydraulic rim brake for road was having a good go at swallowing any other developments from the brand, which remained tight-lipped on anything in the pipeline during the show. If you want to know more about the RT8 TT, go on the internet and type in ‘Magura Cervelo’ for a good few million relevant search results.
Since scrapping the Julie and Martyr lines last year, Magura’s MT series has taken over, with the MT2 at entry level (£99.99) and MT8 taking top spot. The £299.99 MT8 weighs in at just 278 grams, including the fluid and bolts.
Magura UK’s Jeremy Crook told BikeBiz: “We’re the only company in the world to layer short strand carbon fibre to its maximum strength capabilities. Magura has developed its own machine to give a multi-directional layup, meaning we can tailor a product to be tough where it needs to be.”
Retailers can benefit from just one set of pads spanning the entire range, meaning just one replacement SKU need be stocked.

Silverfish
New products galore for Silverfish, including Yeti’s carbon SB66C – the lighter brother of the aluminium SB66A. It’s the same 6-inch travel ‘superbike’, with a tapered headtube, 142 bolt thru rear axle compatible dropout and is based around the same Switch suspension technology. It costs a bit more though, retailing at £2,599.
Spiuk revealed a new tri shoe, as well as a new 31-vent Nexion helmet in nine different colours. The Sector is Spiuk’s 680 gram tri shoe, offering a heat molded inner lining and glass fibre sole, all woven into some High Flow 2 Fabric, which offers great ventilation and breathability.
Mondraker drew plenty of interest too thanks to the Borne 1 city bike (£999). With an eight-seed Alfine hub, ergonomic grips and Shimano hydraulic brakes front and rear, this is one of three in the born line, now available to retail.