Our BikeLIVE demo day event at Cannock Chase was such a huge success last year there was no hesitation when it came to choosing venues for 2018. Cannock Chase has everything you could possibly want to get the most out of a day of testing as many road bikes as you can manage, bikes from the likes of Canyon, Cube, Giant, Liv, Vitus and many others.
Our sister sites ebiketips and off-road.cc will also be hosting the event alongside us so there will be plenty of e-bikes, gravel/adventure and MTB's available for you to have a play on too.
At your disposal will be a 5km quiet road route which has a little bit of everything to really test whichever bike you're putting through your paces. Some flats, a bit of climbing and a swooping descent where you can really let the bike go.
For the off-roader's there are waymarked MTB trails and a huge range of dirt tracks to test the gravel and all purpose bikes on.
Who’s coming?
We’re going to be announcing the brands over the coming weeks but we’ll give you a sneaky peak of some of the highlights that’ll be there on the day.
Canyon
Canyon have always been a popular brand amongst you and it was probably one of the busiest stands at Odd Down last year.
Being a German based, direct to consumer retailer getting a test ride on a Canyon isn’t as simple as popping to your local bike shop for a quick spin so this is a great opportunity to chuck your leg over the latest machines to gauge sizing and spec levels.
Read what models Canyon will be bringing to BikeLIVE here.
Giant
No demo day would be complete without the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, Taiwanese brand Giant which is why they'll be at BikeLIVE with their huge range of road models and e-bikes designed with various different types of riding in mind.
What a range it is too, we took a look here at the full 2018 lineup including prices but we'll give you a little run through of the models likely to be available on the day.
TCR Advanced
The TCR Advanced bikes are performance road bikes that are designed to be lightweight, stiff and agile, roughly the equivalent of a Trek Emonda or a Specialized Tarmac.
All the TCR models are made from carbon fibre in various grades, and they come in race geometries: low and stretched.
Propel
Whereas the TCR bikes are designed for stiffness-to-weight, the Propels are all about aerodynamics.
Giant has added disc brake Propels to the lineup in 2018 for the first time.
Defy
The Defy is Giant’s carbon fibre endurance/sportive road bike lineup, designed to be comfortable over long distances while still providing plenty of speed. The Defy bikes are shorter in the top tube than equivalent TCRs, for example, and have taller head tubes to put you into a ride position that’s a bit more relaxed and back-friendly.
Contend
The aluminium-framed Contend models are built to almost exactly the same geometries as those of the carbon fibre Defy bikes (above), although they have shorter chainstays. They also come with tapered head tubes and steerers for accurate steering, and a D-Fuse seatpost that’s designed to damp vibration.
Vitus
BikeLIVE Bath will be the first time Vitus have come to one of our road.cc LIVE organised events and we’re excited that they’ve signed up.
Vitus' bikes have always scored well in our road.cc tests offering a quality ride and great value for money. Bikes like their Zenium SL Disc and the knobbly tyred Energie Cyclo X have both scored four and a half stars overall recently and this could be your chance to give us your feedback.
As with Canyon, Vitus bikes sold through Chain Reaction Cycles and wiggle are an internet only affair so this is a great chance to get as many laps in of the Odd Down track to find out if the bike is right for you.
Vitus will be bringing;
- E-Sommet E MTB
- E- Sentier
- ZX1
- Vitesse Evo
- Vitesse Evo disc
- Venon disc
- Substance Gravel
Liv
Liv is the women specific range from Giant and it covers everything from endurance style bikes with the Avail or if racing is your thing then you'll probably want to take one of the Envie models for a spin.
The Envie bikes are essentially women’s versions of rim brake Propels. Like the Propels, they’re divided up into different categories. There’s no SL version but there are Envie Advanced and Advanced Pro models along with an Envie Advanced Tri.
The Liv Avail bikes are pretty much women’s versions of the Giant Defys and Contends. It’s a large range containing 10 different models, covering both carbon fibre Advanced models and aluminium-framed bikes.
Cube
We're looking forward to welcoming Cube along to Cannock Chase.
Compared to a lot of others, Cube’s road range is relatively easy to navigate. The German brand offers Litening lightweight race bikes, Agree carbon-fibre endurance road bikes, and an Attain lineup, in both carbon and aluminium, that’s more comfort focused.
The new-for 2018 Nuroad bikes look interesting too. These are aluminium framed with disc brakes along with mudguard and rack mounts and enough clearance for 40mm tyres. If you’re looking for something with plenty of versatility, this could be a good place to start your search.
Maxxis Tyres
It’s not every day that you have such access to a leading tyre brands top experts, but BikeLIVE visitors will have just that and will be able to ask the Maxxis team everything and anything that there is to know about road, cyclocross, BMX and mountain bike tyres.
The team will be able to offer in depth insight into the innovative technologies that the Maxxis tyres are made with, as well as tailored advice to help riders find the perfect tyre to
suit their needs.
As well as Q+A’s, Maxxis will be giving you the chance to see its newly released tyres including the Relix BMX, High Roller II, Minion DHF and the Wide Trail model of the Minion DHR II, all of which will be on display at the events.
Some tyres will even be involved in demonstrations and will be used as OE on some fantastic bikes which will be available to ride on throughout, so that you can experience the quality of Maxxis tyres for themselves.
fi'zi:k
Once known primarily for its saddles, Italian company fi'zi:k successfully branched out with a range of high-end road shoes several years ago, and for 2018 it has completely overhauled the range with some brand new tech and a new naming convention. There are new saddles as well with the added option of pressure reducing holes and channels.
fi'zi:k first launched a range of shoes in 2010, and the range has evolved hugely in that time. Remember the original R1s made from kangaroo leather with sail cloth straps? In the pursuit for better performance and comfort, fi'zi:k has been pretty aggressive in its redesign of its shoes over the years, and there’s little to link these latest shoes back to those originals.
It's more than that though, fi'zi:k also offer a range of components which will also be available to view and get your hands on at BikeLIVE.
Pirelli tyres
Plenty of hype, two years of development, over 100,000km of test riding: a lot of work has gone into the development of Pirelli’s PZero Velo road tyres, marking the legendary brands’ first entry into the cycling market for almost a century.
Believe it or not, Pirelli are actually deeply routed in cycling history - they produced the first ever tubular tyre for road racers in 1895, going on to supply many riders in early 20th century editions of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. At BikeLIVE you'll be able to take an in depth look at the three new tyres, the PZero Velo, PZero Velo 4S and PZero Velo TT.
The Venue
- Tackeroo Campsite, Cannock Chase, WS15 2UA
- Saturday 21st April
- 09.30 to 16.30
Alongside the stands full of bikes and components the event village will be full of local food vendors to keep your energy stores replenished for tapping the miles out through the day.
And what will all this set you back?
A full days riding and much more is just £15, so why not treat yourself and buy your ticket here on the BikeLIVE website.
Also, just by turning up you'll be receiving a free goodie bag which includes £6 worth of Nuun hydration products and Clif Bars amongst other things.
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