Commuter bikes get their day in the sun at Urban Press Camp

At some trade shows, racing bikes dominate. At Urban Press Camp, a three-day media event that brings together magazine editors and the leading brands in urban bikes and accessories, commuter bikes get their moment to shine. Yesterday, about 15 editors met with a dozen manufactures, including Breezer, Cannondale, and Raleigh. This morning the event, located at the beautiful House of Sweden, is open to National Bike Summit participants. It’s well worth a visit.

The timing of the event was designed to coincide with the National Bike Summit. “Being able to coat-tail into the National Bike Summit we hugely important to us,” says Lance Camisasca, president of Lifeboat Events, which put on the show.

At events like this, Summit participants get to see what is happen in the industry, while industry folks get involved with advocacy. “You come out of that thing fired up. There’s so much energy, it’s mind-blowing,” JT Burke, brand manager for Breezer, said of the National Bike Summit, which he attended last year. He says the Summit is important for the bicycling industry because, “you can’t grow [the commuter bike] market without better infrastructure.”

“This is an opportunity to showcase bikes that are non-competitive in nature,” says Cannondale’s PR manager, Michael de Leon. “Here they get put up on a pedal, which is unusual.  These bikes are about how you can better your life, the environment, transportation. Everything the National Bike Summit is trying to do.”

Schwinn bike made of environmentally friendly Flax fiber.

Urban bikes on display

Brian Fornes, whose card reads "Raleigh Marketing Guy"