KOGA CONCEPT Netherlands manufacturers Koga-Miyata were displaying their usual wide range of quality bikes – we hope to review one of their tourers in a future issue. They also had this ‘concept’ folding bike, nicely made in carbon. It looked pretty enough unfolded, and the folded package aligns the wheels neatly, but I’d be

UTOPIA GECKO The 20"-wheeled Utopia Gecko is fi nally in production. With Utopia’s fully-enclosed chaincase, hub dynamo, Magura brakes and Big Apple tyres it looked very well appointed – if not perhaps the lightest folder around. Utopia: Tel +49 681 970 360 or seewww.utopiafahrrad.de

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EUROBIKE2006

AIRNIMAL SINGLE SPEED The Airnimal Rhino is usually seen in full-suspension, off-road form, but the Cambridge-based company had a new version for Eurobike, the Rhino Street (pictured left). Weighing just 21 lb (9.4 kg) it’s a single-speed model with rigid carbon front forks. It certainly seemed very responsive and nippy when I took it for a short ride. Airnimal: Tel 01223 523 973 or see www.airnimal.com

ORI FD-1 Is this what the Mezzo folding bike will look like next year? Although UKdesigned, the Mezzo is actually made by Oribikes in Taiwan, and they were displaying the ‘FD-1' in their own right. It’s a Mezzo in all but name, but with a rather prettier curvy frame. There’s an interesting parallel to the development of the Birdy folding bike, which also started out with straight tubes and recently went to a more fl owing, organic shape.

PACIFIC REACH The compact and neatly styled ‘Reach’ bike from Pacifi c Cycles (who also make many of the ‘big name’ aluminium-framed folders and recumbents) features an interesting parallelogram front suspension

worried about the bold decision to put a hinge at the fork crown, possibly the most highly stressed point on a cycle frame… and I doubt this’ll ever see production. Koga-Miyata: see www.koga.com

It’ll be interesting to see if and when the UK operation take the new frame design on board: perhaps they’ll want to shift existing stock fi rst. We tested the Mezzo in Issue 20. Oribikes: seewww.oribikes.com

system. It has a comfortable and nippy ride which impressed the people from CycleCentric, who will shortly be importing it into the UK. We’ll have more details in due course. Pacifi c Cycles: see www.pacifi c-cycles.com

UNKNOWN FOLDER Seen parked outside the show was this intriguing folding bike (pictured right). Unfortunately I never met the owner. Although quite a large folded package, the two wheels fit together very neatly side-by-side, suggesting it might roll along nicely rather than require carrying. Both wheels are supported from one side only. After I mentioned it on the Velo Vision website, readers suggested it may be a Giant MR20, a folder intended for the Japanese market.
EUROBIKE2006

Recumbents

CHALLENGE Challenge Bikes, one of the largest and most successful recumbent bike manufacturers around, unveiled their fi rst three-wheeler at Eurobike. At this stage the bike is a ‘concept’ from which will be developed different versions with the emphasis on either light weight or ‘endurance’ – with and without suspension. They plan to make the fi rst deliveries to customers in early 2007. The trike on show has a 26" rear wheel, 20" fronts, disk brakes on the front, and direct-type steering, with handles attached to each front kingpin. This contrasts with its main European

competitors, ICE and HP Velotechnik, who both employ ‘indirect’ steering, with a separate handlebar pivoting on the frame. Challenge do say, though, that they are quite likely to offer indirect steering as a future option, and the steering linkage already includes a pivot point in about the right place. Other developments still to come include luggage racks, mudguards and other accessories. I took the trike for a brief ride, and it handled well enough, with a slight heaviness to the steering at full lock which the designers say will be eliminated on production machines. The frame is extremely rigid torsionally – push the top of the back wheel sideways and fl ex is barely perceptible. Challenge are also rather proud of the trike’s ‘progressive’ stance. They point out that the cross-beams on most trikes curve down towards the centreline of the vehicle, giving them a ‘squashed’ appearance. Their own aero-section cross-beams slope gently upwards, giving the frame, they say, a more dynamic look and feel. When we broke the news of this trike on the Velo Visionwebsite, one reader asked about the kingpin design.

Challenge kindly showed me the internals, consisting of a one-piece steel casting for kingpin and axle, with a slide-on disk brake mount which fi ts into alternative positions for left and right sides. This also allows easy front wheel removal with disk brakes. Standard industrial ball bearings are then used between the casting and a frame-mounted ‘kingpin’. No word yet on prices, but they’re expected to be competitive. We’ll be testing one inVelo Vision as soon as it’s available. Challenge: Tel +31 55 521 24 05 or see www.challengebikes.com

Challenge’s new trike has ‘progressive’ styling according to the designer, and it also employs a novel kingpin design for the steering.

KETTWIESEL GOES ALU A new aluminium version of Hase’s popular Kettwiesel trike will be available early next year: it promises to be considerably lighter than the current steel frame. Other new features include easy leg length adjustment over 350mm without having to break the chain, a folding seat back and a new luggage rack allowing the use of standard bicycle panniers. The styling also looks sharper to me. Hase Bikes: Tel +49 2309 782582 or see www.hasebikes.com

HP VELOTECHNIK ROUNDUP The Scorpion trike (as reviewed last issue) is now available in a new folding version, the FX. Rather like the Greenspeed GT series, the seat quick-releases away from the chassis, which then hinges so that the back wheel ends up near the cranks. The folded package (below) is by no means small but it will be ‘car bootable’. The FX also has a somewhat higher seat height than

previous Scorpions, and allows space for two small panniers as well as two full-sized ones on the 50 kg rated rack behind the seat. The quick-release seat system is due to be rolled out to other models in due course, say

HP Velotechnik, and they are considering offering a mesh seat option too. One of the Scorpions on display was fi tted with all controls on one side of the machine (below) for customers who may have the use of a single arm. The two front brakes are linked, actuated by the hydraulic Magura ‘Big’ lever. Bar end shifter and a twistgrip control the gears, and a ratchet gear shifter operates the rear parking brake. The one-sided Schmidt trike hub dynamo which we mentioned last issue will apparently be available in November, and HP Velotechnik are preparing a kit to allow it to be fi tted to existing Scorpion trikes. Comprising wheel, cable and front light and all fi ttings, the kit is expected to cost around € 429. The bikes in the HP Velotechnik range had seen mainly detail improvements, including a lighter aluminium stem for the Speedmachine. HP Velotechnik: Tel +49 6192 97 99 20 or see www.hpvelotechnik.com

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