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Eurobike is the world’s biggest bicycle trade show. And it’s truly monstrous with literally thousands of stands.
I walked past every single stand so that you can see the latest products in the touring and bikepacking space! My iPhone says I did 15,000 steps per day (for five days) between the different halls. That’s a lot of walking… and a lot of talking too.
I got the opportunity to talk to the engineers and product managers behind the brands and got test-ride more than 30 unique bikes too. This information will all drip out over the next year or so.
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My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:
- 11 Quirky But Functional Bikepacking Products (Part One)
- 11 Exciting New Bikepacking and Touring Products (Part Two)
- The Most Interesting Bikepacking Tech (Part Three)
- The Best Touring and Bikepacking Bikes (Part Four)
- 11 Notable Bikepacking Bag Finds (Part Five)
In-Depth Reporting From Eurobike 2023
Kinekt
If you’re after some front suspension comfort as well as extra bar rise, check out the new Kinekt 50 Degree Comfort+ stem. It offers a bunch of rise (25mm/1″) before you even get to the suspension mechanism.
There is also a 30 Degree version (in the background) as well as a 7 Degree model.
Klickfix
At the Klickfix / Rixen & Kaul stand was a bike setup with bikepacking bags. All of these bags are fully waterproof and have small mounts to keep the bags stable while you ride.
The handlebar rack with a cinched dry bag is removed from the bike with the touch of a button.
And the cargo cage bags will slot on and off with ease too.
Miss Grape
At the 3T stand was a gravel bike setup with Miss Grape bikepacking bags. The bags all looked really smart, but it was the new Miss Grape Ilcoso handlebar cradle that was of the most interest to me.
This minimal mount stabilises your front luggage so that it will not wobble about. It also prevents your cables from getting crushed, stops bag-to-frame paint rub, and it offers additional space for accessories such as GPS devices and lights.
The mount weighs just 320 grams, and once you’ve got the accessory bar to a place you like, the cradle can be tilted at four different angles.
Additionally, there is an 8 or 16-litre dry bag available, depending on whether you use flat bars or drop bars (less space for a dry bag).
Old Man Mountain
Old Man Mountain was showing not only their usual racks… but four all-new products.
The minimalist Old Man Mountain Ponderosa panniers are 13 litres each, fully waterproof, and use compression straps to fit your rack. They attach so solidly that they are said to be virtually silent on the trail.
There is also a waterpoof trunk called the Old Man Mountain Juniper that attaches with compression straps on top of your rack. It uses a roll-top design to easily access your gear.
The Old Man Mountain Axle Pack will convert any fork into a cargo-carrying fork! This could be ideal for many carbon forks that do not pair well with hose clamps, and have shapes that the usual cargo cage adapters will not cater for.
The Axle Pack will handle 5kg/11lb per side and it’s even possible to fit it at the rear seatstays too, provided you have enough clearance for your heels.
The last product is the Old Man Mountain Flip Cage. The cage itself fits any cargo cage mount, but the magic is in the mini pannier having a rotating lever that can slide into the Flip Cage recess – locking the bag in place. The bottom of the bag offers a lower cage hook that will keep the bags rattle-free.
Omnium
Allen at Omnium told me he doesn’t really see their titanium bike as a cargo bike.
His reasoning is that the bike is lightweight (under 15kg/33lb), uses just a few proprietary parts, and rides just like a bike. I did test ride one and can confirm, it rides just like a bike (although with a turning circle that you need to get used to).
To prove its versatility, Allen will be riding this titanium Omnium in the Silk Road Mountain Race in a few weeks. He uses aero bars to give his hands, arms, neck, and back a rest on long cycling days. Pringles are obviously his food of choice.
Rondo
With frame shapes like this, the Rondo bikes are certainly distinctive. This model is the upcoming Rondo Ruut V2 gravel bike.
I personally like the design ethos behind a model called the Rondo Mylc. While the aesthetics are not for everyone (just look at that head tube!), the frame geometry is tweaked specifically for gravel descents.
The Mylc offers a longer wheelbase and slacker head tube angle to increase the length of the front portion of the frame by 70 to 90mm (3-4″). This essentially makes the bike more stable at speed, and much harder to pitch over the handlebars.
The Mylc comes with a short stem to accommodate the longer top tube length. I actually prefer the steering characteristics of shorter stems on gravel bikes (it’s a more direct feeling), but the downside is that you don’t have as much stem length wiggle room when optimising your bike fit.
More crazy carbon frame shapes on the Rondo Mylc. This really sets the bike apart from other ‘cookie cutter’ carbon gravel frames (they all kinda look the same).
SON Nabendynamo
At the SON stand was a light display to show a new prototype front light. This model will have both a low and high-beam mode and a built-in USB charger – all controlled with a small switch near the grips.
SON Nabendynamo is aiming to make this light/charger the most powerful option available. At 20kph/12mph they would like to pull 10-20% more power from a hub than other market-leading dynamo USB chargers, but all while getting a minimal amount of drag.
The light body is slightly larger than usual, but it shouldn’t look too out of place.
Also, a new straight-pull spoke hub is in the works, and it’s said to produce fewer vibrations. This one is still a long way off production though.
Weathergoods Sweden
I noticed some nice rain ponchos at the Weathergoods stand.
This small family-run business offers a range of stylish urban products, but the Imbris poncho could be decent for bike travel as it has hand straps, good reflectivity, a waistband, and is quite long. It’s available in two sizes and three colours – green, copper and black. The weight is around 500 grams.
My touring/bikepacking tech galleries from Eurobike 2023:
