Minus Ten Review 2009-38

Dusty kicks in Circus-Circus. I-bike 2009 trip memories.

Ten years ago this week I attended the Interbike trade show again for the fourth year in a row. This time in the company of Grannygear, not with the old "Crooked Cog Network" gang leader. That ship had sailed. Now it was me and Granny, against all odds we were putting out content about 29"ers while the "big league guys" were finally starting to come around to the whole big wheeled way of thinking.

We had some contributions from Germany in the form of articles by "CG", but when I think back on how we were able to carve out the little niche in the media that we did, well..... It's pretty amazing we could even get one reader! I mean, there are so many more popular, more well known, and far better funded sites and publications from those times that for us to even be heard was just unreal to me. I still cannot believe we pulled off the things we did, and trust me, we busted our butts for no monetary gain. It was pretty dumb, financially, but we maximized our resources and did a LOT with a little bit. Take for instance the '09 Interbike show.

I flew out to meet Grannygear on Sunday night. Monday we hit the Outdoor Demo, same thing Tuesday. We went from morning till evening, only taking time to eat before the demo and afterward. Then it was decompress, talk over things, maybe make a few posts, and to bed we went. Wednesday we hit the indoor show hard. That was it. We skipped out on the last two days of the indoor show deeming it all wasted time. We got all the content, no social hanging out, and WAY less spending on room and board. The savings were significant, and I was home by Thursday evening.

Afterward we reflected on our mission. Grannygear and I determined that we didn't miss much by skipping two days of the show. By '09 Interbike already was showing signs of dying, and we could see it. Less vendors, less "new" stuff to report on. Of course, this all was during the Big Recession, so go figure, but socially and media-wise things were on a fast track of change. Interbike never got its feet under itself to keep up.

Eventually brands just took their messages and their goods direct to consumer, bypassing the show, which had lost its relevance as a place to do business for the same reasons. Businesses took their deal making direct to the shops, not waiting for some "show" to sell their wares. Eventually, it became increasingly clear that even by using a meager budget to go to Las Vegas every year, it just wasn't worth it from the standpoint of content generation. By 2013 I was begrudgingly going to the show and after that dismal experience, Grannygear and I decided not to attend it again. I was out of "Twenty Nine Inches" by the end of 2014 and Interbike died in 2018. Now there is no North American trade show, and I doubt those days will ever come back again.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong......

Minus Ten Review 2009-38

Dusty kicks in Circus-Circus. I-bike 2009 trip memories.

Ten years ago this week I attended the Interbike trade show again for the fourth year in a row. This time in the company of Grannygear, not with the old "Crooked Cog Network" gang leader. That ship had sailed. Now it was me and Granny, against all odds we were putting out content about 29"ers while the "big league guys" were finally starting to come around to the whole big wheeled way of thinking.

We had some contributions from Germany in the form of articles by "CG", but when I think back on how we were able to carve out the little niche in the media that we did, well..... It's pretty amazing we could even get one reader! I mean, there are so many more popular, more well known, and far better funded sites and publications from those times that for us to even be heard was just unreal to me. I still cannot believe we pulled off the things we did, and trust me, we busted our butts for no monetary gain. It was pretty dumb, financially, but we maximized our resources and did a LOT with a little bit. Take for instance the '09 Interbike show.

I flew out to meet Grannygear on Sunday night. Monday we hit the Outdoor Demo, same thing Tuesday. We went from morning till evening, only taking time to eat before the demo and afterward. Then it was decompress, talk over things, maybe make a few posts, and to bed we went. Wednesday we hit the indoor show hard. That was it. We skipped out on the last two days of the indoor show deeming it all wasted time. We got all the content, no social hanging out, and WAY less spending on room and board. The savings were significant, and I was home by Thursday evening.

Afterward we reflected on our mission. Grannygear and I determined that we didn't miss much by skipping two days of the show. By '09 Interbike already was showing signs of dying, and we could see it. Less vendors, less "new" stuff to report on. Of course, this all was during the Big Recession, so go figure, but socially and media-wise things were on a fast track of change. Interbike never got its feet under itself to keep up.

Eventually brands just took their messages and their goods direct to consumer, bypassing the show, which had lost its relevance as a place to do business for the same reasons. Businesses took their deal making direct to the shops, not waiting for some "show" to sell their wares. Eventually, it became increasingly clear that even by using a meager budget to go to Las Vegas every year, it just wasn't worth it from the standpoint of content generation. By 2013 I was begrudgingly going to the show and after that dismal experience, Grannygear and I decided not to attend it again. I was out of "Twenty Nine Inches" by the end of 2014 and Interbike died in 2018. Now there is no North American trade show, and I doubt those days will ever come back again.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong......

Looking Back At I-Bike: The Bikes And The People

Crowds gather and ready themselves for Day Two of Outdoor Demo

Editor's Note: This is Part 3 of a series on Interbike experiences. Interbike is happening this week for the last time in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

 Day Two of Outdoor Demo was usually the day that the roadies did a big loop out of the Demo area to nearby Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and then back again. The ride started early, so sometimes we had the opportunity to beat the crowds and the heat if a demo vendor was going to be there anyway supporting the road riders.

I remember one time we did this in the early years of my Vegas Era when we got to saddle up on some Raleighs, or maybe it was Diamondbacks...... Both the same parent company, so I cannot recall now, but we were there so early on the trails that you couldn't see in the crevices and ravines because the Sun wasn't high enough in the sky yet!

'07 and '08 were probably the busiest Day Two Outdoor Demo experiences that I can recall. The hordes of dealers and shop rats would be there by noon and the trail would literally be like bumper to bumper traffic. I recall trying out the then new Gates Carbon Drive belt on a Spot Brand single speed one of those years and that I had to stop several times due to folks not having the skill, muscle, or both to ride the trail. Meanwhile, the hot shoes were railing by you one after another. It was insanity!

I didn't like Day Two all that much back then and typically I was done after about 1:00pm or so with riding due to the competition to get the bike I wanted and even if you did, the read you got on any bike was colored by having to jockey with all the yahoos out trying to get around the demo loop.

"Demo Ken" Derrico of Trek- He was always a smiling face and a helpful guy at the Outdoor Demo. 

Even though things could be literally out of control at times at the Demo, many of the people manning the stations were the finest folks you could ask for. The Trek tent usually had "Demo Ken" and one of my predecessors at Europa Cycle & Ski, Vance McCaw. Familiar faces in a land far away. But there were others I never knew the names of.

Never got his name, but this guy was super helpful and kind to me at the Outdoor Demo.

I recall a guy that worked the BMC booth who painstakingly set up the dual suspension rig I was going to demo despite the utter chaos of the crowd all around us. His patience was that of a saint and he was so calm. Amazing!

Then there was this guy I have pictured who was at the Specialized trailer. He was another one that was so kind and patient that I felt compelled to take his picture when he wasn't looking so I could remember him!

Brian Fornes was another who never made me feel anything but wanted and important when I visited him at the Raleigh tent. Gary Mendenhall went out of his way at the J&B Importers/Origin 8 tent to be friendly and show me all their latest wares. Of course, Jason Boucher and Kid Reimer of Salsa Cycles, along with their varying crews, were always welcoming and we were often seen hanging around their tent at the Demo. Devin Lenz of Lenz Sport Bikes was another super kind soul at the Demo. Then there was Mike Curiak, who basically sneaked in himself and his bike to the Demo for me to try it out, who cannot be left off this list. There are others I am sure I am missing, but you get the picture. It was like a family in many ways. The people part of going to Interbike was always one of the best, if not the very best parts.

From my ride with Sonya Looney. She took the picture too!

At the last Outdoor Demo I attended, athlete/social media queen/super rep Sonya Looney insisted that we needed to go for a ride at the Demo. I kind of poo-pooed the idea as her being overly kind and making statements to make me feel good, not really intending to ride with a slow, fat old man like me. By this time she was a well known, race winning athlete and spokesperson for several brands. She had better things to do, I was certain of it.

Then on Day Two of the demo she kind of got tweaked at me for not tracking her down the day before and pretty much told me to go find a bike ASAP and meet her for the ride we were to do. Well, it was one of the most gracious gestures ever made to me at Interbike. She clearly was lollygagging along while I was nigh unto exploding into a sweaty mess, but she really, honestly was enjoying my company, nothing more, nothing less. What a great way to leave Outdoor Demo behind, and something I'll never forget.

Biffed on the hard rocks of Bootleg Canyon! Image by Tim Krueger, then of Salsa Cycles.

The bikes I rode at the Demo I mentioned a bit about yesterday, but I recall some others that were significant rides. The Raleigh XXIX Pro which I flatted on one year. It rode soooo nice! I recall that the demo guy at the tent and Brian Fornes were floored when I apologized for being so long with the bike, but I had to repair the flat I suffered. I guess no one did that usually. Most of the time folks just returned the bike with a flat. I could never do that! I always carried a spare tube, pump, and tool kit at the Outdoor Demo.

Not all the bikes I rode were winners either. I recall perhaps the worst dual suspension bike I ever tried at Outdoor Demo, which was early on in my Vegas Era. A GT of some sort. It rode so awful that I never got out of the demo area with it before I realized it was a poorly designed pig of a bike. The rig I rode with Sonya Looney was another weird dually. It felt like it was about to fold in half on every G-out. It was a Devinci, as I recall. I was not impressed too much with that one.

Later years saw the crowds drop off and it became sort of a joke to read Interbike's press releases saying how crowds were big and that there were more vendors, etc. It was painfully obvious that quality vendors, brands like Trek and Specialized, Cannondale, and more, weren't there anymore. The crowds that once caused bumper to bumper trail riding conditions were gone. You could have the trails all to yourself there by 2012. That is, if you could get a bike. Many vendors who stayed on were facing increased pressure for demo bikes at the Demo due to the brands that had left and obviously those bikes that would have been there were no longer available.

I met Krampus at the Outdoor Demo, and it was a good meeting.

Talk about a niche sector of cycling.......

My time at the Outdoor Demo went from 29"ers being the odd duck to those wheels being the dominant choice. 26"ers were everywhere, then they weren't. 650B started in fits and lurches, but by 2012 every new design was a long travel trail bike with B wheels. Were 29"ers on the ropes? Then it was fat bikes, 29+, and when I quit going the beginnings of B+ was happening. What a ride!

Rocks and dust. Heat, and sometimes sitting in a car waiting out a rain shower. Wind! Oh my, that blast furnace wind! How could anyone survive in that environment? I barely made it out whole a few times out there myself, and we had copious amounts of water. I recall those folks from Park Tools handing out water bottles when you rolled up from the Demo area with a dusty test bike. The Gu and Powerbar tents set up near the trail head. Couldn't have survived without those handups.

But survive it we did. Then it was time to dust ourselves off, take a shower, dig out the casual clothes and messenger bags, make sure you had the laptop ready to roll, a camera or three, and your TNI business cards because the Indoor show started the next day. Ooof! Now the real drudgery was looming in the headlights. No more fun riding bikes.

Next: Rushing In

Looking Back At I-Bike: The Bikes And The People

Crowds gather and ready themselves for Day Two of Outdoor Demo

Editor's Note: This is Part 3 of a series on Interbike experiences. Interbike is happening this week for the last time in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

 Day Two of Outdoor Demo was usually the day that the roadies did a big loop out of the Demo area to nearby Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and then back again. The ride started early, so sometimes we had the opportunity to beat the crowds and the heat if a demo vendor was going to be there anyway supporting the road riders.

I remember one time we did this in the early years of my Vegas Era when we got to saddle up on some Raleighs, or maybe it was Diamondbacks...... Both the same parent company, so I cannot recall now, but we were there so early on the trails that you couldn't see in the crevices and ravines because the Sun wasn't high enough in the sky yet!

'07 and '08 were probably the busiest Day Two Outdoor Demo experiences that I can recall. The hordes of dealers and shop rats would be there by noon and the trail would literally be like bumper to bumper traffic. I recall trying out the then new Gates Carbon Drive belt on a Spot Brand single speed one of those years and that I had to stop several times due to folks not having the skill, muscle, or both to ride the trail. Meanwhile, the hot shoes were railing by you one after another. It was insanity!

I didn't like Day Two all that much back then and typically I was done after about 1:00pm or so with riding due to the competition to get the bike I wanted and even if you did, the read you got on any bike was colored by having to jockey with all the yahoos out trying to get around the demo loop.

"Demo Ken" Derrico of Trek- He was always a smiling face and a helpful guy at the Outdoor Demo. 

Even though things could be literally out of control at times at the Demo, many of the people manning the stations were the finest folks you could ask for. The Trek tent usually had "Demo Ken" and one of my predecessors at Europa Cycle & Ski, Vance McCaw. Familiar faces in a land far away. But there were others I never knew the names of.

Never got his name, but this guy was super helpful and kind to me at the Outdoor Demo.

I recall a guy that worked the BMC booth who painstakingly set up the dual suspension rig I was going to demo despite the utter chaos of the crowd all around us. His patience was that of a saint and he was so calm. Amazing!

Then there was this guy I have pictured who was at the Specialized trailer. He was another one that was so kind and patient that I felt compelled to take his picture when he wasn't looking so I could remember him!

Brian Fornes was another who never made me feel anything but wanted and important when I visited him at the Raleigh tent. Gary Mendenhall went out of his way at the J&B Importers/Origin 8 tent to be friendly and show me all their latest wares. Of course, Jason Boucher and Kid Reimer of Salsa Cycles, along with their varying crews, were always welcoming and we were often seen hanging around their tent at the Demo. Devin Lenz of Lenz Sport Bikes was another super kind soul at the Demo. Then there was Mike Curiak, who basically sneaked in himself and his bike to the Demo for me to try it out, who cannot be left off this list. There are others I am sure I am missing, but you get the picture. It was like a family in many ways. The people part of going to Interbike was always one of the best, if not the very best parts.

From my ride with Sonya Looney. She took the picture too!

At the last Outdoor Demo I attended, athlete/social media queen/super rep Sonya Looney insisted that we needed to go for a ride at the Demo. I kind of poo-pooed the idea as her being overly kind and making statements to make me feel good, not really intending to ride with a slow, fat old man like me. By this time she was a well known, race winning athlete and spokesperson for several brands. She had better things to do, I was certain of it.

Then on Day Two of the demo she kind of got tweaked at me for not tracking her down the day before and pretty much told me to go find a bike ASAP and meet her for the ride we were to do. Well, it was one of the most gracious gestures ever made to me at Interbike. She clearly was lollygagging along while I was nigh unto exploding into a sweaty mess, but she really, honestly was enjoying my company, nothing more, nothing less. What a great way to leave Outdoor Demo behind, and something I'll never forget.

Biffed on the hard rocks of Bootleg Canyon! Image by Tim Krueger, then of Salsa Cycles.

The bikes I rode at the Demo I mentioned a bit about yesterday, but I recall some others that were significant rides. The Raleigh XXIX Pro which I flatted on one year. It rode soooo nice! I recall that the demo guy at the tent and Brian Fornes were floored when I apologized for being so long with the bike, but I had to repair the flat I suffered. I guess no one did that usually. Most of the time folks just returned the bike with a flat. I could never do that! I always carried a spare tube, pump, and tool kit at the Outdoor Demo.

Not all the bikes I rode were winners either. I recall perhaps the worst dual suspension bike I ever tried at Outdoor Demo, which was early on in my Vegas Era. A GT of some sort. It rode so awful that I never got out of the demo area with it before I realized it was a poorly designed pig of a bike. The rig I rode with Sonya Looney was another weird dually. It felt like it was about to fold in half on every G-out. It was a Devinci, as I recall. I was not impressed too much with that one.

Later years saw the crowds drop off and it became sort of a joke to read Interbike's press releases saying how crowds were big and that there were more vendors, etc. It was painfully obvious that quality vendors, brands like Trek and Specialized, Cannondale, and more, weren't there anymore. The crowds that once caused bumper to bumper trail riding conditions were gone. You could have the trails all to yourself there by 2012. That is, if you could get a bike. Many vendors who stayed on were facing increased pressure for demo bikes at the Demo due to the brands that had left and obviously those bikes that would have been there were no longer available.

I met Krampus at the Outdoor Demo, and it was a good meeting.

Talk about a niche sector of cycling.......

My time at the Outdoor Demo went from 29"ers being the odd duck to those wheels being the dominant choice. 26"ers were everywhere, then they weren't. 650B started in fits and lurches, but by 2012 every new design was a long travel trail bike with B wheels. Were 29"ers on the ropes? Then it was fat bikes, 29+, and when I quit going the beginnings of B+ was happening. What a ride!

Rocks and dust. Heat, and sometimes sitting in a car waiting out a rain shower. Wind! Oh my, that blast furnace wind! How could anyone survive in that environment? I barely made it out whole a few times out there myself, and we had copious amounts of water. I recall those folks from Park Tools handing out water bottles when you rolled up from the Demo area with a dusty test bike. The Gu and Powerbar tents set up near the trail head. Couldn't have survived without those handups.

But survive it we did. Then it was time to dust ourselves off, take a shower, dig out the casual clothes and messenger bags, make sure you had the laptop ready to roll, a camera or three, and your TNI business cards because the Indoor show started the next day. Ooof! Now the real drudgery was looming in the headlights. No more fun riding bikes.

Next: Rushing In

Looking Back At I-Bike: The Furnace

Tim Grahl, then owner of TNI, with a desert tortoise at Bootleg Canyon.

Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a series on Interbike experiences. Interbike is happening this week for the last time in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

 When I went to Interbike the best part of the whole week, (other than leaving Las Vegas at the end), was riding bicycles at Bootleg Canyon. That was the venue for the Outdoor Demo. It was primarily mountain bike oriented, but no one seemed to mind.

In the early years of my Vegas Era, Bootleg Canyon during Outdoor Demo was far, far busier than it was toward the end of my time at Interbike. That said, Monday was a slow day, in relative terms, for the demo. It seemed that a lot of folks used Monday as a travel day and didn't get out to Bootleg Canyon at all, or showed up well into the afternoon hours. So, we being the news hounds that we were, got the heck out there ASAP and rode as many bikes on Monday as we possibly could get our hands on.

But first you had to get on 'The Bus" to Bootleg Canyon. Standing in that line was something that brought meaning to "hurry up and wait". I recall one year that someone noted that we had media credentials and we were whisked out of the long line of folks waiting to sign waivers and were put at the front of the line. Whoa! I felt odd and embarrassed that we were made to be special right in front of the dealers and shop rats waiting patiently for such a long time. But, it wasn't of my doing, so......

In later years the check in was more discreet for the media folk and we ran out to Bootleg Canyon in Grannygear's rig on our own. Free to do whatever we wanted, instead of riding a bus, we ended up finding a really cool place that became a ritual of sorts for our Bootleg Canyon trips.

Great Buns Bakery: I spent a lot of time staring at the pastries there!

Grannygear got the hankering for some of this swamp water stuff that is in the health aisles of some grocery stores. We went down Tropicana Boulevard looking for a grocery store as it was on the way to the road out of town through Henderson and then to Bootleg Canyon. We found his swamp water and then, I cannot recall how, we found Great Buns Bakery.

This place is the single most redeeming factor I can think of for Las Vegas' existence. If you ever go to Vegas, go there! Grannygear and I were never ever let down by the goodness found on the shelves there. In fact, it was so good we had to share it with others. We would buy a flat of random pastries and take them to the boys out at the Salsa Cycles demo tent.

Anyway, getting to Bootleg Canyon was not tough, but usually it was crazy hot. And windy to boot. That in combination would wilt the average Mid-Westerner. Well, it even roasted Grannygear, who was somewhat used to dry and hot. Bootleg Canyon was a tough, rocky, gritty place to ride anyway. Add in the hot weather and well....... It was nuts.

Sometimes folks stuck doing the demo would have special goings on after Monday's opening round. One such vendor was Chris King. One year they had Chris King himself, the Chris King, barbecuing beef for anyone that stuck around after the Monday demo. We decided to stay, and this was one of the years we rode the bus, to check it out. We had no idea if we'd get back to our hotel room or not, but the prospects of a free barbecued beef brisket meal outweighed being stranded. As we stood in the long line we wondered how late the last bus left the demo area.

Chris King himself tending the grill in the blazing hot Sun over Bootleg Canyon.

We got some crazy tasty brisket and we still made it back to the motel on a bus. That was a pretty memorable evening. There were other times when Grannygear and I would eat at a fast food restaurant in Bootleg Canyon and we almost never left the demo without a trip to the local DQ for a chocolate malt.

I don't recall doing anything spectacular in the early years of my time out there after the Demo. Usually, it was high tail it back to the time share we rented, or the one year we rented a house, and then bang out as many words and images as we could.  Grahl. the original owner/creator of TNI,  was all about flooding the web with as many images as we could. It wasn't unheard of for us to upload 500 images or more in our Interbike Gallery. So, no fun, no partying, just lots and lots of uploading and writing of text.

Of course, riding the bicycles was the highlight. I got to ride so many great sleds and see more that were so cool. I really could not pick out a single bike, but if I had to pick one that most influenced me, it would be the Salsa Cycles Fargo I got to ride at the demo in 2008. But there were several other super rad bikes I got to ride. Mike Curiak's personal rig is one. It was just like being the kid in the candy store, like you would think it would be. So many bikes, so little time!

Next: The Bikes And The People

Looking Back At I-Bike: The Furnace

Tim Grahl, then owner of TNI, with a desert tortoise at Bootleg Canyon.

Editor's Note: This is Part 2 of a series on Interbike experiences. Interbike is happening this week for the last time in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

 When I went to Interbike the best part of the whole week, (other than leaving Las Vegas at the end), was riding bicycles at Bootleg Canyon. That was the venue for the Outdoor Demo. It was primarily mountain bike oriented, but no one seemed to mind.

In the early years of my Vegas Era, Bootleg Canyon during Outdoor Demo was far, far busier than it was toward the end of my time at Interbike. That said, Monday was a slow day, in relative terms, for the demo. It seemed that a lot of folks used Monday as a travel day and didn't get out to Bootleg Canyon at all, or showed up well into the afternoon hours. So, we being the news hounds that we were, got the heck out there ASAP and rode as many bikes on Monday as we possibly could get our hands on.

But first you had to get on 'The Bus" to Bootleg Canyon. Standing in that line was something that brought meaning to "hurry up and wait". I recall one year that someone noted that we had media credentials and we were whisked out of the long line of folks waiting to sign waivers and were put at the front of the line. Whoa! I felt odd and embarrassed that we were made to be special right in front of the dealers and shop rats waiting patiently for such a long time. But, it wasn't of my doing, so......

In later years the check in was more discreet for the media folk and we ran out to Bootleg Canyon in Grannygear's rig on our own. Free to do whatever we wanted, instead of riding a bus, we ended up finding a really cool place that became a ritual of sorts for our Bootleg Canyon trips.

Great Buns Bakery: I spent a lot of time staring at the pastries there!

Grannygear got the hankering for some of this swamp water stuff that is in the health aisles of some grocery stores. We went down Tropicana Boulevard looking for a grocery store as it was on the way to the road out of town through Henderson and then to Bootleg Canyon. We found his swamp water and then, I cannot recall how, we found Great Buns Bakery.

This place is the single most redeeming factor I can think of for Las Vegas' existence. If you ever go to Vegas, go there! Grannygear and I were never ever let down by the goodness found on the shelves there. In fact, it was so good we had to share it with others. We would buy a flat of random pastries and take them to the boys out at the Salsa Cycles demo tent.

Anyway, getting to Bootleg Canyon was not tough, but usually it was crazy hot. And windy to boot. That in combination would wilt the average Mid-Westerner. Well, it even roasted Grannygear, who was somewhat used to dry and hot. Bootleg Canyon was a tough, rocky, gritty place to ride anyway. Add in the hot weather and well....... It was nuts.

Sometimes folks stuck doing the demo would have special goings on after Monday's opening round. One such vendor was Chris King. One year they had Chris King himself, the Chris King, barbecuing beef for anyone that stuck around after the Monday demo. We decided to stay, and this was one of the years we rode the bus, to check it out. We had no idea if we'd get back to our hotel room or not, but the prospects of a free barbecued beef brisket meal outweighed being stranded. As we stood in the long line we wondered how late the last bus left the demo area.

Chris King himself tending the grill in the blazing hot Sun over Bootleg Canyon.

We got some crazy tasty brisket and we still made it back to the motel on a bus. That was a pretty memorable evening. There were other times when Grannygear and I would eat at a fast food restaurant in Bootleg Canyon and we almost never left the demo without a trip to the local DQ for a chocolate malt.

I don't recall doing anything spectacular in the early years of my time out there after the Demo. Usually, it was high tail it back to the time share we rented, or the one year we rented a house, and then bang out as many words and images as we could.  Grahl. the original owner/creator of TNI,  was all about flooding the web with as many images as we could. It wasn't unheard of for us to upload 500 images or more in our Interbike Gallery. So, no fun, no partying, just lots and lots of uploading and writing of text.

Of course, riding the bicycles was the highlight. I got to ride so many great sleds and see more that were so cool. I really could not pick out a single bike, but if I had to pick one that most influenced me, it would be the Salsa Cycles Fargo I got to ride at the demo in 2008. But there were several other super rad bikes I got to ride. Mike Curiak's personal rig is one. It was just like being the kid in the candy store, like you would think it would be. So many bikes, so little time!

Next: The Bikes And The People

Let The Dust Be Kicked Up!

The Outdoor Demo starts today, and if I am safe and sound in Vegas when you are reading this, I will be out there in the brutal desert heat kicking up some dust and kicking some tires on the new 2014 offerings being displayed and offered for test rides.

Update 11:14pm, Sunday, September 15: Due to a plane delay, I get to stay all night at Minneapolis/St. Paul's airport. Usually I don't pull the all nighter in the airport until the end of the trip, but since that wasn't going to happen this year, I suppose it is appropriate that I get to do it now, before I get out there. By the time some of you get to reading this, I should be Westward bound again.....

Trends coming into the event are gravel bikes, 27.5"ers, and fat bikes, although I expect to see some surprises in other areas. While I will be very busy doing work for Twenty Nine Inches and Gravel Grinder News, I will try to post here when and while I can. They may not be "regular" postings, but stay tuned for anything I find noteworthy, or tune in to my Twitter feed: @guitarted1961 where I will be Tweeting some images and text from Bootleg Canyon and the I-bike show floor.

Let The Dust Be Kicked Up!

The Outdoor Demo starts today, and if I am safe and sound in Vegas when you are reading this, I will be out there in the brutal desert heat kicking up some dust and kicking some tires on the new 2014 offerings being displayed and offered for test rides.

Update 11:14pm, Sunday, September 15: Due to a plane delay, I get to stay all night at Minneapolis/St. Paul's airport. Usually I don't pull the all nighter in the airport until the end of the trip, but since that wasn't going to happen this year, I suppose it is appropriate that I get to do it now, before I get out there. By the time some of you get to reading this, I should be Westward bound again.....

Trends coming into the event are gravel bikes, 27.5"ers, and fat bikes, although I expect to see some surprises in other areas. While I will be very busy doing work for Twenty Nine Inches and Gravel Grinder News, I will try to post here when and while I can. They may not be "regular" postings, but stay tuned for anything I find noteworthy, or tune in to my Twitter feed: @guitarted1961 where I will be Tweeting some images and text from Bootleg Canyon and the I-bike show floor.

That Annual Slimy Feeling

The Strip

Well, I did it again last evening. I booked everything to make the annual trek to Interbike. Gah.....why do I already feel slimed? 

I know people that think Vegas is awesome. Good for you, not so good for me. I am not a gambler, for one thing, and glitz and glamor are definitely not me. Not at all. I'm more like a simple man, really.

Anyhow, the deed is done, and back I go again in mid-September. There has been a change in venue there though, so I won't have to see as much of the Strip as we used to. Now we're to congregate at the Mandalay. That's not far from McCarran International either, so when I walk to the airport after all this is done, I won't have near as far to go!

So, there are a few silver linings in that stinking cloud, and added to that, I get to see many friends and acquaintances that  I only get to see once a year, usually. Plus maybe I'll make a few more friends. Hope so.

What do I think will be the "big deal" this year? Well, I bet something having to do with fat bikes, for sure, will be one of those things. Suspension forks, yes, and maybe something else as well. Maybe a 29+ thing.

Enjoying the best part

27.5"ers will be a big thing too. All the "enduro bikes", (read: this decades "free ride bike"), will be a rage. To me it is just another redressing of long travel, lift assisted bikes that have been around since the 90's. So, the wheels are incrementally a bit bigger. And.......?

Same-ol', same ol'. Just a new marketing plan and a ready made event system to go play with these things. I'm not saying it isn't cool, I am saying it has been cool for years. In other words, there is nothing really new here. Not really.

Then there will be the odd bikes. The "gravel bikes", and some other oddities that a lot of folks won't get, nor want to understand, but these are some of the most interesting bikes at any given Interbike. Things that make sense or really are innovative, or as in most cases, so bizarre that you can't believe they exist at all.

Eurobike will crank up first, we'll all see what is new from that show, and Interbike? Maybe it will be another yawner like last year in terms of "wow factor", or maybe this will be the rare show that will have something really news worthy. Stay tuned.....

That Annual Slimy Feeling

The Strip

Well, I did it again last evening. I booked everything to make the annual trek to Interbike. Gah.....why do I already feel slimed? 

I know people that think Vegas is awesome. Good for you, not so good for me. I am not a gambler, for one thing, and glitz and glamor are definitely not me. Not at all. I'm more like a simple man, really.

Anyhow, the deed is done, and back I go again in mid-September. There has been a change in venue there though, so I won't have to see as much of the Strip as we used to. Now we're to congregate at the Mandalay. That's not far from McCarran International either, so when I walk to the airport after all this is done, I won't have near as far to go!

So, there are a few silver linings in that stinking cloud, and added to that, I get to see many friends and acquaintances that  I only get to see once a year, usually. Plus maybe I'll make a few more friends. Hope so.

What do I think will be the "big deal" this year? Well, I bet something having to do with fat bikes, for sure, will be one of those things. Suspension forks, yes, and maybe something else as well. Maybe a 29+ thing.

Enjoying the best part

27.5"ers will be a big thing too. All the "enduro bikes", (read: this decades "free ride bike"), will be a rage. To me it is just another redressing of long travel, lift assisted bikes that have been around since the 90's. So, the wheels are incrementally a bit bigger. And.......?

Same-ol', same ol'. Just a new marketing plan and a ready made event system to go play with these things. I'm not saying it isn't cool, I am saying it has been cool for years. In other words, there is nothing really new here. Not really.

Then there will be the odd bikes. The "gravel bikes", and some other oddities that a lot of folks won't get, nor want to understand, but these are some of the most interesting bikes at any given Interbike. Things that make sense or really are innovative, or as in most cases, so bizarre that you can't believe they exist at all.

Eurobike will crank up first, we'll all see what is new from that show, and Interbike? Maybe it will be another yawner like last year in terms of "wow factor", or maybe this will be the rare show that will have something really news worthy. Stay tuned.....

Rain? In Vegas? Really....

Outdoor Demo? Uh....not yet!

So, we awoke to Day 2 of Vegas schlepping and whaddya know? It had been, and still was raining. A lot.

Thunder grumbled as we left for Bootleg Canyon while a debate broke out as to whether or not we'd actually be able to ride this day. But, before that we stopped again at Von's grocery store for a "foodie drink" and a banana. Then it was off to Great Buns Bakery for more killer pastries and health nut cookies.

Really. For goodness sakes, go and find this place on Flamingo and get yerself some. It's cheap, good, and did I mention it was really tasty? Go there!

Okay, enough about bakeries. Now as we went towards Boulder City, it got darker and rained harder. Flooded ditches and road shoulders were commonplace. As we pulled up into the demo parking lot, we saw a few forlorn riders in shredded plastic makeshift ponchos getting soggy. Nope! We weren't going to be like them. We were sure it would blow over.

As good as it got, which was good enough.

Finally the water stopped falling and we were off to grab some bicycles and hit the trails. The sandy, gravelly ground was like a soggy bowl of Grape Nuts to walk on for a bit, but later on trail conditions were primo.

We had a good day. I felt really good. Yesterday I struggled, but the cooler temps and shrouded sun were just the ticket for me to get some harder riding in.

Outdoor Demo was essentially all about 29"ers, carbon hard tails and full suspension, and big hit, AM/DH 26"er rigs. I have to say that fat bikes were flying around all over as well. Not just a novelty, but really a small niche now. That was encouraging to see, because I think fat bikes are a ton of fun, really.

Well, the day ended with a killer burrito and tapping on this keyboard until Ben Witt joined us for the evening. He's crashing on our floor for a couple nights so he can catch Interbike. Yeah, we're boring. I know! But this is all about working, and I'm an interminably slow typer. Whaddya gonna do?

Rain? In Vegas? Really....

Outdoor Demo? Uh....not yet!

So, we awoke to Day 2 of Vegas schlepping and whaddya know? It had been, and still was raining. A lot.

Thunder grumbled as we left for Bootleg Canyon while a debate broke out as to whether or not we'd actually be able to ride this day. But, before that we stopped again at Von's grocery store for a "foodie drink" and a banana. Then it was off to Great Buns Bakery for more killer pastries and health nut cookies.

Really. For goodness sakes, go and find this place on Flamingo and get yerself some. It's cheap, good, and did I mention it was really tasty? Go there!

Okay, enough about bakeries. Now as we went towards Boulder City, it got darker and rained harder. Flooded ditches and road shoulders were commonplace. As we pulled up into the demo parking lot, we saw a few forlorn riders in shredded plastic makeshift ponchos getting soggy. Nope! We weren't going to be like them. We were sure it would blow over.

As good as it got, which was good enough.

Finally the water stopped falling and we were off to grab some bicycles and hit the trails. The sandy, gravelly ground was like a soggy bowl of Grape Nuts to walk on for a bit, but later on trail conditions were primo.

We had a good day. I felt really good. Yesterday I struggled, but the cooler temps and shrouded sun were just the ticket for me to get some harder riding in.

Outdoor Demo was essentially all about 29"ers, carbon hard tails and full suspension, and big hit, AM/DH 26"er rigs. I have to say that fat bikes were flying around all over as well. Not just a novelty, but really a small niche now. That was encouraging to see, because I think fat bikes are a ton of fun, really.

Well, the day ended with a killer burrito and tapping on this keyboard until Ben Witt joined us for the evening. He's crashing on our floor for a couple nights so he can catch Interbike. Yeah, we're boring. I know! But this is all about working, and I'm an interminably slow typer. Whaddya gonna do?

Vegas, Dust, Wind, And Bikes

<====Wuh-ohhh!

Okay, what is it about people on flights to Vegas? It's like they check out a license to dress and act foolishly. Criminy! What makes people think they look good in those goofy get ups anyway? Vegas disease, I guess.

So, I get here at 2am Mid-West time, then Grannygear and I have to find our room at Circus Circus. Funny. They should name the whole of the strip Circus Circus. It's definitely 3 ring madness!

Woke up to an air temperature about the feeling of the output of a hair dryer. Windy too. Good for dehydration for sure. So we stocked up on water and hit the demo.

Dusty, rocky terrain with your tires making the constant sound as if you were on gravel. Yeah, gravel. I can ride that in Iowa! We just don't have dusty, gravely mountains. Oh well!

So, we found free beer, free shots of whiskey, and the Chris King after show bar-be-que. All good stuff, but not all that many people this year and less vendors. Not much for schwag either. We got a schwag bag that was as big as a grocery bag with three flyers and one energy bar in it. Wow! Things have been cut back big time!

Okay, that's it for now. Stay tuned for more later, when I can get to it.

Vegas, Dust, Wind, And Bikes

<====Wuh-ohhh!

Okay, what is it about people on flights to Vegas? It's like they check out a license to dress and act foolishly. Criminy! What makes people think they look good in those goofy get ups anyway? Vegas disease, I guess.

So, I get here at 2am Mid-West time, then Grannygear and I have to find our room at Circus Circus. Funny. They should name the whole of the strip Circus Circus. It's definitely 3 ring madness!

Woke up to an air temperature about the feeling of the output of a hair dryer. Windy too. Good for dehydration for sure. So we stocked up on water and hit the demo.

Dusty, rocky terrain with your tires making the constant sound as if you were on gravel. Yeah, gravel. I can ride that in Iowa! We just don't have dusty, gravely mountains. Oh well!

So, we found free beer, free shots of whiskey, and the Chris King after show bar-be-que. All good stuff, but not all that many people this year and less vendors. Not much for schwag either. We got a schwag bag that was as big as a grocery bag with three flyers and one energy bar in it. Wow! Things have been cut back big time!

Okay, that's it for now. Stay tuned for more later, when I can get to it.