Chicago Bicycle Expo?

Hi errybody. Long time lurker, first time poster.

Writing to see what you all know about bicycle expos/shows/etc in Chicago. What's been done before? Are there any currently? The little bit of digging I've done shows that yes, they've happened in the past, but beyond that I'm hitting walls.

The long and short of it - I think there should be one here, a la Philly Bike Expo (which is awesome) Seattle, Portland, NYC... if they can do it, we can.

Discuss, please.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 14, 2013 at 10:48am

Seattle's looks kinda great: https://shop.cascade.org/content/events/expo

but the price of NYC's (free) appeals to me more: http://www.bikenewyork.org/bike-expo-new-york/

Has Active Trans considered throwing one of these I wonder? 

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on January 14, 2013 at 10:54am

January 19, Harper College (Palatine):  http://www.chicagowinterbikeswap.com/Home_Page.php

March 9, University of Illinois (Chicago):  http://chicagobikeswap.org/

 

 

Permalink Reply by Brian K. Mark on January 14, 2013 at 11:00am

So swap meets are rad, but they're primarily a venue for folks to sell discontinued/closeout/scratch and dent product. What I'm thinking about is something more "bike culture"-y. In Philly, there were a few folks slinging cheap product, but a whole lot of vendors exhibiting/selling their goods (at/around retail prices), custom framebuilders showing off their stuff, custom/handmade accessory makers, advocacy groups, charity ride promoters, a food truck food court, a fashion show... like a bike swap, but with a ton more going on.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 14, 2013 at 11:04am

Have you been to the Chicago swaps? They are plenty bike culture-y with lots of crafters and custom frame builders and stuff. 

Brian K. Mark said:

So swap meets are rad, but they're primarily a venue for folks to sell discontinued/closeout/scratch and dent product. What I'm thinking about is something more "bike culture"-y. In Philly, there were a few folks slinging cheap product, but a whole lot of vendors exhibiting/selling their goods (at/around retail prices), custom framebuilders showing off their stuff, custom/handmade accessory makers, advocacy groups, charity ride promoters, a food truck food court, a fashion show... like a bike swap, but with a ton more going on.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on January 14, 2013 at 11:07am

So something more like a trade show, kind of like the Chicago Auto Show, with manufacturers and parts/clothing/lifestyle suppliers?

Permalink Reply by Brian K. Mark on January 14, 2013 at 11:10am

Bingo, yeah. It's been a few years since I've been to any of the swaps. I'm planning to check them out as they come up. Consumer trade shows are rad - like the Chicago Auto Show - because it gives the folks who use/buy the goods a chance to talk to the people behind them, see what's new and cool, etc. Swaps are a great place for crafters and builders but for vendors (like myself, in the interest of full disclosure) they're not the right venue to connect with consumers.

Tricolor said:

So something more like a trade show, kind of like the Chicago Auto Show, with manufacturers and parts/clothing/lifestyle suppliers?

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 14, 2013 at 11:39am

And beer! I've only been to the moto show, but I'm assuming that the auto show has beer also?

Tricolor said:

So something more like a trade show, kind of like the Chicago Auto Show, with manufacturers and parts/clothing/lifestyle suppliers?

Permalink Reply by Brian K. Mark on January 14, 2013 at 11:47am

The better bike shows have beer. And it's a great chance to bring on beer sponsors, connect cyclists with beer/beer drinkers with bikes...

Permalink Reply by Duppie on January 14, 2013 at 12:05pm

You should check out the Chicago Bike Swap.

Much more than people selling second hand stuff.

There used to be the Chicago Bike Expo, which is much more what you describe in your ideal state, but it became a victim of the Great Recession. The last one was either in 2008 or 2009.

Brian K. Mark said:

So swap meets are rad, but they're primarily a venue for folks to sell discontinued/closeout/scratch and dent product. What I'm thinking about is something more "bike culture"-y. In Philly, there were a few folks slinging cheap product, but a whole lot of vendors exhibiting/selling their goods (at/around retail prices), custom framebuilders showing off their stuff, custom/handmade accessory makers, advocacy groups, charity ride promoters, a food truck food court, a fashion show... like a bike swap, but with a ton more going on.

Permalink Reply by Jerry Lee on January 14, 2013 at 12:11pm

Maybe some of you remember the CABDA shows at Rosemont Convention center on River rd. See new stuff and there are bike clubs booths and tour groups, yeah they got beer, at inflated prices...For dealers they can get great deals on closing day, example Mark from cycle smithy would Cannondales entire lot, they both benefit..he gets good deal, cannondale doesn't have to pack up so much.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 15, 2013 at 4:18am

Love that vision h! The swaps have had a super funky/folksy atmosphere that has really added a depth of warmth to the events. I think a lot of that might have come unfortunately, from the venue with its well worn Jens Jensen charm. I understand that the swaps have outgrown the venue - which is great of course, but it presents a challenge. Can we up the funk to compensate for the sterile atmosphere of a university conference center or gymnasium or whatever? 

h' 1.0 said:

Thanks, Jerry-- glad there are some other old-timers who remember our annual "expo."

Unfortunately the CABDA show kind of died; as to the "has Active Trans considered"-- they were always very involved and were instrumental in getting it moved into the city for the last few attempts.  But ultimately it wasn't viable.

This was my vision in the "Bike Winter Swap and Expo" that has become the Chicago Bike Swap-- I have always missed the rhythm of the annual Cabda show since it's been gone and was hoping we could bring back something that brought the cycling community together under one roof once a year and facilitated networking and exchange of info and resources, and also felt like a 'big event.' The swap has been scaling up each year since its inception, and is poised to become that "big event" in the next year if the expanded venue works out.

We are in the planning stages for this year's, so Mark K and others-- would appreciate it of you could say as much as possible about what it is that makes an expo an expo.

 



Jerry Lee said:

Maybe some of you remember the CABDA shows at Rosemont Convention center on River rd. See new stuff and there are bike clubs booths and tour groups, yeah they got beer, at inflated prices...For dealers they can get great deals on closing day, example Mark from cycle smithy would Cannondales entire lot, they both benefit..he gets good deal, cannondale doesn't have to pack up so much.

Permalink Reply by Melissa on January 15, 2013 at 7:22am

Friends of The Chainlink Bicycle CPT just hosted their first Urban Bicycle Expo in Cape Town, South Africa, flush with sunshine and peculiar quips that speak to the heart of any expo: "Cycling greenies can quite literally pump their bikes to suit their personalities."  

http://www.bicyclecapetown.org/2012/12/cape-town-urban-bicycle-expo/

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