InterBike 2001 Recap

Have to agree with the Monkey regarding the atmosphere in Vegas this year. Subdued. But, people were there to do business and thatÕs what they were doing.

Demo Day Ð This is like Thursday nights on NBC. Must see, must be there.

1. It wasn't easy for 5'4" roadie chick to find a bike to ride. Very few companies brought bikes to fit smaller people. The only road bike I got to ride was the Merlin Agilis. They come in S, M, L sizes, so it was a close fit. This was my first Merlin experience and I sincerely hope it's not my last! Tom Kellogg of Spectrum Cycles (www.spectrum-cycles.com), the designer for Merlin as well as Litespeed was more than happy to point out all the great design details. But the proof is in the ride and after a few miles on the desert highway, it is clear that this is a really sweet ride. By the way, it's the 25th Anniversary for Spectrum. Maybe this is the year to go for the ultimate steel custom bike designed by Tom.

2. Fi:zi'k Aliante Ð I'd already had an enthusiastic education about the new Aliante from Kyle at BikeMine, the new distributor for Fi:zi'k on the phone a week earlier, so as soon as we hit Blue Diamond I raced over to get my hands on it and test it. Not only is this saddle aesthetically beautiful, it is heavenly to ride. Right now, it comes in black or pale blue leather stretched over a carbon fiber form with Kevlar mesh providing strength and flex, all mounted on carbon fiber rails. At $180, it's not the most expensive saddle, but still pretty priceyÉuntil you ride it. Well worth itÉIF you can get your little paws on one! They're already on back order, since Fi:zi'k can only build 8-10 per day.

3. Santa Cruz is building some sweet bikes, including the Julianas designed by Wylder that is headed by Christi Feeter-Stark, co-founder of Rock Shox. But, alas, I couldn't ride their sleek looking Roadster since they brought only one 56 cm. for the boys and tall chicks. Maverick, on the other hand, did have bikes to fit and the ride was great, but...well, read what Monkey has to say about that.

4. Felt Racing Ð Felt is coming back to the US from Europe after a hiatus and their bikes are outrageously beautiful, light, sleek racing machines. The bikes come in sizes down to 46 cm., but unless shop owners were able to convince there is actually a market for smaller bikes, you'll have to travel across the pond to get anything smaller than a 50 cm.

5. Dr. Giovanni, just about the cutest Italian MD you could imagine, was busy at Enervit's tent on Demo Day and kept the energy up throughout the show, extolling the benefits of this Italian company's line of performance products. Twenty-five years of research has resulted in a great line of products, palatable, digestible, easy on the stomach. The drinks are light in flavor and are so quickly absorbed, we were buzzing around the tents like busy little bees.

6. Burro Bikes Ð Gotta' say these were some of the most enthusiastic guys on the dirt. A Burro Bike, "a different kind of bike", looks like a non-folding foldable bike with small, fat (3 inches wide), knobby tires and an upright position. It's designed as an explorer's bike to perform at low speeds (7-speed freehub), over rocks, through deserts, across snow. A fun ride and certainly lived up to all the promises. "Burros kick ass." www.burrobikes.com

7. Love the celebrity sightings! Big, burly Brian Lopes with his tiny little girlfriend trading hugs with tall, rangy, muscley Steve Peat. George Hincapie riding the sketchy desert trails on a Trek MTB. I missed Gary Fisher and Wes Willits trading 29-inch (otherwise known as 700 CC wheels) anecdotes.

8. Hanging out with John Tomac and Doug Bradbury, surrounded by those beautiful Tomacs, Litespeeds, and Merlins. Can you say bike geek heaven? Not to mention that John Tomac who just gets tastier-looking every year.

9. Speaking of sketchy trails, the bikes and their riders took a real beating this year. Maurice of Dirt Rag fame had both elbows and a knee bandaged and had such a swollen hand, it precluded handshakes. And, Bradbury of Tomac Bikes commented that their bikes take more abuse on Demo Day than in a year's worth of downhill racing by their pros.

10. Blue Diamond's hospitality. This little village nestled into a low spot surrounded by desert mountains outside of Las Vegas has a normal population of 200. Demo Day increases that by 20 times to something over 4,000. They are great hosts to a Wild Bunch of gonzo bike geeks.
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