Ok, ok, ok...before we can get on with this year's booth babe contest (the Vish swears it is coming this week) it is time to crown the winner of last year's contest.
J-Vicious searched high and low across the vast expanse that is the Interbike expo hall in search of the beautiful babe that you - fine GC readers - selected as the most deserving of the crown for 2005
And the winner is...
Right here!! Vish returns to crown the 2005 Interbike Booth Babe and tell of his copious quest for new rides. But before I get to the tales of the Vish, I'm excited to present the first of many Clippy awards and announce to the world which Babe of Babes gets the pleasure of topping my podium.
Who says GC has no shame? I've seen plenty of sites who flout and flaunt their pictures of Booth Babes, especially at gamer and geek conventions....go figure. Or maybe they're just flouting our babes for their girl-at-the-booth-next-door look. Sorry you guys have such high standards, but we are just average bikers and would be psyched if the homeliest, cross-eyed babe in our collection came out and rode with us - in a sweater. After all, not every biker chick can look like Ms. Vanlandingham.
Here's an interesting twist on the contest idea, although in pure geek style, it plays more on poking fun at the fellow 40-year-old virgin than it does the hot babe in bed next to him. MTBReview almost came close with its 2003 Quick Poll. Too bad there were only seven to choose from...and one of those sounds like a guy team. Well, all mountain bikers must be alike, since we at GC also had a small percentage of men and mannequins in our contest. Or maybe we just have a muddy (read: dirty) sense of humor. Either way, our very own editor, G-man, scored just behind the mannequin but still in the top 40% when the votes were tallied and the babes crowned. Way to go, G - you're one hot bitch!!
OK, enough talk....on to the Booth Babes....
The clock is a-tickin', so If you haven't voted for your favorite Booth Babe do it soon. Polling will be open for one more day and officially end at COB tomorrow. It's a close race between the leaders and any last minute votes may be enough to push your loveliest pick into the top spot. Read on for the current results....
OK, here it is....the first Unclipped Booth Babe, Holly. This is your chance to get to know a little about some of the girls aside from their pictures. As if they weren't already hot enough, getting to know these girls a bit more personally will surely tip the scales and bring out the true votes. And now, without further verbosity, I give you, Holly.....
Talk about cool, Holly couldn't wait to spread out on the table for some fun shots. By far one of the most creative and exciting shoots of the day. She also makes super cool jewlery!! Check it out at www.laughingmango.com. 
Order soon so it can be shipped in time for xmas...or Valentine's Day. 
Then go vote for her.
After months of hoarding these pictures for our personal viewing pleasure, we have finally decided to release them to the world. We will not be responsible for any damages whatsoever (real or imagined) resulting from your viewing of or fantasizing about the Interbike Booth Babes.
Late but still lovely.
When I first agreed to this assignment, I had no idea that it would literally consume all of my time at Interbike. Time I could have spent checking out bikes and products; Time I could have spent scavenging for the next tapped keg or Angela Sucich and her tequila party; Time I could have been chasing the turtle.
If you weren't approached by the Go Clipless Interbike Booth Babe Patrol (IBBP), there's always next year. Be on the lookout for Go Clipless in '06.
To kick off a long weekend with the in-laws, we present you with an alternative....VOTE!!
View the full booth babe photo shoot.
While at Interbike, I spent some time talking to Chris Matthews of Specialized's Global Marketing division. This is one innovative company! Chris told me about Specialized's new carbon fiber frame building technology/technique called Az1 and described the design behind the new line of cycling specific eyewear. We also learned first hand about the benefits of Specialized's Body Geometry design for cycling shoes at the Outdoor Demo. (More about the eyewear and shoes in subsequent posts).
The S-Works division at Specialized is "where goals like lighter and faster are pursued without regard to effort, expense, or tradition." While you may see the S-Works name on frames or components across various product lines, it is only reserved for the most innovative of products in that particular line. This cross-functional R&D team has been hard at work doing amazing things with carbon fiber across both it's 2006 road and mountain bike lines.
With so much attention being afforded to the Surly Pugsley at Interbike, many may have overlooked their other new frame for '06; the Surly Conundrum. This unicycle is built to use the same Large Marge rims as the Pugsley and is compatible with both 24 and 26 inch tires. The Conundrum will be available in late winter or early spring of 2006.
Well, it looks like Adidas will have it's chance on the trail after all. My first stop at the Interbike Expo was the Adidas-Mavic booth to slip on a pair of their newest XC Race mountain shoes. The very first shipment of these shoes just arrived to the warehouse last week, so I was totally juiced to be one of the first consumers to wrap my Adidas-loving feet inside these pedi-shells.
Lots of cool bags on display at Interbike.
Oakley is no longer just a sunglass maker. One look around their massive booth showed a range of products from luggage, to sandals, and jackets. Here's a look at their new collection of "lifestyle" bags. At first it looked like most of the features were simply for show, however, upon further examination it became clear that many of them were useful. For example, on one bag there is a small hard case compartment to house an iPod or cell phone and keep it protected. Another bag had specially made straps to carry a skateboard.
Nothing specifically made for cyclists, but if you are active in a range of sports or need a nice bag for commuting on your bike you should check these out.
Check out these tires from Sweetskinz. They call them "retroflective." These things look really cool, but the tire treads are rather simplistic. New tread designs are coming soon, however. Match these up with some Dirty Dog rotors and you've got yourself one kickin' ride!
OnGuard Locks claim to be bigger and badder than all of the other guys. Here's a look at their new product line up for 2006. Highlights include a new set of locking wheel and seat quick release skewers. Great for urban cyclists that aren't just riding around on an old beater bike.
Last night we were invited to the world premiere of Unchained, a movie about freeriding (more on this in a minute). The film was to be unveiled at Rain, a night club in the Palms Hotel.
The question: what do you wear to a mountain bike movie premiere held at a club?
An occasional club-goer myself, I had packed several club specific outfits, however, J Vic did not. Mind you, packing for this kind of a trip isn't easy. Six days and five nights is a long trip for packing in the first place, but throw in the various activities we had planned and you get exponential growth in terms of clothing required. We packed clothes for riding, bumming clothes to change into after the ride, clothes to attend the indoor expo, and clothes to go out in at night. What a pain in the ass! Anyway, to make a long-story short, I had an extra club shirt and lent it to J. But, his trail running shoes would have to make do.
We hopped in a cab and made it to Rain by about 9:40pm, with the premiere scheduled to begin at 10. Perfect timing. The place was already packed, but the crowd was navigable. We decided to forgo the usual beers and went for some drinks instead; vodka and club soda for me, gin and tonic for the Vish.
The boys at Go Clipless got a slow start on day two of the Outdoor Demo. Day one in the desert followed by the doubleheader - at Pearl Bros, then the Dust-Off - tucked us away soon after returning to the Go Clipless Mobile HQ. We spent the morning of day two catching up on posts and ultimately not getting to the gunfight until high-noon. Immediately upon arriving at Bootleg Canyon, the onslaught of bikers pedaling to-and-fro made day one look like a whiskeyless saloon.
Being a risk taker, the J Vic barefooted it to the Canyon in hopes of testing a pair of the Specalized S-works shoes. Although the Pearl Izumi "blue shoes" from the day before were size 42.5, I had to go up to a 44 in the Specialized to get the same fit. But, oh, what a glorious fit it was. Just as Gman touts the comfort of the Specialized as feeling like you aren't even wearing a shoe, these kicks lived up to his claims. The Dynamic Fit System works along the same lines as my Solomon XCR trail running shoes, which tightens the entire cable lacing system with one tug, however, Specialized takes this one step further with a unique Boa ratcheting system. The result, a shoe that conforms snugly to each individual foot like traditional laces, without the loosening-over-time effect. To further increase individual comfort, the Body Geometry Technology footbed provides (among other features) a metatarsal button, a small raised "knob" in the middle of the sole that basically acts like a personal accupressurist/reflexologist in your shoe.
I still want to pedal a few strokes in the new Adidas shoes since their running shoes fit me like a glove, but, unfortunately, their booth was not providing demo's of their products. Did I mention that we're reporting to you from the OUTDOOR DEMO? I'm told that their booth at the conference will have sizes to try on...exactly what I was looking for, sampling a mountain bike shoe on a concrete floor. I'm sure that will give me good idea how they perform on a clipless pedal.
Before I get to the bikes, I gotta give creative props to those cats over at Dirty Dog MTB 
and their unique rotors for a personalized disc look. They've currently got about half a dozen designs and are working on refining a few more for next year. One of the newest styles to make its debut at Interbike 2005 is the Ace of Spades...totally Vegas, baby!!
Amazingly, we managed to ride just as many bikes today, with twice as many people in attendance and in half the time. Read on for a quick rundown of our impressions and the rodeo finale, where J Vic validates His Viciousness.
They call themselves chicks, but these women of mountain biking represent their sport well. Every time we turned around one of the chicks was working the booth of one of their sponsors. Got to hand it to these ladies that have it all going on...mad mountain bike skills, great business savvy, and their hot!
It was fun talking to (in order from left to right) Alison Dunlap, Shonny Vanlandingham, Katerina Hanusova, Kathy Pruitt, and Marla Streb. Marla even checked out Go Clipless on her Treo 650. Let us know what you think Luna Chix!
Want to brake with style? Try these dirty dog rotors on for size. For the last nine months Dirty Dog MTB has been on a mission to make components with "the performance you expect but look better than anything else out there."
Dirty Dog MTB claims their rotors are as strong as any of the 
competition and are made of a special stainless steel. Four designs were prominently displayed including the tadpole, ace of spades, gecko, and skull. Sure they cost a little more (around $65), but hey, why not? Be different.
The Salsa Dos Niner seems to be one of the more popular 29ers on the market today - and it's easy to see why. This bike is well balanced, climbs like a champ, and provides just the right amount of rear cushion for the pushin' when it's needed.
The bikes rear triangle is uniquely designed with flat chain stays that flex under pressure. When combined with the Salsa Relish Air Shock it yields one inch of travel to flatten out some of the bumps.
The only complaint I have - and it's a question of taste - is that the color and graphics are a little 
overbearing. For some reason the green does not fully show off the unique shape of the rear triangle. Also, the graphics seem like they are blurry (no it is not the resolution of the camera - see Salsa's photo for comparison.)
This sub five pound scandium frame gets some slight, but necessary upgrades for 2006. Salsa made the rear seat stay yoke wider to permit larger width tires. In addition, the top tube has been angled lower along the seat tube to create additional stand-over clearance.
One interesting side note: We learned that both Salsa and Surly are owned by the same company, Quality Bicycle Products (QBP). QBP is a well known bicycle parts distributor and is located in Minnesota. Evidently all of the different divisions of the parent company are housed in the same building. Pretty nice marketing job if you ask me, since the only thing that appears in common between these brands is the street address.
Anyway, the Salsa Dos Niner is a worthy ride and if the price comes down (just over $1000 for the frame) and more paint options become available, may just find a home in the Go Clipless stable.
The Ventana El Capitan is one of a handful of full suspension 29ers in this emerging segment of the market. With four inches of rear travel this was one plush ride. For me, however, the problem was that I just could not feel the trail. The combination of 29" wheels and full suspension means there is essentially nothing left for the rider to do. It feels a bit like sex with a double-wrapped condom if you know what I mean.
Still, Ventana should be commended for daring to go where few have gone so far. The suspension design is good and does not feel spongy. In addition, the frame is stiff and strong although we both thought it was a bit unbalanced. I'm sure this bike will get better with future versions.
The Niner One 9 was the first 29er either of us had ever ridden to this point. Not only that, but it was also the first time either of us had ridden a single speed. Having said that, this was a good bike on which to start because of it's pure and simple design.
Before heading out we talked with Chris Sugai, Niners founder, about the growth in popularity of 29ers. Chris compared the debate on the efficacy of 29ers to previous points of change in the mountain bike industry. "It's a little like the days when guys argued about the need for suspension or disc brakes. The industry is slow to change. There's no argument anymore, just preferences. That's how it will be for 29ers," explained Chris.
We headed to the trail head and immediately noticed the efficiency of the bike. Two things were obvious from the start. First, we were not washing out in the thick sand on the long slow climb to the trail head, and second, we were going much faster up the hill then most others.
Once on the trail it didn't take long to notice the rolling benefits of the 29er. The One 9 cornered nicely and had excellent acceleration.
While mashing up a hill, my foot suddenly lurched forward as a loud clunk...chiiing... echoed through
the canyon. The chain ring was completely taco'ed and had separated from the crank arms forcing me to hike the bike cyclo-cross style back to the start. We learned later that the aluminum bolts were sheered in half by the force of my pedaling. Niner replaced them with steel bolts for added strength. Not sure if this is how it's spec'ed normally, but you may want to check first before buying.
The bike has several nice touches including a stainless steel head badge that is screwed, not glued to the frame and a reminder on the top tube to "pedal, damn it."
One of the goals for Interbike was to go out of the comfort zone and try some new stuff. Let's face it, unless you know a ton of people with your same shape and size it's not so easy to experiment. So we decided that we'd check out some 29ers and some singlespeeding to boot.
The boutique brands of cycling are at the forefront of 29er development and with few exceptions are leaving the big brands behind in the race to catch this wave in the cycling industry.
For those that don't know much about the 29 inch wheeled mountain bike craze, allow me to explain. Better yet, Lennard Zinn, the zen god of all that is bicycling maintenance explains it far better than I. I'll simply summarize.
The good:
The not as good:
This being the first time either J or I have ridden a 29er we are hardly ones to judge after only two days of riding. Still we rode with an open mind and heeded the words of Guitar Ted as we learned the skill of the big wheel.
All good mountain bikers should have a 29er in their stable.
We rode 29ers made from aluminum, scandium, and titanium...full sussers and hardtails. Anyway you slice it the 29er is here to stay. Watch for our impressions of bikes from Salsa, Moots, Niner, and Ventana.
Our very first Interbike Outdoor Demo left us dusty, drained and drunk. As we started our hike up the hill towards the venue, we were handed the first of many freebee's - SportLegs (with calcium). Just like a tall glass of cold milk, these little pills claim to boost performance by "taming lactic acid burn". We're not sure how it works, but the ladies agree, you'll go longer and harder. It gets Marla Streb, Willow Koerber and Gale Dahlager to the finish line.
Our second stop was at flybar to demo this cool contraption, which is basically a handlebar with bounce. For more info, check out Gman's article, "A bike with no wheels?".
Finally, the part you've all been waitung for.....[drum roll, please] the Interbike 2005 Outdoor Demo......
Whew...this working media thing is exhausting. Must say that it is all a little overwhelming. Nevertheless we take our responsibilities seriously around here. So we aren't just slapping some shit up just to say we did it. We need to take our time and become one with the posts. Tons of great ideas just spewing forth, but we must go ride again. Be back tonight with some good stuff for you and a complete round up of OutDoor Demo.
This is what the real working media looks like!!!
We hopped off the OutDoor Demo shuttle overwhelmed with options. Here we are at the base of a canyon in the desert with nothing but sweet singletrack all around. We headed up the main road toward the out door booths to see what damage we could do for the day. As we walked up the road there were a few dinky little stands and we thought "is this it?"
We walked by one stand after the other...road bikes...no....road bikes...no....Flybar...hey what's that?! Freestyle pogo sticking at its finest.
This ain't your father's pogo stick. If you are good you can get six or seven feet of air with this baby. Check out the video from the Flybar Web site to get an idea of what can be done with this bar-wonder.
Here's J-Vic with all of about 6 inches of air...
Actually he started to get the hang of it after a few minutes. "It's all in the timing...just wait for the bottom-out," says J.
The innards of this amazing stick is loaded with a special 
elastomer and must be tuned to the weight of your body. Just keep engaging or disengaging the elastomers until it feels just right.
Extreme pogo sticking...the next great Olympic sport!
Gman and J Vic dressed for the occasion - our goal, the Bikini Beach Party at Rio. We donned our best beach attire and headed for the dunes. Our journey started as a hike to the Sands Convention Center - consider this the trail-head. From the Sands(aka Venetian), we learned that it was a-OK to purchase ice-cold, frothy beverages and cruise the Strip....on foot. After careful planning, we found ourselves at Coyote Ugly, where the show is worth the price of a Bud. Need proof?
Could this possibly get old? Actually, by 10pm, yes - we decided to continue our quest for the beach club. Flip-flopping our way down the Strip, we somehow managed to flag a cab for a ride to Rio. After arriving at the classy, group-size revolving door, we proceeded to find our way to the entrance of Bikini's and the sign reading "Proper attire required". Perfect!! I knew we wore our sandals for a reason. But then our innocence was squashed as the bouncer barked that sandals and flips were not allowed...we needed close-toed shoes.
"So, what size do you wear?", we inquired.
Vegas airport is a zoo. You are looking at the taxi line...longer than the security line at Dulles airport. At least we got to talk to the honey in green for twenty minutes...mmm...mmm.
Hey - move it lady!
On the way to vegas preparing our show itinerary. Of course with the requisite bloody mary...hey where's the change?!
In about 24 hours I'll be riding this luscious little trail in Boulder City, Nevada! And, I'll be doing it on nearly any bike I want at the Interbike OutDoor Demo (jealous? ha ha!). Bootleg Canyon looks like a spectacular set of trails that will be unlike the east coast riding that I do. (Although, without rain here in the D.C. area for several weeks the trails have become very desert like.)
Grabbed this photo from BikeRag to give you a flavor for the 
trail. Check out the way this singletrack just carves along the side of the mountain.
Bootleg Canyon is a mountain bike park. It has more than 30 miles of trail and is designated as an epic ride by IMBA.
I can't wait! Gotta go...off to the airport...my next set of posts will be from Vegas.
Finally wrapped up all of the logistics and J-Vicious and I are heading to Interbike. Yeah...I'm 
obsessed...I know. But...hey...I've got a ton of frequent flyer miles and hotel points and its a trip to Vegas. This is of course the first time either of us have attended this show so we're not exactly sure what to expect. Here's the itinerary so far:
The plan is to post up as much as we can about the latest and greatest in the industry live from the show. I've been testing the moblogging features of TypePad (the blog service I use) along with my Palm Treo and it works pretty well. We'll take lots of notes and get some more in depth stuff up on the site either in the evenings (in between partying) or upon our return.
Meanwhile, let us know if you are attending and how we might meet up with you while at the show. Also, if there are any Interbike veterans out there with advice for a couple of first-timers please share!
Editors: An End Has a Start
Too new to review.
Bat for Lashes: Fur & Gold
Too new to review.
The Chemical Brothers: We Are the Night
Like the electronica I made in the basement, but better. (***)
Interpol: Our Love to Admire
Hit the trifecta... (****)
ATB: Trilogy
ATB meets Til Tuesday. More vocals than Trance. (***)
LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver
Slow 70s groove, with a mix of 80s synth. (****)
The Frames: The Cost
Slow folk, nothing earth shattering. (**)
Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Save me from the banal shit that's out right now. (*****)
Aberdeen City: The Freezing Atlantic
Listenable, but not powerful enough. (***)
Heartless Bastards: All This Time
Modern day Janis Joplin. (***)
Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere
Funkadelic mo-shizzle (****)
Lily Allen: Alright Still
Cockney punk princess has bike and attitude. (****)
Miss Kittin: Live at Sonar
Purring with an 80's electro sexual energy (****)
Angels and Airwaves: We Don't Need to Whisper
Blink 182 but better (****)
The Streets: The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
More of the same. Two Nations stands out. (***)
Dan Waxman: Ultra Electro
Remixes of old faves...New Order, Depeche, Daft Punk...just ok. (***)
Snow Patrol: Eyes Open
Rich album that builds on the first. Great sophomore effort. (****)
Editors: Back Room
Maybe better then Interpol (*****)
Morrissey: Ringleader Of The Tormentors
Truly disappointing. (**)
De/Vision: Subkutan
Depeche Mode with and industrial dance edge (****)
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