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The Eurobike coverage continues with another gallery of more new and new-ish stuff from wax to tyres and mini-pumps to a new take on valve cores. Check out part 1 and part 2 of our show coverage.
Finish Line recently got into the chain waxing game and had its Halo family of lubricants on show. The range includes a drip wax, a hot wax, and a drip wet lubricant. It’s getting increasingly more difficult to stand out from the crowd now occupying the drip wax space; Finish Line has focused on simplifying the application of its two drip options, the Wax Lubricant and Wet Lubricant, with its “Smart Luber” applicator developed to ensure an even coating on the chain. All three lubricants incorporate ceramic particles and spherical tungsten, which are said to reduce friction effectively, with claimed performance and durability-enhancing results.Rouvy were showcasing what initially appeared to be a rather “meh” update but on learning more, it’s really quite the feat. At first it seemed Rouvy had integrated an option to record an outdoor route with a GoPro to ride later on an indoor trainer, an option that already exists elsewhere, but what Rouvy has actually created is the ability to build a 3D course based on that GoPro footage (or other action camera). Rouvy uses the camera footage and GPS file (it will need a head unit GPS file for the section of footage if the camera is not GPS-enabled), and takes a mammoth 25 hours of processing per hour of ride footage to convert that outdoor ride into a 3D course on Rouvy. Once that processing is complete, the rider now has their outdoor ride not only to ride indoors but also to fully nerd out on adding all manner of experience-enhancing extras: swarms of roadside fans, ad banners, starting gates, helicopters, etc. It even has you set the sun in the correct location at the start and then automatically tracks with changes in direction during the ride to ensure your shadow is always in the right place. That shadow will even interact accurately with other parts of the 3D world you’ve created, riding up and down walls and dips at the road side etc.Rouvy sees its new Route Editor as a feature riders will utilise for normal everyday rides and perhaps something event organisers can offer for those looking to recon a route before the big day. It will officially release sometime in October, but we are hoping to get trialling a beta version before then.We covered Ultra Cool Tech and its new cooling bar tape last month. The brand was at Eurobike and its small box booth was one of the busiest in its hall. We’ve covered the tech in greater detail in that news piece last month, but Eurobike was the first time I actually got to touch the tape.The first thing worth mentioning is the blue and droplet design is just to highlight what is on offer; UCT will still offer the tape in good old black. As for what it’s like to touch, its wet feel is a little weird at first but definitely refreshing – it had just been resoaked and presumably that excess water drips off better on the move than in a stuffy Eurobike stand. Wet and weird it may be, but it is equally refreshing on tired hands. I was conscious everyone who passed that day had likely touched the tape, and so in the interests of not picking up some plague, I decided not to spend much time confirming my initial impressions, which could wait for when I had the tape fitted to a bike at home.Branchy Protection had a stand showcasing its Rear Derailleur Protector. It’s pretty self-explanatory: the guard protects the rear derailleur from nasty impacts and knocks, like many other options that have existed seemingly almost as long as the rear derailleur itself; certainly for all my time on a bike. Branchy claims it is different in that it won’t catch and drag trail debris into the derailleur like some, and it’s lightweight at a claimed 35 grams. That said, if you have an SRAM Transmission derailleur, the guard may be quite redundant.DT Swiss has these limited-edition polished alloy hubs and spokes to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Need we say more?Well, perhaps a little as an excuse to include one more photo of this beautiful wheel build. DT has created two flagship offerings to celebrate its 30th: the ARC 1100 Dicut DB 38 3DEC lightweight aero road wheels and the EXC 1200 Classic enduro wheels.DT’s 240 DEG mountain bike hubs get a similar treatment with a silver body and DT’s original 1994 logo in red inherited from the Hügi hub from way back in 1994.Ok, so dumb frames for smart trainers are having a moment. Elite launched its version, the Square Smart Bike Frame, at Eurobike and to Elite’s credit, the Square is the smartest of the dumb frames. Before we delve in, let first take a second to explain what a smart trainer frame is; unlike a smart bike, a la the Wattbike Atom or Wahoo Kickr Bike, a smart trainer frame is just the frame to replace your regular bike on your direct drive smart trainer.
The Square is different to the new Zwift Ride frame in that it is compatible with any trainer and any indoor riding software and so although the Square may look funky, it’s got a heck of a lot of functionality. Elite had the Square set up on its rather expensive Rizer smart gradient simulator, but it is also supplied with a set of non-adjusting feet for good old dumb flat road simulation.Key to a trainer frame is a simplified drivetrain; adding derailleurs and shifters gets complicated and expensive, so single speed is the preferred option. The Square uses its own belt drive-compatible freehub body which simply replaces the freehub body supplied with the trainer.The levers look like a win for Elite. They look much more ergonomic and even like regular Shimano levers. The button pads up top will control in-app features and accessories like connected fans.I haven’t yet had a chance to play about with the Square, but on the face of it, it appears to have all the adjustability you would want: saddle height and fore/aft, reach, stack, and adjustable crank lengths. The big question for me – having seen similar systems not quite deliver on other smart bikes – is how stiff and secure these quick release clamps will prove in such high-stress settings.Goodyear have new TPU tubes coming. Hardly news worthy in itself, but what is interesting is the use of alloy valve stems rather than the TPU stems used on most TPU tubes. Those tend to melt when used with an electric mini-inflator. That shouldn’t be the case with these. The Goodyear stand also offered me the first chance to get up close to the new Vector R Z30 NSW tyre designed for Zipp and the 353 NSW. Goodyear describes the tyre and wheel combo as a “fitment” rather than a system where tyres are developed and optimised for a specific fitment to maximise performance based on intended usage. In other words, the stamped 30 mm tyre actually measures 30 mm when mounted on the 25 mm internal rim of the 353 NSW.As per ISO standards, 28 mm tyres are designed around a 19 mm inner rim width. As such, mounting 28 (or 30 mm) tyres on the increasingly common wider rims seen today sees the tyres become distorted and much wider than the stated width. To solve this the partnership has had to ignore that 19 mm design rim, but Goodyear and Zipp claim the benefits are a more optimally shaped tyre profile with better aero properties and an appropriately located tread cap for both cornering and puncture protection.The tyres feature a short-ply construction, 150 TPI casing, and Goodyear’s Dynamic:UHP compound for low rolling resistance and high grip. Claimed weight for the 700×30 mm size is 280 grams. The new range also includes the Z30 SW 30 mm, and Z35 SW 35 mm tyres designed for Zipp’s 303 Firecrest wheels.Of all Goodyear’s tyres … we kind of have to like the Escape!As they were in 2023, Qvist was back at Eurobike this year with its hubs and captivating internals. Qvist’s update this year was to bring anodising in-house, meaning they can now offer this range of new colours. Industry Nine had its new flagship range of Solix road, gravel, and all-road hubs and wheels. Built around a five-pawl freehub the Solix hubs offer a 121-tooth drive ring yielding 605 points of engagement, which equals an engagement roughly every half of one degree.Which, of course, also requires a cutaway; who doesn’t love a hub cutaway? The hubs are available in 11 colours.The Solix wheel range features five aero and four gravel and all-road wheelsets.The SL 45s seen here are an aero all-rounder with a 45 mm deep carbon, 21 mm inner width, 24 bladed steel spokes with a claimed weight of 1,450 grams per set.The SL45 is joined in the range by an SL35, SL65, and SL 35/45 and 45/65 combos. Industry Nine are also offering dedicated all-road and performance gravel wheelsets in the SL AR40, SL AR 25, and the lightweight-focused SL UL250c and alloy SL UL250a. The all-road range all feature a 25 mm-wide inner rim, with the depths matching the nomenclature.Topeak is another stand I always have to dedicate at least 30 minutes to, as the tools and accessories brands always bring a host of new products to Eurobike. New to its bags range this year are the top tube and fork-mounted bags seen here.The top tube bag does what it says on the tin and offers either velcro strap mounting or bolt on mounts for use with compatible frames.The waterproof forks bags feature this quick-release mounting mechanism. But its the tools and other accessories that always catch my attention …Topeak has joined the electronic mini-e-pump market with its E-Booster digital. As we’ve come to expect, the e-pump offers electronic inflation to a pre-set pressure on the digital gauge. The pump saves the last pressure setting, making for quicker use in future and is USB rechargeable. Not unlike pumps from Cycplus, Topeak includes both the silicon cover and extension hose due to the overheating experienced with these mini-e-pump-style inflators. The silicon cover protects the hands, while the hose is recommended for use with TPU valve stems to avoid overheating and melting the valve stem.
Unique to the Topeak (and a feature previously seen in its digital pressure gauge), is a simple lever-actuated valve-type adapter; simply slide the lever up top to switch between Schrader or presta-style valves. Topeak is claiming 3-5 tyre inflations per battery charge and 0-80 psi in a 700x25c tyre in just 50 seconds. RRP will be €100.Topeak also has two new 3-in-1 mini-pumps on show reaching a claimed 160 psi / 11 bar. The Two Timer XT features a removable handle with tubeless tools, a plug inside, and a CO2 cartridge connector on the end. The Two Timer X drops the tubeless tools and integrates two tyre levers inside the pump body.Topeak also has a new Nano Shock micro shock pump, weighing just 56 grams and capable of up to 300 PSI / 20.7 bar featuring Topeak’s Pressure-Rite shock valve and 360° hose priced at US$ / €29.95.Topeak also launched the Team Issue workstand series developed for pro mechanics; part of that range is the Prep Stand Team Issue and the Bike Scale Team Issue. Seemingly similar in concept to Feedback Sports’ Pro Mechanic HD, the beefy 10 kg Prep Stand is rated for bikes up to 45 kg and is designed to be sturdier and last the test of time with no plastic parts. The stand comes with a weighty price tag of €499.95.Also a feature found in Feedback Sports’ Pro Mechanic HD stand, the arm features this little magnetic strip for quick-access tool storage.The matching Bike Scale, priced at €80 is suitable for bikes up to 35 kg, is neat in that only the outer shell is actually clamped to the stand meaning the display and hook are easily rotatable for easier viewing.Finally in the Team Issue series is the new Prepstation, building on the Prepstation Pro with the same box and form factor. While the Pro features more general tools, with the Prepstation Topeak has focused on more performance-oriented tools mechanics demand.That means five trays with plenty of noteworthy tools, some of which bear a striking resemblance to some of the in-demand tools from other brands (mostly notably, Abbey Bike Tools). The whole thing folds down to this neat wheeled-box. MSRP for box and all the tools included is €1,300.Finally, Schwalbe unveiled its Clik Valve, describing the update the 100-year-old valve standard as “one of the greatest innovations at Eurobike this year.” It’s designed to make inflation easier.The new valve core replaces the existing core and, combined with a new pump head, makes for a simple and 100% sealed click-style connection the first time every time. The Clik Valve pump head easily connects to the Clik Valve itself, making for a sealed system that won’t leak or blow off even in high-pressure scenarios, eliminating the need for screw-on heads or levers. Better yet, it is super easy to remove with just a light lift on the head.
Both the new Clik valves and the Clik valve-compatible pump head are compatible with existing products, making for a simple update in most cases. Importantly, though, the Clik Valve is also compatible with regular Presta pump heads.A closer look at the new removable valve core. The pump head connects around and locks onto the small divet at the top for a more secure connection. It’s a product that was discussed in last week’s episode of Geek Warning.
