BH launch 2014 range

The new Quartz is more of an endurance road bike with a slightly extended head tube over that of the Ultralight and G6 – most brands have at least one of these in the range now.

It’s another full high-modulus carbon monocoque – even the dropouts are carbon, as they are on the other top of the line BH frames. The chainstays are asymmetric, which is another feature common to the high end BHs, and the Quartz comes with a BB386 Evo bottom bracket and tapered head tube. That seatpost is a slim 27.2mm, the idea being that it’ll flex a little to improve the ride quality over long rides.

The internal cable guide system is the same as you’ll find on the Ultralight and G6 too, and BH cunningly keep the cables clear of the frame before the entry points, so there’s no rubbing against the carbon.

This is the Shimano 105-equipped Quartz 7.1 which opens the range at £1,749. Several other builds are available, including an Ultegra Di2 model at £3,599.90.

Oh, one other model that’s worth a quick mention is the SB3, a magnetic resistance static bike. Priced at £649, this fixed gear option is actually BH’s biggest seller. It’s a belt drive and it’s pretty much silent in use. You’re not going to disturb anyone else in the room when you’re training on this, never mind the neighbours.

The other bikes that BH showed us were their EasyMotion range which is split between what they call ‘Trekking bikes’ – urban, touring, folders, and so on – and electric bikes.

This one, for example, is the London Wave (£469.90) that has about the lowest step-through height you can imagine. It’s a really unusual setup in that it has full mudguards, a basket and rack, and a suspension fork up front. That’s a triple chainset with a 7-speed cassette on the back.

On the eBike side of things, this is the Easy Motion Neo Race (£2,299.90) that has a 350W motor that has been limited to 250W. It’s silent in use. It will take you along very slowly if you don’t pedal (about 6kph) but can really boost your speed when you do put in the effort – you’re still cycling, but you’re going faster than you otherwise would.

So, say you live 20 miles from work and don’t fancy cycling 40 miles a day, but you still want to get some exercise. Here, you can do the equivalent of cycling just 15 miles, for example, with the motor providing the rest of the energy. You could alter on different days according to the time available and your level of fitness. However you do it, you’re still going to get more exercise than if you took the car.

You can switch between modes to determine the level of assistance you get. At the lightest setting, you can get 70% extra power for each turn of the cranks, right up to 300% in the fastest mode. I was sceptical, but it’s a lot of fun.

The Neo Volt Sport Lite (£2,199.90) uses similar technology, but this one is foldable. It doesn’t fold down as small as a Brompton, say, but it takes seconds to turn in the various extremities so that it’s small enough to fit into a car boot or carry on an escalator, for example.

BH provide a lifetime frame warranty against material and manufacturing defects. For more info on the entire range, go to www.bhbikes.co.uk.