Interbike 2017 Cool Bike Gear-Part 2

This year's Interbike wasn't what it was in past years, there were a lot of big players in the industry that were no-shows at this year's show, however that didn't discourage me from finding some cool new bike products.  This is the second installment of my recap of the cool Interbike 2017 finds that I came across during the convention and if you ride like I do, I think you'll find these products as useful as I see their potential.

TOGS Flex Model

I have been a big fan of TOGS since first seeing them at Interbike '15.  TOGS was kind enough to set me up with a pair of hinged carbon TOGS at that show and they have been standard equipment on my bike ever since.  TOGS stands for "Thumb Over Grip System" which gives a rider multiple hand positions without the use of bar ends.  I found them most useful during long gravel rides and for climbing to keep my hands and wrists from becoming fatigued or to give me a little better leverage without loss of control for braking and shifting.

New this Fall are the TOGS Flex Model.  This design incorporates a raised hood with a flexible rubber tip that has a some give to it and provides a little shock absorption compared to the original models.  The Flex model will be available soon in numerous colors at bike shops that are supplied by QBP or directly from TOGS for $22.50.  To learn more about TOGS, watch the video below from this year's Interbike.

Wren Fatbike Suspension Fork

I got a chance to meet Kevin Wren, the founder of Wren Sports at Interbike '17 and discuss the Wren Fatbike Suspension Fork and what makes it different from other fatbike suspension forks.  The first thing I noticed about this fork is the stanchions are on the bottom which which I was told are lighter making the fork react quicker out on the trail.  The seals also face downward to help keep grit and grime from getting into the fork.  It has keyes to "perfectly align the stanchions in the uppers and are designed to shear should you take a really big hit. This protects the channels and your fork from damage. The fork will still function and the keys are easily replaced." 

This fork also has a TwinAir System that can be easily adjusted and fine tuned with an air pump.  A single positive air chamber is located in one stanchion that has a floating piston with valves on the top and bottom which allows pressure to equalize on either side of the piston as you add or release air.  "More air in the top chamber will increase its volume relative to the bottom chamber and the fork will exhibit a more plush ride. If the bottom chamber volume is larger relative to the top, the fork will exhibit a stiffer, more progressive ride."

The Wren Fatbike Suspension Forks come with carbon bash guards in hub widths 135mm with 110mm or 150mm of travel for $899.99 (add $50 for 150mm travel) and 150mm with 110mm or 150mm of travel (add $50 for 150mm travel) also for $899.99 directly from Wren Sports.  For you Winter fatbikers, there is an available new Winter Damper that I was told is good down to -20 degrees F. that can easily be changed out from the stock one.  Contact Wren Sports for more information.

Lezyne Micro Floor Digital Drive XL

Being a fatbiker, the Lezyne Micro Floor Digital Drive XL caught my eye right away.  Its compact size is just under 12 inches tall and weighs a little over 12 oz.  This pump was designed for fat and plus bikes due to its high volume chamber.  It has an integrated 1.6 inch digital gauge on the flexible hose that is said to be highly accurate.  A stainless steel folding foot peg helps keep it stable during use.  It also has a patented air bleed system built in and is Presta/Schrader compatible.  Available from Lezyne, local bike shops and Amazon for $89.99.

Interbike 2017 Cool Bike Gear-Part 1

This year's Interbike wasn't what it was in past years, there were a lot of big players in the industry that were no-shows at this year's show, however that didn't discourage me from finding some cool new bike products.  This is the first installment of my recap of the cool Interbike 2017 finds that I came across during the convention and if you ride like I do, I think you'll find these products as useful as I see their potential.

Garmin Charge™ Power Pack

For those that have the new Garmin Edge 1030 there is an available Garmin Charge™ Power Pack that gives users an extra 24 hours of battery life.  It fits seamlessly with the new Garmin Edge 1030 mount and if you would like to use with an older Garmin model it can be done by using an additional USB charging cable.  Available from Garmin and numerous Garmin retailers for $129.99.

Brilliant Reflective Strips

Brilliant Reflective Strips are a great way to give cyclists extra visibility to motorists and other cyclists in low light and night riding conditions.  They are made with 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material tape that is highly reflective which come in stick-on (removable) and iron-on (permanent) packs.  The stick-on strips work great on helmets and bike frames while the iron-on strips are an option for cycling apparel to use bio-motion to be better seen.  Colors available are Red, Blue, Black and Purple.  Available from the Brilliant Reflective Strips website, Erik's Bike Shop and on Amazon.com for $14.95/pack.

Maxxis Moosetrak

New to the Maxxis lineup for fatbikers is the Moosetrak studded tire, their first studded fatbike tire.  It comes in a 60 & 120 tpi folding bead, tubeless-ready casing that has a dual winter rubber compound.  This is a 26" tire that is an extra wide 4.8".  It has 258 concave studs and a tread pattern that is designed to have a low rolling resistance in hard pack conditions.  Price has not been determined yet, but expect them to start showing up at your local bike shop this Fall.

RideAir

New from RideAir Innovations is the RideAir Portable Air Tank.  It is a compressed air capsule that fits in a standard water bottle cage for inflating flats or adjusting tire pressure on the fly.  RideAir is refillable using a compressor or gas station air pump.  It can even be used to seat tubeless tires.  It has an inflation gauge so you know how much air you have left in it and is Presta/Schrader compatible.  RideAir is available in a variety of colors with or without a cable lock to lock it to your frame.  RideAir retails for $59.99 or with a lock for $69.99.  Available from RideAir Innovations and Amazon.com.

Interbike '17 Outdoor Demo Finds

The last time I visited the Interbike Outdoor Demo was in 2015 and this year had quite a bit fewer vendors to visit.  Despite the smaller size, I did come across some cool finds that I wanted to share with you.

Skratch Labs is my favorite hydration mix for my water bottles and hydration pack and I was pleased to find that they have added two new flavors as well as a new package design.  I got a chance to try both of these new flavors in their Exercise Hydration Mix line.  They include Hydration Drink Mix with Strawberries and Hydration Drink Mix with Passion Fruit.  The Strawberry mix is light in flavor and sweetness but the Passion Fruit flavor is the one I liked and could see myself sipping on during an all day gravel or mountain bike ride.  Both flavors are now available from your LBS or from Skratch Labs in 16 oz. resealable bags, single serving 20 packs and single serving.

The Henty Enduro Backpack immediately caught my attention as I walked past the booth at the Outdoor Demo.  I saw multiple possibilities for this pack for use during mountain biking, gravel riding and especially winter fatbike riding.  This pack sits on the lower back close to a rider's center of gravity.  It is made from a tough Cordura 500D nylon to be lightweight (550 gr.) and for strength.  It provides lumbar impact protection and the molded foam used in this area is designed to have improved air ventilation for those hot days.

Not only does this pack hold a hydration bladder up to 3L. (not included) but has a bunch of  pockets for things like tools, tubes, nutrition and any other gear you need to bring along for the ride.  I see this as being a great pack for the fatbike crowd during the winter.  It can be worn underneath a jacket to be insulated from the outside cold thus using your own body heat preventing the bladder and water line from freezing up.  Comes in colors Black for $110 and Camo for $130 available direct from Henty.

Minnesota brand Otso Cycles was at the Outdoor Demo with a couple of new Voytek builds to choose from for 2018.  Co-owner Dan Dittmer took some time to tell me about the new Voytek Expert and Voytek Ultimate (shown in the picture above) models available.  These new 2018 models get a cool new paint scheme and can be upgraded to include a carbon wheelset (Voytek Expert), Rockshox Bluto, Lauf Carbonara or Fox F34 Factory (27.5 only) fork.  The Otso Voytek Ultimate is their top of the line build with a Shimano XX1 Eagle drivetrain, HED No Big Deal carbon wheels, Magura MT8 hydraulic disc brakes, Race Face Next carbon crankset, Race Face Next carbon seatpost and a Race Face Next carbon riser handlebar.  List price for the Voytek Ultimate is $8,099 and the Voytek Expert $4,099.  Available in October from Otso Cycles and look for them soon at Penn Cycle stores in the Twin Cities.

One thing I noticed in the e-bike class was camouflage fatbikes geared towards hunters.  These bikes included a camouflage paint scheme, racks or rack mounts to carry gear and have top speeds of 20 mph.  The Surface604 Boar Camo Fat Bike (pictured above) is budget friendly with a 750W (peaks at 1000W) rear hub motor and a torque sensing pedal assist with a throttle (range 35 miles), Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes, a SRAM X5 10 speed drivetrain with a 11-36T cassette and Kenda Juggernaut Sport (26x4.5) tires.  Comes in sizes S/M 17.5" & M/L 19.0" for $2199.