The GREATEST TIME OF YEAR!

I had half a post written about how I went on a ride on Sunday just ahead of an impending storm (which amounted to not much) and had my local trail system all to myself. And, how I still don't get how people that "ride" don't take advantage of those kind of days, which was a bit redundant from my last post. Then something wonderful happened and I scrapped the entire thing. INTERBIKE!

Yes, it is like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus and, well, just about every other "gift giving" holiday all wrapped up into one. I have had the sensory overloaded joy of attending one Interbike. Ahhh, Interbike, that magical time of year when all the bicycle industry gather into the hotbed of sin (Vegas) and try to outdo each other to gain the dealer's sales and to have the one must have item for the upcoming year. Over the top booths, interactive displays and scantily clad women are the norm at Interbike (though, with the number of women representing companies, I don't really understand the scantily clad thing, but I guess if it works).

For those that haven't been there or don't know what I am talking about, here is Interbike in a nutshell. Most of the bike companies in the WORLD get together at the Sands in Vegas, set up a booth showing the latest and greatest stuff they have to offer and try to lure bike shop owners/managers/buyers into pre-buying their products. And when I say world, I mean it. One that rides a lot may not consider this, but even companies like Toys-R-Us have reps there buying bikes from the periphery Chinese vendors, which I NEVER thought of until I saw it first hand.

Someday I'll go back to Interbike, but with all the bicycling news outlets, you can see just about any and everything worth seeing online without having to endure the madness of Vegas and being on your feet for about 11 or 12 hours at the Sands.

Man, do I LOVE looking at the new, shiny new components that I know I don't want to, but will have to, live without. It pisses me off when some new standard is introduced and tons of new bikes have it, signaling the death of the old standard, which means I'll have to upgrade, but yet I still love it. I dig the march of progress. I think it is hilarious how some people, retro-grouches if you will, say how things were so much better when we were all riding 5 speed, friction-shifting, bull-moose handlebar using, rigid mountain bikes. And in a way I suppose some things were better, like the simplicity of the whole experience, but bikes perform SO much better than even 5 years ago. Heck, a $700 mountain bike of today shifts better, has better components and is lighter than a $2000 mountain bike of 8 years ago.

And, the fact that I am infatuated with all things Moots makes this teaser of a new road frame all the more delectable to me. GOOD GOD it is beautiful! I just hope there is some sort of mountain bike to go with it...(I "borrowed" the picture from Cyclingnews. The picture was taken by James Huang)