BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
At an intimate venue just down the road from where the busy Moore Large show was reaching its conclusion, Eurobike’s dealer event was in full swing and attracting similar trade attention.
Completely unannounced prior to the show invite being sent out, Eurobike surprised many with the exclusive addition of a new inflation brand – Airbone. Coming from a specialist Taiwanese factory, the brand has a couple of fairly unique items in its catalogue, most notably a £14.99 pump, which due to its size, could almost be mistaken for a cartridge. The alloy pump is no more than 10cm long, yet according to Eurobike MD Paul Stewart, can reach 120 PSI.
He says: “The model accommodates both Presta and Schrader valve types and comes with a tidy frame mount that sits out of the way where a bottle cage might otherwise go. There’s also a carbon fibre version, selling at £25. What’s fantastic about these tiny pumps, is that they’ll pump consistently right up into the higher levels of psi. What’s more, dealers will find an array of colours, so customers can mix and match with their bike.”
Airbone offers pro floor pumps too, with the £59.99 model capable of 220 psi. The model, which at the show was demonstrated in a more expensive (£69.99) polished version, again gives no resistance as the going gets tough.
With spring just around the corner, Eurobike had plenty of Hincapie’s spring line, including plenty of women’s specific clothes. The topaz and lemon coloured garments are a particular highlight of the range. Stewart let BikeBizin on a secret during the show, revealing that Hincapie is to expand its casual wear line past t-shirts and hats into denim items, such as jeans. Depending on how final samples are received, these could be arriving with Eurobike as early this month.
The centrepiece was the sneak peek of what’s new from Moda – Eurobike’s flagship, UK-built bike brand. To emphasise the diversity of the brand, Eurobike placed the junior and women’s model in focus, providing some perspective of the unique builds Moda offers. Tucked among the range, however, was Moda’s first time trial bike, due to appear in May. A thorough spec is not available yet, though you can be sure the bike will come specced with American Classic wheels, as seen elsewhere in the line-up.
The wheel brand, carried exclusively by Eurobike in the UK, also had new builds in its portfolio. The Aero 420 has just landed in stock at £499 for the black, or £539 for the white. The Aero 420 is built with eight spokes on the non-drive side and 16 on the drive side. This is as due to a larger flange on one side, though the tension balance on either side of the rim remains equal. The result is a lightweight, super stiff, 24-spoke wheel with superb acceleration properties.
The manufacturer also now has a firm solution to the mountain biker seeking to go tubeless. Available as either a 26 or 29-inch rim, a wheel is available for £399 for the black version. The first shipment of this system sold out, though a new batch is now in stock.
Finally, Casco had its popular ‘E-bike’ helmet on display, ably modelled by Stewart for BikeBiz all while explaining how the protection utilises the same tech as cool boxes to keep the rider comfortable. The helmet comes in three colours, ideal for those seeking something trendy. Casco also supplies Eurobike with its eyewear range, with casual items beginning at reasonable prices. The competition line, which goes to great lengths to protect eyes, begins at £59.99.
The glasses are built from a flexible polycarbonate material, and three clip-in, clip-out UV resistant lenses come with most models.
Having been trading for over a year, Eurobike certainly seems to have made a good first impression on the trade, keeping the expo busy with dealers for the duration of BikeBiz’s stay at least. Stewart said: “We’ve got dealers in place over much of the country, though we’re keen to speak with any interested retailers, particularly those in Scotland where we’ve plenty of opportunity for new stockists.”
