Bicycling Australia Show 2005
Yesterday Today my brother-in-law and I headed off to the annual Bicycling Australia Show held at the beautiful Olympic Park. There was also a criterium in action when we got there, which was a little after 2:00pm, and thankfully the rain held off as the pavement would have been quite slippery. The circuit was fairly tight with a few twists-and-bends but also a nice long finishing straight. It was all very spectator friendly but the crowd turnout was fairly low.
On to the show, I was surprised that there was no retailer selling any cycling DVDs. I've always had trouble finding stores that would carry some titles. I'm mainly interested in the Spring Classics and the Tours, but most retail stores seem to focus mainly on BMX titles. Bah :)
Shimano, Campagnolo, Orbea, Trek, and all the other big names were well represented. Apollo were giving out showbags filled with catalogues and flyers and there were many posters and such to be picked up once inside.
I spoke with one of the reps of Bike Style Tours who, as their name suggest, organise cycling tours. Now these aren't your average type of tours but ones that are held in conjunction with such races as the fore mentioned Spring Classis, Tour de France, the Giro, and the Vuelta. What makes these guys even more special is the fact that you get to ride with the likes of Neil Stephens, Patrick Jonker, and Jay Sweet. I don't need to mention that a certain level of fitness would be helpful :)
The organisers are also holding a series of seminars throughout the show (which ends today Sunday 23rd!). Some of the session lined up include Shimano showcasing their 2006 range and a panel discussing women in cycling.
Celebrity wise, I spotted Bradley McGee along with Matthew White. I didn't realise it was Matthew until I saw someone hold a postcard sporting his picture and of course name. Bradley is of a thinner build than what I had thought he would have been, but obviously this is why he's been a favourite for the Tour de France prologue for the last few years.
Camera in-hand herewith are the results. An external flash could have really helped on an overcast day like today.