Around 9,300 attendees, including vendors and staff, crowded into the Expo’s new venue at Smith Cove — a boost of 21 percent over the past two years.

The number is well short of the record of 12,871, set in 1995 when the show was at Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall and Mercer Forum Room. But given its recent downturn from the 10,000 level earlier in the decade, this year’s show is a solid indication that Expo is back on the rebound.

“We got positive feedback from all quarters,” said Peter Verbrugge, events promoter for the sponsoring Seattle-based Cascade Bicycle Club. Exhibitors “really liked” the new hall with its spectacular views of Puget Sound. ATMs ran out of money “twice, so you have to assume people were buying stuff,” he added.

The show accommodated more than 3,000 cars on Saturday and more than 1,000 bikes in bike parking. Verbrugge said route signage to the new location will be improved next year as well as some tweaks on-site for exhibitors. (With more than 300 booths available, the number of exhibitors this year did break the show’s all-time record of 144 in 2005.)

After years of moving around Seattle in search of a permanent home, Smith Cove appears to be a keeper for Expo. Verbrugge is already stoked over next year’s prospects: “We’ll be aiming for record attendance in 2011!” he said.

After last year’s sad Deluge Debacle at Magnuson Park — in the same warehouse as the Bike Swap, with a circus tent city out back and pouring rain coming in sideways under the skirting — this year was a serious upgrade.

Recharges while you ride!

Pier 91, hiding under the Magnolia Bridge, was a spacious replacement, with more than enough room for all the exhibitors and patrons. The pilgrimage was so long from the $5 parking on the north side of the bridge that they were actually running shuttle buses ferrying people back and forth. As usual, the smart ones avoided the hassle and rode their bikes.

There was a serious dearth of high-ticket bikes on display, but in their place was a generous helping of simple bikes made for moving people around town. Every company had a strong sampling of simple, practical bikes filling the majority of their display space with a couple carbon wonders thrown in for eye candy.

The new bike chain: Carbon belt drive

The Portland Independent Bike Builders were there in force with an entire row on display. Former Seattle stalwart Ti Cycles, now based in Portland, said they have been selling more bikes than they can produce — there is definitely a heartbeat in the independent bike market.

There were also more bike lifestyle booths than I remember, hawking all things bike from impractical canvas shoulder bags to one booth called Hub and Spoke that had an assortment of all kinds of bike trinkets. There were also more electronic bikes on display than I remember.

It pedals, it folds, it runs on electricity!

There were even more fund-raising rides to sign up for ranging from a local arts organization sponsoring a ride to North Bend, to a 4-day event circling the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado raising money for a peace center in Dolores, CO.

Whitehorse in the Yukon looked like they are following their brethren in B.C. and creating networks of trails just outside of town. One guy from Boreale Mountain Biking in Whitehorse claimed they had over 500 miles of trails near town.

For entertainment there was a trio of stunt riders from Germany doing unbelievable stuff like standing on the handlebars with another guy standing on his shoulders. And of course Ryan Leech was there to humble the mountain bikers.

Most interesting entry award probably goes to a Quebec company called BionX that was marketing a light-weight electronic retro-fit system for any bike. It recharges from the motion of the turning wheel. The lighter version weighs in at only ten pounds. If you were interested in a bit of help up those long hills this was the best system I’ve seen.

By the time I left the Expo at 12:30 on Saturday it was so crowded I could hardly make my way to the door. I left encouraged that the future looks bright in Bikeville.

First the checklist:

Cash. Entrance fee is $10 and they don’t take cards or checks. Print out the coupon below to save yourself a couple of bucks.

Big shopping bag or, better yet, hugeass backpack (for hands-free sherpa-ing). Lots of stuff will be given out, and you may wind up buying more than you can carry.

Printout of exhibitor list, with must-sees highlighted. Yes you’ll get a program with a floor plan at the door, but it’s far more efficient to map out a game plan ahead of time. Here’s the exhibitor link, now go!

Camera and/or iPhone. It’s always fun to take photos or video at Expo. Plus you’ll undoubtedly run into friends and want to commemorate the occasion for Twitter or Facebook.

Bike Intelligencer’s shopping guide. We provide some hopefully useful tips and suggestions for working the floor.

Don’t forget it’s a new venue, at Smith Cove under the Magnolia Bridge. Directions here.

Now for a roundup of what folks are saying about this year’s Expo.

Host Cascade Bicycle Club’s blog has lots of updates and goodies.

BikingBis has some thoughts on riding to Expo.

Totcycle is leading Kidical Mass to the show.

BikeHugger will be hosting a blogger’s lounge and after-hours par-tay!

SLOG has a predictably snarky take. Ignore the bit about mowing down cyclists who happen to be exercising their right to a lane. Also the ref to cyclists as “self-satisfied turds.” The writer just happened to need their diaper changed at the time.

Crosscut has all the right links.

Seattle’s signature bike festival this weekend, Bike Expo, is a great place to see the latest gear, check out the bling factor, run into old friends and take in scintillating workshops, presentations and talks.

It’s also a great place to shop. Here’s how to optimize your dollar, based on our wallet-slimming experience over the years. [Step No. 1: Print out and take the above coupon to save yourself a couple of bucks.]

First off, Expo’s spanking new facility at Smith Cove ensures that unlike last year — which was cold, windy and wet — this year will be cold, windy and wet … but only outside. There will be no makeshift tents to leak and no water vacs required to dry up. Show-goers will be able to bask in indoor comfort, with plenty of elbow room this year.

Although it’s tempting to go to the exhibitor booths, I head straight for the retailer stalls with lots of stuff to sell. The reason: Great bargains. And the good stuff goes fast. The booths aren’t going anywhere and in fact are more fun later in the day as people start mixing it up.

That’s why I usually show up at least half an hour before opening. Yeah you have to stand in line in the rain and cold (or maybe not, depending on the configuration of the new venue). But you get to chat with pals, see familiar faces and just plain hang.

My preferred way to go is by bike, of course, and this year there’s the added incentive of a $5 parking fee for cars. (Bike parking is more convenient and technically free but your much-appreciated donation goes to benefit BikeWorks, a worthy cause.)

If you’re going to do much shopping, though, you should drive to Expo. It’s pretty easy to exceed the amount of stuff you can carry on a bike (e.g. a new wheelset).

Before heading to Expo I take time to make up a list of stuff I’d like to buy (you might think about starting it now). Maybe I need a seatpost for a new frame on order. Maybe some jersey or layer garment needs replacing. Or I’m looking for a lightweight wheelset. Going through the list of exhibitors ahead of time can be helpful here and will give you an idea of whom might have what.

A list is necessary because in the heat of the moment at Expo, it’s easy to forget an item or two. And if you aren’t focused on specific things, you have two downsides: 1) It’s easy in the crush to miss something, and 2) You might end up buying something you don’t really need.

This last point is critical: You need to acknowledge your inner addict. Core cyclists will buy stuff they don’t need, just because they get a great price. In these times of economic hardship, that impulse can mean trouble.

Not that anything has ever stood between us and a great deal.

I’m guessing here, but intuition tells me there will be some pretty good bargains. The continuing recession has forced vendors to be conservative or hold off on 2010 orders till they move 2009 or even older stuff off their shelves.

Watch especially for great clothing deals. In ’08 $120 wool jerseys were going for $20 to $40. One year I got three pairs of Sugoi tights for $15 apiece, a price I never expect to see again (the tights are only now showing some signs of wear after five seasons of heavy use).

Unlike last month’s Bike Swap, which hopefully did not deplete your entire 2010 bike budget, stuff at Expo is retail grade (if there are seconds, they’re marked as such but are new). So you don’t have to worry about checking for flaws, etc. And vendors typically take credit cards as well.

Clothing, including shoes, helmets, gloves and whatnot, definitely has the fattest margins for vendors to mark down. But other gear gets discounted as well, especially if 2010 stuff has made it obsolescent.

That’s one reason to go to smaller, high-end shops with stalls specializing in pro gear. They’re eager to move out the out-of-date stuff and have mark-downs that stagger the imagination.

Here’s one tip: Ergon, who makes our favorite backpack ever (note Ergon’s logo in the Bike Intelligencer sidebar), will be at Expo with a truckload of stuff, including grips and packs. Ergon has come out with some 2010 models already and is due for a refresh in other lines, so expect stuff to be going at great prices.

You can bargain at Expo. Unlike with the Swap, my policy is not to bother if you’re getting a good deal already. Vendors have to make something out of the show, you’re supporting (mostly) local businesses, and haggling over a small amount takes time from tracking down other bargains.

Once the shopping is done, you’re free to roam the exhibitor booths. Most will also have stuff for sale, but not marked down as much as retailers. The booths are where you network, check out the latest and hottest stuff and grill for more information.

Again, the list of exhibitors provides a nice map. I make a Web site printout of exhibitors and highlight those I most want to see. This ensures against missing a booth you want to check out.

With the new Smith Cove venue, Expo has quite a bit more room to play. I’m guessing things won’t seem as cramped as in years past. But whatever the floor action, Expo is a guaranteed fun fest for the velo crowd.

Previous Bike Expo coverage   Expo Ready to Rock!   Ryan’s Leech’s golden advocacy

Fresh off record turnouts for the big Seattle Bike Swap and even bigger Chilly Hilly, Cascade Bicycle Club hopes the third event of its season-opening trifecta — the Seattle Bike Expo — will blow off the doors next weekend at a new Magnolia location.

More vendors, more bike events, more parking, more space — “all signs point toward a fantastic turnout,” said Peter Verbrugge, events promoter for Cascade. You can get $2 off the entrance price of $10 by clicking here or on the coupon above. You have to pay cash at the door; there will be an ATM on site.

A record show might be counter-intuitive, given the wringer the bike industry went through in 2009. Still, 25 percent boosts in Swap and CH attendance suggest resurgent interest in Seattle’s signature bike gathering.

Curiosity alone will draw Bike Expo veterans to the show’s new venue. From its early home in Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall to stints at Qwest Center and Magnuson Park hangars, Expo has never found a really comfortable place. Bike booths need elbow room to permit gawking and jawboning. And bike shows need bike events, with the space to ride they imply.

All of which makes this year’s location look to be a real winner. It’s the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91 beneath the Magnolia Bridge. It has two levels. Booth space is carpeted. It’s accessible by bike via the Elliott Bay bike path, and bike parking will be provided (a donation is asked to benefit BikeWorks, a worthy cause).

If you have to come by car, you might consider tossing the bike on the rack and parking on a side street. Event parking is plentiful, with 2,500 slots, but costs $5. And then you have to walk or take a bus shuttle half a mile or so to the showroom.

After years of feeling a bit on the cramped side, Bike Expo finally has some breathing room — to wit, 135,000 square feet, or 50,000 more than any past venue. The additional space plus affordable below-market rents made the show a sellout for exhibitors. One might ask why, when the industry took a 25 percent hit in 2009 sales.

“For the money, Expo is a great way to reach the bike constituency in one place over an entire weekend,” Verbrugge said. “Vendors realize they still have to market, even in a down economy.” [Note: Last-minute cancellations freed up a few booths as of March 4. Potential exhibitors are asked to contact Mike Inocencio by email or 206 522-2403.]

Expo’s impressive events lineup will bring out bike fans as well. The docket contains more presentations, including two unique acts this year. Cascade is bringing Ken Taylor of the legendary Jack Taylor bike family to the Expo (he’ll talk bikes with Seattle’s own Jan Heine, editor of Bicycle Quarterly). And for the first time, you’ll be able to see “Artistic Cycling” for real, not just as a YouTube curiosity. Sort of like synchronized swimming only a lot trickier, artistic cycling is a youth cult movement in Europe and Asia. It’s hard to believe the kind of stuff these performers pull off; at Expo they should be a show-stopper.

The classic bike collection will be back, courtesy of Bob Freeman’s (Elliott Bay Bicycles) yeoman efforts. The Metal Cowboy and Willie Weir will be doing their things, and we’ve already written about Ryan Leech’s high-wire acts of gravity-defying wonder.

The only caveat to Expo’s outlook might be the weather, which no doubt juiced attendance at Bike Swap and Chilly Hilly. The forecast calls for traditional Seattle gray and wet. But unlike last year’s opening-day downpour, which forced Cascade volunteers to bring out the wet vacs to fight standing water in tent booths, this year it can rain all it wants and show-goers will stay dry indoors.

It all adds up to a must-see event that will be the talk of Seattle cycling for days afterward. Come round or be square!

Ryan Leech is best known for gobsmacking stunts like wheel-dropping onto railroad rails as well as his signature gravity-defying trials demonstrations at events like Crankworx and Sea Otter. As has been the case for the past couple of years, he will highlight the Seattle Bike Expo next weekend with special yoga sessions at 9:45 a.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday and his usual stunning shows at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday and noon and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Leech’s skillz are breathtaking, but what I admire most about the guy is his gentle advocacy. Mountain biking is packed with amazing stuntsmen (and women). But Leech has taken things a step further, with “green” proselytizing, “Trials of Life” youth touring, yoga demos, bike commuting advocacy and other worthy causes.

He’s not just a nonpareil rider, he’s a true role model. He always has time to chat and is one of the friendliest guys you’ll encounter in a sport full of great personalities.

We’ve attended a lot of Ryan’s demos over the years. But my favorite memory of him was last summer at Crankworx Whistler. I had gotten up early and was heading out to ride when I saw Ryan on Blackcomb Way, just riding along. Every few feet he’d do something, though, a wheelie hop onto a railing, a nose wheelie along a curb edge, a manual down a staircase. He was in his own little world; I doubt he even knew anyone was paying attention. But it showed his dedication, his down-to-earthness and his love for what he does so well.

Don’t miss him at Expo. Ryan never disappoints.