Interbyke

I came pretty close to making the journey to Vegas this year, but due to monetary issues and some advice on job soliciting, I stayed home. Alas, the glut of online content has kept me updated on what I’ve missed. My friend Jay from BMXfeed kept on top of things, and sites like ESPN and The Come Up came through with slightly clearer pics of the glitz and glamour of the annual industry clusterfuck. As always, there are some parts to praise, and others to piss on. If you want legit product reviews, check out my new favorite site, BMX-Tec. Here are some “reviews”:

While Volume’s BMX sales might not be as strong as their barspin-friendly fixed freestyle forks, their new frame is pretty sweet. Rob Wise has been killing it since his flow part in S&M’s “Please Kill Me”, and his most recent web video is beyond mind-blowing. His new frame has a clever name (Rob’s Zombie), adult-sized geometry, and removable brake mounts on both seat AND chainstays. Not nearly enough frames these days are coming out with CS brakes (it’s pretty simple to make the mounts low enough for 25-9 gearing to work, and how many trail riders run that gearing, anyway?), and the fact that this frame has options for 3 brake setups is fairly unique, although not exactly revolutionary. Anyone remember the Hoffman EP?

Sunday’s booth had a bunch of new stuff to show off. I’d heard rumors of Sunday completes, and those rumors proved to be fact. All the bikes have the wave downtube; I don’t know if wrinkling a (presumed) high-tensile tube will prove it to be stronger, but it certainly resembles their aftermarket frame, so I’m sure little kids will be into them. Also part of the fold was a cruiser complete, retailing around $500. While not completely chromoly, I’ve been interested in the Model C since it’s inception, and plan on keeping my wallet in check by picking one of these up once they're off the boat.

My one complaint, however, is the new 3^rd Wave frame. After photos of Jake Seeley’s prototype leaked onto the web a few months ago, riders began questioning whether or not the new top-tube would be beneficial. Granted, the wave tube is certainly more dent-resistant, and therefore stronger, but is it necessary? Doubtful. Not only is the top of the tube creased, there is a new bend underneath, allowing the brake cable to be more or less hidden. This addition is without a doubt the most unnecessary change to the frame; how many riders are REALLY riding brakes these days? Why spend the extra time and money putting a feature like that into a frame when it’s not likely to be utilized by the majority of customers? If anything, an internal cable guide would’ve been a cleaner look, and likely less labor-intensive. At the very least, you’ve got to hand it to Sunday for making bikes that are easily recognizable, in an age of cookie-cutter Taiwanese Sanko/420roasted/69-butted boring bikes.

PS: Pretty funny how pissed Jim was about Kink ripping off the hollow dropout idea.

S&M debuted the “WTF” bike. I can’t see this as more than a unique fantasy, or an extremely elaborate joke. An S&M with a Painkiller headtube? Who would’ve thought Moeller would rip off Harry Leary. Taller bars to make up for shortening everything else? You’re still changing the rake of the front end. Can’t argue with the small chain, but I can’t see that becoming the new industry standard. I don’t have a clue if the bushing is a better idea than bearings, but the bolts were trick as hell.

The most common theme from all bike companies seems to be aluminum pegs. After Tree first stepped into the game a few years back with their 7075 Trick Stick (and Coalition followed with their 6061 version; great idea, guys)that proved you can ride street with AL pegs, the weight savings and multitude of colors available proved too temping for companies to re$i$t. Even Animal, who baffled the street riding collective with their new colored steel pegs, have jumped into the game with the Butcher peg. Coming in various colors with a plastic outer sleeve, I can see these things flying off the shelves. Going one step further was Demolition; their version came with clear sleeves, which will no doubt allow riders to color-coordinate their bikes even further. While the companies claim the pegs grind nearly as fast as steel, the drag is definitely noticeable; especially on rougher ledges. If you’re really concerned about weight savings, aluminum is not a bad way to go, but if you want to keep your bike looking fresh, skip ‘em; they look like shit after the first rotation.

Speaking of Animal, they had a “booth” wandering around on the floor with a backpack full of new parts. Skipping the boring stuff like prototype hubs and new shirts, likely to be their most popular new item is their multi-tool. The idea essentially builds on DK’s Random Wrench, but adds a chainbreaker and some other new elements. I’ve gotta say, though, that I’m not into the swiveling head; seems like it’ll break. Additionally, the tool seems pretty intricate, and might be tough to repack after use. Not to mention those bits look way too easy to lose. Good try, though.

Macneil: fuck.

I don’t really know what to say about this brief clip with Miron. I’ve written stuff in other places, and it boggles my mind how this company manages to stay relevant. Their product track record speaks for itself; poorly designed, easy to break products wrapped in bland, unoriginal “clean” graphics. I can only guess the Pivitol patent has kept them afloat, and once it expires in a couple years, I can’t see them continuing. They had a few good years in the beginning, but Jay can’t even ride anymore, they just dumped Gary Young, and Allistar Whitton still has a ride. Enough said.

I think that’s about it for interesting Interbike bits. One of these years, I’ll check it out. There are tons of pics & product reviews on other sites out there, so go scour BMXfeed for more info.

I’ll leave you with the best new product I’ve seen: the Federal Steven Hamilton signature t-shirt.