Fox Live Valve and custom Canadian pro kit: Eurobike 2018
New technology and more from the massive showroom floors of Friedrichshafen, Germany
Taking over two massive conference halls in Friedrichshafen, Germany, Eurobike has become one of the best places to spot new technology, parts and bikes from the biggest names in cycling. This year, Fox’s long awaited Live Valve electronic suspension adjustment system is the talk of the show. There is no shortage of exciting gear hiding in the rows of display booths. Here’s the choice bits from the first two days of Eurobike 2018.
Fox Live Valve Electronic System
Rumored to be in development for years now, Fox’s Live Valve is finally out in the open at Eurobike. Scott, along with Giant, Rocky Mountain and Pivot, have worked with Fox to create the Live Valve Electronic System, automatic suspension adjustment. “If there’s a shock coming from the bottom, the system opens in three milliseconds,” says Rene Krattinger, senior product manager mountain bike at Scott. The system has two sensors on the down tube just above the bottom bracket, as well as one on the front fork bridge and one on the non-drive-side chainstay. They detect bumps in the trail as well as the fore and aft tilt of the bike. Krattinger says enduro pros have been able to shave two to three seconds off their times. “The bike is always super-efficient. When you pedal, you just move forward,” he says, as Live Valve manages pedal bob. With Scott, look for the Live Valve on the 2019 Genius 900 Ultimate.
Garneau Women’s Equipe Jerseys
Garneau has encouraged the riders of Clif Pro Team to get creative and design some kit. Maghalie Rochette drew from her artistic outlet: woodworking. The Garneau Equipe jersey that features her design has saws, drills, hammers, squares and screwdrivers. “I am a hard-core daydreamer (admittedly, sometimes a little too much for my own good!),” Rochette wrote, “so on long rides, between two reveries of me riding really cool stuff on my mountain bike or of being at the front of a big race, I love to imagine my next woodworking project.”
Catharine Pendrel’s custom design revels in the enduring joy she finds in riding and racing bikes. “Rainbows and unicorns are for the kid in me that gets inspired by the idea of magic and wonder and also the adult that knows a big part of finding the best in yourself on any given day is believing that anything is possible,” the two-time cross country world champion wrote.
Northwave Tribe flat-pedal shoe
Italian brand Northwave looks to have done it’s homework in developing the Tribe flat-pedal specific trail shoe. It features an extra sticky Gecko rubber compound on the soles that Northwave developed with rubber experts Michelin. The shoe also boasts a thermal-plastic shank that prevents side-to-side flex while bending just enough to make walking comfortable.
Continental Urban Traxagum
If you’re looking to shrink the environmental impact of your mountain biking habit, Continental tires may have made a big step to help you in your efforts to ride green. The company’s Traxagum compound is a play on “Taraxacum,” the genus that includes the dandelion plant. The compound has been derived from the root of the common weed to provide and eco-option for the tire giant. The compound is currently at least six months away from a commercial release on a commuter tire. But, with more R&D, the dandelion tire could make it’s way into performance oriented mountain bike tires.
Scott Genius eRide 900 Tuned
It wouldn’t be Eurobike without at least one ebike. The Genius eRide 900 on display at the Scott booth was decked out in the best in e-specific goods:Â SRAM X01 GX Eagle 12-speed, Shimano E-8000 motor with 500 Wh battery and Scott’s TwinLoc suspension system on the Fox 36 Float Factory fork with 150 mm of travel and Fox Nude TR EVOL shock, also with 150 mm of travel.
For more of the newest in new gear and technology from Eurobike 2018, follow Canadian Cycling Magazine’s coverage from the floors of Friedrichshafen here:
