I’m heading Home From Interbike. Killing some time ’till my flight home. Another year, another Interbike in the books. It was a long one this year. Sorry, family, it was how the flight worked out.
They announced this year that Interbike will be moving to Anaheim next year as well as being in mid August instead of late September. Fine by me! Vegas is getting old and, as we are manufacturers, the timing is better. I can take my family! For retailers, especially Midwest retailers in our own backyard, I think it will be tough to go in the middle of the selling season. Hope it works out for them!
I met The Captain, Spinner, Drew and Sean in Las Vegas on Sunday so we could hit the Outdoor Demo Days at Bootleg Canyon and ride a bunch of cool bikes. Lots of nice stuff out there. A few things struck me about the MTBs:
– Carbon has come a long way since I last rode a plastic bike. The ride on the Marin and the Breezer I rode was well damped and the bikes are stiff where you need them to be. Cost is still a barrier though. The high-end spec Breezer is $5,600 or so! Yikes. I think I’ll stick with steel and more realistic components. Crash worthiness is a consideration too. There is not much material in a 2.5 lb frame!
– If I lived near Bootleg Canyon outside Vegas I’d have to have a Full Sus rig! No doubt about it, having tons of plush travel on both ends is great at 30-40 mph down the side of the mountain. Back home in Wisconsin I don’t need it, which is good because I don’t need ANOTHER bike. Oh, wait, see below.
– Rode a Pugsley again this year and there is a complete bike version available this year. I got one coming! Let me know if you are interested in one. Winter is coming and I can hook you up! Note that you can also go down the side of a mountain just fine on the Pug. I know, I did it!
The coolest product I rode that is more targeted to our bikes was the redesigned Nuvinci Continuously Variable hub. No gear steps!. When we last rode this thing it was 9-pounds! Nine! The new version is much more in line with the currently available Nexus and Alfine hubs and seems lighter than the i-Motion 9. I guess that is what shaving 3 pound off will do. The are also bomb proof, very smooth and have a wider “gear” ratio than previously. Good on ya, Nuvinci.
Surly has a nice trailer too. Gonna have to look hard at one because I can think of a lot of uses for one and the ability to unhook when you don’t need it is a real plus over a cargo-specific bike. Tracks behind the bike incredibly well, even with The Captain on board.
Saw a lot of cool, commuter/urban oriented clothing. Good to see that you don’t have to look like a rolling billboard to enjoy the benefits of technical fabrics and comfort. you can do it and still look stylish.
I’ll have more thoughts after I digest more of what I saw. See ya!
