by Jeff Lockwood
Thursday night, we brought you a first look at some of Eurobike’s latest cyclocross offerings, and now we bring you Part Two.
Here at Eurobike, among the fancy carbon mountain bikes, quirky commuter rigs, sexy road bikes, latest cycling fashions and the most diverse group of bike-nerds in the world, is the newest collection of cyclocross rigs and components. Just about every bicycle manufacturer, large an small, has some sort of cyclocross offering here at the 2011 Eurobike bicycle trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Meridia showcased their Cyclocross Carbon Team – D bike. Featuring SRAM/Avid disc brakes, the all-carbon rig utilizes internal cable routing and sports a 7.7 kilogram weight. © Jeff Lockwood
Though much of the new product unveiled at this show is released to only the European market, there are a significant number of US-based companies rolling out their goods here for the first time. Stateside companies such as Ibis display their wares alongside companies like Germany-based Merida. New disc-brake cyclocross bikes were unveiled, new cyclocross tires from Clement and Hutchinson were unveiled, and we even spotted a handy tool.
It’s a truly international celebration of cyclocross product, and here’s our second report on the party:
The Components:
The shine on the ‘cross loot from Campy was hard to ignore, but when will we see them on bikes in the states? © Jeff Lockwood
The CX 10 crankset from Campagnolo features a double-lip seal designed especially for the rigors of cyclocross racing. Bearings are well-protected, spacing on the chainrings is a bit wider to clear the muck and the shift zones are optimized for cyclocross, too. Even crazier: the cranks are carbon. The CX 10 is also available in an aluminum version. For true bling, Campagnolo upped the ante with the CX 11 crankset.
There’s no doubt Campy’s really going for the cyclocross market. Their cyclocross cantilever brakes come in black and silver and are designed specifically for ’cross racing. Campy claims their designs shed more mud than normal canti brakes, and are more easily adjustable than other popular wide-profile cantilevers because the pads are height adjustable (similar to the Tektro CR720). (See the gallery below for more Campy goodies.)
For tires, Hutchinson was on the scene with two new updated rubber offerings for cyclocross. The Piranha 2 sheds its gray rubber for a new black compound, but keeps the same tread. It’s designed for fast and dry terrain, and features a the same 127tpi casing as before. The Toro CX, or better known as the Bulldog here in the States, also receives the black rubber treatment. Both are tubeless compatible and feature a carbon bead.
The Clement PDX mud tubulars now give riders of the popular clincher tire a race day tubular option. © Gregg Germer
The Bikes
Look’s X85 uses tube-to-tube carbon fiber construction, offers IS disc brake tabs. With 135mm spacing in the back, Look claims riders can also fit a 29” mountain bike tire. © Jeff Lockwood
Merida showcased their Cyclocross Carbon Team – D bike. Featuring SRAM/Avid disc brakes, the all-carbon rig utilizes internal cable routing and sports a 7.7 kilogram weight.
Not only is Chuck Ibis (also known as Scot Nicol) one of the pioneers of mountain biking, he also has a soft spot for cyclocross. Nestled among the svelte full-suspension mountain bikes in the Ibis booth were a couple of ’cross offerings. The awesomely-named Hakkalugi, reviewed before on Cyclocross Magazine, is a carbon fiber reincarnation of the Ibis ’cross offering from several years ago. It features an Enve carbon fork, is sold as a frame-only for $1399, or can come complete with Force or Ultra builds.
With four cyclocross world championships under its belt, and also hailing from the cyclocross capital of the world (Belgium), it’s safe to say Ridley knows cyclocross quite well. The X-Fire aims for the sweet spot of the cyclocross market by offering “one of the best performing frames in its class at a reasonable price.” The all-carbon 2012 X-Fire frame now has fully internal cables, a Pressfit BB30 bottom bracket and all-new graphics. An Ultegra build of the bike retails for $3095, while the frame is offered at $1495.
The Goodies:
Really, why didn't we think of this Lezyne tool? © Jeff Lockwood
On the tool side of things, Lezyne has a new product that falls under the “Why Didn’t I Think of That” category. Instead of having to cut the ends of your three-way tool when the hexes start to become less hexed, the Lezyne three-way offers a tool with replaceable arms.
Mavic has extended their brand even further this year with a helmet line. The Plasma SLR helmet is light, and features carbon fiber structural reinforcement and oversized vents.
To see more of EuroBike’s offerings, check out the gallery below:
Photo Gallery:
