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Welcome to my final tech round-up from last week’s Taipei Cycle Show. A whirlwind of travel, tech and a side project that will come in due course rounded out a week of cycle madness. That and a dash of jet lag.
From attending the show, I felt there were lessons to be learned about where the industry is and where it’s going. It’s something I want to delve deeper into in a future video, and one that will probably be upended for the US market by the recent tariffs imposed on the countries that make not just Asian-branded bikes and equipment but pretty much every brand’s bikes and equipment. After all, Asia is the cycling manufacturing Mecca. But if one thing is clear, there are brands out there ready to nip at the heels of the established players. Brands that are making great products that just need a light shone on them, a decent bit of marketing, and probably traditional dealers to carry them; even though Aliexpress and the like seem to be becoming a place quickly that cyclists look for cycle consumables. But as I’ve mentioned, more of that is in a later video and article already in the works. So now, on with the last gaggle of tech.
I’m going to kick things off with a bike that, though not technically advanced or groundbreaking in any way, was just an absolute delight to look at. It was my stand-out two-wheeled wonder of the show. There is no flashy carbon tech, no pearl embossed sidewalls, no hippy-inspired anodized design, just a sublime finished steel frame from Maxway, a company that I’m sure many won’t know, I didn’t, but as I was informed, makes for plenty of the leading players who offer steel bikes. I’m not saying I unwittingly already own one of their pieces of craftsmanship, but…
The finish was second to none, the paint lust-worthy, the parts premium but not flashy, and the sidewall choice of the tires impeccable; it 100% hit the nail on the head for this steel-loving individual. And I nearly missed it. It was practically the last bike I spotted on my way out of the show on Saturday, boxes were being packed, stands were being demolished and amongst the mess stood the deep blue and silver Maxwey. Built with Columbus Life tubing, it was not just light but outrageously well-balanced. Have I taken their details because I would happily splash some hard-earned cash on one? That may be because my partner often reads my work!
When the likes of Fizik, Selle Italia, Kask, Specialized or any of the large Western brands release a new 3D printed product, we get a fanfare of marketing; but I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’m that’s not the case in Asia. If it is, I dread to think what the cycling nerds’ inbox and social media pages are like; they would be awash with new 3D-printed products day in and day out because it was everywhere, saddles from every player you have and haven’t heard of, helmets with 3D padding at every price point, after-market goodies. It was one of these that caught my eye: 3D-printed after-market pad sets for major brand helmets. I picked up a set for the Abus Gamechanger 2.0, a bargain at US $20; the question is, how will they perform? Will they be a *game-changer* for the Gamechanger 2.0 or just a cheap, cheerful bit of bling?
There were a few Euro brands on show, the most prominent being Colnago. They, of course, turned up showcasing a quadrant of Colnagos that have been used by that guy who does quite well on them, or at least replicas of what Pog has used. On show were his Tour Winning V4Rs, a version with his Worlds paint scheme, the one he used to win that race, with its pink and yellow flashes (my fav), and then there was the TT bike, including every upgraded component on it, and the UAE Team Emirates XRG latest flagship bike, the V1Rs. There was, though, no sight of the unreleased V5Rs that we’ve seen out in the wild, and lips were firmly locked on the bike’s existence.
Now to the opposite end of the price point, WheelTop, which we’ve covered elsewhere in the Taipei coverage. It was the first time I had had a chance to get up close with the products from the Chinese groupset manufacturer, and suffice it to say, I was impressed. And if real-world-priced wireless groupsets are your thing, then you’ll be happy to hear we have their EDS TX model winging its way for the test. At $720 for their full hydraulic wireless groupset, it undercuts even Shimano 105 Di2; the question is, what corners have been cut to achieve such a budget price?
What WheelTop didn’t have was a bit of bling. Their display was pretty dismal; it told me we’re not here catering to the casual customer. Instead, we’re here with the groupsets still in boxes and labels hastily made for the OEM manufacturers to do deals with us. It’s something you don’t see so much at Eurobike, so it sometimes comes across as odd. But we could be seeing more of them on budget-oriented bikes soon.
Ok, go on with the gallery. And if you haven’t, hit that play button.
Cheers,
Dave
Gallery
