Vegas Baby!

"We're right in the middle of a fucking reptile zoo! And somebody's giving booze to these goddamn things!"- HST

It's upon us again: Interbike- the international bicycle trade show hosted at the Sands Convention Center right off the strip, but not an inch away from trouble. Responsible shop owners, managers, and employee's put their purity, sanity, and marriages all on the line in the name of product testing. I've generously offered my employer to take on the representative duties for my shop in Nevada, but i think they know me well enough to understand sending me to Sin City = starting the hiring process for a new sales staff member, not that i'm at all valuable, they are just lazy. And their point is really quite valid; I probably wouldn't make it back from Interbike in one piece, much less with valuable information on what the hot products to stock for the upcoming model year.

In addition to the usual bike show Interbike will be presenting the Inaugural World Criterium Championships. This is the perfect race for Vegas and Interbike, the tight track will mean no moving around to see a lot of action, high speeds, and plenty of nasty crashes that will make even the surliest of drunks cringe when a skin suit instantly evaporates along with a riders skin upon hitting the pavement at 35mph. I'm assuming this is to help shake the perception that very little bike related activity goes on during the 4 day period. Should be a wild time with thousands of drunken, sleep deprived shop guys giving the track hell!


According to a few assorted google searches meeting Bob Roll, famed racer, and voice of the Le Tour de France will be present to shake hands, sign autographs, and kiss babies. If I were anywhere near Nevada i would already be in line!!! OMFG, BOB ROLL!

Tomorrow the actual exhibition starts in the Convention Center with each company showing off their shiny new shit, some with simple folding tables and a couple frames, others have a full factory team signing autographs, show girls posed straddling triple clamp downhill forks, with flashing lights, pulsing music, etc. Sounds like a fucking seizure for folks in the mental condition i would expect be in throughout an expenses paid trip to Vegas.

On the 24th and 25th participating companies offered demos of their new lines to ride the notoriously dusty and fast trails at Bootleg Canyon, outside of the city.
As usual Intense Cycles got a lot of attention for their new Spyder Freeryde. Now if they could only learn to spell, i fail to see any "X-Treme" behind purposeful misspellings, I guess I'm just jealous because i still fail at spelling anything thats not 100% phonetic.

Stuff that's excited me the most so far in a sea of new ultra light weight scary looking carbon bikes from the likes of Trek (terrifying), Specialized, Colnago,etc
-New Chris King products- 1.5 headset and more