Eager to get up close and have a glimpse at what the worlds bike manufacturers would be putting out this year we decided to take a trip down to the Excel London and have a look. We arrived at the show with around 20 minutes to spare before opening, so we decided to go and pay the extortionate prices for a bacon roll and a coffee. As soon as 10:00 came around we were straight into the exhibition halls and wondering around the isles.
After the first initial brisk walk around the hall to get our bearings it was soon evident that a lot of the big manufacturers were not present; no specialized, no Pinarello, no Shimano, no Campagnolo, we found this strange as all where present at the Birmingham Cycle Show that was towards the back end of last year, how come we asked? Well..... after many conversations with several of the exhibitors it became evident that once one of the big brands take the risk and decides to pull out, other major competitors follow suit and the next thing you know half of the worlds leading mike manufacturers are dropping like flies. It makes sense really, why bother splashing out £30k plus on a stall when your biggest rival isn't there for you to compete with.
Although disappointing there were still many of the big guys present and we have put together a small montage of some of the best bikes of the show for your viewing pleasure (apologies in advance for the photo bombers!)
