Riva del Garda Bike Festival

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It’s that time of year again when the European bike Industry descends to Riva del Garda in northern Italy to show their best, latest, strange and some times mad ideas for all to see. Following close after Sea Otter there isn’t that much new, maybe a few pieces of drive train that we haven’t seen before and this year even more e-bike variations for the pedal assist market that the bike industry is convinced will be bigger every year and is showing that with some major investments, some that make sense and others that don’t look so convincing but seem to have won awards.

The big names are all here in one form or another, many with press previews and test opportunities for the riding public. We took a wander around Riva del Garda to see what we could find that sparked the imagination.

The pump track challenge course lines the old boat docks.

In the festival zone giveaways abound.

Alchemist with some really wide carbon rims, so wide that the spokes are on opposite edges of the rim.

Alutech with a prototype e-bike, notice to change the geometry it’s easier to cut the tube and weld a new piece in.

Chris Troyer from Fox was busy working on some pro trail bikes, whilst the new Fox 32 lightweight trail fork sat there in public for the first time.

We weren’t really sure if this was serious or just a concept, anyhow if you need to reduce the travel of your fork there is a product to do that for you.

SRAM techies busy at work, as always non stop, sorting people’s problems, tuning and servicing.

Hirzl let us see their new Kangeroo skin gloves, the light version here was incredibly soft and sensitive, yet protective.

Ghost with their new tame trail/aggressive trail machine.

It works by flipping the shock mount which alters the responsiveness of the shock curve, it also enables a shorter or longer shock to be used. Ghost were trying to achieve what their RIOT link does but in a simpler way for trail bikes.

Fox Head had their new cross country kit on display, plus their new  Metah Enduro helmet in it’s various colourways.

Their is always a secure place to lock your fat bike to here in Garda.

Mondraker presented their new XC/trail pedal assisted carbon machine. Weighing in at 18.8 kilos, and costing €7999 they are hoping it will set a bench mark for quality XC ebikes.

Neon with some funky looking shades, which gave an amazing view of the mountains in the background.

Bold, an internal rear shock, seeing this in reality was interesting, necessary?

A band was on hand to compete with the music blaring out of the various tents, keep music live!

Commencal have the coolest range of kids bikes out there for sure. This little monster would be any kids dream bike. It took pride of place on their stand.

Darren Berrecloth was signing posters for Canyon bikes and we thought it was right we get one for our own kids of course.

Vittorio Platania with the latest Formula 35, ready to ride from tomorrow.

DMR had some cool looking signature parts from Andreu Lacondeguy in the form of these wicked multi-colour changing Vaults.

They also had Brendon Fairclough’s latest signature Death Grip line on display.

Magura, one of the inventors of the Hydraulic brake, apparently still have a market for their original hydraulic rim brakes, this was their latest version on display!

High flow valves from E Thirteen.

DVO’s full current product lineup.

Nicola Casedei 2015 Italian Enduro champion was enjoying the festival atmosphere.

Apparently this Coma workshop stand can lift the weight of two Italian men.

Paul Aston fellow journalist and all-round good bloke signing up for the Ghost lucky dip after completing one pushup. This is an achievement considering his major shoulder reconstruction.

Alex Boyce managed about 30 with this device, it is supposed to build core strength when doing pushups.

Easy way to see the festival.

EXT with their latest coil shock offering.

This is Rotwild’s latest ebike and cheif engineer who designed it, based around the Brose motor, the same one that is in Specialized’s Turbo Levo, we will be hopefully testing one soon.

Focus bikes with their trick carbon trail weapon.

The completely custom standards Hope Enduro bike made another public appearance.

Hope also had its brakes on show.

10-44 tooth rear cassette from Hope, another hopeful market entrant to the now busy after market cassette scene.

Acros are yet another company to offer carbon wheels. With the high level of competition, surely prices are about to come down?

Answer Manitou with their Dorado based Enduro fork on display.

This ebike motor by Orello apparently has won a design award, we are not quite sure it it will make many in-roads into the consumer assisted bike market.

Good by lake Garda, the sun starts to set on the majestic mountains that line the lake.