The hottest kit you can expect to hit your local bike shop this year

It's that time of year when brands are launching their latest and greatest kit, either at the Tour or the long-standing Eurobike event. It's a monster of a bike show, with around 1,800 exhibitors and upwards of 30,000 visitors from around the globe, with everything you could possibly think of on display. We spent three days averaging over 20,000 steps a day (and countless espresso’s) covering the vast halls of the Messe complex in Frankfurt to spot the latest tech and new kit.

Much of the show is centred on trade, but there are still plenty of gems to see from the road and gravel worlds, and here are my highlights from my time there.

The Factor aero bike

Details are still thin on the ground from Factor on its latest wild aero bike, but it did have one on display, though this one had a Campagnolo groupset on it, so it wasn't the one Jake Stewart piloted to a stage win at the Dauphine. It looked crazy on TV, but up close, it's even more so, with its super-wide (but still UCI-legal, just) fork legs, very narrow and short headtube, and neat-looking integrated bar and stem with a similar upward sweep to the bars on the Colnago Y1Rs.

The more you look at it, the more clever detailing you spot, whether that's the front brake mount that creates a neat fairing to shield the caliper from the wind, or the way the handlebar and stem transition smoothly into the top tube, or the aero cages that hide bottles from the wind.

There was no word on when we mere mortals could buy it, but expect to see it in action at the sharp end of the sprint-heavy first week of the Tour de France.

DT Swiss ARC wheels

DT Swiss used the event to launch its latest range of road wheels. We covered all the technical details earlier today regarding the ARC range, but the event was the first time we had the opportunity to see them in person. They have a stereotypically subtle appearance but still pack plenty of tech and improvements over the already well-loved previous offerings, with wider rim beds, lower weights, and improved aerodynamics, especially when paired with Continental's Aero tyres.

The Tudor team will be using them at the upcoming tour, aiming to leverage the lower drag and weight to nab a stage win or two. We are also looking forward to riding them, though I suspect we may not ride them quite as fast as Julian Alaphilippe.

Giant kids bike

The Seek range from Giant look like some of the best kids' bikes we've seen, ideally suited for all the budding Tadej Pogačars and Cat Fergusons out there. Far from just a small-framed adult road bike, the Taiwanese brand has gone to town.

The alloy frame and full carbon fork are light and sized for riders from 130cm to 150cm with narrower tube profiles to provide a better ride for kids, but that's just the start.

With custom shift levers from Microshift with a 30% narrower lever body that's perfect for small hands, simple 1x electronic shifting, short and shallow custom handlebars, narrow 125mm wide saddles and a carbon 650b wheelset, it looks like the perfect way to help your kids progress on the bike, as well as being a gateway to prizing your offspring away from screens and into the great outdoors.

The frame and fork also have clearance for 37mm tyres, so it doubles up as a gravel or CX bike for budding off-road racers too. I hope to see loads of these around, and keep your eyes peeled for a review in the future.

BMC Teammachine SLR 01

Though BMC didn't have a booth at the event, it launched its latest bike during Eurobike week, and I was lucky enough to take one for an eventful ride in and around Frankfurt. Most of the headlines have been about its weight reduction, but what impressed me the most was how stiff and planted it felt. As often, very light bikes can feel vague and flexy when pushed hard, only excelling going uphill.

How much lighter is it, you ask? Well, it's 220g lighter than the previous generation 54cm frame, or to put it another way, four whole tubes less! BMC had a frame on hand that it had cut away to show just how much mass they had removed, and even after sitting through countless product presentations over the years, this was still very impressive.

Its finish and styling are every bit as high-end as its top-end £12k price tag would suggest, with super-light clearcoat finishing instead of paint on some models to save precious grams. Still, the best bikes don't come cheap, but it is right up there with the best climbing bikes. However, what I'm really looking forward to is seeing how it performs on a wider range of terrain on my home roads of Yorkshire, as we will have one in for a test soon.

Mavic wheels

Mavic is a brand on the rise again, with numerous updates across its range of wheels, clothing, footwear, and helmets. However, three items really stood out to me.

The first was the incredible Cosmic Ultimate 45, which features a super-light one-piece carbon design that not only looks aero but also super light, and I'm sure it's plenty stiff too.

Another carbon wheel that caught my attention was the far more attainable and budget-friendly Allroad S, which features wide rims with a 25mm internal width, carbon rims but a more cost-effective set of J-bend spokes and regular hubs, which get the price down to £999.

And some good news for those still running rim brakes or those looking to revive a classic bike: Mavic is bringing back the Ksyrium in a rim brake setup (as well as a disc version, too). They feature milled FORE rims in a polished finish, aero silver spokes, and matching polished hubs with Mavic's original logo, perfect for the old Italian road frame you have hanging in the back of your shed that you've been meaning to build up for a summer of café cruising.

Rotor and Wheeltop drivetrain collaboration

Info was hard to come by at the show, but rumour has it Rotor will be partnering with Wheeltop to bring a new groupset to the market. Rotor has previously offered groupsets that utilised hydraulic shifting, which never gained traction, but by leveraging Wheeltop’s existing electronic drivetrain and brakes, they could be onto a winner and a plausible alternative to Shimano and SRAM.

Orbea Gravel bike

The Spanish brand had not one but two new gravel bikes on show, the Terra and Terra Race. The Terra race is, as the name suggests, designed for speed with a light, agile, and aerodynamically optimised frame, longer lower geometry, and, like a few other brands of late, only enough clearance for 45mm tyres.

For those seeking longer rides and adventures, the Terra is a better choice, thanks to its higher stack, wider tyre clearances for up to 50mm rubber, and internal frame storage. However, it still has speedy ambitions and is light at 1040 grams for a medium frame, but it should make for a better all-round gravel bike for many. As well as the standard colour options, both bike are are available on Orbea's MyO custom paint program.

Megamo bikes

The Girona-based company had some great-looking bikes on display, and being based in one of the most popular gravel locations in Europe has clearly contributed to the development of two classy-looking bikes, as well as some very nicely finished road bikes.

The Silk is its gravel race bike, with its lower stack and aero frame, whereas the West is designed for longer rides and adventures.

Its road range is also comprised of two models: the racier Pulse and the endurance-based Raise, both of which come in various high-end builds. However, it was the quality of the paint finish that really caught my eye in a show full of high-end kit.

Shimano shoes

Shimano always have range updates at the show, and this year was no exception. Although they announced they would be stopping apparel earlier in the spring, their footwear options are going from strength to strength with some nice updates in the mid-range XC gravel shoes and road RC5 models with new en vogue pastel colours, ideal to match the latest trend for coloured bib shorts if you're brave enough.

Elite Rivo smart trainer

I know it's the middle of summer, and I'm hoping the mention of the word turbo trainer doesn't signal the end of the heatwave, but the latest smart trainer from Elite is definitely worth the risk. It has many of the features you'd expect, such as Zwift Cog and Click compatibility, Bluetooth connectivity, power accuracy within 2.5%, and the ability to replicate climbs up to 18%. However, the big news here is its projected low price of £499. Keep an eye out for a review in the Autumn.

Wilier Rave gravel race bike

The Rave from Willier was also on show in Frankfurt, and it's a bike I really wanted to check out. There has been a lot of talk about gravel race bikes lately, but unlike many of the more road-based options, this one features a much more UK-friendly clearance for 50mm tyres, which should make it a more versatile offering. It looks fantastic up close, too, with its clean lines, aero frame, and rave scene-inspired paint schemes.

New helmets

Most of us won't ever get the chance to own a true Red Bull helmet, but HJC have something pretty close. The brand has a long history in motorsport, and its latest collaboration is with the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, featuring the Furion3 aero race lid used by the Total Energies team in the World Tour.

Though not strictly new, this needed a special mention as it was my favourite accessory at the whole show. The classic phrase ‘Gravel is just a ’90s mountain bike’ has been heard a thousand times before, and Smith has leaned right into it. For those who love a bit of a 90s aesthetic, the Network helmet and glasses combo from Smith will be right up your street.

Abus had their latest Airbreaker 2.0 helmet at the show, which takes design cues from the original version but drops the previous generation's honeycomb design and replaces it with a more traditional style setup featuring seven deep channels to help keep you cool when the temperature rises. It's not a full aero helmet, though they have improved its aerodynamic properties with the introduction of a carbon blade, which also boosts structural integrity and impact resistance. It's suitably lightweight, weighing from 205 grams, and both Mips and non-Mips versions are available.

Uswe prototype Gravel race pack

Uswe make hydration packs for all sorts of outdoor activities, and had this interesting prototype pack designed for gravel racing, which looked more like a gilet or waistcoat than a traditional backpack set up. It draws inspiration from its trail running and hiking lines, featuring a tight fit that bodes well for aero gains, as well as strategically placed pockets for essentials and a large concealed back section for your bladder.