The Eurobike show, held annually in Friedrichshafen, Germany, has become the traditional kick-off to the new-bike season since its somewhat tentative start as a mainly mountain-bike event back in 1991.

These days, the mountain bikes are overwhelmed by the flood of road machines that compete for space in the show's handsome 10 main halls. But no matter what's on display, Eurobike's early place on the calendar — September 2-5 this year — means that extra importance is accorded each intro. Have a good show here and you can relax on the ride as the show carnival bumps along to ANCMA Milan and Interbike Las Vegas in the weeks to come. But if Eurobike's tough crowd doesn't give your new baby a thumbs-up, you're guaranteed many sleepless nights thereafter.

Eurobike has also become the bike industry's favorite show, and under the soft summer sun that has gently bathed the goings-on this year, it's not hard to see why. First, the venue is charming; Friedrichshafen (home of the Zeppelin, among other things) sits on the shore of the beautiful Bodensee (or Lake Constance, if you're looking north from Switzerland). Second, the timing is perfect: The weather is generally good; the fall grape, apple and pear harvests are underway; the locals are full of good cheer from their recent three-week vacations that almost all Germans enjoy in August; and the lake is happily offering up netfulls of fresh perch, which the shoreline cafes grill to perfection and serve with buttered potatoes and crisp salads. And third, the Eurobike organizers put on the most user-friendly show on the bike industry circuit. Eurobike's sheer size makes it impossible to embrace it all in one take. So we'll take our time and enjoy it.

Here are a few snapshots from the first day. We'll follow up with additional photos over the next couple of days, but look for a more comprehensive report in issue 17 of VeloNews.

EuroBike: By the sea, by the beautiful sea

BMC TT
BMC was not able to rustle up Tyler Hamilton's Olympic ride, but managed to roll a similar facsimile onto the floor. Phonak teammate Oscar Periero's TT bike sports many of the same features as Hamilton's, including hand-laid carbon fiber construction, a blade-like profile to the wind, internal cables, an intricate headset arrangement that minimizes frontal area, Campagnolo Record components, Zipp wheels, and ultra-high-pressure Continental tubulars.

Julien Absalon's golden Bianchi
Bianchi snagged Absalon's gold-medal ride for the show, complete with authentic Athens dust.

One of the most interesting things about Absalon's bike is that it's pretty much bone stock. Note the XTR brakes, chosen over discs to save weight on Athens' dry course. That's a standard practice in Europe, where low weight is often given highest priority. V-brakes abound on top-end Euro' bikes, whereas discs rule in the U.S.A.

EuroBike: By the sea, by the beautiful sea

Campagnolo Flat Bar Controls
Give that town bike you love the crowning touch with Campagnolo's new Ergopower Flat Bar controls. They're available for Chorus, Centaur and Veloce 10-speed set-ups, and Mirage 9-speed, for doubles and triples. The Chorus levers, executed in carbon fiber, are drop-dead gorgeous.

Campagnolo Compact Cranks
Campagnolo says that its new compact cranksets in Record, Chorus and Centaur versions took awhile to develop because they had to be integrated as complete drivetrains. Each new crank has a new front derailleur to go with it, with cages that match the curvature of the compact rings. This is the new Record Compact Crankset.

EuroBike: By the sea, by the beautiful sea

Campagnolo Compact Front Derailleurs
The compact cranks will work with Campagnolo's standard front derailleurs, but operate at their best when paired with the specially designed Compact derailleurs. This is the bolt-on version of the Record Compact front changer. Clamp-types are also available, of course.

Shimano Ultegra: The trickle-down effect
Shimano finally showed off its new Ultegra 10-speed crank and shifters, which take their design cues from Dura-Ace. Details were sparse, however; it seems that we'll have to wait until Interbike to get the lowdown on weights, available sizes and other details.

Guerciotti: Back in the USA
After a series of on-again, off-again distribution deals, Guerciotti bikes will once again be available in America, this time through Torelli Imports.

EuroBike: By the sea, by the beautiful sea

The company is best known Stateside for its cyclo-cross machines, so here's a snapshot of the Comete Cross, which features carbon tubes bonded to aluminum lugs.

Look closely and you'll see one of Deda Elementi's new carbon Power cranks, too.

Pinarello TT
Fausto Pinarello finished a new frame for Eurobike, but ran out of time to build it into a complete bike (he'll have it together for the Milan show).

To be available in four sizes, the one-piece carbon TT frame takes its cues from Pinarello's famous Montello, but sports smoother lines, lighter weight, and, Pinarello says, a much sharper profile for cutting through the wind.

EuroBike: By the sea, by the beautiful sea

Eddy Merckx: Lean, mean and ready to ride
The greatest cyclist of all time is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a bike builder with a new carbon frame that weighs next to nothing and looks absolutely spectacular and so does Eddy, who has slimmed down to fighting weight again after years of battling a bulging waistline.

"I've been riding a lot," Eddy reports.

Look for his wild-card entry in the Grand Boucle next year as he seeks to reclaim his bragging rights with a sixth Tour win to put that upstart Armstrong firmly in his place.

De Rosa
After years of focusing almost exclusively on the needs of pro riders, De Rosa has developed its first mid-range bike, the Tango.

Built with a monocoque carbon fiber front end bonded to a carbon wishbone rear triangle, the Tango has some wild shapes to go with its four sizes. The top tube is a sloping design.

As shown, with Campagnolo Centaur components and Zonda wheels, Danilo De Rosa estimates the street price at about $3600.

EuroBike: By the sea, by the beautiful sea

Colnago E1
Colnago's new E1 has a full carbon fiber front monocoque bonded to the company's famous carbon B-stay rear.

The show bike was decorated with a carbon FSA crank and a Cinelli RAM one-piece bar and stem combo.