We attended Velofollies, the second-largest cycling trade show in Europe and the largest in Belgium. The fair boasted an impressive 335 booths and welcomed nearly 40,000 visitors over the course of three days.
While our main focus was exploring mountain bike-related exhibits and products, we couldn’t ignore the undeniable buzz surrounding the gravel bike, which has become somewhat of a sensation.
You can watch the video below for a glimpse of the atmosphere and a brief overview of the fair. Further, you’ll find my comprehensive report detailing the highlights of our visit to the fair.
Cargo bikes, e-bikes, and the gravel hype
In addition to the plethora of gravel bikes, we were not surprised by the extensive selection of electric bikes. They were plentiful, showcasing a wide variety of styles and functionalities.
We were surprised by the abundance of cargo bikes. While they are increasingly common in urban landscapes, the presence of numerous brands at the expo indicated that this trend is even more significant than we initially thought.
MTB
Fortunately, there were also a great number of well-known and lesser-known mountain bike brands at the expo. Surprisingly, TREK was not present, which I found disappointing.
The “revolutionary innovations” either eluded me or were predominantly featured on the numerous gravel bikes, which seem to be ubiquitous across all brands now.
However, there were several standout items that caught our attention. Additionally, there were various components, tools, and even complete bikes that appealed to me as a mountain biker. Below is a brief overview.
SRAM Eagle Transmission
The new SRAM Eagle Transmission had become well-established on the latest high-end mountain bikes by then. It was nice to be able to see all the variants up close and in person.
What stood out to me the most was that the GX version had a particularly shiny cassette, which wasn’t very apparent in the product photos. I didn’t find it aesthetically pleasing. Good to know for future reference…
Magura Vyron MDS-V3 wireless dropper
I was also curious about the Magura Vyron MDS-V3 wireless dropper. After all, it’s the competitor to the popular RockShox AXS dropper, the most recent upgrade on my mountain bike. However, there’s nothing wrong with looking and testing.
The major difference with the AXS dropper is that the Vyron MDS has a battery at the back that cannot be recharged. You’ll need to replace it once a year. Otherwise, the specifications are nearly identical. You can choose four travel options: 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, and 175mm.
Like the AXS, this dropper is certainly not the lightest. At 700 grams, it’s probably a no-go for the real weight weenies.
I found the controller to be very stylish and easy to operate. There was a setup at the expo where you could operate the dropper. Manually, the dropper descended somewhat stiffly and wasn’t quick to return upwards.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to speak with anyone from Magura to inquire whether this could be adjusted. On their website, I read that the hydraulic system has been updated, resulting in the dropper reacting at lightning speed…
Lee Cougan Rampage Innova
This Lee Cougan MTB, made in Italy, was tucked away in a corner but still caught my eye. It was particularly the rear end that drew my attention. This mountain bike has a rear travel of 30 mm.
This version of the Rampage Innova, categorized as an XC & Marathon MTB, can be completely customized. In addition to choosing three colors, you can customize components such as the seat post, handlebars, stem, drivetrain, and wheels according to your preferences.
KMC DLC12 chains
KMC is no stranger to chains, always a brand worth considering. I’ve ridden with KMC chains in the past, and it’s always been trouble-free.
These DLC12 chains are compatible with SRAM Eagle (AXS), Shimano, and Campagnolo. With the various color options, you can give your MTB, gravel, or road bike a unique look.
However, to achieve that unique look, you’ll have to shell out a significant sum (€130.95 recommended retail price via KMC). The price took me aback because these chains are pricier than those from SRAM or Shimano. With SRAM, you also have some color options to add some accents, albeit fewer than with these KMC chains.
These KMC chains feature a titanium-carbon-nitride coating, which is said to reduce friction (and thus last longer), provide smoother shifting, and contribute to the overall longevity of the drivetrain.
MTB photo dump
Of course, you could also feast your eyes (and drool) over the most beautiful (and expensive) mountain bikes. After all, every brand showcased its flagship models. Below is a selection of the sickest mountain bikes we encountered during our visit.
Specials
Certainly, there’s much more to discover at such a large bike expo than just gravel, mountain, and road bikes. Below, you can check out the most striking and special things that caught our interest.
Zycle ZBike 2.0 smartbike
We hadn’t been wandering around the expo long when we stumbled upon the setup below.
The ZBike 2.0 is a smart bike made in Spain. It resembles a spinning bike and can, of course, be connected to various training software.
The friendly staff from Zycle had piqued my interest in this smart bike, so I asked if I could take it for a test ride. And, of course, I could…
What was particularly remarkable about this bike was how incredibly silent it was. This is a significant plus point, especially compared to a direct drive bike trainer. For example, my Elite Direto can be quite noisy, and the ground floor often gets to share in my exertions on the upper floor…
I was presented with a decent climb in Rouvy. Deciding to take it easy, especially since I was in regular clothes and had a full day ahead of me at the expo.
Shifting was very easy with the integrated buttons on the handlebars. I could feel the resistance changing, but the bike itself remained unfazed and continued to operate silently.
It was a short but definitely successful ride. Finally, I also wanted to know the price of the ZBike since I’m familiar with the prices of smart bikes from brands like Garmin/Tacx and Wahoo.
My jaw dropped when the friendly man told me that the ZBike costs only €1599 (with the expo discount even only €1299).
The main reason he gave me for the quite reasonable price is the fact that this bike is made in Spain and that more expensive bikes don’t sell well in Spain.
Zafi wooden gravel bike
Another impressive piece of technology was the Zafi wooden gravel bike. These bikes are crafted from ash or walnut wood. You can also customize these gravel bikes according to your preferences. You have the option to choose between the two types of wood, as well as select the components. Additionally, you have a choice of 3 different groupsets.
- SRAM Rival + Ritchey Comp
- Shimano GRX 800 + Ritchey WCS
- Campagnolo Ekar + Ritchey WCS Carbon
It’s something different from carbon or aluminum; in our eyes, it just looks cool. Lastly, you can also choose the finish, including matte or glossy.
Squeeasy water bottle
The Squeeasy water bottle initially looks like a regular one, but it’s not. That’s why I decided to take a closer look and was immediately treated to a detailed explanation of this bottle.
The Squeeasy water bottles have a dual function, which becomes apparent when you open them. Inside the bottle is a pouch where you can store the contents of 1 to 3 energy gels.
The advantage of this is that you don’t need to carry individual gel packets with you on your ride. Instead, you can drink the gels directly from the bottle and dose them as needed. Of course, the bottle can also hold the necessary sports drink. You can choose between gel or drink with a convenient switch on the top.
The staff member who explained the water bottles to us mentioned that these bottles are quite popular among cyclists and gravel bikers.
I was curious because I also find the hassle of gel packets and packaging inconvenient. I left my contact information, and if all goes well, I should be able to test one soon. To be continued…
Topeak prototype tools
After strolling around the expo for a few hours, I suddenly caught sight of the striking yellow of Topeak out of the corner of my eye. I often find Topeak tools to be very handy and effective, and they’re also of high quality.
I had heard they would showcase several new products at the expo, but that was quite an understatement. Alongside the many new tools, there were also several prototypes on display, some of which were particularly interesting, in my opinion.
The above Ratchet Rocket Essential, a mini torque wrench with bits for on-the-go use, was one of the many prototypes you could examine.
Given the many new tools, I haven’t mentioned them here, but I will dedicate a full article to them soon…
Bike Care
The overarching German company, Sport Import, represented the interests of our Bike Care Partner, Dynamic. I also had a detailed chat with them, and we exchanged contact information… So, stay tuned for more updates.
As we’ve come to expect from Dynamic, they had something exciting planned. You could win products by doing 1 minute of track standing on a gravel bike—the person who held out the longest received €250 in store credit, and after three days, the best time stood at a staggering 1 hour and 12 minutes, respect!
We also stopped by Muc-Off, who, in addition to their bike care products, had a variety of fun tools on display. We also made a quick stop at the Dutch company Cyclon. They recently launched a complete Plant-Based range, which they naturally wanted to showcase during this edition of Velofollies.
Practical info
It had been five years since I last attended Velofollies. Back then, it was an outing with the evening school where I took a bicycle repair course.
This year, it was a last-minute decision and a trip for my 40th birthday. Thanks to an email to the organizers, we could attend as press, which is why you’re now reading this report.
The expo is immense, and time flies when browsing through all the bike-related excitement. We chose to leave a bit later to avoid traffic congestion. That seemed like a good idea since it was Friday and the expo was open until 9 pm.
The downside of this was that the nearest parking lots were already full. Fortunately, we were immediately directed in the right direction by a friendly parking attendant.
We were surprised that it was already around 8 pm when we left the expo. We were exhausted and still had over an hour and a half drive home. Such a day at the expo can be tiring!
There’s so much to see that I don’t think you could see everything in one day. We definitely missed several stands and brands, I’m sure.
Final thoughts
For us, Velofollies 2024 was a success. We had a fun day and made some nice contacts here and there. Plus, we have plenty of material to create content for Mountainbikevibes.
If we were to offer a bit of criticism, it would be that the expo could be a bit more vegan-friendly. Since we’re both vegan, we didn’t immediately find anything to eat at the expo (or we missed it). Fortunately, we came prepared and had some food in the car.
Most of the major brands were present, with a few exceptions, and it was also nice to discover smaller or even new brands in various sectors within the cycling world.
If you’re as enthusiastic about cycling as we are, you should consider attending the next edition.
Were you there this year, too? Be sure to let us know what you thought and what other cool things you discovered (and that we might have missed)…
