It’s been quite a thing to have under our belts our very first visit to the National Cycling Show at the NEC. As a startup, this was the largest event we have exhibited at so far and it was really exciting to be in bike heaven! We set up our stand on the afternoon of Friday 14th June so we’d be ready at the Saturday morning opening. From the moment we got there (my son, Seth, aged 14, came and was an invaluable help!) it was non-stop action getting ready and learning the ropes of setting up a stand in the NEC.
We met a lot of people on both days, and it was really exciting to talk to cyclists who had not yet heard about us. Often the conversations started when people were browsing our display rail of commuter cycling clothes. It was an opportunity to talk to them about how the design, sourcing, sampling and testing was all done as part of the bike commute and that I had painstakingly verified each step of the process through to bulk production. People were also very positive that we had made our clothing range in Turkey and that there were a lot less cargo miles than if they had been made in China.
It was a great opportunity to see what was going on out there in the bike market. Some really lovely road and gravel bikes caught my attention: Shand Cycles (designed in Scotland and handmade in Coventry) and Vielo (the most stunning paint jobs on these high-end father and son bikes).
I also had the absolute pleasure of seeing my cycling hero, Sir Bradley Wiggins, and having a brief chat with this Olympic legend. He was engaging and every bit Le Gentleman that the French called him in the 2012 Tour de France, which he famously won.
As Sunday was father’s day, I had a treat when my dad flew in for the day from Belfast to help out my son and I. He had lots of handy tips and was a great support - thanks dad!
I’d like to thank our new friends and customers we met at the National Cycling Show 2024, and I wish you all a great summer of cycling!
