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Eurobike 2026 Day 3: Test Rides and Technology

  • Ron 

As evidenced by the title of this post, Day 3 of 2026 was all about test rides. A wiser journalist maybe would have got in their test rides before the day that Frankfurt hit 95 degrees, but here we are….

Though to be honest, it took some time on the ground to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak to really get to the bikes that interested me (and hopefully you).

Before we get to the wheat, let’s talk about the chaff. The chaff is the (essentially) generic step through e-bike: external battery, hub motor (not that there’s anything wrong with that. See Mahle below), riser bars, wide seat, locks of racks, 60-80 pounds… A lot of these come down to someone finding an OEM supplier in Taiwan, picking a set of components without any real thought about how they work together, coming up with a trademark-able name and ordering a container of bikes,

After yesterday’s test ride snafu, Canyon’s director of communications very nicely reached out to me to arrange a test ride of the V2X (Vehicle to Everything) system installed on their Roadlite:ON bike.

While the V2X prototype (Canyon calls it production ready)  is not the full-fledged Canyon Predict system with a dedicated helmet/heads up display, V2X is a testbed for what the future of city cycling can be.

The system is built around the Roadlite:ON’s chassis with a compact singlespeed, belt-driven, Bosch hub motor and powered by a long-lasting Bosch e-bike battery, providing reserve V2X power even if the battery capacity for the motor is empty.

Before I even got onto a bike, I hopped into a Volkswagen Passat. The car was a beta version of software that connects to a wifi mesh network (think of similar technolgies for things like AirTags and Apple’s ‘Find My’ app) to communicate not only with other cars on the , but also with bicycles that are communicating position, speed, direction and so on.

While that tech may seem quite ‘bleeding edge’, I’m told that there are more than 2 million cars on the road right now that have the capability to run the software.

As I was sitting in the car, two other testers were riding bikes equipped with the V2X app. The navigation display on the car actively showed the position of the bikes, both location and direction/orientation.

When I got onto one of the bikes, I was (more or less) directed to ride quickly behind a line of parked cars while the VW drove on the other side. As we approached a collision point, the bike gave me haptic feedback though the grips that an encounter was imminent, giving me time to brake or avoid the car. There was also light feedback as I was riding that there were cars nearby.

Another significant safety benefit comes from the bike’s dynamic braking light and radar system, designed to alert drivers to a rider’s intended actions and warn them if they are too close.

The possibilities for urban cyclists shown here is very promising. In addition to haptic feedback, future options may include automatic braking. If you’ve driven a car made past 2022, you probably are already familiar with that tech.

The Coalition for Cycling Safety is bringing together leading road safety experts across diverse sectors to accelerate the widespread deployment of V2X technology. The real question is when V2X use cases specifically focused on cyclist protection will be deployed. Without more bikes equipped with V2X, there is less incentive for car OEMs to prioritize that use case. Canyon is helping to create that catalyst.

For V2X to truly have a large-scale positive impact, the technology needs greater adoption within the cycling industry. By showcasing this technology, Canyon hopes to inspire other cycling brands to embrace V2X. The more bicycle and automobile manufacturers who adopt this technology, the safer our streets can become.

Rohloff E-14 Hub Tech

Rohloff’s E-14 hub was a 2026 Eurobike Award winner, so I knew that I had to give it a try.

I must add that the E-14 equipped I rode was one of the few ‘analog’ bikes I rode over the past three days.

If you’ve read over the past several years, you’ll know that a couple of my review criteria are ‘does it work?’ and ‘does it solve a problem?’. The E-14 hub shines on both counts.

The test bike that I rode (an un-badged titanium drop bar ) was equipped with the E-14 hub and a pair of TRP Hy-Wire brifters. The brifters communicate directly with the hub. I was told that there might be a lag in shifting, but if there was, I never really noticed. Once I got moving, it like any other bike (And trust me whe. That is a shining compliment).

With 14 speeds available, gear steps are very low. I’m not sure of the range, but it gave me enough range to climb the ramps of a parking garage and go hard on the flat sections of the test track.

With only a minimal weight penalty (you are removing the rear derailleur after all) and a clean chain line, the E-14 hub offers a great and simple option for any rider that wants a simple, reliable bike.

Blubrake NEO

Blubrake brought their third-generation system for e-bikes, NEO, to Eurobike and I was able to ride one of the bikes in the test area.

ABS transformed braking on cars and motorcycles, where it is now taken for granted. Blubrake believes e-bikes are next. ABS fundamentally changes how an e-bike is used: braking with control and stability in any condition, whether wet roads, gravel or sudden stops in , turning braking from a source of stress into a source of confidence.

“This is not an evolution. It is an entirely new platform, designed from the ground up to meet theneeds of bicycle brands,” says Koen Van Der Weerd, Chief Commercial Officer at Blubrake.

Designed for OEM integration, NEO combines compact hardware, active braking control and an open integration philosophy, giving manufacturers full freedom in e-bike design:

  •  Compact. The unit measures 96 × 38.5 × 35 mm and can be mounted in the fork, in the frame or into the steerer tube, preserving bike geometry and brand character.
  • Open and compatible. NEO integrates with major drive systems, via standard electrical interfaces and CAN communication, including Bosch, Ananda and Bafang and with widely used hydraulic disc brakes such as and Magura brake models.
  • Plug and play. Easy to integrate, easy to use and easy for dealers to service: no dedicated maintenance is required beyond standard brake inspection.
  • More accessible. A significantly lower price point than the second generation opens ABS to mainstream e-bike segments.

Blah, blah, marketing speak…but does it work, you ask? Emphatically, yes.

The system kicks in above 20km/h. While I was totally able to skid the bike at slower speeds, once I was going faster, it just would not lock up.

While I’d love to see some way to retrofit this onto analog bikes, the NEO system definitely represents a step forward in safety for e-bikers.

Mahle Hub Motors

I’ll be honest. I had no cause to stop by Mahle’s booth. They had not contacted me in advance of the show, and I didn’t even really know their name.

But they had eye candy. Nice drop bar e-bikes that looked only slightly different than their analog cousins.

I rode both a Bianchi road bike and a Mondraker trail bike.

Try and tell me that those aren’t some sexy beasts. I’ll wait…. Other than the small button/display on the top tube to activate the motor and set power levels, the cockpit was otherwise clean. These were hard to distinquish from any other bikes.

And, they were also possibly the most fun bikes I rode today. When I start commuting to the day job next spring, one of these could definitely find its way into the stable.

Amflow and Avinox

I’ll be honest. Again. I nearly passed on scheduled meetings with Amflow and Avinox. I had ridden the Amflow TR (equipped with Avinox’s M2X motor system) earlier in the afternoon, and had ridden a Raymon bike with the system yesterday. Suffice to say that I was already sold on the technology.

But, I was happy to take time to speak to Ferdinand Wolf to see what’s next: The MG concept system. We also talked about that in yesterday’s post (and I REALLY want to ride that Commencal prototype), but long story short, the MG system takes all of the best parts of the M2X system and adds in shifting.

After the death of the front derailleur (and TBH, no one is mourning that), Avinox brings us the end of the rear derailleur on e-bikes (though see Rohloff above…). As with Rohloff, this means less weight, a cleaner chainline, and an overall better experience for the rider.

I’m hoping to get an M2X-equipped Avinox in for review and an crossing my fingers to throw ny leg over the Commencal in 2028.

That’s All Folks!

Checking out. I’m flying back to BWN HQ in the morning.

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Tags: Amflow, Avinox, Bianchi, Bianchi e-bike, Bike World News, Canyon Bikes, Canyon V2X, Eurobike, Felt, Mahle hub motors, Mondraker e-bike, Rohloff E-14, Shimano, Taiwan, bicycle, bicycles, brakes, carbon, disc, e-bikes, helmet, light, review, road, road bike, running, singlespeed, speed, traffic
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