You'll be hearing a lot about new bikes and gear — and booth babes — as the Interbike International Bike Expo makes its annual five-day run in Las Vegas this week.
In fact, as you're reading this Monday morning, hordes of big-time bike buyers and journalists are heading out to Bootleg Canyon near Boulder City, Nevada, for two days of hands-on bike testing on trails and the open road.
Then on Wednesday, the focus shifts to the Sands Convention Center in Vegas where more than 300,000 square feet of space has been sold to some 750 exhibitors.
This is an industry-only show, meaning the general public is not invited. Pros in the bike industry do attend; retailers and distributors get in for free, but reps of non-buyers such as affiliates, ad agencies, consultants, etc., must pay $250 after Aug. 18.
Since a big part of Interbike is getting out the word about new cycling gear, the press gets in free as well. This show even allows in bike bloggers for free, and quite a few are making the trip.
Graham at GoClipless.com already has arrived, and I'm sure he'll be one of the first in line to tear up and down the trails at the outdoor demo. I remember last year he destroyed a crank on a mountain bike when the aluminum bolts sheared. Oops.
Some of the other sites that are showing up include Dirt Rag, altBike, MTBikeAZ.com, MessNYC, Bike Hugger, G-Ted Productions and TwentyNineInches, Smithers Minneapolis, and the Crooked Cog Network. There's even an Interbike Times.
Other websites like CyclingNews, VeloNews, Pez Cycling News and Bicycling.com will surely be there as well. (To get a jump on the Italian offerings, check out Matt Phillips' post from the Milan Bike Show, where he talks about carbon-shaping frames). The Adventure Cycling Association has sent technical editor John Schubert to check out the trade show.
The exhibitors know that cool new equipment doesn't always attract the attention of these jaded professionals, so expect to see pics of “booth babes” competing with snapshots of new gear from the show. What are booth babes? Check out PezCycling's Interbike preview, or glance at the pic in the right-hand column.
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