The once-a-year cycling smorgasbord that is the Interbike International Expo may have ended last week. But the show’s repercussions will drum on for months as companies ship goods for 2012 and new products roll into shops. As one of our correspondents last week on the Interbike scene, contributing editor T.C. Worley gives a few observations in this post on some of the show’s most stand-out items, electronic shifting, a neat stealth lock concept, and a “genre-bender” bike included in the mix.
Battery-Operated Bike Shifting — Electronic shifting for the masses! That’s what Shimano touts with its (somewhat) budget-conscious Di2 Ultegra groupo, a derailleur system that gives battery-operated, push-button control to riders who want to more efficiently rocket through gears. “It’s bringing the proven performance of our [pro-level] Dura-Ace electronic shifting to a much wider audience,” a company rep told me. Watch for Ultegra Di2 electric on mid-range ($4,000 and up) road bikes in 2012.
Genre-Bender Bike — All City Cycles’ new model, the Space Horse, is part road, part touring, and very beautiful. It has decorative frame lugs, custom dropouts, internal cable-routing, and hidden frame bosses to give this production bike a decidedly “custom” look.
Think of the Space Horse as a bike you might buy if you can’t afford a true custom setup — it’s that nice-looking and refined. The brand’s manager, Jeff Frane, said the Horse is “a light, fast, great-handling road bike that can carry small loads.” The frameset sells for $550; complete Space Horse bikes will be $1,350 when they roll to shops next spring.
Stealth ‘Bottle Lock’ — Cool idea: The Bottle Lock from Küat is a water-bottle-shape canister that hides a retractable five foot cable and key lock. It stores cleanly in a standard bottle cage and will cost about $35. Simple and smart innovation for city riders and commuters tired of fussing with cables wound around their frames.
