We kicked off Mega Roundup #1 with the crazy, so we’ll start here with real, actual production bikes that sit atop the high end market for stock and custom builds. Van Nicholas‘ titanium road and mountain bikes have always impressed, and this year’s collection is no different.
The Astraeus road bike is their flagship model with uniquely shaped tubes and masterful detail work. As nice as it is, their new Revelstoke 27.5+ bike is what pulled people into the booth…
Whether it’s to improve aerodynamics, save grams, or both, there’s no denying the appeal of finely manipulated metal.
The Astraeus, like most of their bikes, comes in a wide range of standard sizes or can be custom made. Starts at €2,699 for frame only.
Hiding under the glass were these 3D printed titanium stems, obviously still in prototype stage.
Last year it was a fat bike. This year, it’s 27.5+ with a twist to the frame. The Revelstoke makes the jump to Boost spacing in the rear and a custom single-sided rigid fork designed for 110mm Boost front hubs.
The design allows either 27.5+ or 29er wheels and tires to be used, each with their own weight and handling advantages to suit the terrain.
Pricing and details for the fork aren’t available yet, and it’s not listed as a standalone component on their website yet either. This one’s a prototype, but if demand is there, they’ll take it to production.
Pair it with a suspension fork, too.
Frame-only starts at €2,099, available starting February 2016.
For less aggressive but still capable off road riding, especially with packs, Velotraum makes loaded touring adventure bikes worth a look.
Designed specifically for bigger tires and all manner of racks, the brand is all about getting out there for days or months.
Similarly, Tout Terrain (“all” terrain) makes bikes for loaded riding off the beaten path. But this X.Over.Blacktop model is designed for covering the pavement with speed and style…and a little bit of a load.
Other models incorporate racks directly into the frame rather than simply putting mounts in place for aftermarket units.
They also make trailers for all sorts of important cargo. The German brand will now be distributed in the U.S. by CycleMonkey, too.
Years ago, there was an Oryx bike brand that was purchased by Canadian manufacturer Procycle, along with Rocky Mountain and Miele, among others. It disappeared after Procycle discontinued it and others to focus on the other two mentioned. Then, earlier this year, bike manufacturer Leader partnered with pro mountain biker Nikolai Titev to launch a new Oryx Cycles brand out of Bulgaria. They offer a range of wheel sizes and suspension travel, from hardtail to 120mm to 140mm to this 160mm enduro bike.
Creatively named the E-160, it uses a single pivot rear triangle pushing the shock through a linkage to control the leverage ratio.
Not from Oryx, we found this random bike for which we have no information. Just thought the rear triangle was interesting.
Gates Carbon Drive always amasses an assortment of interesting bikes.
This one looks an awful lot like the BME Stealth carbon frame we saw at NAHBS earlier this year!
BESV makes upscale city bikes for the discerning commuter. Lights are integrated into the frame, and racks are custom made to blend into the aesthetic. It’s also an e-bike, with all the electronics and battery hidden inside the frame and a minimalist control toggle to keep it discreet.
The Mando Footloose claims to be the world’s first chainless bicycle. Mando is a global auto parts supplier, and they’ve used that manufacturing experience to create this city bike with a kick. Hidden inside is an electric motor that can either assist your pedaling efforts or, where allowed, be controlled by a throttle for effortless cruising.
When you do decide to pedal, that effort also charges the battery to extend its range. The battery is removable, too, letting you swap in new ones on longer trips or just recharge it more easily. It’s not just the electronics and drivetrain that’s hidden inside the frame – all wires and cables are out of sight, too. It may look odd, but it’s hard to argue with its clean appearance.
For cruising around under your own power and in style, Cicli MBM’s Waimea Cruiser bike has a retro look with an aluminum frame and steel fork.
It’s also available in black and army green.
Launched in 2013 by Dutch designer Bastian Leijh, the Sandwich Bike comes in a box with all the parts you need to build your own plywood bike, including the pre-cut wood pieces.
Speaking of sandwiches, the Maxpro transportation solutions gives you multiple ways of picking up, delivering or just relaxing and eating a sandwich on a bike.
At the complete opposite end of usefulness is this. A child could walk faster. But for entertainment value, it probably ranks pretty high.
FFWD Wheels had a couple new hoops to show off, which we covered here, so they needed something to mount them to.
As a show bike goes, this one’s “paint scheme” pulled us in, then brought us in really close when we saw that it was actually woven fabric flawlessly covering the entire frame.
It’s not just the bikes inside the halls that we see. Many practice what they preach and ride to and from the show each day. These folks do it in style with their Velomobiles.
If I were ever going to call a recumbent cool, this would be why. Carbon fiber tub with joystick steering and shift controls at your thumbs. You still gotta pedal, but the effort is almost certainly rewarded with impressive speed.
Stay tuned for more random roundups of things we’ve seen throughout the year that just hadn’t find a home…
