Thoughts on the Scottish bike show?

I for one was really looking forward to it and was a tad dsappointed to say the least. Alpine bike were the only stand to make an effort, the rest was pretty poor including the stunt show (nowhere near the standard shown in the video trailer)
Stayed for about three hours only because that was the time I had to wait for my lad to try the tirol boardwalk track. Nevertheless, good to see an event of this type in Scotland and hope to see it return again – just bigger and better.

Yeh I was very disappointed too, I would like to have seen some talks from coaches and some of our athletes. Its the usual half cocked effort, I for sure will not be wasting a day again just glad I won my tickets.

I went out on my bike, had a lovely ride on dry and dusty trails.

As a born cynic and grump. if folk want to show me their wares I don’t expect to pay for the privilege.

As above very disappointed. I felt sure I must have missed bits of it but I didn’t. Very poor and a waste of my money.

This was the first time a bike show (that I can remember) like this has been done in scotland – did you really expect all the big companies there in the first year? It was only a fiver to get in and there was enough discounted stuff to make that back easy – you should also know it was all organised by one guy with no big backer – he took all the risk himself and deserves a bit of praise for getting a lot of folk on board. All the traders I spoke to did really well and will support it next year – as will the bigger companies who didn’t commit this year – but were there checking it out. Roll on the 2012 show…

I looked at it, as did a couple of my colleagues, and decided from the list of exhibitors on the website a week before that it would be pants. Glad we saved the cash now!

you should also know it was all organised by one guy with no big backer – he took all the risk himself and deserves a bit of praise for getting a lot of folk on board.

Good for him, but ultimately it’s what’s there that counts and from the list of exhibitors there was virtually nothing there worth seeing. I’m fairly sure the last time I looked the tickets were £7 per adult meaning that with parking and the missus that’d be about £20 – that’s a lot for dissappointing content. If you’re going to organise something thats really good, but it has to be loaded with stuff, especially the first one, or it’ll just flop. Next year, unless significantly more is done to advertise and drag exhibitors in, people will just say “nah, there was nothing in it last year”.

As it is, the one in the NEC became a non-discounted advertising system with expensive tickets and bearly worth the entry fee. When we were a shop we looked into it [NEC] and found we’d have to sell something in the order of £30K’s worth of kit at normal retail price (10 years ago) over the weekend to make back the exhibitor fee. It’s just a giant money grabbing mess.

so its better that everyone stays home and does nothing in case someone makes some money? – what a great attitude – you didn’t even go to the thing but you know its a ‘money-grabbing mess’ – yes – of course its great if a show in its first year has everyone in the industry there but that is never going to happen – these things take time and a lot of effort to build – far easier to sit on your arse and moan isn’t it?

Last ‘show’ I went to was the London one, back in 2008. Utter shite, and not worth the entrance fees.

When we were a shop we looked into it [NEC] and found we’d have to sell something in the order of £30K’s worth of kit at normal retail price (10 years ago) over the weekend to make back the exhibitor fee. It’s just a giant money grabbing mess.

So all the businesses that do turn up are commercially incompetent?

Don’t go to these shows after going to one in Aberdeen about 10-12 years ago. Promised big things, me and a couple of mates dove 3 hours to get there to be met with a half empty hall and the Clan team faffing about on some pallets.

They suit most people and if it gets more people cycling then great, but charging 6 quid for parking over the ticket price is a bit of a scam

so its better that everyone stays home and does nothing in case someone makes some money? – what a great attitude – you didn’t even go to the thing but you know its a ‘money-grabbing mess’

If you’d used your brain before putting your mouth in gear you’d realise I was talking about the NEC event. But what the hell, that’s a daft idea eh!

However the point still stands, if it’s not going to present people with either very big discounts or amazing shows, no you’re better off not bothering. Nothing is more effective against stopping people going to events than disappointing similar events. Do it properly or don’t bother, certainly don’t hype it to death and leave everyone thinking it was a bit pants.

It was a good first attempt IMO, and is bound to get better. I went with my 8 yr old and he loved it. We were there for 2 hrs and bumped into a few folk I hadn’t spoken to for a while too – Rik from Drumlanrig etc. 🙂 Too expensive though – we paid at the door, and it was £9.50 for me, £6.50 for the wee guy and £6 to park. We could have got it cheaper online in advance though

Never made it through but by the sounds of things it was maybe just as good making use of the sunshine!

I thought it was fairly well advertised through seeing it on the forums and the like but there were a lot of people in my cycling club who looked at me blankly when I asked if they were planning to head through for a look. Sure word will spread more next year but it seems like something that may have to be looked into to make the event bigger and better year on year.

I am never quite sure who the target market is for these things, and what normal punters get from them. I thought it was essentially a trade show – for distributors and manufacturers to showcase their stuff to retailers ?? Folk with new ideas can demo to potential distributers and retailers ?

Never quite sure what normal punters would get out of it, apart from stiffed on the ticket and parking prices.

It used to be that these things were trade shows for the first two days, then open to the public (put the trade prices in the drawer, pick up the RRP price list) for the following day.

Normally there’s a few things to watch, a couple of bikey celebs and discounts from distributors and manufacturers, especially those who bring show frames over and don’t want to have to ship them back to the continent/US.

I take it it wasn’t really like that? I know the London shows are different, but in principle it should have been the same format as the public days.

robbieporteous calm down and stop being so defensive. Not sure where you got tickets from for £5 but well done. My ticket was £6.50 as was my wife’s and my sons was £5.50. Was it worth £18.50, definitely not and tough luck if you don’t like that opinion.

enough discounted stuff to make that back easy

Discounted but still about 20% dearer than you could pay if you shopped around.

I didn’t go because although there are various “toys” i’d like to try out, e.g. a 29er, a bob trailer, an uppy-downy seatpost – it wasn’t clear that despite there being a track there that this would be possible. Not really the exhibitors fault – they were mostly LBS and you can’t expect them to provide lots of demo kit; but if I was trying to sell anything at all new/different/unusual (e.g. how many people have tried a tandem, a recumbant, a “KMX” etc) then surely this is the sort of place to capture people’s imagination…

I thought it was a good effort, not brilliant but not terrible. Entry price seemed reasonable, parking price not so much 😐 Some obvious errors… The 7 stanes trials crew were just too hemmed in, despite there being so much dead space in the hall, there wasn’t much they could do in the space. (they seemed shattered on sunday too)

Some of the stalls were poor… I couldn’t tell if Freeflow were actually trying to sell anything, frinstance. No offence to Dirtschool but they only seemed to be there to chat to people.

But the BMX halfpipe was pretty impressive and they had a fine range of riders up there, sure you could go by one minute and see some kid just rolling up and down but then the next it’d be some lunatic trying to bash holes in the ramps. Rich’s bike track was cool, I passed on a go since there were kids waiting but that was a fine addition. The other kids area was good too.

Could have done with- more shops, a lot more bikes, a bit of seating in front of the fort william big screen (which was in the wrong place obviously) but still, a decent day out I thought.

Also Bikestation had a RALEIGH BUDGIE!

Coffeking – sorry but I don’t see how you can slag an event off without actually going to it. It was a decent first show and hopefully it can be built on for the future – if you think events like this are a rip-off or whatever then fine don’t go – but to trash a lot of people’s effort without even going through the doors is cowardly. Gary M – ok – sorry – £6.50, not a fiver – still not a huge difference is it – it would be good if an event like this was free but the SECC isn’t cheap to hire. I just think its a shame there is so much negativity on here – I didn’t hear anyone at the show complaining or asking for their money back – total opposite in fact.

The highlight of the bike show for us was having a pic nic by the river and watching a sea plane land and take off!

I didn’t hear anyone at the show complaining or asking for their money back[/]

I wouldn’t ask for my back, that would be petty, I just know not to go if it’s on again.

Clearly your looking for everyone to say ‘what a jolly good show, well done for organising it’ that isn’t going to happen. It’s not about being negative it’s just being honest. I can’t really think of anything positive to say about it.

Cosybike could have provided THE best shuttle service from free carparking sites. Or even a cyclocreche for mummies and daddies and kiddies?

What would you pay for a ride at an event like this?

http://www.cosybike.co.uk

Coffeking – sorry but I don’t see how you can slag an event off without actually going to it.

I don’t need to go to the event to look through the exhibitors list and realise it’s not going to be great. And judging by the fact that I’ve been to other similar, but some much larger and higher budget events and some much smaller, I can easily extrapolate either way. Add that to the testimony on here and I’ve no problem whatsoever in passing judgement. I don’t need to experience drug addiction to know I’d like to avoid it. If you don’t like it, not my problem. I’m all for these events if they’re good, if they’re expensive and not particularly great it’s just a bit of a let down isn’t it?

I didn’t go and see Peter Kay on saturday – he wasn’t funny – I base this on seeing some unfunny blokes, some fatter, some thinner, tell jokes

So what would make a good show?

I didn’t go and see Peter Kay on saturday – he wasn’t funny – I base this on seeing some unfunny blokes, some fatter, some thinner, tell jokes

Not quite the same is it, the key point is that the content is always roughly the same at bike shows, there’s always a bike trial area, there’s always some sort of display team, usually not as good as you’d want and there’s always shops and retailers selling what appears to be a bargain but isn’t really when you look at the offers on the web. What you’re proposing is that knowing I dislike roy chubby browns “jokes” I should go to his next gig as I’ve no idea what it will contain. His material may change gig to gig but it still follows the same vein and is universally crap to me. If he surprised me one day by producing comedy genius material then smashing, I might miss it but hey, I’ll live. However…

What would make a better show?

From and organiser point of view consider that initially you should charge exhibitors enough to cover the costs of rental of the venue. This maybe had been the case but to attract businesses in the current financial climate lower rates would be ideal. You could take a commision from sales of product to recoup costs. A gamble but could pay off if the numbers are high.

Stronger backing from the cycle industry and government grants to secure celebrity attendance. Also this money could be put into other attractions and even a cinema screen showing biking movies and information on cycling in Scotland.

Hats off to the organiser himself for what he achieved. There is always room for improvement and hopefully this event will grow stronger and not be remembered as being a flop in some peoples opinion. Cycling in the UK is growing and it would help if people supported what we have to offer and help keep a posistive outlook.

What would make a good show?

Sea Otter perhaps i.e. one with cutting edge tech and a critical mass of big suppliers? The industry can’t support that many high end shows though.

Scotland may have the best trails, but it doesn’t have a large enough biking population within any shows catchment area. So the amount of quality exhibitors will never reach the critical mass for me.

To be honest, if I lived in London I might try Earls Court Bike Show for size. It still feels like an advertising show, and as such should be free for punters. The exhibitors get their payback from publicity and advertising to the visitors and via the press.

I’m aware it doesn’t work like this, which is why I’m not interested. I’m the sort of bloke who wears kit out and then buys good quality componentry carefully judged to be not too far up the VFM curve though. I.E. XT not XTR.

I have a sneaking suspicion folks who like bike shows hang about fields talking about cranks that snap.

spando – Member

The highlight of the bike show for us was having a pic nic by the river and watching a sea plane land and take off!

To be fair, that sounds pretty good!

I enjoyed the show! I talked to loads of folks who had never heard of or never thought of riding their bikes at Drumlanrig, (and we’ve had a load of them coming down and using the 2 for 1 vouchers at the gate and in the coffee shop). And, caught up with a load of peeps I’ve not seen for a while; and met plenty of like minded people too.

It was a big old learning experience for us and I think for the organisers. There are only so many ‘industry’ types active in Scotland and ost of them were up at Lagan so I think expectations were set way too high.

I know that the retailers who were there did really well and that the big brands interest will be piqued for next year given the attendance and the feedback from the more ordinary folks (not the S/T prima dona’s) coming thru the door.

If you visited the Drumlanrig stand you could have walked off with vouchers that would save you plenty on entrance to the estate and 2 for 1 deals in the snack bar.

It was worth it for that bmxer jumping too far on the half pipe, landing on the safety rail and falling off the back, so lucky his bike didnt hit someone!