It was another great year at the Philly Bike Expo. The 7th edition was the largest yet, with solid crowds both days. We had a chance to check in with many of the brands attending, and we’ll follow up this two part article with deeper looks at what they were showing off at the show.
Rolf Prima/Astral
Brian Roddy, owner of Rolf Prima, was on hand to talk wheels. With just announcing their new Astral Cycling brand, the Philly Bike Expo was the first event to show off the new rims that are meant for wheel builds with normal lacing patterns. The versatile Hylalite caught our eye for road/cross/gravel use, and we’ll have more info on the Rolf Prima and Astral lines in the next few weeks.
Ritchey
At this point, Ritchey makes just about everything you’d need for a bike except the drivetrain, and they had a little bit of everything at the show. New bikes, new tires, bars, even some bobble heads. The Bullmoose integrated bar/stem combo was pretty cool, and pays homage to one of Tom Ritchey’s original designs.
Silca
We had a chance to check out the new Tattico Bluetooth Mini-Pump in person at the show. By adding a bluetooth unit to the pump, you can connect it to the Silca app on your phone or tablet, and get precise pressure readings down to 0.5lbs. We also saw the new Tire Levers Premio, which are made specifically for carbon wheels.
Selle Anatomica
Selle Anatomica has made a name for themselves with their leather saddles. New for this year is a modular base system that uses stainless steel or carbon rails with an aluminum rear frame. With the new Chicago screws, you can completely disassemble and reassemble the saddle on your own. We’ll also have some news on their full carbon saddles as well.
Dähanger
Meet Dan. Dan likes to hold your bikes. Dan has some brothers named Dan. They like to hang out together and hold your bikes. If you have an 8′ wall, three Dan’s can hang out together and stack your bikes three high on the wall. We’ll tell you more about these guys, and some upcoming news about Dähanger soon.
Thomson
Thomson had some new bars and a new setback seat post on hand, but for us, the biggest item was their Covert Dropper in a 27.2mm diameter. This opens the door to add a dropper to your favorite cross or gravel bike (except for mounting the lever). We’ll have more on our conversation with Mike Christensen soon.
Full Speed Ahead/Vision
FSA and Vision had a little bit of everything at the show, including K-Force and their power meters. With FCC testing being the last hurdle to clear, we should finally see K-Force available in mechanical and hydraulic braking systems in 2018. More on their product lines in the near future.
ROTOR
There was a lot going on with ROTOR at this year’s show. We had a chance to see their modular crank systems, the Aldhu, along with their power meters and the Uno hydraulic drivetrain. We threw a leg over a bike they had on a trainer and had a chance to give it a try. Watch for the full article to learn more of what we though.
Enduro Bearings
For all things that rotate on your bike, you need bearings. Enduro Bearings had examples of their full line of bearings, and seals on display, including their Hybrid 2-In-1 Wiper Seals. With these seals, you get the beneficial properties of 2 piece seals with the simplicity of a 1 piece. The new seal installation tools were also on display. We’ll have more on their tools and bearings coming soon.
Hed
If you are looking to take 6 lbs. off of your fat bike, or add some speed to your road bike, Hed has wheels for you. The B.F.D (Big Fat Deal) wheel set makes a statement when you see it in person. Not only does it look impressive, it is massively light when you pick it up. The new Vanquish 6 was also on display. What’s so special about the Vanquish 6? It is Hed’s first full carbon clincher. We’ll have more on that story soon.
We’ll have more on the other brands we met with tomorrow in part 2.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year