- So we're here at Eurobike 2018.
This is at Friedrichshafen
It is the biggest trade
bike show of the lot,
and we're gonna check out all
of the new, cool tech stuff.
(smooth, chill music)
Now, this is a pretty
interesting bit of tech
that I've been meaning
to try for a while now.
Just kind of forgot they're around.
They're called the Vibrocore Handlebar,
and they're from SPANK.
They use a similar technology
to a lot of Motocross bars.
They actually have an insert
on the inside of the bar
that is designed to sort
of reduce that fatigue
that you get transmitted
through the handlebars
in the form of vibration to your hands.
Really interesting concept.
Think about it in a way that
you get a big echoey room,
and you can absorb that
sound using egg cups or foam.
It's gonna be a similar sort
of principle with vibration
by having that core on the inside.
Really cool concept.
I need to try some, I think,
to see what they're like.
So we're here on the Northwave stand,
and we're really pleased to
see that in addition to all
their super high-end,
aggressive cycling shoes
designed for the world of clipless pedals,
they're now making flat-specific shoes.
So it's the Tribe and the Clan.
I'm just gonna take you through
a few of the cool details on these.
So we'll look at the Clan first.
So it's three colorways.
There's the all black.
There's the black and gray.
At the top, there's the blue and black
with the orange detailing.
Now this is a three-part sole,
and it's a completely unique
sole to Northwave.
And they've worked in
conjunction with Michelin
to develop this.
So the tread pattern itself
is one part of the sole,
and that is their Gecko Plus Compound.
It's the softest compound,
and it's got a lug design
at the front of the shoe
and at the back of the shoe
for the hike-a- bike stuff.
And the mid part of the sole is designed
for maximum purchase on flat pedals.
It's a very aggressive design.
So the middle part of the
sole, as you can see here,
this gray part, that's TPU
rubber, so it's urethane rubber,
and that is the shank of the
shoe that gives it a very,
very stiff and supportive action.
So it's dedicated cycling
shoes, not just a trainer
with a sticky, rubber sole on it.
This thing is designed to be
really good on flat pedals.
It gives the rider support,
not too much on there.
It's got a nice amount of
flex, so you can feel the pedal
through the sole of the
shoe, but not too much
that it becomes uncomfortable.
It's a very efficient shoe to ride in.
It's got loads of toe flex
for off the bike stuff,
so it's gonna be quite
an intuitive shoe to use.
And, finally, there's
the EVA cushioning layer,
which makes it very
comfortable both off the bike
and, of course, providing
impact protection on the bike,
and, of course, against
vibration, which you get a lot of
on any sort of riding.
So it's a very comfortable shoe.
The upper on it has got
lots of ventilation on here.
The padding on the upper
isn't so dense that
it's gonna absorb water.
There's just enough there,
but it's very light-weight.
So it's actually gonna dry very fast,
which is great for us riders in the UK,
and there's lots of mesh on there.
It's TPU welded as well, so
it's a single-piece design,
very clean bit of kit.
Really quite into that.
And, of course, there's also the Tribe.
So there's five different
colorways in this shoe available.
Just gonna hold up the gray model here.
Now this has got a slightly
harder compound rubber sole.
Of course, this one isn't
quite designed to be
as high-end as the Clan shoe.
This is more for your day-to-day shoe,
much more like a skate-based trainer.
So you got the nice heel-box in there,
the nice toe-box on there, and a bit more
of an aggressive sole on this,
so it hooks up really
great on and off the bike.
Also, they look pretty cool just to wear
with a pair of jeans.
Now, the Outcross is one of
my favorite models of shoe.
This is a shoe that I use
in my day-to-day basis.
I'm a clip-in kind of rider
mostly, so as much as I love
the flat-pedal shoes, this
is really where I'm at.
Now this is a slightly revised version.
It's got improved Velcro straps on here.
It's still got the dial on there.
It's a really good shoe,
but I've also noticed
they make a super
light-weight version of that.
As with all of the Northwave shoes,
they've got Michelin
rubber soles on there.
It's a really good sole off the bike,
loads of stable support there,
and it's a nice, wide heel on there.
This has got a super light
fly-mesh upper, and it's got a
nice gaiter system on there as well.
So it doesn't weigh a thing.
It's such a light shoe,
but it's got a really tough, sturdy sole.
Again, it's got a nice, protective toe-box
and heel-box on there.
Really good shoe. In fact, I'm
gonna have a pair of those.
So a little bit of new technology here
involved in the world of locks.
So this is the Hiplok Airlok.
So this mounts to your wall in your house.
It is also a place to
hang your bike, but also
a place to lock it so
it's absolutely secured.
Now as you can see, the
unit is actually locked,
but using a dedicated app,
hit the unlock button,
and you can pull it out.
So basically you've got a
balled design here in the end
while using the app.
That is super cool.
Of course, this is at concept stage.
That's not a real iPhone at the moment.
This is just a mock-up
of how it's gonna work,
but this is retrofittable
to the Airlok system
and their forthcoming
ground anchor system.
Now what's the point of this?
Well, perhaps you locked
your bike at home,
and your wife wants to take it for a ride,
or something like that,
and you don't have to share the keys.
You can just unlock it
or lock it using an app.
Maybe it could be used for
bike sharing in public,
for hire bikes.
There's a whole world
of benefits to be had
from a bit of lock tech like
this, but I absolutely love
where this is going, love seeing
all this cool concept stuff
at shows like Eurobike
that you wouldn't see
unless you asked about.
Very cool. Just gonna unlock that,
(lock snaps)
and lock it.
Now this is the next
product you're likely to see
coming from Hiplok.
This is another orientation
of the popular Airlok,
which, of course, is
that wall-mounted unit.
Now this could be mounted on
the ground as a ground anchor
or on the wall, or even both.
Now this could be quite cool.
I'm actually thinking
this might be a good idea
for my own workshop,
mount one on the wall,
daisy-chain all the bikes
together, mount one on the floor,
lock that daisy chain to the floor,
so it's a really hard job,
hopefully, for someone to get
the bikes out if they do
manage to get in there.
Love a decent ground anchor system,
and I love where this is going.
Great tech.
So this is a little bit of
a hint of what is gonna come
from the future.
And I think this might
happen for all bikes,
but Magura are here first.
This is a concept set of handlebars
called the Cockpit Study.
The concept actually comes
from old motorbike stuff
with housing they used
to have back in the day,
like fairing, covering up the cables.
The cables would be entirely
internal on the handlebars.
There'd be a bleed port on
the end of the bars there.
How neat and tidy is that gonna be?
A whole cockpit bar and stem,
integrated brake levers,
no cables or anything.
I think that's gonna be
an amazing piece of kit
when this hits the shelves.
And yet another piece of
really cool tech from Magura,
heated grips.
This is something I have
wanted to see on mountain bikes
for a long time, and of course
with e-bikes having a major
battery system and they got
the controls and everything,
wires running straight
through the bar stem,
adjustable, heated grips
so you can ride in winter.
You don't have to have
big, cumbersome gloves.
You can have much thinner
gloves, better riding feel,
and, of course, no numb hands.
How cool is that?
Something else really cool
I've seen here at Topeak
is this Airbooster G.
So this is something that's
for using with C02 cartridges,
and, of course, as we
know, one of the problems
with C02 cartridges, you don't
actually know how much air
you're releasing at any
time, even with those
that have got a valve on them.
These have got a pressure
gauge on them, so you can be
really precise in the amount
of air you're releasing
into your tires.
My perfect example of
really cool, new MTB tech,
just stuff that works really well.
You might not always need
it, but they make a tool
for everything you could possibly need.
Gotta love Topeak for that.
Here on the Gates stand, check
out this Nicolai ION-G15.
Now as well as being a really modern bike,
of course it's very progressive
geometry, long, low slack.
This, of course, has got
the Gates Carbon Belt Drive
on that, in combination
with the Pinion gearbox.
This, I really think, could
be the future of design
as far as bike transmissions go.
Think what you're doing with this.
You've got something that's
completely impervious to mud.
You're never gonna have to maintain this.
It's all sealed away inside there.
You've got the actual
Belt Drive system itself.
There's no chain to snap.
Really quiet, efficient system on there.
You're making your unsprung
mass a lot lighter,
so the rear suspension's
gonna work better.
The weight of all of that
stuff goes on the mass
of the bike, so the whole
bike's gonna feel more balanced.
The shifting system with
this feels incredible.
It's really good, and, of course,
it is all work in progress
towards what the future
of shifting will be
on mountain bikes.
And I, for one, really hope
it does go the gearbox way,
because I love the way it
does without all of that stuff
on the back of the bike.
Don't get me wrong.
I love what SRAM are doing with 12-speed.
I love what Shimano are
doing with that stuff.
It's really good, but this,
I think, is stepping up.
It's going in a new direction,
probably the direction
mountain bikes should be going in.
What do you guys think?
Do you think that gearbox
technology is really cool
and where it should be
going, or would you prefer
the humble rear derailleur?
Let us know in those comments below.
So I was just checking out the inside
of the Pinion gearbox here,
and, as you can see, this thing is loaded.
So you got your input, and
you've got your output system
on here, with flywheel
system on the outside here,
as you can see where the gears change,
and you've got these
orbitals that rotate around.
Now something that's
especially cool about this,
obviously, it's enclosed,
so the whole lot is clean and safe.
It basically never needs any maintenance.
Every 10,000 kilometers, you
need to change the oil in it,
and that is it.
These are all stainless steel.
These will not wear out,
because there's nothing
to wear them out.
They perfectly engage every time.
You can see how it works.
Excellent system.
Now if you consider on
your actual mountain bike
how many chain cassettes you
would wear out in 10,000 km,
think about oil, degreaser,
all of that stuff that
you're using, no matter
how biodegradable it is,
you're using a lot of stuff
that potentially could be
dripping on that forest floor.
But something like this is
fully sealed, magnesium casing.
It's in the right place on the bike.
I really think this could be the future,
and I'm quite surprised
there's not more of this.
But Pinion are so far ahead
they've been developing this since 2006.
We've seen this before.
I've not actually seen inside it myself.
Very cool to see.
What do you guys reckon?
So there's been a lot of
talk about carbon fiber bikes
being super expensive and
not necessarily for the
wallet-conscious riders out there,
but Hyper are gonna end
that in one fell swoop.
Have a guess how much this costs.
500 US dollars, the complete
bike with a carbon frame.
So there you go, if you
want a cheap carbon bike,
this is where you come.
Could this be the future?
Could we start seeing a
lot more budget bikes?
Let us know what you reckon
in the comments below.
Of course, this is an extremely
budget by the componentry
on it, but it's a decent frame.
So you could upgrade this, do
your own top mods on there,
and turn it into really quite a good bike.
500 bucks! Insane.
Just at the Alpinestars stand checking out
their brand new Vector helmets.
This is their all-mountain,
trail riding helmet,
great for enduro, bunch
of really cool features
on the inside and on the outside.
Fully integrated peak, it
morphs straight into the helmet,
but it can be pushed straight
up out the way for access,
for putting the goggles on
there for those extended climbs.
Enormous vents on the front
here, and, in fact, the whole
sculpted style, it really
reminds me of a lot of supercars,
the way it's styled,
really good-looking helmet.
Comes down to protect
the temples at the front,
and the strap system actually
sits flush against the head,
so it's designed to be really
good to use with glasses
so the glasses would sit on
the outside of the straps.
Of course, with some helmet
designs, the straps actually
get in the way of when you're
wearing riding glasses,
so it's a really good system.
And the rear cradle system
inside is adjustable,
front and back, to suit if
you've got a more round head
or, if you're like mine, bit
more of an ovalized head.
Really nice looking lid,
available in a whole range of
different colors, but
that's the racing colorway.
That looks so good, I think.
And this is the brand new OMNI
air-resistant spin helmet,
and, of course, the spin
technology (mumbles)
for sheer protection inside.
It's the same as we've seen
on Tectal Race SPIN helmet.
Of course, this is a bit more
based along the road helmet.
It's now featuring a peak,
and it's got this really
cool bridge design.
It does look like it's
kind of wedged in between
each of these things, but it's
actually structure is part
of the helmet on the inside.
So very strong, very well-ventilated
helmet, and it's very
compact on the head, really
good for entry-level riders,
people that may be riding
gravel, even road or commuting,
or maybe a hardtail mountain bike.
It's a bit more of a basic-level helmet
offering maximum protection
that looks great,
really, really cool.
Really impressed that
they've done that one.
So this is a brand new
Ergon SM Comp Saddle
with a pressure relief channel in there.
Their saddles are already
extremely comfortable,
but now they've got the new
Orthocell foam on there,
which is insanely
comfortable, really malleable.
The channel is wide all the
way to the front, so you can
perch yourself forwards
for those steep climbs
without putting too much
pressure on your perineum area.
Really nicely thought-out
saddle, nice and light,
various different options here.
Big fan of the stealth
colorway on that one.
Now they're also compatible
with the Topeak QuickClick Mount
which locates on the bottom
here, and you can mount
various different tools
and saddle packs and stuff
on the underside of the
saddle there without having to
rely on the saddle rails for that.
Really neat system.
Now KTM have got a serious presence here.
It's probably the biggest
stand we've ever seen.
So we're just gonna have a little look at
some of the cool bikes they've got.
Now KTM have obviously got
bikes in every single category
here, ranging from e-bikes,
commuter bikes, road bikes,
hardtails, and something like this.
This is a 29-inch prowler.
150 mm travel, full carbon,
this thing is absolutely
knock-out gorgeous.
Love that line all the
way down to the back
of the bike there, classic
Horst-link at the back
with a shock being driven by a swing link
on the top tube there.
That is a really, really
nice enduro trail bike.
Unlike many of the bikes
we've seen here, it's running
the brand new X2R 12-speed,
which I think is stunning,
absolutely really, really nice looking.
What do you guys reckon?
Would you run the Shimano X2R 12-speed,
or would you prefer a SRAM Eagle?
Hm, there's a question for you.
Let us know in those comments below.
So I've just had a walk
around the KTM stand.
I've counted 52 e-bikes.
52 e-bikes.
And, of course, there's
these hardtails here.
There's 13 hardtails
here, but the best one,
I've already found this one.
Neil is gonna love this bike.
This is a proper high-end, XC race bike.
So this is the Myroon.
This is the absolute weapon.
It's running the Step-Cast
fork on there from Fox.
That's the super light XC fork.
29-inch race wheels on
there, Thunderbird tires,
super fast-rolling, full
carbon frame on that,
really tight back end,
super clean line that runs
all the way down to the chainstay there.
That's got Neil's name
written all over it, I reckon.
Now something else that
Magura do a little differently
to everyone else is apply
different style brake levers
for a different feel, and we all know
how important brake feel is.
And a lot of riders
actually pick the brakes,
regardless of power, on
how the lever feel is
and the position of them on the bars.
You've got the Danny MacAskill lever here.
You've got carbon levers,
which are great for XC riders.
And, of course, as we
talked about on the show
a few weeks back, Loic
Bruni has got his own lever
in development.
This is one of his actual levers.
It's a 3D-printed,
titanium rapid prototype.
It's just amazing.
I think it's a really cool concept.
You can have the brake.
You know what the power's gonna be like.
You know how to bleed them,
and you pick the lever
to get it how you want the brake to be.
Absolutely love what Magura are doing.
So there we go.
That is another cool bunch of tech stuff.
Let us know in the comments
what you think is best,
and for a couple more great
videos, click down here
for the GMBN video on
all the cool highlights,
and click down here if you
wanna see another tech video
from Eurobike 2018.
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