BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Sea Otter Europe’s Demobike is returning this month, where visitors will be able to try out bikes free of charge.
The models will range from road, mountain bike and enduro, to electric, gravel and urban, among others, with special mention to the various e-bike options for all disciplines.
“As has been demonstrated in recent times, Demobike is key and highly strategic for bike and accessory brands to show potential buyers what’s new in the sector, and above all to allow them to test out products and thus help them to make their final decision,” said a statement. “It is for this reason that brands are committed to bringing along their best models and their latest products for the Sea Otter Europe Demobike.”
Below are some of the brands that will be attending the Sea Otter Europe 2021 Demobike:
Canyon, the main sponsor of the festival, triples its framework and fleet of bikes with a total of 50 models, all e-bikes. The brand will soon be holding a prize draw on its social networks for a Grizl model bike and not only can you try it out, but you can also take it home with you.
“Being at Sea Otter Europe gives us the chance to meet our customers in person, give them personalised service and, what is essential for them, gives them the opportunity to see, touch and even try out our bikes,” said Natalia Gonzalez from Canyon. “This is a crucial point, because although we have a proper, simple returns policy for our online operations, who doesn’t like to ride a bike before they buy it? In addition, Sea Otter Europe is one of Europe’s leading cycling events. For a brand like Canyon, with international presence and customers on all five continents, it’s a must.”
Available models: Torque:ON, Spectral:ON, Neuron:ON and GrandCanyon:ON, the e-gravel (Grail:ON) and the gravel (Grail and Grizl). There will be approximately 50 test bikes.
BHbikes will be bringing to Demobike the bike model with which David Valero won a bronze medal in Tokyo.
“Sea Otter Europe’s Demobike is a great opportunity for users to try out our new models, a perfect event for taking part in a route with us and getting to know first hand all our bikes’ technology,” said Álvaro Olasolo from BHbikes.
Models available: iLynx Race, Xtep Carbon with Shimano EP8 motor or the Atom X Carbon equipped with Brose motor and 720Wh battery, Lynx Race EVO, the racing machine of the BH-Temple Cafés team, the Gravel X, the Ultimate, the Ultralight and the new RS1. There will be approximately 30 test bikes.
BMC, a brand new to the expo, will join the event with 30 test bikes from Switzerland.
“It is very important for us to attend Sea Otter Europe, since it is an event located in Girona, one of the most popular areas for cycling in Europe, where a large number of cycling enthusiasts live, with a very large number of routes to practice all types of cycling,” said Maxime Ruphy.
Available models: URS01 One, Twostroke01 One, Fourstroke01 Two, Fourstroke01 LT, Speedfox One and Roadmachine01 Two.
Corratec and Fischer, two German brands, will also be attending with Corratec joining the festival for the first time with a fleet of bikes, while Fischer will be focusing on urban bikes.
Vicsports, distributors of the two brands, said: “Sea Otter Europe allows us to come into close contact with cyclists in a direct, organised manner, communicating actively and sharing their experiences, queries or feedback. The Girona location of Sea Otter, the most important bicycle fair/event in Southern Europe, means Demobike is able to offer highly varied, attractive, dynamic and closeby circuits to make bike testing all the more comfortable.
“Based at the Vic Sports stand with German-made brands, we will be together with Fisher, a leading brand with an excellent reputation in the e-bike segment, presenting urban bikers with a varied selection, as well as the odd folding bike or powerful e-MTB Fully model. We’ll also be with Corratec, a legendary brand that is back with some XC models loaded with technical details that are perfect for competition, setting a new standard for bikes. Rigid models, with dual suspension as well as new e-MTB bikes, will be available.”
Fischer models available: Cita, FR18 and Viatory Montis with a total of seven units. Corratec Models: Bow, Ilink and EPower RS160 with a total of nine units.
Factor, the British road bike brand, will also be at Sea Otter Europe.
Representatives from Factor said: “In written materials, you can explain the technology, materials, geometries, etc., but everything written begins to make sense once you ride the bike. As a brand, there aren’t many occasions when you can make your whole fleet available to customers at the same time. Outside of an event like this, the possibility of trying out a Factor is more complicated, there are few occasions when you can find the Factor you’re interested in at your local store – although our fleet is always up and running! Sea Otter Europe is a cyclist’s dream, being able to test the latest launches from the most important brands in the market.”
Available models: Ostro VAM, O2 VAM, O2, LS, ViSTA. Bikes available: five units.
GASGAS and Husqvarna, with their new bike ranges, are committed to Demobike.
Guillem Jorba said: “It is very important for us to take part in the Sea Otter Demobike. Husqvarna and GASGAS are two new additions to the bike sector and what better way to get to know our e-bikes than with customers testing first hand all the models themselves.”
Available Husqvarna models: Hard Cross and Mountain Cross range. GASGAS models: Enduro Cross and Trail Cross. There will be between 15 and 20 bikes available.
Granville, the French brand of urban bikes, will join the festival for the first time.
Jocelyn Costanzo said: “We are the French distributor of the Granville brand of urban electric bikes and we have obtained authorisation to distribute in Spain. The Spanish market should grow rapidly in the coming years and we want to invest in it. Sea Otter Europe has quickly become a must-attend event and we are particularly interested in its proximity to the city of Girona, which is perfectly suited to urban cycling.”
Available models: Urban electric Granville. There will be five to six bikes available.
Intense, an online bicycle brand, will also be at Sea Otter Europe.
Vincent Perelló of Intense Europe said: “Since its inception, Sea Otter Europe has been conceived as a cycling event geared towards the general public, who can test in-situ a variety of bike brands and models and that is something that Intense would not miss. In addition, since 2018, our business model in Europe has been 100% online, direct to the final consumer, so it is an excellent opportunity for anyone who still does not know the brand or is undecided about specific models or sizes, to settle any doubts by trying out any of the available bikes. We plan to bring models from virtually our entire range, although it’s something we’re still working on. There will be around 15 units available throughout the event.”
Available models: Tazer Expert, Tazer Pro, Tazer MX, Carbine Pro, Primer S, Primer 29 Pro, Sniper XC Pro, Sniper T Pro and Sniper T Elite. There will be approximately 15 bikes available.
Öhlins, the suspension brand, will also be offering tests.
Víctor Baládez said: “For us, it is important to be part of Sea Otter Europe’s Demobike so that the public can test our products, since Öhlins is a new brand on the bike market. By way of a demo, we will have different brands of electric bikes, all equipped with Öhlins suspensions so that visitors can compare their performance on them.”
Riese & Müller has been at the Sea Otter Europe bike test programme since the first edition in 2017.
Available models: Load 60 Touring/Packster 70 vario/Multicharger GT touring/Swing3 automatic/Roadster touring/Nevo3 GT rohloff/Homage GT rohloff/Charger3 GT rohloff/Tinker Vario. There will be one bike available for each model.
Scapin will take advantage of its four bikes available for testing.
“It is very important for us to be part of Demobike to offer our fans and potential customers the opportunity to test the bikes,” said Piergiorgio Bettella. Available models: The E-Bone Trail.
Scott will bring a fleet of 70 Sparks to Sea Otter Europe.
Carmen Aparicio said: “At Scott, we have always placed great importance on events and festivals that allow us to introduce our latest products to the public in a natural and familiar way. Sea Otter Europe is a unique environment that offers a perfect location and great professionalism on the part of the organisers. Now that we are resuming face-to-face contact in the sector, what better way to do this than through a bike celebration like this. Demobikes have always been and will always be an essential pillar for us and this year we are back in full swing with the new Spark: a 100% integrated model that will mark a turning point.”
Available models: Spark RC SL, Spark RC WC AXS, Spark RC Team, Spark 900 Tuned and Contessa Spark. There will be approximately 70 bikes available.
Opening of the Demobike booking system
From 21st September, pre-registration will be open on the bike and go platform where you can book up to two tests at the same time for brands that are using the system. For the rest, you can do so at the brands’ stands during the festival. There is no limit to the number of test rides you can do across the weekend.
To pre-register just present your ID/passport and be sure to bring along your own cycling gear, helmet, gloves, shoes, etc. More information: www.seaottereurope.com
