iceBike* has been a regular fixture on the UK tradeshow scene for a number of years now. For those not in the know, iceBike* is the in-house, trade-only show of UK distribution powerhouse, Madison. With a brand list that reads like a who’s who of top brands (
Shimano,
GoPro,
Thule,
PRO,
Park Tool and
Garmin to name a handful), with the company also running a successful DH team (Madison Saracen), road team (Madison Genesis) whilst also sponsoring a whole raft of UK athletes, teams and supporting an impressive list of events.
Unlike most tradeshows, iceBike* is held at Madison’s own premises, with the permanent showrooms at the Milton Keynes HQ opening their doors, along with the erection of a specially constructed two-storey expo marquee.
Madison are Shimano in the UK and as you’d expect, the Shimano stand was an impressive affair, with every road and MTB groupset on display, along with Shimano’s ever-increasing wheel selections, catering for every size you could want.
It wouldn’t be a tradeshow without a special bike on display. Rachel Atherton’s World Champs GT Fury was on display with full Saint groupset.
Bliss Protection are one of a number of additions to the Madison stable this year. Stock will be landing very soon, so expect to see a whole lot more of Bliss at your LBS very soon.
BDS head honcho, Si Paton, gets the lowdown on Bliss’ unique Armourgel protection.
Stems might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of
Gamut, but the brand are soon to be bringin out a range of stems. The Cillos stem is aimed at trail/endure riders, coming in a range of lengths from 40-70mm and an RRP of £89.99 Weight is pretty impressive, with the Cillos coming in at 150g with steel hardware. Weight weenies can shave another 10g with the optional Ti bolt kit. There’s even a direct mount stem in the works too.
The ultimate workshop accessory – a powered workstand from Park Tool.
Kryptonite are pretty much the first and last name in security.
Outdoor Technology are another new brand for Madison this year
With a range of audio products focussed on outdoor lifestyles, you can bet items such as the Turtlesheel Bluetooth speaker will be making an appearance at your local pumptrack/DJ spot over the summer RRP £109.99
A new brand in the cleaning segment is
Duck-Smart, who’s parent company have been creating cleaning products for over 25 years. Originally designed for MX duties, it’s also ideal for cleaning your non-motorised steed as well.
Need to stow your bike in your house, but don’t have the space? Gear Up probably have the solution to your problems. Interestingly, the bike pictured here is a 650b road bike, designed for younger riders – an interesting application of the wheelsize for sure.
Got racks? Thule’s new Pack n Pedal range is designed to fit on bikes without existing mounts, so you can turn your MTB into an expedition ready bike (or dare we say, commuter bike) with ease. That’s a Genesis High Latitude 29er in case you were wondering.
Lazer aren’t a brand that might be on your radar, but the Belgian brand already have the likes of Brian Lopes on the books and now, with Madison on board have added the likes of Chris Akrigg, Matt Jones and Blake Samson to the fold. With a wide range of offerings in some subtle and not-so-subtle colour options, there's something to cater for pretty much all tastes.
Arcane are Madison’s own-brand BMX brand, with staffer Paul King helping out with product development and testing. One of the perks for working for the big boys
Last year, Madison split its bike business into a new venture called Sportline, which handles the Saracen, Genesis, Ridley and Ridgeback brands. The inaugural Sportline Show ran in tandem with iceBike*, with the bikes located at hotel a short drive away from the iceBike* venue.
Saracen are a brand who are always busy beavering away. Although the likes of Manon Carpenter make sure the Myst is grabbing the headlines, the brand offer a wide variety of models across XC, Trail, DH, Commute, DJ and Road, with entries across a large spectrum of pricing options. Guaranteed there's a bike in here that you want.
The range-topping Myst Pro is a very special bike indeed. With a price tag of £4899.99 this is one serious piece of kit, complete with a carbon fibre rear end, full Saint groupset, Fox 40’sm and PRO finishing kit, this is the exact same bike that the Madison Saracen team race on. The mixture of raw and matte finish looks even better in the flesh.
Genesis are another of Sportlines in-house brands (one that started as an off-shoot of Ridgeback). Although more known for their steel road bikes (as raced by the Madison Genesis team), off road is where it all started for Genesis.
Now in its second season the High Latitude is a trail 29er with a very British feel to it : Reynolds steel frame, 1x drivetrain, big tyre clearance and routing that’s actually been thought about with the great British winter in mind.
Speaking of British weather, we’ve just come out of the wettest winter ever recorded, with a lot of the South West still underwater and a lot of trail resembling some kind of venue from the bog snorkelling world championships. With that in mind, the Caribou is probably a firm choice for a bike right about now!
Yes, yes, it’s a fat bike, but one that’s designed with expedition-style riding in mind (with some nice little addition from UK outfit, Alpkit). Interestingly, this is the only non-Surly fat bike that features Surly’s market-leading fat bike wheels and tyres. A pretty nice industry nod of appreciation, if you ever saw one.
To find out more on pricing or availability of anything Madison distribute, head to
www.madison.co.ukWords by Ian Carter
Photos by Simon Nieborak
Special thanks to Si Patton
Gamut have been very busy of late, redesigning their chain devices to make them some of the lightest out there as well as releasing TTR rings for the ever expanding 1x market.
Member since May 4, 2008
Or is that just me?
Just my fairly uneducated but experienced opinion.
The routing also keeps the top-tube clearer, which is good if you ever shoulder your bike, or carry luggage or a bike light battery - all possibilities in the Genesis target market which includes long-distance riders and bikepackers.
Finally, cable routing also tends to be 'cleaner' to the downtube as there's less bend in the outer.
Downsides? The routing to traditional rear mechs may not be quite as good as it is from the seatstay (as opposed to being routed along the chainstay), but not really an issue with newer Shadow-type mechs.
Personally I would ride a bike with either option (and I have) as both are reasonably weather resistant, as long as you spec decent outer when running it full length. However, I do personally also prefer cable routing under the bottom bracket on a front mech.
"it takes like 10 minutes to replace cable and housing anyway (which is still less work with full length" So about eight minutes longer than cleaning and lubing an open cable with slotted stops...
Marketing speel below:
"Tired of having to choose which wheel size may complement your riding best?
Don't!
Introducing the INVISI-WHEEL - no-one can tell what clique your in so your bound to fit in everywhere!
INVISI-WHEEL rolls over nothing so no bitching is required
INVISI-WHEEL is the lightest wheel on the market (when paired with INVISI-SPECIFIC tyres/sealent) so you can still feel superior!
INVISI-WHEEL will take your riding to the next level - and fit ptoperly in your boot!"
At last....
That's no wheel
Why would you be suprised in the least by seeing a 650b road bike at a trade show?
Was this pinkbike that visited iceBike or was this a Madison distribution press release? Why mention Rachel's Gt Fury and only show us a pic of her chain guide?
I think the idea is that they were showing of the new Saint chainguide as its Shimanos very first foray into the chain device market.
www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/All-Products/c-1-73
they have a wall of shame showing a lot of other makes that they have cut through easy. there is vids of a guy with about 6ft bolt crops not getting through there chains.
its just weather you believe the hype