Jul
31
Interbike Seminars & Tech Clinics Posted
Filed Under Attendee News, Exhibitor News, Interbike, Racing | 2 Comments
I posted the first 2008 Interbike seminar, tech clinic and special events schedule recently on our main website. Obviously, I’ll be updating it as we get closer to the show and add more to the list, but there’s already lots of great sessions on tap for everyone that’s coming this year. (You are coming, right?).
Other Seminars and Tech Clinics
And don’t forget about the two great races that are coming back for their second editions: Cross Vegas and the USA Crits Finals – both are not to be missed and are awesome events to enjoy. More to come about them very soon. If you haven’t heard yet, Cross Vegas has added an industry race called “Wheelers & Dealers” to the schedule similar to what the crit guys have had. I’ve heard a lot of interest in that one already. Stay tuned for more.
Jul
31
BRAIN Story about Travel Booking Problems
Filed Under Attendee News, Exhibitor News, Industry News, Interbike | 4 Comments
I just want to clarify something from this morning’s story on Bicycle Retailer about some problems people have apparently been having booking rooms for Interbike in Vegas using third party travel agencies. While we certainly feel for anybody that may have had problems with their travel arrangements for Interbike, the article does not clearly state that the travel company mentioned is NOT Interbike’s official travel booking partner and that we have no relationship with them.
The official Interbike travel arrangements partner is Travel Planners Inc., and to make sure to get the special rates on travel and hotel arrangements for Interbike and reliable service, make sure to use the links to them provided on the Interbike website here. We have worked with Travel Planners on many of our shows for many years to arrange hotel blocs and special discounted pricing for attendees and exhibitors to our shows.
Have other travel companies been misrepresenting themselves as working with Interbike or as the “official” travel partner of Interbike?
Update: BRAIN edited their story this afternoon to address the concerns I stated above. They also list Travel Planners contact info. Thanks!
Jul
23
How WADA Caught Up with Ricco
Filed Under Racing | 2 Comments
So I was wondering how WADA had suddenly caught up with the dopers in being able to detect the latest and greatest in performance enhancing drug technology. After apparently being several years behind the cheaters in the drugs they were able to detect, I read on a good friend of mine’s blog this morning about the fascinating news that some drug developers are actually working with the anti-doping agencies on testing for new drugs during the development stage. In the recent Ricardo Ricco doping case, drug maker Roche Pharmaceutical had added a marker molecule to the drug in question (CERA) that would allow testers to easily detect it.
In the development of that substance close cooperation occurred between WADA and the pharmaceutical company Roche Pharmaceuticals so that there was a molecule placed in the substance well in advance that was always going to be able to be detected once a test was undertaken. – John Fahey of the World Anti-Doping Agency on Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio
Now this is a step in the right direction. It’s almost like DRM for drugs. I wonder if WADA has shared this work with the independent testing agencies like the Agency for Cycling Ethics that are contracted with teams like Slipstream and High Road. With the question of whether Saunier-Duval’s doping was one “rogue individual” or a team-wide program and the sponsors pulling out with the positive tests, this team-based “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” assuring potential sponsors of their honesty will become ever more important.
Then again, how long, really, before the cheaters find ways to mask the markers…
Here’s a couple of articles on the subject:
Jul
11
LA Times Business Section on Commuting By Bike
Filed Under Advocacy, Attendee News, Cycling, Exhibitor News, Industry News, Interbike | Comments Off
I’ve been a bad blogger by going on 10 days since the last post… And it’s not for a shortage of topics – I’ve got a stack on interesting articles piled on my desk waiting for 30 minutes free time to write something coherent and marginally enjoyable to read about them (I gave up on being profound in my posts a while back…). More often than not, posts get written at home after the kids are in bed.
Case in point is this article in the LA Times by staff writer Leslie Earnest on commuting by bike that Lance pointed out to me on Tuesday (I live in San Diego County so I don’t get the LAT): “Bikes Help Commuters get around gas prices“. Now there’s been no shortage of articles in the mainstream, non-endemic media lately about the growth in cycling as a response to rising energy costs, but I think it’s important to highlight this exposure that our industry is getting – especially when it’s the cover story of the business section of such a widely read paper such as the LA Times.
Customer being helped at Cynergy Cycles in Santa Monica, California
The gist of the article is pretty typical: more people are riding bikes because of high gas prices. The quality parts of the article are that it focuses on the business aspect and how sales are up as a result of the energy situation and features quotes from a variety of industry members on the subject including Tim Blumenthal of Bikes Belong, Amanda Schulze of Burley Design, Fred Clements of the NBDA and Bruno Maier of Cannondale Sports Group.
The article is accompanied by a couple of photos taken at Santa Monica’s Cynergy Cycles, and also has interviews with retailer Rock N’ Road Cyclery of Orange County. Matt Ford of RNR comments at the close of the article that bike sales are “up double digits.” Jim Whitsett of Cynergy states similarly that he’s seen a jump of 20% just over the last 30 days. Good news for the industry for sure, but Clements of the NBDA cautions that the majority of sales in shops are still from recreational purchases and that segment is sensitive to the bad economy and people watching their spending more carefully.
Similar situation across the country?
Jul
1
This video arrived in my inbox yesterday and originated from industry good guy and host of Good Morning Interbike, Richard Fries. Pretty amazing little film to watch of children and parents biking to school in the Netherlands on an amazing network of bike paths totally separate from any automobiles. Is this what we are aspiring to?