2023 was a difficult year for the bicycle industry, we know, but we can be more than satisfied because things went better than expected.
As usual, the end of the year is the time to review some of the things done:
1 – From Hotel to Bike Hotel, online course
After the launch of the practical guide to transform hotels into bike hotels, we did not stop and created in collaboration with Repower the “From Hotel to Bikehotel” online course, which contains the instructions that a hotelier must necessarily have in order to successfully approach the world of cycle tourism.
2 – Fiera del Cicloturismo, the second edition
After the first edition in Milan, we organized the second edition of the Cycle Tourism Show, which was held March 31-April 2, 2023 at the DumBO Space in Bologna and which we dare to say was a success: (50+ speakers, 60 exhibitors, 19,000 attendees).
If you missed it, you can find a brief summary here and we look forward to the third edition, April 5-7, 2024, also in Bologna. Info: www.fieradelcicloturismo.it
3 – MobilitARS, la Città 30
The third edition of MobilitARS, a symposium on urban mobility management, was held in Bologna, Italy, May 4-6, 2023. MobilitARS this year was organized by the Michele Scarponi Foundation with our support, the support of the Metropolitan City Municipality of Bologna and under the sponsorship of RUS – Network of Universities for Sustainable Development. The focus of this third edition was 30km/h City and resulted in a bill being presented to parliament.
Check out the playlist with all the Mobilitars speeches :
4 – Bikenomist on stage at Velo-city in Leipzig
Velo-city 2023 is the most important conference on cycling. This year it was held in Leipzig, Germany, and gathered more than 1,500 participants from about 60 countries around the world, including advocates, policymakers, researchers and industry leaders. Once again this year our newspaper Bikeitalia was a media partner of the event. Pinar Pinzuti of Bikenomist presented as success case Cycle Tourism Show during the panel “Cycling tourism: Slower can get us further.”
5 – The Bikeitalia LAB network extends further
In Turin, we opened the 14th cycling biomechanics studio Bikeitalia LAB, the only network in Italy of graduated cycling biomechanics. The promise is “no more pain in the saddle,” and we have kept it with more than 2,000 cyclists. The average number of reviews on Google is 4.9.
6 – Bikeitalia.com turned 10 years old
Bikeitalia.it turned 10 years old on July 1.
It all started from there, and we didn’t know exactly what we were doing. We added bits and pieces of things that we liked and seemed useful, always inspired by the motto “let’s turn Italy into a bike-friendly country,” and from there Bikenomist was born.
We like to think of Bikeitalia.it as a newspaper written by those who ride, for those who ride and for those who do not yet ride, under the direction of Manuel Massimo.
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and it really seems like yesterday when we started.
Thanks to all of you who read us. ❤️
Here is a brief summary:
7- Alongside Ducati Motors to train mechanics around the world.
During 2023 we produced a series of video courses for Ducati Motors in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. The goal: to teach Ducati’s network of mechanics around the world how to perform routine and extraordinary maintenance on the brand’s bicycles
Ducati is a company that knows a lot about mechanics, and being chosen to train its network specifically on mechanics is as good as 5,000 reviews.
If you want to do the same as Ducati, go here: corsi.bikeitalia.it
8- EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference
In the heart of the charming city of Izmir, Turkey, the annual EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference was held Oct. 11-13 with 270 participants from 33 countries. We participated in the program’s organizing committee and Pinar Pinzuti opened the proceedings as key-note speaker together with American journalist Alex Crevar. This year’s theme, “Cycling: a new perspective on heritage.
9- Cycling in Sicily, two online guides
During 2023, we worked alongside the Sicilian Region to familiarize the Italian and international public with the routes to be tackled by bicycle and further develop the offer.
Abbiamo prodotto foto, testi e video, abbiamo selezionato e attivato una serie di influencer per far conoscere il territorio in diverse declinazioni con video e altre attività social. To complete the project, we published two ebooks complete with gpx tracks for cycling on the Mediterranean’s largest island:
Cycling in Sicily: art and culture
Cycling in Sicily: sport and adventure
more than 1.200 download in 2 weeks
10- Bikenomist alongside the Milan Chamber of Commerce.
In November, we gladly accepted the invitation to curate the conference organized by the Milan Chamber of Commerce on the bicycle economy.
How the Bike Economy runs – Strategies and pathways for the future – click here.
11- Campus Bike Convention, first edition
From December 2 to 3, we organized Campus Bike Convention in Bologna. For two days, 25 speakers gave 30 papers and workshops devoted to science in cycling with focuses on athletic training, biomechanics, aerodynamics, and nutrition. Speakers included Vittoria Bussi, Alessandro Ballan, Davide Cassani, Marco Aurelio Fontana, and Diego Bragato under the direction of Omar Gatti. 200 participants, including industry professionals and enthusiasts.
Main sponsor: Colnago
12- The failed experiments
In 2023 we have done so many things including a series of failed experiments: things that never found a name, ideas left on a spreadsheet lost in the cloud, insights that we don’t understand where they lead.
All these negative tests should be celebrated as much as those that went positive.
Because every mistake allowed us to learn something new.
Because each failed experiment allowed us to become better at it.
What about 2024?
For 2024 we will definitely come up with something. We have a lot of ideas and projects that still need to be put in order, and getting things in order while the bicycle economies are exploding is not easy. For sure there will be cycling. But we fortunately don’t mind.
In any case, see you at the Cycle Tourism Show, April 5-7, 2024 in Bologna.
And in the meantime: best wishes for a 2024 that can exceed our expectations.
