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Here are my initial Sea Otter Europe observations that I'll expand upon in an upcoming Gravgrav.cc write-up:

📈 Growth: Everyone saw this coming, but unlike Eurobike and more like Cyclingworld, the combo of calendar timing, consumer attendance, and geography is spelling success and expansion for Girona's annual expo.
🌐 Expanded International Exhibitor List: long since far from primarily regional players, discount outlets, and/or distributors, Sea Otter Europe is convincing established international brands and premium boutique up-and-comers to make the trip.
🗞️ Media attendance: Quite a few press contacts and YouTubers from beyond Spain, lured by newsworthy items, launches, and scoops present at the show, made the trip for the first time this year
❤️‍🔥 Passionate Attendees: Any consumer-accessible show attracts die-hards, families, rookies, and everyone in between, but the sheer volume of cycling fans clogging the space between booths truly is something to behold!
🌈 UCI point-awarding & crowd-pleasing races from PRO Tier to amateur, youth, and even a classic MTB rally. People are there to scope the latest and greatest gear but the competitions are a major highlight of the year! The stage was hosting podiums throughout each day!
🇪🇸 Local Language Required: if you don't have a conversational colleague in Spanish & Catalan, you need a plan. Twotone equipped our clients at the show with locals to help run their booths all weekend, and that not only better represents the brand but also builds trust with the record number of attendees and local media.
🧩 Cohesion in booth layout still lacking: After the first day or two, navigating the rows of exhibitors was relatively easy. I think there is something to be gained by grouping like-minded brands by genre. It is easier said than done, and I get that some spots are priced more. Having bargain-bin booths across from higher-tier options or simply unrelated disciplines is incongruous.
🚄 More accessible by train in '26? I took the Eurostar from Amsterdam to Paris and then caught an SNCF TGV directly in Girona. It's an 8 hr undertaking but adds up to a day at the office with spotty internet. Fine for emails, but less for CMS or other web-app work. European Sleeper plans to launch its, Amsterdam to Barcelona night train next year. Let's hope so!
🐡 Outgrowing the area? Girona is a small town, and Sea Otter is pushing the city to the hilt with trade show attendees. Is it on the horizon that it could become too small, like Friedrichshafen did for Eurobike? Accommodations can already be tough to arrange, and logistics challenging for exhibiting brands without local support.
🌓 Girona exists both before & after Sea Otter too! This one stuck out to me. Much like the frenzy of activations around Traka, Sea Otter Europe can feel like an obligatory group ride, media dinner opportunity or other campaign content requirement but certainly consider that local grassroots events can happen there throughout the year if gaining ground in Girona and beyond is your goal.

And conclusions?

🇪🇺 European Season Ender Staple – next to Velofollies in January and Cyclingworld in March, Sea Otter Europe's September position on the industry calendar is firmly established after a post-corona uphill revival.
🤝 Lean on local partners – you can exhibit on your own or join forces with a distributor or local agent. Moustache was present with their new distributor with complimentary brands and this was really a smart move vs. a stand-alone booth. Old Man Mountain was also showcased by Surya Bikepacking as well.
📍 Regional tradeshows are where it's at – I've been an ardent advocate for Eurobike since forever. Still, the value to gain from smaller shows' approachable atmosphere, in-market consumer, industry partner high-quality conversations, and per-country pulse checks with locals you meet is nearly impossible to beat.

We talked these through in the office and it's only been a day. Please reply if you've got input to share or something to say! I'll add it to my Gravgrav article! :D

I'm keeping close to home this weekend, then heading back to Spain for a shoot with Moustache next weekend, and then it's time for BESPOKED Dresden & The International Cargo Bike Festival right after that, before I head to Florida again. 😅

I'm off to gorcery shop & cook dinner for the family now. :D

Thank you for reading & wishing you a great week ahead,

Jon

p.s.

Happy World Car-Free Day!,

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Upcoming Events

September

🇳🇱 24 Wheelrunner Wednesday Ride (Weekly at 6:30am)
🇳🇱 25 Gregario Thursday Ride (Weekly at 7:30am)
🇳🇱 26 @gravaa_hub Group Ride
🇳🇱 26 @void.againstthegrain

October

🇳🇱 9 The Mechanics of Joy Nº49
🇳🇱 9 10 Bike Messenger Film Festival at Workspace 6 (film screening, bike games, raffle & contests!)
🇩🇪 10-12 BESPOKED Dresden
🇳🇱 13-14 International Cargo Bike Festival, Utrecht
🇬🇧 21-21 ADE CYCLE | London to Amsterdam
🇩🇰 25 Finding Nessie Screening at OMNIUM HQ in Copenhagen

📻

Mechanics of Joy Nº49 will broadcast LIVE on October 9th.

📻 Support Echobox Radio

Ideas

Bike Messenger Film Festival | 9 October at Workspace 6

Join us at Workspace 6 on 9 October – aka, 10/9 Messenger Appreciation Day – for a global, DIY film festival that celebrates the stories, lives, and culture of bike messengers. The festival is non-commercial, community-led, and built around collaboration. Join us at Twotone in Amsterdam for film screening, bike games, contests, and more!

I'm looking forward to Jorrit's 'zine at Bespoked! I contributed a few photos!

Second-Hand Bikes: What Consumers Really Want

We recently lined up a very interesting interview with our friend Wouter Duijndam, the ANWB's bike expert, and our clients, Bikefair. Check out the Dutch article here.

Friends

BESPOKED Rides & Industry Meetup

HUNT & SOUR are keeping their Saturday & Sunday ride traditions going as well as the night before the show industry evening at their shared space in Dresden. RSVP here.

Women Changing Cities Book Launch

"As cities around the world face mounting crises - climate change, traffic congestion and growing inequity - the need for bold, people-first solutions has never been greater. Enter the women leading the charge." Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's book that I've mentioned here before launches in just a few days! Check it out here.

My friend James has relaunched his Cargobike Culture newsletter. Check it out here.

Radness

We Made Animations for Marcel Kittel's & Seb Breuer's UCI Gravel Worlds Recon

A few weeks ago, my friend Pierre at ROSE Bikes asked me if Twotone could help with their UCI Gravel Worlds' recon by preparing animations showcasing the course route & elevation profile. I knew former Workspace 6 tenant & friend Martijn Rijven, aka Bolt Graphics, would be perfect for the job. It turned out super rad! Thank you, Pierre & Martijn! : )

Thank you very much for reading!
Here's to going car-free this week!

(๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑) Nº351 Started The Week In A Great Way With World Car-Free Day ⛔ 🚗

Bikes

Felix Testet Bikes' Sea Otter Europe 2025 Recap

The Alternative Side of Sea Otter

1 Rider + 1 Bike = 2 Back-2-Back World Podiums