The second edition of CABDA West Expo, a regional bike show, took place again at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Racetrack (20 miles north of San Diego, California) last week. Last year, the Chicagoland Area Bicycle Dealers Association show expanded from its homeland show, filling a hole left by the cancellation of Interbike and performing more than well enough to warrant a return. For the 2020 two-day show, January 15-16, CABDA added more capacity for exhibitors, demo space, seminars, and after-hour events. Light rain dampened some of the inagrual event, but weather fell in line this time and sunshine was abundant.
BikeRoar was there for day one of the two-day show, and it was clear Jim Kersten, CABDA's president and show director, had improved setup and organization and succeeded in filling out added space to more exhibitors, many of whom had brought bigger and better tradeshow booth and displays this time around. Foot traffic was heavier and attendees appeared to be drawn from further away — California and surrounding states, for sure, and beyond that, too, including Washington and Texas.
Here's some of what we saw:
Colnago G3-X Gravel Bike
In case you totally missed it, gravel riding is a big thing and the last proof you need is Colnago getting into the game with its G3-X. The full carbon frame and fork bike has a lower BB (72 mm), clearance for 700x42 mm and 650bx467 mm tires, and bosses on the top tube for storage. Components are Ultegra RX-810 mechanical from Shimano’s new GRX gravel-specific range. The G3-X was announced last November with availability early this year starting in the U.K. at £4,299.95.
Memory Pilot: Custom Mudguards, Fenders, and Socks
Memory Pilot designs and produces custom mudguards and fenders for MTB and gravel from their facility in Santa Barbara, California. Erik Saunders, managing partner and former pro racer, was on hand and enthusiastic to tell us how his small company is able to produce in-house for orders large and small. Memory Pilot does a lot of custom orders for shops, clubs, and events. The website allows individuals to order their customized items, too, with a powerful online designer that anyone can use to make great looking designs. Erik adds, "If you want just one, I'll make just one." And it will ship in 3 days for just $24.99 USD.
Memory Pilot also designs and sells Wattstyle socks, a technical compression sock with 8" cuff and a thinner material at the top of the ankle to prevent bulking/bunching. These are available in awesome designs or can be customized with orders of 50 or more. $15.99 USD.
Limar: Delta Enduro Bike Helmet with ROC Gravity Goggles, Air Pro Road Helmet
Limar's Delta is an enduro helmet certified to the world’s first e-bike safety standard, NTA-8776. It features 17 vents, 2 ventilation channels. adjustable 3-position peak, and is designed together with Limar's ROC goggles. 310 g (medium). MSRP $149 USD.
ROC mountain bike goggles are designed for enduro and DH. They feature a mirrored, anti-fog polycarbonate lens, foam-covered air intakes, and nice compatibility with the Delta helmet MSRP $89 USD.
Air Pro is Limar's newest addition to its Air road helmet lineup. It uses CarbonCoretech, a 3K carbon structure, to offer a high performance structure while keeping the helmet light — just 230 grams for size small. The Air Pro weighs a handful of grams less than Limar's Air Speed aero helmet and performs closely in aerodynamics, but gives more ventilation with 20 air vents and 8 longitudinal inner channels. MSRP $299 USD.
Pinarello: Dyodo Gravel E-Bike, Grevil Gravel Bike
Pinarello's Dyodo Gravel is a melding of its Dyodo road e-bike and Grevil gravel bike. The Dyodo Gravel is a Toray T700 carbon frame and fork kitted with Ultegra 8000, built with gravel-oriented geometry and clearances of 700x42 mm, 650x47b, or 27.5 x 2.1". Pedal-assist comes from an Ebikemotion X35 rear hub motor.
Grevil is Pinarello's high-performance gravel bike that debuted last year. It borrowed some flair from Dogma, so there's sharp aero looks and performance of the Toray T700 carbon frame. On the function side, there's 650b wheels with clearace up to 2.1" or 700x42 mm. This one is kitted in SRAM Force 1x.
PRO BAR Nutrition
PRO BAR makes "blended, not baked - plant-based, real food" out of Utah. They're lineup includes Meal-On-The-Go, Protein, Bite (snack bar), Bolt (energy chews), Live probiotic bars (not shown), and Organic Nut Butters (not shown).
Thought they've been around since 2002, this was our first time coming across PRO BAR and sampling their taste. We took a bite of the Chocolate Coconut Meal-On-The-Go, put it down for a photo, and promptly finished the rest. Yum!.
Selle SMP VT30C Gravel Saddle
The VT30C is one of many in Selle SMP's distinct-looking product line and this one is geared toward gravel / all-road riding. Handmade in Italy, the stylish look features a matte black "Velvet Touch" cover, minimal padding, and the option of steel rails (280 g) or carbon fiber (230 g), priced at $169 or $269 USD respectively.
1984 Olympic silver medalist Nelson Vails dropped in to talk business with Selle SMP's Nicolò Schiavon.
LEM Current E-Bike Helmet
LEM continues to fill out their helmet line, now introducing Current, an e-bike (NTA-8776) certified helmet. Current has a practical design and comes with three magnetically attached accessories that make them easy to pop on or take off: visor, eye shield, and rear LED light. The light has a Micro USB rechargeable battery. Current will be available Spring 2020 at MSRP $80 USD.
Sun Bicycles Baja Trike Fatbike
This Baja Trike Fatbike looks fun and leisurely. It's got a Sunrace 7-speed drivetrain, but what you really need to know is it could easily haul a 12-pack onto the beach in the wood deck rear basket.
iGo Electric Bikes
iGo electric bikes are designed in Canada and built to be easy to use and care for with the iGO Drive Connect app. The app can be used to tune ride and graphically display and diagnose potential system issues.
Aspire Series bikes: Camillien is a 6061 aluminum endurance road bike with BAFANG 250 W geared rear hub drive. It ships Class 1 and is Class 3 capable. MSRP $ 2,299. Vendome is a similar frame and drive, but with less-racy components, flatbar, fenders, and a rear rack. MSRP $ 1,999 USD.
Discovery Series bikes: Berri is a cross-platform step through frame with 26” wheels, front suspension, fenders, lights, and rear rack. It's Class 2, powered by a 500 W geared rear hub drive. Bonaventure is similarly outfitted, but adds a sloping top tube and 28” wheels. Both models MSRP $2,299 USD
iGo also offers a folding bike, two fatbikes, mountain bikes, a leisure bike, and a performance carbon road bike.
DMT Shoes
DMT ups the bling factor, literally, with its over-the-top-of-the-line KR1 road shoe in a special limited edition with Swarovski crystals. The KR1's Engineered Knit construction gives functional comfort, while the crystals flaunt your style on the outside. Making this fashion choice comes at a $100 premium over the standard KR1. MSRP $539 USD.
MH1 is a performance hybrid MTB shoe with 3D Engineered Knit construction. It and DMT's other shoes (includiung track and tri models), pair well with Podio, their off-bike / podium shoe made with the same comfort and breathability. MSRP: MH1 $369 USD, Podio $169.
GoCycle Electric Bikes
GoCycle started out in 2009 making a ground-breaking, lightweight, easy-fold e-bike — the G1. A decade later, they are still at it, with more models and improvements all around. These award-winning designs have proven popular with people who want a bike in tight living spaces, on boats, in motor-homes, and private airplanes.
The G3C is their topline model featuring a high modulus carbon front frame and components and compact size when folded. The Pitstop wheels can be quickly detached, contributing to the compact size and making for easy puncture and tire fixing. Drivetrain includes a 500 W front hub motor and Shimano Nexus 3-speed transmission. The cockpit has a simple LED display for the rider and front daytime running light. MSRP $5,399 USD.
GoCycle GS has the overall same body style, Pitstop wheels, and drivetrain as the G3C, making it equally foldable and compact. The body is Magnesium and battery a bit smaller, making it heavier and reducing potential range. MSRP $2,799 USD.
For fast folding — like in 10 seconds! — there's the GX/GXi. With the flick of a three levers, the aluminum frame folds in half, the stem and handlebars fold down, and the seat and seatpost are removed to be tucked into the folded frame. Fold the pedals up and you can now stow it away tightly on public transport or in an office cubicle, complete with its own kickstand. If you keep the seat and seatpost in place, you can easily move the GX around on its wheels. MSRP $3,299 USD.
Cipollini Bicycles: RB1K, MCM AllRoad
Like Cipo himself, the RB1K The One is made in Italy. This T1000 high modulus, monocoque carbon frameset is rigid and aero and sexy in a 10th anniversary edition painted "Italian Champion Shiny." MSRP: $5,790 USD.
The "Lion King" wouldn't be left behind in a sprint or a party, so as the cycling world goes gravel, so does Cipollini with the MCM AllRoad. It's a T1000 carbon monocoque frame, aero fork with tapered steerer/headset, 12mm thru axle front and rear, flat mount disc brakes, and designed for tires up to 40mm (42 max width). This one in Green Army Matte is kitted with Shimano GRX Di2 for 1x11 drivetrain and Ursus Miura TC37 carbon disc brake wheels. Weight is 1180 g frame, 380 g fork (medium). MSRP (frameset) $4,290 USD.
Saris: MP1 Nfinity Trainer Platform, H3 Direct Drive Smart Trainer
The Saris MP1 Nfinity Trainer Platform is fun, and we don't usually say that about stationary trainers and equipment. The platform allows for side-to-side and fore-aft movement as you ride your trainer, adding a very real feeling that makes it much more pleasant and practical by engaging your 'real' ride muscles. There are limits to the movement (max. fore-aft travel: 9.5”, max. side-to-side angle: 6°) that become apparent in aggressive riding, like sprinting, but we closed our eyes with moderate pedaling and were surprised at how 'real' it felt. The MP1 is compatible with nearly any bike trainer thanks to its multiple mounting points and straps. However, the fine engineering and look come at a cost that might be worth it to riders who spend a lot of time on a trainer, while others may decide to save and roll outside. MSRP $1,199 USD.
The H3 Direct Drive Smart Trainer is solid and quiet, featuring a belt drive and the biggest flywheel on the market (20 lbs). In terms of technology, it supports the new wireless communication standards: ANT+ FE-C, Smart Bluetooth, and FTMS connectivity. Pricing has improved, with Saris bringing it down $200 to be more competitive at $999 USD.
SRAM Booth: Salsa WarRoad, Pinarello Bolide TR
SRAM showed off some bikes built with their components and technologies.
This Salsa WarRoad, an all-road / endurance / gravel bike, features a SRAM RED AXS Power Meter crankset, 1x Force eTap AXS, X01 Eagle AXS rear derailleur, XG-1299 Eagle 10-50 cassette (huge!), Zipp seatpost, stem, handlebar, aero bar extensions, and 303 Firecrest tubeless wheels, and Quarq TyreWiz real-time air pressure sensors. Sorry, we didn't catch the name of the top tube bag.
The Pinarello Bolide TR is a TT bike for triathlon. The carbon T700 asymmetric aero bike is running 1x, outfited with a SRAM Force AXS Power Meter crankset, SRAM Force eTap AXS rear derailleur, SRAM Force XG-1270 cassette, Zipp handlebar, aero bar extensions, stem, tires, and 404 Firecrest tubeless wheels. There's also down tube storage and top tube bento box which are functional and help improve aerodynamics, according to Pinarello.
VAAST Allite Super Magnesium Bikes
VAAST Bikes launched a few months ago at Eurobike and are the first bikes to be made of Allite Super Magnesium. VAAST's first generation is eight models for four types of riding. A/1 for Allroad, M/1 for Mountain, U/1 for Urban, and Y/1 for Youth.
Availability is expected by March 2020.
Linus Roadster 7i City Bike
The chill vibe of the Linus Roadster 7i feels like it comes as much from the company headquarters of Venice, California, as it does from their inspiration of French bicycle design of the 50's and 60's. The bike features a 7-speed Shimano Nexus internal hub, rear rack, alloy kickstand, polished alloy fenders, 700x32c tires with reflective stripe, and a pretty metallic paint job, making it dapper and utilitarian. MSRP $799 USD.
Muc-Off Pressure Washer for Bikes
Use of pressure washing equipment to clean a bike is controversial. Left to a novice, misdirection of a high-power stream can force its way into sealed places it shouldn't and displaces needed grease and lubrication. But with experience and by avoiding those delicate places, a jet wash makes quicker work of dirty, grimy bikes, chains, and tires.
Muc-Off aims to help you get it right with the world's first pressure washer built purely for use on bicycles and motorcycles. They've designed three specific lances to ensure it won't damage important bearings and surfaces: one for bike bearings and suspension parts, one with higher pressure for motorcycle bearings and suspension parts, and one adjustable with even higher pressure. Muc-Off Pressure Washer also comes with a specific low-pressure lance for use with Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner, naturally, that creates a thick snow foam that sticks and saturates for better cleaning.
LAKE Cycling Shoes
Lake offers a large selection of shoes for road, cross, MTB, triathlon, and more, with an emphasis on comfort and fit of many foot shapes. As such, they have wide and extra wide sizes available and many of their shoes have heat moldable parts.
The Lake CX332 (road) and MX332 (MTB) shoes ($449 USD) feature heat moldable thermaform carbon fiber heels. The CX403 (road) ($549 USD) has a custom fit heat moldable carbon fiber sole. CX models use Kangaroo leather and MX is Helcor Leather.
The pink "La Gazzetta dello Sport" / Giro d'Italia CX332 is a product of Lake's custom design process. For about $50 USD more, you can get your own custom colors or design on CX332 / MX332 and CX403 with 45 day turnaround.
Masi CXGR Supremo Gravel Bike
Masi's CXGR Supremo gravel / all-road bike is an interesting mix of components: TRP Spyre flat mount mechanical disc brakes, a KS E-Ten I dropper post, Shimano R7000 105 11-speed brake levers/shifters and derailleurs, and a Praxis Works Alba M30 48/32t crank. The Columbus Double Butted Chromoly tig welded frame has rack and fender mounts. MSRP $1,949 USD.
Da Vinci Designs Tailwind II Tandem E-Bike
Tandems are electrict assist, too! Da Vinci Designs showed their Tailwind II, a new mid-level model available in aluminum and outfitted with an OLI Move Plus 80Nm 522Wh mid-drive motor.
Clever Standard: Clever Lever, Clever Chain Barrel, Clever
Clever packs some extra features into tools so you get more and carry less. Their original Clever Lever (middle) is a pair of tire levers that also serve as portable quick-link pliers.
The Clever Flatout (right) is the world’s thinnest multi-function chain hook, chain hammer, valve core wrench, tire levers, bladed spoke holder, and bottle opener. It can also store two sets of masterlinks (KMC, SRAM, Shimano).
Clever Chain Barrel AL (left) is a patented chain tool to easily break links on nearly any multi-speed chain and some basic single-speed chains. Included is an aluminum handle for additional leverage; the tip doubles as a valve core wrench.
Marin Nicasio+ Adventure Bike
We've written about the Nicasio+ before and even gave one away for free in a recent contest. Nonetheless, when we saw it in the Marin booth, we had to stop and take a quick pic before heading out of the show.
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