PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — Utah's characteristic summer bluebird skies returned on Thursday, and almost the only evidence of the snow that fell earlier in the week was the hero dirt it left behind. Only small patches of snow remained, even at 10,000 feet, so editors took advantage of Park City's terrain on mountain and road bikes during the final demos of Summer PressCamp.
Local manufacturer Enve Composites hosted its second annual Wasatch Crest mountain bike ride. Nearly 20 editors got to sample some of Utah's finest single track and take in spectacular views as we rode through Aspen groves, lingering patches of snow and fields of wildflowers to end at Canyons Resort in the Park City valley. As we climbed, traversed and finally descended from almost 10,000 feet on world-class trails, I was reminded that I simply love riding my bike.
My thoughts kept circling back to conversations I've had with the vendors this week, many of which shared a common denominator: How do we, as an industry, get more people riding bikes? To help them know the joy of cycling in all of its many disciplines, to benefit from it health-wise―mentally and physically―and to come to know what a useful and fun tool the bike can be?
And a theme I've noticed this week is the apparent shift from an emphasis on racing to everyday riding, whether it's road or mountain. While racing drives innovation at its highest level and keeps new and better product coming down the pipeline that the end consumer most always benefits from, most people don't need―and cannot afford―a race bike. That reality was best reflected in the product launched here this week.
The do-it-all, highly versatile road bike is one such example. Ridley launched its Fenix Disc road bike and GT unveiled its new Grade (see photo gallery), which it is calling an "adventure" road bike. While they have their differences, what these two models share is that they were designed for all-conditions, all-surface riding, from a gran fondo and all-day rural back road exploration to the Saturday shop road ride. The idea is that a consumer could have one bike for just riding, but that it can still be light and fast, and be a melding of the best characteristics of race bikes and the demands of everyday need.
GT didn't have racers in mind when designing the Grade. "We see a different customer," said Patrick Kaye, senior product manager at GT. "And that person is someone who goes out for the joy of the ride, not necessarily to beat a Strava time. There is a disconnect between the pro cyclist and the consumer, and we designed this bike for the consumer."
Being unconstrained by UCI guidelines allowed GT to load the Grade up on features that matter to the everyday rider, including comfortable geometry thanks to slackened seat and head angles, longer wheelbase for stability and all-conditions stopping power via disc brakes. Hydraulic brake lines are routed externally for ease of maintenance, fenders can be added, and the frame has a 27.2 seatpost diameter to give the customer a wider range of options. Tires from 23c to 35c will fit the frame, which is built around a wide PF30 bottom bracket for strength and stability, but it uses a Praxxis Works BB adapter to give the customer a broad range of gearing and crankset options.
But don't call the Grade (or the Fenix, for that matter) a gravel bike. "It's a road bike," said Kaye. "It's a playful and fun road bike that you can ride to work during the week and get rad on on the weekends. This bike is breaking the rules."
This idea was also reflected on the mountain side with a new breed of non-race, fun, snappy and comfortable XC bikes cropping up all over PressCamp, at all price points. There is a sense that these bikes are approachable and attainable for a wide range of consumers, but that doesn't mean quality and innovation went out the window either. The 2015 entry-level aluminum models we saw this week are perhaps the most nicely spec'd bikes new riders have ever seen, and across the board, manufacturers emphasized the importance of giving the beginner rider the best experience possible.
And what that conveys to the consumer is that they matter, even if they're not racing or getting KOMs on the Saturday ride. It's about the pure joy of riding a bike — anytime, anywhere.
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Campagnolo rolled out its Chorus EPS electronic group this week at PressCamp. "We decided to bring EPS to Chorus because it’s our best-selling gruppo, and we think it will really resonate with consumers," said Dan Large, service center manager at Campagnolo. "People who buy Campagnolo religiously buy Chorus, so the EPS option makes sense." Among many changes to the groupset, Campagnolo has redesigned its crankset to better withstand the powerful electronic motor. Changes include moving from a 5-arm spider to a larger 4-arm spider and beefing up the chainrings. The chainring's shifting ramps are also made specifically for electronic shifting, and both rings have four bolts each, which will make it easy for the consumer to swap rings. Tuning and diagnostics can be done right from the cockpit with the under-stem mount power unit. Chorus EPS is shipping to distributors now and the complete group retails for $3,500. -
The new Chorus EPS group is avallable now. -
Enve led a ride on the Wasatch Crest trail. -
Editors prep for the Enve ride. -
1) Local manufacturer based in Ogden, Utah, Enve Composites showed off its new aero extensions for road drop bars, a product that was driven by consumer demand. "Most athletes who call us directly are seeking tri product, and we've seen that demand grow," said Sarah Lehman, Enve’s CEO. The clip-on extensions give triathletes the ability to use their road bike to train or race, and are an affordable alternative to investing in a time trial bike. "They also accommodate athletes as they progress into the sport," said Lehman. "It gives them a chance to get to know the sport before buying their first tri bike." Enve's aero extenders are easy to clip on and adjust to accommodate a range of rider proportions. -
GT launched the Grade, an adventure road bike designed for maximum versatility. With all-day geometry, including a taller and slacker head tube, slacker seat age, lower bottom bracket height and a longer wheelbase, and clearance for 23-35c tires, the Grade can handle just about any surface, from smooth road to gravel. It has a 15mm thru-axle and disc brakes for stopping power in all conditions. -
The BSB 9 (Blood, Sweat and Beers) is Niner's first-ever cyclocross race bike. The full-carbon frame weighs in at 984 grams in the 56cm size, features a full-carbon fork designed and manufactured by Niner, and is equipped with disc brakes. External cable routing makes it easy for mechanics and consumers to deal with hydraulic disc brake lines. Niner's iconic toptube design — flat on the bottom and top — provides a comfortable bike shouldering surface. The full Shimano Di2 BSB 9 retails for $6,499. -
For spring 2015, Sugoi introduced the RS jacket, a lightweight shell that packs into its rear pocket. But to solve the problem of where to put the jacket once it's packed, Sugoi turned it into a saddlebag. It attaches easily with two Velcro straps, has extra space for ride essentials, and includes Zap reflective strips for visibility. It will retail for $80. -
Sugoi's ultra high-tech, ultra-visible Zap jacket is a fully lined waterproof shell is red (men's) or pink (women's) by day and bright white reflective by night. When artificial light hits the fabric, which has glass beading silk screened on the entire surface, the jacket is illuminated. "It doesn't look like a reflective safety jacket, just an everyday jacket," said Rich Adams, marketing manager at Sugoi. The Zap line also features booties, arm warmers and a cap, and will be available for fall 2014. -
BRAIN won the yellow PressCamp jersey for attending the most meetings with vendors.
