This was our 5th day in the city of sin. I feel like the confession booth is fast approaching. I am stoked to see new shiny bits, but am also looking forward to seeing outdoors, real air, and riding my bike between these things that, in Canada, we call trees. They are like a tall brown skinny building without all the neon lights, and there is a dark green matte tinsel like stuff hanging from them. You'd have to be there I guess...
There is no doubt that tubeless wheel set-ups are becoming more popular. Pretty much any new wheelset that comes on the market are being spec'd tubeless. Mavic seems to be the king of tubeless with its UST bead-lock system. The Crossmax ST can pimp your shred sled on the all-mountain/xc side of things. They look like a tubeless Oreo. I like Oreos.
One of the newest offings from Mavic are their cheese grater rim sidewalls, for those wheels that still use little bits of rubber to slow you down eventually. Yep, these are road wheels with an anodizing like finish that has a rough pattern on it to grip those little brake pads and give you "disc brake like stopping".
The frenchies have been building some of the best wheels, and rims since the early 1900's. Here is an example of where they started off.
Our Santa Cruz sales rep, DanO finally joined our He's happily sporting a long promised hoodie. We should start receiving bikes again, now that he's got what he wants. The product, and engineering guys got hoodies and socks! Lets just say there was some tension in the Santa Cruz office.
We recognized some friends from Canada, Knolly bikes. The bikes are looking good with high quality fresh paints, and tight graphics. Most importantly they had a Scotch tasting in their booth. Scotch goggles, check!
I found Joe Graney, Santa Cruz' head of engineering creeping around the Knolly booth. I don't know if he was there to talk tech with Noel Buckley, of just to sip of the fire water? All I know that that I ended up banging this 2oz. shot glass of Black and White's after this photo. I can honestly say it was smooth, wow.
Joe is an awesome dude, that always impresses me with his sensible knowledge. He's also straight-up just like Scotch.
POC's VPD knee pads are a soft knee, with their mad science mix called VPD that is pliable dough like product that stiffens under impact. I have tried this my hitting myself on the knee pad with a pedal wrench, and a hammer. I still have knees, incredible! The Poc knee's offer great comfort, with new side padding for this year's product.
For the warrior in you there is also the Bone VPD leg that offers great comfort and increased protection. There is a hard plastic shin, and knee cap, with an elongated VPD knee extension to cover the upper knee when the leg is bent.
The hive is full of busy bees dreaming up unique approaches to products, and making them happen. I was stung walking past the booth with their Revl carbon fiber road brake calipers. They are highlighted with anodized cnc'd linkage points, and if they need to look better. The brakes are made of carbon with makes them a bit lighter than Shimano or Sram's offerings, but with increased power through the stiffness of the material, and design. Some knobs would buy these just because they look sick! but the Hive makes sure that the function outweighs their haut-couture fashion.
Do I have a Chub for you... We see Chub's all the time. We are after all a bike shop. Santa Cruz spec's the Chub hubs on some of their build kits. A Chub is super stiff, because it uses a very light weight carbon fiber torsion tube. Its bonded to tall aluminum flanges to give you a wheel that offers superior stiffness. Big Chubs work for all front hubs, with adapters for 20mm, 15mm, and 9mm axles.
Intense has a spot in many rider's spank bank. They have a unique look to their frames, and some awesome finishes. This bronze clear-coat over a raw finish was my favorite colour in the intense booth.
Air shocks fit for Bender's bike? These shockers are Fox air shocks for snowmobiles. There is no limit to the huckability of air shocks.
If 10 different colour options are not good enough, then maybe you need a customer painted Chris King hub? These hubs were pictured on a Vanilla custom cyclo-cross bike in the ENVE Composite's booth.
At Interbike you see a lot of weird stuff that you would never see in a local bike shop, and might have no idea of why someone would want it. But, then there are a lot of custom builders that you wouldn't see regularly, that are just stunning. This Independant Fabrications cross bike, was full carbon, with carbon crown lugs. I think anyone can appreciate this bike, I just don't know if they would want to race cross on if and pressure wash it afterwards.
This is the kind of weird stuff I'm talking about. A full carbon, 20" wheel, electric-assist bike. W...T...F... unless this is for some sort of underground bar racing circuit, I don't get it. What 6 year old needs, and carbon electric assist bike? Oh yeah, we're in the states...
I really like Lezyne products. They make very nice quality, useable products that could double as ornimental house wares. This was a new high volume floor pump. If you ride a mountain bike, or other high-volume tired machine, then this pump will get you up to pressure faster. The handle would be suitable in a Bentley Saloon car.
If you haven't seen this yet, its a Hope cassette/Freehub body in one! All machined out of Aluminum. Its meant to be for the sub 120 lb. racer category.
This Hope top crown, integrated stem in pimp. 'Lil John is rumored to have been seen with one of these in his mouth. I'd rather have it on my Evil Revolt. But, I'm picky.
Marzocchi is getting back in the game by simplifying their product line. On top they have a 888 WC with a special coating. Its a proprietary process. They have hired head engineer Slimer, whom you might remember from the Ghost Buster's movies. Marzocchi wouldn't comment on the process, but if you watch Ghost Buster's II I think you might get the picture.
It's been a long day. I'm gonna kick my feet up with a couple dollar margaritas, and play out the hangover.
-Scott
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