Are you looking for the ultimate touring bicycle? One that ticks all the boxes, and then some? The Falkenjagd Hoplit Pinion has just scooped an IF design award at the Taipei International Cycle Show and it's not hard to see why.
Our man in Taiwan has fired back these photos of the most purposeful bike we’ve seen in a fair while. There’s an 18-speed Pinion gearbox nestling in the belly of the titanium frame providing a fully sealed drivetrain with a belt drive minimising maintenance, ideal when you're halfway across some godforsaken desert with no sign of a friendly bike shop.
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The frame is decked out with multiple mounts for three bottle cages, mudguards and front and rear racks, also hewn from titanium. Due to the use of thru-axles the company claims the bike has a payload of 185kg, ensuring you should be able to carry all your worldly possessions with you. And the kitchen sink.
It’s built around 650b and 700c wheels. The former would allow the fitting of bigger volume tyres for increased comfort. The pictured bike is fitted with Continental RaceKing mountain bike tyres for go-anywhere capability.
Also borrowed from the mountain bike world is the titanium riser handlebar with a set of carbon fibre bar ends providing a range of different riding positions.
Like the frame, the fork is made from titanium and to keep maintenance simple when you’re in the back end of nowhere, all cables and brake hoses are routed externally. There’s dynamo front hub, naturally, powering front and rear lights, and a The Plug USB charging port is located in the stem top cap, so you can keep your iPhone (other smartphones are available) topped up with juice so you can Instagram your epic ride. Provided you can get 3G where ever you are.
Lastly, there’s a kickstand so no leaning it up against a wall.
Also spotted in Taiwan this week is the brand new APRO Ranger full-suspension gravel bike.
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.