Kolektif Berlin Bike Fair – Custom Bikes, ROSE, Canyon, GIRO, MOSKITO
After the demise of the Berlin Fahrradschau, the crew of RAD RACE jumped on the opportunity to host their own bike fair. Is Kolektif Berlin Bike Fair just the supporting program for the RAD RACE last man standing race, which took place last Saturday, or is it an independent event with a future?
In December 2018, the organizer of the Berlin Bicycle Show announced that after nine events, there will be no further fairs in the future: the end of an era perhaps, but also fertile ground for something new. The RAD RACE team, founded by Ingo Engelhardt, was quick to fill the huge footprint. Their concept was to bring a smaller, more intimate event: not a classic trade fair, but – as the name implies – a collective of small labels, industrial giants and an interested audience. We have summarized for you the most exciting products of the fair:
Wish One
Designed and built in France: The Wish One Gravel bike will be presented later in the year, but we were allowed to take a first look at this prototype. The frame comes with Columbus Spirit HSS tubing and a T47 bottom bracket, flat mount standard for disc brakes, internally routed cables and Thru-Axles. In the model range, the bike will be equipped with Paragon dropouts and Mavic Speed Release Thru-Axle system. In addition, the Wish One appears to be equipped with a new Mavic gravel wheelset. Apart from the snapshots, we were, unfortunately, unable to elicit any further details from the French brand so stay tuned!
For more info visit wishonecycles.com
Fern Bikes
The Fern Randonneur bike presented by frame builder Florian Haeussler attracted a lot of attention in Berlin with its extraordinary paint finish. The colouring comes from the Berlin scene legend Velociao and is a mixture of different paints. Other clever features such as the internally routed cables as well as the front luggage rack and the integrated lighting solution will certainly pay off on the next brevets. The 1×11 drivetrain is a custom mix of Gevenalle shifter, Shimano DURA-ACE crank and Shimano XT rear derailleur. Without bags, the Fern weighs about 11 kg and is available for € 7,999.
For more info visit fern-fahrraeder.de
Meerglas Custom Frames
With Thomas Becker, Berlin is home to another highly talented frame builder. On behalf of a customer, he has built this modern Rando bike for the Paris-Brest-Paris, a 1,200 km long-distance race. The frame is a mix of the finest Columbus and Reynolds tubes and has internally routed cables. The cable ports are – similar to Fern – always a feast for the eyes. Propulsion is ensured by a Campagnolo Chorus shifting group with René Herse crank and 650B wheelset. This bike is also painted by Velociao in Berlin and retails for about € 9,800 depending on specification.
For more info visit meerglas.org
ROSE BIKES CPTL
The Bocholt bike manufacturer and direct mail order company ROSE BIKES presents the CPTL – a carbon bike for urban use. The frame of the CPTL forms the basis for three different models, all of which, when fully equipped, should fall below a total weight of 13 kg. All models feature Gates CDX carbon belts and Shimano Metrea disc brakes and are now available from € 2,599. The CPTL frameset also forms the basis for a very special project: The artist collective TAPE THAT from Berlin has provided three of the frames with their adhesive art and thus created unique pieces.
For more info visit rosebikes.de
Big Forest Frameworks
Is this perhaps the future of the custom frame? By that we don’t mean the characteristics of this framework in particular, but rather its manufacturing process: in Big Forest frameworks, the customer becomes the builder. In different workshops with different levels of difficulty, you can build your own bike in one to five days under the guidance of the professional. Lugged or welded, racing bike or mountain bike – there are hardly any limits here. The courses start at € 995 plus material costs.
For more info visit bigforestframeworks.com
Canyon Grail AL
The girls from the RAD RACE GRL PCK have just returned from their first big ride on their Shimano 105 equipped Canyon Grail AL 7.0 bikes: they travelled over 666 km from Lisbon to Seville in six days. The € 1,499 Gravel aluminium bike did not disappoint according to the ladies, weathering the hardships well. Optically, the Grail AL makes a very solid impression. We are looking forward to a first test!
For more info visit canyon.com
ALMAN Road 040
In the middle of the historic city centre of Bologna, Aldo Mandato produces his tailor-made beauties. Racing bikes are just as much a part of his portfolio as commuter bikes, mountain bikes, track bikes and gravel bikes. The frames can be painted on request directly in Italy. This model ALMAN Road 040 comes with Columbus Spirit tube set, Shimano ULTEGRA 2×11-shift group, rim brakes and costs about € 5,000.
For more info visit almancicli.com
GIRO Empire ACC
The American clothing manufacturer GIRO presents the Empire ACC variant of the legendary EMPIRE shoe model series. Will this develop into a modern classic? Price per pair: € 299.
For more info visit giro.de
FINGERSCROSSED
News from the sock universe by FINGERSCROSSED: The new summer collection is going to be hot with contrasts and neon-coloured accents. These socks will unlock superpowers, perfect for the final touches for your 2019 summer look.
For more info visit fingerscrossed.design
SUPER VISION
SUPER VISION proves that sustainable fashion is not always about Rastas and handmade linen. The extremely fashionable and minimalist design company presents a portfolio made of recycled and ecological materials. With the company’s own factory in Ho Chi Minh City, founder Marian has big plans: Zero Emissions! Already you get with each item purchased information about how many kilometres you have to travel by bike instead of the car to compensate for the CO2 produced during the production.
For more info visit supervisionlab.co
MOSKITO Watches
Maybe no news for some time, but still a great product: the wristwatch with bike computer function from MOSKITO. With a twist on the bayonet clasp, the watch can be detached from the bracelet and used as a bicycle computer – MOSKITO offers special brackets for this purpose. In addition, the clock is available in the lightweight aluminium or the extremely solid and high-quality stainless steel version and costs depending on the model € 700-930.
For more info visit moskitowatch.com
That’s it: our highlights of the Kolektif Berlin Bike Fair! According to the organizer, about 5,000 people attended – a good number of visitors for such a young event. If it keeps using this year’s location, the growth of the Bike Fair will be limited. So it’s up to the organizers to decide if they want to keep the cosy and familiar atmosphere or put on a bigger, holistic market overview. Whatever their future, we are looking forward to another edition in 2020 because the event Kolektif Berlin Bike Fair is more than just a supporting program: it is a cosy meeting place of the cycling scene!
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