Just off the plane and quickly reviewing the Interbike show that ended last night. Here are my top 4 things from Interbike.
Often the best things about Interbike are not in the big fancy booths from the big players in the business, but in booths off in some dark corner of the show( like the first two below) and often the things that are really happening in the business are not all about some flash new gadget or product. Here’s a short list of things of that nature that were on my radar screen at Interbike. Granted I barely got out of the Nineteen wetsuit booth at all we were so busy there, so this is not a thorough review in any way.
A new bike travel box from - http://www.biknd.com A total re-thinking of a bike travel box. Perhaps the perfect solution.
Graham Fraser finally announced what he will be doing, with his free time now that he is not putting on 6 Ironman races a year - http://www.centurioncycling.com/ - This may change dramatically the way we look at bike road riding and racing in North America. BIG potential and a very exciting development.
Cervelo was not on the floor of the show, but they threw a great party after the show on Thursday where many of the key people in the Tri business and the road bike business where on hand. Great discussion, talk and of course an open bar, and some nice schwag! Thank you Cervelo!
I have to admit, I’m not sure I understand all the hoola around the Metrigear pedals. The price-point is certainly attractive, but other than that I’m not sure what they offer vs. other power meters currently on the market.
Think of it from the perspective of the normal person (like me)… they’re cheap (from what you’ve indicated), go on any bike quite easily, and don’t force you to build a wheel around them… that’s what makes them attractive to me!
The hoopla is that it will probably sell very well to cyclists not sure if they want to make the leap to power, I would think.
Think of it from the perspective of the normal person (like me)… they’re cheap (from what you’ve indicated), go on any bike quite easily, and don’t force you to build a wheel around them… that’s what makes them attractive to me!
True, but they do force you (for now, anyway) to use Speedplay pedals…so there is still some compromise involved.
(Personally I think the crank is the best place for a powermeter, since 1) as far as I am concerned a crank is a crank is a crank, and 2) it is easier than ever to move a crank from one bike to another…but the current crank-based powermeters, i.e., SRM and Quarq, do tend to cost a bit more.)
I like speedplays, so for me its a good system, but I’m surprised by the hoopla. The only major improvement is the possibility of getting separate readings for each leg. Not sure if that matters but it may. Other than that its small, reasonably priced and easily moved from bike to bike.
Cranks are somewhat more difficult (not the moving, its just that I use 4 or 5 bikes and they all have different cranks. I’d have to switch BB to a common system. Not a big deal, harder than pedals.
I thought Graham was still the race director for IMLP, IMW, IMFL, & IMCDA?
The WTC bought back from Graham and North American Sports the Management rights to those events. The only Ironman race that Graham has any direct involvement with now is with IMC - Ironically the first IM race that he started running back in the mid 90’s and the one that really was the template for the development of all the other IM races that he put on the map over the next 15 years.
The Centurion events hold a lot of promise and are an exciting development. I will be at the first one in Boulder in June of next year and plan on doing the hundred mile event.
“I’m not a business insider, but isn’t it very odd that Cervelo is not on the floor?”
you don’t have to be a business insider, just a reader of the articles on the slowtwitch front page
as reported before the show, neither giant, cannondale, felt, nor trek had a display booth on the showroom floor either. the bike business has split into two categories: bike makers, who have to settle on their dealers and take their orders in june and july, and accessory makers who can delay placing orders with their suppliers until later in the year. interbike is still situated well for most of the bike industry, but not for large bike companies, who bring their dealers in during the summer to see the subsequent year’s line. dealers are selected, and orders placed, well before interbike, making interbike for them a big expense for little gain.
but interbike worked well for some other companies, notably focus, a german brand entering the U.S. market. those manufacturers who did display had the field to themselves.
I thought Graham was still the race director for IMLP, IMW, IMFL, & IMCDA?
The WTC bought back from Graham and North American Sports the Management rights to those events. The only Ironman race that Graham has any direct involvement with now is with IMC - Ironically the first IM race that he started running back in the mid 90’s and the one that really was the template for the development of all the other IM races that he put on the map over the next 15 years.
The Centurion events hold a lot of promise and are an exciting development. I will be at the first one in Boulder in June of next year and plan on doing the hundred mile event.
I knew this, but I thought that NAS was still going to put on these events for WTC.
but interbike worked well for some other companies, notably focus, a german brand entering the U.S. market. those manufacturers who did display had the field to themselves.
Dan,
Indeed!
Many seemed to be making a lot of who was not there. For many companies, Nineteen included, a trade show like Interbike still does what it was originally set up to do - get buyers and sellers together under one roof, at one time, with the added bonus of having many other key industry people( media, marketing etc . .) all there as well. All good from our experience.
Graham really needs to bring these events out to the west coast of Canada. I think having an event like this in Late May or Early June on the Ironman Canada race course would be a fantastic idea especially for him being involved in Ironman Canada.You could offer three distances. One for the full course, one without the out and back and you could use the back road to do a lot shorter version. Maybe a discount for people doing Ironman Canada as well. Also maybe doing one out in the Fraser (yes it would be named after him) Valley just outside of Vancouver. There are so many open roads out there to do a ride like this and it would be the perfect location.
I will help organize the Fraser Valley ride with him for sure.
the bike case looks particularly interesting if you’re transporting a bike one-way in a round trip since you can fold it up for the none bike leg. Still waiting for the bike base that gets passed the airline check desk without payment though…
Interesting new idea for a PM. My wonder is whether adding weight to the end of a crank has some pros/cons? My poor physics tells me slow to accelerate but a benefit of momentum once up to cadence? If my assumptions are correct then i see it better for TTing than road race type situations?!
Very convenient for swapping between bikes though!
“a trade show like Interbike still does what it was originally set up to do - get buyers and sellers together under one roof, at one time”
yes, i wonder how many trips a bike buyer needs to make these days? trek, specialized, cervelo, interbike, and where else? QBP? how many times do dealers have to get on a plane? of course, the larger dealers get their ways paid, and many of them like to get on the plane. it’s obvious the trade show concept, as regards the bike industry, is being rethought on this continent by a lot of companies. after all these pre-interbike trips, when dealers attend interbike, how much of their open-to-buy remains available?
if i were, say, FSA, or 3T, or blueseventy, or hincapie, i’d be tempted to sidle up to a brand like cervelo and pay some of those expenses and be a part of the cervelo “trade show.” specialized, that would be harder, since that brand makes so much stuff. it’ll be interesting to see what brands do to position themselves.
the bike case looks particularly interesting if you’re transporting a bike one-way in a round trip since you can fold it up for the none bike leg.
Or traveling with two people and bike cases and now all of a sudden, a standard sedan rental car does not work. With this bag, you have some options and flexibility.
A break-through product that may revolutionize Power Metering on the bike - http://www.metrigear.com/products/
I have to admit, I’m not sure I understand all the hoola around the Metrigear pedals. The price-point is certainly attractive, but other than that I’m not sure what they offer vs. other power meters currently on the market.
Having played around with them at the booth and participated in a somewhat spirited “nerd-fest/brainstorming session” at the time, I think you might be overlooking some alternative applications for the Vector pedals (assuming that they pull it off) aside from just measuring pedaling power
