Interbike 2008

Interbike and its sister whoop-it-up event Outdoor Demo open this week in Las Vegas. This could just as easily be called "Boys and Their Toys" as the crowd of mostly men swoop down on the Sands Convention Center and Bootleg Canyon to froth over the latest and greatest the bike industry has to offer. There are always a couple of things to expect every year.

• Move Interbike: Interbike has a contract with the Sands through the 2009 show. But there is growing interest in packing up the truck and hauling the carnival to Anaheim, Salt Lake City or, more possibly, Denver. Las Vegas simply does not represent the culture of modern cycling, critics contend. But looking around "The Show," as it is known, one could get the idea that boozy nights (free beer from vendors jump starts most nights) on The Strip is more in line than Micky Mouse or mountain highs.
  
  
• New Products + Vendors: One major point of the show is to reveal new products to a mass audience. A dizzying array of vendors sets up every year, so much so that it's easy to get lost. At the end of the day, it's tough to leave with little more than a glazed-over appearance.
  
  
• Education: Believe it or not, some learning does happen in Vegas. Interbike always includes plenty of seminars that are actually helpful and informative to store owners and managers and down the road customers. Store mechanics sign up for technical demonstrations and instruction while owners and managers try to figure out smoother ways to operate.
  
  
• Italian Stallion: Ciclismo Italiano (i.e. the Italian manufacturers section) will have the best dressed, most sophisticated area of the show. Dark suits, bright pink and orange neckties and sleek black cocktail dresses provide the highest standard at The Show.
  
  
• Down + Dirty: Its' the same thing every year. Day 1: Going ga-ga for new stuff. Day 2: Getting down and dirty with vendor meetings and preseason orders. This is the year's beginning and the end for most bicycle retailers.
  
  

If you just can't get enough, check out Interbike or Twitter: Interbike 2008.

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