Pinkbike Poll: Who Should Win the European Bike Challenge?

That is what occurs when 4 bike maniacs got down to construct bikes which are utterly made in Europe.

Overview

After showcasing the variety of regionally made bike components on the Instagram account The European Bike Project for about a 12 months, Alex determined to construct a regionally made enduro bike. After doing slightly extra analysis, it quickly turned clear that it will be potential to construct a motorbike with components that each one carry a made in Europe label. After mentioning these plans on his Instagram channel, Ralf from Huhn Cycles, photographer Kilian Reil and trials rider Gian Hupert acquired in contact with him as a result of they’d related plans. Inside a really brief time it was obvious that chatting about native bike producers was not sufficient – there needed to be a problem and a winner. The European Bike Problem was born.

Half a 12 months later, all bikes are prepared for the showdown. Every contestant was completely free to choose and purchase (at their very own expense) the components they thought had been greatest suited to a successful bike. The result’s 4 bikes that differ in some ways, but additionally share some similarities:

– All well-liked body supplies discovered their method into the problem: metal, aluminum, carbon, titanium.
– 4 utterly completely different drivetrains: A Pinion gearbox, a prototype Ingrid derailleur, a hydraulic Rotor 1×13 drivetrain and a SRAM/Garbaruk combine.
– Suspension duties are managed by Intend BC and EXT – two of probably the most well-known European suspension manufacturers. Nevertheless it’s price noting that there are different wonderful decisions too.
– All contestants selected a Vecnum dropper publish and likewise carbon components by Beast Elements had been a very fashionable alternative.
– Three out of 4 bikes are stopped by Trickstuff brakes, Alex’ Magura MT7 being the exception.

Elements Lists

Whereas Alex from TEBP actually went the additional mile and made positive that even small particulars just like the motofoam on his Crossworx Sprint 29 are made in Europe, the opposite contestants determined to make use of components which are made in Asia in some instances: Discs from Taiwan (Ralf, Kilian, Gian), Ti handlebar (Ralf), derailleur and set off (Gian). Other than that, all main components are eligible to hold a made in [European country] tag as a result of they had been utterly or principally manufactured and assembled in a European nation. When evaluating the general MSRP of every bike with the MSRP of the components which aren’t made in Europe, the 4 bikes are 97.5% to ~100% made in Europe.

Let’s check out the 4 builds and you’ll vote for the winner on the backside of the web page.

Alex’s 100% European Crossworx Sprint

Alex is the rider behind the European Bike Challenge and the person who laid down the European bike Problem. Whereas his fellow rivals have slipped up on components like drivetrains or cable housing, his construct is the one one that’s 100% made in Europe, all the way down to the lube, grease and motofoam.

The premise of the bike is the Crossworx Sprint 29 aluminum body that’s geared up with components from Intend, EXT, Magura, Galfer and extra.

Favorite Half:

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Ralf Holleis’ 3-D Printed Titanium Moorhuhn
Ralf is the one competitor to make his personal body and he created each this titanium model and an identical metal model of his Moorhuhn 29 utilizing additive manufacturing. Apart from the body, the star of the present on this construct is the presently unreleased Ingrid drivetrain, the one absolutely European, cable-actuated drivetrain.

Ralf’s refined anodized feather particulars stand out from the sandblasted end

Favorite Half:

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Gian Humpert’s Antidote Carbonjack
Trials rider and Trickstuff tester, Gian Humpert, turned to Poland and Antidote for his body. That is the brand new Carbonjack 29 that makes use of carbon fiber in addition to aramid fibers like Kevlar and Vectran within the layup. The 150mm journey body was up to date this 12 months to take 29″ wheels and likewise some updates to suspension and geometry.

Gian focussed on efficiency primarily for his construct, which explains among the non-European components, but it surely’s nonetheless 97.5% European on an MRSP foundation.

The Antidote Carbonjack should absolutely be top-of-the-line wanting enduro bikes available on the market in the intervening time.

As Gian checks elements for Trickstuff, they had been an apparent alternative for brakes. He makes use of the Maxima mannequin and used Trickstuff’s personal pads and rotors for efficiency causes though they’re made in Taiwan.

Favorite Half:

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Kilian Reil’s Customized Gearboxed Metal Path Bike
Kilian Reil drew on his expertise touring via Siberia and Central Asia when speccing his dream construct. Regardless of the numerous miles he’s anticipating to rack up on this bike, reliability and sturdiness had been extra essential than gram pinching. The result’s a 132mm journey body with aluminum wheels, a coil shock and a Pinion gearbox but additionally a Berk carbon saddle, Beast carbon bars and Tune hubs.

The metal body comes from Challenge 12 Cycleworks, a small Dutch builder, that makes use of a mixture of water-cut components, CNC, and silver and brass solder to carry his creations to life with a give attention to bikes which are as good to take a look at as they’re to journey.

The intricate shock mounting and linkage is a murals

The pink brake adapter is a neat flourish.

Favorite Half:

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Time to vote for the winner: