This year’s edition of the Berlin Bike Show is now one for the photo albums. A young classic, the bike metropolis on the river Spree once again embraced the cycling community with an explosive mix of artisanal craft and innovative concepts on display last weekend. Somewhere between trendy café atmosphere and pub-fuelled wisdom, the Berlin Bike Show integrated all levels of the industry. So whether you want to reminisce indulgently or just want to see what you missed this weekend, here are our highlights of this young classic.
C’mon on & take a gander, Berlin-style!
Berlin is of a very particular bent that’s hard to put into words. And despite how the trade fair’s own upwardly spiraling popularity mirrors that of this city, it’s comforting to see that the organizers of the Berlin Bike Show have succeeded in allowing the fair to grow without compromising its charm. A stroll around the trade fair didn’t just give rise to familiar key players on the scene, but also demonstrated the diversity of the rapt attendees. And apart from a few exceptions, it felt like everyone walked away satisfied; even by the 11am bells, we’d spotted more than just a few convivial raises of glasses. Much like the rest of the city, the fair’s commercial aspect wasn’t at the forefront, seeing it overshadowed by excitement, friendliness and, above all, bike culture.
The main hangar wasn’t just home to everything relating to bespoke, custom-made, steel and titanium, it was also the field for the big players like Specialized, Rose, Focus and Shimano. At the fair’s official opening on Friday night, the hall was transformed into a serious party, which was somehow at odd to the more mellow, low-key after-show reserved for brands and the press, leading many to foray into the city for a taste of Berlin’s unrivalled nightlife.
Canyon x Rad Race
News just in from Koblenz! After supporting the Rad Race series for a while, Canyon have turned their product development sights on a product designed specifically to excel in this field. While the Canyon V bike will initially be the reserve of the Rad Race’s own racing team, they intend to channel the feedback from the team and the community to create a new crit-specific bike to add to the Canyon collection. Even in its earliest form, it’s already creating quite a buzz.
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Gramm x Fern
Housed next door to each other, these two brands are at the top of their respective games, both dropping unique and well thought-out products. If 650b alone isn’t enough to satisfy your off-road hunger, then this 26″ piece of beauty should satiate your demands. Safety comes first, naturally: for any backcountry tour, the Zwille is a staple.
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Festka
Who knew recycling could be so sexy? Launched in collaboration with Nespresso, the Festka Doppler Nespresso, a veritable piece of art, was created with used coffee capsules and is up for auction on 18th March, with all proceeds going towards the Tereza Maxová Foundation. Essential aid for youngsters and the dream bike for yourself – charity work hasn’t never before been so easy.
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Huez
Fresh out of production, this is the new race team kit from the Elf Huez Crit Team. We won’t waste time philosophizing over the purpose of a skinsuit, but suffice to say: this charts at the stylish end of the sartorial scale.
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As Friday evening’s beats faded out, they could just as easily have heralded the onset of Saturday morning. We found ourselves in Berlin’s Stammhaus Einstein to muse over the scene and take a much-needed power nap. A real institutions, its parquet floor dates back to the end of the 19th century, and the leather couch’s indentations can tell the story of its many guests. No matter when you visit, there’s an almost ubiquitous aroma of various alcoholic spirits – unfortunately we didn’t succeed in tasting each of the 1,800 spirits in one night, and our valiant effort on the second night was equally as futile. Einstein’s has a vast menu, including a gin dating back to 1892, which surely has some stories to tell, and is just one element of what renders this venue such an institution.
