Product news: [Eurobike 2016] Kuota 2017: New Gravelracer Allroad and innovative elastomer damping

Market / Eurobike: The Italian manufacturer Kuota has been a household name among carbon lovers for many years and German cycling fans should be familiar with the bikes from the Continental Team Kuota-Lotto. For the 2017 model year, they dare to step into the gravel/cross area and we were also able to spot an interesting elastomer damping for the seat post at the Eurobike.

More comfort thanks to a special seat post and elastomer in the frame

On some of the extremely popular test bikes in the demo area, we spot colored inserts on the seat post slot. When asked, we were told that these were still prototypes of an elastomer damping. These are inserted into the seat tube of the Kuota frame and in turn hold the seat post. They are currently still experimenting with different hardnesses and lengths of the elastomers - so whether you will see this damping on the 2017 bikes is questionable, but we are definitely curious.

This "comfort offensive" includes a seat post, which is also still in the prototype state and is intended to offer additional flexibility and thus more comfort thanks to two special properties: It is 'bent' backwards about 5 cm below the saddle clamp and also on the back flattened. This gives the component a lot of room to the rear and absorbs unpleasant shocks and vibrations better. However, to ensure that the seating position does not change as a result of the kink, the seat clamp itself is offset slightly forward. At first glance, this takes some getting used to, but it is effective. And maybe one or the other detail will change before it is ready for series production.

Kuota 2017: Six road bikes, two with disc brakes

The diverse portfolio in the racing bike sector that was already in the previous year will remain largely untouched for the coming season. With six models, Kuota is already very well positioned, and with the Khydra and the Kryon Disc Kuota also has two racers with disc brakes on offer. The two ends above and below are marked by the entry-level model Kobalt and the high-end racer Khan. While the frame of the Kobalt weighs almost 1.100g and complete bikes can be realized for less than €2.000, you have to dig much deeper into your pocket for the lightweight Khan (frame weight under 800g!).

We particularly liked the aero racer Kougar: The seat post can be rotated by 180°, which means that the seating position moves forward and the saddle is centered over the bottom bracket. If you now add an appropriate structure to the handlebars, you can convert the aeroracer into a time trial specialist or triathlon bike in just a few simple steps.

The Kuota road bikes 2017 at a glance

The selection of racing bikes at Kuota is large: there will be six models in 2017 as well. They differ in their orientation, their weight and of course their price. The Italians give their customers free choice when it comes to equipment: Buyers can choose freely from a given pool of groupsets, wheels and any add-on parts that deviate from the series. In our overview we have listed two exemplary equipment variants. All components, including prices, can be found on the Kuota website.

Kuota 2017: New gravel racer Allroad

The big highlight both at the booth and on the test site was the new Gravelracer Allroad: Even at first glance, the Kuota newcomer makes a powerful impression with its bold camouflage paintwork and is also technically convincing: find 35mm tires (including optional mud packs) effortless space in the rear triangle and fork and an extremely sporty geometry ensures the necessary propulsion even off the asphalt.

The carbon frame only weighs 1.070g, but thanks to the thru-axle it is stiff enough for rough forest roads and trips off the beaten track. As with all of its bikes, the Italian manufacturer dispenses with ready-configured complete models and prefers to leave the choice to the customer. The frame set costs €1.699, the complete bikes cost between €2.238 (for a 105 group with Mavic Ksyrium Disc) and €5.028 (for Ultegra Di2 and Mavic Ksyrium Elite Allroad). All prices and configuration options can be found on the Kuota website.

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