The inaugural Gravel & Adventure Bike Expo, joining the UK’s leading event for off-beaten-track travel – the Adventure Travel Show – for the first time, kicked off the new year as a success with both visitors and exhibitors alike.
The weekend, held at Islington’s Business Design Centre on 10-11th January, drew an attendance of over 5,000 visitors across the two days, with over 120 exhibitors and inspiring speakers from all around the world.
“We introduced the Gravel & Adventure Bike Expo after feedback from last year’s event and interest from brands from the cycling industry looking to connect with new audiences,” explained Event Director, Chris Holman. “The show had a great buzz and a very engaged audience over the two days. A mixture of people who already knew the brands, and another demographic whose interest in different types of slow travel meant adventure cycling ticks a box for them too.”
Cycling industry exhibitors at the Expo included Surly, Schwalbe, Teravail, Old Man Mountain, Fidlock, Kinesis, Seasucker, Farr, Vielo, Guava, Brooks, Mason Cycles and Reilly, as well as cycle travel specialists Italy Bike Hotels, Red Dirt Uganda, TransAtlanticWay, GravelUp, Sondor, Sloways and BicycleWanders.
A meeting of like-minded adventurous types
Integrating into the weekend for the first time, the Gravel & Adventure Bike Expo explored the freedom that a bike gives you to have great adventures, with a range of brands exhibiting their latest bikes and equipment, alongside a number of adventure travel operators inspiring visitors with two-wheeled adventures around the globe.
Clive Andrews, marketing and communications at British bike brand Mason, added: “We came to the show as we were keen to meet people planning the kinds of adventures our bikes are designed for – maybe a slightly different crowd than at a usual cycle trade show. We enjoyed hearing from a wide range of riders, from those new to adventure riding through to experienced explorers. The ‘campfire chats’ were a bonus, and certainly prompted some conversations with travellers who felt inspired by the interviews with Mason riders Josh Ibbett and Angus Young.”
Ibbett and Young were just two of an impressive list of adventure and endurance cyclists in attendance, sharing stories and advice from the road. Other guests included Molly Weaver, Angèle Paty, Markus Stitz, Duncan Covey and Mark Beaumont, with the latter also recording a number of episodes for his Endurance Podcast live during the weekend. Many of these names joined Liam Mercer of OffRoad.cc and journalist Emma Cole for Round the Campfire discussions over the weekend.
Clare Dewey, Founder of Epic Road Rides, added: “Exhibiting at the Gravel & Adventure Bike Expo went very well for us. We had a steady stream of engaged and well-informed visitors actively looking for gravel, bikepacking and adventure-riding trips. The Expo ran alongside the Adventure Travel Show, and I felt this meant attendees were well aligned; people were in “planning mode” and we enjoyed many excellent conversations.”
Image credit: Markus Stitz.
