Sometimes we ask ourselves how much bike goes in and with the cap. How many bikes can we get? Answer: mostly quite a lot. A weekend with a shop, three trips and two days at the same time at the trade fair can easily pass as hustle and bustle according to our criteria. Unfortunately there isn't enough time for anything else. For example, just doing an independent review of the entire “Bonjour Le Tour” weekend in Dusseldorf. After all, on the occasion of the 100-day countdown to the Grand Départ, there were all sorts of bike-related activities in the city and a bike flea market at postPost Grand Central. We had to make a decision and were there at Cyclingworld. With a booth and our cake+rocket ride...

Of course we weren't alone at the fair, we took a lot of nice things out of the cap with us. Hats, socks and lots of bikes to show a cross-section of our program. So a shout out to our partners from Pelago , bike hero , bombtrack , genesis and Soma , whose great bikes adorned our stand. And to our friends from Aurora Collective who lent a helping hand. As for the exit, we have ridley , listnride and whoo grabbed rolling under the arms, that Café Meisenkaiser on the rocket station has our taste buds pampered while delicious Uerige Jron especially during the review of the exit at the listnride stand in front of the main entrance to the fair, in the spirit of regeneration. Thank you to all of you.

Well, and now we're looking forward to a guest commentary on Cyclingworld from the Bonn fixed-gear pilot Michael Biastoch: independent, incorruptible, indescribable. Let's go Michael!

Cycling World – how many bikes are there in Düsseldorf?

A bike fair in Düsseldorf - Fashion, yes, but bike fair, that's not yet known here.

The Eurobike in Friedrichshafen has long been established as a business-oriented industry meeting place, and for several years the scene has been gathering in Berlin - there it is called a bicycle show and the focus is on the topic of bicycle culture.

So now Dusseldorf. Sport, e-mobility, urban biking, cycling couture, travel and the future of cycling are to be brought together here. Can this work?

The location of the events speaks for a new beginning: People do not meet on the exhibition grounds, but in the historic industrial halls of Areal Böhler in the west of the city.

In the exhibition hall there is a relaxed atmosphere that is not at all typical of a trade fair.

Here, dealers with their range of products geared towards urban cyclists stand next to the big manufacturers with high-end carbon bikes, the small Italian frame smithy and the hat manufacturer from New York.

Some world-class athletes remain almost unrecognized in the audience: Tour de France stage winner Frank Schleck is accessible to a chat with visitors and the two-time gold medal winner of the Paralympics in Rio, Hans Peter Durst, is happy about the interest in his sport and presents himself loosely to the audience on the stage in the forum.

Lord Mayor Thomas Geisel and Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme also tour the fair and show that the show is an important milestone in the 2017 Tour de France for Düsseldorf.

And consequently - because cycling means exercise and experience - not only the halls are used, but also the outdoor area and even the surrounding area are included: While the interest in the specially created cross-course is limited, the test area and the guided tours offered are found good encouragement.

Overall, the concept seems to have worked: the good mix of large and small manufacturers, local dealers, international guests, opportunities for visitors to join in and try things out seems to fit.

Finally a consumer/cyclist-oriented show in Düsseldorf - high time, almost 100 days before the start of the Tour de France, to present the diversity of cycling. repetition desired.

Michael Biastoch. cyclist.