The awards were presented in three categories - Gravelbike, Innovation and Sustainability. The jury took a good two days for this: Touching products, trying them out, discussing them. In the end, each member had clear favourites, which were voted on.
Gravel Award: Scott Solace
In the Gravel Award, it was a very close race between the Fondriest Ardenne, a race gravel bike, and the Scott Solace Gravel 20, an e-gravel bike. The inconspicuous motor support, stylish design with integrated display and the ability to get more people on their bikes and keep people enjoying cycling for longer - these were the arguments that made this motorised gravel bike the winner.
Innovation Award: Uvex
Uvex won the innovation award with the ultimate surge carbon MIPS - more precisely with its interior. The new CCubed Cooling Effect padding system uses a material that, unlike conventional helmet pads, does not insulate. Instead, it absorbs perspiration and transports it from the front to the back with the help of the airstream, where it evaporates. This is made possible by the wing-like shape of the rear padding, which specifically enhances this effect. The result is evaporative cooling - with a measurable temperature difference of up to two degrees, according to the manufacturer.
Sustainability Award: Vittoria
Vittoria won the sustainability award with the Terreno Pro gravel tyre. Not only the product itself was assessed, but also the entire life cycle - from production to disposal. The tyre is made from 92% renewable and recycled materials: the rubber compound contains Fair Rubber-certified natural rubber, soya oil and rice husk silicon, while the casing is made from organic cotton and Seawastex recycled nylon from old fishing nets. It is produced in a carbon-neutral certified factory in Thailand, which runs entirely on renewable energy. Compared to the Vittoria Gravel Endurance line, the Terreno Pro reduces the carbon footprint by 35% - from 4.6 to 2.9 kg CO₂ equivalent per tyre. At the end of the product's life, Vittoria's re-cycling programme collects old tyres and inner tubes and processes them into flooring for playgrounds and sports facilities together with Esosport.
The jury
The jury of the Bike Festival Award 2026 combines expertise from the fields of design, engineering, sustainability and cycling journalism - from Uli Stanciu, co-founder of BIKE Magazine and the Bike Festival Riva del Garda and one of the defining figures of the European MTB scene since its beginnings, to the current BIKE generation: Sandra Schuberth, online editor and gravel specialist at the same place. In between: Giampaolo Allocco, industrial designer and founder of DELINEO Design with over 40 international awards (including Red Dot, Good Design Award), Marco Menin, graphic designer at Studio Jonny Mole specialising in advertising, web design and print, Fiorenza Baratti, environmental scientist and bike guide with a focus on sustainable tourism, and Michael Rieder, engineering and design expert in the mobility sector and former Engineering Director at KISKA.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
