We've been at Core Bike, one of the UK's biggest cycle industry shows, for the past couple of days so we'll soon be bringing you all the latest bike, component and equipment news. To whet your appetite, here's a look at some of the concept and prototype bits and pieces we've seen so far.
Kinesis Racelight GF Ti
Kinesis's Racelight GF Ti is aimed at the sportive or gran fondo (hence the GF in the title) rider who wants something different from the normal carbon fibre steeds. It's based on the same geometry as the GF, but in place of that bike's scandium mainframe and carbon stays is a full titanium tubeset.
In fact, it's Kinesis's first titanium bike, and they look to have done a good job of it. The top and down tubes are subtly ovalised, while the stays are curved for improved comfort. There are plenty of neat features, including bullet-ended chainstays, a chain keeper on the driveside seatstay, and welded rack and bottle cage eyelets.
Up front there's an integrated headset and a full-carbon fork. The paper graphics on this prototype will obviously be changed for the production model. Price for the frameset (including a carbon post, titanium seatclamp and headset) is expected to be £1,450. There's no word yet on availability.
Also at the prototype stage is the new Racelight Aithein (pictured above), a lightweight alloy frame that's expected to weigh around 1,190g (2.6lb). Classic elegance is the name of the game here, according to designer Dom Mason, who says the finished bike will have "subtley shaped tubing, minimal dropouts, a classic colour and subtle graphics." Price is expected to be around £500 including a full-carbon fork.
Hope
Hope's new prototype cranks
And chain guard
Hope had some prototype cranks on show. In fact, they're at such an early stage of development that they wouldn't tell us a thing about them. They were also tight lipped about their new chain device. Both look very promising though.
The new LED 8 light, on the other hand, is expected to hit production in August, so Hope were a bit more forthcoming with details. As the name suggests, it packs eight LEDs – four spots, two oval floods and two round floods – and is said to put out up to 2,500 lumens on full power.
Unlike some super-bright bike lights, the lumen count isn't the be all and end all here. The LED 8 has a number of preprogrammed modes that determine which of the eight LEDs are used and how much light the unit puts out – eg. the 'race' mode is designed for optimal brightness whereas 'enduro' is designed to ensure longer battery life.
These modes can be cycled through using the main power button, with an LCD on top of the light displaying mode and battery life. The unit seen here is a final preproduction prototype, so it should look very similar to the version that's due to hit shop shelves this summer. RRP TBC.
Identiti downhill bike
Identiti are best known for their four-cross and dirt jump frames so it was a bit of a shock to see this full-on downhill beast on their stand. Apparently, it's come about because of the brand's sponsorship of the British Downhill Series. According to team rider Pat Cambell-Jenner, it's "so new we haven't ridden it yet".
The vital statistics include 7.5in of travel, a 66-degree head angle, a 150mm rear axle and an 83mm bottom bracket. Following lots of interest at the show, it sounds like Identiti are thinking about making it available to the public, with pricing likely to be around £1,000 for the frame with a RockShox Vivid R2C shock.
