It has been just released an incredible video where the British stunt rider Chriss Akrigg brings to the extreme limit the potential of the new GT Amp 2022 rig, equipped with the Shimano EP8 motor. For sure Chris has an immense talent to ride whatever type of bicycle in the most incredible places, but this video shows once more what is the actual potential of e-bikes when it comes to steep climbs.  Electric mountain bikes in particular open total new riding scenarios for the pros, as well as for the average rider. Having that surplus of power available for your legs allows you to ride in places that were simply inaccessible before the advent of e-bikes.  Climbing water streams and slimy rocks, gapping up and down huge stones, pedalling up dusty trails and riversides. Steep diagonals on +30% grade walls, crusing up and down loose slate grounds in full control... You need more than Chriss Akrigg's talent to do that, and the rideabiliy level that modern ebikes provide nowadays is simply the step that was missing.  Shimano EP8 e-bike system is the state of the art of Shimano's drivetrains for MTB specific use. The right power at the right time, Shimano claims.  This means raw power with complete control and adjustable power tailored to every riding style and need. Shimano EP8 features 85Nm maximum torque and delivers smooth, direct power for the most natural riding feeling. As you can see by your eyes in this video. You can also check the GT Brand page, or the page of the Shimano EP8 motor.

The 2021-22 cyclo-cross season is getting underway, with the European Championship of the past weekend, the UCI World Cup circuits and the Superprestige to then culminate with the World Championships in a single stage. This year the World Cup is as rich as ever because it has 16 appointments: after the first 3 rounds in the USA, it landed in Europe whith other 2 stops in Belgium, and then it will continue in four other host nations. Cyclo-cross is a discipline that has a long tradition in Belgium and enormous media attention. Top riders are considered equal to the great pros of the road and the competitions are followed by large crowds of enthusiasts. In recent years, however, the popularity of cyclo-cross has grown globally thanks to the presence of the two stars Wout Van Aert and Mathieu Van der Poel and a national rivalry (Belgium against the Netherlands), to which a third wheel has been added, the British Tom Pidcock. As a result of the growth of the three athletes who are now at the top of world road cycling, they will not be able to compete many races of the World Cup because their preparation is focused on the first races on road in Spring. Despite this, they have already anticipated that the World Championship, which this year will take place in Fayetteville in the USA on January 29-30, will be their goal: we will therefore see Van Aert and Van der Poel in some World Cup events later in the season. Their program includes a debut in December and a gradual improvement in order to be top form at the World Championship that both have already won (and for the Dutchman would be the fourth consecutive win). Out of the 16 UCI cyclocross World Cup rounds, the Italian race stands out, which will return after a few years of absence on December 12 in Val di Sole. It will be very suggestive because it will take place on the snow and will also be the test event to convince the IOC to insert cyclo-cross among the disciplines of the Winter Olympics.   These are the rounds the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup: 10 OCT 2021 Waterloo (USA) 13 OCT 2021Fayetteville (USA) 17 OCT 2021 Iowa (USA) 24 OCT 2021Zonhoven (BEL) 31 OCT 2021 Overijse (BEL) 14 NOV 2021Tabor (CZE) 21 NOV 2021 Koksijde (BEL) 28 NOV 2021Besancon (FRA) 5 DEC 2021 Antwerpen (BEL) 12 DEC 2021 Val di Sole (ITA) 18 DEC 2021Rucphen (NED) 19 DEC 2021Namur (BEL) 26 DEC 2021 Dendermonde (BEL) 2 JAN 2022Hulst (NED) 16 JAN 2022 Flamanville (FRA) 23 JAN 2022 Hoogerheide (NED) Despite the absence of the big names of the road, the Cyclocross World Cup season is very open and hard-fought this year. If Eli Iserbyt seems the most credited with the final victory (he has already won three races out of 5), the opponents Toon Aerts, Michael Vanthourenhout and the emerging Quentin Hermans are strong candidates and every competition is hard fought. We run on selective and technical circuits and very often mud and rain make the race extremely uncertain. Rai Sport offers coverage of the main events, not only in Elite category, but also in Women and Juniors. The only drawback that would make the category more varied, is the absence of real contenders to the dominance of the Belgians, and at the European Championship of last week it was a great surprise to see the Dutch Van der Haar on top of the podium who defeated the Flemish battleship. Italy was honored with the ninth place of Jakob Dorigoni: the Bolzano rider and Giole Bertolini have been participating in the World Cup races for several years with mixed results but in a growing trend, but far are the times of Renato Longo who managed to winning 5 World Championships in the 60s or more recently we remember the triumph of Daniele Pontoni (who has just been appointed manager of the Italian national team). Awaiting the growth of Dorigoni, who is only 23 years old, there is hope for an Italian movement that sees signs of awakening in the youth categories and in women: Arzuffi and Lechner among the latter, Toneatti Under 23 and Luca Paletti who has just taken the European bronze in the first year as a junior. Cyclo-cross has proven over the years to be a spectacular and a still loved discipline; moreover, it can be carried out as an integration of winter preparation or even as a step towards the road competions, not to mention that many athletes interchange fluidly between mountain biking in summer and cyclocross in winter. Always follow us on EurekaBike.it, the marketplace in the world of two wheels, with up-to-date price lists, offers and technical data sheets of the main brands in the world and a rich blog section with articles on professional road cycling, MTB, downhill, BMX, and curiosity from the world of bicycles!

The publication of the results of the Gendarmerie raid at the last Tour de France at Team Bahrein-Victorius made quite a lot of noise. According to French newspapers, an analysis of the hair of three team riders, carried out at the National Center for Biotechnology, showed the presence of tizanidine, a drug that is normally used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. It should be noted that this drug is not on the list of products banned by Wada (the international anti-doping agency) and considered doping. The French professor Jean Pierre de Mondenard, former doctor of the Tour and involved in the analyzes, stated that the drug is a muscle relaxant and could be used after the competition to soothe pain in the muscles. After intense and prolonged effort, in fact, the so-called muscle asphyxia occurs, with consequent severe leg pain due to the stiffening of the muscles. The drug limits this tension and its effects. However, Professor Mondenard also added that this molecule is very similar to those that stimulate growth hormones and he was bothered learning that it is used for sport. The circumstance has boosted the detractors of Team Bahrein- Victorius who have raised doubts about the performance of its athletes after an exciting season: 30 victories including stages in the great laps and podiums at the Giro d'Italia, the Paris-Roubaix. Emerging young people such as Matej Mohoric, Mark Padun, Gino Mader; established athletes such as Domenico Caruso and Pello Bilbao; a finally matured Sonny Colbrelli have reached the top of the world. It must be said that they are all riders who have had a constant improvement in their careers and have shown talent since the lower categories, so they did not come out of nowhere. Far be it from us to overshadow spots or even less to talk about doping (which, moreover, is not configured for tizanidine as mentioned above). All the insiders indeed agree on the fact that today's pro cycling is pretty clean, both for the reform of the bodies responsible for control and for the updating of the list of prohibited drugs. Also the acceptance by the athletes of the protocol that allows unscheduled checks and blood tests in every place, associated with the obligation to declare where you are on every day of the year have allowed serious checks strongly discouraging the doping. Last but not least, the transparency in publishing all the data relating to training and competitions which can be an alarm bell in the event of abnormal performances. Finally, a renewed ethics on the part of the teams, who immediately fired the athletes in the few cases in which they were found positive for the use of banned substances. The latest case dates back to 2017 with Ruffoni and Pirazzi, immediately resigned by Bardiani team. Having said all this, a doubt remains. To shed light on that gray area that is medical-scientific, but even above all ethical, of the use in sport of drugs, even powerful ones, for purposes other than the treatment for which they are indicated. The thought cannot but go to Chris Froome and many others who abused anti-asthma drugs, or to the present story where it is difficult to demonstrate the need for a product against multiple sclerosis for an athlete in full shape. These are substances that perhaps do not increase performance, but there is a need for transparency on the part of teams and doctors: what is the real benefit? What effects do they have on the health of cyclists in the long term? What and how many other drugs are abused that are not on doping lists? The team called into question defended itself by declaring: “Team Bahrain-Victorious and none of its riders have been officially or unofficially informed of any results found relating to tizanidine or other substances. The Team is keen to underline that the authors of the scientific article to which all the accusations refer have unequivocally underlined that tizanidine is not a banned substance in sport " In addition, the team is consulting the lawyers to verify the method of publication that has had a negative impact on the image of the team " We will see the developments: the hope is that the whole cycling movement that made so much effort to get out of the dark years of doping will not be tainted, but it will be an opportunity to improve research and the ethics of sport. On EurekaBike.it the bicycle marketplace, you will find interesting articles in the blog section about road racing, mtb, downhill, technique, curiosity, lifestyle and many price lists and tecnhical sheets of the top brands in the world of cycling!

The world of cycling is occasionally shaken by innovative and creative proposals: new technologies, hybridizations of different models, alternatives of use, simple aesthetic or functional quirks of strange bikes. But this realization is destined to occupy a special place because it completely overturns the concept of the bicycle! It looks like one of those crazy and futuristic vehicles created by the brilliant mind of Gyro Gearloose in the stories of Donald Duck .. Behind this bicycle, called hubless, there is the inventiveness and practical ability of a young engineer who calls himself The Q. It is not a model on the market, nor a product built by a professional manufacturer of bicycles, but just born from the passion and creativity of an individual. Building the bike of the future On Youtube you can see all the construction phases of the hubless bike, which starts from a normal fat-bike on the market. Our young engineer removes the hubs and the spokes and hooks the frame directly to the wheel rims. The result is amazing: the “empty” wheels seem to move by magic with a frame suspended on them. But how did The Q achieve this? The construction process is accurately documented by the video. As for the front wheel, first the spokes and hubs were cut and ball bearings were applied to the outside of the wide rim. Then it is necessary to mount special tires that you will arrange on it. Finally, the fork was cut and welded directly to the rim. The rear wheel has undergone the same modification, with the addition of a gigantic sprocket of the same size as the rim: the chain is attached to it so as to move the wheel directly. The disc brake hinged solidly to the crankset in the middle of the frame completes the work! A vehicle that certainly does not go unnoticed thanks to the absence of any visible connection between frame and wheels and the black and fluorescent blue color. Moreover, the performances and any constructive advantages or benefits are all to be evaluated. In the video the hubless bike shows an agile and light pedaling. If the project is destined to have a commercial future, it will probably be an urban or light off-road bike, to have fun and amaze observers with its originality. Moreover, the plan of an e-Bike with this setting should not be ruled out, which would allow you to enjoy the innovative system without being penalized in terms of performance. For now, praise to The Q who has earned a place of honor in terms of number of views and who has made headlines around the world. Always follow us on EurekBike.it, the market place of the world of two wheels, with up-to-date price lists, offers and technical data sheets of top bike brands in the world and a rich blog section with articles on professional road cycling, MTB, downhill, BMX , technical articles and curiosities from the world of cycling!

The market has seen the spectacular emergence of gravel bikes in recent years. An increasing number of enthusiasts are opting for the purchase of this type, not to mention the increase in competitions or non-competitive events. Gravel road are dirt or non-asphalted paths, so the construction philosophy of these bikes starts from the assumption that they are suitable for such routes. Everything was born, as very often in the world of bicycles in recent times, in the USA where the love for two wheels is combined with vast natural spaces with the presence of long dirt roads. And then the introduction of fascinating races in many American states characterized by paths in the boundless nature, without too many altitude difficulties and on rather compact eartyhy roads, which can easily overcome 100 miles up to the Ultra races such as the Trans Iowa that exceeds 500 km!The stars and stripes manufacturers have therefore launched on the market a type of bike specialized for these routes, which however is also excellent for use on asphalt roads.About 4-5 years ago the first gravels arrived in Europe and now it is a well-known product of many houses. Temporary fashion? Carefully planned commercial strategy? We believe not: the numbers prove it to us, but above all the constructive analysis of these bicycles. The technical characteristics of gravel bikes In general, the basic concept to start from are road racing bikes which are modified in some basic elements to obtain strength and solidity without sacrificing too much speed. An eclectic two-wheeler that combines road bike, cyclocross and touring characteristics. Obviously on the market we find a wide range of gravel bikes ranging from 500-600 Euros for entry models up to over ten times as much for top-of-the-range bikes.The frame, depending on use and price, can be steel, aluminum or even carbon. However, what differentiates it from its road-racing cousins ​​is its geometry. A slightly more "comfortable" structure: slightly higher head tube, less steep down tube and longer rear stay (up to 20 mm), to ensure a posture that is not "lying down" as in road racing, but more raised on the saddle. This translates into comfort for tackling dirt roads and greater readiness on bumpy roads. The greater weight of the frame is needed for strength, but as mentioned, those who opt for gravel do not seek the exasperation of road racing bikes. The wheels are 28 ”, the same size as the road, but what changes are the tires: larger section (30-35 mm) and you can opt for a more or less “clawed” tread pattern. The brakes are obviously disc brakes and the transmission is designed ad-hoc for rough routes with the presence of gravel, dust or mud (long rocker arm and high shifting fork). Furthermore, the ratios are more agile than the road cousins: the combination of 50/32 tooth chainrings is quite common, but the single chainring is becoming increasingly popular, with sprockets from 10-11 up to 34. In the case of the BMC URS 1 One, top of the range of the Swiss manufacturer, the largest sprocket is a frying pan-like 50-tooth! The major manufacturers such as Trek, Giant, Scott, Cannondale, BMC, Triban all have more gravel models in their list. Let's see some proposals: The Scott Speedster Gravel 40 has an aluminum frame, disc brakes and Shimano group with CS-HG500 # 10 11-32 cassette and double chainring at the front. An excellent mid-range vehicle at a price just over 1200 euros. Moving up the category to the top of the range, we meet the Giant TCX Advanced Pro 1 model 2021. Carbon frame, sturdy Giant SLR-2 42 wheels fitted with 33mm all-terrain tubeless tires and the Shimano Ultegra group, 11x34 with single chainring. The price is 3799 Euros. Fun, adventure and more In conclusion, a bicycle that is easy to use and not exasperated, robust and solid. You can travel many kilometers on road and on unpaved paths, preferably with hard and compact surfaces: gravel, light mud, compact earth. Obviously they are not made for difficult off-road and/or with important altimetric differences: for these routes the various MTBs are still the most suitable. However, gravel bike has a versatile use: there are those who use it mainly on asphalt (with ad-hoc tires) to have more strength and maybe save money compared to a very special road racing model. There are those who use it for mixed routes, those for adventure or even short trips: some models can install luggage racks and luggage racks and even indicators and mudguards. Finally, those who opt for the purchase of these bikes for the numerous gravel events that are beginning to appear in Italy. These are the multi-day events halfway between cycle tourism, adventure and pure challenge: among the most popular we remember the Veneto Gravel (690 km and 3900 m in altitude), the BAM of Mantua and the Tuscany Trail Experience. Cycling more in contact with nature, adventurous and with a touch of re-enactment of the past, when gravel or dirt roads were the norm, not the exception. A love for the heroic era of cycling, and perhaps more authentic, that the world of road professionalism does not disdain: just look not only at the success of the Strade Bianche and the classic-monumet Roubaix, but also at the fascination for the ancient of less known races such as the Paris-Tours which takes place among the dirt roads of the vineyards of the Loire, or the Tro-Bro Léon in Brittany which takes place on large stretches of ribinoù, characteristic paths with an earthy terrain.