The Chinese bike industry once again descended on Nanjing, from 8th to 12th October, for the annual Asia Bike trade show. With the economy’s growth slowing, and visitor numbers to the expo up only a little on last year, there was nevertheless plenty to leave participants enthusiastic over the overall direction of the industry.
A total of 433 brands came over from all over the world to Asia Bike this year, bringing with them their latest innovations and products. International brands accounted for 72 percent of exhibitors, while the show attracted 8,866 trade visitors plus 4,358 visitors on Sunday 11th October, a day designated as open to the general public.
Spawned from Eurobike, the world’s biggest bike show, Asia Bike still manages to hold onto a family atmosphere. The show is large, but not monstrous, with many of the exhibiting brands working together on a daily basis. Stefan Reisinger, Head of Eurobike, concurred, “Asia Bike is not only a place where brands meet dealers, but also a socializing platform where dealers can meet their partners, where it’s also a perfect opportunity to get together, to use this platform to see colleagues, to see long-term friends, for the industry to move forward the business in the future”.
A key element that sets Asia Bike apart is the show’s degree of interactivity, manifest by programs such as the bike industry summit, mountain bike test track and demo day, held on 8th October amid the beautiful Purple Mountain, where the public can come along to test out new bikes for themselves, as well as being given a helping hand by experts on site.
Walking in the footsteps of his father, who started the brand in 1961, company President Fausto Pinarello showed his dedication to Demo Day; “We want people to test the bikes, try to learn, to teach them how to use bikes, the fittings on the bikes, change the gears, use the brakes, etc. It’s very important. It’s a hard job to do, but I want to do it”.
While growth may be slowing, the China market is still a priority for many of the world’s biggest names in bikes, many of whom reported to Nanjing Expat that they remain committed to the long term. When not on a mountain bike on the test track himself, Chris Cook, as Marketing Manager for another brand with more than 50 years in the business; Canadian bike manufacturer Norco, said, “Being at the trade show is a wonderful opportunity to not only see our existing dealers, but also to meet new dealers. There is some really great learning, some great education, and some fabulous questions from dealers and consumers here. One of our core values is to listen, innovate and ride. And being present here at the bike show enables us to do a whole lot of listening”.
In Nanjing, where we still sometimes find ourselves in the shadow of nearby Shanghai, comparisons between cities and indeed countries are inevitable. The organisers of Asia Bike can take encouragement in the comments made by Jack Oortwijn, Editor-in-chief of BIKE europe magazine; “My impression of the show is [that it is of a] very high standard. This show stands out, comparable to the sister show of Eurobike in Messe Friedrichshafen [in Germany]”.
