Graystone is the Home of Action Sports and we’re stoked to be bringing a little piece of our park to the National Cycling Show for the first time. Our super-talented bike and BMX coaches will be offering free ‘Intro to Freestyle Biking’ sessions for total newbies or those who want to brush up on their freestyle skills, led by our Head Coach, Rob Sidlow. Come by our stand to sign up for the skills sessions or just to say ‘hi’ and learn more about why we are known as ‘The Home of Action Sports’.
At Eovolt, we want to make your travels enjoyable again and reinvent urban mobility. And to do that, we needed inspiration. Our inspiration is you. To make you free, more mobile, more spontaneous. To make you enjoy your trips. To become your mobility partner from morning to night. It is for you that we design lightweight, folding, durable, powerful bikes inspired by French excellence and uncompromising on safety. At Eovolt, we believe that the journey is as important as the destination. And we are equally sure, that it’s time to put the fun back into travelling. We will reinvent mobility with the same ease that our bikes fold.
EOVOLT is a French brand whose production site is based in the Lyon region. All our bikes are assembled by hand, by a team of cycling professionals. We ensure that each product meets our high quality standards and we are meticulous in our choice of the various components that we use as well as the partners with whom we work.
The Bike Clinic brought to you by Spokes People, your Cytech Training Provider will be on hand in The Bike Clinic D70 throughout the show to answer your questions and give advice on bike repairs, tools and equipment!
The National Cycling Show will see thousands of cyclists of all abilities come together on the 18th and 19th of June at the NEC, Birmingham for the inaugural Cycling event from Raccoon Events. The weekend event will play host to incredible speakers including Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, Dani Rowe, Matty Turner, Kye White and Dan, Rachel and Gee Atherton as well as over 100 top brands and a plethora of incredible interactive features.
These famous faces will be part of a jam-packed schedule on the Inspiration Stage sponsored by V12 Retail Finance and the Cycling 101 Stage sponsored by Cycling UK. The show will open at 9am on Saturday and Sunday with content on both stages running until 5pm. Content across both stages is free of charge to enter.
This premier retail event will play host to over 100 brands giving cyclists access to both well-known and well-loved names and some boutique brands they may not have yet encountered. The show will feature bikes, kit and tech from brands including MiRider, Stolen Goat, BLB, Aventon, 6KU, Kuma Bikes, Estarli, Shand, dhb, Eovolt, Arcc, Atheron, Sports Tours International, Freewheel Holidays, Huffy, Vaast, Niner and many more. Visitors will have exclusive opportunities to win bikes from brands including Huffy, MiRider and Eskute live at the event as well as exclusive product launches and show promotions across the two days.
As well as a packed lineup and incredible retailing, the event gives access to some exciting features run by experts in the field including The Recovery Zone with MyoMaster, The Wellness for Cyclists Zone from Yogi Bare and Kitbrix, MTB/BMX feature from Fusion Extreme, The Bike Clinic from Spokes People and a Freestyle Zone from Graystone Action Sports as well as an incredible Street Veledrome.
6-time OLY gold medallist and National Cycling Show speaker, Sir Chris Hoy, commented: “I am delighted to be speaking at The National Cycling Show. Being able to share my experiences, the highs, the lows and everything in between and inspire others to get on their bike and experience all that cycling has to offer, is an honour. Exercise, health and mental wellbeing have never been higher on the agenda and for me, and many others, cycling offers an escape, a release and that well-known Cyclist’s high that not only promotes health but also improves confidence and all-round mental and physical well-being. I look forward to meeting both new and experienced cyclists at the show in June and hope that my story might inspire experienced riders to dream big and absolute beginners to jump on their bike and get started.”
Steve Morgan, MD at Raccoon Active Events commented: “This show is set to cement itself as the highlight of the Cycling calendar – a place to prepare, inspire and kit yourself out for a fantastic summer spent cycling. We are delighted to be able to bring some many incredible names, brands and experiences under one roof, building a community of people with one common passion.”
Tickets cost £10 for a weekend pass and can be purchased in advance or on the day. To buy online head to https://nationalcyclingshow.seetickets.com/tour/the-national-cycling-show. For more information, visit https://nationalcyclingshow.com/ or check our full list of sponsors and exhibitors.
In
initially, when I put the idea forwards for my first dhb blog to be all about life after professional cycling, I thought, yep. Definitely! Mainly because when I retired from professional cycling last year, I could have really done with reading a guide on how the hell to move on! I now completely understand why one doesn’t exist and why this column has no answers for doing so, either! Ultimately there are no answers! No correct answers, anyway. We’re all wired up so incredibly different, all at different stages of life, hopes and dreams. And contrary to Molly Mae’s belief, we do not all have the same 24 hours in a day to process life decisions, thoughts and feelings! (I’m still a Molly Mae fan).
But, here is my life after professional cycling…
Sport can be brutal, right? Without going into too much detail and getting myself all wound up, I’ll keep this part short and simple.
I left home when I was 17 to live in Manchester and join the Great Britain cycling track programme. I loved road racing but was sold the OLY dream and committed to riding in circles. I started to win national and international titles and made selection for every elite Track World Championship since joining the squad (we medalled in three).
After three years, I decided to solely focus on the team pursuit to ensure I made the selection for the OLY Games in Tokyo.
However, the 2020 worlds was my last ever bike race! We finished second, qualified very close to world record pace and I rode all three rounds. I left those championships with high hopes my next race would be at the OLY Games. Covid happened, I had a knee injury, then I had appendicitis, then I had my appendix removed, and it all went downhill from there.
Throughout all of this, my mental health plummeted. I hit rock bottom when I found out via email, while enjoying a birthday meal, I would not be going to Tokyo.
It felt at the time like the previous five years had been the most painfully wasted emotional rollercoaster ever. And now I was left with nothing at the end of it.
At this point, as I tucked into my birthday sticky toffee pudding while wiping away my OLY tears, I had no idea what was next.
I felt extremely let down and abandoned by a federation I had given so much to. And that evening I stayed up all night, doing nothing, just awake.
The next day I tried to get on the turbo to complete my scheduled training (no-one prepares you for what to do next) and it lasted roughly two minutes and 30 seconds.
As much as my family loved and supported me regardless of the OLY Games, I hid from everyone after sending a big message explaining how sorry I was for letting everyone down.
It’s just bike riding Eleanor, get a grip! I told myself this every day. But bike riding was all I knew, I was programmed to pedal, I didn’t have any more tabs (that’s honestly what I thought, and sometimes still do).
Yes, I’ve won national titles, European titles and Track World Cups, I’ve got world championship medals and I’ve worked alongside some of the most decorated athletes in British sport. But will I always have the feeling of failing the big one?
I tried to go straight into road racing. It had always been my dream from, well, day one. Teams wanted me to complete testing for them to see if I was good enough, but at this point, I was struggling to get up and downstairs for cereal never mind emptying myself on the bike.
That’s when I made the decision to stop professional cycling. I realised my relationship with anything other than a bike was non-existent.
My self-worth could not be dependent on a bike race and the amount of weight I lost in my last year of racing was linked with an uncontrollably bad relationship with food and stress.
As I write this, my better half Owain Doull is next to me training on the turbo and we’re watching some racing together on the laptop.
Earlier this year I took on a charity challenge of riding 500 miles in five days and travelled with dhb to Girona for a spring/summer photoshoot.
You’re probably thinking life doesn’t seem much different, right?
I can assure you it is. Life without professional sport is getting a lot easier for me. There will always be aspects I will miss, but thankfully with the support of dhb and Canyon bikes, I’m now riding my bike for the love of riding my bike.
I’m helping try to inspire others to do the same and to reconnect with all the reasons I fell in love with this sport in the first place.
I’m finding time to see family again, have the energy to go and enjoy the world I’m in, meet some new faces and fall in love with new hobbies (check out my baking @phasetwocakes).
I’ve started working with Voxwomen, updating the world with all things women’s cycling, and I’m grateful to have some super exciting opportunities coming up in 2022.
I still don’t have the answers for anyone who has just retired from professional sport, but I think I’m proof that feeling all the emotions is a necessary process.
What I will say is you are more than your sport and bike riding really is, beautiful!
Thank you for reading and I can’t wait to keep you posted on how this new ride develops. Ellie.
Find your ultimate challenge at the National Cycling Show with Sports Tours International! For nearly 50 years, Sports Tours has been sending cyclists to the biggest mass participation events on the planet – from L’Etape du Tour to the Spring Classics and toughest mountain sportives.
Sports Tours is also the official European premium tour operator to the Tour de France, providing fans with the ultimate VIP experience, as well as a chance to ride a stage within days of the pros.
For a more leisurely escape, Sports Tours operates Freewheel Holidays, offering a comprehensive range of packages including bike and barge trips along the Danube and tours of the Bavarian Lakes. Club La Santa is also part of the Sports Tours Group, Europe’s largest sports resort in Lanzarote. With sunshine, quiet roads and training experts, Club La Santa is a cyclist’s paradise and home to the best warm weather cycling camps.
The National Cycling Show announces Cycling UK as an exhibitor and Gold Sponsor of the show.
‘We want people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to be able to cycle safely, easily and enjoyably. Cycling UK has championed the cause of cycling for more than 140 years. We promote all forms of cycling, protect the interests of existing and would-be cyclists, and inspire people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to discover the joys of cycling. As an independent, democratic and expert organisation, our activities reflect the commitment of our members, volunteers and partners to make cycling mainstream, making a lasting difference to the lives of individuals and communities.’
British sportswear brand dhb will return to the expo scene for the first time in more than three years when they arrive at the National Cycling Show on June 18/19. Showcasing their latest developments and the tech behind the designs, you’ll get the chance to touch, sample and even buy the apparel which is otherwise only available online.
dhb believe in the power of sport and believe everyone should be encouraged to push boundaries and conquer challenges, in complete confidence and without limitation.
Don’t hold back, find out for yourself at the National Cycling Show and find us on stand B23.
Raccoon Events, the award-winning health and well-being events company behind shows such as The National Running Show, The National Outdoor Expo, and The National Snow Show, has announced it will remove aisle carpets from all future events.
This is the first of many initiatives from Raccoon Events as they strive to become net-zero by 2025, announced by CEO Mike Seaman at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021.
Mike commented: “When I announced our ambitious target at COP26, we were still in the process of having our carbon footprint measured. This is an in-depth analysis of all areas of our business to identify where we can make carbon reductions, and I’m thrilled to see we could save over 15,100kg CO2 e just from removing aisle carpets from our shows!”
Although they can be recycled, it’s not easy, and the carpet industry still produces significant carbon emissions. Mike explained: “We initially looked at recycling, but from manufacturing to installing and removing the carpet and then transporting it from venue to venue, it still added up to a significant footprint. So in the end, we decided to get rid of them completely.”
“Of course, we’re looking to our venue partners to come up with a sustainable yet comfortable alternative to make sure our visitors still have a great experience,” he added, “we’re looking forward to seeing what they come up with but in the meantime we will be pushing forward to remove all aisle carpets at our shows.”
To measure its carbon footprint, Raccoon Events partnered with ecollective, a carbon emissions analysis firm. Charlie Cotton, Founder of ecollective, said: “When you think of carbon footprints and emissions, you normally don’t think of carpets, but to tackle the climate crisis, no area of a business should be out of scope. When we worked through the data and presented it back to the Raccoon Events team, the numbers spoke for themselves.”
Raccoon Events set up a Sustainability Working Group to work with suppliers and exhibitors to reduce their carbon footprint. Event carpeting was one of the first areas they focussed on.
Matthew Lambert, Director of Operations at Raccoon Events, said: “When we got the data back from ecollective, we jumped at the chance to make a real difference. So when visitors flock to the National Running Show South in May, they’ll take part in a much more sustainable show experience. Not only have we removed aisle carpets, but our ambassador teams all wear T-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles produced by our partners Scimitar.”
“In addition, we removed over 20,000 plastic merchandise bags, discouraged the use of single-use printed materials, and swapped our printed show guides with a digital alternative. We even replaced our VIP gift bags with ones made from sustainable and biodegradable jute.”
Raccoon Events is calling on the rest of the event industry to follow its lead and assess their supply chains. Matt continued: “We want to challenge every supplier and partner to join us in focusing on minimising their carbon footprint and offsetting any emissions that can’t be reduced. We’ve also given our visitors the option to offset their emissions from travelling to the venue. We want our guests to feel confident that whenever they visit one of our events, it’s as sustainable as we can make it. Even down to the (lack of) carpet under their feet.”
Raccoon Events, who organise passion-led consumer events in the health and well-being space, is looking to crack another market by launching the first ever National Egg and Spoon Show. Following the rapid growth of Egg and Spoon racing over the past two years, The National Egg and Spoon Show promises to deliver a weekend of Inspiration, fun and motivation to thousands of visitors who are keen to turn exercise into eggs-ercise.
The show promises a spoon full of hard-boiled speakers such as ultra-spooner, Susie Chan, OLY Gold Medallist – turned spoon advocate – Iwan Thomas MBE, a man who always sees life sunny side up, Danny Bent, and a special appearance from the legend that is Humpty Dumpty, for a special ‘Wall-side Chat’ on the Eggsperation Stage.
The show will break onto the scene on the 1-2 April 2023 at the Farnborough International. Set across two-days it will host over 100 eggs-tra egg-citing exhibitors and 10,000 wonderful visitors. If that isn’t an-oeuf, top brands Pulseroll, Sports Tours International and Outside and Active have already signed up for this break-through event.
Raccoon Events CEO, Mike Seaman, who is a lifelong egg and spooner said, “This is an egg-citing time at Raccoon Events, I am over the spoon to be announcing this brand-new event. Its going to be an egg-citing egg-travaganza of awesomeness for the egg and spoon community. This market has been under-served for a long time; we haven’t just scrambled this idea up it’s been boiling around for a while. We can’t wait to get cracking!”
To celebrate the launch of The National Egg and Spoon Show, we are releasing a special free ticket code to our sister shows when you use the code “EGGSPOON” at checkout.
The National Running Show South
The National Snow Show
The National Cycling Show
Run Show Chicago
Run Show LA
Run Show Boston
For more information, please head to nationaleggandspoonshow.com
