Eurobike Exhibition

[Andy in Sig]

I went to the Eurobike exhibition in Friedrichshafen on Saturday.

The main theme was electro bikes i.e. normal bicycles with little battery powered motors. Probably a good idea for pensioners who need to get up hills.

The other thing that seems to be creeping in is belt drive instead of chains. Given that the belts are nowadays made out of material which doesn't stretch (the fault in the past with this system) this could be the way ahead. The toothed belt requires no oil but has to be used with a hub gearing system. Perhaps it could even be used for fixies!

It was also interesting to notice that quite a few overweight people were trying out recumbent trikes. Maybe the trikes give them confidence.

I also saw a super high precision wheel truing stand for just short of 1,000 Euros!!!

Did anybody else go?

 

[HJ]

Electro bikes [spluter] no substitute for the real thing...

I have seen pensioners in Austria cycle up hills at speeds which would put many on here to shame, then again they have had sixty years of practice cycling in the Alps...

 

[Arch]

Electro bikes [spluter] no substitute for the real thing...

Well, unless you are not confidednt of your fitness, or have hip or knee or other health problems that limit the power you can put through the pedals, or your stamina.

Electric assist (the sort where you have to pedal for the motor to work), in my mind, is fine, as long as it's assisting. Running purely on electric, you might as well be on a moped...

 

[accountantpete]

Any idea what the wheel truing stand was called Andy?

 

[Arch]

Any idea what the wheel truing stand was called: Andy?

I don't suppose it was called Andy, no.

Much more likely to be Gary, or Batholomew.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Any idea what the wheel truing stand was called Andy?

Here's a link to it: http://www.pklie.de/zentriersystem/index.htm

A really precise bit of engineering. The firm's German. A rival firm producing very similar kit (also German) is at www.centrimaster.de

It was so good it was the sort of thing you could have in your front room as a work of art.

 

[Cheddar George]

I do like the look of the Trek Soho with belt drive. A thing of beauty.

 

[Hover Fly]

I can't help thinking DTIs are a bit of overkill for a wheel thats going to run on roads laid to what, 6mm?

 

[Hover Fly]

I saw one of those belt drive bikes back in August with a Rohloff, looks like it could be a winner.

http://fr.simpel.ch/velos/optimist/rohloff.html

 

[Wobbly John]

One of the LBS shop owners has a homebuilt one like that with 3 dial gauges. He is Mavic certified, but can not build a wheel f' toffee.

I gave in after the wheel he built needed to go back for a third time in a couple of months.

 

[accountantpete]

Here's a link to it: http://www.pklie.de/zentriersystem/index.htm

A really precise bit of engineering. The firm's German. A rival firm producing very similar kit (also German) is at www.centrimaster.de

It was so good it was the sort of thing you could have in your front room as a work of art.

Thanks - an interesting bit of kit