And pray today's Ryanair's Stansted to Friedrichshafen flight doesn't crash: it's packed with a motley collection of UK bike trade folk...(UPDATE: it didn´t crash - we all arrived safely, there will therefore be a number of BikeBiz.com Eurobike reports over the next two days)

Eurobike kicks off trade-show season

Eurobike starts Thursday and this morning’s direct flight to Friedrichshafen nis packed with suppliers, journos and IBDs.

Everywhere you turn there’s a bike trade bod. Nexy year, how about we charter our own flight!?

Let’s spend the levy cash on something REALLY useful….

If the flight does plummet into the ground – or perhaps even Lake Constance – Justin Stevenson of Dawes reckons there’ll be a positive side: "It would wipe the slate clean, allowing a new generation of people to run the industry!"

PIX:

Top: The Stanforth bros and Paul Hinton from Saracen join the Ryanair queue

Below, top: Fisher’s Matt Ward and ex-Fisher’s marketing bod Neil Keen, now with Greyville, in deep discussion

Below, middle: Madison’s Richard Peploe

Base: Russell Merry of Hot Wheels

In other news...

Andrew Dodd appointed as global brand communications manager at Mondraker

Former GMBN Tech presenter Andrew Dodd has joined Mondraker as global brand communications manager. Known …