What to see at the Cycle Show 2023
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Cycle Show is again on at the iconic Alexandra Palace in north London. It takes place this weekend, 21-23 April.
As you’d expect from the UK’s biggest cycling show, it’s packed with bikes, accessories, kit and tech. I met up with Cycle magazine’s editor Dan Joyce to have a look round and find five things you should check out while there.
1 Utility e-cycling
Both Dan and I were struck by the number and variety of e-cargo bikes on show. Dan said in all his years of attending shows this is the first time he’d seen such a concentration of these practical cycles. Long tails and bakfiets are on display, with something to suit every pocket. Budget brands such as Mycle and RadWagon, mid-priced Benno and pricier Tern and Riese & Müller are all there – along with many others. Even some that were new to Dan.
Anyone with an interest in e-cargo cycles and wanting to find out more should go along. As Dan said: “You’ll never have seen this many in one place before.” These are all sturdily built machines that could easily replace a car; it’s a trend that Dan described as encouraging.
The whole of the West Hall is dedicated to e-cycles and the Panorama Room is all cargo bikes. There’s even a test track so you can try the bikes out.
2 The Light Blue Trinity Pista
This Cambridge-based company started life way back in 1895, producing hand-built bicycles for the wealthy members of Cambridge University. The name comes from the university’s sporting colours.
Being from Cambridge, I might be biased, but these steel-frame bikes are beautiful. This retro-styled fixie really caught my eye with its classic good looks. It's also the only fixie I noticed at the show, whereas previously they’ve been numerous.
Price: £1,549.99
Stand: G220
Website: The Light Blue
3 Ergon SR Sport Gel Women saddle
The search for the perfect saddle continues – and this road bike saddle looks like a serious contender. It’s been specifically designed for the female anatomy to reduce pressure down below and increase comfort on long rides. It’s not cheap, but I’ve seen saddles costing a lot more.
Ergon also has a device for measuring your sit bones so you can get the right size saddle. It looks like a white cube with a digital display, and all you have to do is sit up straight on it for a few moments and it’ll display your sit bone distance in centimetres. There was quite a queue forming when I left! Apparently I need a M/L. This doesn’t necessarily mean I have extra wide hips, the salesperson reassured me…
Price: £89.99
Stand: G570
Website: Ergon Bike
4 TentBox Lite 2.0
It’s a tent in a box that goes on top of your car. I don’t usually like to encourage more driving, but this looked interesting. It goes on pretty much any car and sleeps two people, effectively transforming your car into a campervan for those cycling holidays where you don’t want to carry everything on your bike.
You’ll need roof bars, to which you attach the TentBox. Then you just open up the box and – hey presto! – the tent appears. It comes with a ladder so you can get up to it and the show attendee I spoke to climbed up with ease. She also mentioned that it was nice and roomy inside.
Price: £1,250
Stand: G480
Website: TentBox
5 Vello Bike+ Titanium
The world’s first self-charging folding e-bike. This is way beyond my budget, but it costs nothing to look, and if you’re after a replacement for the car for commuting, then this could be an option.
It weights 12.9kg, which is significantly less than other e-folders out there, and folds down small enough to take on trains or the Tube. It also looks good. The self-charging technology means you can “ride it forever without having to recharge it,” the salesperson assured me.
Price: from £4,190
Stand: W230
Website: Vello Bike
Cycling UK also has a stand at the show. So come along and say hello. We love to meet our members and supporters. Members can save 25% on the price of tickets. If you’re not already a member, sign up now and your benefits take effect immediately.
