You’re forgiven if you think that headline is representative of the depths the bike industry has gone to to attract new interest from cyclists. We’ve certain seen some kooky stuff pop up at past shows. But for the 2011 model year there is no clear single trend—seatmasts! aero road!—dominating the road side of things.
Instead, there are several mini-trends we noted that merit mention. A quick rundown:
Metal is Back
Several brands are again pushing aluminum bikes in the mid-range—the $1,500-$2,500 price level—but with quality parts instead of the inexpensive mixes we got used to seeing. Raleigh has one of the most striking examples, an Ultegra-equipped model called the Revenio 4.0. It’s $1,600 and is a kind of race/all-duty blend, good for going fast or for putting on a rack and running errands.
Why metal? Our guesses: first, carbon has reached, for now, a logical endpoint for many bikemakers. Giant’s $1,650 Defy Advanced 4 has pushed carbon to new territory price-wise, but it’s a move only a brand like Giant can pull off because they make all their own stuff; that vertical integration and size gives them pricing power no one else has. Faced with that, other bike companies can’t match it, so they’re going in different directions.
Second, and slightly more ominously, carbon fiber is getting more expensive along with other commodities. For years leading up to the economic crisis, the talk was of carbon scarcity. The recession blunted that, but it’s on the way back, say industry insiders we talk to. Metal may make a further comeback in coming years at even higher price points.
Aero Cues
Performance road bikes have historically fit one of two templates: blocky but efficient (think Cervelo’s R3) or aero-but-heavy and not quite as stiff (Felt’s AR). Now, we’re seeing aero styling and design creep into all-around road models. Orbea’s redesigned Orca features close-swept seatstays that flare out only at the rear dropout, and slick external cable routing that hugs the ribs in the downtubes.
Internal cable routing is big – like on the Masi Evoluzione seen here. And Eddy Merckx’s EMX-5 features aero bladed seatstays and internal routing, among other cues. They’re not aero road bikes per se, but they have aero features.
Fewer Seatmasts
Two years ago, integrated seatmasts were all the rage. If you had a top of the line bike, it had a seatmast. Now, well, not so much anymore. Most of the masted bikes have kept that status, but there’s been a quiet pullback as well as new models come with traditional posts.
Why? Masts are great in theory, but they can be less than practical in a number of ways. The finality of cutting once to a set seat height freaks people out, they’re hard to pack for travel, it cuts down the re-sale value of the bike (perhaps a theoretical concern, but one people do consider) and, if damaged, sometimes repair options are slim. (Special kudos here to brands like Time, whose seatmasts can be cut to top tube height and simply replaced with a standard collar and 27.2 post if damaged.)
Bike buyers may just not see the potential benefits in ride quality and stiffness, and as a premium feature it’s cool, but not a dealbreaker/maker. Whatever the reason, we’re seeing less of them this year as brands pull back.
Crazy Paint
The mad-scientist geniuses at Arizona shop/distributor Fairwheel Bikes had a wild Parlee track bike with a hand-painted finish by graphic designer and artist Geoff McFetridge, but even stock paint schemes ranged from the understated and impressive (Dario Pegoretti’s “Stucco” look) to the unfortunate (the airbrushed “Liger” on the Max Lelli TT bike of the same name). Oh, and for whatever reason the color of the year seems to be Kawasaki-style “team green.”
(bc) .
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