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So in a last minute flurry of creative activity here, we’ve managed to put together something that we’re really excited about. Check out the blurb below that was sent out to retailers yesterday by email as the first official announcement of our brand new “Urban Legend Fashion and Art Show” at Interbike this year:

Urban Legend

Presented by Momentum Magazine

Bikes, Art and Fashion in motion. A self propelled cycling art and fashion show that brings the cutting edge of urban bicycle culture to life. Cycling for transportation is one of the hottest sectors in the bike industry today. A change is happening on the streets and people are integrating bikes into their everyday lives. Urban Legend is about expanding our perceptions of what it looks like to ride a bike. Immerse yourself in the trends of the urban cycling category and join us for a unique preview of the latest products designed for practical cycling style and function. Witness the evolution of urban transport, enjoy a cold beer, some dj-spun tunes and take in art inspired by a passion for bicycles. This fashion show will highlight a range of stylish, smart, sexy and professional looks that fit into everyday life and work great on a bike.

“The urban cycling market is different than the ‘Ricky Racer’ crowd - the typical lycra scene is not exactly what appeals to the urban rider. The Urban Legend fashion show highlights the more accurate wants and needs of the urban cyclist and helps spotlight ideas to help retailers provide those items to the urban riders who are walking into their stores.” - Tim Jackson, Brand Manager, Masi Bicycles

Location: Venetian Ballroom G

Time: Thursday, September 25th, 5pm

For the last few years we’ve talked here in the office about trying to put on a fashion show at Interbike, but could never really come up with the right format. The traditional runway style with models in bike apparel walking a catwalk never seemed appropriate. We’ve also been talking about ways to feature all the great gear and bikes that have been cropping up for urban and transportation cycling, with no real success.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I read on Tim Jackson of Masi Bicycles blog that he was planning a trip up to Vancouver which would include a visit with the Momentum Magazine team. It had been a while since I had checked in on Momentum and after reading about a small fashion sow they had done, I was really impressed with the format they came up with and thought it was perfect for both those things we had been wanting to put together in Vegas. I called up Mia at Momentum and introduced myself and we chatted for a bit about the concept she said they were interested in helping us do it on a bigger scale in Vegas.

So what’s the big deal about this fashion show? Well, for starters the models will be riding urban, folding, utilitarian and commuting bikes. Second, the outfits that Momentum will be selecting (not us - we trust Mia and her team’s eye for style more than ours) from industry apparel companies will be urban and casual cycling wear - not the enthusiast and racing-inspired attire like lycra shorts and euro-pro jerseys. We love those styles, but in the current climate of growing acceptance and use of bikes in everyday life, we believe that retailers and manufacturers would benefit most from seeing the latest in these styles and how they look in action.

OK, so the apparel theme is a bit different…what else? This is the coolest part, to me. Instead of a typical runway setup, there will be a course laid out on the floor of the ballroom in a loop. The attendees to the show will be standing in and around the loop and the models will ride essentially among the audience. This way, it shows the outfits in their designed-for use and allows most everyone there to have a front row seat. With the addition of the bicycle-inspired artwork displayed throughout the room, the feel should be very reminiscent of an art gallery showing - truly enhancing the presentation of the bikes and the fashion to a higher level that they deserve. There will be drinks served and a dj spinning tunes.

So that’s it in a nutshell. Since this really is a late addition to the schedule, expect more info and news very soon and as we get closer to the show. I think this will be an awesome addition to the show and a resource to the industry for this important and growing category. We’re really glad to have Momentum partnering with us on this and thankful for their inspiration. After the show, we can all head down to Mandalay Bay for some fast and furious (sorry) crit racing that night. What a week we’ve got ahead of us, huh?

Note: In his quote above and in our collateral about the fashion show, Tim followed his “Ricky Racer” comment with a “not that there’s anything wrong with that” type qualifier. I took it out for better flow, but just wanted to help Tim avoid any angry emails or digs directed at him from the Ricky Racer crowd, of which I am a proud member. I’m looking forward to the fashion show myself for some ideas on how to broaden my bike attire from all the primary colored polyester that fills my bike drawer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, right?

The last paragraph of this morning’s Bicycle Retailer update on the ongoing Trek Bicycles v. Greg LeMond case caught my eye. After discussing the status of the legal proceedings and how the case will probably only go before a judge in 2010, the author describes this curious development:

In an odd twist, an inmate at a federal prison in Williamsburg, South Carolina filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit in July, alleging that he and other inmates produce bikes for LeMond under the Federal Prison Industry Unicor Program for 12 cents an hour, a violation of minimum wage laws. The inmate also claimed LeMond bicycle are shipped to Iranian troops for training purposes, violating the “Training with Enemy” Act.

The article ends by saying that the judge denied the motion. This incident seems so random, though, that I’d love to hear how this inmate came to insert himself into this process. While I’m not an expert in federal prison labor law, his second claim about the Iranian troops seems plausible. Totally.

Would love to hear Mr. BikeSnobNYC’s take on this.

I’ve been enjoying following the news of the Humana/Bikes Belong Freewheelin’ campaign at the Democratic National Convention this week. This is a great effort and undertaking, but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the seeiming success of the program so far. Along with the large orchestrated rides with big names like the mayor of Denver, they’re claiming to have seen their loaner bikes already cover over 12,000 miles of Denver streets over the first two days of the program. That’s pretty impressive. Our Lance Camisasca is working with them in Denver this week and I can’t wait to hear from him how it all went.

Along with that good news, I’m constantly surprised by all the new advocacy groups that seem to keep popping up. Mattew Modine, the actor, was featured on the Freewheelin’ blog signing out a bike to use on a ride in support of the group that he works with called Bike For a Day. Here’s a brief excerpt from their website:

A fun, open and proactive invitation designed to inspire individuals, communities, governments and corporations to take a step towards solving the current environmental issues.

A global initiative bringing together people who choose to ride a bicycle rather than use gas-powered motor vehicles, immediately reducing their carbon footprint.

Supports organizations that restore and protect our environment and make biking safer and more accessible for everyone.

BICYCLING CAN HELP CHANGE YOUR WORLD

The BFAD website says that they plan to launch on September 20, 2008. I wish them all the best in their efforts.

You can also follow Freewheelin happenings via Twitter.

Did anyone else see the bikers in the London 2012 portion the closing ceremonies on TV yesterday? When the double-decker London bus came out, 3 or so bikers rode past it as if they were commuting. From the brief time that they were on, I think one was a messenger type on a fixie style bike and at least one of the others were on a utilitarian city-type bike while another may have been on a small wheeled or folding bike. They rode right past the bus as if it were stuck in traffic just before the “bus stop” in the presentation.

No comments on London’s actual presentation. I’ll let the natives debate that one, though it would be tough to beat a show of the scale that China put on on Sunday - even with Jimmy Page playing “Whole Lotta Love.” (BTW, featuring that slice of British culture was a great decision in my opinion)

So did anyone else notice the bikes? That the London organizers/government decided to feature bikes on such a big stage is a great sign. London’s mayor - on hand to receive the Olympic flag from Beijing’s mayor - is a big proponent of cycling if I remember correctly. (Carlton?)

Just found this mention of the bikes and a photo of the moment on Copenhagenzine.

Update: Fritz over at Cyclelicio.us mentions that the guy on the folding bike is non other than UK gold medalist, Chris Hoy, while Victoria Pendleton rode dressed like a messenger and rode a fixie and  Jamie Staff rode the city bike. Now that’s even cooler than just having bikes

Sent out a press release yesterday with an update on the show now that we’re a month (!) out from Interbike. I hate focusing on raw numbers since there is so much more to any story than just the stats, but before the show takes place, there’s not much else to use as a predictor.

In most cases, Interbike’s performance is really tied to and is a reflection of the health of the bike industry. This year, the conventional wisdom is that the industry is enjoying a strong period due to the continuing high cost of oil and the increasing acceptance of the bicycle as a legitimate and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.*

Regardless, I think that this year is shaping up to be another stellar show because the bicycle is very vital and present in the consciousness of the population as a means of social change both in terms of financial and environmental impact. Manufacturers and retailers are tuned into this and taking advantage of this opportunity. Add to the business side all of the other elements that take place at Interbike with the parties, riding, fund raising, racing, media coverage, education and networking and we really have the biggest true celebration of the bicycle business in the world.

Maybe not in total raw numbers, but definitely in passion and impact.

Read the release here.

* I’m reminded of something that Tim  Blumenthal of Bikes Belong told me recently that we need to be careful to not be smug about the oil situation and gloat about how we are benefiting from the proverbial “pain at the pump” since there is real pain being felt by a lot of real people out there right now.

So we’ve got road racing covered with the USA Crits Finals, cyclo-cross has CrossVegas, cross-country mountain biking will be going on at the revived Cactus Cup just before the OutDoor Demo and there was talk of track racing at Mandalay Bay for a while. Now we seem to have the next bike racing category taken care of with Arena Mountain-X races this year.

Here’s a little something from their press release on the event:

“Held in a “Speedway Format”, racers will battle down a spectacular man-made mountain cross track built specifically for this event! Huge custom scaffolding along with truckloads of dirt will make for an intense racing track, in an arena full of seats for optimal viewing.”

Sounds awesome, but it’s sort a shame that this is on the same night as Cross Vegas. I guess these audiences don’t cross over that much? What do you think?

A busy week in Vegas just got busier. Once you include the folding bike race (more on that later), there’s truly something for everyone at Interbike…

Saw a link to this video from the local Denver NBC television station on Twitter this morning. Forgot that the DNC is already next week. If you hadn’t heard, Bikes Belong and health insurance company Humana (along with a few bike manufacturers) have partnered to provide 1,000 bikes on free loan to conventioneers. Republicans will also get a chance to borrow a bike at their convention in Minneapolis in early September. I’m really curious to see how the bikes end up being used - and which party will use them more. At the risk of getting too political here, I know which party I’d put my money on to ride more.

The website for the Freewheelin’ program is here and you can also follow them on Twitter under the bikesharing account name.

In the video, Avery Stonich from the BBC and Dan Oftedahl from Humana talk about the program and you get to see the wareheouse where the bikes are all being assembled. Hopefully you won’t see the pre-roll ad for a truck like I did. Gotta love contextual advertising.

Here’s the link to the original article that goes along with the video.

I’m here in Salt Lake City working one of Interbike’s sister shows, Outdoor Retailer. OR is bigger in physical size than Interbike (about 20%) and about the same percentage less in people. It’s a huge show that fills every - and I mean every - nook and cranny of the Salt Palace Convention Center. The show’s gotten so big that we’ve had to expand across the street into the Energy Solutions Arena where the Utah Jazz pro basketball team plays.

Filling all this space along with all the climbing, hiking, kayaking, camping, trail running, canoeing retailers and manufacturers are a lot of bikes. Not surprisingly, many of these outdoor industry people are bikers themselves so having a bike category in their line of products is logical. Here are a few of the bikes and bike-related sights that I’ve seen since the show opened yesterday.

First up is the scene outside the show. Clif Bar had their bio-diesel bus out front with a bunch of bikes lined up.

I’ve been wanting to check out Gramicci since they recently announced that they were going to release a line of urban-friendly bike wear. This morning I stopped by their booth to see what they had planned. They are an established outdoor industry brand founded in Southern California and are known for garment died worn and weathered look. “Live free, love nature, Never the Norm” is a line from the catalog I picked up. Their bike line fits right in with casual styles that don’t hint at their bike functionality. They’ve incorporated some high-tech materials to enhance the function, but have focused on making sure they don’t feel synthetic. Nice looking.

Gramicci had 3 bikes on display that were decorated by artists that they were auctioning off for a non-profit group. They also had a helmet to go along with each.

A few pieces from their “Urban Rider” line. The t-shirt is a cotton-poly mix for super soft touch but has some wicking ability. The chamois inserts are removable so you don’t need to walk around all day in it once you’re off the bike:

And for the ladies:

Here’s a performance cycling example from the show floor in the Timex booth. Speaking of performance, I was introduced to two guys from Training Peaks Software. They write the software for Timex’s training gear and their programs are used by pros including George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer among others.

A Surly in the Pacific Outdoor Equipment booth. Stopped to chat with Greg from POE and he filled me in on the company’s gear and ethos. Their welded fabric technology really makes their packs, bags and panniers unique and sleek looking. When I asked if they were planning to be at Interbike this year, he said that a lot of people here at the OR show have been telling him that they need to be there. I agree.

At the Smartwool booth they had a bunch of bike wheels decorating their booth with this cool coaster from New Belgium Brewing Co. inserted in the spokes:

And this is Krista from the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. They are handling the bike parking for the show this year. I met her at the OR Industry party last night where the band Rusted Root played. She said that she will be heading out to Interbike this year for the first time. Make sure to welcome her if you run into her in Vegas!

You can follow the news of the show at the online version of the OR Show Daily.

Today we announced that we will be providing free shuttle service to CrossVegas this year for show attendees, exhibitors and press. Being over 6 miles off the Strip and with the huge interest in the race, we figured it was  time to step up with some transportation for Interbike show goers. Shuttles will run from 6pm to 11pm - check our main website for details leading up to the show.

Also - and I know that the CrossVegas guys already announced it - I’m really excited about the new “Wheelers and Dealers” industry race this year. While I’m no cross racer myself, I can’t wait to see all my fellow industry working stiffs out on the Desert Breeze course like at the crit last year. I’ve heard that there’s some super-motivated guys out there all primed and ready to throw down at this race.

Not to be outdone, the USA Crits Finals return to Las Vegas this year. They’ve still got the Industry Cup race along with the pro races and have added a bunch of amateur USCF races to the schedule this year. Not sure if Ravi and his team will be letting in any ex-pros this year like Cipollini last year, but I’ve already heard a big name mentioned as interested in racing. I’ve got that former pro already scheduled for an interview during our “Good Morning Interbike” show from the Media Center this year - it just remains to be seen if he’ll be racing…

By the way, do you think ex-pros should be able to race the industry cup like Cipo did last year? How connected do they need to be to be an “employee”? The crit guys have their own set of official rules posted, but I still think that its’ a cool thing to have at the race - a once in a lifetime chance to race with a big name ex-pro. But that would mean that I’d actually have to race…

Read the whole release here.

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