A bike made by Portland-based
Signal Cycles helps complement Brooks'
new panniers in a booth at Interbike.

— Story and photos by Carl Larson

Last night at Interbike happy hour, veteran New York Messenger and Transportation Alternatives employee Kevin "Squid" Bolger looked around at the people to whom he'd just been introduced and said, "Portland rolls deep!"

That's the way it feels here in Vegas.There are familiar Portland faces, brands and bikes around every corner. (more...)

While it might not seem like activism to some, the 100-strong mass of people on last night's BikeHugger.com Mobile Social left a big impression on the Las Vegas Strip in more ways than one.

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— Story and photos by Official BikePortland Interbike Correspondent Carl Larson

Downstairs at Interbike (the annual bike industry trade show happening right now in Las Vegas) is no-man's land. If you want to see Specialized's new bikes, meet with an Italian clothing maker, get a poster signed by a famous racer, or check in with major manufacturers and distributors, upstairs is the place to be.

If you want to visit the "Health and Fitness expo" (read: treadmills) or explore the vast emptiness of the E-bike test track, downstairs is your spot. I'd bet that at least half of all show goers never venture down to Interbike's lower level and, if they do, they don't spend long. This year, that's their loss. (more...)

The Joust bike polo bike
from Fleetvelo.
(Photos © J. Maus)

The Joust is a new bike from the Fleetvelo brand for those who are serious about bike polo. For Richard Schwinn — the founder of Waterford Precision Bicycles, father of Joust designer Tucker Schwinn, and great-grandson of the legendary Ignaz Schwinn — the bike is not just a tool for polo, it's a symbol of the potential bike polo has to transform America. But before I get into that, here's what makes the Joust such a great polo bike.
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The Tune Bug.
(Photos © J. Maus)

As promised, here are more notes and photos from Interbike...

If you're concerned about the safety of wearing headphones or earbuds while biking, you'll be glad to hear about the Tune Bug. This little device turns your helmet into a speaker by using a "surface exciter" that vibrates the surface. You just attach it to the outside of your helmet and it can communicate via Bluetooth or an audio cable to your MP3 device. Retail price is $99. (more...)

It's an e-trailer.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Here are the products and bikes that caught my eye today (I'm splitting this into three parts)...

Everyone's been talking about e-bikes, and there's a dizzying array of bikes and products for that growing market; but the Ridekick electric-assist trailer stands out from the crowd. The idea with the Ridekick is to put the battery in a trailer instead of on your bike. The added benefits are that you get some added cargo space and you can attach it to any bike. The battery drives the wheels of the trailer and the power goes right to your rear axle. Ridekick uses a cheaper lead acid battery which makes this system considerably cheaper than others (MSRP $549). The lead acid battery is also heavier, but with the weight just inches from the ground, it actually improves the stability of the trailer and doesn't have the same negative impacts as having it attached to your frame or a rear rack. The whole unit weighs 39 pounds. (more...)

Care for down there.

J.R. and I saw a lot of interesting things in our four days at Interbike, but there are two products whose names we just can't seem to get out of our heads: DZ Nuts and Hoo Ha Ride Glide. Both products are creams that keep you comfortable you know where.

DZ Nuts promises that they use "only the finest ingredients for your goods" and they've got pro racer and uber-sprinter Mark Cavendish as one of their poster boys. The cream is meant to tame saddle sores and keep you feeling good down there no matter how many miles you put in. It's a mix of tea tree oil (for its anti fungal properties), evodia (a Chinese herb with anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties) and masterwort (another wound healing agent from the Swiss Alps and used by the ancient Greeks). (more...)

It was a busy day on the show floor. Here's the stuff that caught my eye...

First, Hutchinson claims to have solved one of the bike industry's biggest unsolved mysteries — the flat-proof tire. Their new "Serenity" system looks very promising. It consists of a specially made tire and an "insert" developed by what the Hutchinson rep called a "proprietary solid polymer developed by our aerospace division." (more...)

Have a seat at the Surly booth.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Surly Bikes has made a solid name for themselves over the years by offering well-built, versatile, and affordable steel bikes. You can hardly ride for five minutes in Portland without seeing one. I took a tour around their booth today with employee Emily Richard to find out what's new.

The big news from Surly is their new Trailer (capitalized because that's actually the model name). The Trailer is a bare-bones, heavy duty chunk of steel that's rated to carry 300 pounds. Check it out...
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These two bikes show the range of
bikes made by Sun Bicycles.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Day Two here at Interbike and I've got lots of new product information and photos to share. I'll start with Sun Bicycles, which was one of the more memorable booths I visited today in part because of their $550 (estimated retail) longtail "Atlas" cargo bike. In addition to that low-priced longtail, they've also got a sand bike and some interesting tadpole trikes and a handcycle.

At a show filled with lots of carbon fiber race machines, it's great to see a company serving folks who want to ride but have special needs (the City of Portland purchased trikes from Sun for their Senior Cycling program). (more...)

Colorful front racks from Basil.
-Slideshow below-
(Photos © J. Maus)

I've got to get back out onto the show floor, but I wanted to share some of the bits and bikes I checked out yesterday.

Basil bags from The Netherlands are very solid and attractive. They've got a full range for daily riding. Their business "Select" line is water resistant (comes with rain cover) and has a new hook system that has an extra lock for security. They also make colorful baskets and sturdy front racks. (more...)

Slideshow below
(Photos © J. Maus)

Last night, after a full day roaming the aisles of the Interbike trade show, I hopped on a shuttle bus and headed a few miles off the strip for Cross Vegas. Cross Vegas is a major cyclocross race that draws international pros and America's top talent. But, since it's in Vegas and since it happens when (nearly) the entire U.S. bike industry is in town, it's just as much a spectacle and a party as it is a bike race.

From the Elvis impersonator who posed for photos, sang the national anthem, and then did a bike-inspired rendition of "Leaving Cross Vegas," to the VIP Players Club area with a metal praying mantis dance club that spit fire, it was an amazing night. And, did I mention there was a full moon? (more...)

Puma Bikes at Interbike.
(Photos © J. Maus)

I've been following Puma's entry into the bike world with some interest since the release of several models back in June. My interest is because of Puma's position as a popular global shoe brand with a strong foothold in the urban market. As such, they're taste-makers to some degree. So, what if they used that leadership to get more people excited about bikes? Mainstream brands embracing bikes is a good thing — isn't it?

But what if Puma is just hopping on the latest trend, hoping it leads to more shoe sales? Is the whole thing a publicity stunt? Bike-washing perhaps? I stopped by the Puma Bikes booth at Interbike yesterday to find out. (more...)

This woman is sporting a
MOVMODA Unisuit.
- Slideshow below/gallery
(Photos © J. Maus)

To say urban biking has arrived on the radar of the bike industry is a major understatement. The products, the bikes, the magazines — urban biking has all the trappings of a bona fide segment segment of the industry. Another major part of urban biking is fashion. In the past few years, the selection of stylish and functional clothes made for people that bike has skyrocketed. Also in the past few years, Momentum Magazine has made a name for themselves by organizing fashion shows (they brought one to Portland back in October of 2009).

The Ready to Ride fashion at Interbike this afternoon did not disappoint. Check out some of the fashions and the faces in the slideshow below:
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Blumenauer speaking at Interbike 2010.
(Photos © J. Maus)

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer has never been to Interbike, so he used his first appearance to implore leading members of the U.S. bike industry to make more noise about the the economic boost the bike industry gives to America. In addition to dollars, Blumenauer told the crowd that selling bikes makes sense for many of our country's greatest challenges. Here's an excerpt from his remarks: (more...)

A day at the Outdoor Demo.
- Slideshow below/Gallery -
(Photos © J. Maus)

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Rep. Earl Blumenauer

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer will kick off Interbike in Las Vegas next month. His presence will put advocacy front and center at North America's largest bike trade show. Blumenauer will be joined by Interbike Show Director Andy Tompkins and Bikes Belong Coalition President Tim Blumenthal at a press conference to open the show on September 22nd.

Here's an excerpt from a statement by Interbike:

"The purpose of the press conference is to welcome the industry to Interbike 2010, share information about the industry’s show and its future direction, and hear from Blumenauer and Blumenthal on the state of cycling legislation and future government activity on behalf of bicycling. (more...)

[BikePortland managing editor Elly Blue is back from Interbike, but she's still going through mountains of notes and photos. Below is a report about some of the smaller fry she came across on the show floor -- quirky inventions and scrappy startups. See the rest of our Interbike coverage here.]

The "SEE ME" light-up belt.
(Photos © Elly Blue)

At Interbike, big bike companies rule the day with huge booths in the center of the giant convention floor. As you approach the outskirts, the companies become smaller and funkier -- until finally, on the outer edges and tucked into odd corners, the lone, independent creative souls have set up small booths with their life savings on display in the form of the big idea they're working to bring into fruition.

These small set-ups were some of my favorite booths. (more...)

[BikePortland managing editor Elly Blue is back from Interbike, but she's still going through mountains of notes and photos. Below is a report of city/cargo/utility bikes she came across on the show floor. See the rest of our Interbike coverage here.]

Raleigh's new commuter bike.
(Photos © Elly Blue)

For an Interbike rookie, the main floor of the show is quite overwhelming. But after the safe confines of the Advocacy Zone, I decided to delve out into the mayhem in search of the latest city bike offerings.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a fairly widespread interest in commute and utility biking. In fact, the very first booth I saw was Topeak's, and the first thing I saw in the booth was a bike geared up for touring next to an ultra light tent, backed by a display of racks and baskets. (more...)

Outlier's classy new wool caps
(Photos © Elly Blue)

At Interbike, a lot of the best stuff never makes it to the main floor. One of the highlights of the week for me was heading up to an 11th floor hotel suite for a trunk show with a few small, independent companies.

There I met Matt and Muriel of Swrve, a small, hip cycling apparel company; there were also a handful of enticing retro-inspired t-shirts from two young companies. But I was there mainly to check out Outlier, a year-old New York company run by two men who make high end, tailored clothing that's engineered for urban riding.

Abe Burmeister walked me through their clothing line. He and co-founder Tyler Clemens met when they were both regulars at two different locations of a New York coffeeshop, and both happened to talk to the same barista about their grand schemes of creating beautiful, tailored clothes which they could wear to
ride in all weather to professional meetings. She introduced them and Outlier was born. (more...)