dhb x Polartec

dhb have been making waves this year with the highly anticipated launch of their Aeron Lab kit, proudly adorned by Tour of Yorkshire and OVO Energy Tour Series winners, Canyon Eisberg. After supporting them with their brand positioning last year, it’s been great to see them going from strength-to-strength and collaborating with the technical fabric geniuses over at Polartec for Aeron AW18/19.

Castelli Say #PassOnPlastic

Messages of sustainability, green–credentials and eco-promises are everywhere. They’re mandatory for a brand rather than a USP these days. Castelli are leading from the front in the bike world to help protect our planet from plastic through Team Sky and their Ocean Rescue initiative. Exploring poly-bag alternatives, (the plastic bags your kit usually turns up in), remains a firm priority with a goal in place to become plastic free by 2020. If it’s not on your agenda too, it should be! Chapeau Castelli.

Clever Oakley

Sunglasses wedged into helmet vents, we’ve all done it and no-doubt scratched a few pairs in the process. Fortunately, Oakley has created a nifty little integrated mechanism they call the “Eyewear Landing Zone” to hold your sunnies more securely in the future.

An OCD Riders Dream

Thule, the masters of transporting your gear, launched the very cleverly designed Rail 12 Pro hydration pack. It can only be described, much like the rest of their packs, as the OCD riders dream with a pocket and compartment for everything! All has been thought of, way before you even know you need it, including an industry first magnetic track system to keep your reservoir tube locked in place and ready when you need to hydrate on the trails.

The Future of Shifting?

Hailed by some as ingenious and the end of derailleurs. Others say it’s flawed and a concept from the past re-mastered. No matter which camp you’re in, Ceramic Speed certainly raised a few eyebrows at the show with what they’re calling the most efficient drivetrain ever!

Cue Stevie Wonder

Happy birthday to you, Happy Birthday! Congratulations to our Munich neighbours and pump track buddies Evoc on their tenth birthday! Thanks for all the cake and a great party to wrap up day 1.

Indoor Training 2.0

Elite have taken indoor training to a whole new level of luxury. If you fancy dropping some serious £s then look no further than their Fuoripista concept smart bike. Carefully crafted from wood, chrome and glass, it’s undoubtedly a masterpiece.

Given the choice though, I’d go for a Wahoo Kickr and their newly launched Kickr Headwind ‘smart fan’ which cleverly determines the wind speed you experience based on rider effort levels.

Haibike Intro Flyon

eBikes, as you’d imagine, have evolved no end over the last 12months. Motors and batteries are increasingly becoming even more seamlessly integrated into frames, leaving you to take a second look to see if it’s really electric. Haibike definitely caused a stir with Flyon; their new, first ever, complete ePerformance system bike.

Size Doesn’t Matter

We’ve finally moved on from deciding and debating which wheel size is better! 26 vs 27.5 vs 29 inch wheels chat was so 2017…

Vicky Got Personal

To wrap things up, our very own Vicky Stickland took to the stage on Tuesday to talk all things digital strategy and how you can still be personal online, even when going direct to consumer. Watch this space for the full round up of this very soon….