September 16, 2009 (Montreal, QC) – The 10th annual ExpoCycle, Canada’s bicycle trade show, got under way this past Thursday at Montreal’s Place Bonaventure and ran from Sept. 10-12. A tough economy and less than ideal show dates made for lower attendance as fewer retailers and manufacturers were on hand. On the flip side organizers reported 21 new exhibitors and the mood on the show floor generally was upbeat with many retailers riding the urban commuter wave and manufacturers on board with great products that consumers are looking for.

Outdoor Gear Canada’s Rob White got it right when he commented, “Up until now the industry has been based on the enthusiast and that represents 1% of the population. Bikes are getting good press right now and it’s catching on. There’s a huge opportunity to capture more riders.” The general consensus among show goers was that if you can get non-cyclists on commuter bikes there’s a good chance they’ll catch the bug and come back for more.

Struggling economy or not, there was still no shortage of bling at the show, highlighted by numerous five-figure ultralight road bikes using the new Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 electronic drive train. There were also lots of bikes making their Canadian debuts, including two stunning ProTour-level prototype time trial bikes made by Scott and Specialized. Every other segment was covered as well, from 10″ travel downhill rigs to kids bikes and from BMX bikes to laid back cruisers. Here’s a snapshot at some of the new goodies on display for 2010…

Felt Bicycles
Expanding its range up to an impressive 160 bikes for 2010, Felt is trying its own economic stimulus plan by lowering prices on every model. All of the company’s carbon frames have improved stiffness and are lighter weight thanks to a new internal bladder moulding process. The Q series of mountain bikes now have new designs across the board and the QX Hybrid bike is a sharp commuter for $465 that’s only available in Canada.



Cycles Lambert
Always one of the biggest booths at Expocycle, Lambert had new products across most of its line at the show. From Tacx comes a new $1,699 wireless trainer that is a first in its category. Lezyne has expanded its line to include some rear racks, and they’ve added many new tools, pumps and packs. There’s also some colour in the lineup, moving away from the usual white, black and silver designs. Zipp, which is distributed in Canada by Lambert, has added the Super 9, a 995-gram disc wheel for track or road use with a new hub and a slightly different design from the Sub9. Also new is the 101 Clincher wheelset and a set of return to centre shifters. Michelin has returned to running a full mountain bike tire program with a full range of offerings including the Wild Grip’R, the Race’R, the Rock’R and the Dig’R. Also new on the road side is the Lithion 2, which comes in at 220 grams.

SRAM
The SRAM Force line has been completely updated for 2010 and gets plenty of trickle down technology from the SRAM Red line. That has resulted in a groupset that will perform better and weighs 75 grams lighter. Also on display was the XX mountain bike groupset. This 2×10 group is strictly aimed at XC racers with a low weight and a high price – 2,300 grams and $2,400 US – to be exact. Cranksets are offered in 42/28 and 39/26 options and the rear cassette is offered in an 11/32 or an 11/36.



Apogee Clothing
Made in Canada at factories in Toronto and Montreal, this clothing brand was hugely popular with teams – making custom gear for over 450 clubs and teams in 2009. Apogee offers both its custom line with no minimums and now a full retail line with high quality pieces at reasonable prices such as big shorts ranging from $99-$149 and jerseys from $79 to $129.

Orbea/Reynolds/ISM (Podium Imports)
The Orbea brand isn’t largely changed for 2010, but the Orca and Diva models have been updated with BB30 bottom brackets and tapered head tubes, two options quickly becoming the standard design for road bikes. From Reynolds, which is also distributed by Podium Imports, comes a drool-worthy new road wheelset. The RZR 46T is the world’s lightest wheelset coming in at a shocking 875 grams and carries a weight limit of 180 pounds and a price tag of $7,000. They’ll be available in March. Podium is also now carrying the unique channelled ISM saddle line.



Biknd
Developed and manufactured in Quebec, the new Biknd travel case is unique in that it offers the protection of a hard shell in a lightweight and foldable package. The 16-pound case, which will be available for $575 at the beginning of 2010, looks to hold the bike solidly using a fork mount and then protects everything with air bladders. There are lots of padded sleeves and other parts used to protect your frame from damage in travel. You can fit a road or mountain bike in the case and two sets of wheels. The case also has wheels itself to make moving through an airport or hotel easy.

Jamis
Jamis was showing off one of the most expensive bikes at the show with a Shimano Di2-version of the Xenith SL road bike. The no-holds-barred build weighs in at slightly over 14 pounds and costs more than $16,000. Also on display was the new Dakar XAM, a $5,800 freeride bike featuring the Hammerschmidt shifting system, six inches of Fox suspension in the front and back and a Dropper seatpost. Also new is the Dakota D29Pro, a 25-pound full carbon niner with a full XT build. It will retail for $4,600.