MISANO ADRIATICO – It was a weekend of intense and exciting work, made even more frenetic by the rain that halved Friday's activities, forcing everyone to compress their activities into the remaining time. The seventh edition of Italian Bike Festival, the third in the area ofracetrack dedicated to Marco Simoncelli, has once again broken its recordsAnd while it's true that yesterday's turnout seemed slightly lower than Saturday's, the fact remains that the company stands were mobbed by a river of enthusiasts. The numbers released by the organization speak of 57.000 visitors, 7,5% more than last year..
From social media to our living room
We noticed the excitement through the eyes of social media, who invited and pushed us to carry out a more intense activity than usual, to tell the story of all that was happening around us. Performances. Features. Experiences. Technical discoveries. It was a lively fair, not just a simple exhibition. A… gigantic creature capable of satisfying the curiosity of enthusiasts who found themselves crowded outside the gates since the early hours of the morning.
We showed up at Misano with the splendid black bus with white sofas which on the side has seen the addition of the bici.PRO logo to the one of bike.STYLEA beautiful and original stand, built in collaboration with Tresca Transformer, with Marina Romoli Onlus and with the Gabelò Coffee. A small oasis, where you can sit down to exchange opinions, meet friends and champions again and raise your glasses at the end of the dayAnd precisely through the eyes of the competitors and at the same time those of the enthusiasts of a silent and healthy lifestyle, our journalists have covered miles and words to reap the benefits of IBF 2024.
A heterogeneous market
«The Italian Bike Festival – says Alberto Fossati – confirms itself a reference exhibition not only for cycling, but also for tourismIt's an aspect that I've been noticing for three years now. Previously, it was an event much more focused on mechanical means and everything that revolves around it. Now there's more and I'm not just referring to cycle tourism, but also how much the districts of the various regions and territories invest in the bicycle, recognising it as a promotional vehicleThis is certainly a first step. IBF the European interpretation of the outdoor sport par excellence is also recognized.
«For many companies in fact Cycling is a very important testing ground, because it has many users of different age groupsFrom the competitive athlete to those who are simply passionate and ride for pleasure. It is noticeable a huge growth in everything related to cargo bikes and e-bikesIf these have deep roots, Cargo bikes are about to arrive in different versions, which allow for different choices and consequently different uses.
«What, in my opinion, is perhaps missing from the Italian Bike Festival is a pinch of internationality that perhaps it deserves, to further expand the visitor baseI believe that the future investments that the organization should plan, in my opinion obviously, should focus above all on giving the event an international dimension."
Of gravel and public
«Having now definitively stopped competing – explains Filippo Lorenzon – my mind opened up and accepted so many differencesFor me, before, the bike was a road bike for racing or a mountain bike for cross-country. Instead, I saw many other things, above all the great variety of gravel and the desire to try something differentFor example, after many years, a steel bike with different geometries and different designs.
«I liked the people, so many, that I saw over the two days. Many women and many children and, especially on Saturday, an audience that was not only technicalThere were also many curious people, but perhaps it also depends on the fact that we were in Romagna, where there is a lot of movement. One thing I regretted? Not having done track tests, which are one of the most interesting aspects of the Italian Bike Festival».
The bike every day
«I liked the collaborative atmosphere – he says Stefano Masi – that could be felt throughout the various stands. The smiles, the exchange of opinions, the entertainment. Everything that took place was always done with a smile, both with the users and among the professionals themselves. I was positively impressed by the presence of so many variations of the bike, from road to gravel, lots of off-road, but also many bikes urban, electric and cargo.
«This diversity makes me understand and also I hope that there will be a revolution in the sense of using the bike more and more for every moment of the day.The people of Misano really gave me the impression that they want to make the bicycle the center of their travel and mobility."
Spokes in the wheels
On the one hand, the Italian Bike Festival is all about the beauty of cycling, conjugated and expressed in every possible splendor. On the other hand, however, it is having to deal with a market moment which, with a few exceptions, experienced a slowdown in the summerMany would like to push the bike as an ecological and silent means of transport and instead find themselves faced with the Government's proposal to also eliminate cycle lanes marked by a simple line of paint.
The bicycle, especially the pedal-assisted one, has all the legal requirements to be able to be… approached with the same parameters as a car or a motorbikeIt can be financed and even rented long-term, with the possibility of deducting the rental costs. Yet Government incentives continue to focus on cars and traffic policies tend to favor four-wheelers, which kill cities and do not spare cyclists.
No cheating on IBF
What is needed is a change of civilization, which has already taken place at the stands of the Italian Bike Festival for some time, while just yesterday at the Turin Motor Show, A driver lost control of his rally car and ended up in the crowd, causing 12 injuries. If you're not clear about the difference, maybe we're not good enough at explaining it, or maybe we're dealing with people who don't want to listen.
One last note on the IBF formula. The rain almost made him less happy, but we would never ever exchange the Misano festival with the hypothesis that it will be transferred to the covered and padded pavilions of an indoor fair.
The Italian Bike Festival is a street show, because cycling is a street sport. Taking it away from its habitat means losing itThey know it well. Francesco Ferrario and his entire team: let's hope they resist the temptation to put a roof between us and the splendid cycling sky.
