Euro-bike happened last week, an exhibition where all the big bike brands debut their range for next season. You can compare it to the bike worlds equivalent of the Geneva motor show. I've spent days going through all the major brands bike range for next years and truth be told nothing really jumped out and said "Buy me!".
Looking through brand after brand everything started to look rather dare I say, generic. A lot of element cues taken and given different names but follow the same concept. I'm not going to name manufacturers as I want to keep this quite light but it seems many brands have stretched the a certain governing body rules as much as they could and all that remains is making more subtle changes to the bike design. It was only a couple years ago when we were seeing truly ground breaking bike designs that are now in production today. Now before I continue I'm not referring to every brand, some brands have a certain niche toward classic design and some already make amazing bikes with no regard for the rules. I'm talking about the big mainstream brands where thousand are invested into R&D.
Now don't get me wrong, the current trend of integration, aerodynamics and light weight bikes are aesthetically pleasing on the eye, I'm not posting about bikes now being ugly just making the flare and imagination for 2016. Which is why I'm going to the governing body rules, I firmly believe the the rules need to be more lenient and accept technology with open arms. Many argue that if technology and design is left unchecked there'll come a time where it will be more about the bike than the athlete. But tell me, where in sport have we actually seen that happen? In swimming full body suits were banned because timed dropped dramatically, but we never saw a rank outsider win a swim meet it was basically one of the favorites. Even in motor sport having the best car doesn't guarantee a win.
Bike brands need to throw that rule book out the window and produce bikes that are illegal for the mass market. Technically they already due with disc equipped road bikes so why not do a completely illegal frame? Think back to the Factor Vis-Vires, a completely illegal bike yet visually stunning bike that showed what is possible if designers where left to do their own thing. Which is why I love triathlon time-trial bikes! There's no restrictions so we get more innovation and imagination when it comes to design. If you were to compare a triathlon time-trial and a pro-tour (legal) time trial bike from the same brand. Wouldn't you say the illegal design looked more innovative and striking?
I stand by opinion that the rules need to be relaxed, technology and innovation in the case of this sport doesn't create an unfair advantage, at the end of the day its about the rider not bike. Unless the bike had a motor...What speaks true is that it allows for more marginal gains, and with technology already introduced into other equipment such as kit. Shouldn't there be rules on that too? Possibly banning the use of certain material as it would give an unfair advantage?
So again I say, throw the rule book out the window and build what you want to build and we will buy it.
