It’s the Cycle Show at the Birmingham NEC this weekend and if you’re planning on heading up (or down) then we’ve prepared a little guide of our favourite things to visit while you’re at the show. As ever there is absolutely loads to see including our very own stand (F69) where you can subscribe to your first six issues of the magazine for £6 – you even get some freebies!
Colnago – H71
It was a close run thing, but we think the nicest bike of the show has to go to the Colnago Arabesque. The Arabesque is widely considered to be the finest steel bicycle Colnago ever made and since production ceased in the mid-1980s it has become hugely collectible.
The Arabesque on the Colnago stand is one of 500 new framesets that is being produced after they allegedly found a box of brand new lugs during a factory clear out. The UK distributors, Windwave, went to huge efforts to source a NOS Campagnolo 50th anniversary groupset to outfit it and even got a local engineering firm to cut a thread onto the steerer for the classic look.
Pro – B11
The Pro stand is worth a visit just for their ‘Saddle Amnesty’. The idea is simple: bring along any old saddle, from any brand, and they’ll offer you 50% off the retail price of the models they have there including the £120 Falcon model.
Hunt – D41
UK brand Hunt has been impressing us with a range of well priced aluminium disc wheels designed for having fun, whatever the weather. Hunt has lots of new wheels for 2016, including the 4Season Gravel Disc and the 50 Carbon Wide Disc featured here.
The 50 Carbon Wide Disc is uses a new tubeless ready carbon fibre rim, that’s (you guessed it) 50mm deep and utilises a wide 26mm U shaped profile. In 18mm rim bed works best with 25 & 28mm tyres but can accept anything from 23 up to 45c. The 50 deep weighs has a claimed weight of 1612g for the pair and retails for £999. If you’re not after anything quite so deep they’re also offering the 38 Carbon, which is 1529 for the pair and is priced at £949.
Storck – G121
Markus Storck is a man who likes to celebrate in style and for his 50th birthday, Storck released a special edition Aernario. It weighed a mere 5.4kg and only 50 were made. This year it’s Markus’s 51st birthday so to celebrate it, Storck brings us a special edition Aernario Disc, but 51 this time.
Storck is claiming that with the THM and AX Lightness finishing kit, the special edition Aernario Disc is the lightest production disc bike available at 6.5kg, and the price? We’ll let you find out for yourselves, just don’t forget to take a chair to sit down on first.
Look – H45
We’ve already previewed the Look 2016 range here (Look 2016 bikes) but the UK distributor Fisher Outdoor has taken the 796 time trial bike to the Cycle Show, which is the first time we’ve seen it in the flesh.
The headline figure for the 796 is the super skinny headtube – it’s just 25mm wide in the middle, utilising a 19mm steerer, so Look claim that it cuts through the air like nothing else. The integrated stem is available in two lengths (85mm and 110mm), which combined with the fully adjustable handlebars means that almost everyone will be able to attain their perfect position.
Condor – G101
For the sheer number of beautiful bikes in one place, we’d give the best stand prize to Condor. Condor had three really beautiful bikes that you really need to go and see on its stand.
The new aero-tuned Leggero was given its final test at the Tour of Britain with the JLT-Condor team and after positive feedback from the riders will now be entering into fully production. Condor said that the model on the stand isn’t the finished production item, there are a few final paint design tweeks to be made, but we think it was stunning all the same.
The Italia RS has also reached its final production ready phase, having been tweaked since we first had it in the office. The headtube is now tapered, instead of straight through, and it’s gained the fork from the top of the line Leggero although the frame price has crept up.
The other bike worth seeing is the Paris. Although there’s nothing new about this frame apart from the colour, the finish is absolutely unbelievable and the photos just don’t do it justice.
Trek – J51
The enormous Trek stand has bikes to suit all budgets and tastes. The Project One bikes are always good fun, and the crazy on-road/off-road 920 Disc touring bike caught our eye, but our favourite bike on the stand was the Emonda ALR 4.
The ALR 4 in red looks a million dollars but it’s just £900. The quality of the finishing kit far surpasses the pricetag and the new 10-speed Tiagra groupset completes the build. The ALR 4 genuinely raises the question of ‘why spend more?’.
Drops.cc – H41
It’s wallpaper that you can colour in yourself. Need we say more?
If you’ve not booked yet and it’s not too late. You can book tickets online for Saturday and Sunday at cycleshow.co.uk