Lance lid

There was a bit of a 'just for Lance' theme in some quarters, with items such as Giro's special sixth Tour win helmet similar to the gold lid that Lance wore into Paris. The special edition Atmos (not to be confused with the Lone Star one) is emblazoned with the winning years (1999-2004) as well as celebratory shiny gold colour. Giro will only make 2004 of them, natch - okay, so it's just for Lance and 2003 friends!.

Lance's Livestrong special

The bike Lance Armstrong rode into Paris on was a little different to the one he rode the rest of the Tour. Trek were showing this 'Livestrong' bike with gold and yellow accents. Don't expect a great deal of change from a large wad of cash, but it is lovely...

Strong wheels too

Armstrong's special edition Bontrager XXX Lite wheels have carbon hubs and yellow spokes.

All Oval, all carbon, all the time

Oval has teamed up with the carbon fibre and aerodynamic boffins at Jordan Formula One to improve the aerodynamics of its products. Some of their components were too new to even photograph, but some of their 'declassified' products included these time trial bars with integral carbon brake levers.

Not Campag MTB parts just yet

Campagnolo was rumoured to have a mountain bike groupset in development, but it appears that, for the moment, Vicenza is merely responding to the hugely growing market for flat-bar road bikes. The Italian component style-masters have developed a couple of different models including this carbon-levered Chorus unit.

Carbon - yes carbon - from Merlin

Having shown half-titanium/half-carbon frames in the past, it was perhaps inevitable, though still a little surprising, to see Merlin produce the Proteus full carbon road frame. There are even a couple of wonderfully engraved titanium cable guides to remind you of the brand's heritage.

Still engraved, still gorgeous

Not happy enough in just having a titanium bike? The Merlin Cyrene brings some intricate engraving to enhance the look. It won't make the bike any faster, but it might make you want to ride it more...

SRAM gets up front

SRAM is getting nearer to the unspoken goal of a complete mountain bike groupset with this front derailleur. It's a top or bottom pull that'll fit the two larger standards of seat tube size. No sign of a road shifter yet though...

For the laydeez

Camelbak has completely revamped its line and is chasing off after all sorts of new markets, like the 'Alpine Walking' consumers, but hasn't forgotten its cycling roots. The new line features lighter, swisher looking materials, some good colours and innovations as well as nods to smaller groups of users, like this pink beauty (in baby blue too) for the ladies. It's not just pink though, it has fleecy straps for wearing with sleeveless tops too.

Camelbak also had showed scaled down versions of the MULE and other bags for the kids to keep slurping in the heat.

Ooooh, shiny

Northwave has long been at the front of fashion in the peloton - or at least the Italian version of what looks right... And they're still at it. Gone are the different-coloured left and right shoes, but Nothwave is still looking at other ways of making its shoes stand out. And we found these chrome and black ones rather appealing, making the garish red and white ones look rather pedestrian by comparison.

Quattro Tied up

The Crank Brothers Eggbeater has quickly found favour in the mountain bike world for its light weight and its resistance to mud and crud. Crank Brothers new Quattro brings these benefits to the road in a more aerodynamic shape. It still has four sided entry and easy, but secure exit and Crank Bros claims that the scissor action of the retention mechanism actually increases the tension as you honk and sprint on them.

Marzocchi provides the fuel

Here's the really nice Elektra coffee machine (with eagle...) on the Marzocchi booth! 'Nuff said. Marzocchi shows that the Italians still know how to impress with a tiny cup of coffee...

Let's split

Another fruit of Oval's collaboration with Jordan is this unusual split-leg fork.

Ti-blanc's cranks

There were lots of carbon cranks on show. Stronglight were showing a mountain bike set that can be swapped between 170 and 175mm as well as this red white and blue set endorsed by France's new hero, Thomas Voeckler.

Easton clinches it

Easton is claiming a breakthrough in carbon technology with the use of carbon nanotubes in its new Tempest carbon clincher wheels. The new carbon fibre variant is claimed to be 25 percent stronger than conventional carbon.

Giant on fire

Pink has never looked as fast a colour as red, but when you've got hot rod flames this good looking, you know it's fast, whatever the colour.

Karbon from KB

After appearing on Trek's new carbon wheels, Keith Bontrager's name is now gracing many carbon components, including time trial bars and hollow spindled chainsets.

AX lightness - for weight weenies only

There seems to be nothing that the Germans like more than having the lightest machine in the world and there is a small industry making superlight products to help you get there, from plastic pedals and carbon levers, extra light wheels and quick releases.

Hand me my shades

It was the late eighties all over again on the Cinelli booth with these garish but somehow rather appealing paint jobs.

Colnago

You'll either love or hate some of Colnago's new paint jobs, but fortunately plain options are alaos available...

Canyon weighs in - at not very much at all

We've already showed you some of über-lightweight specialist Canyon's bikes, but here's their showpiece; a 3.8kilo 'rideable' road bike. It doesn't even have a 'normal' rear derailleur - even a carbon Record rear mech isn't good enough for them.

For a good night out, call...

My personal favourite from the show was this tent from Topeak that uses your bike instead of tent poles... The frame and bars support the front end while the front wheel replaces the tent poles in the tail end. A few guy ropes and you're ready to camp. Don't laugh, we could see the adventure racers and lightweight tourists looking with interest.

Cannondale cranks out the power

With the UCI's minimum bike weight now well over what we can buy in the shops, many teams were adding features to their team bikes to bring them up to the minimum weight and SRM's power-measuring cranks were a popular way of doing it while adding function for the riders. Us consumers, though have no such minimum weights to worry about, so Cannondale found a way of incorporating the SRM system into one of their Hollowgram chainsets and the result is ten grams lighter than a standard DuraAce BB and crank.

Gearboxes looking for a home

At least three firms exhibited their take on the internal gearbox bike, of the sort Honda has been campaigning one on the downhill circuit this year. Keeping the gears inside the frame reduces the sprung mass and stops the chain unshipping, but it's still heavy and complicated. These firms are trying to persuade you otherwise.

Be One's gearbox bike shuns the usual hub-gear box and instead has a whole derailleur system inside the box.

GT's prototype has been shown at every show for the last five years or so.

Nicolai even showed a 'cross country' version to complement their DH machine.