MASON Cycles at 'Cyclingworld Dusseldorf’

MASON Cycles recently exhibited at 'Cyclingworld Dusseldorf’, a relatively new exhibition in the Rhine-Ruhr. With the show's focus on smaller makers and a much more independent feel, it was a natural fit for MASON - helped by the incredible interior architecture of Areal Bohler - a 100 year old site previously given over to mass industry, has been repurposed for numerous businesses and the striking show hall that we found ourselves in on Thursday evening, capping off an 18 hour day of travelling.

The city seemed equally served for the 'cyclist' as it was for people who cycle, and it was refreshing to see families doing the weekend shop on cargo bikes, alongside the 80+ strong group ride that was waiting for the show to open on Saturday morning. A shock change from the sprawling car park of the NEC.

Arriving late on Thursday just gave us the chance to unload the van and assemble the affectionately nicknamed 'Mason Monolith', a 3 metre wooden backdrop that serves as the centre point of our stand. After adding the set dressing of the bikes, we were good to go. Friday evening was the early opening of the show, from 6pm until 10pm, a quick currywurst before doors opened meant we were ready to meet the eager visitors.

We tend to keep exhibitions few and far between, we do them when we have something new to announce and as well as the newly released RAW hardtail on display, we also had the first ever look at our two new models. The 'SLR', our take on a modern long-distance randonneur and all-road bike, and the 'Exposure', a steel, long-distance gravel bike with extra carrying capacity and tyre clearance, were extremely well received. These bikes serve to cover some niches and riding types not fully catered for by the existing range, and give a bit more choice and versatility for certain styles of riding - as always, firmly from the MASON #MadeForMiles ethos. 

Saturday flew by, welcoming newcomers to the brand and catching up with long-term customers - some who knew we were coming, and some who happened upon us by luck. It was great to catch up with people we'd previously welcomed to the MASON barn too. We had a steady stream of great conversations and keen interest in the whole range, so much so that lunch and the first beer of the day didn't come until 4pm, most unlike the usual show experience!

We managed to get a little more breathing room on Sunday to have a nose around at the other stands and catch up with friends and previously email-only contacts from the industry. It pays to know the right people; Michele from Miss Grape had plenty of free beer and jokes, and the Ritchey/ Rapha stand had as much espresso as you could tolerate. It wasn't all gallivanting, as pack-down had to happen on Sunday as much as possible to enable us to get a reasonably early ferry from Calais on Monday. After a pack-up which involved nearly leaving a bike in the show hall, there was a brief diversion to a local palace of skateboarding history for a chat and a new deck purchase - a rather lucky coincidence that the weekends' skateboard transport was made in 2004, about 200 metres from our show stand.

The fact that the organiser Torsten has managed to attract more small brands meant a lot more engagement and happy exhibitors, and the whole weekend was an extremely positive experience. The market in Germany is incredibly strong, and engagement with the stand and the models was high - the people know what they want! We'll be back in 2023, a testament to what Torsten and the whole team at Cycling World Dusseldorf have managed to achieve."