THE SUN IS SMILING' 3 - Show Daily
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THE OFFICIAL EUROBIKE NEWSPAPER HTTP://BIKESHOWDAILY.COM SHOW DAY 1
SEP. 1ST, 2011
'THE SUN IS SMILING'
3 DeMO Day was all THey COulD ask
dAY Of THE CONCOR
saN MaRCO ReVIVes a ClassIC 25
H APPY A NNIV ER SARY
4 euROBIke Is 20 yeaRs OlD
fAST, fUN A Nd fR IGHTfUL
MakING fasT PeDeleCs safeR 28
'BR AK ING' INTO THE BUSINESS
10 GeRMaNy's sCHOOlBOy INVeNTOR
GER M A NY CH ARGES AHEAd
Takes TOP sPOT fOR e-BIke sales 43
SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1 3
‘THE SUN IS SMILING’ AS CONTENTS
dEMO dAY TUR NS fIVE fEATUREd IN THIS ISSUE …
“Everything is great!” exclaimed Dirk “It’s fantastic. It’s crowded. It’s
04 Eurobike
a great atmosphere. everyone is Turns 20
Sandrock, founder of O-Synce, as he took excited,” said Joshua Hon, general German retailers ride out storms
part in Demo Day yesterday. “The sun is manager of new folding bike
smiling, the people are smiling—what more company Tern Bicycles. “It’s good
could you ask for?” for us. The urban segment is big
over here. even if there are many 05 Vitus Signs
Chain Reaction meets the media
sportive bikes around—the interest
for many attendees, Demo Day “we want to keep people’s in the urban market is huge.”
was about as good as it gets.
eurobike’s fifth Demo Day, amid
attention with these new
technologies. They are all at Thun, which was exhibiting for 07 VoxHas financial crisis affected you?
Pop
the green, tranquil pastures relevant, and I think the target the first time, “for us it was super,”
of Ratzenried, attracted 1,840 group’s perfect. we will see
10
the company’s Janine Neumann The Force is With Him
retailers and—almost as important after this day if there was a said. “and even if this test event is young designer brakes into field
for many exhibitors—more than lot of interest or not.” more focused on sports bikes, we
600 journalists from 24 countries. But for most exhibitors, were able to get some mountain
some 116 companies and brands
participated.
Demo Day was about getting
as much product on or under
as many people as possible.
and road bikers on our new
pedelec system. we received a 16 Aero Exercises
How far will aero road trend go?
really good response for it.”
“we couldn’t have a better trade
show opener. eDD offers a
unique mix of a trade show and a 18 A New E-Bike Formula
formula 1 driver helps JD
bike festival, and is well appreci-
ated by our customers,” said
klaus wellmann, CeO of Messe
friedrichshafen.
24 Bigeurope
Wheels Keep Turning
shows big love to 29ers
25 Dayselle
One gauge of Demo Day’s of the Concor
success was the empty exhibitor san Marco revives classic
tents.
“The sun is shining, the bikes are
out,” said arthur Gala of kona,
who stood amidst a completely
28 Speed Thrills Fast pedelecs
need better safety
empty tent except for a bike on
a stand that a mechanic was
prepping for its next customer. 30 Bold Statements New apparel
explodes with color
“last year, because of the rain, it
was not as good.”
Nearby at Colnago, a nearly
32 Di2 Moves Downstream
shimano makes ultegra electric
identical response. “every bike
is out. everything is good,”
Colnago’s eugenio Conti said. 34 Paintingsks'Sundern Orange
new conference center
Not all exhibitors cared about
having products for visitors
to demo. schoeller, the swiss 40 DT SwissCompany
is Going Places
expands globally
manufacturer of technical
fibers and fabrics, attended
43 A Charged-Up
MORE THAN 2,400 RETAILERS ANd jOURNALISTS ATTENdEd Market
Demo Day for the first time to YESTERdAY ’S dEMO dAY. © Bw
Germany takes lead in e-bikes
spread the word about the tech-
nologies—such as ColdBlack, “we are super happy,” said Retailer Hofmann Helmut, who
Nanosphere, energear, and
others—that its partners use in
their apparel lines.
frank stollenmaier, general
manager of Brake force One.
owns Hofmann Bike shop in
Halblech, Germany, said he’s been 45 New Products
see the latest and greatest
“The weather here is much coming to eurobike since it started
better than it was at Bike 20 years ago. “Today the weather
“Demo Day is new for us, and we
expo’s Demo Day. Over there is perfect for bike testing,” Helmut
thought we’d give it a try,” said
we had a lot of rain,” he said said, adding that he planned to try ON THE COVER: SABRINA LAwSON,
ansgar fritschle of schoeller’s
referring to an earlier show in e-bikes and then some mountain "MISS OBERSCHwABEN," AT dEMO dAY.
marketing department.
Munich. bikes. ■ DM © BERNHARD WROBEL
4 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
EUROBIK E CELEBR ATES SUPPORT wILdCATS wITH
20TH AS GER M A NY'S VELO & GET A SENSO
wILdLIfE T-SHIRT
R ETAILER S R IdE OUT
TUR BULENT wEATHER Velo Enterprise has partnered with South African
Airways, South African Tourism, bike magazine aktiv
Radfahren and the conservation organization Panthera,
Germany’s bike business continues to do well despite to support the preservation of wild cats.
economic turbulence, according to industry organiza-
tions and business leaders who spoke at yesterday’s since april 2011 a sweepstakes
Eurobike press conference. in which two winners are given
a trip to south africa has stirred
B2-503 interest for the senso wildlife
It is the turbulence from real weather in the first half, to 1.83 million units. campaign ending on October
that has had the most impact The average value of imported units 20, 2011.
on sales. Retailers in Germany rose by about 10 percent compared
experienced an exceptional start to with the previous year. Throughout the promotional
the sales season, but poor weather in period, a portion of the
June, July and august largely erased In terms of volume, Thailand has proceeds from the sale
the early gains. Overall, it’s expected overtaken Taiwan as the largest of senso saddles are desig-
that 2011 sales will be on par with last bike exporter to Germany, thanks nated for the conservation
year’s numbers. to shipments from strongman and organization Panthera, a
Bangkok Cycle. Domestic consump- leader in advancing actions
Messe friedrichshafen CeO klaus tion (production plus imports minus globally to preserve wild
wellman took a look back at the exports) was 2.9 million in the first cats.
development of the world’s biggest half, up about 2.1 per cent.
Take part in the senso
bike show, which started 20 years wildlife contest by completing
ago. The trend towards e-bikes continues
unabated, Neuberger said. However, the form at Velo’s booth and
rising e-bike sales have not led to receive a free senso wildlife
The original eurobike began with
overall market growth. Consumers T-shirt.
just 268 exhibitors at the “old”
fairground, much smaller than today’s instead are apparently deciding to
modern complex. This year the show buy an e-bike instead of a city or
welcomes 1,180 exhibitors from 45 trekking model. The impact on sales
countries, with over 300 products value has of course been substantial,
premiering exclusively at eurobike. and ZIV expects this to continue. BE qUICK , GR AB A
Originally known as a mountain bike Giving the perspective of Germany’s B2-102 fR EE C-BOLT
event, the show now covers every bike retailers, VDZ CeO kunz said
aspect of the bicycle business, turnover in 2010 was about €3.2 The first 25 IBD visitors to the Cratoni booth
attracting over 40,000 visitors from billion, with bicycles accounting for 53
will walk away with a free C-Bolt helmet. This offer is
around the world along with 1,700 percent of revenues. The remainder
came from sales of accessories and
first come, first served and is for today only.
journalists from 35 countries.
services. average bike prices rose
The panel at the opening press from €446 in 2009 to €460 in 2010, The C-Bolt was the winner in
conference traditionally includes two an increase that is largely explained a Roadbike-Magazin helmet
representatives from industry associa- by the increase in e-bike sales. test report.
tions and two business leaders.
Derby Cycle boss Mathias seidler Cratoni's general manager,
This year, siegfried Neuberger, CeO explained the reasons behind Günter krauter, promises
of ZIV (Germany’s Two-wheeler his firm’s stock exchange listing that if the correct size of
Industry association) and Thomas earlier this year, including access to C-Bolt isn’t available at
kunz, CeO of VDZ (association for the investment and the company’s desire the booth, the company
two-wheeler business) presented their to remain independent. Derby is the will mail one after the
takes on the state of manufacturing market leader in e-bikes in Germany, show.
and sales in the German market. and seidler expects continued strong
Neuberger said that total production growth in the segment.
in Germany rose slightly in the first
half of 2011 to 1.73 million units—up 3 specialized VP Bob Margevicius
percent compared to the same period also spoke about his vision for the
last year. future of the industry, starting with a
Bike imports rose by about 4 percent
story about a young cyclist he met
in southeast asia. “This kid was
OR dER R& M’S PEdELECS,
on a domestically made bike. His
equipment was not the best, but he
TAK E A N IPAd2 wITH YOU
was well able to keep up with me Here’s an enticing offer:
and he had dreams of cycling in the
Order at least 12 Riese
Olympics,” Margevicius said. “This is
the future of cycling.” & Müller hybrid bikes
(the name they give their
Pointing to double-digit sales growth pedelecs) for 2012, and get a
for recreational bikes in China, new Apple iPad2 for free.
he emphasized how important
the markets in China, India and
southeast asia were becoming for
the industry. In the developed world,
he stressed the need for education
and advocacy to reverse the A2-306
disastrous decline in bicycle
use by school-age children
SIEGfRIEd over the last 40 years. ■ TK It’s Riese & Müller’s way of saying your pedelec line-up for next
NEUBERGER, CEO Of
GERMANY ’S TwO- “thank you” to their current—or season, this may be just the push
wHEELER INdUSTRY prospective—retailers. so, you need to help you decide.
ASSOCIATION.
retailers: If you’re thinking about
SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1 5
CH AIN R EACTION COURTS
THE PR ESS AT dEMO dAY
Chain Reaction Cycles of Northern Ireland Chain Reaction is producing
is a big online bike retailer whose aggres- a signature sean kelly Vitus
bike and will make 75 of
sive pricing, has long ruffled feathers, from them this year, retailing for
its home market as far away as Australia. £2,999 (€3,400.)
so Chain Reaction’s “eurobike offers a huge The carbon monocoque
presence at Demo Day opportunity to meet the frame has geometry
turned some heads. was world’s bike media.” supplied by kelly, including a
the Internet bike store about Vitus has been the house shorter-than-usual top tube.
to offer its house brand of brand for Chain Reaction The bike is equipped with
bikes to brick-and-mortar since 2010, when the family- Dura-ace, but not Di2. kelly
retailers? owned business bought the said he prefers the feel of
brand name from its french mechanical gears.
Not exactly. Chain Reaction
came to Demo Day because owners. In 2010, CRC made 13
it’s also a great place to see Vitus was big in the 1970s Vitus models; this year that
journalists from around the and 80s and was noted for expands to 23, including
world, not just retailers. its lugged aluminum frames. full-suspension mountain
In the early 1980s, Vitus was bikes and a 29er city bike.
and the company is getting
one of the first companies
some help from former ■ CR
to start producing carbon
professional cyclist sean
bikes.
kelly.
Professional rider sean kelly
“we’re here at eurobike of Ireland won many of his
to give the press a sneak sprint victories—and Tour de
preview of the new range,” france green jerseys—on a
said Damien Duggan, Vitus aluminum bike. kelly A5-411
Chain Reaction’s marketing is now the “brand ambas-
manager. sador” for Vitus.
CHAIN REACTION’S dAMIEN dUGGAN (LEfT) HANdS A
SEAN KELLY VITUS TO … SEAN KELLY HIMSELf.
EVENT GUIdE
wH AT'S ON TOdAY?
ALL DAY Taler Sports & Protective roll
out the red carpet
EUROBIKE AWARD 2011 Hall B5-503
foyer west
Corratec Event: Revolution &
EUROBIKE VISION Aerody- X-Bow
namic bicycle construction Hall B1-300
foyer west
16:00
Stars on stage
foyer east EUROBIKE Fashion Show
foyer east
11:00
17:00
EUROBIKE Fashion Show
foyer east WFSGI Open Meeting: CSR
SELLE ROYAL IN VESTS IN Corratec Event: Revolution &
for the bicycle industry
R ETÜL BIK E fITTING fIR M X-Bow
Room schweiz, Conference
Center west
Hall B1-300
Selle Royal Group Rosin, a sales and marketing 18:00
has invested in Retül, director for selle Royal. 13:00
a Boulder, Colorado EUROBIKE AWARD – Awards
Retül, founded in 2007, provides Storck Bicycle GmbH
company that invented a Ceremony
high-tech bike fitting, education Hall a3 - 100
bike-fitting technology. and software that is designed to foyer east
help bike fitters make objective and 14:00 18:30
selle Royal, the Italian saddle and accurate fit decisions.
component manufacturing giant, euROBIke fashion show Lightweight Night-Ride
says Retül fits with its focus toward according to Retül, a proper bike fit foyer east
is one of the single most important Powered by Sigma. For further
helping riders find products that will info, call +49 (0)176 3811 5965.
work best for them. factors for optimal performance and 15:00
efficiency, injury prevention, and Meeting Point: entrance west
“while we will all continue to develop comfort on the PowerBar Press Conference
endura 18th Birthday Party
and improve product, we should bike. ■ TK Hall a1-206
all be accountable for how people A5-401 B5-204
interact with their bike,” said Nicola
6 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
THE SECR ET TO GRUBER'S dOwNHILL, UPHILL; IT’S ALL
fEATHER-LIGHT E-BIK E? LOOK THE SA ME wITH THE E-R IdER
IN THE SEAT TUBE Conway is going after power-hungry downhillers
who want to have as much fun going up the
Austrian e-bike kit supplier Gruber Antrieb has joined
mountain as coming down.
forces with Steinbach Bike, another Austrian company
that is equally fanatical about saving weight. The new e-Rider extreme is an since the e-Rider extreme isn’t to
electric bike married to a rugged be ridden like a standard pedelec,
“Vivax assist is more quiet than downhill model. But this isn’t a city it’s difficult to estimate a range for
before and moves on a smoother pedelec. It boasts a 1kw motor battery life. Instead, Banse said a
frequency.” (that’s more than one horsepower) cyclist should be able to ride with
and a monster 695 wh lithium-ion battery assist for about two hours
according to the battery, said andreas Banse, before charging.
fG-AK3 company, the kit does
product manager. all of that fits
within a relatively sleek 20-kilogram The e-Rider extreme will retail for
not use sensors. It is €6,999.95. The e-Rider Perfor-
(44-pound) package. It’s fitted with
powered by what the 26-inch wheels and a fork with mance, with a 324 wh motor, will
company describes as a helical, 160mm of travel. retail for €5,499.95. ■ DM
maintenance-free bevel gear-pair.
Including the battery pack the kit “It’s a bike for a lot of fun,” Banse
weighs only 1.8 kg (4 pounds). said. “It’s not only a downhill bike,
it’s a daily tour bike.” B4-502
GRUBER’S ULRIKE TREICHL wITH
How did they do it? One clue is that The e-Rider extreme drew crowds
THE STEINBACH LOdRON 29ER.
you don’t see a motor on the bike— at Demo Day. Development of the
not on the front, not in the rear, bike has been in the works since
Together, the two have launched the not in the middle. Instead, Gruber 2007, with well-known designer
“steinbach lodron,” a 29er mountain makes its kit invisible by mounting it Thomas kamm from GeRMaN:a
bike that Gruber calls the lightest in the seat tube. involved. Conway showed a
e-bike on the planet, weighing less prototype at last year’s eurobike,
than 10kg (22 pounds). Gruber says a fully charged 4.5 aH and now it’s ready to take orders.
lithium ion battery will last at least 45 Banse said product bikes would
“Both steinbach and Gruber are begin shipping by January or
minutes, while an optional 6.75 aH
february 2012.
known for their lightweight products. battery will last at least 70 minutes.
we use our latest Gruber assist Production models should begin “we will start in the German market
motor control gear system named shipping in spring 2012. and austria, and at the moment we
‘Vivax assist’ on this 29er,” said are looking for distributors in other
ulrike Treichl of Gruber. ■ JB countries,” he said. CONwAY ’S ANdREAS BANSE
wITH THE E-RIdER ExTREME.
OLd NA ME, NEw
TR ICK S — K R EIdLER
SEEK S A R EVIVAL
Boosted by a top test result for its Kreidler e-bike,
the German bicycle group Cycle Union continues to
breathe new life into the traditional brand.
at Demo Day yesterday, kreidler kreidler hopes to grow beyond
introduced a line of high-end the German-speaking market.
mountain bikes to go with its “we want to create international
award-winning e-bikes. awareness for our revived kreidler
brand. That’s why we are here,”
Its flagship mountain bike is the szech said.
full-suspension, carbon shutter
Carbon 2.0 that will retail for Helping kreidler’s momentum is
€2,599, said Manuel szech, its recent top award in the stiftung
kreidler’s product manager. “we warentest e-bike test for the
hope other firms will see us and Vitality e-bike, which uses a Bosch
say, ‘whoa, beautiful bikes,’ what power system. ■ DM
will we do in the future?” szech
said.
A6-502
kreidler assembles its bikes
in northern Germany, near
Bremen. Its main markets today
are Germany, austria and the
Netherlands.
The rebirth began two years ago
under kreidler’s parent company,
Cycle union, which also owns the
Vsf fahrradmanufaktur, epple and
Rabeneikc brands. “Our premium
sports bike collection starts in the
upcoming season with mountain
bikes,” szech said.
The range offers hardtails,
full-suspension and 29er models in
aluminum and carbon. KREIdLER’S MANUEL SzECH
Retail prices will range from ANd BRIAN PARGMANN wITH
€1,299 up to the €2,599 for its THE NEw TOP-Of-THE-LINE
flagship model. MOUNTAIN BIKE
VOx POP
H AS THE fINA NCI AL
CR ISIS AffECTEd
YOUR BUSINESS?
H A R A Ld TROOST GENER A L
M A NAGER -
TE A M LE A dER
K INd SHOCK
PROMOTION
HI-TECH CO.,
SHIM A NO
LIMITEd,
EUROPE
TA IwA N
(NETHER-
L A NdS) Our business
I think to a continues to grow gradually
certain extent rather than dramatically.
it has but overall
we are very focused on new products
for many people
like our adjustable seat post.
cycling is a hobby and even
though there is a crisis many
people are willing to spend
PA SC A L NAVA R RO
money on hobbies. SA LES M A NAGER - LOOK ,
NE V ER S, fR A NCE
There are some markets that have We have not
been affected but overall I think we been really
are in a really good, stable business affected by
and in the future it will only grow. It the financial
is a combination of environmental crisis, and I
trends and more elderly people think it is not
having money to spend on their just Look, but
hobby and they want to keep most of the bike
exercising, of course. These are all business.
things that bode well for the future
for the bike industry. People care about their health and
about the environment and they're
TOBI A S SCHOENSEE trying to use less gas. so, many
SHOP OwNER - people are coming into biking. even if
R A dSPORT we have high-end bikes and this kind
SCHOENSEE, of consumer is not really in touch
SOUTH
with us at the very beginning, when
GER M A N Y
they start to get really involved we
SPECI A LT Y: benefit as well.
R ACING
BIK ES jOK IN dIEz
OR BE A PR ESS, M A LL A BI A ,
We've seen a lot
SPA IN
of e-bike growth but
more in the big cities and not At the moment
so much in the countryside. we are not
having any
OLI V ER K EBLER problems. We
BR A Nd M A NAGER - fELT, think that the
EdEw ECHT, GER M A N Y bicycle market,
and everything
Not really!
that is around the
Everything is ok
bicycle market, is different
and we're not
from other markets.
feeling any
effect from with regard to people not
the financial having as much money as
crisis. before, we are not having
problems selling bikes. In fact,
some countries
we are doing really well. up to ten
are better than others.
years ago we sold more road than
Germany is a very strong market
mountain bikes. Nowadays we are
and we sell a lot of bikes while
more or less balanced between
we're selling a little less in countries
road and mountain bikes.
like spain.
dA MIEN dUGGA N
GA BR IELE BENEdETTI
M A R K ETING M A NAGER
SPORT M A R K ETING CH A IN R E ACTION C YCLES,
M A NAGER fI'zI:K , POz- NORTHER N
zOLEONE, ITA LY IR EL A Nd
The cycling I would say
business
not. like
for me is a
everything,
little bit less
affected by
the industry
the crisis but is affected
we have to see to a certain
what happens. degree. But because
we are not relying on one specific
However the first feedback for our economy, our reach is far greater.
new products is very good. so we Thankfully we are in a position
hope that next year will also be that we have seen growth year
good for the business. on year.
M A RTIN HSU
8 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
GALLERY
DEMO DAY '11
ALL PHOTOS:
© BERNHARD WROBEL
10 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
THE fORCE wAS wITH HIM
GER M A N SCHOOLBOY IN V ENTS ‘MOST POwER fUL BR AK ES’
According to the German Now 18, wauhoff has one more year of
testing house Velotech, secondary school to complete. He plans
the Brake Force One disc to attend university to study mechanical
engineering.
brake outperforms all other
hydraulic brake systems. “after I graduate, I plan to work for Brake
force One,” wauhoff said at Demo Day.
Odds are good that he’ll be able to get
But this isn’t just another newer-faster- a job with the company, in Tübingen: It’s
better story. That’s because Brake force co-owned by wauhoff’s family and by
One was designed by Jakob wauhoff frank stollenmaier.
when he was just 14. By the time he
THE BRAKE fORCE 1 BRAKE was 15, the German schoolboy had stollenmaier became involved through the
BOOSTER. developed a working prototype. classic, “I liked it so much, I bought the
company” entrance into the bike trade.
jAKOB wAUHOff, THE TEENAGE
INVENTOR Of BRAKE fORCE ONE.
He was a customer in the bike shop
owned by Jakob’s father, where he saw the
younger wauhoff fitting prototype brakes on
a mountain bike.
wauhoff was able to put his ideas into
solid form because his father’s workshop
had a CNC machine. The bike shop is now
closed, as waufhoff senior now works
full-time for the company, working to
commercialize his son’s invention.
“I have always been a bike rider,” Jakob
wauhoff said. “I couldn’t find a brake that
was good enough so I designed my own. I
found it was better.”
He added, matter-of-factly, “The first
brakes were very basic. I machined the first
prototypes myself. frank bought a bike at
our bike shop and saw me working with the
brake boosters. we came together to create
the business.”
The Brake force One system doesn’t suffer
from brake squeal and can be adjusted
at the lever to stop pads and disc rubbing
together. Its stubby, one-finger lever offers
powerful, progressive braking for beginners
and experts.
“The problem with standard disc brakes is
that you have either a fast reaction time, or
power, but you can’t have both,” wauhoff
said. “This is because of the diameters of
the pistons. I thought it should be possible
to push the pads to the disc fast with a big
piston and then get a small piston to exert a
lot of pressure. I built a brake booster to test
this theory. It worked.”
Brake force One lever assemblies do not
require an oil reservoir, making them lighter
and less complicated than standard lever
assemblies.
Pointing to a knob on one of the levers,
wauhoff said, “space between the pads
and the disc can be regulated with this
wheel, so if you hear ‘bling, bling, bling’ you
make a few turns and the rubbing noise
disappears.”
wauhoff said the set-up on display at
eurobike uses Brake force One discs and
pads but added, “the system works with
other company’s discs too, and there’s no
problem with warranty, either.”
The company is at eurobike for the first time
in order to appoint distributors worldwide.
Brake force One already has distribution in
australia.
aftermarket product will be available in
October. The brakes will
be spec’d on OeM
MTBs from Nicolai,
B1-4 0 4 Bionicon and fXX.
■ CRSHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1 11
GALLERY
DEMO DAY '11
ALL PHOTOS:
© BERNHARD WROBEL12 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
SHIM A NO xT GETS NOAH M AK ES ITS
ICE BR AK E TECH M AR K wITH SPLITS
EV ERY THING IS COOLER , SMOOTHER & qUIETER
Aero road bikes are all the rage. For Ridley, designing an aero-
With ICE brake technology, Shimano aimed to make the dynamic shape wasn't enough: The Belgian company wanted to
do something streamlined but different, something standout.
best brake possible for the market.
for the rotor, shimano built a an additional advantage is the "They were really amazed at the
three-layer sandwich structure of an substantial reduction of noise. power and sensitivity of the brakes.
aluminum core and two stainless shimano applies its ICe technol- People said they did constant
steel outer layers. ogy not only to cross-country double-takes when they were riding
(the rotor) but also the along because they couldn't see a
trail brake (the rotor and front brake caliper."
brake-pads) systems
A1-200 with their different Three years in development, the Noah
rotor sizes (160mm, fast has the all-important 'approved
180mm, 203mm). The by the uCI' decal on the top-tube. It
renowned German test took a year to get through the union
institute Velotech.de has Cycliste International's innovations
The higher heat tested all XTR disc brakes approval process.
dissipation of A7-300
(Cross-Country as well as RIdLEY fAST
aluminum reduces the Trail version) with striking fORK. In effect, the front fork and rear
the rotor surface results. stays – a patented feature - are
temperature by almost double width compared to
In short: ICe brakes The company's Noah fast with
around 100°C. standard fork and stay widths. The
exceeds DIN eN 14766 and f-splitfork “jet foil” was the result. as
the name suggests, the front fork and splits are said to reduce the effect
as for the brake pads, Gs standards and withstand
the rear stays are each cleft in two. of air interacting with the spokes
shimano designed roughly three times the DIN+
ICE BRAKE TECH Integrated brake pad assemblies are and wheels, cutting drag by seven
aluminum cooling fins PREMIERES ON xT AT requirements. The new
situated behind the splits, out of the percent over a leading competitor's
that improve the heat EUROBIKE. XTR brakes work at much
wind. Ridden by the Vacansoleil-DCM aero fork.
dissipation and reduce lower temperatures than do
the brake-pad surface temperature regular disc brake systems and have team in this year's Tour de france
by around 50°C degrees. This latter practically no fading. shimano applied (including the Tour's crash hero, The Noah fast is equipped with
feature is particularly important on trail the ICe technology to the XTR groups Johnny Hoogerland), the Noah fast f-surface strips, as used on earlier
riding applications. last year and are debuting it on the was available to IBDs and media at aero bikes in the Ridley stable. when
XT group at eurobike. The slX group yesterday's eurobike Demo Day. riding between 50 and 70 km/h, the
The result of the shimano ICe has been made ICe compatible for strips produce an average of four
technologies solution is more or less Jan Geudens, PR manager for Ridley, percent less drag, claims Ridley. first
2011 as well in case cyclists want to
zero brake fading and an increase of said those who test rode the Noah fast deliveries will be in October. Retail for
upgrade their brake system. ■ GE
pad durability up to 100 percent. at Demo Day came back "very excited”. the frame only is €4,499. ■ CR
A4-100
LOOK dEBUTS ‘INTEGR ATEd’
fULL-SUSPENSION MTB
Look’s “integrated” road bikes have been joined by an
“integrated” mountain bike, the 920. Designed by French
designer Patrick Jouffret of Agency 360, the 920 is a
dual-suspension bike aimed at the mountain marathon
customer. Its sweeping,
low-rise front-end makes look launched the bike in July. It will
for a striking bike. be available in september. look is
offering two models; the all-carbon
The 920 features what the french version will retail for €7,370.
wINORA’S jONATHAN SwEET wITH THE HAIBIKE Eq RACE.
company calls the a-stem, a
■ CR
machined aluminum stem, that is
H AIBIK E TESTS wATER S produced in a range of lengths.
elastomer steering bumpers within the
wITH fIR ST E-ROAd BIK E a-stem help prevent crash-induced
frame damage. B2-301
We’ve seen e-city bikes, e-trekking bikes and all kinds
The rear suspension is single pivot/
of e-offroad bikes. At Eurobike, Winora is testing an rocker arm design. The front triangle,
e-road bike which it presented at Demo Day yesterday. swing-arm and rocker link are carbon
fiber.
Jonathan sweet, the winora Groups “we turned the engine 210 degrees
manager of research and develop- into the inside of the frame and “after last year’s introduction of the
ment, said the company is showing developed a special frame interface 695 integrated road bike we wanted to
what it calls the “eQ Race” e-road bike for it. create a mountain bike with the same
to gauge retailer reactions. winora philosophy of having an integrated
wants “to see how the response is, The goal was full ground clearance seat-post, stem, and crankset,” said
and then it might go into production and maximum protection of the engine arthur espos, look’s PR manager.
one day,” he said. Haibike—winora’s from blows from below,” sweet said.
In other words, the motor is nearly “The 920 has a lower center of gravity
high-end, international brand—is using
upside down. and beefed up front-end. It’s really stiff
the new 350w Bosch e-bike system
and responsive.”
that operates up to 45 km/h.
a version of the eQ Race with
hydraulic disc brakes and a front Responding to a question about
The “real revolution,” sweet said, is
suspension is in the offing. The entire backwards compatibility, espos
the so-called “Haibike Reverse Motor
bike weighs 17.5 kg. said, “Theoretically you could put
angle Concept” (RaM in short) that
a standard stem on the 920 but
the company has already introduced
■ JB you’d lose some of the performance
on its mountain bikes.
benefits.”
THE A-STEM ON THE LOOK 920.SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1 13
LIGHTER A Nd MOR E EffICIENT for this new generation of hub motors,
the keywords were “low cogging,” “low
SUNTOUR’S NEw E-BIK E K IT rolling resistance,” “high efficiency”
and “rechargeable.”
fischer said the new motor has a
After launching its line of components for e-bikes 24 checkpoints inside of the crankset
state-of-the-art recharging system and
which makes the system very precise,”
and pedelecs last year, SR Suntour is bringing the said Tim fisher, marketing manager
a high performance controller. The
next generation to market here at Eurobike. low cogging design enables a high
for sR suntour europe.
coefficient of the motor.
By offering a wider range of innovative sR suntour designed its new The unit was designed with a “plug
“with the combination of a compact
e-bike components, “we want to Twinsensor groupset with three and play” philosophy as it is pre-set
and light 6ah li-ion battery, combined
give our customers the freedom to catchphrases in mind: “light,” “high and does not require any further
with a highly efficient recharging
choose from various solutions. we efficiency” and “rechargeable.” The adjustment work.
system, we are able to offer an
will increase our engagement with this result was a highly efficient hub motor
It can be used extremely light—just 5 kg—and
important market to meet the needs that is paired with a compact and light
with either efficient e-bike system with a cruising
for the coming years,” said Daisuke 6 ah li-ion battery.
external range that is an average of 35 percent
kobayashi, president
THE NEw SR SUNTOUR (42-tooth) or farther,” he said.
of sR suntour.sR HESC TwIN SENSOR
suntour calls its CRANKSET.
internal (38-
■ JB
line HesC, tooth) derailleur
which sR suntour says the systems.
SR SUNTOUR PRESIdENT
stands Twinsensor Crankset dAISUKE KOBAYASHI wITH
for will solve most of the THE COMPANY ’S NEwEST
assembly and spec SUSPENSION fORK ANd
“Human
AN HESC-EqUIPPEd
electro issues that manufac-
E-BIKE.
synergy turers have had to cope
Components.” with. It uses two sensor
devices that are integrated
with the second generation, the in the crank arm. a torque sensor
Japanese-Taiwanese component measures the load that a rider applies
maker is putting its focus on the fast- to the pedals and sends a signal to the
growing e-bike and pedelec market. controller. The second sensor controls
the rotation of the crank arm.
“we are constantly working to bring
new and innovative ideas to the Once a user stops pedaling, the
market,” kobayashi said. “we are controller receives a signal to stop
offering components that are easy to the power supply to the motor. A4-
assemble, with high quality sensors, at
a reasonable cost.” “This technology is equipped with
102
ETR A, LEVA jOIN fORCES
fOR EUROBIK E EVENTS
After making their debuts last year at Eurobike, ETRA
and LEVA have returned and will be on the mezzanine
in Foyer West, opposite the meeting rooms. They will be
sharing space with VSF.
eTRa, the european Twowheel leVa’s networking dinner, co-hosted
Retailers’ association, is the umbrella by eTRa, takes place Thursday
association for european bicycle and evening at the Hangar Zeppelin
motorcycle dealers. Restaurant on the fair grounds. for
reservations and more information,
leVa, the light electric Vehicle email sidney kuropchak:
association, is a u.s.-based associa- sidneyk@levassociation.com.
tion that represents retailers,
distributors, manufacturers from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
and suppliers of e-bikes and saturday, eTRa hosts its
other electric vehicles from annual seminar in Meeting
around the world. Room Berlin on the first floor
of foyer east.
eTRa and leVa hope their
presence at eurobike will This year’s session will
help recruit members and focus on the european
educate showgoers about Commission’s type-approval
their organizations. legislation, and the
application of the Machinery
eTRa currently has Directive.
nine “effective” and 25 associated
There also will be an exchange of ideas
members. associated members are
with eurisy, a non-profit organization
international companies that support
for european space agencies, on the
eTRa’s lobbying and promotional work.
use of satellite applications in the bike
The newest member is ZeG, europe’s
business.
largest buying group in the bicycle
industry, representing 960 retailers. for appointments or more information
about eTRa, contact annick Roetynck:
leVa represents nearly 200 members Tel: +32 475 500 588.
from around the world. eTRa and email: etra@pandora.be.
leVa now offer joint memberships,
making it easy for potential members for leVa, contact kuropchak:
to join both organizations. at eurobike, Tel: +1-703-622-8891
both organizations are hosting events. email: sidneyk@levassociation.com.14 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
dON’T BE SHOCK Ed AT K INd “exaform aims at the commuter
bike market such as city, trekking
SHOCK’S NEw BR A NdS, LOGO
and fitness bikes,” Hsu said. “The
brand offers suspension forks for
28-inch/700c bikes, suspension
seat posts, rear shocks and
There are noticeable changes at this year’s saddles.”
Kind Shock display. The company has created
for example, the ergotwist seat
two new brands under the Kind Shock post uses a leaf spring saddle. It
umbrella and redesigned its logo. allows the saddle and the top of
the seat post to twist slightly from
“we’ve updated our ks logo to be “we wanted to get rid of these side to side while pedaling, easing
cleaner, sleeker and generally more numbers,” said Rick Taylor, the pressure on the rider’s sit bones.
discernable without deviating too company’s u.s.-based sales and The second new kind shock brand
far from our original logo that has service director. is called kspeed. yen said the
taken us so far,” said kevict yen, the kspeed brand is intended for OeM
ALL KINd SHOCK dAMPERS
company’s new creative director. The new exaform brand ANd AdjUSTABLE SEAT POSTS
and private label customers. ■ JB
represents kind LIKE THIS ONE ARE ASSEMBLEd
The new logo reflects the more shock’s health and IN TAIwAN. © JB
aggressive downhill mountain bike fitness line of bicycle
character of kind shock products. products. “exaform was not created simply for
The company also decided to give marketing reasons. kind shock has
its products names. dedicated resources for exaform
A6-306 products, beginning with company
TAIwAN fACTORY owner Martin Hsu himself,” yen said.
MANAGER STEVEN
CHENG. AN
ExAfORM “His innovations are derived from
PROdUCT IS IN a lifestyle and a passion for cycling
THE MIddLE. © JB that is carried through each product
in the exaform line.”
with exaform, Hsu is targeting
the huge market for comfort and
commuter bikes. That means the
main target market for exaform is
europe, where such bikes are most
popular. K.S. fOUNdER MARTIN HSU
wITH A NEw ERGOTwIST SEAT
POST. © JB
A6-402
CHOSEN HOPES ITS
NEw ‘CLOSE dR IVE SYSTEM’
wILL BE HUB Of CHOICE
Some business founders have a rags-to-riches story. For
the founders of Chosen, the story begins with yarn.
The Taiwan brand was created in 2000
when yarn maker Ching shu Chen
invested in his friend’s new bicycle
components factory. The friend,
Tien-Chin Hsu, who also came from the
yarn industry, was determined to build
the best bicycle hubs possible.
“when investing in a business I want to
make the best product. Otherwise, it
makes no sense,” said Chen, Chosen’s
president and still a yarnmaker.
Hsu said it wasn’t easy to get the
CHING SHU CHEN (LEfT) wITH THE
Chosen brand off the ground. “In
CLOSE dRIVE SYSTEM HUB, wITH
the yarn business you work with raw TIEN-CHIN HSU.
materials. unlike consumer products
there is no need for marketing." with
at eurobike this year, Chosen is
Chosen, he continued, “first we had
highlighting a high-end hub line it calls
to brainstorm how to promote our own
the “Close Drive system.”
brand. we had no experience and had
to learn everything by ourselves.”
“Hubs with this technology are quieter
Chosen employs 90 at its hub factory and more efficient. we redesigned the
in Taiwan and 160 at a factory in ratchet construction so that the ratchet
shenzhen, China. The company also only opens to drive the hub when the
sells brakes under the winzip brand. user is pedaling forward,” Hsu said.
Disc brake components are made in “when pedaling stops, the ratchet
shenzhen and assembled in Taiwan. closes, resulting in almost zero ratchet
noise and friction, as well as greater
The biggest market for winzip brakes efficiency due to better transmission of
is Brazil, officials said. Chosen’s brake power to the hub.”
brand hasn’t broken into the european
market, which Chen attributes to “tough The patented design is suitable for
competition in the western disc brake almost any kind of bicycle, whether they
market.” have one gear or multiple gears. ■ JB16 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
wILL AERO BECOME THE
Light or fast: it's time to choose. We asked officials SPECIALIZED: There is still the
need for our Tarmac bikes as
at Specialized, Scott and Cervelo whether aero
they still offer the lightest weight
road bikes will soon dominate the top end of the and maximum stiffness. with our
market. in-house engineering team, and the
carbon materials expertise of the
Mclaren team, we will continue to
How big a niche is the aero round-tube bikes will be extinct, and
evolve the aero segment, but there
road bike category? aero tube shapes will be the norm.
is good reason to think that there is
SPECIALIZED: we will see, but Will the majority of top-end a place for both bikes.
the initial feedback and sales of the road bikes be aero any time CERVELO: If you want to go
Venge has been very encouraging. soon? fast, yes. But many cyclists are
interested in aspects of cycling
CERVELO: This year we're other than speed.
doing more aero road bikes than wINd TUNNEL TIME: "THE
traditional because of the runaway CERVELO CREATEd THE AERO SCOTT: yes they will. LONGER THE BETTER."
success of the s5. ROAd BIKE CATEGORY. THE
COMPANY'S S5 IS fAST. An aero shape for a bike is just
a shape and could be on bikes recreated in more affordable alloy
SCOTT: we've far lower down the price range. materials. But our aerodynamic
stopped producing Will this trickle-down come to knowledge that we gain, such
round-tube bikes for the the mid and even lower end of as our cambered seatstays, can
competition the road bike market? definitely inform future design
category and aspects of all our bikes.
estimate SPECIALIZED: what we learn
that in and use in our high-end product CERVELO: That’s one of the
the next over time helps us improve all our beauties of aero: once you’ve got
few years offerings Carbon allows the most the shape it's sometimes no more
advanced shapes, and aren't easily costly than a 'bad' shape.
A5-205 ALEx'S TUBELESS RIM EYELETS.
ALEx PATENTS
TUBELESS R IM
EYELET SYSTEM
At Eurobike, rim maker Alex is introducing
a new eyelet system for tubeless rims. The
Taiwanese company has patented the system.
Called Tubeless Pro, the future generations of alex
stainless steel eyelets enable tubeless rims will use the
the use of standard nipples Tubeless Pro eyelet system.
and spokes on rims for
tubeless tires. ■ GESHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1 17
NOR M fOR ROAd BIK ES?
There are exceptions, however. The SPECIALIZED: Most of the SCOTT: There is a lot of data CERVELO: Thor Hushovd.
best aero shapes aren’t necessarily people that have ridden aero published on each bike, but these
the best structural shapes, so clever bikes can feel a difference as the new bikes are also building desire SCOTT: No matter who you are,
engineering and more complex speed increases. That's where the and that's an important factor in a you are going to cheat the wind by
lay-ups are needed to avoid the bike aerodynamics start to really play a purchase. as much as 20 percent and save
weighing a lot or being weak and part. we use several different wind approximately 5 percent in wattage
flexible. The best aero shapes might tunnels, and make dozens of trips What would you say to a porky output, pork or not. CR
be difficult to form in aluminium. there each year. we're testing with rider looking to buy an aero
road bike? A NSw ER S PROV IdEd BY:
There is also a surprising degree people who do this for a living,
of in-plane compliance that good alongside our own aerodynamic CERV ELO
SPECIALIZED: Pros tend to be
engineering can design into a experts. Damon
skinny whippets in general, but the
composite frame that can never be Rinard
CERVELO: It’s true that not aero advantage is there whether Race Engineer
matched in aluminium.
every wind tunnel test result can you are 100lbs or 200lbs. A1-208
SCOTT: for 2012 we have seven be trusted. It’s easy to make Cavendish won the
SPECI A LIzEd
models of fOIls ranging from mistakes in wind tunnel testing, green jersey at the Nic Sims
$2,500-$12,000. all of those are so it’s important Tour de france on Global PR
carbon, which is just a shape, so no for consumers to the Venge, so rider Manager
extra cost. The higher end models consider how long weight is not really
the determin-
A3-205
use HMX fiber but we've built a full a company has SCOT T
line because everybody can benefit spent in the wind ing factor. Adrian
Montgomery
from aero road. tunnel. Obviously, the U.S. Promotion & Marketing
longer the better. Manager
Without a personal wind we’ve probably made SCOTT'S
tunnel how is a magazine, or (and corrected!) more
AERO
fOIL. A3-300
a consumer, to trust what a mistakes than most
manufacturer says about its companies have run
aero road frames? tests.18 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
E-BIK ES SHIfT INTO
AUTOM ATIC MOdE
fOR MUL A 1’S CHR ISTI A N dA NNER
jOINS TR A Nzx fOR L AUNCH TOdAY wITH THE AGT OPERATING
UNIT ON THE HANdLEBAR,
RIdERS CAN SELECT fULL OR
SEMI-AUTOMATIC SHIfTING.
Why shift gears when it can be done automatically? Engineers at JD’s THE LEd SCREEN dISPLAYS THE
research and development division asked themselves that question. ACTIVE GEAR
Their answer was the Automatic Gear Transmission (AGT) system. This
technology, which JD is launching this afternoon for the bicycle industry, By optimizing gear shifting, aGT
ensures the cyclist always uses the
has already won over Christian Danner, former Formula 1 driver and most appropriate gear. It helps the
current motor sports expert. Danner is an ambassador for JD’s first fully rider avoid extreme torque levels,
automatic TranzX PST e-bikes. such as starting in a gear that is too
“aGT will reach the consumer high.
since introducing the trend-setting This breakthrough for e-bikes is shortly and give another boost to
eagle e-bikes in March 2009, JD comparable to the introduction of the e-bike trend. The segment of eliminating intense torque levels that
expects aGT to be at least as suc- automatic gear shifting for cars. TranzX PsT e-bikes with automatic put unnecessary strain on both the
cessful as the eagle model, which It raises the overall capability of gear shifting will rapidly increase to drive system and a cyclist’s joints
nearly all major bicycle producers e-bikes while better exploiting their about 80 percent in the next three enable the motor to operate more
offer under their own brand names. effectiveness. years.” smoothly. This increased efficiency
translates into more power, faster
“aGT is an outstanding innovation In addition to JD, several OeM acceleration and longer riding
from our R&D division which clients including winora, Hartje, distances.
enables us to maximize the potential Batavus, Matra M&s and Oxford
of e-bikes. This is a logical and are presenting TranzX PsT e-bike The aGT system consists of a
forward-looking development that models equipped with aGT in their handlebar operating unit, an
will generate new impulses and 2012 product lines. automatic switch panel and an
opportunities for the e-bike market,” electronic Control unit (eCu) with
Two TranzX PsT models featuring
said Johnson Cho, CeO of the JD an integrated microprocessor and
aGT are available to bike producers,
Group. software.
the low-step “world Bike” and the
eagle e-bike. additional models will The display unit on the handlebar
with the automatic gear shifting, follow. The computer-controlled
TranzX PsT is bringing about a new allows for easy control of the gear
Today, JD is presenting mass- gear shifting and coaster brake shifter and offers a fully automatic
production-ready models of the generation of e-bikes that offer more system is compatible with most
comfort, enhanced performance or semi-automatic mode. with the
TranzX PsT e-bikes featuring aGT. bicycle types. semi-automatic mode, the rider can
aGT prototypes were first shown and increased energy efficiency.
The aGT technology vastly choose a gear that is electronically
to members of the bicycle industry shifted up or down. with the fully
“who can say no to increased riding increases an e-bike’s energy
press at Bike expo in Munich. automatic mode, the aGT system
performance and greater riding efficiency. This is vital, as undershift-
distances at the same time? we’re ing or overshifting undermines the controls the shifting and selects the
The automatic 7-gear shifter with
anticipating a major demand for this electric system’s effectiveness. most appropriate gear depending
a coaster brake is a cutting-edge
from the industry. Numerous OeM on the driving conditions.
development. The integrated aGT
gear-shifting system easily controls clients have expressed interest while
others have already placed orders to The eCu is connected to the drive
the gear selection and gives TranzX
equip their own TranzX PsT e-bikes
TRANzx AGT
TRANZX AGT system and analyzes the riding
PsT e-bikes the most efficient
electric support at all times. with aGT,” said frank surmann, JD’s LAUNCH
LAUNCH conditions, including rpm, speed,
european sales manager. torque and tilt. It then determines
the appropriate gear, which causes
the shift cable to physically engage
the gear.
A5-307
CHRISTIAN dANNER SHOwS Off
A fULLY AUTOMATIC TRANzx
PST E-BIKE fEATURING AGT
TECHNOLOGY.SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1 19
TAYA CH AIN LINK S SALES TO SqL AB E-CH AIR HELPS
GR EEN M A NUfACTUR ING IBdS fINd BEST SAddLES
It may not be the world’s biggest chain maker, but
Ever felt numb or suffered other uncomfortable side
Taiwan’s Taya Chain Co. is arguably the most environ-
effects after a long ride? Or perhaps you’re not happy
mentally sensitive.
with the saddle, grips or shoes you’re using?
Taya’s green image is helping it make Taya has concentrated on bicycle
gains in europe. Its european agent is chains since 1985. In 1999 it opened If any of these complaints sound
wM Trading in winnenden, Germany, a factory that focuses on coatings for familiar, then plan a visit to the sQlab
A7-100
which is helping the brand gain traction rustproofing. booth here at eurobike.
in the German-speaking market.
“This treatment make sense when The German supplier of ergonomic
at eurobike, Taya has five top news using your chain in salty, polluted bicycle products is offering a free
items for the 2012 season: the super and acid or alkaline areas”, wu said. measurement of your sit bones
single alpha, a chain for e-bikes and In 2009 Taya launched its “Greener that can help you find the optimum
internal hub bikes; a new GsT-coated surface Treatment,” or GsT, coating saddle and seating position for your
steel crank; new, recyclable aftermarket that the company says is more bike. The company’s new measure-
packaging for its single, 7- and 8-speed environmentally friendly. ment system is called “e-chair,”
chains; and a new line of DHT-coated and it is used in conjunction with its
wu said the GsT process “is free of “e-gonomic profiler” software.
chains for use with derailleurs. DHT
hexavalent chromium and provides THE SqLAB E-CHAIR.
stands for “Diamond Hard Tech.” Taya “This software helps IBDs not only
up to 1,000 hours of rustproofing
introduced the coating in its 2011 find the best-fitting saddle, but also
according to salt spray test
product line. the best-fitting grips, insoles and
IsO 9227.” ■ JB with all of this data collected for
“Our DHT treatment increases the handlebars for each customer,” said each customer, dealers can provide
hardness 3.2 times on pins and Tobias Hild, general manager of perfect customer service that no
between 25 to 50 percent on other sQlab. “This tool allows every dealer one can compete with. It’s all about
parts. It also increases chain life by B4-508 to serve his customers and help
them find the exact right products.”
customer retention.”
up to 5,000 kilom-
eters [3,100 miles],” along with the sit bone measure-
The e-chair is a measurement stool
the company’s ments, the software allows a retailer
with a gel bag on top and a scanner
Jill wu said. Taya TAYA CHAIN to add other information about the
PRESIdENT underneath. It scans a customer’s sit
uses DHT on its customer’s seating position, type
HUA-TIEN wU bones, and the scans are fed into the
Onze 11-speed, wITH THE 2010 of bicycle, typical riding times, age
sQlab “e-gonomic profiler.”
Deca 10-speed, EUROBIKE and other data. The software then
AwARd fOR processes the information to suggest
and Nove 9-speed THE SUPER
“It offers our IBD partners a perfect
chains. SINGLE ALPHA Customer Relationship Management the best-fitting saddle for every
CHAIN. (CRM) system. customer. ■ JB
STANd20 SHOW DAILY sHOw Day 1
NU VINCI SYSTEM ALLOwS PER fECT
H AR MONY BET wEEN E-BIK E, R IdER
Imagine an e-bike that lets the rider pedal at a constant “Harmony has the unique ability to
cadence. The bike would upshift and downshift auto- bring the rider and the bike together
as one and really improve the
matically, regardless of hills or other traffic conditions, system,” Nordin said. “The name itself
without jarring jumps from one gear to another—just a describes what’s going on. The rider
smooth and seamless transition. The rider never needs and the bike are in harmony.”
to break pace.
like the N360 hub, the Harmony
controller is designed as an easy
The latest NuVinci hub, the N360, has add-on for OeMs. It mounts inside HARMONY HUB CONTROLLER.
been on the market for less than a the dropout and is about the size of a
year and has been adopted by many medium cage derailleur. The Harmony
OeMs in europe. at eurobike, NuVinci The basic system, for riders who
takes its power from the main e-bike
will debut its automatic shifter, which it don’t want to bother with shifting,
battery, simplifying installation.
calls Harmony. offers three programmable cadence
settings—typically slow, medium and
some brands have “we’re launching it as fast—that can be preset by the OeM.
already decided to an OeM product for
spec the Harmony e-bikes. No extra The Harmony system will go into
system on their battery,” Nordin said. production in the fourth quarter of
2012 e-bike lines, “Instead of a mechani- this year and is expected to appear
and Nordin cal shifting interface as on e-bikes retailing for about €2,000
expects others to you have on the N360, ($2,875) and up.
NUVINCI HARMONY AdVANCEd AUTO.
follow suit. you have an electronic
That’s the promise of NuVinci’s new one. It can plug and fallbrook is a u.s. company, but the
Harmony system, which marries an Many e-bike and play with any e-bike biggest market for the NuVinci bicycle
automatic electronic shifter to its pedelec riders out there.” hub has been europe, where sales
N360 continuously variable planetary don’t like to shift gears of e-bikes and commuting bikes far
drivetrain. on traditional geared bikes NUVINCI N360 outpace North america, Nordin said.
because of the interruption, CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
PLANETARY HUB “The more we can make riding the
“The human body likes to operate so they often leave the bike in the
at a constant cadence, just like an same gear all the time. That hurts the bike easier for people, the more
electric motor operates at an optimum efficiency of the e-bike and reduces its The Harmony controller will be offered adoption of bike riding happens,”
cadence,” said al Nordin, president battery capacity, Nordin said. in two versions: advanced and basic. Nordin said.
of the bicycle products division of advanced, which allows the rider
fallbrook Technologies, the parent with the Harmony system, the bike to set a cadence, will be first on the
■ DM A7-312
company of the NuVinci. adapts to the rider. market.
A5-100
MESSINGSCHL AGER BUILdS
LOGISTICS CENTER , ‘PL AYGROUNd’
The German distributor Messingschlager, one of The company also plans to recognize
its community, along with the industry
Europe’s leading importers of Asian bicycles and that has brought it so much success.
components, is building a new logistics center at its by building a new “playground” on
Baunach headquarters. the property with cross-country trails.
The company is investing millions of The 18-meter (59-foot) façade of the
“The positive development of our euros on the new logistics center, logistics center will accommodate an
national and international business led which it is building next door to its open-air climbing wall.
us to expand our warehouse in 2003 headquarters. Groundbreaking took
and 2005,” general manager Benno place in May, and the new building is Benno Messingschlager credits his
Messingschlager said. expected to open in early 2012. The father, Rudolf, for thinking far ahead
new building will double the number of CONSTRUCTION Of THE NEw when he moved the business to its
cargo bays for trucks, so the company LOGISTICS CENTER. current location, on the outskirts of
“Nevertheless, during high season we
had to add some external warehous- should be able to speed its processing Baunach, in 1969. The family company
ing to serve the rising demand for our of incoming and outgoing shipments. “lead times will be shortened and was founded in 1924.
products,” he added. “This problem costs reduced,” said Martin Buchta,
increased in the last two years to “Our net storage space will increase marketing and product manager. “My father bought enough land so
a point where we had to make a from approximately 8,000 square this was not a problem for further
decision for a longer-lasting and more meters (86,110 square feet) to more Messingschlager also is investing in expansion around our headquarters,”
suitable solution.” than 10,000 square meters (107,600 new enterprise software. “Our old the younger Messingschlager said.
square feet),” Messingschlager said. software would have not been able
to support our switch of workflow. ■ JB
The new storage space will include That’s why we had to install a new and
an automatic pallet stacking system modern eRP and logistics program
that is more than 18 meters (59 feet) for the new logistics center,” Messing- ARTIST’S
RENdERING
high, as well as an automated storage schlager said. The additional room will Of THE NEw
system for small quantities. allow the importer to expand its office LOGISTICS
space and create more attractive CENTER.
meeting rooms and showrooms.You can also read
