More Randoms for 2011

Katz bikes was one of the first brands we came across during the open air demo day at Eurobike and what caught our eye was their simplicity. What was so special about these bikes which herald from the land of Toblerone and cuckoo clocks? The two which caught our attention were both full suspension bikes built around the Rohloff rear hub transmission.

Some manufacturers try to fit these in the center of the frame, but here Katz have opted to keep it traditional and use it in place as a hub. The drive from this comes from an internally routed chain through the chainstay. In fact, the whole drivetrain, chainring included, is fully enclosed and sealed. The advantage with this is that the drivetrain should last significantly longer than with normal open systems.

The linkage where it all happens. By changing this link you alter both the geometry and travel of the bike. The Moos (meaning moss/lichen) is the bike seen in these shots and comes standard with 120mm travel and a 69 degree head angle, while the Alp comes with different plates offering 145mm travel and a slightly slacker 67.5 degree head angle.

Ultra simple rear wheel removal - no faffing with a dirty chain, just unscrew the changer mechanism from the hub, undo the QR and pull the wheel out. Simple. The total absence of noise with this design was instantly noted, the internal chain routing not only keeps things under tension, but also being padded. No chain slap, no nothing - silence!

The Carbocage; a sub 100g chain guide made from carbon plate. It looks trick and has virtually no place for mud to clog. Now it may not be new but it's a cool device and one which could well be the perfect trail device for those not requiring a bash guard. It's hard to say how well it would stand up to downhill use, but for 4x it should prove to be reliable - Steffi Marth won the German National 4x Championships using one of these this year.

Handmade in Germany, Cope are one of a number of small companies producing high quality bikes in low numbers. Markus Widmann is the owner, an Audi engineer in a previous life, with many years experience, he gave us a quick run through of what makes the Statement frame tick. A single pivot, the design is similar visually to some bikes already out there, but that is where the similarities end.

At 4.2kg for the bare frame it comes with the option of either the Elka Stage 5 seen here or a Bos Stoy to control the 190mm of rear travel. Being a small manufacturer also allows them to offer the frame with the option of either a 65 or 66 degree head angle which, when combined with offset cups, should enable a rider to select anything from a World Cup ready 63.5 degrees to a very freeride-able 67.5 degrees. Here is also a carbon guard which bolts onto the downtube to protect the shock from debris thrown up by the front wheel.

Here you can see the extent to which Cope have gone to remove excess material from the chainstay yokes. Coming fitted with an ISCG05 mounting, it is fully compatible with the Hammerschmidt system and while the brown may be an acquired taste for some, it also is available in the black or white.

Ultra neat dropouts, good quality bearings and a 150mm axle. Note the way the bolts hold the axle in place - easily replaceable inserts should you swing on the tools with a bit too much force. Retail price is 2290EUR for either the Bos or Elka rear shock equipped frame. Check out www.cope-cycles.de for all the detailed geometry information.

Always the masters of beautiful products, Lezyne had several new items on display as well as several older products reworked. Here is their new track pump which is designed with a huge barrel to help seat tubeless tyres quickly by pushing a greater volume of air with each shot.

Three models are available, from one with an all stainless steel construction through to others with varying degrees of wood and plastic in their construction. Handily they can all be rebuilt with fresh seals as the bodies look like they could last a lifetime.

Another product from Lezyne is a small trail tool that incorporates 90 degree hex keys to allow for easier access to awkward small bolts like brake adjusters. Available is a similarly designed Torx key set. The larger multi tools also have a useful pad spreader tool to help push closed pads apart. It's something that no doubt will only be used once or twice, but will be very handy to have around when you eventually do need it.

Also on show were some carbon micro pumps for use out on the trail which incorporated a tube you thread onto the valve - it's an old idea, but on a mini pump it's welcome as it should reduce the risk of snapping the end off the valve. Like the pad spreader it's not until you actually do it that you realize that something like this is A Very Good Idea! The pump shown here has a fold out base to create a mini track pump. The in line gauge features on several of their lines. Also on show were 25g CO2 cartridges to inflate larger trail and downhill tyres in one shot rather than needing multiple cartridges to get them up to pressure.