Cycling shoes remain an extremely popular and competitive category and
Fizik has responded with a handful of new shoes for 2013, including these cross-colored K1 Donna (women's) tri shoes.
In case you couldn't tell, these are
Carrera bikes. The Phibra isn't a new model, but the curved top tube frame design remains as contemporary looking as ever.
Someone better tell Ridley, apparently, there is a new Belgian bike maker in town.
Thompson Bikes has a full line of shapely road and mountain bikes.
French wheel maker Corima was showing off a sweet gold trophy bike to celebrate Alexandre Vinokourov's Olympic road race win.
Okay, so maybe not all the bikes on display at Eurobike represented the latest in new technology and aero design, still cyclists of every stripe showed up to take in all the latest in two-wheeled innovation.
Lo and behold, look what jersey was spotted on display at the
Primal Wear booth?! Primal has been making the RBA kits for the last few years and we're on the verge of making them available to the public. Anyone interested?
Further proof that women cyclists get the best looking shoes, the new R5 Donna from Fizik is available in this striking burnt orange/white/silver color combo and also a boring solid black version. Look for an aluminum buckle and a microtex/nylon mesh upper with a nylon/carbon sole.
The $300 R3 Uomo has also been revamped as
Fizik moved away from the microtex upper construction from last year to now include a lighter kangaroo leather/nylon mesh upper combo and an aluminum buckle. The claimed weight is 460 grams. The sail cloth straps have new color accents as well.
Fizik was also showing off a new and sleeker version if their popular Arione saddle with an ingenious integrated carbon rail system. The Arione 00 joins the three other saddles in the Arione family and hits the scales at a claimed (and minimal)135 grams while still relying on Fizik's own WingFlex design. Not cheap, expect to part with $400 for the Italian made saddle.
For most cyclists it's time to start considering winter wear and
Gore Bike Wear is ready with a wide variety of jackets, jerseys, vests, booties, tights and gloves that feature a variety of Gore-Tex and Gore Windstopper to help keep the cold and wet out. The Windstopper treatment has made impressive advances over the years in terms of being lighter and more pliable in the fabric. A rumor circulating at the show was that Gore is getting out of the cable liner business so if you like buttery smooth cable operation, better head to yer local dealer asap!
Steve Hed and the rest of his namesake crew from
Hed Cycling were displaying a boatload of wheels including the new 60mm deep Vanquish carbon clincher that runs with 18 spokes up front and 24 in the rear with a claimed weight of 1543 grams for the pair. Best of all the Vanquish clinchers are made at the Hed factory in Minnesota.
Another wheel shown at the Hed booth was carbon Stinger disc wheel that was designed with cyclocross in mind with a more shallow bed to better accommodate 32-34mm tubular tires. The Stinger is also available in a higher-end Flamme Rouge version with Sapim spokes and titanium skewers. About $2100 per pair.
"Hey, that sounds like my kind of event," laughed frame building pioneer Tom Ritchey when told about the 210 kilometer Ritchey Challenge bike race in Switzerland named in his honor (which he knew nothing about.)
How can something be so fabulous and yet really so stupid at the same time? The curious irony about the Eurobike show is that while it is the world's best & biggest bike show, it is also the world's worst show when it comes to (too much) traffic and (not enough) housing for all the patrons.