Eurobike is back. Though perhaps not quite as I remember it.
Frankfurt in late June has been the trade show's spiritual home for a few years now, and it's usually a sweaty, crowded, enormously fun migration of the global cycling industry, squeezed into cavernous exhibition halls and spilling out into the surrounding areas between them.
At its peak, seven halls barely contained it all. This year, only three halls were used, and even those weren't full. As someone who has been making the pilgrimage on and off for the best part of fifteen years, I won't pretend there wasn't something melancholic about the quieter corridors and sparser stands.
It's the kind of event everyone loves to complain about. The schlep, the heat, the bad food, and somehow always leaving with some sort of cold or illness, but the buzz of seeing the good folk that keep the bike industry running and all the latest and greatest shiny kit made it bearable, and though there were far fewer brands attending, there was still plenty of kit to see if you looked hard enough.
So here are the highlights of a hectic day searching the halls of Frankfurt during a 30-degree heatwave.
Unnamed Ridey Gravel bike
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
First seen at the Traka, Ridley's latest gravel bike looks production-ready.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Plenty of tyre clearance; these are Schwalbe 55mm G-One RS Pro tyres fitted on a 27mm internal rim with loads of room to spare.
A neat, if not huge, frame storage bag is included.
Eddy Merckx 525
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Eddy Merckx bikes had the new and clever 525 aero bike on show.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It looks like an aggressive race bike, but...
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Some clever geometry manipulation could make this the ideal aero bike for the everyday rider.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Given that the brand is owned by the same parent company as Ridley, it's no surprise that it looks similar to the Noah Fast 3.
The new Canyon Aeroad
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Canyon used the event to launch its updated Aeroad CFR race bike.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
The frame is largely unchanged, save for a UDH-friendly update, with all of the gains coming from its new, more aerodynamic cockpit.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It saves 2 watts in the wind tunnel, which in some tests makes it the most aerodynamic bike in the WorldTour.
Another new, unreleased aero gravel bike
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
There was an updated version of the Grail CFR on display, which we first spotted at the Traka, and much like the Ridley, it now looks ready for production.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
As you'd expect, it's got much bigger tyre clearances, though this had 45mm rubber fitted.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It also takes aero cues from the recently updated Aeroad and Endurace CFR ranges.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
In addition to aero features, it has a similar comfort seatpost to that of the Endurace bikes.
A cyclo-cross bike - remeber those?
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Cyclo-cross bikes are a rare sight these days, but since Canyon has the greatest-ever CX racer riding its bikes, it seems fitting that it still offers one.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Wider tyres? Not here. Just the CX standard 33mm.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
What's this for, I hear you ask? Shouldering, of course.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Classic close-ratio double-ring setup, 46/36. There is something I just love about a bike with a very singular purpose.
Canyon Speedmax Track
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
And it doesn't get any more singular-purpose than a top-tier track bike.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
They cost £20,000 apparently, though I feel that's just the standard price rolled out for niche bikes that brands don't really want to sell outside of national federations.
Toot Racing road bike
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Born from one of its track riders wanting the same performance on the road, Toot had this crazy aero build at the show.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It looks mad from any angle, and it's great to see bikes that push the limits.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Toot was one of the first brands to bring bunch-race track handlebars with ghost hoods and super-narrow positioning, and its road versions are just as wild.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
No mention of comfort, rear-end flex or compliance here.
A new Winspace aero bike
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Winspace had an updated version of its T1600 bike on show.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Though much like the Canyon Aeroad, most of the benefits come from an updated handlebar.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It's a forward-sweeping bar, much like that found on the Colnago Y1RS; the overall bike felt very light.
It wouldn't be Eurobike without a crazy prototype
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Canyon had two on show, this wild road bike with all sorts of sensors and clever bits.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Though it was the super-smooth lever-hood-to-bar transition that really caught my attention. Maybe I need to get out more.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
And this crazy-looking 32-inch-wheeled XC race bike.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
With a winged handlebar, naturally. Though I do think they have a good use case for aero in XC racing with the ever-increasing speeds of the top-tier pros.
Canyon Lux World Cup XC race bike
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
And from a concept bike to an actual race bike. The Canyon Lux World Cup prototype.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Raced earlier this year at the Cape Epic and the XC World Cup this year by German powerhouse Luca Schwarzbauer.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
The frame was covered in little details, including the Anti-Squat flip chip. With XC bikes getting more travel and closer to their trail-bike cousins, it's not surprising to see major brands experimenting with more complex suspension kinematics than before.
Nukeproof Hyperfly 290
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Still keeping with XCO, but this time at a far more privateer racer-friendly price, starting at just £4,999, Nukeproof's Hyperfly could be the race bike bargain of the season.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
With 120mm travel front and rear, it's bang up to date and ready for the most technical courses.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Non-headset-routed cables make this ideal for the home mechanic or racer on a budget to work on, too.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Race-ready rubber and wheels come as standard.
Gusto GTG gravel race bike
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Gusto had a new gravel race bike for all to see.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It follows the same design language as its GTR road bike.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
And looked great in this matte green finish.
Laget Aero 3d printed Ti frame
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Laget had this very impressive bit of 3D-printed Titanium on its booth.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
With some super sharp and well-finished lines.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
And with the thinnest top tube I've ever seen. How thin? 7mm, apparently.
Megamo Upon
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Avinox was the talk of the show with its new combined motor-and-gearbox launch, but they also had an interesting Megamo on show that uses its latest 2S motor unit.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It's clearly still an E-bike, but it's neatly done and looks good considering the size of the motor and battery.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Ever wondered what the inside of an Avinox motor looks like? Well, now you know.
Lake custom-painted shoes
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Tired of boring shoes? Why not design your own?
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Lake had a selection of shoes designed by customers using its bespoke custom option. You can also select the Boa dial colours to create a fully customised shoe.
Fidlock with a great idea for content creators
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
One for the influencers and content creators amongst us here. Fidlock has a neat range of mounts that use its clever magnetic clasp, designed to work with a range of action cameras.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Being able to remove and securely remount in the blink of an eye is perfect if, like me, you often change camera angles when filming.
Daysaver Pump
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
The team from Daysaver was roaming the halls, carrying its latest gravel pump and its latest Incredible 6 tool, which neatly fits inside.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
The Incredible 6 has a cool tubeless repair prong that tucks away neatly into its arm.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
And a decent-sized hex key to help shift stubborn bolt-through axles.
Prologo saddle
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
Prologo had a new lower-cost version of its Predator TT and Tri saddle, which is around half the price of the 01 version at £493.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
It makes use of lower-cost materials to reach a lower price point, but still has the same shape and design as the top-end versions developed with the Visma-Lease a Bike team.
Pertual wheels
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
And finally, some wheels. With the ever-increasing number of Carbon wheel brands hitting the market, it's hard to stand out, but these from Pertual really caught my eye.
(Image credit: Neal Hunt)
They are light at 1240g a pair and come with mixed rims at 47 and 58mm deep with 23 and 28mm internal widths, but it was the quality of the hub finish with the bonded carbon spokes that really set these apart.
