VELOHamburg

The bike fair BIKE found 2017 for the first time under the name VELOHamburg, held in Hamburg. Numerous visitors found themselves on Saturday and Sunday (May 13th and 14th) in the cattle market hall on the field road around bicycles, bicycle equipment and Accessories to watch. In addition, visitors had the opportunity to Bicycles, e-bikes and other models to test drive.

Last weekend Hamburg was all about bicycles. In the City North they found City-Nord cycling days instead and in the Rindermarkthalle on Feldstraße the waited VELOHamburg on their guests. In the past, Hamburg was rarely blessed with bicycle fairs, only the open-air fair as part of the Cyclassics deserved this name, at least as far as racing bikes are concerned. Admittedly, the VELOHamburg was not tailored to the topic of racing bikes either, but the topic of racing bikes was not neglected and spare and add-on parts for racing bikes were also offered.

I was surprised! The fair started outside, next to the entrance to the Rindermarkthalle and stretched halfway around the building. By the way, there was an entrance fee EUR 6, - which was fine with me. A temporary outside staircase led to the parking deck of the Rindermarkthalle, about 70% of which was available for VELO Hamburg as exhibition space.

Clear! In 2017 there were of course quite a few e-bike providers at the VELOHamburg. I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about eBikes. People for whom cycling is too strenuous and would leave their bike at home without a motor should rather ride an eBike than not at all. People who are physically fit should be able to move their own body weight on a bicycle. My opinion. And when I see that there are mountain bikes with electric motors, I ask myself who comes up with such an idea. To each his own! In any case, the visitors had the opportunity to try out a whole range of e-bikes and e-scooters. There was also a large one on the covered parking deck Test track.

If one bike trend is ahead of e-bikes, it's cargo bikes! There is now at least one bicycle dealer in almost every part of Hamburg that specializes in these heavyweights. This somewhat more established trend was also clearly recognizable at the VELOHamburg. Young parents and their children tried out the family carriages directly on the test track. A decent load bike quickly costs EUR 1000 to EUR 3000.

You could see everything from bike locks to performance saddles, but I would have really liked to have been able to try out the bike saddles. You don't have to have a test bike, but you should be able to find a bike like the one used for the measurement.

Visitors could also test recumbent bikes and electric scooters. Even if you don't need an electric scooter any more than you need a pedelec (e-bike), I find those things really funny. The advantage of these is of course that you can take them on the train. For me as a city dweller, of course, superfluous, but a great thing for commuters.

For racing cyclists there was at least one Stevens stand at the start. Of course, as a Hamburg company you have to present yourself there, but lesser-known manufacturers also showed a few hot gravel bikes and cyclocrossers.

The VELOHamburg is not yet big enough to make my racing cyclist heart really happy, but it has what it takes. My cyclist heart is definitely happy and I hope that the city of Hamburg will set an example and support this fair so that it will be even bigger next year. Because after all, cycling makes for healthy citizens and Hamburg also wants the title bicycle city write on the flag.