From DIY carbon rims through to Grogu in a Perspex box, there’s something for everyone here. Hopefully.
What is the Icebike Show?
Madison IceBike is one of the UK bike industry’s key early-season meet-ups: a trade-focused showcase where brands, retailers and media get a first proper look at what’s coming next. Hosted by Madison (one of the UK’s biggest cycling distributors), IceBike brings together its roster of partner brands under one roof for a couple of busy days. It’s primarily aimed at bike shops and buying teams. Think less consumer show, more behind-the-scenes: new kit, sales conversations, tech talk, and the occasional espresso-fuelled reunion.
Anyway, on with the show..
DT Swiss carbon rim-onlys
In what we think is a first, DT Swiss is going to be offering its carbon rims to buy individually ie. not just in complete wheelsets. So yes, a Hope hubbed DT carbon rimmed wheel is now an easier proposition. Price: £575 per rim. These rims are made in Poland and have a slightly different finish to the wheelset carbon rims (like the XMC 1501 wheelset), slightly more ‘raw’ but in a good way. Most importantly of all, they come with a choice of three decals.
DT Swiss 26in wheelset
For legacy wheeling singlesprocketeers and dirt-jumpers and pump-tracksters out there, the DT Swiss D 1900 comes in 26in only. Nutted axles. 12T sprocket supplied (13T optional). Price: £305 for the pair.
Elite Leggero Carbon cage
Just a beautiful thing. That does its job surprisingly well. We’ve yet to lose a bottle when using one of these dinky cages. Weight: 13g. Price: £30.
Beautiful bidons
No, we’re still not tired of the Cannondale pink-purple colourway. It’s the new Mapei doncha know. And on the right, a perfectly purple Elite Fly bottle. Want. Just great looking, lightweight bottles that also work well. Price: £6.99 Fly Team and £6.00 Fly Elite.
Miss Grape bikepacking luggage
Claiming to be the best of both worlds – the two worlds being panel-constructed bags and seam-welded bags – Miss Grape is made from a panel construction outer which is then lined with a waterproof… er, liner. Basically. The idea being to offer the weather protection of seam-welded stuff with the ruggedness of panel-constructed stuff. The last picture is off someone trying to rip the fabric (which reminded us of that scene in Napoleon Dynamite). Made in Italy. Lifetime warranty. Price: £notcheap.
M:Part Thermal Handlebar Mitts
‘Pogies’ – or handlebar mitts – are the correct answer that no one wants to hear. If you’re tired of spending money on gloves that just don’t do the job through UK winters, get some bar mitts. You won’t regret it. Price: £24.95.
Aztec Hexvent
Finned disc brake pads and a new floating rotor from one of the original braking brands, Aztec. All the items in this heat-sinktastic range are called HexVent. You can probably see why from the Blockbusters inspired(?) hexagonal aesthetic. The rotors in particular look really nice.
Madison Flux E-Sweep saddle
AKA the comfiest saddle of all time. We first encountered one of these on a Saracen Ariel 50E and it was love at first perch. We’ve been wondering when the saddle would be available to get on its own (or just what it was called really). Price: £39.99.
New blue photochromic lens
Not-quite-out-yet is the new blue hue photochromic lens for certain Madison glasses (the Crypto is pictured above). As any gnarled old downhiller will tell you, blue is the best tint for riding in and out of tree cover. These new darkness-changing lenses will change quicker than ever and will always have blueness, as opposed to the outgoing grey tinted ones.
Mr Crud
It’s the legend that is Pete Tomkins. Around since the birth of Brit MTBing and still as enthused as ever about riding fast in all types of weather. And still making mudguards that are up there with the best.
ODI cockpit
ODI has made cockpit stuff for motocross bikes for a while now but this is its first dabble in mountainbike cockpits. The ODI Flight Control Stealth handlebars come in 35mm clamp only and in four rises (12, 25, 38 and 50mm). The ODI Flight Control Stealth stems are 35mm clamp and 35mm length only. Oh, and there’s new colours of the D30 Vanquish grip. Price: £99.99 bars, £139.99 stem, £39.99 grips.
Best in show
Sometimes a paintjob is all it takes. The new colour on the Genesis Croix De Fer 725 is well nice. The colour is called ‘Massive Li-Lac’. Price: £899.99 frameset.
Thirty two
Big diameters. Small knobs. Lanky speedfreaks rejoice!
Lifeventure Solo Peak Tent
Apologies for the bagginess of the pitching, the floor of Manchester Velodrome is not an ideal surface for pegging out. Anyway, this a one-person tent that weighs 1,000g all-in. Price: £229.99.
Aeroe proto top-tube bag
Aeroe does bikepacking luggage in a manner we like; its stuff fits on full-suspension (e)MTBs. So you don’t have to go bikepacking/bivvying/bothying on a Special Bike (ie. gravel bike), you can just use the bike you already have. And have more fun on it. Because mountain bike. This is Aeroe’s prototype top tube bag by the way, which mounts via a magnetic quick-release pull-tag doohicky.
