BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
BikeBiz takes a look at the latest products from across the cycling trade, this month featuring Cannondale, ABUS, Litelok, Bosch, Swytch, Selle Royal, Brooks, DMR, Hiplok, Knog, and Vaude, plus an insight into what editor Alex Ballinger has been riding
This guide first appeared in November’s edition of BikeBiz magazine – get your free subscription here
Editor’s ride, by Alex Ballinger – Specialized Turbo Levo SL
The e-MTB market has exploded in the last few years, with Specialized being one of the brands at the forefront of the new sub-discipline. To branch out my e-assisted riding I’ve been testing out the Specialized Turbo Levo SL, with 150mm of front and rear travel.
The joys of e-MTB are three-fold – the commute, the uplift, and the trail. Where I live in Bristol we have a formidable MTB scene, with plenty of riding options on our doorstep, from the flat and easy trails of Ashton Court all the way up to some of the best Welsh bikeparks like Dirt Farm and Bike Park Wales just a short drive away.
My first ride on the Turbo Levo was a quick jaunt from my house to the nearby Ashton Court trails, as I powered along on the roads to reach the trail, put in a quick evening lap before the sunset, and then flew back home. The power assist got me to the head of the trail in just 25 minutes, exactly the same time it would have taken to drive through Bristol’s notorious traffic-laden streets, making the commute to the trail easily rideable, even on a fairly hefty trail bike.
I also benefited from the speed boost on the trail themselves, as the motor lets you maintain speed even on flatter and more technical sections, offering a whole new style of easily accessible fun, without the need to drive at all.
Of course the other potential for e-MTBs is in the hills and mountains, where the battery-assist lets you go further, faster, and means you don’t have to pay for uplift. Safe to say my first foray into the world of electric mountain bikes has opened more doors than I ever expected.
NEW PRODUCTS
Cannondale Trail Neo 1 e-MTB
Cannondale has launched an all-new e-MTB, the Trail Neo 1. The new Trail Neo 1 is powered by Bosch’s new Smart System, featuring a 750Wh battery, a Performance Line CX motor, an LED remote as well as a Kiox 300 display. The bike will go up to 175 kilometres on a single charge, Cannondale claims. The Performance Line CX drive unit and long-lasting 750 Wh PowerTube battery make up Bosch’s “most powerful e-bike system”, said Cannondale.
The small size of the Trail Neo 1 runs on 27.5” wheels, while larger sizes come with 29” wheels. The Trail Neo 1 is designed with Cannondale’s premium alloy construction – its C1 technique means that Cannondale’s frames are light, stiff and durable. The bike is available in small (27.5” x 2.6”) and medium, large and extra large (29” x 2.6”) sizes.
Price: £4,300
ABUS Airdrop Full Face Helmet
ABUS has presented its first full-face helmet for gravity enthusiasts, the AirDrop. The brand has launched a complete revision to its MTB range, with helmets covering every discipline and rider type. The AirDrop will be available from distributor Extra UK at the end of the year.
SRP: £259.99
Litelok X Anti-angle Grinder Locks
British bike security brand Litelok has unveiled its latest innovation – a lightweight D-lock that should hold
off angle-grinders long enough to deter thieves. The Litelok X range utilises a new composite material, called Barronium after the company CEO Professor Neil Barron, which Litelok claims is up to 15 times stronger than the best-performing locks currently on the market.
Litelok X1 is available now from Litelok.com, and should be available to retailers by early 2023. The Litelok X3, an even stronger model, will be available in November. Litelok is distributed in the UK by VeloBrands.
RRP: Litelok X1 £149.99, Litelok X3 £279.99
Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition
Bosch has released its newest e-MTB system, with lighter weight and a power increase. The Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition is the latest addition to the company’s e-bike motor set-ups, offering direct support up to 400% of the rider’s power.
Designed for top-end, race-focused e-MTBs, the new system comes with a 2.75kg drive unit, making it the lightest in the Bosch portfolio. With its increased power, the Performance Line CX Race will get riders up to the cut-off of 25km/h faster. With 85 Nm of torque, the Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition offers maximum power for acceleration.
Swytch Universal E-bike Conversion Kit
London-based tech start-up Swytch Technology has launched its new electric bike conversion kit. The conversion kit turns any bike electric, featuring a pocket-sized e-bike battery, the Power Pack, which is
similar in size to a large smartphone. The battery provides 250W of powerand enough range for a daily commute, weighs 700g (1.5lb) and can be recharged in around one hour. The high-torque frictionless motor allows Swytch users to easily climb gradients of 30%.
The Swytch Kit is now available to pre-order. Due to significant demand, the option to receive a kit from one of the first two batches of production (for delivery in September/October or November/December) has now sold out. However, kits can be pre-ordered from alater production run, with prices starting from £549 (with 50% discount applied, delivery in January/February) or from £449 (with a 60% discount applied, delivery in March/April).
Selle Royal – Explora Saddles
Distributor: Extra UK
The ultimate comfort for bike trips – both short and long – Explora is designed for leisure riding over mixed terrain. A layer of Royalgel is strategically placed to ensure pressure reduction, while additional soft tissue relief is made possible by its ergonomic design.
The Explora saddles, much like the rest of the Selle Royal Saddle range is available in three different styles, Athletic, Moderate and Relaxed, to ensure optimum fit for any riding position. The Relaxed version is also provided with a Thermoplastic Damper for extra shock absorption in the fully upright position.
RRP: £59.99
Brooks – Scape Full Frame Bag
Distributor: Extra UK
Make the most of your bike’s storage capacity with the Scape Full Frame Bag. Designed for bikepacking overnighters, full-day gravel exploration or longer bike tours, the Scape Full Frame Bag fits most standard size bike frames to provide 100% waterproof storage for cycling adventures as unpredictable as the weather.
RRP: £109.99
DMR – V12 Pedal, Galaxy finish
Distributor: Upgrade
DMR’s legendary V12 platform pedal is now available in a new Galaxy-painted finish. With a depth of multiple cosmic colours they are subtle in normal light but pop to life in sunshine and dazzle like a thousand stars! The much loved and proven design with moulded low profile shape is just 16mm deep with DMR’s unique concave centre that keeps feet planted and secure on the 10 replaceable steel pins. As a high quality flat, the V12 is fully serviceable, uses sealed bearings and weighs in at only 430g a pair.
Just as suited to city and e-bike use as they are on the dirt trails, the Galaxy V12 is now the seventh colourway in the range. It’s time to get creative with your build. Cost for the special editions is just £10 more than regular colours. Due in stock 12th November at Upgrade Bikes and available to order now.
RRP: £70
Hiplok – D1000
Distributor: ZyroFisher
Hiplok D1000 is the world’s first portable anti-angle grinder lock. With advanced material technology, never-before-seen in bike security, the D1000 stands up to sustained attack from angle-grinders but at 1.9kg is aligned to standard portable D locks. Rated Sold Secure Diamond Motorcycle and Bicycle, the experts at Bennetts Bike Social tested the D1000 and concluded it is “the most effective mobile security device I have ever seen”. Hiplok Lifetime Warranty and three coded replaceable keys come as standard.
RRP: £249.99
Knog – Blinder Road Rear 150 Light
Distributor: Silverfish UK
The Blinder R-150 Rear Bike Light is a purpose-built light designed for road cyclists looking for maximum visibility over distance. Featuring two unique design elements that effectively aid visibility from afar: a strobe LED and a dedicated angle set LED, both these features have been designed to highlight riders from other road users, particularly at long distance.
RRP: £62.99
Vaude – Proof Back TR Single
Distributor: Raleigh
Single pannier for the rear wheel
– Waterproof HF-welded seams
– Technical design, with large, practical gear net
– Climate neutral product, primarily made with recycled Econyl in Germany
– Spacious main compartment with waterproof roll closure, top and side roll closure
– Elastic cord for attaching gear
– Removable shoulder strap which can be used as a packing strap
– Reflective logo
– User-friendly QMR 2.0 attachment system (which fits racks with a diameter of 8 – 16 mm)
– Lockable QMR
RRP: £110
