This weekend’s Philly Bike Expo brings together brands and cyclists of all types to celebrate the mode of transportation, fitness, and fun that we all love, the bicycle. The show runs Saturday from 10AM-5PM and Sunday 10AM-4PM at the PA Convention Center.
Whether you are a racer, commuter, adventurer, artist, or someone that just loves pedaling around, there will be something there for you. For 2018, there are some big names like SRAM/Zipp/Quarq, Shimano and 3T who I believe are making their first appearance at the show. Other mainstays like Bilenky, Hanford, Selle Anatomica and Walz Caps will also be attending. For the full list of exhibitors, check out this link.
The show is known for having a great group of small builders on hand, and we’ll be sure to get as many pictures as we can for post-show event coverage. They always impress with their incredible craftsmanship and stunning paint jobs.
Here are some previews from what we expect to see at the show from some of our favorite brands in attendance:
Boyd Cycling – We’ve reviewed a set of Boyd 60mm deep road disc wheels in the past, but the last year and this year will be all about gravel. The Jocassee is their 650b hookless carbon gravel wheelset was the big feature at the booth in 2017, and the Pinnacle follows suit in 2018. Think of it as the big brother of the Jocassee. At 700c, it fits for those wishing to run road and cross tires on a hookless carbon rim. Designed to work well with 28mm and larger tires, it should be able to handle road, cross, gravel, or just about anything you can throw at it.
Thomson – Thomson has made a name for themselves by making high-quality bars, stems, and seat posts over the years. Aluminum has been their material of choice for most of those years, but they have been making carbon handlebars for a little while now too. We are looking forward to checking out their new “jungle” color that has been finished in a green CeraKote. While the color is distinctive, the ceramic finish also adds superior durability over anodization and is used in many military applications.
Industry Nine Componentry – You probably recognize the name Industry Nine, but Componentry? I made sure to include it, because they are launching their new A35 mountain stem at the show. The brand is more known for rock solid wheels and hubs, but is now branching out into other areas. Check out our article from earlier this week on the new stem.
Princeton Carbonworks – We’ve had a chance to tell you about their unique Wake 6560 wheelset in the past, and we are looking forward to catching up with them again at the show to see what else is new. The unique design uses a wave pattern that makes them a stronger wheelset that is able to handle sidewind forces better than other wheels, from our experience. They are also some seriously fast wheels.
Van Dessel – It’s been a while since we have caught up with Van Dessel, so we are looking forward to seeing them at ths show. We are wrapping up out longterm review on the new Motivus Maximus LTD and have been putting some miles in on the Full Tilt Boogie as well. Both were refreshed with the Mavic SpeedRelease thru axles that make wheel changes much faster than traditional thru-axles.
Farm To Fork Fondo – When it comes to beautiful scenery, food, and riding, the Farm To Fork Fondo is where it is at. The event has continued to expand year after year to include events from Virginia to Maine, with their newest event wrapping up a few weekends back in New Jersey. The event aims to bring together all levels of cyclists to highlight the local agriculture of a region that provides fresh food and protects the wide open country roads we all love.
Lezyne – Tools, lights, computers, pumps, that is what Lezyne does, and does it well. They are sure to have a winde range of product on hand as they always do, but we are looking forward to seeing their new Mega XL and Mega Color computers and new LED lights. We’ll have a review posted soon for the Super GPS computer, which has been a great computer at a very reasonable price. We hope to be able to try out one of the Mega models in the future and provide our feedback there as well.
There are plenty of seminars both days as well. They include talks from Chris Chance about the history of Fat Chance Cycles, discussions about custom frame building nutrition, fitting, collecting, yoga, and many others. To learn more, click here, and to see the full schedule, click here.
Tickets are on sale, and will be available at the show. Single day passes range from $8 online/$10 at the door for show only, and $12 online/$15 at the door to access the seminars as well. The all-access pass, which gets you in both days and provides access to the seminars, is $20 online/$25 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free all weekend.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year