Eurobike 2022: Exciting Products from European Manufacturers - Part 2

The European Bike Project is one of our favorite Instagram accounts and his feed is constantly updated with everything from interesting curios from tiny manufacturers to inside looks at European manufacturing to analyses of the environmental impact of our sport. During Eurobike 2022, he's tracking down the most interesting products from small manufacturers for you.


Beast Components / Dinolfo Cycles


After seeing a myriad of small-wheeled "fun" e-bikes, it was a pleasure to spot a proper steel hardtail at the Beast Components booth. Of course the Dinolfo Cycles hardtail was equipped with lots of carbon parts from Beast, including ED30 rims, handlebar, stem and saddle. The bike also sported an Intend BC Blackline Ebonite fork, Trickstuff brakes and a Vecnum Nivo 212 dropper post.

Beast Components also head their coloured components on display. They offer red and blue parts and started to make limited coloured editions earlier this year.









Casco


The new MTBE 2 comes with a lot of interesting features: It has an adjustable visor and reflectors all around the shell. The dimple-style section of the shell doesn't get scratched as easily as regular options and might offer a small aerodynamic benefit. The helmet also has the "Cascofit" net inside the shell which is said to ensure a good fit and ventilation as well as providing some extra protection against rotational forces in case of an impact.

It can also be made winterproof by attaching a transparent extra shell (which keeps wind and rain out) and it can also be equipped with earmuffs.

The MTBE Fullface helmet is based on the MTBE 2, but has a full carbon shell and obviously a chin bar. It looks sleek and it's not as wide as other full face options. The MTBE Fullface comes with two sets of pads so you can adjust the fit.

All Casco helmets are made in Romania, including all the small parts such as straps.









Evil eye


Evil eye is a well-known Austrian manufacturer that offers sunglasses with some smart features. Most of their sunglasses come in two sizes, have adjustable temples and adjustable nosepads. The temples also have a brake-away mechanism and can be clipped back into the frame.

In case you need prescription glasses, Evileye offers three different options: clip-ins, direct glazing (the full lens is made according to your prescription) and adapter glazing (the middle part of the lens will be made according to your needs).

The new Traileye NG Pro come with silicone lens guards that are available in various colours, so you can change the look of your sunglasses within seconds.

The Peak Sight goggle allows you to use two lenses stacked on top of each other. In the setup they had at the show, a bright lens was the base and the darker blue lens was used on top of it. As the lenses can be clipped in within seconds, this is an interesting feature when you're riding in varying conditions.

All Evil eye products are made in Linz, Austria.





Xentis


One of the most interesting features of Xentis wheels is their fully modular hubs: with the right adapters, you can use them with skewers and a wide range of thru-axles.

Their new Squad 2.5 MTB wheels have an internal width of 25 mm and also a height of 25 mm. The set weighs in at 1289 g and costs 2199 Euro.

All Xentis rims are made in Austria, where the wheels are also built. Each wheel is signed by the person who built it.






Löffler


So far, most shorts by Austrian brand Löffler were mostly aimed at XC, gravel and tour riders. The new Lando shorts however are aimed at gravity riders and are so long that you won't have to fear the unsightly pad gap.

It has adjusters at the waist, a flexible and breathable fabric at the back and comes with a liner that has a 90 kg density gel chamois.

Löffler gets its fabrics, garments and pads from European suppliers. They are proud to do around 70% of all knitting at their HQ in Ried am Innkreis and the actual sewing of their clothes takes place in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Romania and other European countries. Only 1.25% of their products are sourced overseas.

Löffler says that their products are carbon neutral. 72% of the energy comes from renewable sources, including solar panels at their HQ. All emissions which can't be avoided, such as from trucks, are compensated with a certified climate project in Bulgaria.




Vertical


Vertical is a new company that has set out to create the lightest dropper posts out there. While the travel might not be the longest, the weight will be around 300 g, which is impressive.
The design looks very good too, with an air valve that is easily accessible and still lets you mount a seat bag. More details will be announced when the dropper will be launched.





Alpina


For those of you who want some extra safety features, the new Alpina Stan MIPS Tocsen might be an interesting option. Not only does it come with the proven MIPS system, but it also has a Tocsen crash sensor. It connects with your smartphone and will send out a message to pre-defined contacts or other Tocsen users who are nearby in case you have a crash.




Zandona


Zandona is an Italian company from the Venice area that has been making protective gear for motorsports for many years.

They offer a wide range of knee and elbow pads as well as chest guards and full vests. All products are available in various sizes and almost every product has CE Level 2 certification, which means that they offer a high level of protection and impact absorption.





Kindernay


The Kindernay XIV is a gear hub that is actuated with a hydraulic trigger shifter. It can handle up to 160 Nm and the 14-speed version offers a range of 543%.

What makes it stand out from the crowd is the fact that the rim is laced to a cage, so the actual gear hub can be swapped between several wheelsets or bikes. It's available for several through axle standards. The 7-speed version weighs 1750 grams (hub including cage and shifter), the 14-speed version 1950 g.





Sour Bicycles


Sour Bicycles from Dresden, Germany, had the first prototype of their new "Doucle Choc" full suspension bike at the show. There will be some changes on the production models, but the most important features remain the same: 140 - 160 mm travel in the front, 148 or 132 mm in the back (185 x 55 or 185 x 50 Trunnion shock). Everything seemed to be very well made and especially the rocker was a joy to look at.

Size small bikes will be for 27.5" or 29" wheels, while all other sizes are designed around 29" wheels. All the production will be done in and around Dresden.

They are planning to offer four sizes with a reach of 423 / 455 / 485 / 510 mm. With a 150 mm fork, the Geometry for a 455 mm reach bike will be 64° head angle, 78° seat angle, 100 mm head tube, 443 mm chainstays, 30 mm bb drop and 620 mm stack.






Cercle the World


To finish off this article, I'd like to introduce you to Bernie from Cercle the World. With some help from Alex at Portus Cycles, he built this stunning bike that definitely takes bikepacking to the next level.

It's based around the idea of having your own chair, table and bed built into the bike frame. In order to achieve this, magnets are used to hold the two fold-out sides. Whenever you feel like taking a break, converting the bike into chair-mode is a matter of seconds. When you've found the perfect spot to spend the night, the frame and two tent poles help to convert the bike into a tent.

Bernie is planning to build at least two more of these bikes and will start riding around the world on May 1, 2023. A friend will join him and the idea is to have a third bike with them for people who want to ride with them for a day or even longer. Once he's back home, he wants to build more of these bikes. As they use a Pinion P1.18 gearbox and have some very intricate one-off parts the bikes will not be cheap, but you will get a truly amazing bike.

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Reviews and Tech First Looks Eurobike 2022