Tag: Interbike

Interbike Preview: Shoe Maker Has Your Head Covered

Cycling shoe maker Vittoria has for three decades managed to provide some very stylish footwear for riders and for 2013 the company will have rider’s heads covered as well. The company is jumping into the helmet market for 2013 with five models, ranging from $70 to $250 – with the latter being the top end V700.

This features a co-molded design with structural carbon fiber and rear dial closure. With 25 vents riders will likely not get too hot headed either. The helmets will be on hands at next month’s Interbike in Las Vegas and we look forward to seeing them.

Vittoria Shoes Official Websites

BMX Goes Big at Interbike

BMX isn’t going to be left behind at this year’s Interbike, the largest bicycle industry trade show in North America. The show will include several key initiatives that will make the BMX crowd very happy. At this year’s event here will be the special BMX-only product area – the BMX zone, along with new educational seminars and a brand-neutral freestyle history area. Continue reading BMX Goes Big at Interbike

Tour de France Champ to Ride in RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo

This week the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) announced that the RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Pinarello Presented by Vector Media will include a 102-mile century ride in addition to the 17-mile, 75-mile and 122-mile Gran Fondo. The Sept. 22 event, which will take place the day after Interbike concludes will see five-time Tour de France champion and two-time Giro d’Italia winner Miguel Indurain join the ride. Video and course maps after the jump

Interbike 2012: Gran Fondo to be Grand Indeed

Every Interbike is special to us of course, but the 2012 trade show for all things bicycle will see something truly unique as the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has announced that the RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo will again begin on the Las Vegas Strip and century riders will have the opportunity to ride over the Hoover Dam, and the event will take place on Saturday, September 22, the day after the Interbike Trade Show ends at the Sands Expo Center.

“We look forward to offering riders a unique and exciting ride from the famous Las Vegas Strip to the iconic Hoover Dam in this year’s RTC Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo,” said Jacob Snow, RTC general manager in a statement. “We are proud to welcome cyclists from across the country and around the world to Las Vegas every year to ride in Viva Bike Vegas. This year, we are especially pleased to partner with Interbike and invite its exhibitors and attendees to join us for our fifth annual event.”

All riders will again have the unique opportunity to begin their ride under the bright lights of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. The RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo will feature three spectacular routes – 118, 72, and 17-mile courses – for cyclists of all skill levels taking riders from the Las Vegas Strip to the vistas of the Red Rock

Rider registration for the RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo is available online now, and proceeds from Viva Bike Vegas will again benefit local charities.

Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo Official Website
Interbike Official Website

Hands On: Bollé Tempest with Modulator Lenses

Click image for a closer view

Since the early 1990s, I have been an avid user of the Oakley Mumbo and M-frames with the Sweep lenses for all forms of cycling. They have protected my eyes from tree branches, sun, snow, mud, rocks, flying insects and anything else thrown my way. I never ride without them. They fit my head well and provide excellent coverage keeping the wind out of my eyes during fast descents. I have tried many other types of glasses and yet I keep grabbing my M-frames every time I ride… until now.

At Interbike this year, there were numerous eyewear companies and a number showing off photochromic lenses. Photochromic lenses darken when exposed to ultraviolet rays (UV) and fade back to lighter tint in low light areas or indoors. Shortly after the show, I received a pair of the Bollé Tempest glasses with their version of a photochromic lens, the Modulator, to try myself.

Continue reading Hands On: Bollé Tempest with Modulator Lenses

Hands On: Rock and Roll Trainer First Impressions

At last month’s Interbike we saw a number of products that were designed to help riders train through the winter season. These trainers came in a many varieties including stationary bikes, rollers and the basic rear-wheel trainer. The latter category has plenty of basic devices, a few even seem quite similar, but one in particular caught our eye at the show – the Kinetic Rock and Roll by Kurt. At first glance this trainer resembles the basic rear-wheel configuration where the back end of the bike is attached by clamps while the rear wheel is allowed to spin freely, rolling against metal drum that is attached to a resistance device, but the Kinetic Rock and Roll has more to offer.

It is a simple device, and has the benefit of being easy to transport, easy to store and easy to set up. Unlike a stationary bike it is compact, and lets users actually ride their own bike. Rear-wheel trainers tend not to offer the road-like feel that rollers provide, but unlike rollers there is virtually no chance of riding off of a rear-wheel trainer. This style of trainer is good in that it allows riders to mount their own bike easily and has the resistance device that rollers often lack, but a rear-wheel trainer does not have the road-like feel of rollers (especially while out of the saddle) or allow the rider to have the opportunity to ‘train’ their bike handling skills while getting a workout. Continue reading Hands On: Rock and Roll Trainer First Impressions

Hands On: Surly Moonlander

The leaves are changing colors and the days are becoming shorter; this means that winter is not too far behind and neither is the prospect of snow. For some cyclists this means hanging up the bikes for the winter and doing the grind at the gym. For those who want to brave the elements, there is another option – the Surly Moonlander.

Continue reading Hands On: Surly Moonlander

Interbike Partners With RTC For 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo

Don’t plan on flying home at the end of Interbike next year. For the 31st annual bicycle trade show you might want to stay the weekend and line up a bike to ride. Interbike’s organizers has announced that the trade show will partner next year with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) to bring more bicycle industry participation, in the form of sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, to the RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo.

The 2012 edition of Interbike will be held September 17-21, and the RTC 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo will take place immediately following the show on Saturday, Sept. 22. Continue reading Interbike Partners With RTC For 2012 Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo

Interbike 2011: Kinetic Exhibitors

At Interbike this year, we at KineticShift.com couldn’t help but notice all the exhibitors with “Kinetic” in the name.

Kinetic by Kurt makes indoor trainers for your bike so you can keep pedaling through the winter. Kinetic’s Rock and Roll model takes some of the tedium out of the stationary bike conundrum by allowing for the bike to move or rock from side to side. It’s set up like any other trainer that connects to your rear wheel. Where the Rock and Roll differs, however, is that most trainers keep your bike stationary and unmovable. The Rock and Roll rocks your bike from side to side as you pedal. A Turntable Riser Ring holds your front wheel and lets you turn the bike as if you’re steering around a curve.

Since both wheels remain on the bike, expect your tires to get a certain amount of wear from a season on the trainer. More accurately, expect your tires to get a wear spot or bald spot from where the front tire sits, and the rear tire will get wear from friction where the tire rubs on the trainer. Because of this Kinetic by Kurt recommends using Trainer Tires. These indoor trainer tires are from Kinetic by Kenda.

Video after the jump: Continue reading Interbike 2011: Kinetic Exhibitors

Interbike 2011: Tern Folding Bicycle

Enid Burns of KineticShift talks to Joshua Hon VP of Tern Bicycles about the features of their Eclipse model. This folding bicycle has a unique dynamo hub switch that allows the rider to turn off electric power production. The bicycle also has other characteristics to fit an urban life. The stem height and reach can be adjusted by hand in about 2 seconds while the entire bike can be folded and bagged up for storage in around 15 seconds. It also sports a peculiar chain cover that will shield your body and clothing from grease.

Tern Bicycles Official Website

Interbike 2011: SRAM’s pART PROJECT

What might appear to be a waste of perfectly good bike parts, the SRAM pART PROJECT was a challenge given to 50 artists to create something out of 100 brand new components. Their results were on display at this year’s Interbike where they were judged before being shipped to a galley in Chicago to be put on display in October where additional judging will occur. After both exhibitions are complete, all of the pieces will be auctioned off online.

This is not some sort of snooty artist affair with champagne and caviar – this is art with a purpose. After all of the shows and auctioning of the pieces is complete, the proceeds will go to the World Bicycle Relief.  This non-profit organization was created in 2005 by the SRAM Corporation and with additional support from other leaders in the bicycle industry, the World Bicycle Relief helps people in third world countries through the use of bicycles.

Video after the jump

Continue reading Interbike 2011: SRAM’s pART PROJECT

Interbike 2011: 29ers Worth Riding

With so many manufacturers offering 29er hardtail mountain bikes, it can be difficult to pick one that is right for you. Just as demo days that many companies host around the country for the public, the Interbike OutDoor Demo, that occurs each year before the Interbike tradeshow, allows individuals involved in the bike industry to test the newest and latest rides on the market. Not all manufactures are present, but most of the major players are there alongside the little guys offering a fleet of bikes to ride on the trails of Bootleg Canyon outside of Boulder City, Nevada. Having had a chance to test numerous bikes, 29er hardtails were this writer’s choice to put trough the loops of loose, dry and rocky trails of Bootleg Canyon. Before you lay down your hard earned cash on a hardtail 29er, give any of these bikes a spin. Continue reading Interbike 2011: 29ers Worth Riding