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11 things we learned at Eurobike 2017

It's one of the world's biggest bike shows, and we spotted a lot of tech and trends that could potentially have big impacts on the bikes you ride in the future.....

1. E-bikes now look like road bikes 

orbea gain ultegra.jpg

At least this one does anyway. In our book it's high time we had the option to ride an e-bike with some weight shed to look more like a conventional bike, and the Orbea Gain shown here weighs just 12kg. Wanna find out more about e-bikes? Head to our sister site eBikeTips. 

 

2. The growth of gravel continues

OPEN Upper.jpg

It's a trend that's been on the rise for a few years now, and there's no signs of it slowing down with a host of new gravel and adventure bike on display at Eurobike - including this super limited edition version of Open's UPPER gravel bike, with a light 870g frame, big tyre clearance and a dropped chainstay. 

 

3. You can pay a hell of a lot for a pushbike nowadays

Storck Aernario special.jpg

14,999 for this limited edition Storck Aernario, a Bianchi Ferrari collaboration road bike with a 15,000 Euro price tag, and a whole host of high-end bikes at well over ten grand. Prices aren't going down, that's for sure... 

 

4. Luxury car brands continue to muscle in on the bike industry

Maserati e-bike.jpg

It hasn't always worked in the past, and doesn't appear to on this questionable e-bike design from Diavelo and Maserati. Stick to your day job etc... 

 

5. With Rotor arriving on the scene, it's full-on road groupset wars out there...

Rotor Uno.jpg

With FSA's wireless K-Force groupset arriving earlier this year and now Rotor showing off their Uno components, are the big three of Shimano, Sram and Campagnolo about to get a run for their money? We're looking forward to trying out both of these new arrivals very soon to see if they stack up. 

 

6. Home training is becoming seriously smart

With Tacx showing off a new static bike and their cycling treadmill ands Wahoo unveiling perhaps some of the most attention-grabbing tech of the whole Eurobike show in their Kickr Climb, there have never been more innovative ways to suffer from the confines of your own home. Check out our Kickr Climb preview video above...

 

7. As is outdoor training...

The new Garmin Vector pedals along with the Favero Assiomas that we previewed last month have marked a new era in simplicity for pedal-based power, with no specific torque required to make them incredibly easy to switch between bikes and the weight coming down below 200g for each. Going deeper than power alone, Argon 18's new Notio Konect project promises live CDA tracking to keep you as aero as possible while you're on the bike, on top of recording all the other metrics. Cycling has never been more scientific. 

 

8. There are increasingly few race bikes without a disc version 

scott foil disc eurobike 20174.jpg

Consumer demand and even pro peleton demand has meant that most top-end bikes now come with discs if required. The Scott Foil is one of the latest, along with the Wilier Cento Air 10 and the Colnago Concept. 

 

9. BOA is taking over 

Oakley helmets-19.jpg

On shoes, and now even on helmets, we noticed that now more than ever the BOA dial system is very much preferred to the ratchet strap or velcro on cycling shoes. Is Velcro dead? It certainly seems so... 

 

10. Waterproofing tech is now on another level

Packable jackets that stretch and are completely waterproof? These new offerings from Castelli and Gore prove that's now possible. It's pricey stuff while the tech is still relatively new, but seriously impressive. 

 

11. For all the useful tech advances in the bike industry for 2018, some things are still just nuts…

Alligator Parilla.jpg

Ladies and gentleman, we give you the Moto Parilla Alligator... and that concludes this list! 

 

 

 

Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.  

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2 comments

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srchar | 6 years ago
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road.cc wrote:

9. BOA is taking over

I have Boas on my S-Works road shoes. They are great when they work. I have replaced probably ten of them in the last couple of years. They provide free replacements, but it's still quite annoying.

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EcoRacer replied to srchar | 6 years ago
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srchar wrote:

road.cc wrote:

9. BOA is taking over

I have Boas on my S-Works road shoes. They are great when they work. I have replaced probably ten of them in the last couple of years. They provide free replacements, but it's still quite annoying.

 

For what it's worth, I just want to counter your point with my own experience.  I have repaired many more buckle or lace type shoe systems (from Mavic, Diadora, Sidi, DMT,...) for customers than you have replaced BOA dials.

On my own shoes I have never broken a pair of Boa dials or cables. (I have more than a few pairs of shoes with with Boa dials, not only cycling shoes.) But I did replace two Atop dials because they broke.

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