Cycle show NEC
- Thread starter Kbrook
- Start date
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Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
Never been to the NEC cycle show. However having been to various other shows at the NEC, and the Scottish version of the cycle show at the SECC, I would suggest that you save yourself the time, money, and effort. Go and visit a few decent bike shops and see more stuff without all the glitzy bollox that they try to use to justify charging you to walk around a weekend market. IMHO of course.
Elybazza61
Guru
Did think about going but East Midlands trains want over £50 return from here so I won't bother;might go yo thr excel one next year though.
Big Nick
Senior Member
I'm going as I've never been and the missus wants a few odds and ends of cycle clothing
If it's crap I won't go again but you have to try these things I suppose and make up your own mind, plus we are staying over nearby so it's a night away, meal out and night in the pub so all good!
If it's crap I won't go again but you have to try these things I suppose and make up your own mind, plus we are staying over nearby so it's a night away, meal out and night in the pub so all good!
BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Worth going if you have a specific purpose in mind. Went once to look at electric assist bicycles.
Generally, an nice day out looking at nice bikes. A bit of dreaming, gazing, taking an interest. But largely aimless if you are just looking at bike porn.
Generally, an nice day out looking at nice bikes. A bit of dreaming, gazing, taking an interest. But largely aimless if you are just looking at bike porn.
Freds Dad
Veteran
- Location
- Gawsworth.
Do they not sell display items off cheap at the end of the show?
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
The show is not quite all bike porn - there's a few displays and test tracks to have a go on different types of bike.
http://www.cycleshow.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=0/t=m/goSection=4
http://www.cycleshow.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=0/t=m/goSection=4
w00hoo_kent
One of the 64K
- Location
- Maidstone or Greenwich
We're going along on Friday, we were going up north anyway so it made sense to add it in. We've not been to a bike show there before, but have been to a couple of bike shows up there (the motorised kind) and my wife has been to a couple of dive shows. Pre internet they used to be an option to buy cheap stuff but that's kind of gone now. We're hoping to browse around the kit a bit, see what clothing there is and try some on maybe. I'm hoping someone will have the new version of the MET Parachute because I'd like to try one on. We're unlikely to buy anything but we might...
There are a few places that you can get discount tickets through, I know CTC does it because that's how we bought them (£11.50 presales as opposed to £13 advance or £16 on the door) they aren't the only place that offered them to me (might have been through Ride London, not sure) I think the Yorkshire Depart lot have a concession too.
There are some displays and seminars and things, we may have a look. Apparently there is cyclocross racing on the Sunday but I'm not quite sure how.
If it's anything like similar shows it'll be one of those things to go to once in a blue moon to see what people are flogging in the flesh. I don't think we'd have made the trip just for the show.
There are a few places that you can get discount tickets through, I know CTC does it because that's how we bought them (£11.50 presales as opposed to £13 advance or £16 on the door) they aren't the only place that offered them to me (might have been through Ride London, not sure) I think the Yorkshire Depart lot have a concession too.
There are some displays and seminars and things, we may have a look. Apparently there is cyclocross racing on the Sunday but I'm not quite sure how.
If it's anything like similar shows it'll be one of those things to go to once in a blue moon to see what people are flogging in the flesh. I don't think we'd have made the trip just for the show.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
I went this morning for the trade day, not a lot on sale but that might change tomorrow when it opens to the public.
Picked my next bike out, going to have a Van Nicholas when I can afford it
Picked my next bike out, going to have a Van Nicholas when I can afford it
Now you're talking....
Apollonius
Guru
- Location
- South Staffordshire
Spent the day at the show today. Mrs A hasn't had a new bike for AGES (nearly two years!) so she took her gear to try out some shiny plastic stuff. She liked the new Trek Silque and hated the Pinarello Dogma. No Specialized stand this year. Surprising. Bianchi were busy and displaying one of Pantani's bikes. Wiggo's ITT bike from Spain was also there (or one very like it.) Saw Sean Kelly and Chris Boardman. A bigger show than last year. Lots to look at but little to buy. Highlight for me was some lovely road shoes on the Funkier stand. A nice wide fitting. Enjoyed the day, not least copious free Doombar Atlantic. Light and hoppy.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Wiggo's bike was the Tour of Britain one, but with different wheels.
http://road.cc/content/news/131312-cycle-show-2014-bradley-wiggins-pinarello-bolide-tt-bike
beanzontoast
Guru
- Location
- South of The Peaks
We went on Friday. It probably took us 2 hours to walk around everything and another hour after lunch to revisit the stands we'd found particularly interesting first time around. It wasn't crowded, which was what we'd hoped would be the case after our decision to go on the weekday when there wouldn't be families with kids around.
SPOILER ALERT
The stands were what we'd expected with a lot of bike retailers and a lot selling accessories and clothing. The bike price range was good. Although it seemed a number of stands offered show discount prices, it didn't entice me to buy - though to be fair, there wasn't anything we really needed and we had mainly gone because we'd never been and wondered what it was like. There were a few 'sit on' type stands - race your mates over 250m, get measured for a bike, try out saddle designs (think that last one might have been Selle: I'd just had my photo taken with Chris Boardman and was fiddling with the camera!). There were the usual associated stalls - British Cycling, CTC, solicitors and insurers. There was a bike try-out circuit which included a loop outdoors.
Driving home after and discussing what we thought, the most interesting things we came across were a small stand-up convex mirror that strapped to your sleeve, a high-vis jacket with built-in lights, various retro-styled bikes, the cycles for people with disabilities and some (not as many as I'd expected) bike security products. We enjoyed the displays by the bmx / stunt riders and some of the jumps and tricks they did over the huge earth ramps were stuff I'd only in previously seen on TV. And throughout the visit we kept our energy levels up thanks to a number of stalls offering chopped-up samples of various energy bars in a myriad of flavours.
Probably won't go again, and with parking at £10, had the tickets been nearer £20 we wouldn't have gone in the first place but we're glad we went for the experience.
Inevitable freebies we came away with? A water bottle, some compressed towel thingies, some energy bars on Sept 2014 best-before date (must get eating them then!), a lanyard, a pen (which didn't work at the crucial time, but Mr Boardman's did), a key fob thing with a loop of tyre rubber, stickers... and a bunch of catalogues to thumb through.
SPOILER ALERT
The stands were what we'd expected with a lot of bike retailers and a lot selling accessories and clothing. The bike price range was good. Although it seemed a number of stands offered show discount prices, it didn't entice me to buy - though to be fair, there wasn't anything we really needed and we had mainly gone because we'd never been and wondered what it was like. There were a few 'sit on' type stands - race your mates over 250m, get measured for a bike, try out saddle designs (think that last one might have been Selle: I'd just had my photo taken with Chris Boardman and was fiddling with the camera!). There were the usual associated stalls - British Cycling, CTC, solicitors and insurers. There was a bike try-out circuit which included a loop outdoors.
Driving home after and discussing what we thought, the most interesting things we came across were a small stand-up convex mirror that strapped to your sleeve, a high-vis jacket with built-in lights, various retro-styled bikes, the cycles for people with disabilities and some (not as many as I'd expected) bike security products. We enjoyed the displays by the bmx / stunt riders and some of the jumps and tricks they did over the huge earth ramps were stuff I'd only in previously seen on TV. And throughout the visit we kept our energy levels up thanks to a number of stalls offering chopped-up samples of various energy bars in a myriad of flavours.
Probably won't go again, and with parking at £10, had the tickets been nearer £20 we wouldn't have gone in the first place but we're glad we went for the experience.
Inevitable freebies we came away with? A water bottle, some compressed towel thingies, some energy bars on Sept 2014 best-before date (must get eating them then!), a lanyard, a pen (which didn't work at the crucial time, but Mr Boardman's did), a key fob thing with a loop of tyre rubber, stickers... and a bunch of catalogues to thumb through.
