Pictured: Going head to head, MD of the NEC, Kathryn James,
takes on Paul Byrom MD of Upper Street Events, the Cycle Show
organisers
The 10th Cycle Show, at its new home the NEC, proved to be a
great success with visitors travelling from all over the country to
be there - a clear indicator that the move from London to
Birmingham was the right strategy.
Queues of people lined up throughout the weekend to try out the
brand new Outdoor Mountain Bike demo track - one of five demo
tracks purpose built for the show.
Among them were the NEC's MD Kathryn James and Paul Byrom, MD of
Upper Street Events, the organisers of the Cycle Show.
"This takes 'outdoor' and 'live' to another level," said
Kathryn, "It just illustrates the diversity of our estate. Events
are demanding more from their venues and I'm proud we have such
flexibility - alongside our 20 interconnecting halls we also have
75 acres of woodland and large hard standing areas, which means we
can accommodate this kind of outside activity. Not only does it
enhance the visitor experience, but it makes it real too."
The track, which was co-funded by the NEC and Upper Street
Events, is the show's biggest investment to date in mountain
biking.
Paul Byrom, MD of Upper Street Events, commented: "The track is
everything we wanted it to be and more. The fact we had the space
to offer an amazing track like this is one of the main benefits of
moving to Birmingham and I'm absolutely thrilled to have seen so
many of our visitors enjoy testing out the very latest mountain
bikes. And as I know myself, it's not a ride in the park, the
course is varied and challenging - a fantastic test in a real
environment.
"Birmingham has been a fantastic host and we've been delighted
by the response to being at the NEC. The Cycle Show has brought
together people from all different sectors of the cycling
fraternity and the atmosphere has been excellent."
Chris Jenkins, a visitor from Birmingham also tried out the
track and said: "The track is really cool and a great way to
experience all the mountain bikes on display first hand. I was so
excited when I heard that the show was moving to the NEC this year.
I've never been able to go along before but now the show has moved
to Birmingham, I'll certainly be back next year".
There were over 200 exhibitors at the show who also expressed
their delight with the turn out at the show.
Steve Davidson, from bike manufacturer DAWES, said: "The show
was fantastic. The test track really gave people a chance to
experience how the bikes handle and perform on a real trail - an
experience which is priceless, especially when it comes to selling
a product."