Dear riders,
We just returned from IBF 2026.
https://internationalbikefestival.com/en/
I highly recommend combining this festival with a little vacation on the beaches and resorts of the Adriatic Sea.
The atmosphere is pleasant, people are relaxed, on vacation, 99% Italian families, without pretentious show-offs and other specimens. There are no speakers on the beach or on the street, in restaurants (except for events organized by the municipality with a stage, chairs, singers, dancers, depending on your luck). The food is nice and quiet.
How to get to the festival?
We rented electric bikes and it took us 10 minutes from the city to get there. On the first day we walked (there is a marked pedestrian route) but we do not recommend it because the sun is extremely strong, it's not like at home, a cap is mandatory.
As for getting to Misano and around, I recommend the train network which operates excellently, you have 3 budget options available, it's good to make an online reservation in advance because the cheap ones go first.
The cheap rides are clean, run like clockwork, you get a bit chilly from the air conditioning but it's better than without it and you take a little longer to reach your destination.
We landed in Pescara, from there we took the train to Misano but not before taking a swim and walking along the entire coastline of the small resort.
Culinary tips:
Wherever we ate ice cream, it was good.
We recommend the octopus sandwich from Bologna.
The pasta from Rimini was excellent.
Otherwise, pasta and pizza are abundant everywhere.
Avoid the expensive special ride from the train station to the airport in Bologna, we ran out of time and had no other options.
Testing demo bike models on the circuit
Where could you test ride the bikes?
Right on the Misano circuit!
Plus, there is an enduro/trail area set up on a nearby hill. You could also bring your own bike from home to ride on the circuit. Many Italians came with their own bikes from home, usually road bikes.
As for the festival, you have the opportunity to test hundreds of bike models, from electric to MTB, from city to road and gravel.
Just make sure to bring your helmet and pedals if you want to test them with your own pedals. We found friendly people at the booths who lent us helmets...
Recommendation: when you participate, try to do as many tests as you can on the first day because the second day is Saturday and the number of participants increases exponentially, you will have to wait in line, just so you know.
We made some interesting videos for you but many are still in the camera's memory, waiting for post-processing.
As for products, we will announce them as we can offer them on bikeverse.
Offers at the booths
Keep some money on your card because there are many opportunities at the booths, some even sold products. If you like something, try it, pay for it, and take it home. We missed a heart rate monitor because we left it for the next day...
Well-known accessory companies had impressive booths, showcasing their advanced product portfolios as well as bikes equipped with them.
Bikeverse at the Atala booth
We found all the Whistle AXR 2027 models beautifully displayed as well as the Atala e-city models, including the e-foldable ones.
Due to scheduled meetings, we didn't get to test any other models on the first day besides the Whistle AXR that we know very well and have presented to you before.
In honor of our visit, the new models launched for this festival were revealed to us, before the launch at 5 PM, see the interview given to Alex by a senior manager from Whistle:
Page about the Whistle AXR C13.7 model:
Product page on Bikeverse:
Whistle C13.7 Electric Bike · Mountain Bike (MTB)
Of course, we also asked when they will launch Whistle models with automatic gearboxes and which ones, from whom. Even though they haven't announced anything official yet, it seems that the first models will be those with Gobao, followed by those from Avinox. Their inclusion in the Whistle portfolio is a certainty, we just have to see in which month next year.
Predominant models at the festival?
Road and gravel.
Plus the unlimited offer of carbon wheels and the necessary accessories for gravel.
Cleaning, lubrication, and maintenance solutions
A lot of solutions were presented to us, they are truly revolutionary. Some we will try to bring for you to use as well, to save time and keep your bikes in perfect working condition, lubricated, for as long as possible. We know that dust mixed with oil combines into an abrasive mixture that shortens the life of the transmission.
Many manufacturers of cleaning solutions: foams, sprays, including closed circuit washing stations. I spotted two smaller models for you that can be tucked away in the garage or even in the service room of an apartment. They don't smell, they don't make noise, they have no consumables, they don't pollute, you don't throw anything away, you don't clean up after them, the cleaning liquid lasts about a year and a half, they say. I will present them to you in a separate article.
Tubeless puncture prevention solutions and inserts
Revolutionary braking solutions for those who want a performance level above that offered by standard products
I saw Brembo brakes in action as well as other exclusive models that we hope to include soon in the Bikeverse catalog.
Visit to the Enduro Bearing booth
I have some personal experience participating in fairs and events. Nothing is worse for participants than finding people at the booth who have nothing to do with the products or only know how to smile.
At the booths, I met engineers, mechanics, product managers, meaning the people from whom you can get firsthand information.
But, at the Enduro Bearing booth, I found none other than the founder and owner of the company, Matt Harvey, who gave us a spectacular presentation on using Enduro Bearing kits for extracting and installing bearings located in the most difficult positions, from hubs, free hubs, bottom brackets, and cups.
We will return with the videos after post-processing.
Have a wonderful week!
