Mar
18
Thank You Dick Burke and Trek
Filed Under Cycling, Deep Thoughts, Photos | 5 Comments
Chip Smith, our main PR guy and great friend at SOAR Communications, wrote a nice story on their blog last week about hearing of Trek founder Dick Burke’s passing recently and his memories of his first bike - a Trek - and how it inspired him to start riding. My plan was to just re-print an excerpt here and link to the whole piece and as I started writing this, I remembered that it was a Trek that got me into riding, too. While Chip’s was a ‘79 touring model, mine was a circa ‘90 930 mountain bike. Here’s a picture of Chip and his bike (and a bit more hair, as he put it):
My Trek was definitely a child of the late ’80’s. And not just because it was a mountain bike. It was mostly black, but had fluorescent green lettering and highlights. I thought it was a hot looking bike at the time.
Not having ridden since I was a kid back in junior high, I borrowed by Brazilian college roommate’s bike for the Summer. I was staying in my college town to do an internship and said I’d hold onto his bike for the Summer while he was back home in Rio. I was on the rowing team in college and thought that the biking would help me stay in shape for my senior year season. Even though it was an mtb, I don’t think I took it off-road once that summer. The Trek and I just did long rides on the road everyday. The bike had those crazy Scott mtb handlbars (with lime green grips and bar wrap) that curved around to the front into an aero-bar position that I used alot. I thought I was all aero on my off-road bike with knobby tires. Groups of roadies going the other way gave me funny looks. The baggy soccer shorts probably added to the visual humor.
One of the things on that bike that got me hooked on riding and on bikes themselves was a piece of technology: push-button Rapid-Fire shifters. Not the more-recent trigger-style, mind you, but the original two thumb-actuated button shifters. I thought it was so cool that you could just push a button and the bike would shift. That was my first experience with indexed shifting. And while the shifter self-destructed later that Summer, it was enough to get me hooked on bike technology.
When I graduated from college a year later, my parents offered to buy me a graduation gift. I asked for a bike. And since I only ever rode on the road, I asked for a road bike. Even though I lusted after those carbon tubes-bonded-to-aluminum-lug Treks that my college town shop sold (Bicycle Alley in Worcester, MA), back home at my local shop (Greenwich Bicycles in Greenwich, CT) I ended up buying another brand (a ‘92 Bridgestone RB-1 that I still have, btw). My dad was so impressed with that Trek I borrowed, that he bought his own Trek mtb (”for more than I paid for my first motorcycle!” he commented) that same Summer and eventually an OCLV road bike (the’99 Lance Armstrong Tour win commemorative model) and got into riding seriously.
So while I never met the guy and didn’t have an opportunity to meet his son John at the BLC recently, his efforts in founding Trek back ‘76 played a role in Chip and I getting into cycling. Thanks, Mr. Burke!
Jan
22
BLC, BBC and Lots of Snow
Filed Under Interbike, Photos | 2 Comments
As I write this, I’m sitting in the lodge at Snowbasin ski area, about an hour north of Salt Lake City, sipping some hot chocolate. Brings back memories of living in New England, though we never had mountains like these here. This is where the Backcountry Base Camp demo day of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show is being held this year. Think of it as the outdoor industry’s OutDoor Demo. Basically, less sand and more snow. Lots more snow. They got 16 inches in Salt Lake yesterday.
Because of the snow storm, we were held up at the San Diego airport for a while. Luckily, I was with Leanne our new marketing department retailer outreach manager and Megan Tompkins, the editor of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News. BRAIN produces the OR Show Dailies and was on her way to cover the show. Megan and had a nice chat about the just ended Bicycle Leadership Conference. I still need to write my follow up post on the BLC. I was hoping to write at the event, but just ended up talking to lots of industry friends and making new ones that I didn’t have time to write.
Just a few quick photos before I have to wrap up to head back down into Salt Lake and the convention center for last minute prep before the show opens tomorrow. This is my first time at OR so I’m curious about the Salt Palace convention center, since it’s one of the few places in the US that could potentially accommodate Interbike, if we were to move the show out of Vegas.
We’re not in San Diego anymore: the drive up to Snowbasin.
Here’s me all bundled up: it was 18 degrees F this morning.
BBC is about the polar opposite (sorry about the pun) of Interbike’s OutDoor Demo in Bootleg Canyon in Nevada. Cold with lots of snow. Great vibe, though, and great runs for skiing.
Back to the bike industry for a moment, here’s Chris Zigmont of Pedro’s and Lance Camisasca of Interbike and Lifeboat Solutions accepting their “BRAINy” awards at the BLC. Chris accepted on behalf of Pedro’s in the “green” company category, and Lance won the individual advocacy award for his efforts on behalf of the industry during his 10 years with Interbike.
Here’s what the sessions look like at the BLC. Most of the major manufacturers and suppliers in the bike industry send high level executives or company heads to this event. Rick Vosper of Veltec Sports was the master of ceremonies - you can see him up on the stage. More to come on the event happenings…
Nov
7
I Made the Cover of BR&IN!
Filed Under Cycling, Industry News, Interbike, OutDoor Demo, Photos, Rides | 3 Comments
So this was pretty cool. We got our copies of the latest Bicycle Retailer (the first post-Interbike issue) at the end of last week and look who’s on the cover? It’s Interbike’s marketing manager hosting the Tour of Lake Mead ride at the OutDoor Demo. I’ll admit it: even though it should be old hat at this point, I still get a little excited when I’m quoted in the media. This is the photo they ended up using.
And there’s a funny story that goes along with it. Pull up a chair. Well, it won’t be that long a story.
So I hosted the Lake Mead ride this year. I made sure that my schedule would allow me to ride it this year since I missed last year’s edition. Lance here couldn’t make it this year (he was at the turn around at the lake handing out water, though) so he asked me to welcome everyone, say a few words and give out a few safety instructions about the road closures. I can handle that.
I roll down the hill to the start area and Lauren, Interbike’s Demo operations coordinator, hands me a megaphone and races off to handle other pressing tasks (no shortage of those at ODD). A police officer walks over and gives me some instructions about the roads and what they’ll be doing. We still have some time until the official start and people are still coasting down the hill from the demo area with their borrowed demo bikes, so we wait. I notice Lennard Zinn from VeloNews lined up on the front row so I roll my Masi 3VC over to him to say ‘hi’ and chat about his upcoming appearance in the Media Center and his custom long cranks (by his calculations I should be on 209’s, but that’s another post topic…).
Someone finally gives me the word that it’s time to go, so I fire up the megaphone. I don’t think that I’ve ever actually used a megaphone before and I couldn’t seem to find a button or trigger on this one. At this point everyone lined up for the ride is now looking at me. I finally figure out how to work the thing and I say my words. For the life of me I couldn’t tell you what it was I said. I sort of slip into an out-of-body mode in these un-prepared public speaking situations. Good thing it was just a group of 300 bikers - part of our extended family, right?
My monologue finished, I turn around to hand the megaphone off to someone. With my head spinning back and forth, I realize there’s no one within 15 feet of me and no one who’s there from the IB team. I must have looked dumb as my head spun back and forth around looking for someone who could help me out. Riders are starting to clip in and are getting antsy to start the ride. The nearest familiar face I see is James from Cycling.TV from the photo above. He had placed himself into the back of a station wagon to film the ride. I clumsily stumble over to him with one foot clipped in and megaphone in one hand and begin to toss it toward him.
As if that wouldn’t interrupt his cinematography duties enough, it turns out that the wriststrap is still on my wrist as I toss it and that said strap is attached to the megaphone via the battery compartment. With riders giving up on me and rolling off the line, the battery lid stays attached to my wrist as the megaphone heads toward James and his expensive camera. Unrestrained, the batteries decide to jump ship at this point and head toward the asphalt where they roll away in all directions trying to escape 300 bikers headed their way.
Confirming that they are, in fact, members of the family, riders laughed at me scrambling for batteries from the saddle of my bike (thanks, guys). James missed capturing some of the start as he caught the megaphone, but I guess he also missed catching my fumbling, so it’s all good.
The ride was awesome in the end - even though I got dropped by the lead group on descent near the start. If you haven’t seen it already, Carlton Reid of BikeBiz UK shot a video of the ride. He overlaid names of some industry people he came across on the ride so you can see us all in our natural habitat (on a bike). That’s something you don’t usually get a chance to see.
Back to the latest issue of BR&IN, I’m also in another shot inside on the photo gallery page. Here’s the shot below. Left to right, that’s me, Uwe Weissflog (our European agent), Carlton Reid and Ross Kerber of the Boston Globe with beautiful Lake Mead in the background.
I’m available for autographs at the next industry event (BLC?).
All photos were taken by Gary Newkirk.Â
Oct
19
Interbike’s Little Chapel of Love
Filed Under Attendee News, Exhibitor News, Industry News, Interbike, Photos | 1 Comment
Being Vegas, it was bound to happen. I should also not downplay the level of passion us bike people have this industry - this community - that we are a part of. I’ve met some of my best friends through cycling. Heck I even my wife on a training ride!
And being that Interbike is our largest gathering as a group, why not get married there? What better place is there to celebrate your happiest day than among 23,000 of your brothers in wheels?
So here it is, folks. On the night of day two of this past Interbike, Beth Reed and John Walton of Davis Wheel Works in Davis California got married. And not just during Interbike, but right there on the floor of the show in the Cervelo booth.
They wanted to be married in Las Vegas and being in the bike business, the though of being hitched at Interbike seemed an inspired idea. John’s associate at Davis Wheel Works, Kevin Gilley, a recently ordained Minister dressed in an Elvis outfit presided over ceremony.
As Cervélo dealers they requested to exchange their vows in Cervelo’s booth. Notable at the event were the couple’s “bridesmaids” which included: Gerard Vroomen and Phil White co-founders of Cervélo, Anthony McCrossin, on-air host of Cycling.TV, and a bevy of other Cervelo sales “beauties” to give the young couple the proper send-off. Check out the lovely dresses… Looks like they really had some fun with the event.
I heard from Anthony that the minister introduced the new married couple with words to the effect of “in the name of Merckx, Coppi, LeMond and Cipollini, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” How awesome is that?
And, of course, the camera crew from CTV was there to capture the happy moment. Click the image above or here to see the video.
On behalf of Interbike and the entire bike industry in attendance, I would like to wish the two of them all the best in their new life together. And as Greg LeMond signed on my Team Z jersey at the show, “Tailwinds forever!”
Sep
25
OutDoor Demo Setup and Day One
Filed Under Exhibitor News, Interbike, OutDoor Demo, Photos | 3 Comments
Just got done with Day One of the 2007 OutDoor Demo. While I won’t be able to out blog the rest of you guys out there, I wanted to make the effort to at least post a few things this week. Maybe with a little bit of my perspective of the goings on. Here’re a few photos from setup day on Sunday and day one today. As always, I just love Interbike time. It’s alot of work to get here, but this week makes it all worthwhile.
This first shot is the Sands Expo Center hall where Interbike takes place that I took on Saturday afternoon after I checked into my room. It’s sort of the “calm before the storm.” Just a few people rolling out some carpeting and electrical. It’s amazing to see such a big room all empty and quiet. Over the next 3 days, a complete village of bike companies will be built here and come to life on Wednesday morning.
Over at the OutDoor Demo on Sunday morning, I notice that the Canadians from Norco beat all other exhibitors to Bootleg Canyon. Way to go, eh!
Santa Cruz arrives at the Demo in their always way cool streamliner bus. Later on we would be helping right their huge tent that got blown over in the wind onto the bus.
Here are Trek’s flags blowing furiously in the strong wind that blew over the Santa Cruz tent. It’s been keeping us all cooler than usual in the desert.
Finally got to see the belt drive that’s bee all the rage since show season started. Haven’t ridden it yet, but the Spot Brand/Chris King bike looks very clean.
Day one of the Demo, I spotted these very cool custom yellow hooded SRAM brake levers. With Mavic, you can never get enough yellow, huh?
Here’s me, Carlton Reid and our European rep (and “Mr. European Bike Industry”), Uwe Weissflog. I had just run into Calrton at the VIP tent for the first time ever. The three of us will be riding the Tour of Lake Mead rid on Tuesday morning. Should be an awesome ride and a chance to loosen up the legs before the Industry Cup race on Thursday.
Gotta hit the sack now. Look for lots of great video that I shot today with ethe guys from Cycling.TV at Interbike.com starting tomorrow. Got some really good stuff.
.
Apr
16
Field Trip: Sea Otter
Filed Under Advocacy, Industry News, Interbike, Photos | 3 Comments
Had the opportunity to take a quick two day trip up to Monterey for Sea Otter last Friday with the Interbike Team. Lance, Robert, Andria, Brian, Chip (from our pr firm) and I flew into San Jose and made the hour or so trek down to Monterey. It was bright and sunny on Friday and, well, it was Sea Otter rainy on Saturday. Wouldn’t be the same without the rain and mud, now, would it? Always a great time in Monterey, though.
While Sea Otter has been promoted recently as a “trade show”, for me I realized this time that it’s really a people show. It’s so good being able to get out of the office and see all of our friends and acquaintances from the industry. These trips really make the job worthwhile. Running into to someone you know and chatting for a few minutes or going out to dinner with them is so good. It’s a chance to catch up on how their riding’s been going (or not going), or to retell old stories. Great time.
Here are a few photos of some friends we ran into:
That’s me, Tim Grahl and Guitar Ted, from left to right. Those two are becoming real celebrities at industry events. Great guys and it was a pleasure to see and chat with them again.
These two happy guys are show director Lance Camisasca on the left and Tim Blumenthal of the Bikes Belong Coalition on the right. We had dinner with Tim, BBC’s Scott Bowen and Pedro’s Chris Zigmont on Friday night. What a great time. We spent much time talking advocacy and how bikes can solve all of the world’s problems. Chris made the genius observation that while he always enjoys being at the same table with such great company, we all “get it.” We all already know how important advocacy is and are a part of the fight. He said we should actually being sitting down to dinner with the non-believers - those that aren’t on the advocacy bus yet. There’s no good in all of us talking amongst ourselves about how to get others involved. Same goes for the attendees at many of the industry gatherings throughout the year. Most of those attendees also get it already. Here, here, Chris. He proposed that we all exchange Rolodexes and try to network with others outside of the advocacy club.
At dinner, I also learned that Tim’s got a lot of great stories to tell from his many years writing for tv bike race coverage going back to the 1984 LA Olympics. I didn’t know that he’s been around that long. You don’t look a day over 28, Tim…
Trivia question: where were the road race and time trials held during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics?
The man, the myth, the legend, Steve Boehmke of Chunky Fly Rite Promotions, formerly of Shimano and Rock Shox. Steve’s a Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and is now working with Mountain Cycles, Ergon and Adidas Eyewear.
And last, but not least, the Masiguy. This is one of the last blogs to post a picture of a Tim Jackson sighting. He was kind enough to host us under the Haro/Masi tent when the cats and dogs really started to come down. Chip and I got to meet and chat with Jill Hamilton, the Bike Biz Babe, for a while. Since I live about 2 miles from Haro/Masi World Headquarters, I took the opportunity to ask Jill about some of the local riding she’s been writing about. The Haro guys were digging drainage ditches all around us while we chatted and occasionally had to dump to water that was gathering on the tent.
Living in San Diego, I tend to forget what rain is. Sea Otter is my annual reminder. Makes Bootleg Canyon seem like a pretty inspired choice for a bike demo location…
Dec
22
Happy Holidays to The Bike Industry!
Filed Under Industry News, Interbike, Photos | 3 Comments
This is the core group of people that put on Interbike and that you may interact with here as an exhibitor or attendee. It was a spur of the moment idea to do the photo for a holiday card/ad in the most recent BRAIN, so some important people were left out of the pic. We just ran down to the courtyard of our office building and Ray, our art director, took the photo. I think it came out nice. We went out for our usual lunch time ride afterward (there’s a great bike path literally across the street that heads straight to the beach in Dana Point along a canal).
f you didn’t see the bigger version in the magazine, the names here are hard to read. From left to right: Rich (yours truly) - marketing, Alicia (with Interbike since 1994!) - operations, Andria - sales manager, Lauren - registration, Lance - show director, Brian - account executive, Erin (MVP!) - operations, Sarah - registration, and “Fun Bobby” (aka Robert) - account exec. Great team to work with and great people.
Hope you all have a great holiday with friends and family and a happy, safe and prosperous new year!
By the way, for the bike blog geeks out there (you know who you are), I’m wearing Giordana 2005 Interbike socks…
Jul
18
I was reviewing my emails today and noticed an email I received from Scott Wallenberg, publisher of Racer X/Road Racer X, about his memories of the Hockey Tournaments he and Jake Heilbron of Kona used to put on. At the time Scott was the ad director for Mountain Bike Action. Here’s what he had to say…
“Some great memories about Interbike were the Ice Hockey Tournaments. It started back in 1994 as an idea Jake and I had while talking about our love for hockey and wouldn’t it be fun to have a game. I arranged for the ice time and we had our first game at 6:30 AM at Glacial Gardens Ice Rink in Anaheim, CA back when Interbike was in SoCal. There were 2 teams…Canada vs. the World with about 20 guys total.
“The next few years in Anaheim saw the tournament expanding to four teams and over 60 players with Team Shimano, Team Canada, Team West Coast, and Team East Coast. Easton helped sponsor with aluminum sticks and other great prizes. When Interbike moved to Las Vegas we kept the tournament alive by finding ice at various local rinks in the area. My switch to Racer X magazine in 2000 did not stop my involvement, as there are so many bicycle companies involved in Motocross products.
“The Tournament lasted for 10 years with the final game in 2003. It was a wonderful 10-year run!
“The photo is Team Canada in red and Team USA in White. Ironically the last game we had ended in a tie!”
Does this bring back any memories for anyone? Kozo?
Jun
28
Cycling Celebrities at Interbike
Filed Under Interbike, Interbike's 25th Anniversary, Photos | Leave a Comment
Over the years Interbike occasionally conflicts with some of the race schedules, but when it doesn’t it’s great to have racers there as ambassadors of the sport and the brands they represent. Here’s a post by Graham Tracey of GoClipless.com about meeting his favorite racers at Interbike.
“Interbike 2005 was my first and I have to say it was quite overwhelming (in a good way).
“I have so many favorite memories, but they are a bit of a blur. A bit like trying to remember all of the events of your wedding day if you’ve ever been married. So I culled through the Interbike archives of my blog to try to pick just one. There was the Outdoor Demo and all of the 29ers we rode, the world premier of Unchained, and the after hours Vegas shenanigans.
“But, perhaps the best thing about Interbike is the ability to get up close and personal with your favorite cycling celebrities. So you can imagine what fun it would be to meet and talk with Alison Dunlap, Shonny Vanlandingham, Katerina Hanusova, Kathy Pruitt, and Marla Streb, some of the most famous female mountain bikers. Only at Interbike!
Jun
19
Interbike Celebrates 25 Years!
Filed Under Cycling, Gear, Industry News, Interbike, Interbike's 25th Anniversary, Photos | Leave a Comment
Help Interbike celebrate 25 years as the place to be, see, touch and test the latest cycling innovations from more than 1,000 top brands from around the world. Share your favorite memories of the best or infamous products launched at Interbike, an inspiring moment with a pro racer, memorable conversations with a retailer or exhibitor, ground-breaking advocacy moment, most informative seminar or craziest moment - There are many to be sure.