Is the tide turning and traditional road bike brands bringing out more versatile models? The Giant Anyroad won plaudits for its adaptability at Eurobike and now the Koga BeachRacer could be about to make some waves too.
The BeachRacer (£1,299) is a racy cyclocross frame hybridised with 29in mountain bike wheels and flattened bars. It's built for, well, beach biking – a cult pursuit among Dutch flatlanders.
While the bike says BeachRacer on the aluminium 7005 tubes and full carbon fork, we reckon it could offer a great deal more. A bike like this would make mincemeat of muddy or sandy 'cross races and be perfect for really rutted tracks where a gravel bike might not cut the mustard.
The bike has a slightly longer wheelbase than the Koga Cross Winner cyclo-cross bike and is equipped with Tektro Spyre disc brakes, a single 38T chainring (beach races steer clear of big dunes) and a 10spd Shimano Ultegra derailleur. The flattened bars, say Koga, are designed to give beach racers an aerodynamic position when battling relentless wind.
Tyres on the stock model are mongrelised: there's a semi-slick 2.35in Schwalbe Supermoto beach tyre on the back and a skinnier, grippier 2.1 Schwalbe Thunder Birt harvested from a cross bike at the front.
Koga claim the model in the photos weighs 10.3kg.