MISANO ADRIATICO – The Italian Bike Festival once again confirms its role as the leading expo in the sector. A place for valuable insights and an important place for the brands that drive the category, those with large numbers and volumes but also for medium/small companies.
The latter find the Italian Bike Festival the perfect opportunity to connect with enthusiasts, showcase and discuss their products. Among other things, We have selected some of them.
KarbonKrone, the 12-spoke wheel
Is called KarbonKrone, a true beauty for its visual impact and technical solution, a source of pride for Sandro Marcorin, founder and CEO of Alchemist, a great cycling enthusiast. The project The KarbonKrone 40 is based on a 40mm high carbon rim, with a 23mm wide internal channel. The design is not hookless, but involves engaging the tire through a mini hook (mini-hook, or hookless 2.0) and provides for the assembly of tubeless tape.
There are 12 spokes for each single wheel, they are made of carbon and slide through the aluminum hub. The latter has the DT Swiss internal mechanics (with CeramicSpeed spheres), easy, efficient and immediate. One of the peculiarities of KarbonKrone is the possibility of mechanically intervening on the spokes, inserted inside the rim with nipples. This means that they can be replaced and the wheel can be re-spoked. In case of damage and subsequent intervention, Alchemist undertakes to return the product within one working week. The list price is just over 4000 euros.
Fasten, the system that gets people talking
A system that involves the entire bike, or rather both wheels. It's the first package that allows you to remove the wheels from the frame. without the need to disassemble sprockets and discs. At the same time, it also creates a real interchangeability, because the front wheel can be mounted on the rear triangle, the rear wheel can be engaged on the fork.
The technology developed by Stefano Costamagna and his staff is called SWS (Switch Wheels System). It includes the wheels with their hubs, which are narrower than the traditional ones, and the supports to be mounted on the frame (seat and fork). The latter require specific seats for assembly, they do not work with standard frames, but it is also true that Fasten also provides the entire system implementation map. Standard through pins are used. With the same assembly, there is no increase in weight that is worth discussing.
Magene is also transmission
The Magene distributor for Italy is Gist Italia, a team that believed in the brand (rightly so) and brought a breath of fresh air to the bike industry. makes electronics, modern technology related to power meters and transmissions accessible to everyone, is truly proposing itself as a major player for the years to come.
Focusing the lens on the broadcast, of which not all the precise details are yet available, will be available on two levels (own like the power meters, PES in aluminum and TEO in carbon). The operation is hybrid, with a battery to be placed inside the frame (which powers the balance and derailleur) and the levers that communicate with the battery wirelessly. Prices are yet to be determined, but following the Magene trend there could be a 30/40% savings compared to competitors, for the same category and market positioning.
Works of art exist: they are called Passoni
In the carbon era Titanium still has its place and artisan excellence still exists. At the Italian Bike Festival, Passoni exhibited the prototype of a creation that we will see in the coming months. The Prototype, for now we want to call it that way, is the first Passoni bike to use a full carbon fork and integrated handlebars, also full carbon, designed, developed and produced for the first time by Passoni. The bike represents the renewed version of the Passoni Titanium Disc.
In addition, some details are striking: the clearance for tyres up to 32 mm in section, the steering with 1,5" seats (upper and lower). Then there is the Czech dropout on the driver's side, last but not least the bottom bracket box with T47 locations (threaded) and 68 mm wide. The slimming treatment is important, with a weight saving of between 120/140 grams depending on the size (compared to the Titanio Disco). Passoni Prototipo is available in standard sizes (eight), naturally made to measure, as regards geometric dimensions and also technical performance.
