Prototypes 2015

New Bikes and Prototypes - Eurobike 2015

Aug 25, 2015

Mike Kazimer

 

Ghost PathRIOT 

The name may be a little strange – PathRIOT brings to mind crowds of angry rollerbladers squaring off against lycra clad joggers – but despite what my overactive imagination thinks, this is Ghost's latest entry into the enduro race market, with a full carbon frame and 150mm of rear travel matched with a 170mm fork up front. The bike's burly spec reflects its intentions, and the top of the line PathRIOT 10 model comes with a Climb Switch equipped Cane Creek Double Barrel Coil, a FOX 36 Float, SRAM XX1 drivetrain, and a Schwalbe Magic Mary / Rock Razor tire combo. 

The 27.5" wheeled bike's head angle is 66.5°, which is a little steeper than some of the other contenders in this category, but the Ghost was displaying a model with a Cane Creek AngleSet installed, an easy solution for riders looking for something even slacker. Other key geometry numbers include a 460mm reach on the size large, a 425mm chainstay length, and a 75.5° degree seat angle. The PathRIOT 10 will retail for € 6499, and the PathRIOT 8 will be € 4999. 

 

Ghost ROAMR 

The ROAMR is a concept bike, a rolling test sled that Ghost can use to experiment with different ideas, including a Pinion gearbox drivetrain. Ghost place the 27.5" wheeled bike in what they call the "enduro overland" category, since its 160mm of travel is more than enough to deal with whatever obstacles may come its way, but features like a dynamo front hub that connects to a USB port below the stem's topcap for charging lights or other accessories hint that this isn't your run of the mill all-mountain rig. 

Ghost have even developed frame and seat bags to go along with the ROAMR for bikepacking adventures deep into the burliest terrain around. One of the bike's designers will be piloting the ROAMR from Eurobike's location in Friedrichshafen, Germany, back to his home in Madrid, Spain, a journey that should provide plenty of opportunities to put it to the test. How much does the bike weigh? The exact amount wasn't available, but let's just say it's not exactly light. 

 

 A Pinion gearbox drivetrain drain means there's no rear derailleur to snag on rocks or get clogged with mud.

 

 Take a closer look above the bike's stem and you'll see the location of a USB port that's powered by the dynamo front hub.

 

Nicolai ION GPI Pro 

Nicolai had their latest gearbox bike on display, the 155mm ION GPI Pro. The bike's geometry was developed in conjunction with MOJO Suspension's Chris Porter, which means that it has an extraordinarily long reach, a steep seat tube angle of 77.7°, and a super slack 63.5° head angle in the bike's low setting. Available in three sizes: long, longer, and longest, the idea behind the geometry is to keep the rider more centered between the bike's wheels, a concept that's said to make it easier for a rider to get their weight over the front of the bike on steep terrain without feeling like they're going to pitch over the bars. 

 

 The longest size in the range has a reach of 520mm and a sprawling wheelbase of 1309mm.

 

 12 speeds are delivered by Pinion's belt-driven gearbox.

Canyon Stitched 720 

First seen under the likes of Canyon's slopestyle athletes Thomas Genon, Anton Thelander, and Peter Henke, the Stitched 720 is going into production for 2016. Purpose built for flipping and spinning, the aluminum framed 26" bike uses a concentric pivot around the bottom bracket, which allows it to easily be run as a single speed. The market for such a specialty machine is fairly small, which is why Canyon initially only be offering one size. Pricing is still to be determined. 

 

 The Stitched's horizontal dropouts have a built in chain tensioner.

 

 The rear shock passes through a split in the bike's seattube - the entire frame has been built to be as stiff as possible.

 

Radon Swoop 170 

Hanging in Radon's booth was a prototype version of their upcoming Swoop 170. Due to hit stores in March 2016, the bike has a three position flip chip found at the lower shock mount that allows the head angle to be adjusted from 64.9 to 65.9 degrees. The geometry has been updated from the previous 26" Swoop 175, with a very roomy reach of 465mm on the size medium. The bike will have a Boost 148 rear end, and routing to run Shimano's Side-Swing front derailleur. As to whether or not a carbon version is in the works, Radon certainly haven't ruled it out.