I went to a Bike Expo at Rosehill Racecourse quite a few years ago, and that was pretty good, with bike manufacturers showing their wares (and a few giving demo rides); BMX riders doing stunts, MTB videos, showbags and & interesting stuff to buy & try. Small, but plenty to see. Â
Â
But apart from that and a couple of stalls in Martin Place in 2006 and some stands at the UCI Masters, Sydney riders have had no bike expo where we can drool over the latest international bike technology.
Â
Yet some of the greatest cities in the world have bike shows : The New York Bike Show, the Paris Cycle Show, The Cycle Show in London…Taipei International Bike Show, , ExpoCycle in Montreal… Interbike in Las Vegas…Eurocycle in Germany, Velo Park in Moscow, The San Francisco Bike Expo… They have them in Italy, Seattle, Milwaukee, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Vancouver, Finland, and many other far less outdoor-oriented places.
Â
But Sydney? Bike rider market is so ignored you’d think we were a part of the Gaming industry…but even THEY have an expo*.
Â
This is how hard it is: Two years ago the Bike Week crew in Sydney tried to organize a Bike Expo to run in parallel with their Festival. Trailflix were even asked if we wanted to set up a stand – but due to wholesale lack of interest by the bike manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, they couldn’t get enough interest to fill a 2-car garage let alone a tiny corner in a small convention centre at Olympic Park!
Â
So why would you want to head along to a bike show?
Â
Well, apart from the very obvious Melbourne and Brisbane have one and Sydney has missed out AGAIN:
1. The list of events is appealing…
Bike Demos, Competitions, Exhibitions, Races, BMX stunts, a Marketplace, Demo riding, Trial tracks, Biker athletes, and new Technology…
2. The Exhibitors are ones at the top of the industry
- Giant, Jet Black, Shimano, Schwalbe, BMC, Cannondale, Garman, Bicycle Parts Superstore, Vaude…over 130 others…
3. And there are presentations by…
- SRAM, Shimano, Bike Sportz and one on Bike and Rider Aerodynamics…
Enough to keep your head out of the sports page for a few minutes maybe?
As the GM of Ausbike said in his welcome letter in the brochure:
“The bike industry is on a huge growth curve…it’s a multi-billion dollar business in Australia…trade expos get everyone involved,…raise the profile of our industry…and give everyone a chance to look at the next trends…”
I note the Sydney Expo Centre has The Boat Show, The Travel Expo, The Fitness and Health Expo, Kiosk Self Service Expo and The Baby Boomers and Lifestyle Retirees Expo for Gods sake…how come we can’t get a little old Bike Expo?
Look up what you’re missing at www.ausbike.com.au/
*Check out the Australasian Gaming Expo…
1 comment to “Where’s Sydney’s Bike Expo?”
8th July 2010 at 11:46 pm by Grant
-
I interviewed the GM of Ausbike about the Brisbane and Melbourne Expos Expo and got some interesting facts and insight into what could happen for Sydney in 2011