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"We were really quiet for the first 20 minutes of the show and I thought all our hard work had been wasted, and then the room started filling up," said Core co-organiser Darren Mabbott of Silverfish.
Most of the expo rooms at the Whittlebury Hall Hotel were packed by 11am, a good sign for a Sunday start. Today is expected to be even busier.
"I think the good weather will help with attendance," said Mabbott.
"In a previous year, at the West Brom Moathouse, we suffered because of snow on the motorway. This year the weather is mild and it looks like the record pre-registrations will result in a really busy show."
The expo has attracted key industry figures, including Switzerland-based American trade icon Morgan Nichol of Oval Concepts who revealed that Belgian bike builder Ridley was to license Oval’s aerodynamic JetStream technology for TT and road bikes.
American Micki Kozuschek (pictured, on right), founder of Truvativ, was much in demand in the Upgrade room for his shiny and innovative new accessories brand Lezyne.
Stand visitors were gifted with a small Lezyne multi-tool.
Proving you don’t have to be American to be innovative, Ison’s Lloyd Townsend was pleased as punch with an aluminium LED lamp bracket extender, designed to place an LED lamp on the rear rack when the seatpost is blocked by a bag. This was displayed opposite a rather older innovation, a 100 hundred year old track bike ridden by Townsend’s grandfather and built by the family firm Light Blue Bicycles of Cambridge. It features a mammoth, eye-watering front chainwheel.
"Grandad used it for commuting," said Townsend.
Core Bike continues until Tuesday and is trade-only.
