Europe's biggest bike show, Eurobike, is finally here and, with 2024 already a bumper year for bike and tech releases, we expect this year's show to be even bigger than before. We're currently at the show and will be updating this article with the coolest and whackiest new things we find as we go.

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In the bike world, there's Sea Otter, and then there's Eurobike and it claims to be the best platform for more than 1,900 brands from across the world to exhibit their wares and show us what's next for the world of cycling, whether that's on Tarmac or over singletrack.

This year, we expect something rather special as the first half of 2024 has been huge in releases. Not only have Fox and RockShox completely overhauled their suspension ranges but there have been bikes aplenty. With Eurobike being such a big event, brands will likely be bringing out the best and the newest kit, and with those releases being huge in their own right, we can safely bet that there's going to be something cool to see.

With such a vast number of brands holding stalls at the Messe Frankfurt, there's always something mad on display like the electric snow-mobile conversion that we saw in 2022 and we've already caught wind of some mental moving saddles on show. 

Pinarello has a huge foothold in MTB

And as a bike consistently winning on the elite-level cross-country circuit, it comes as no surprise. Both Pauline Ferrand-Prevot's and Tom Pidcock's bikes are on show. Both are draped with cream of the crop kit, including Princeton carbon wheels laced with string (yes, string) spokes. Interestingly, Tom's bike is adorned with the infamous SR Suntour's wireless suspension. We'll be heading back to the SR Suntour stand to learn a little more about this system.

Still covered in a bit of Crans Montana, Tom Pidock's bike is every bit as racy as Pauline's, it's just a little bigger. Impressively, both bikes share a very similar specification, save for that wireless suspension kit. Having spoken to the pair during the Pinarello Dogma XC's press launch, we learned that this was down solely to personal preference.

SQlab unveiled a new gravel-specific range

Including new bar tape, a handlebar, a saddle and more, SQlab has recognised the differing demands of gravel. Having to cope with more vibrations that road, while still yearning after all of the efficiency, the new bar tape comes with a special cushioning insert credited to damp vibrations transmitted to the hands.

The handlebar gets the usual SQlab flare with, well, a flared design of course but the brand's ethos towards bar design is rather interesting in that its MTB handlebars get huge back sweeps. SQlab reckons that with narrower bars and because of the hand position they provide, a drop bar needs a forward sweep. On top of that, there's a neat gulley to hide any cables.

As for the saddle, it blends parts of its mountain and road bike saddles. It gets a similar shape to the former but it gets a slightly wider nose and rear for more support over corrugated surfaces. SQlab has also brought its bib shorts to the show, which feature surprisingly thin and firm pads. The guys behind the brand say that most conventional foam pads negate the benefits of SQlabs' unique saddles, rendering the tech almost useless.

We're told the SQlab pads are 4mm thick and the firmness allows the rider to take full advantage of the saddle support, without flooding it with tonnes of foam.

The Amflow PL stole the show

The biggest surprise of the week is shaping up to be DJI's move into the electric mountain bike space with its new Avinox motor and PJ e-MTB. We already know quite a lot about the motor but what's exciting is that it uses a Stepless Clutch System which does away with any free movement in the crank before it engages with the motor.

Paired with 42 points of engagement in the sensor mounted by the rear brake rotor, Amflow says that it offers the gradual delivery of the motor's 105Nm of torque.

When chatting with the folk behind the Amflow bike, we learned DJI wanted to create an e-mountain bike motor and, in doing so, it was using test mules from other brands to develop the Avinox motor. It then began to get smaller and smaller – so much so that most frames would not accept it and that's when the camera and drone experts brought in cycling industry pros to build a new e-mountain bike brand.

And Amflow hasn't done anything by halves as the bike is littered with Amflow-branded componentry: from the grips, dropper lever, and even the wheels. Other details on the bike include figures such as a 150mm rear, 160mm front travel, a 64.5-degree head angle and a 475mm reach on a large frame. The top-end bike gets an unpainted colourway finished in a gloss lacquer, and its carbon weave looks very lovely.

A final cool note is that Amflow has put loads of thought into the design of the bike. It uses two Bluetooth remotes to scroll through power modes and the like but if they were to break? There's a touchscreen. Wearing gloves? There's a button on the top tube. So the brand has worked hard to reduce potential failure points and offer contingencies. 

DT Swiss is celebrating its 30th anniversary

And is doing so by throwing back to its earliest components, draping its latest DEG hubs with a limited edition silver anodised finish. We're told that around 15 units will be brought to the UK.

The Ratchet DEG hub is a relatively new product for DT Swiss, having been released a couple of months ago now but marks an advancement in the brand's technologies. That's mostly because it brings a ratchet system with 90-degrees engagement as standard. Models prior offered up to 54 and that's with an upgraded ratchet.

Shimano's new e-MTB motors compete with Bosch

Over at the Shimano stand, the big news is the new motors. Firstly, the EP5. This one sits as the brand's more budget offering being a little heavier than the EP8 and coming with 60Nm of torque. Although it's rather weighty, it's certainly small and could fit in the palm of my size large hand.

Calling it Shimano's most exciting news needs some explanation as the brand has brought firmware to its EP8 that makes it a much better-sorted competitor to Bosch's Performance Line Race motor. Bolted onto Ryan Gilchrist's Yeti 160E, the firmware gives riders a powerful overdrive that can be tuned to your specific needs.

 

Schwalbe aims to set a new standard with its Clik valves

Up until now, it's mostly been a case of Presta vs Schrader but Schwalbe wants to change that. Born from a designer's want to encourage his kids to inflate their own tyres, the Clik valve simplifies that current standard. With this, there's nothing to unscrew or any faff at all. Instead, you push on the pump head and it secures in place.

This does require specific kit, however with a converter that attaches to your existing pump (middle). Schwalbe says it can be inflated with a normal Presta pump but its pressure gauge won't provide a reading. Schwalbe is offering new replacement pump heads for existing pumps.

Schwalbe is trying to make this the new standard with inner tubes featuring the valves coming soon but, for now, they're available as a conversion kit with new cores and the pump adapter included. We're told that a set of valves will be £5 a pop. 

Dangerholm prefers sawblades over brake rotors

Forget Eurobike's awards, the award for my favourite bike of the show goes to Dangerholm's Wasteland Scott Solace eRide. This time around, rather than chase grams, Dangerholm has gone the opposite with the Wasteland Solace e-Ride. He's added a whole tube to the frame while building a burly chopper-esque (or 90s Whyte-like, depending on how you see it) steel fork with an aluminium water bottle. There's also a hip-flask slung under the saddle – for emergencies.

This bike takes things even further with a SRAM XX T-Type drivetrain that's been wrecked to fit the aesthetic. Better still, slowing this bike down is a pair of sawblades rather than brake rotors. Instead of clipless pedals, Dangerholm has gone for shin-grating flats which harks back to MTB's early days.

With its Mad Max looks this is an e-gravel bike, just to remind you. So rather than scrapping for fuel in the apocalypse, Dangerholm might be fighting for electricity.

Brendan Fairclough's Red Bull Rampage Gambler

2023's Red Bull Rampage was huge, especially for Brendan Fairclough and the huge canyon gap that he built, tested and rode to land him a disappointing and very controversial fourth place. This Is the bike he rode and it looks like it'll also see a lot of screen time in Brendan's upcoming Deathgrip 2 film.

Scott is always keen to give its key riders some very special painted bikes and this Deathgrip 2 Gambler is no different, coming covered with nods to what may be the most exciting riding edit since the first.

As for kit, Brendan's running Pirelli's Scorpion DH Race M and T tyres, front and rear respectively and he's even got a set of Hayes Dominion brakes in a commemorative colour.

Rondo showed off the new Ruut

I'll admit, I've been on the fence about the look of the Ruut that the Polish brand, Rondo, released last week. But after seeing it in the flesh, I've changed my tune and think it's growing on me.

The Ruut's new space-age-looking frame comes after the launch of the MYLC that we caught at Eurobike 2022 and is said to promote comfort through vibration damping. It uses the same fork that allows for a little bit of geometry adjustment. Check out the news story for a deeper look - Rondo takes two giant leaps forward with the new Ruut.

TRP has gone wireless

Wireless shifting is taking over cycling and now TRP has stepped onto the gravy train. On show at its stand are three complete drivetrains, one for e-MTB and one for road while the Vistar groupset teams up with Classified's Powershift hub. Of course, the e-MTB shifter isn't completely wireless as there's one that plumbs the power into the e-bike battery,

However, the road/gravel drivetrain seen on this ENVE Mog is completely wireless, using a removable battery that's not too dissimilar to what we're used to seeing from SRAM. This then works automatically with the Classified Powershift hub but importantly, through TRP's own brake/shifter unit rather than a separate blipper.

Although the gravel and road Vistar drivetrains are very much on the market, the e-MTB one is yet to properly break out for sale. We're also told that there might be something for regular mountain bikes on the horizon, too.

Intend to expand its range

The brand known for its boutique and uber-cool inverted suspension forks has broadened its range with a new stem. The DD stem is built for downcountry and is only available for 31.8mm diameter bars and in its mini 25mm length. With that, riders have to be certain with what they want – both in terms of length and, also due to its integrated top cap, the steerer tube needs to be cut to the correct height for this to be fitted. It may look very similar to what we saw on Mondraker's early Forward Geometry bikes and it's cool to see it come around again.

On top of that, the brand has updated its Rockysteady crank, adorning it with a SRAM three-bolt chainring mount rather than the Race Face cinch, and, unpictured, the brand is working on a new brake. The new brake that's as yet unnamed, uses the same lever that we've seen before but with a caliper made with less material, so it saves weight making it ideal for trail and cross-country use. Then, because there's not as much metal in its build, there's more flex in the caliper, thus more modulation, we're told. Brakes pads sit inside the caliper via a magnet and a bolt and there's a neat little shelf for them to sit onto, so they shouldn't rattle. They do need to be placed in the caliper one by one, however.

The Black Math bike takes the whole dropper post idea one large step further

If the Amflow bike and DJI Avinox motor weren't the showstopper, then this bike from Black Math stole the limelight. At first glance, it's a hugely complicated bit of kit but it does a lot of things in one swift motion.

The Black Math bike changes from trail mode to downhill mode much like Canyon's Shapeshifter technology but rather than adjusting things by half a degree here or there, this Upturn dropper system radically shifts the bike's geometry while lowering the saddle, despite the fact there's no dropper on this bike. Both settings also alter the suspension travel as the bike provides 140mm of squish in trail mode and 170mm when lowered. It also adjusts its kinematic as the former lessens sag for a firmer but more efficient ride.

Additionally, this system is actuated with any old cable-operated dropper lever.

This is all built within a 7075 aluminium frame which can't be welded, so it's CNC machined, bolted together and bonded. At the moment, it's a prototype as the brand's owner is still experimenting with finishes and other things but, hopefully, we'll see a more finished version of this bike soon.

Hunt teases a trail focused addition to its carbon-rimmed Proven lineup

Launched a couple of years ago, Hunt's Proven range brings carbon rims to an accessible price point without skimping on performance. We've ridden and rated the Proven Carbon Race Enduro wheels and quite liked them. However, one glaring omission in the range was a wheelset for trail riding and that looks set to change.

As 'trail' means a lot of things to many riders, we're told these wheels will fit nicely into the segment of riders who ride 'aggressive trail', so they're promised to be strong but not featherweight. The most interesting thing about these rims is that Hunt says it's the first brand to bring a particular technology to the market that removes inconsistencies in the rim's carbon layup, thus making for a more reliable wheel. We'll keep an eye on these and hopefully bring you a full review as soon as we can.

Leatt moves into the componentry space with magnesium pedals

The South African brand best known for its range of protective and clothing is now offering componentry, in one very unexpected move. However, the move is very exciting as its new collection of flat and clipless pedals comes built with a range of materials to suit different prices and requirements.

At the top end, the pedals benefit from magnesium bodies with titanium hardware. At the mid-range, there are magnesium bodies and regular hardware (steel spindles) and then there are full alloy options. The clipless pedals are compatible with regular SPD cleats, too. The stems come in a small range of lengths, are built to fit 35mm clamp diameters and also get the magnesium build which makes the shortest option weigh a very impressive 96g.

On top of that, the brand has added more contact points with handlebars and grips. The grips are the really interesting facet here as Leatt has gone in a similar direction to what we've seen from ODI and its collaboration with D3O. They're built to damp vibrations and come with a special rubber compound.

Finally, Leatt is offering budget friendly full kit options including jerseys and pants. They benefit from the classic trickle-down effect, so they use a similar cut as the top-end race-ready kit but it's simpler. As for pricing, it's around £80 for the set.

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