5 Cool Things from Eurobike 2018: Ridley, Open, Parlee, FiftyOne and more

Another busy day of trawling the many halls of Messe Friedrichshafen in Germany to uncover some of the most interesting new bikes and tech, and over a quick break for coffee here are five cool things that grabbed our attention.

Open has collaborated with Omata, makers of an analogue GPS computer that we first reported on back in 2016, to produce a limited run of specially painted bikes.

Just 20 bikes will be produced so you obviously need to be quick if you want to get your hands on one.

Ridley has used Eurobike to launch its brand new Noah Fast, an update of its long-running aerodynamic road bike. It’s available with rim or disc brakes and it’s big on integration, as most modern aero road bikes are.

Ridley has focused on ensuring the fit can be easily customised, with the one-piece aero handlebar available in six stem lengths from 90 to 140mm and a raft of aero spacers to adjust the stack height.

Irish brand FiftyOne usually have something rather special to show off at Eurobike, and this year is no different. The company is big on custom finishes, and this beautifully painted bike is a good demonstration of the sort of work they do. It was on the Enve stand so obviously, it’s decked out with all the carbon bits from the US company, including the wheels, seatpost, stem and handlebar.

You don’t have to have drop handlebars on your gravel and adventure bike. This is the new Parlee Chebacco Sport which combines the US company’s existing carbon fibre adventure frame into a build that will suit urban and road cycling with a more relaxed fit option.

They’ve added reflective graphics to the frame so it could be ideal for commuting.

Marin has updated its Gestalt gravel and adventure bike. Tyre clearance is good for 40mm tyres, the top tube is sloped to increase standover clearance and this range-topping model comes with a dropper post for increased off-road ability.

Did we save five cool things? We meant six...

This is the new Bell Z20 Aero helmet. It’s claimed to be faster than its previous aero helmet, the Star Pro. It'll save you 40 seconds (on a 40km time trial at 400 watts) compared to the regular non-aero Z20 helmet. So, yeah 400 watts...

Stay tuned for more highlights from Eurobike over the coming hours and days.