Blue Competition Cycles has been very busy since its most recent acquisition back in 2014. The brand, traditionally a favorite among the triathlete crowd, has tooled up to expand their entire line with fresh, proprietary designs in carbon and aluminum. For the short term, this means fresh top-tier product in cyclocross and gravel. Also, after dipping their toe into bigger tires last season with their fat tire Philly, Blue is introducing a slew of off-road product in both hardtail and full squish. “We wanted our line completed,” commented Orli Chinea, Blue Competition Cycles Sales Manger…
First up, ‘cross fans of the brand will be excited to see the new the new, top-tier Norcross SL. The new top of the line cyclocross bike for Blue features a Dura-Ace mechanical group, hydraulic calipers, thru-axles front and rear, and a full house brand (Aerus) carbon rim and cockpit spec.
Like frames in the other levels of this model, the SL features a removable bottom bracket plate. So, when your frame is muddy inside and out, you can finish your post-race clean-up regimen by spraying water through your downtube’s internal routing ports and draining it out through the BB shell without having to remove your crank. Neato.
The Norcross SL is anticipated to be available to consumers in the next week at $4700 MSRP.
Next on the docket is the brand new Procecco EX, a full carbon deal for gran fondo and gravel fans alike, fresh out of the box from the factory. The frame is designed with features such as a bento box mount on the front of the toptube to support the hungry endurance rider.
The Prosecco features massive clearance for 700x42c tires, lending all-terrain capability. The frame is designed with a long headtube for a more upright riding position, as well as minimalist flat seat stays for greater riding comfort during those long days in the saddle.
As a forward-looking model, the Prosecco features thru-axles front and rear, and has adopted flat mount interfaces. The model shown features Shimano flat mount hydraulics, as well as house brand Aerus wheels and cockpit.
As shown with Ultegra Di2, the complete bike is 19.5lb/8.8kg and $2700. Consumers can expect future builds outfitted with mechanical Ultegra and 105 kits.
The real surprise in the line up were the new off-road complete bike offerings. Until now, the brand’s off-road division consisted of their alloy Philly, which though super fun, seemed uncharacteristic given Blue’s focus on tri, track, road, and cyclocross. This Press Camp, however, members of the press were pleasantly surprised with a complete line of Blue mountain bike product.
“What we are trying to accomplish with the [mountain bikes] is to have an all-around complete bike line that we can offer our customers,” states Orli Chinea. “We wanted to offer high quality off-road options that are capable of taking on any terrain.” Blue has dubbed this new off-road product “Crew,” and the series constitutes proprietary hardtail and full suspension models designed from the bottom up.
The race oriented Crew EX is the carbon 27.5 hardtail in the line. Constructed from T700 carbon, the model comes equipped with a Fox Performance Elite 32SC 100mm fork, XT Deore 1×11 drivetrain, and Hayes Prime Sport hydraulic calipers. Carbon stem and bars for the build are house brand Aerus. Wheels are DT Swiss M1700.
Weight of the complete build is stated to be just 19.6lb/8.9kg. The model comes in four sizes, small through extra large, and will be available at $3000 MSRP.
Launching simultaneously with the Crew EX is the 27.5 Crew AL, a 6061 triple butted entry level version. Again, the model comes equipped with a 100mm fork (Fox 32 Performance). The wheels, handle bars, and stem are aluminum Aerus, and it is similarly spec’d with a Shimano XT Deore 1×11 drivetrain.
Complete weight of the build is stated at 22.5lb/10.2kg. Also available in four sizes (small to extra large) the model will be available at $2000.
The brand’s first foray off-road is capped with their full suspension Crew AL M-140 (though, Blue tells us that carbon is not far behind). Like the Crew AL, the frame on the AL M-140 is triple butted 6061. The all-arounder features 140mm travel front and rear (Fox 34 Performance front, Fox Float rear) and a Fox Transfer Performance Elite Z seatpost. The drivetrain is Shimano XT Deore 1×11 with Hayes hydraulic brakes.
The quoted weight of the complete as spec’d is 24.9lb/11.3kg. It will be available in small, medium, and large at $3100 MSRP.
