New Products from the Bike Festival in Riva, Lake Garda

Down on the shores of Lake Garda, Riva’s BIKE Festival never fails to usher in the new season in style, welcoming countless riders to this lakeside retreat and unleashing a ton of new exciting developments over the course of the trade fair. Here’s what caught our gaze:

Marin Wolf Ridge

As one of what is surely the most hotly hyped mountain bike launches of the year, the Marin Wolf Ridge – a 29er with 160mm travel – proved a real showstopper in Riva with its ultra-distinctive rear end design that delivered pure marmite to visitors. Marin claim that their unusual suspension setup has the capacity to overshadow everything we’re familiar with. Hype, much? Stay tuned for our imminent First Ride review.

Rocky Mountain Altitude

With a firm footing in the Rocky Mountain collection, their Altitude trail bike has just received a serious rehash, bringing its geometry and spec bang up to date. Check out our First Look article on this piece of eye-candy and keep your eyes peeled for an more in-depth review.

Ergon Factory grips

Having built a solid fanbase over the years, Ergon are rapidly becoming a grip of choice for many enduro and downhill riders. The GD1 grips were launched a while ago, but the brand have now dropped a Factory edition of the GE1 grips. Both pairs rely on a special rubber compound that’s made in Germany and is reputed to be both grippier and more cushioned than the original iteration. Aspiring Factory riders can choose between translucent orange or black.