February 19, 2023

Top weekend for the Fiets en Wandelbeurs Ghent and E-bike Challenge

After a three-year absence, the Fiets en Wandelbeurs and E-bike Challenge had a top edition at Flanders Expo in Ghent. 15,266 tickets were scanned at the entrance, bringing the number of visitors back to pre-corona levels.

Busy aisles, well-attended lecture rooms, exhibitors who ran out of brochures after one day and had no time to eat because of the many questions that were thrown at them. The conclusion after two days of the fair was that the Fiets en Wandelbeurs and E-bike Challenge are back on stage. Exhibitors noticed that relatively many newcomers came to their stand; people who had never been on a cycling or walking holiday before. An indication that the events also attract a new audience that has only recently discovered cycling and walking.

Germany theme country

Germany was in the spotlight as the theme country of the Fiets en Wandelbeurs. With the help of large screens, the country presented itself to the public, who could, among other things, fly virtually over the most beautiful nature reserves of our eastern neighbors. Especially on the first day, the Germany stand was stormed by enthusiastic cyclists and walkers looking for information. Germany also had a separate room with lectures, which were well attended.

Riding on the large test track

Part of Hall 1 of Flanders Expo was reserved for the large bicycle/e-bike test track of E-bike Challenge. A unique setting for indoor cycling events in Belgium; you won't find this anywhere else in the country. Visitors could try out the latest e-bikes, speed pedelecs and trekking bikes from dozens of brands to their heart's content. They made many thousands of test rides and had plenty of room to compare the e-bikes and speed pedelecs.

Popular lectures

Many lectures were well visited. This includes presentations by Reen Simoen from RouteYou, cycling in Germany by Ronny Van Hee, cycling in Wallonia by Kristien Hansebout, cycling the Olavspad by Gea van Veen, cycling from Alaska to Patagonia by Jonathan Van Nieuland and long distance hiking trails in the UK by Tom Langmans