This Eurobike roundup comes from the startup hall, where newcomers show off their latest creations. In this roundup, we have German rim manufacturer Lilienthal’s new foam-filled XC rims, Personomic’s custom-fit silicone grips, a clipless pedal that doesn’t clip in, and so much more…
Lilienthal’s 330g carbon XS MTB rim
Lilienthal, which is part of Copro Technology, has several carbon fiber rims in thier line, from XC to AM, as well as an e-bike rated model. Now, they’re offering an even lighter XS model aimed at marathon racers. The funny thing is, they all share the same 30mm internal width, 36mm exterior width, and 22mm depth. The differences are all in the layup…and the foam.
A structural foam is placed inside the rim cavity and damps vibration. While somewhat unique, it’s really the material and the construction method that sets this brand apart. They use a proprietary “roll forming” technique that lays multiple layers of carbon fiber directly onto the rim’s shape, creating the final form in a mostly automated process.
This allows them to create rims with no seams, and only a single overlap to piece it all together. Combine that with their own special fabric to add additional structural integrity and you get a very strong, very straight rim with minimal material and weight. And a very unique look.
From there, each rim is drilled to order, letting you choose any 28- or 32-hole hub you want, and get a rim with holes drilled at the exact spoke angle needed. That means less binding or bending at the nipple and a stronger wheel.
Decals are printed, so you can get any color you want, even patterns. Retail ranges from €449-499 per rim, and they can build your wheels for you if you want to send your parts there. These new XS rims weigh in at a claimed 330g for 27.5, and 355g for 29er, with a combined rider/kit/bike weight limit of 120kg (~265lbs).
Personomic custom molded bicycle grips
If you’ve been struggling with hand pain or just can’t seem to find a grip that works well for you, the Personomic custom made bicycle grips could be for you. They come in a lot of colors, and each one is made specifically to fit each of your hands.
To start, you take a photo of your hand lying flat on a piece of white paper, then upload that to their website. They check it, scan it, then create the mold for your grips. Once you’ve chosen one of 7 colors and the texture you want, they make them out of silicone laid over a base structure:
The molds are 3D printed, then the silicone is added, using a pre-formed inner shell as the base to ensure smooth installation. They’re launching on Kickstarter, where you can get a set pre-ordered for €59, which is about 40% off the eventual retail price (you’ll have to sign up for their newsletter to get that early-bird deal). You also get to pick the end plug and lock ring colors separately.
M83 Vagabund gravel bike, Beast components
The Manufaktur83 Vagabund gravel bike makes no attempt to hide that it’s an open mold frame, but it’s reasonably priced for the builds, ranging from SRAM Apex with Fulcrum wheels (€2,699) up to Campagnolo Ekar 13 speed with Shamal carbon wheels (shown above) for €5,699. What we found a little more interesting were the Beast carbon components on it:
The Beast Components gravel bar is handmade in Germany and gets an exceptionally ergonomic shape across the top. And one that’s sized down on the narrowest 400mm width to better accommodate smaller hands. It’s also offered in 420, 440, and 460 widths. The drops have a massive 27º flare, putting the widths at the ends out at 510, 530, 550, and 570mm respectively!
Claimed weights range from 228g up to 241g, with no rider weight limit, and a healthy 100mm of round clamping area at the center…plenty of room for a computer mount. The edges of the top are sloped and rounded and filled in to create a massive platform to rest your hands on.
There’s a matching carbon road/gravel stem (90-130mm lengths, weights from 132g to 149g), and a carbon seatpost that comes in 0mm and 15mm offsets. They come in 27.2 and 31.6 diameters, and 290, 350, and 420mm lengths. Weights from 148g to 196g.
R-Pur Nano Light cycling mask
R-Pur was showing off their cycling-specific Nano Light face mask, which uses an exhalation port to prevent your glasses from fogging up while riding. It’s a lighter weight exterior material so it’ll remain cooler during warm weather, and they added reflective material to improve rider visibility.
They’re mainly aimed at protecting against pollution, and their app even tracks air pollution for you and recommends filter replacement after a certain amount of use.
But, they also say it will protect against COVID-19/Coronavirus, too. And, thanks to a memory foam internal surround, it’s able to seal off 99.8+ percent (more for some face shapes) of external air, so you’re pretty much only breathing filtered air. And if you’re in a building or plane that requires exhalation filtration too (which is more important for protecting others against your breath and the spread of COVID), they make a Stop Valve that makes it filter in both directions.
Tatze McFly XC pedals with pins
Typically, if you want traction pins on your pedals, you’ve gotta go big. As in, bigger platforms for aggressive gravity riding. But with XC and trail bikes getting more aggressive, and, ugh, “down country” becoming a thing, a smaller, lighter pedal that can keep up with the shenanigans is a welcome concept.
It’s just a hair larger than a Crank Brothers Candy, and claimed weight for the pair is 354g with their steel axle. Upgrade to the titanium spindle and that drops to 305g, but you also get better internals:
Their steel bearings (left, black) use a bushing with a small pair of bearings on the outside. The titanium spindle upgrades to a wide needle bearing in place of the bushing, and pairs down to a single deep groove ball bearing on the edge.
Tatze just launched their extremely thin Link flat pedal, too, worth a look if you’re into flats. And that’s not even the thinnest pedal they’ve ever made.
Velo Lift motorized wall mounted bicycle storage
If you want to mount your e-bike on the wall and just can’t seem to lift it up onto a hook, the Velo Lift is for you. Just lower the hook with the remote control until it’s at the bottom, then lift your front wheel into the padded hook. Press the “up” button and it lifts your bike while the rear wheel rolls toward, and then up, the wall.
The remote can control multiple units, and will hold bikes up to 40kg. They’re price at about €480 each, and for now, they’re only made for 230V European outlets.
Pedal Plate turns race bikes into cruisers
Pedal Plate somehow avoided my camera, but their small, 100% recycled plastic adapter platforms are available for Shimano SPD (MTB) and SPD-SL (road) pedals, Look Keo pedals, and Crank Brothers Eggbeaters. They’re a quick, lightweight way to make it easy to ride your performance bike with regular shoes…a great option for those with only one bike on hand that don’t want to wear clipless shoes to the pub or grocery store.
Bythlon clipless pedals don’t lock you in
Do you know someone that would definitely benefit from riding clipless but refuses to for fear of getting stuck in them and falling? Yeah, so do we. And that’s who the Bythlon pedals are for. They use a notched design with cleats that mount to standard 3-bolt road cleat shoes, but don’t actually lock into their pedals.
Instead, the cleats simply slot into the pedals, offer a 10º of float, and then lift out without any friction. While it may sound pointless, they keep your feet from bouncing or sliding off, and provide a more direct feel than just riding on flats. They say you can even “pull” across the bottom of the pedal stroke, too.
If nothing else, they could be a cute stop gap on someone’s way to properly clipping in, but we can see them being just enough for plenty of riders, too.
Stay tuned for more Eurobike 2021 coverage, and check out what we’ve posted so far!
