The venue for the Riva Bike Festival is in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Lake Garda.
This year, Mtbr got a chance to visit the Riva Bike Festival held annually in Riva del Garda, Italy. The easiest way for North Americans to relate to this event is to envision it as the "Sea Otter Festival of Europe." It is a chance for enthusiasts and pros to race, see new products and demo new bikes.
But unlike Sea Otter which has its roots in racing, the Riva Bike Festival which debuted 20 years ago, started as an event for Bike Magazine Germany to connect its readers with its advertisers to see and demo product. They chose Riva del Garda since it was the most stunning bike destination and only a few hours drive from Germany and Austria. From there, its had its ups and downs and it's now developed into a grand event with races, demos and a grand product expo just like Sea Otter.
There are many parallels too with weather since this is held in the spring and symbolizes the opening of biking season. Weather can be unpredictable this early in the season so the chance of getting stormy weather is just part of the tradition. But like Sea Otter, this festival has evolved with the times and is thriving with the bike industry. And since it has its roots with the German media and fans, it is still largely German in terms of visitor attendance.
Here is a primer about the history and the events of the Festival.
Here are some photo highlights from the event.
The expo space of the Riva Bike Festival is one of the most stunning outdoor locations around. 3,000 foot rock walls surround the venue and the massive Lake Garda sits right at the tip of the expo.
Continue to Page 2 for more on the Riva Bike Festival and full photo gallery »
We start off our coverage with an actual look at the new Shimano XTR. Last year's XTR was perhaps the best brake in the world with its incredible power and modulation. It is small and light and the new model sports a beautiful carbon lever and a new pewter finish.
The new 11-40 cog sports some of the most advanced construction we've seen with a carbon carrier and titanium rings. More tech details are available here.
The crank is stunning and is available in 1x, 2x or 3x configurations.
The YT Industries Capra Pro bike is a beautifully executed All Mountain bike with 27.5 wheels and 170mm of front and rear travel. The Pro edition of Capra is equipped with BOS Deville 170 suspension fork, BOS Kirk shock, SRAM XO1 complete set, Avid XO Trail brakes, and Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheels. It is available for €4000 EUR complete.
Sponsored YT rider Angie Hohenwarter is descending down a rocky outcropping on a Terlago, Italy trail using a YT Capra Comp.
The Vecnum Leveloc is a rope loop device that will tie your stem to your fork arc to keep it in a compressed position for climbs. It is both ingenious and scary at the same time. The Moveloc dropper post is a cable-actuated pinned post that has 4 positions. It can be activated by remote or local lever at all times and is available in up to 200mm of drop. More details available here.
Trickstuff is what European tech is all about, as they engineer component solutions in a brand name that doesn't quite translate well in English. They have a new brake that is indeed trick, with great power and modulation. It will be available soon in the US for $1000 a pair.
The riding in Riva is incredibly scenic and rugged. The rock walls rise up 3,000 feet from the valley floor, so shuttle rides are a good option. Suspension is required too, as the the trails have more rock than soil.
We climbed up the road on this DeVinci Troy bike and descended down some chutes that were a bit different from Sea Otter Festival's trails.
Evoc is very Euro indeed, as it got its start here in the Riva Bike Festival five years ago. Starting out with bike luggage carriers and hydration packs, they are now thriving with the the All Mountain bike movement. Shown here is their smaller hydration pack that still incorporates a spine protector for the rider's back in case of a fall. More information can be found here.
Their new luggage is optimized for bike travelers, as it has compartments for all the rider's needs. It makes it easy to remember all the required gear for a trip and it separates the fresh and not so fresh clothing. Bonus is it's easy to spot at the baggage claim carousel.
Riva Bike Festival: Product Highlights Part 2 »