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OK, we’re approaching the end of our expansive coverage of this year’s Eurobike trade show – really – but not before showing off a whole bunch of interesting new accessories and other bits that caught my eye.
New bikepacking bags? A clever reusable shipping crate? Cycling shoes that would look right at home on the tin man? A bunch of new tools? High-viz clothing that actually looks good? We’ve got all that and then some this time around.
In case you haven’t been keeping up with all of our Eurobike posts to date, you can find all of it right here.
Giro debuted a new off-road shoe at Eurobike called the Gritter. Aimed at gravel and XC riders, it features a laminated TPU and mesh upper with dual aluminum Boa dials, a carbon fiber plate, and a pared-down tread design. I’m digging how there’s still rubber covering nearly the entire bottom here, and also how far the tread wraps around the front of the toes, too. Sadly, these won’t be offered until early in 2024.There’s also more arch support built into the new Gritter than I’m used to seeing from Giro. The company is apparently looking to move further upscale, though, as these carry a heady price tag of US$450.I do love me some retro.Fizik had mountain bike shoes on display at Eurobike with no fewer than five different types of closure systems.This new limited-edition silver version of Shimano’s S-Phyre R903 road shoes is spectacularly shiny. I must have some.Unior showed off a whole bunch of new tools at Eurobike, such as the new Speed Pedal Wrench with a convenient pivoting head, a big padded handle, and lots of leverage.Unior has new bottle openers (of course) and a double-ended crowfoot wrench for hydraulic fittings.Hard to believe, but Unior hasn’t offered a set of flush cutters until now. And wondering how worn your cassette is? Wonder no more.Unior’s cassette wear tool works the same as the one Rohloff has offered for ages. Lay the chain on the cassette sprocket in question, engage the end of the leverage bar and apply some force to the end, and then see how easily the last link of the chain slides in and out of the sprocket trough. If your cassette is in good shape, it should move in and out of there with little resistance.And yep, Unior has a new chain checker, too.I do not envy any tool company that needs to keep up with the ever-growing list of lockring spline patterns.Shokz – formerly known as AfterShokz – is an audio brand that was built around the concept of bone conduction. Instead of sending sound through the ear canal as is typical, Shokz headphones have historically transmitted the audio waves through your skull, leaving your ear canals open to better hear ambient noise. The new OpenFit model is the company’s first fully wireless earbud model (ignore the white cord; that was just for the display sample), and while it now is more conventional in how it sends sound to your eardrums, Shokz says it’s still an “open” design that allows you to hear your surroundings. Shokz claims the OpenFit will run for up to 28 hours, and retail price is US$180.Ortlieb’s iconic Back Roller Plus pannier has gotten an update for 2024 with redesigned straps and buckles for faster opening and closing, and tidier stashing of the shoulder pad. Capacity remains a generous 20 L for the main compartment and 3 L for the front pocket. And just like before, it’s entirely PVC-free, designed to be fully repairable, and 100% waterproof.Ortlieb’s new “dark sand” color looks quite elegant if I do say so myself.Ortlieb is such a believer in waterproof roll-top closures that even its frame bag uses it.Looking to add some carrying capacity but don’t have rack mounts on your bike? Never fear, Ortlieb’s Quick Rack system is here! This particular example is also displayed with Ortlieb’s slick QL3.1 mounting system that’s not only super quick to use, but also provides a more secure attachment than traditional hooks or straps.Even if you only have fender mounts, you can likely use Ortlieb’s Quick Rack system. The small mounting stub stays on the bike, but the entire rack can be easily removed courtesy of the neat cam locking mechanism.Ortlieb offers the Quick Rack with or without a top platform.Just how committed is Ortlieb to repairing instead of replacing? You’d think the company would only want to display the most pristine samples of its wares to showgoers, but this bag has clearly been repaired after an unfortunate cut. Kudos, Ortlieb, kudos.The Ortlieb Vario pannier converts to a backpack. Neat.Wish you had the ability to carry some gear on your fork legs but don’t have three-pack mounts? Old Man Mountain has come to the rescue with its new Axle Pack concept. It’s still a prototype, but hopefully the company will have it finished soon.The design relies on a custom thru-axle (don’t worry; it’s not too expensive). However, one big upside of this is that there’s a much higher-than-typical 10 kg weight capacity.Old Man Mountain also debuted its Flip Cage idea, which uses a special three-pack mounting base that can then accept a pannier or whatever other accessory the company can think of.The Old Man Mountain Flip Cage idea is super easy to use, and holds impressively securely.Belgian apparel company Gofluo specializes in nothing else but high-visibility clothing and accessories. In terms of style, we’ve come a long way from those day-glo yellow jackets.Reflectivity is a big part of the Gofluo story.The bags look particularly nice.Yep, even your dog can get into the action!G-Form showed off a new padding material called ReZRO that the company claims not only works better than its existing stuff, but is also fully recyclable.The TPE pads are clearly marked for proper sorting, although it’s unclear to me right now how many areas have facilities for recycling this stuff.G-Form’s new thermoplastic elastomer padding material should also be a lot more breathable than the rate-sensitive foam it’s been using.The new G-Form ReZRO stuff will be offered in a full range of pads, most of which will be aimed at enduro and DH riders (although I know plenty of trail riders who would interested in this stuff, too).Brooks is best known for its classic-looking leather saddles, but it’s almost expanding further into the bag space.German dynamo hub specialist Son has a new headlight system in development that’s claimed to be a lot brighter than what it offers now.Who said hub dynamo companies don’t like a little flair?Colors, come get your colors here!Son has a new rear LED light built directly into a machined aluminum seatpost collar. It’s quite tidy.Son’s new headlight will have a remote control to adjust the brightness on the fly, as well as a USB port for charging accessories as you roll along.German company Circular Logistics had an interesting reusable bicycle shipping carton on hand at this year’s Eurobike show. Made of corrugated plastic, it can supposedly be reused at least 30 times before being recycled and turned into another box. When empty, it also folds down flat so it can be more inexpensively sent back if necessary.I don’t know who makes this dishing tool that was on the counter at the DT Swiss booth (it’s not listed as a DT Swiss product as far as I can tell), but it looks amazing.Looking for a surer hold on your mountain bike bars? Ergon’s GDH Team features the softest rubber the company has used to date.South African accessory brand Ryder Innovation showed off its Groove Tool and Groove Tool Pro bit-based multi-tools. The basic concept isn’t new, but it’s a tidy package nonetheless, and I like that you can use the bits in two different orientations. The standard Groove Tool uses a plastic body, while the Pro version upgrades to aluminum and also adds a chain breaker.Ryder has built an entire ecosystem around its “Slyder” design for on-the-bike tools and accessories.Looking for a more thorough method for lubing your chain? The Ryder Innovation Luberetta is an intriguing prospect.The Luberetta simultaneously applies lube to three sides of the chain.Who knew Rema made so many different kinds of patch kits?Rema makes hands-down the best inner tube patches and glue, but how good is its tubeless sealant? I’ve no idea, but I’m curious to find out.
