Brooks, Tubus, and Co-Motion at Interbike

September 25, 2010

After a long hiatus, the Brooks Colt saddle is making a comeback, and this time in color. In it's former life, the Colt was a widely popular premium saddle for road and touring bikes. With deep sides that help prevent chaffing, and a very thick hide, this saddle was known for it's durability, and we still spot some older models on touring bikes here and there, so perhaps we shouldn't call it a comeback. The new saddles will have some unique colors (thanks to natural vegetable dyes), which can add some additional flare to your touring bike.

While shaving grams isn't always a big concern for loaded cyclists, Tubus has some super lightweight, yet sturdy racks for those who want to keep the weight down. The Airy and Carry racks are made from titanium, and both come in under a pound. As the name might suggest, the Airy rack is their lightest option at a scant 230 grams, and can handle up to 66 pounds of gear. The Carry rack comes in at 350 grams, and has the same 66 pound weight limit, but is reinforced to handle the abuse that longer tours can put on a rack.

Co-Motion Cycles flexed their versatility by showing off their coupling tandems, as well as Gates Carbon Belt Drive systems with Rohloff hubs. Combine all of this together, and you have packable tandem that exhibits great efficiency, and requires very little maintenance.

That wraps up the show for me, but I'll continue posting about the show over the coming weeks, so there's plenty of great new products to be seen.

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TOURING GEAR AND TIPS is written by Joshua Tack of Adventure Cycling's member services department. It appears weekly, highlighting technical aspects of bicycle touring and advice to help better prepare you for the journey ahead.