I used to take a travel bike and a trailer and ride from the airport. While Las Vegas is totally a car town, I got by OK. I found the auto drivers to be reasonably respectful, and rather shocked, I think. We got along. I learned to avoid the multilane left turns, and I was fine.

The bellhops at the Venetian were always totally fine with checking my bike and trailer. I even walked things through the hotel, and up and down the elevators one time when I camped out at a friends suite there. I'm sure security saw me riding down the hall (the halls are loooong there, and I was tired) but they didn't say anything.

That said, I don't bring the bike anymore. I find Las Vegas a soul draining town, and riding there only added to that. I would love to see Interbike almost anywhere else. There was a movement a few years ago to move it to Denver, but Interbike management was dead set against it.

So Interbike is just this weird few days of my life every year, totally disconnected from real life and real cycling. Not a fun thing, just a have to do thing, like taking out the trash in the rain.

--Pat

Absolutely, the industry is coming around to offering transportation cycling options. Though it's apparently still a strange and new thing for them (which is what I took away from that article). Whereas the bike-as-everyday-vehicle is more old news here in Portland than it is anywhere else in the country.

When Elly - who is so thoroughly immersed in this aspect of Portland biking - goes to this trade show and finds it striking and noteworthy that it's being held in a place that is so unfriendly to bikes, I respect that point of view, and I want to read about it.

It would be excellent to hear about any promising new designs for cargo & commute. If I want the skinny on carbon fiber (or is it crabon) and tech, there's velonews for road, BIKE for dirt.

Oh, and Seager (#5), I hear you but a vastly superior option is getting disc brakes. Reliability, power, modulation... all good.

There are more simply designed, fixed geared, rack festooned, upright riding position, motor assisted, and stylish bicycle options produced today than at any other time in history. Huge U.S. based makers Trek and Specialized are creating products and launching subsidiary brands focused on the coming wave of commute focused cycling. New startups are producing frames solely for non-competitive and non-sporting riders. Why? On a hunch? Corporations such as these do nothing on a hunch. They see an emerging consumer base and are eager to sell them bikes. Doesn't your linked article back that very premise?

Why cover Interbike if you are not going to cover the products of interest to the 6.4% and those "interested but concerned" that are thinking about riding? To reaffirm just how golly gosh darned super bikey we are in ol' Stumptown?

Back to the original topic, Vegas has the halls, hotels, labor, and air transportation connectivity to host such a large event. Portland's bike vibe and ride up Burgerville windows do not trump solid logistics for convention planners.

Somehow, I don't think most bike industry types are going to be much impressed with The Sprockettes, a Zoo Bomb, vegan burrito carts, or some "Dress Like Something Ridiculous" ride and bike parade.

Maybe they should be impressed! Considering those are some of the defining bikey characteristics of a city that just hit the 6.4% mark for bike commute mode share - the highest in the country: http://bikeportland.org/2009/09/23/us-census-portland-has-record-jump-in-bike-commuting/

IMO, viewing this show through a Portland lens makes perfect sense here on BikePortland.

Aren't there any big-bike-industry-themed web sites that can cover the big-bike-industry angle? I can't imagine there's a dearth of information on shiny new products out there.

I will second someone else's advice. Go check out Red Rock Canyon- http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org The place is fantastic and just outside of town.