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Eurobike 2023 recap
We are back home after a few hectic days in Frankfurt, and we have tried to gather our thoughts regarding everything we have been able to see and test in a new edition of Eurobike, the reference festival in Europe when it comes to cycling.
Even if we are still adapting to the new location (Frankfurt Messe), we like more and more the venue, the format, and the facilities where it takes place. Regarding the distribution by halls, we consider that on the one hand, it is ideal because it allows brands and companies to be grouped according to the product or service they offer, which facilitates the planning of visits and the attendance to the events or presentations one may want to go. On the other hand, the distance between buildings and the magnitude of the event in terms of participation means that you spend the day walking from one place to another, arriving at the hotel totally exhausted.
The absence of big brands at the festival continues to be noticed. Since a couple of years before the pandemic, many of them have stopped participating with their own stand and have chosen to set up parallel events on their own to present their recent developments ahead of current and upcoming seasons. However, the fact that they do not have a stand does not mean that they cannot make the most of the event by learning about the latest news, paying a visit to the competitors, and arranging meetings with suppliers or customers wherever they consider appropriate.
E-Mobility, sustainability, and cargo bikes
Without a doubt, some of the sectors with the steepest growth in recent times have been electric bikes, projects focused on a more sustainable future and cargo bikes. During this year’s edition, we have been able to discover an endless number of interesting proposals that have made these three groups the main protagonists of this Eurobike 2023.
It is more than evident that e-bikes have more and more weight in the portfolios of all brands and that it has become a whole new line of business for manufacturers, suppliers, and R&D engineers. In this edition, we have been able to see all kinds of offers in terms of electric bikes: road, gravel, mountain, urban… No stone is unturned and the best thing is that there is still room for improvement and innovation.
If we talk about cargo bikes, here we really go crazy. During these days in Germany, we have been able to see all types, shapes, colors, and sizes. It gives us the feeling that it is a category in which the imagination is totally free and there are no limits to create the ideal bike for each use. Until recently, we thought about this type of bike as a sustainable courier service or for transporting children, with the typical picture of the father or mother taking the kids to school. However, now the number of specialized brands in this sector and the wide assortment of options that we can find predicts a future in which we will see more and more cargos taking over the cities, something that we would be pleased about.
Cycling is inherently synonymous with sustainability but, this year especially, we were able to see many ideas that go one step beyond. These include projects that try to be as environmentally friendly as possible: new materials, manufacturing techniques, process optimization, and many other fresh and new solutions.
Remarkable news of the 2023 edition
We would need whole weeks to be able to name all the innovative developments that gathered this year in Frankfurt, but we would not like to miss the opportunity to mention some of the ones that most caught our attention.
Despite not being within our editorial line, we found very interesting what the team from the German company Pinion presented. They exclusively introduced visitors to a new generation of e-bike technology that combines an electric motor and an automatic gearbox, as well as internal sensors that provide useful information at all times. That allows for less maintenance, a single freewheel on the rear wheel, and the versatility to apply this solution to an innumerable number of bikes regardless of discipline.
Back in our field of expertise, we were able to chat once again with our friends at SRAM to check their brand new APEX first hand, which we presented to you just a few days ago in the magazine.
With regard to bikes, we were very surprised by the Rondo stand, where we could see the new generation of their Ruut model; a redesigned frame with a wild look and more intended to be an all-terrain. This new version is specially designed to improve vibration absorption on difficult terrain thanks to the peculiar shape of the frame in the bottom bracket area. We were told that there will also be an option to mount two chainrings using an adapter. In addition, this new Ruut keeps the option to change the geometry thanks to its versatile fork which we could already analyze with its predecessor.
The Titici people also came with some news, especially with their new Titici Alfa. Due to lack of time, we could not get many details but we believe it is worth mentioning.
Unquestionable success
The magnitude of an event of this caliber is difficult to measure simply by taking a look at all the people that surrounded us, but if we rely on the numbers, we can verify once again that this second edition of Eurobike in the German city of Frankfurt am Main has been a great success and once again puts the event in its deserved place.
With a total number of 66.540 visitors (34.750 professionals from the sector and 31.840 public) who attended the event over the weekend, they consolidate the fair as a leader in the cycling sector worldwide. With respect to nationalities, the 150.000 m2 facilities that make up the Messe Frankfurt, were visited by attendees from 122 countries.
The organization managed to reach a new record in terms of participating companies. They had more than 1.900 companies exhibiting their products and news during the five days of the event. Once again, the networking, the express meetings, and the closing of agreements of the first days dedicated exclusively to professionals were the clear protagonists of the corridors and back rooms of the stands. Undoubtedly, the place to be for any brand that does not want to miss out on current events.
