Slightly later in the year than previously, CORE Bike show is an opportunity for brands and distributors to showcase their wares across all cycling disciplines. It’s the first time in two years for one of the UK’s biggest bike shows to welcome us back in person. We headed down to catch up with familiar faces, put names to new ones and, of course, take a gander at all the latest goods in mountain biking and gravel riding alike. So strap in for a whistle-stop tour of what’s out now and coming soon…
- Hutchinson’s Tundra gravel tyre is primed for wet conditions
- Reviewed: YT IZZO CORE 3 trail bike
- The best cycling water bottles that money can buy
Peaty’s Holeshot
The cover image has given this away, but Peaty’s are launching an all-new tubeless repair kit and CO2 inflator kit. We couldn’t tease out all the details, but if you look closely at the tubeless puncture tool, you’ll notice that Peaty’s has sacked off the double-prong fork that you commonly see on tools like these, and opted for a single-prong approach. The CO2 inflator also adopts a straight design for a direct airflow, rather than an angled inflator. These aren’t on the market yet, but they will be in the very near future so keep your eyes peeled for those.
Crankbrothers Highline 11
Eagle-eyed followers would have seen this before Christmas, somewhat leaked on Valentino Rossi’s VR46Tribe eMTB. The crankbrothers Highline 11 uses a carbon head with titanium mountain bolts, Igus LL-glide bearings, Jagwire cabling and it’ll be available in travel lengths ranging from 60mm to 170mm. The Highline 11 will be available in two diameters, 30.9 and 31.6mm, making it suitable for anything from gravel to cross-country and enduro.
Ride Concepts
Earlier this month, we got a hold of the Ride Concepts 2022 lookbook, which introduced a load of new colourways, redesigns and all-new products. It’s always nice to see products in the flesh rather than in glossy online photos, and the Ride Concepts range didn’t disappoint. There were the brand new Tallac and Flume shoes on show in clip and flat models, striking new colourways of the Hellion and Livewire models, and a wider range of shoes for both women and youth. We’ve got some pairs heading to the office so keep an eye open for those reviews in the near future.
ABUS MTB helmet range
Another not-yet-released range is the ABUS MTB Helmet collection for 2022. We don’t have the full release details or prices, but ABUS has created a collection that caters for a wide range of budgets while featuring crash protection technology like MIPS for some of the models.
Forestal Bikes
It has to be said that we’re pretty excited about Forestal Bikes. It’s only recently that the Andorran brand has been picked up by British distributor, Silverfish UK, so this was our first time seeing the fleet in person. Specialising in all things electric, Forestal clearly mean business with high-end components, stylish colourways and the somewhat Marmite-like removal of chainstays. Catering for trail, enduro and even downhill, Forestal Bikes aren’t cheap, but they’re certainly pretty. We’ve also got one coming in for review so watch this space.
Alpina
Alpina was quick to catch our eyes at CORE Bike with a comprehensive range of helmets on offer, but what really caught our attention was the selection of glasses. The brand’s specs start at a rather respectable £80 and go up to £130 with the latter end of the scale coming kitted with foam, anti-fog treatments and hydrophobic coatings.
Pro bikes
It’s never unusual to spot some pro bikes littered around a show like CORE bike and this time, we took a close look at Matt Jones’ Alcatraz with its fresh colourway and mega blingy Cane Creek eeWings crankset. This bike comes with Öhlins suspension, Halo wheels and the bike showcases the big man’s signature Gusset grips and saddle. It wasn’t just Matt’s bike at the show, as we also saw Tahnee Seagrave’s Canyon Sender.
MRP Baxter 2
Sat nicely in the headtube of an All-City Cosmic Stallion Ti was the fresh MRP Baxter 2. While the bike is beautiful enough, the fork is what really piqued our interest down to the custom paint job and the fact that it’s… Well, a new gravel fork. This damper is available with either 40 or 60mm of travel and comes sorted with mounts at either side to boost your bike’s carrying capacity. The custom colourway isn’t reserved just for the show fork, however, as customers can pick from up to 16 colour options.
EVOC Hip Pack Pro E-Ride
EVOC’s Hip Pack Pro E-Ride isn’t just any hip pack, as it has space to carry all of the water and tools you’ll need on most rides, but it also comes with space for a battery charger, ideal for big e-bike tours.
Unior
Rounding off our highlights from CORE Bike is something that will set all tool-nerds off and that’s Unior’s screw pliers. If you’re someone who is good at rounding off bolts, these are right up your street as they’re made with teeth that grip a bolt’s head so you can twist it free without reaching for a drill.
Don’t worry, we’ve already made requests on some of these and more so full reviews will be coming to off.road.cc in the near future.
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