They're all there -- the big companies and the small ones, the bike manufcaturers and the parts guys and every bell and whistle you could ever hope for on a bicycle. More than 20,000 people come from around the world to attend.
This is the last year in Las Vegas for the bike industry's annual trade show. Off to Anaheim in 2011.
This was my second Interbike event. Went with David Luppino, SWFBUD store owner of Just Ride Bicycles who used to own CBE and Oliver's, four years ago and finally made it back this year to network with bike industry leaders. I was able to hang at the display area of Tampa's Steve Toll, owner of ISM seats, the special saddle that Steve launched several years ago.
The first two days of the week were spent in the dusty hills of Boulder City, about a 40-minute bus ride from the Sands Convention Center, home base for Interbike in Vegas. At Boulder City's Bootleg Canyon park area, it's two days of test-riding every bike imaginable from cruisers to the high-end road bikes to the fattest of fat tire mountain bikes.
Let's check out the demo scene at Boulder City, then we'll move to the Sands Convention Center in Vegas,
Tough to keep the desert dust off those fine threads.
Any cargo bike will do.
I test-rode this Salsa beauty -- the spearfish. Ate up the terrain.
If you're a company that makes bike racks, this marketing ploy was inevitable.
These guys served 1,000 hot dogs during the two days of the Outdoor Demo.
Bootleg Canyon is the park area where the outdoor demo is staged.
Who said Nevada is just flat desert?
The Fat Tire Express
The Moots road bike -- beautiful titanium that I hope my pal Picot buys.
Just another day at the office.
* * *
Besides the usual displays of gorgeous road and mountain bikes, there were plenty of exhibitors showing e-bikes, cruisers and fixies such as these at the convention center.
I found retailers were split about electric bikes -- some believe they at least get people out of cars but others don't like selling something that's not human-powered.
The Surly Pugsly can mash urban or mountain terrain.
I saw a guy on this bike cruising The Strip.
Cool hand-painted frame.
If purple is your color, Pinarello has a road bike for you.
Loved the Electra display -- Electra is in the Top 10 of bikes sold in the U.S.
The Salsa spearfish model can eat up an off-road terrain. Wonderful all-around mountain bike.
Love the Civia line, owned by Quality Bicycle Products out of Minnesota. QBP also owns Salsa.
The Candy Cruiser.
Protect your junk indeed.
One mean lock.
Local folks from St. Pete-based Profile Racing were there.
And Bill and Ellen from Tampa-based American Classic wheelmakers are always an on the Interbike scene.
Every bell and whistle in the bike industry was on display. Love this bag.
Love The Sock Guy -- Jack Sweeney and I scored some a very funny pair of "Swag Whore" socks from The Sock Guy.
You may have heard of a guy named Eddy in the bike business.
You may have heard of this company.
Nirve Bicycles out of Huntington Beach, Cali. had some wonderful cruisers.
An artist was crafting this work throughout the show.
* * *
I didn't troll The Strip much. Went into the Billagio to see their beautiful glass lobby ceiling.
The Eiffel Tower -- kinda looks like it.
Oldtime Vegas was the Rat Pack, the Golden Nugget and the casonos/strip joints along Fremont Street that has been turned into an outdoor mall/pedestrian square with video on the ceiling.
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