Interbike '09 Let it Ride!

Howdy Folks. Sam here. I'm finally taking the time to reflect a little on Interbike '09. Since I got back I've been focusing on the stream on emails, in and out, to and from many of the people I met in Vegas. I knew people would dig our bikes but I wasn't sure how many people would really get it without a lot of the back story from our website of from John or me personally. One of the first people who stopped me as I walked on the floor picked up the frame by the chain stay and pinged the down tube up near the head tube, felt the way the vibration moved through the frame, put on the yummy-face and said something like: 'This is wood?! This must ride reeeealy nice!' From then on I kept meeting people who either got it without explanation or with just a little primmer.

I really enjoyed meeting so many enthusiastic people from the shop floor to the boardroom, designers, press, pros, activists and enthusiasts who found a way in through their buddy's shop.
I had the opportunity to meet some of the most respected and talented folks in the industry who imparted their wisdom, encouragement and good energy to a very receptive recipient.

Here is Bruce Gordon (right) http://www.brucegordoncycles.blogspot.com/ with one of his award winning and utterly gorgeous bicycles sporting wooden rims from Ric Hjertberg at Wheel Fanatyk http://wheelfanatyk.blogspot.com/ .

Joe Breeze was fun to talk to about our micro lamination process in tube lay-up. He really seemed to like the ability we have to tweak performance characteristics in a frame based on the species, thickness and treatment of the woods we use. He also was very generous with his encouragement and his experiences as a designer and builder. Thank you, Joe!

I'm very grateful to the the NBDA and Interbike for putting on the show and to Rich Olken, past president of NBDA, industry pillar and, as we would say back in Eastern Mass, wicked nice guy.

It is still possible in Vegas to get steak dinners and beer for four people for 60 bucks. Of course it is in a small, 'family casino' where a friendly little wooden bike frame can be put in protective custody for fear it could be brandished as a deadly weapon. This very nice security guard has obviously never crashed a carbon frame...

That dinner was with with three very cool and colorful pro mechanics including Merlyn Townley http://www.whereismerlyn.com/ . Stay tuned for more info on Merlyn's custom wheel building venture.

I was great to see see so much of what makes our little part of the globe (New England)so damn fun represented out there. Pedro's has done so much for so long for the sport. One of these days I'll rant at length on the subject of blind spots in risk assessment in small businesses like bike shops and teams letting their mechanics poison themselves on the clock while low and non-toxic alternatives exist and perform really well. Like I said, one of these days...

Jeremy Powers http://www.jeremypowers.missingsaddle.com/ from just around the corner in Easthampton, Mass rocked Cross Vegas by pulling a fourth. I have no pictures because my cow-bell blistered and beer-soaked fingers weren't quick enough. I may get a chance to work with Jeremy a little on my motorbike between stints in North American and European mud. If I do, I'll thank Carl Ditkoff http://www.nebikeconsulting.com/about.html for it. We only had time for an escalator conversation in Las Vegas but he lives about twelve revolutions on da little ring from here in Amherst.

I got to pass around some cards for our first and currently our only Eastern Sylvan Cycles dealer, Norm Flye of Flye Cycles http://www.flyecycles.com/ in Sunderland, Mass. Soon there will be a post on Norm, his support, patience, encouragement and his great shop.

I also got to spend time (never enough) with my dear friends Jannine and Scott Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald's Bicycles http://www.fitzgeraldsbicycles.com/ in Jackson, Wyoming. We are very excited to welcome them as our second and currently our only Western Sylvan Cycles dealer. Fitzy worked it in the Wheelers and Dealers race at Cross Vegas after taking a sightseeing trip through the less photogenic neighborhoods of Las Vegas in his Lycra on the way to the race...on sew-ups. This picture is from after the Wheeler Dealer race but before Katie Compton showed us why she will soon rule the world. Next year I'm told the race will be a family affair. Jannine, I'll hold your cow bell. Norm, eleven months and counting to train for the East-West showdown...

I met a whole bunch of other dealers from shops from Cordoba, Argentina to Fredericton, New Brunswick. It was affirming to see so much interest in a new, innovative product, especially a product made of natural materials. As we add to our dealer base of fun, community oriented shops that offer superior service to performance cyclists of all flavors, I'm sure there will be some faces that will be familiar from Interbike.

There were so many cool, innovative products I don't even know where to begin but the upshot for me was that John and my natural wiring for collaboration continues to find fertile ground in the bike world. This is so much fun!

On the 'what cool stuff did ya get out there' front, high performance wool still rules my world; four seasons. There were lots of great products out there. On my way through the Earth Wind and Rider http://ewnr.com/ booth discussing our forthcoming kit I had the great pleasure of meeting Nan Eastep of B. Spoke Tailor http://bspoketailor.blogspot.com/ . Nan makes some the coolest, most skillfully made and best designed tailored cycling clothing I have ever seen. She is making me some blue plaid western style (smiley pockets with piping and everything!) wool knickers and I am sooooo excited! Telemark and nordic skiing bring me as much joy as anything on Earth and the fact that I will be able to wear these from September to May from biking through skiing and back to biking makes me very happy. Maybe a little classic route climbing and a few cool days on my brother's old sailboat in the Gulf of Maine just for kicks. It may even replace my kilt... Here is Nan with or Cross frame festooned in one of her Lumitweed top tube covers.

Well I suppose that is about it for now. The shop awaits. Time to get dusty.

Or maybe go for a ride...