Frostbike 2018: Pedals, Apparel, Fat Bikes, and a Golden Fork

Issi's Stomp XL pedals retail for $100, are suggested for size 9 shoes and bigger, and weigh in at 460-grams. A true concave platform, there's a claimed 7.5mm of effective curvature. Each side of the pedal points 11 pins toward your feet, and grip can be adjusted by flip-flopping or removing the pins with a 2mm allen key or 6mm wrench. Available in the colors you see here. There's also a polished, limited edition version that will sell for $115.



Cane Creek's limited run Helm Conrad will probably be something you'll just read about, unless you're one of 150 people who gets to the right shop at the right time - which is anytime between now and within a few weeks. Named after a North Carolina family that found a gold brick and used it as a doorstop for years before finally realizing they were tripping over a fortune, the gold-colored 27.5-inch, 160mm fork's stock internals should work just as well as any other Helm at hucking off mine trestles or nose-bonking motherlodes. Cane Creek keeps pricing on their limited run fork the exact same as stock versions, which is $1100 in this case.



A trip to Minnesota in February to visit QBP, and it'd be almost rude to not mention at least one fat bike. Surly's new Pugsley brings back an offset fork with 135mm spacing so you can run a "spare" rear wheel up front on those epic adventures, and it gets a bit longer and slacker in the name of stability, as well as added room for panniers. It also now accepts 5-inch tires so there's a better chance of keeping this fatty afloat in the soft stuff. $599 USD for the frameset, and $1849 for a complete build.





Ketl Mountain Apparel is relatively new to the game, but is offering up some high-tech and low-flash kit to ride in. Stating they're a 100% gender parity company, they strive to offer the same colors, options, and quality materials in their line for both men and women. Their bib-liners looked the most interesting, as each had IPF(I pee freely) technology, back pockets licensed by Specialized so they won't get sued for having them hang over short waists, and mountain bike specific Cytech Italian chamois.

The women's version is either sheer genius, or a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. In theory, a 3-panel system and zipper hold a floating chamois in place while riding. But when nature calls, the chamois can be unzipped and flipped towards the back, leaving just a warm summer breeze between you and where you're aiming. It's female designed and tested, so chances are it works well. The men's version has a much more traditional brief style panel to access your assets through. Both bib shorts retail for $150 and will be available this April.







100%'s new Speedcraft Air glasses were the buzz of their booth. Similar to the old Breathe Right strips racers used to run around with across their face to open up their nasal passages for better breathing, the Speedcraft Air comes with metal studs attached to adhesive strips that stick to your nose. Once those are in place, the magnets pull your nose out via the metal studs, creating a wider nasal passage. I just checked, and it's not April 1st yet, so these should be an actual product that 100% says will retail for $300. Before you say too much, apparently Peter Sagan is all about these.




Though probably not by design, it was interesting to see how much more popular Skratch's three new bar flavors were by comparison to the other brands on the same snack tables throughout Frostbike. While there was never a shortage of the competition's bars, Skratch bars disappeared almost the instant they were restocked throughout the day.

Chocolate Chips and Almonds, Miso and Ginger(my personal new favorite), and Cherries and Pistachios all retail for $2.65 a bar, and are made with what Skratch claim to be "real" ingredients. It would seem crack cocaine just might be considered "real" and "natural," judging by the popularity of all three flavors - keep in mind there were free donuts, popcorn, and brownies, along with an all-you-can-eat breakfast and lunch. AND, there were giant boxes of leftover donuts left behind at the end of the show, while the Skratch bars had long since all been swiped.



ODI has two new F-1 Series grips, the Float and Vapor, which retail for $17.99. Both versions use a new air infused reactive elastomer (AIRE), which is a fancy way to say that they added air to the grip. The result is a comfortable, lightweight grip that's more shock absorbing than their other grips. Currently, the Vapor and Float are only available in slip-ons, but look for a lock-on version to be introduced at Sea Otter.



It seemed like there were just as many products we couldn't talk about at this year's Frostbike as ones we could. QBP's philosophy is not to launch a product to the public until it's ready to ship to dealers, which seems like a good plan. Keep an eye out for new bike models, wheels, tires, clothing, etc. to pop up from their house brands over the next few months.

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Reviews and Tech First Looks Forks Pedals Fat Bikes Issi