The 2019 Cycle Show opens to the public today but we were at Birmingham's NEC yesterday for the trade and press preview – and can now announce the winners of the BikeRadar Awards.
The BikeRadar Awards bring you our pick of the top bikes on display at this year's The Cycle Show.
The UK's biggest cycling showcase features dozens of the world's leading brands, including Cannondale, Colnago, Condor, Genesis, Hope, Marin, Mondraker, Pinarello, Pivot, Ribble, Rose and Yeti.
- 9 reasons to attend The Cycle Show 2019
- Cycling Advice Stage schedule announced for this year's Cycle Show
Picking the winners of the BikeRadar Awards was a tough ask – the NEC is brimming with the latest 2020 bikes – but these are the machines that stood out from the crowd.
You can check them out for yourself at The Cycle Show, which runs until Sunday. And remember, you can get money off advance tickets by using the discount code BRADAR on The Cycle Show website.
Best in Show: Road bike – Condor Super Acciaio Disc
The original Super Acciaio was raced by the Rapha-Condor team back in 2012 and was the first steel bike to be approved for racing by the UCI since the nineties (we loved it so much we gave it 4.5 stars).
The Super Acciaio has developed since then, of course, and at its heart is a frame designed in the UK by the folks at Britain’s most famous bike shop, and handmade in Italy using custom, triple-butted Columbus Spirit HSS tubing.
The new Super Acciaio Disc takes years of heritage and development and wraps it up in disc-braked glory. The updated tubeset is complemented by a new carbon fibre fork, CNC-machined dropouts and internal routing for Shimano Di2 and Campagnolo EPS.
And did we mention it’s a great looking bike, too?
Best in Show: Mountain bike - Hope HB.130
The HB.130 is the second bike to come out of Hope's factory in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, and is pitched as 'the ultimate all-rounder', capable on both technical climbs and rapid descents.
The hand-built, UK-made frame is a thing of beauty, with a carbon fibre front triangle and a lovingly-detailed, CNC-machined aluminium rear triangle.
This, according to Hope, eliminates heat distortion and has allowed for a stronger, more durable alloy to be used.
The bike rolls on 29in wheels and, as the name suggests, features 130mm of rear travel, while the proprietary 130mm rear hub spacing is paired with a 17mm axle, which means plenty of heel clearance while keeping things stiff.
The HB.130 is available as either a frameset or complete bike with SRAM X01 and Fox components, plus Hope's legendary finishing kit.
We had the chance to ride the HB.130 in August – "this is a jack-of-all-trades trail bike that isn’t afraid of a bit of spice," read our first ride review – so make sure you take a look for yourself at The Cycle Show.
Best in Show: Gravel bike – Cinelli King Zydeco
Gravel is the hot ticket right now and, with stunning examples at the show from the likes of Cannondale, GT, Ribble, Kinesis, Whyte and Pinarello, this was a tough category to decide. But that didn't stop the Cinelli King Zydeco standing out from the crowd.
The bold colourway has become a trademark of Cinelli and the radical frame shape holds some clever tech.
The lightweight (claimed weight 1kg) monocoque carbon frame can handle a 700c wheel with a 42mm tyre or switch down to 650b and enjoy the added comfort and grip of a 2.1in tread.
The King Zydeco has race-bred geometry and is light enough for gravel racing, but still has the capability to be called into action for a bikepacking expedition.
A stunning machine that looks to be a great all-rounder for gravelistas who like to ride fast, regardless of what surface they're on.
Best in Show: E-bike – Whyte E-180 RS
British brand Whyte launched its first range of electric mountain bikes in July, with the E-150 S and RS trail bikes and E-180 RS enduro bike breaking cover.
The E-180 RS scoops our e-bike prize at The Cycle Show thanks to its impressive geometry – close to the bikes from Whyte that we know and love, and hard to achieve on an e-MTB.
The fourth-generation Bosch Performance Line CX 2020 motor delivers 250 watts and 75Nm of torque, and features an e-MTB mode which automatically adjusts the level of assistance. That's powered by a Bosch 6 25Wh PowerTube battery.
We’ve always been big fans of Whyte’s suspension performance and the E-180 RS includes a great spec with a Fox 36 Grip2 180mm fork and DHX2 coil shock.
Editor’s Choice – Ribble HT 725
Ribble has had a loyal following among British road riders for decades – the Endurance SL Ultegra Disc won the Best Value prize in our 2019 Bike of the Year Awards – but re-entered the mountain bike world earlier this year with the HT Ti.
That titanium hardtail has now been followed by the HT 725, launched at The Cycle Show.
The skinny-tubed steel frame is made from Reynolds 725 tubing, but with a modern, low-slung geometry that looks to mirror the layout of the titanium bike with short chainstays, raked-out head tube and a relatively steep seat-angle.
It's a bike designed for tough UK trails, according to Ribble, and has plenty of mud clearance (with room for 650 x 2.6in tyres). The grey and purple finish of the bike on display at The Cycle Show is very pretty, too.
Ribble may be best known for its road bikes but we're looking forward to seeing how the Lancashire-based brand's return to mountain biking develops.
What to expect at the 2019 Cycle Show
The 2019 Cycle Show features more than 200 exhibitors showcasing 500 leading brands for road cyclists, mountain bikers, gravel riders and commuters.
Highlights are set to include the bikes used by Team Ineos at the Tour de France, where Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas occupied the top two steps of the podium, and what Ribble is calling the lightest e-bike in the world.
The Bosch eBike Systems MTB Track, supported by MBUK magazine and constructed around the NEC grounds, will enable visitors to compare mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes, while the Road Test Track will feature bikes from brands including Rose, Ribble, SwiftCarbon and Focus.
But the show isn't just about ogling the latest bikes and gear. The Cycling Advice Stage, brought to you by Komoot and supported by BikeRadar, is new for 2019 and will feature a range of talks from some of the most experienced professionals in the industry.
World-leading bike fitter Phil Burt, who spent 12 years as British Cycling's Head of Physiotherapy, will be providing tips on how to improve your cycling performance, while Michelin-starred chef Alan Murchison will be shedding light on nutrition to take your riding to the next level.
Meanwhile, a stellar cast of guest speakers on the Main Stage, supported by BikeRadar, includes former Team Sky rider Philip Deignan, mountain bike legends Tracy Moseley and Martyn Ashton, former hour record holder Graeme Obree and CCC Liv rider Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio.
