Top 14 quirky things at the Cycle Show

It's easy to be wowed by the latest top of the range offerings from the big brands when you walk around the stands at the Cycle Show. So we've been looking out for more of the quirky stuff that the show has to offer to help add some extra entertainment and fun to your visit to the show.

CTC’s Spin & Win Wheel of Fortune

Granted, we didn’t have that much left in the kitty for big prizes at this year’s show, but our Spin & Win Wheel of Fortune is still going down a storm with visitors to our stand! You can never have too many puncture repair kits and a tote bag always goes a long way at a show to keep hold of all the free goodies you can pick up…

Find your bike easily with a bright Net saddle

You know that feeling “I’m sure I left my bike parked around here somewhere!”. That’s when you could do with something to help make it stand out from the rest. Nothing better than these snazzy saddles by Net. We especially like the comic book one – become your very own Cycle Superhero!

Storck’s Durnario is Platinum in spec (and in price)

I made the mistake of asking Storck’s director which bike he would like me to showcase in this article so I shouldn’t have been surprised when he pointed me towards this top of the range £11,000 Durnario Platinum. I would need 11 jobs all registered with the CycleScheme to be in a position to afford the payment plan for this one – but weighing in at a meagre 5.8 kg you can kind of see why it might be worth the bank balance pain. Congratulations to Storck for scooping Specialist Distributor of the year at the Bike Biz awards too!

Join the Fat Flea circus with this 26’’ wheeler

Toxic Orange seems to be the colour of choice for the 2016 range of off-road bikes at this year’s show. KTM’s Fat Flea 26’’ fat bike will cope with sand and mud with equal aplomb and, at £1399, it’s a more manageable price than most of the same genre of bikes on offer.

Ortlieb’s bags are ten times more waterproof than a raincoat!

This range of panniers and handlebar bags have been out a while now, but they’re still worth a look. You can’t get more waterproof and durable than the Ortlieb range and their sales person was eager to tell me just how waterproof they really are. When I asked why Goretex doesn’t make its jackets out of the same material, he was quick to point out the ‘boil in the bag’ experience you would have with the range’s non-breathable properties – fair point!

Italian classic electro bike

Italjet attracted a lot of attention to its stand with these beautifully designed classic looking electro bikes. Maybe they appeal more to those who like to ride scooters or motorbikes than those of us who like to take the strain riding uphill, but if you’re on the lookout for something a little different in your power-assisted pedals, then you can’t go far wrong with these.

Test your balance on the future of skateboards

When I asked the stockist of E-rolling bikes to give me a demonstration of how to use these electric handle-less scooters, he declined. Great sales pitch! I could see why he did so when an unsuspecting Cycle Show visitor gave one a go. I’m sure if you can get past the impossibility of standing up on one of these before you even start to think of moving, they would be a great fun way to get about. Not sure the highways laws of this land are equipped to cater for these vehicles just yet, so you may find yourself walking with one tucked under your arm…

Kids zone space to let off steam

If you couldn’t find someone to take care of the kids for a few hours while you’re checking out the latest bikes on offer, then you and your children might appreciate the chance to get some energy out on this cycle track. You could test out the latest balance bikes there too.

Ropey chains

This string bike by (you guessed it) Stringbike promotes the fact that you’ll never need wetwipes and washing up liquid to get the oil off your hands again. The fact that they provide you with two spare strings does however suggest you may spend a bit more time with it propped upside down on the saddle while you try to work out when it was you took up crochet.

Make your choice of helmet even more controversial

We try not to talk about helmets too often at CTC because of the ongoing argument about whether it’s a good idea or a bad one to wear one. As our policy position is clear that helmets should be a personal choice rather than a legal requirement, we thought for those of you who have chosen to ride be-helmeted, you might like to draw more attention to your position on the road with these funky helmet covers by Mansi.

Easy rider, Early Rider

There’s no better time to get the cycling bug than as soon as you’ve learnt to walk, if you ask us. The first models are designed for babies 7 months and upwards. These smooth running Early Riders by Fisher are a great precursor to balance bikes. They look pretty stylish too.

Design your own brand of bike with Swift *ID

New kids on the block, Swift have a rather snazzy piece of technology on their stand. This matt white frame appears to fill with paint of all the colours of the rainbow, to draw your attention to their latest paint offering. You can choose any colour you fancy, and in fact any design you want to be painted onto your own Swift frame with their latest Swift *ID range.

Wallpaper signed by Sean Kelly

If you live, sleep and breath cycling, then you probably want bikes to feature in every part of your life (just like us!). So if you've got some decorating to do at home but you're trying to put it off, maybe this cycle themed wallpaper, signed by Sean Kelly, will give you sufficient inspiration to get the job done.

Best bike books

You can grab yourself a bargain with 30% off all cycling books at the Bloomsbury stand. So whether it's the latest autobiography, you're planning your next big cycle adventure abroad or you're looking for some tips and tricks to improve your fitness in the saddle, Bloomsbury has got it covered.