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The two days before the trade show, Interbike puts on its Outdoor Demo Day. Attendees travel on buses to Bootleg Canyon, some 25 miles from Las Vegas, the trailhead for paved and singletrack trails . There, some exhibitors set up canopies and some also offer the opportunity for attendees to try out their products. This is always the most fun part of the trade show for me.
I strapped on my Timbuktu Courier bag, which carried my helmet and gloves, and sunscreen, and took the bus ride to the Outdoor Demo. I shot the photos below, which give an idea of the demo and some of the products I tried.
Yesterday I expected mud, but instead there was dust. Things dry up quickly here.
One of the buses.
Sorry, this was just too weird to resist, but Las Vegas is Weird with an uppercase W. What happens in Sin City Purple Porta Potties stays in the Porta-Potties.
Onward to the exhibits.
Speedplay had a display of its pedals including a new flat pedal intended for off-road riding. The clip-in pedals are available now with different spindle lengths, useful for people who are duck-footed or using older (non low-profile) cranks.
Fatbikes were big this year. Part of the emphasis on them at the Outdoor Demo reflects that there were rich opportunities for trail riding. They are, as of yet, all hardtail some with front suspension fork. I rode a Salsa fatbike and it felt like riding any common mountain bike. The tires were pumped rather hard though. No, I'm not the guy in the photo.
One fatbike in the Salsa booth had low-profile belted tires. Whether this becomes a trend remains to be seen. They are common on motorcycles.
Brompton was at the demo with its folding bikes, now available in several new colours. (Hey, they're English.) Harris Cyclery is a Brompton dealer, and I had a chat with the Brompton representative.
I rode a couple of elliptical pedaling machines. This one is from Elliptigo. For a bicyclist, they take some getting used to, as power is applied by pushing backwards rather than downwards. I was fine as long as I was coasting!
This tricycle from Freecross, a German company, leans to steer. It was a bit easier to get used to, because it was easier to mount and dismount. That's me in the photo.
This Felt fatbike with Bob trailer and crossbow was all ready to go on a hunting expedition.
The people in the Sony booth were lending out their POV cameras and handing over the memory chips so people could later view the videos they shot. I rode with one of these cameras strapped to my helmet and brought videos home. You may read my review of the camera.
Last Updated: by John Allen
