On the same day that the GP Cycliste de Montreal ProTour race was taking place, the Canadian trade show for the bike industry – ExpoCycle – was opening for specialty bicycle retailers across the country.
BTAC President Jean Cloutier, CCA President John Tolkamp, UCI President Pat McQuaid and BTAC Executive Director Janet O’Connell were at the opening of the 2010 Expocycle Trade Show.
While a flurry of new products are released on a continuous cycle through the year these days (unlike as little as ten years ago, when most new gear was exclusively launched at trade shows), the ExpoCycle 2010 organisers feel that trade shows still provide an opportunity to see some new items, see everything in one place and catch up on industry gossip and goings-on.
The Canadian show had significant growth from last year, with most participants reporting increased optimism for both the current and coming seasons.
BMC is coming to Canada via Outdoor Gear Canada (OGC), and had George Hincapie in their booth the day after the Montreal race.
Ridley, the Belgian brand known mainly for cyclo-cross (but offering a lot more), is now distributed by Norco.
Meanwhile, Stevens, the German brand that is often thought of in Canada as a ‘Cross brand, will be increasing its presence through distributor PMI.
One other brand that, while currently available, should now see increased presence, is Cannondale. While owned by the Canadian-based conglomerate Dorel, until now most distribution has been via the US. Now, Cannondale has a Canadian-based sales force. Cannondale also had the biggest line-up of the show, when Giro winner Ivan Basso spent an hour in the booth signing autographs.
Meanwhile, the urban bike sector continues to grow in Canada. While practical and stylish commuting bikes have been available in Europe for decades, they have only started to appear in North America over the past few years. Opus has expanded its range, Raleigh has introduced models that hark back to its roots, in addition to retro styling from Canada’s Brodie bikes, Stevens and Norco amongst others.
