We were told 29er mountain bikes were going to be everywhere at this year's Eurobike tradeshow, but it was only when we saw one on Colnago's booth that we really began believing the hype.
The Italian brand with the rich road heritage don't tend to veer away from the tarmac too often, but they've done just that with the Twenty IX. Also available as a 26in-wheeled bike (the not-on-display Twenty VI), they say it's the result of huge demand and numerous requests from dealers.
Although Colnago were keeping pricing close to their chest (for this model and the other new bikes below), they said we can expect to start seeing them in shops towards the end of the year. The alloy Twenty IX pictured comes with a RockShox Reba RL fork, DT Swiss 485 wheels and a mix of Shimano components, including SLX/XT front/rear derailleurs, Deore brakes and SLX levers.
Also on Colnago's booth was the updated CLX 3.0 road bike. A tapered (1-1/8 to 1-1/4in) head tube and new square chainstays have increased stiffness compared to the previous generation, and rear brake cabling is now internal.
On show was a Shimano Ultegra Di2-equipped bike with internal routing; when a mechanical groupset is fitted, gear cabling is external. Colnago's representative said the Ultegra Di2 bike would set you back no more than a mechanical Dura-Ace version.
The CX-1 Evo, already a winner of multiple Grand Tour stages, receives the same updates as the CLX 3.0 and, like that bike, is compatible with mechanical and electronic groupsets.
The Colnago for Ferrari CF8, limited to 200 worldwide, comes with a full Dura-Ace Di2 group, with the battery stowed inside the seatpost. It'll only be available with the build shown here. The more freely available CF9 Ferrari is a flat-barred city bike with a higher, more comfort-orientated front end.
Taking pride of place on Colnago's stand was the bike that helped Europcar's Thomas Voeckler gain the yellow jersey for 10 days during last month's Tour de France. We have a variation on his CS9 waiting in our workshop, so look out for more on BikeRadar soon. For now, take a look at the Frenchman's battle-worn, Campagnolo Super Record specced machine in our image gallery.
