As one of the first shows of the year where journalists can get their grubby hands on some of the latest kit, we jumped at the opportunity to attend and headed south for some much-needed Italian winter sunshine.
- Prologo Dimension NDR Tirox CPC saddle review
- Hope's HB.130 trail bike, Stealthy Renthal handlebars and Cane Creek's beautiful titanium crankset
- BMC Trailfox Amp e-bike first ride review
Prologo CPC technology
Prologo had some new gloves and saddles on display at the show, which feature an interesting rubberised portion of hollow suckers that, it claims, provide additional grip and vibration absorption over 'standard' surfaces.
This technology is called ‘CPC’ and Prologo is so confident in its ability to perform that it's gone to great lengths to patent it.
The rubber suckers are akin to octopus tentacles and Prologo claims that when compressed they form a small vacuum to create additional grip between the CPC and whatever surface it is in contact with.
CPC is also claimed to aid with rider cooling by increasing airflow and wicking away sweat.
BMC Fourstroke and Trailfox AMP SX bikes
With a reputation for having some of the most precisely made bikes on the planet, BMC has gone all out with its brand new Fourstroke XC machine.
With a slacker 67.5-degree head angle and a longer wheelbase (1,180mm, size large), the new model should be more capable than the outgoing bike.
It's also included an in-built dropper post that offers 80mm of travel. The dropper has two positions, up and down, but the overall height is easily and quickly adjusted like a standard post. The most expensive model in the range is set to retail for €9,999.99.
BMC has also launched a more hardcore version of its Trailfox AMP e-bike, dubbed the SX. It touts a 170mm travel e-bike-specific Fox 36, Shimano’s STEPS E-8000 motor and an XT drivetrain.
I had a quick spin on the bike and can confirm that it’s great fun to ride. Hopefully I’ll be able to test both the Trailfox and Fourstroke in the near future on my local trails.
Formula Selva C coil fork
Although the Selva fork isn’t a newcomer to the market, it is jam-packed with impressive technology and unprecedented levels of adjustability and backwards compatibility.
With that in mind, Formula has been hard at work developing a coil sprung version of its popular 35mm stanchioned fork.
Details were fairly scant, but it uses the same damping system as the Selva S and R but changes out the air spring for a coil that comes in soft, medium and hard versions.
It’s scheduled for a 2019 launch and Formula confirmed it’ll cost slightly less than the other models, making it the most affordable Selva on sale.
Hope Fortus rims and Evo cranks
Replacing Hope’s popular Tech range of rims, the Fortus has been introduced to bring wider internal widths to Hope’s rim line up. The Fortus rims are available in 23, 26, 30 and 35mm internal widths that cater for a range of riding styles from XC to full-on DH.
Each internal width is available in 27.5- and 29-inch diameters and the middle two width options are also available in 26-inch. It’s nice to see Hope continuing support for the old-skool wheel size.
All of the rim only options are going to cost £90 with full wheelsets built onto Hope Pro 4 hubs, coming in at £425. Hope machine-build the rims but finish them off by hand and are built using readily-available J-bend spokes.
Claimed weights for the 30mm internal width, 27.5 wheelset with Pro 4 hubs is 2,305g. The wheels are due to be released in May 2019.
As an evolution of its popular cranks, the Evo promises to be lighter and stiffer than the previous model. They’re CNC machined from 7150 aluminium and have a 30mm 7075 alloy axle. They’re available in 165, 170 and 175mm lengths and use Hope’s own bottom bracket.
Kross Level 10.0 bike
Kross is Poland’s leading bike brand, but has yet to properly break into foreign markets. It's hoping that its €1,500 carbon cross-country bike called the Level 10.0 will help persuade people that it's worthy of consideration.
The bike’s got a host of top-performing parts including a RockShox Recon RL fork, Schwalbe tyres, Shimano SLX and Deore gears, and Shimano brakes.
