We've often mentioned how excited we are about Cyclingworld. Of course, what could be better than having one of Europe's most important cycling trade fairs in our hometown? We're always surprised that even here in the area, there are still cycling enthusiasts who struggle to grasp the significance and quality of the trade fair. The cycling industry is in a very different situation; in difficult times like these, many manufacturers, distributors, and event organizers have realized how important a high-quality trade fair has become for cycling enthusiasts. All of Europe looks to Düsseldorf when it comes to cycling. At least for a weekend.

A trade fair like Cyclingworld is hugely important, especially in times when things aren't going well for an industry. It's currently unclear whether the bike industry's problems will ease this year or next year, but the number of bankruptcies and business closures remains alarming. The fact that even an internationally renowned bike shop like The Service Course in Girona, which certainly has some of the most well-known investors, including Simon Gerrans, Kasia Niewiadoma, Michael Woods, Romain Bardet and Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas, is closing its doors shows just how challenging the circumstances are ( more here ). John Watson, founder of Radavist, has just written a much-discussed insider report from the bike industry. I think it's really worth reading and can be found HERE .

A trade fair like Cyclingworld does what we all need: it makes cycling a completely positive thing. Whether it's a chic city bike, an e-bike for the daily commute, or a piece of sports equipment: the bicycle needs the presentation space it deserves. Cycling isn't a solution for people who can't afford a car, but rather a solution for people who want to get from A to B quickly and who realize that quality of life doesn't consist of car after car winding through a city's streets like a juggernaut, occupying our living space. Anyone who thinks they can solve their mobility problem with more roads and more cars is ignoring all the experience and research on the subject of livable cities.

But back to the trade fair. The number of exhibitors has grown steadily in recent years, as has the number of occupied halls at the Böhler site. We've been at our permanent location since the second edition and are looking forward to being surrounded by some of our partners and friends again this year. Nils from MotivAktiv will be joining us again, presenting bike fitting, and his colleague Michael will be answering your questions about performance diagnostics.

Schorsch from CYCLE4WATER will also be there with his own booth, but he'll be our guest on Friday evening at 6:00 PM. Together, we'll unveil something at our booth that's currently somewhat hidden and heavily pixelated on our homepage. Background information and details will be coming soon, but come along and do good. It's worth it. Alongside Schorsch, Martin will be spinning the grooves for the venue. There will be drinks, and we're counting on massive donations from you, so bring some cash.

Njegoslav from RitcheyLogic will be bringing a new Outback frame with some details, along with some parts. You can check out the Aurora colorway at our booth, while the Winter Sage will be on display at our colleagues at Cosmic Sports. Of course, there will also be a variety of Ritchey builds on display.

John from Albion will also be at our stand and will show you pieces from the summer collection and explain why Albion chose the motto "Stay outside for longer." John will also be bringing a few guests with him, who will not only be at our stand but also in the blogger lounge for some talks and podcasts. We are delighted to welcome Albion designer Graeme Raeburn, who is co-responsible for many of the innovative products. Rapha fans should know Graeme; as employee number 6, he played a key role in Rapha's history. We will also be welcoming Sherry Cardona and Gereon Tewes; the Transcontinental winners in the pairs category will not only visit us at the stand but will also be at the start of the gravel ride on Sunday morning. If you miss them there, you'll have the chance to ask them questions during the talk in the blogger lounge on Sunday afternoon.

Due to her commitments as a popular Eurosport commentator, Iris Slappendel will unfortunately not always be at our booth, but she will be bringing along pieces from the new collection and talking about the design and features. Iris will also be joining the peloton on Saturday morning at the Women's Road Cycling Movement's outing, taking the group for a short ride along the Lower Rhine.

After last year, when countless guests admired their custom steel frames with impressive details, Andrea and Gianluca from Barco are back as exhibitors at Cyclingworld this year. We got a sneak peek at the bikes they're bringing us from Padua and, as always, we're impressed. Fans of quick decisions will also get their money's worth at the booth; there will be at least one show bike available for purchase.

We'll also be building a Barco frameset in the Mütze, which will be on display alongside our Mütze Barcos. We hope that Gian Luca can join us on our ride with KASK despite the crowds on Saturday afternoon. If the weather cooperates, we'll spend two and a half fantastic hours on the bike and will take a short break along the way, including a visit from our neighbors from Bulle. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, we are looking forward to something very special from Open at the stand, showing our Stroma and Mehteh builds from Brother Cycles, receiving a visit from Cinelli from Italy and will be showing the new Genesis Croix de Fer 50 and a build based on the new 931 stainless steel frame.

Many people have noticed our special handlebar tapes on some custom builds over the past few months, and some were enthusiastic about the tape used in our CYCLE4WATER campaign during Rund um die Kö. We're delighted that Sean from Ciclovation is also joining us in the cap section. He'll be showing off the custom handlebar tapes with different finishes, unique designs, and many color variations, as well as their bar end plugs and much more.    

Some of our partners are visiting us again; in addition to Wahoo, just across the street, the bikepacking specialists from Cyclite are also among our neighbors.

This year, Kerstin not only organized the Women's Road Cycling Movement's ride, but also four workshops aimed at women. On Saturday, at 2:30 p.m., there will be two talks in the Blogger Lounge: one on "Cycle and Menopause" and the other on "Women Go Bikepacking." Free tickets are available HERE .

On Sunday, thanks to the support of our partners at Wera, there will be two women-only technical workshops led by Jo. Tickets for the 11:00 AM event are available HERE , and for the 2:00 PM event HERE .

Also on Sunday we traditionally invite you to the Gravel, Kies & Moss edition as part of the Cyclingworld, and there is even more tradition at the classic ride, which Volker will be bringing to the start again on Sunday morning as part of the Cyclingworld.

Before you all get mad: almost all rides are already fully booked. We didn't expect to be almost completely full more than a week before the show, but we've set up a waiting list for each event in case tickets become available.

IMPORTANT: Starting today, if you've booked a starting spot for one of the rides, you can pick up your trade fair ticket at the Mütze. This way, even if you're joining us on Sunday, you can still visit the fair on Friday or Saturday.

We look forward to seeing you, to a colorful weekend full of cycling culture and lots of fun.

See you.

Carsten