The Interbike Hangover

Hey, it's good to be back home. My Mom said it best, "Trips are fun, but the best part of a trip is getting back home." Couldn't agree more!

Downloading the experience that is Interbike is difficult. What was the coolest thing I saw at the show? Well, I'm a bike geek. Everything "bike" is cool to me. And you were expecting me to pick out just one or two things? Pffffffffttttttt!!! Not gonna happen, dude!

There is soooo much going on, it's hard to even take it all in. I will say this though. I really doubt I missed much if anything. I somehow or another seemed to come across everthing noteworthy this year. My legs paid the price though. Man! Walking untold miles on concrete is not a good recipe for your leg health, I'll tell ya that much.

I went to the crit race on Thursday night. I really just don't get road crits. Sorry! Unless you are in the race it's really not that much fun to watch. Well, some would say the crashes are cool, but not me. Watching bikes and bodies cartwheel across the tarmac at stupid fast rates of speed isn't "fun". It's painful, but not fun. Here's what crits need to make me interested. On bike cameras baby! Get in the 21st century. We expect more from spectator sports these days than 19th century sport presentations.

Then there was the 5 mile walk down The Strip. Yikes! This is the kind of stuff that makes the rest of the world hate us. I've an idea. Let's all take a bike ride and send five bucks to World Bicycle Relief instead of holding a show in Vegas some year. If every single person that attended the show did that, and sent a middle finger salute in the general direction of southern Nevada, I think the cycling industry would at least gain a bit more credibility in world politics. But maybe I have too much of an idealistic outlook on all of that. I don't know, but any self respecting cyclist owes it to themselves at least to stay far away from that black hole of waste called Las Vegas. I still find it ironic that the industry thinks this is a good idea to go there. Wow!

All I can say is that I'm glad I'm back in Iowa where I can nurse my depleted soul back to health again. Say, that reminds me. The single track and crisp air are calling. See ya later!