Live from Las Vegas

Interbike Trade Show, Sands Expo hall, Las Vegas, NV


Ok folks, so I am here, still alive, and have not gone stark raving mad yet. A few panic attacks, but I am surviving! The food here is still mediocre or worse, but at least it is expensive! In fact as far as I can tell, everything here is exspensive. About the only thing that has improved in all my years coming to Vegas for the trade show is the availability of coffee. I actually found a place in the Venetian that serves a decent Cappucino, and they use Illy coffee! Still expensive, but at least I can get a decent cup of coffee!


The big question everyone seems to ask is "what caught your eye, what's really cool?" Well I confess to being rather jaded, and probably am rather hard to impress, but I have found a few things that look good. While not a complete revelation (we have already sold some) the 2007 Campagnolo groups are very nice. Campy has put a lot of effort and though into their 07 product and it shoes. I truly believe the they have the best crankset design on the market today, and it extens from Record all the way to the least expensive Mirage groups!


There may even be hope for those of us in the Pacific NW who want a nice fast road bike, but would like to haver REAL full fenders. A number of bikes are available that have raod geometry and fender clearance. You can bet some of these will make it to the fitting stand at Spoke & Sprocket.


Another great product, that most of you will never see - but will be of a great benefit to our website sales is an upgrade to our Point Of Sales software. Edge Technologies is releasing an integration module that will directly import the shopping cart data for orders from this our website into our POS system. This will greatly speed up our web order processing and allow us to tie in inventory with the website. It will also eliminate the possibilty of input errors!


But, best thing so far? What really caught my eye? Not even for sale - but free from Wheels Manufacturing, stickers that say VEGAS SUCKS move interbike to Colorado! Yeah! You can bet I am displaying mine proudly!




Jim Couch

I'm bound for Lost Wages, NV

Yeah, yeah, I know I said I wasn't going but - I am headed to "sin City" after all. I had planned to skip the Interbike trade show this year, unfortunatly for me it was not to be the case. I am indeed headed off to Las Vegas for the Interbike bicycle trade show. I leave next Tuesday and don't return to civilization until Friday night!


Now I realize that there are folks that actually LIKE going to Vegas, heck some folks even vacation there! I, however, am not one of them! I really do not like the place. I can't stand all the noise, crowdes, cigarette smoke, hookers, advertisements for hookers, expensive bad food, worse coffee, expensive dingy hotel rooms, and the general sleaziness of the place!


Oh and did I mention the airplane ride? Yep - I hate riding in airplanes as well. Stuffed into a tin can with a bunch of grumpy people, really bad food, and even WORSE coffee. top this off with the fact that one has to sit/stand/suffer security scans for 2-3 hours prior to even getting on the accursed plane! Joy oh joy!


Unfortunatly there are a lot of changes going on in the bike industry, and I feel compelled to go. In addition to changes in the Felt bicycle line, Campagnolo has completly revamped it's component line top to bottom. There is also the release of SRAM's first road group. It really is a watershed year for the bike industry. While at Interbike I will be attending technical seminars for both Campagnolo and SRAM as well as looking at a number of new bike models.


As I have time I will update this blog with what I have learned and some of my finds at Interbike. And yes, I probably will continue to whine about having to go.


My friend Max (a psychiatrist) offered to go with me and take care of me while I was there in exchange for a chance to go to the show, unfortunatly my late decision to go precluded his being able to go, so I am on my own. Wish me luck - I'm going to need it!



Jim