https://vimeo.com/150703052
What – and exactly how – will we be riding in the future? Who comes up with the trends and who is going to push the development of our sport? Of course no one can predict the future, but recognising potential and steering trends along the right path are within the realm of human capability.
For many riders out there, GRAN FONDO – Cycling Magazine might seem like an unknown road, one that’s never been ridden before. But like many industry insiders are already aware, we don’t come without a heritage, and our knowledgeable international team have accumulated valuable experience on roads and races across the globe.
Only the future can say what’s around the next corner. The right attitude, confidence and genuine passion are crucial in the quest. As any true road cyclist knows, it isn’t who has the strongest legs, it’s who has the strongest will.
Choosing the right moment to break free from the pack is something instinctual, almost ingrained in the rider. That’s why we’re launching GRAN FONDO now, the next logical step after the official conception at the Design & Innovation Award 2016.
For 14 days the 40-strong Award Team at Kronplatz in San Vigilio/ Dolomites didn’t just analyse and scrutinize the industry’s current best products, it also staged pivotal expert discussions and looked towards the future. Many questions were asked along the way; such as how much innovation is truly necessary? Are products solving problems that don’t even exist, and why are some products taking an innovative approach but still floundering in their infancy?
The fact is that potential plays a huge role in the Design & Innovation Award. Recognising potential requires impartiality, unflinching curiosity, an open mind and the ability to distance ourselves from personal experience and what we’ve been brought up to deem the norm. It therefore holds that only those who properly give something a fair try can be qualified to form an opinion.
And given the current discussions around technological standards in the world of road cycling, this couldn’t be more apt.
The future is in our hands. With groundbreaking technology, more options and confounding bike categories, it’s the responsibility of us all to communicate better, form standards and offer direction through the dense jungle of marketing hype spawned by the bike industry.
By recognising new developments, then actively discussing and shaping these instead of avoiding them, overlooking them or brushing off – this is the way towards a better future.
Join us on this journey, swap stories with us, give us feedback and help us to shape the world of cycling together. GRAN FONDO – Cycling Magazine is our way of braving new territory, opening up new perspectives and finding solutions for current and future problems. But we can’t do it alone. Be part of the avant-garde, write to us at hello@granfondo-cycling.com.
Check out all winners and more about the Design & Innovation Award.
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