First-of-kind bike expo coming to Newark on Saturday

The only thing Dusty Burchnall likes more than seeing people having fun on their bikes is when they’re doing it at one of his events.

“Life is so serious,” he said. “To me, cycling is enjoyable because it takes you back to when you were a kid, so I just love being able to help people have fun and enjoy their passion.”

On Saturday, he’ll get a chance to watch more than 1,000 cycling enthusiasts enjoy the largest event he’s ever organized.

The inaugural Inside Line Bike Expo at the Delaware Sportsplex near Newark will feature dozens of regional and national industry vendors and representatives from Delaware bike clubs and nonprofits. There will also be an indoor pumptrack, a skills park, a demo loop and a beer garden sponsored by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.

“We’ve planned this event to be unlike anything that’s ever been held in Delaware,” said Burchnall, a 34-year-old web designer who organizes cycling events under the name Circus Bear Productions. “There’ve been similar trade shows in the region, but this also combines a lot of fun elements intended to appeal to the entire cycling community. That includes everyone from BMXers to commuters to road and mountain bike riders to kids who just enjoy riding around their neighborhoods.”

Drew Knox, president of the cycling advocacy group Bike Delaware, said this weekend’s expo is just the latest evidence of the First State’s growing interest in cycling.

That interest has been fed in part by an increase in public funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. A 2014 study by the Alliance for Biking and Walking ranked Delaware third in the nation for per capita spending on bike and pedestrian projects. Those investments helped lead the League of American Bicyclists to rank Delaware as the fourth most bike-friendly state in the country in 2014.

“Cycling is on the upswing across the country right now and because we have a forward-thinking governor in Jack Markell, we’re on the leading edge of that curve,” Knox said.

As interest in the sport continues to grow, more businesses are looking to capitalize on the cycling community’s purchasing power, he said.

“Cycling tends to attract a demographic that’s relatively young, between 19 and 34, who are also really tech-savvy and looking at cycling as a quality of life issue,” Knox said. “I think both large companies and small independent businesses are hoping to take advantage of that by marketing to cyclists.”

Exhibitors at the Inside Line Bike Expo are slated to include national brands like Cannondale, Giant and Specialized, as well as smaller bike shops like Centreville’s Garrison’s Cyclery and expo co-sponsor Wooden Wheels, which has locations in Wilmington and Newark.

“We’re excited to see this event succeed because it’s just great for the area and the cycling community here,” said Wooden Wheels owner Tom Harvey. “Something like this gives us a great opportunity to answer questions from people really interested in cycling and really show off what makes us different.”

Burchnall said he’s hoping the expo’s fun features will be just as big a draw as its lineup of exhibitors.

Those who pay the $8 admission price will be able to race around the pumptrack on their own bikes, skateboards and scooters or pick from a fleet of demo bicycles. On a pumptrack, riders use a pumping motion instead of pedaling.

Cyclists also will be invited to test themselves on the ladder bridges, rollers and berms that will make up the skills park built by Dirt Sculpt, a Pennsylvania-based company that has built courses for the X Games and Red Bull.

Attendees also will get a chance to test out dozens of new bikes that exhibitors will make available at the indoor demonstration loop. And adults will be able to enjoy some of the finest brews from Dogfish Head, which will donate proceeds from the event to the Urban Bike Project, a Wilmington nonprofit that provides educational programming and mechanical assistance to city residents.

“I hope people come to the expo to learn more about the coolest new products, but also really to have fun, especially this time of year, when there aren’t many chances to take your bike out for a ride,” he said.

Contact Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281 or email sgoss@delawareonline.com. On Twitter: @ScottGossDel

If you go

WHAT: Inside Line Bike Expo

WHERE: Delaware Sportsplex, 326 Ruthar Drive, Newark

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday

COST: $8 at the door

MORE INFO: Visit insidelinebikeexpo.com