May is generally not the time of year when new bikes launch. In a typical design cycle, new bikes will start trickling into dealer meetings between July and September, with official launches in October so that futures orders can be placed and bikes start hitting the floor in the early spring.
Two things have completely disrupted that product cycle: the COVID-19 pandemic, and the push towards direct-to-consumer for even traditional bike brands. The pandemic, of course, blew the entire cycling industry up; we are still in a cycle where you might be able to get a frame, but components may be scarce. Better to launch a bike when you know there are parts to put on the thing. And with direct-to-consumer becoming an ever more important part of the puzzle (particularly with those of knowledge on their fits already), well, why not May?
Quintana Roo X-PR Series
Arguably the most important launch this weekend, as it is actually available to purchase right now, the X-PR follows a few months after its super bike brethren, the V-PR.
Much like the original PR-series bikes, the new X and V follow much the same formula (and much like what Cervelo did when launching the then "new" P2/P3 series in 2013 and 2014, respectively) -- same frames, different forks, different builds. But it's a hell of a frame -- race winning pedigree and over a pound lighter, per size, over the prior generation PR-series bikes.
The other new item that comes down from the V-PR are the integrated front hydration systems. There are three different options for you to choose from that mate neatly with the Profile Design bars in the front end -- two from Profile Design, and one from X-Lab. In all, it's a very neat complete solution.
Pricing starts at $3,499 for a frame or $5,195 for a complete bike with Ultegra. Shimano's new 12-speed Ultegra Di2 is also on offer. Considering the amount of trickle down technology available at more than $3,000 less than a V-PR, the X is going to give you an awful lot of value.
Kristian Blummenfelt's CADEX Concept Bike
That isn't a typo -- this wild non-traditional design is not branded a Giant. Although CADEX is a subsidiary of Giant (much like Trek's Bontrager), they have their own engineering and design team. And they went far outside the box for this one.
Unlike the beam bikes from Cervelo, Dimond, and others, the CADEX follows a design philosophy that sits closer to Ventum -- leave the seat tube, but eliminates rid of either the down tube (Ventum) or the top tube (CADEX). But CADEX wasn't satisfied leaving traditional answers anywhere on this bike. The super-wide fork is reminiscent of that from the new Specialized Shiv, and the rear triangle goes low, much like we saw out of the original Felt IA. On the front-end, you'll find a bit of duct tape solutioning for the Giant branded hydration system, and Drag2Zero aerobars.
A validating performance on Saturday would go a long way toward seeing whether this bike comes to market.
BMC's Red Bull Advanced Technologies Prototype
If you're on a mission to build the fastest bike possible, you need to get the right combination of aerodynamics and weight together. And there's arguably nobody better at that than the pinnacle of motorsport racing -- Formula 1. And you could do worse than partnering with the home of the reigning world champion -- Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
That's exactly what BMC has been doing for the last four years -- quietly working on the fastest UCI-legal bike they could in partnership with Red Bull. The result of that labor makes its debut this weekend beneath Patrik Nilsson. Featuring an integrated storage box in the lower triangle and significantly different tube shapes than its predecessor, it also comes complete with a prototype paint job that is eerily similar to the F1 team's test livery.
Image Credits
All images courtesy of manufacturers
