This was the third year Emma and myself had headed to the NEC for the Cycle Show. For me, this year’s show was the best so far.

I had enjoyed each visit, but this year the spread of fabulous products, information and publications made for a cycling fanatics dream day. To be honest, it would have been great to head back for at least another half day or so.

Over the last few years I have become a real fan of Pinarello bikes. The frame layout suits me, the finish quality is excellent and I like certain details such as the threaded bottom bracket.

Yellow, the UK Importer had a large stand displaying the 2016 bikes and their shop, The Bike Rooms was selling clothing.  The colours of the both the 2016 Dogma and new GAN bikes are really eye catching and were drawing the attention of most people visiting the display.  The folks on the Yellow stand are great to have a chat with, so that got the day off to a good start.

Nutrition has been something that we have become more interestedin this year. This has ranged from home cooking, to using the energy and recovery products that have a natural ingredient or an organic bias. Torq now even offer a lovely snack bar within their range (Snaq), to compliment a cup of tea or coffee. There are numerous brands now offering interesting food products and we picked up a variety of bars and drink powders. A product that we have since tried is the Chimpanzee brand, pre-ride Quickmix Energy Shake, it provides a really good energy boost, and can be taken as a shake or in a thicker porridge form.

One of my favourite parts of the day was meeting Magnus Backstead. Magnus was at the show promoting Infocrank power meters. We were able to learn about what seems to be a very good product, and also speak about his fabulous commentary of the cycle races. I got a photo of Emma standing with Magnus, he looks about two feet taller than her!

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There were so many great products to view or try, but a few items that stood out were Shimano’s new XT groupset, Rocky Mountain’ Thunderbolt full suspension bike, and the fabulous shift action of Campagnolo’s EPS system.

The show also gives the opportunity to see a few quirky products that don’t tend to appear in the local bike shops. One such item was wall paper featuring a cycling related pattern or a photo print of famous climbs. Emma picked up a few pairs of socks that utilise recycled fishing net within the make up of their fabric (Teko). I am told they are fabulous to wear.

The final little purchase was buying a subscription to Cyclist magazine. I find this mag covers travel, tech, interviews, health and training, in a balance that I enjoy, so the sub seemed to makes sense and creates a saving on cover price.

Riding a bike all day seems far less exhausting than walking around the NEC, so by late afternoon we decided it was time to make our way back up the M6 to return home.

If you get the opportunity to visit the Cycle Show, I would suggest giving it a try, you are likely to have a great day.