detroitjim

If you attended the Detroit Bike Expo at Cobo Center.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Positive/Negative?

Did you go last year ? was it the same /better/worse?

Was there anything worthwhile in the swap area? High priced junk? Overpriced quality used components?

Thanks!

detroitjim

While on Slow Roll today,I spoke with one person that attended the Expo.
I asked him to give a rating .His experience was only very slightly negative. -1 (on a scale from +5 to -5)

chaadster

I went last year and found it fairly boring, though the highlight was checking out the Slingshot 29ers up close and taking a little test spin round the expo. I'd say it wasn't worth the trip out from Ann Arbor, and was even slightly depressing, so a -1 on your scale from me for the '13 Expo. I didn't even hear about it this year, but wouldn't have gone even if I had, unless something new and particularly attractive was going on.

Pete712

We didn't go last year but thought it was worthwhile this year.
We stopped at just about every display and generally found something of interest.
The vendors all seemed enthusiastic and eager to share their story and sell you something if they could which was OK.
Picked up some info on various rides around the State and some stuff I might buy in the future.
Unless I missed something there wasn't anything in the swap area worth looking at-I got better stuff laying around my basement already.
$12 bucks was a little steep but it was a good way to kill and afternoon if we couldn't get out to ride.

jforman

I went and found some information that was of value. This I believe the third or forth year of the expo and it's growing pains are evident.

DTownDave22

Don't have a great memory, so I'd have to take a look at the itinerary for the Expo on their website (if it's still posted which it probably is), as well as the entire bike week activities, because aside from the rides, nothing on the itinerary really set in my memory, probably because it wasn't specific enough and/or appealing enough in writing.

I even sent some sort of message in the feedback about how their website's links weren't necessarily working (for the "North American Bicycle Week" website) but am not certain they got it, as I never received any response.

Based on the short and non-detailed itinerary having looked at them over the last three years, I'm still not exactly sure what the Bike Expo is all about and how it's different from say a bicycle store or looking around on the internet. It is a place for people within a metropolitan area that have a common interest, to perhaps convene and I would ask or even suggest, perhaps do social networking with one another. I would say network and organizing for better roads or organizing rides on a more local basis, at the municipal level.

However, what good is say organizing to advocate for better roads at a more local level, going to do in a fairly bicycle unfriendly metro area with a lot of work to do in regards to actually making more "complete streets"?

Don't get me wrong, the suburbs are not completely lacking of roads and relatively seamless residential streets, to ride, but there is a reason, even for more modest distances (4 miles and less), that people don't commute places or go for recreational rides on suburban roads hardly at all (at least in my experience in what I observe); safety, traffic volume/speed, and far too many sub-par roads/streets. Essentially, it would take more than just putting paint on roads or paving a path and expect, "Well, OK, there..we're good now."

Putting actual infrastructure would need to be done at more than a half-assed approach, so that people actually feel safe riding, have designated places to lock up to, and additional people want to ride, and in turn, reduce some of the automobile traffic, and make it even a little more safe.

Of the two bicycle paths nearest my residence, one is fine, the other is sort of a joke..paralleling a somewhat busy/high speed road (45MPH limit), is not completely safe for riding any faster than say 10 MPH, along with several driveways along its duration, which is good in that the path is near locations people would perhaps commute to such as small businesses and offices, but again, for multiple reasons is not that safe; the speeds people are traveling along with the traffic volume and how careful people are when entering or exiting the driveway (not very careful) I don't think the path I refer to is very safe and seems like a half-assed/semi-waste of money approach to cycling infrastructure. I like riding a lot, and I rarely ever ride this path, and the start of it is only about 1.5 miles from my residence.

fishtoes2000

I attended and presented at Thursday's event. I had a booth and presented at Saturday's expo. Our booth, the Detroit Greenways Coalition had a great flow of people -- the best yet by far for me -- and I got to answer many questions and collect feedback. It was very positive for me, but I'm not the typical showgoer and work paid for my entry.

It's not Interbike or even CABDA, but it's still a great way to kick of another year of biking in Detroit. I think they had around 2,000 attendees for its third year, which is impressive. I thought the Groupon was a nice addition to reduce the admission cost.

sbyrstall

When was it and where??

garyus

Cobo hall for one day in the spring.