Eurobike Gallery: Hed carbon clinchers, GT titanium bikes

Simply a cool city bike. Shimano Alfine 8 speed internal hub, rear fender, $1200. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

The Eightball. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

We like this one more than the Eightball, actually. It uses SRAM's Automatix two-speed automatic hub, which changes gear when you hit a certain cadence and changes back when your cadence drops again. A coaster brake takes care of stopping duties, and the big, fat Schwalbe Kojak tires are just sweet. So it's like a fixie — the look is clean and the mechanics simple — with an extra gear and an actual brake. That's either wimpy or intelligent, depending on the size of your vintage skinny jean collection. It'll set you back $780. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

There's that nifty SRAM Automatix hub. Two speeds, auto changes, coaster brake. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

Looking for something a bit different? Look no further. GT's classic Edge Ti holds onto the company's classic Triple Triangle while embracing modern features like a tapered head tube. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

For the Ti lovers and old-school GT fans out there. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

The whole frame is polished, then masked and brushed. A new one will set you back $2,200. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

If Hans Rey were a product manager, this is what he'd put together. Now you can ride it. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

The GT wing motif. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

All the places freeride legend Hans Rey has ridden. Speaking of which, Rey has a new book out that chronicles his decades of two-wheeled adventure. I had a chance to peruse a copy at the GT booth and loved it — but he is a bit of a hero of mine. Anyone who was hitting the dirt during Rey's heyday, as I was, should take a look. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

GT will sell its Zaskar 100 with a build that is nearly identical to that ridden by Hans Rey himself, and each bike sold will provide a bike for the Wheels for the World bike charity. What does Rey ride? Crankbrothers wheels and seatpost, and cockpit paired with Shimano XT. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

Hed will offer a carbon clincher for the first time in 2013. Dubbed the Vanquish, the 60mm rim uses the same SCT (Stability Control Technology) shape as the Stinger 6, one of the fastest wheels in the world at its depth, but of course adds a clincher rim bed. That rim bed is exceptionally wide, 25mm, which Hed says provides a more aerodynamic tire/rim transition and better support for the tire itself. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

C2 basically means wide: 25mm at the brake track and 26.5mm at the rim's widest point, to be precise. Weight of the set is 1,543 grams, 670 grams front and 873 grams rear. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

Brake track heat buildup is the major engineering challenge with carbon clinchers, but just as companies like Zipp, Bontrager, and Enve all claim to have solved the issues, so does Hed. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

The 60mm Vanquish is Hed's only carbon clincher option, for now. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

Hed will offer the 50mm deep carbon Stinger 5 and its aluminum Ardennes with disc hubs, shown here with a centerlock Shimano rotor. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com

The Stinger 5 disc is an attractive option for 'cross. MSRP is $2100. Photo: Caley Fretz | www.VeloNews.com