GLOWORM All the way from New Zealand and having already scored a 4.5 out of 5 in an MBUK product test, Gloworm’s first appearance at a UK trade show signalled their intent to make some waves in the market here. Using only high performance CREE XML V3 LEDs and Panasonic lithium ion batteries, the two light line retails at £125 for an 850 lumen and £165 for a 1,200 lumen light. The latter is capable of 2.5 hours on high, but up to 20 hours continuous on its lower setting. With a low profile and highly adjustable fitting gear, this isn’t a bulky ‘get caught up in the trees’ helmet light.
Velo is now found in the Independent stable
BURGTEC Revealing itself to be the new home of Morewood Bikes in the UK, Burgtec’s stand, shared with newcomer Air Distribution, displayed the likes of the ‘Jabula’ – a seven inch rear wheel travel build with a custom Syntace X12 rear axle. The all-mountain frame’s Dual Concentric Design is a lightweight, minimalist take on a pro-active suspension design said to be unphased by compression, with forces exerted on the shock transferred back into the frame at the main pivot. Burgtec also revealed a V4 version of its pedal, following the trend for a thinner platform, as well as offset titanium bushes at £46.99.
Shower Pass’ Crosspoint Gloves
2X2 With Montague and Land Rover covering the mountain bike dealer, 2x2 has now introduced a ‘700c only’ label dubbed Roux. With a nine model range, two of which are
cyclocross builds, each sits under £999 making it a wholly Cycle to Work scheme friendly-line. With Touring overlooked in many US road brand’s lines, Roux has stepped in with a steel disc model.
INDEPENDENT With more and more ‘adjust your head angle’ devices hitting the market, price is suddenly becoming an ever-important issue and VP have recognised this early on, coming in with their take on the adjustable headset with the Varial, priced at £180. Adjustable on the fly via two allen bolts, the
Varial allows for three positions allowing for a 1.5-degree change in three 0.5-degree increments. The headset has a full cartridge bearing construction and is in stock now. Velo is now also found within the Independent stable and was represented well at the show, with the Senso, Plush and other lines shown alongside Velo’s bar tape and grip product off shoots. Given that the majority of the world’s bike saddles come from Velo’s factories, it’s hardly surprising to have spotted the Senso ‘1261’ a £50 performance saddle with a lightweight honeycomb mold and titanium rails as standard. A female-specific version is also available from the firm.
The eye catcher for many was a £899 eight- speed Nexus belt drive build, specced with SR Suntour’s Swing fork, perfect for taking the sting out of any potholes, or for the increasingly popular ‘take your road bike off road’ rider. Roux’s range begins at £450 for a 7005 smooth welded frame with full Shimano spec.
Dropper post from ICE
Independent house brand Halt
AIR DISTRIBUTION Housing the KHS, Marshguard and own-brand Csix, Air Distribution drew our attention to the new carbon-only chainguide components, unique in their shape and of course, incredibly light weight. Actively seeking dealers with a forte for good mountain biking product, founder Steve Csixx explained that a lot of thought has gone into the layout of the carbon’s positioning, ultimately to reduce noise and any drag from the chain and this is evident in the shaping of the £70 cross country guide and £180 downhill guard in particular.
SURF SALES You’ll find much more coverage of Surf Sales latest activity in our London Bike Show feature on pages 29 and 30. One thing we may have overlooked while dazzled by the introduction of BOS under Surf Sales at ExCeL was Transition’s Klunker – introduced alongside an amusing video showing just what the bike is capable of on the trail, should your customer fancy something a little different. If you’ve a break in the flow of customers, or a rainy day, log on to vimeo.com/51119615.