If you live in Costa Mesa, CA or any of the surrounding towns, c'mon down to Two Wheels One Planet on Saturday night. Kryptonite is hosting An Evening with Bob Roll starting at 5pm.
Bob will be talking about his experiences racing in some of the classics as well as his observations commentating on some great Tours now.
And, we all know Bobke isn't shy about sharing his opinions...ask him pretty much anything you want. What does he think about Lance and the comback, Rock Racing and the state of cycling today? Ask him. He'll let you know.
Here's the info:
420 E. 17th Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Phone: 949-646-7717
Showing posts sorted by date for query bob roll. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query bob roll. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Monday, November 03, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Bobke on the Tour Day France
by Bob Roll, Team Kryptonite
The 2008 Tour has been an absolutely fantastic race so far. There were a few speed bumps initially. The first was Manuel Beltran being positive for EPO from Stage 1. The second was Moises Duenas, also positive for EPO and in possession of doping products. But the big speed bump so far was the expulsion of Riccardo Ricco, whose two stage wins have been taken away, and his team mate Leonardo Piepoli and the withdrawal of the whole Saunier Duval team. Ricco looked fantastic in the Pyrenees, but now we know that looks can be deceiving.
Ricco was arrested and thrown in jail as part of the French authorities zero tolerance policy in the ongoing fight against doping in cycling.
Cycling, more than any other sport, has to present a clean and real and authentic spectacle for the fans. It’s not a sport that is fought in a stadium where the fans are far from the action. It’s a sport that courses its way through the neighborhoods and towns where people live. Because of that slight distinction cycling must be clean or it will die. It’s important for us to be critical but not allow our criticisms to disintegrate into cynicism.
Conversely, once the dopers were kicked out of the race, the actual competitive component came to life. Cadel Evans showed himself to be a very gifted cyclist but perhaps possessing a very fragile psyche. The pressure of the yellow jersey weighed heavy on Evans and he lashed out when it was completely unnecessary.
The Tour is mostly about the prudent expenditure and management of energy whether it is physical or emotional. And Evans proved to be vulnerable in managing his emotional energies. Schleck proved to be a bit more calm and a bit more steady and took the yellow jersey. But only to give it up to his own team mate Carlos Sastre on the stage to Alpe d’Huez.
Sastre’s main rival now is probably Cadel Evans. Even though he has a significant advantage of 1:34 he’s not the world’s greatest time trialist. All of which gives us a race which one of five men can still win this late in the Tour. Everyone still believes Evans to be the hot favorite but every pedal stroke that Sastre stays in yellow he gets a little bit stronger.
Stay tuned to Saturday’s stage! Never has so much been on the line for so many cyclists this late in the Tour.
The 2008 Tour has been an absolutely fantastic race so far. There were a few speed bumps initially. The first was Manuel Beltran being positive for EPO from Stage 1. The second was Moises Duenas, also positive for EPO and in possession of doping products. But the big speed bump so far was the expulsion of Riccardo Ricco, whose two stage wins have been taken away, and his team mate Leonardo Piepoli and the withdrawal of the whole Saunier Duval team. Ricco looked fantastic in the Pyrenees, but now we know that looks can be deceiving.
Ricco was arrested and thrown in jail as part of the French authorities zero tolerance policy in the ongoing fight against doping in cycling.
Cycling, more than any other sport, has to present a clean and real and authentic spectacle for the fans. It’s not a sport that is fought in a stadium where the fans are far from the action. It’s a sport that courses its way through the neighborhoods and towns where people live. Because of that slight distinction cycling must be clean or it will die. It’s important for us to be critical but not allow our criticisms to disintegrate into cynicism.
Conversely, once the dopers were kicked out of the race, the actual competitive component came to life. Cadel Evans showed himself to be a very gifted cyclist but perhaps possessing a very fragile psyche. The pressure of the yellow jersey weighed heavy on Evans and he lashed out when it was completely unnecessary.
The Tour is mostly about the prudent expenditure and management of energy whether it is physical or emotional. And Evans proved to be vulnerable in managing his emotional energies. Schleck proved to be a bit more calm and a bit more steady and took the yellow jersey. But only to give it up to his own team mate Carlos Sastre on the stage to Alpe d’Huez.
Sastre’s main rival now is probably Cadel Evans. Even though he has a significant advantage of 1:34 he’s not the world’s greatest time trialist. All of which gives us a race which one of five men can still win this late in the Tour. Everyone still believes Evans to be the hot favorite but every pedal stroke that Sastre stays in yellow he gets a little bit stronger.
Stay tuned to Saturday’s stage! Never has so much been on the line for so many cyclists this late in the Tour.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Your Favorite Bobke-isms?
Ok, it's a rest day at Le Tour....all of you cycling fans are wondering what to do with your mornings and/or evenings or both! Right?
Well, I know you are catching up on some sleep and that's ok. You want to be ready for the next stage tomorrow. Seriously, how great was Hautacam yesterday?
Since I'm at work when the Tour Day France is going on during the day, I try to stay away from results and friend's emails and Facebook messages until I can watch the coverage at night. With that coverage comes our friend Bob Roll's commentary.
Bob's great and he comes out with some funny/interesting sayings. My favorite so far? Last night while describing a rider heading up the Col du Tourmalet..."He's as cool as the other side of the pillow." Classic!
What's your favorite Bobke-ism from this Tour Day France so far??
Well, I know you are catching up on some sleep and that's ok. You want to be ready for the next stage tomorrow. Seriously, how great was Hautacam yesterday?
Since I'm at work when the Tour Day France is going on during the day, I try to stay away from results and friend's emails and Facebook messages until I can watch the coverage at night. With that coverage comes our friend Bob Roll's commentary.
Bob's great and he comes out with some funny/interesting sayings. My favorite so far? Last night while describing a rider heading up the Col du Tourmalet..."He's as cool as the other side of the pillow." Classic!
What's your favorite Bobke-ism from this Tour Day France so far??
Friday, July 11, 2008
Bobke on Beltran and Le Tour!
by Bob Roll
Tour '08 Report #1
After a great opening week of racing where the yellow jersey changed hands between 4 riders in only 6 stages, and sprint finishes were won by Valverde, Hushovd and Cavendish, and generally speaking a fantastic opening week of this year’s Tour….some rather disturbing news has come to us this evening.
A Spanish rider, on the Italian team, named Manuel Beltran has tested positive for EPO during the first stage. This is a stage where Mr. Beltran did not finish in the top 100 riders and is not a rider that anyone has picked to win a stage or finish well in the overall standings. As is often times the case, it’s the bad news that grabs all the headlines. And justifiably so or not, this Tour will not be free from the infamy that cycling has gone through recently.
To imagine any rider could be so conceited and have such total disregard for his teammates, his sponsors, the fans, the Tour itself and, most importantly, for himself is another sad chapter in the continuing degradation of a beautiful sport.
One would presume that all of the riders are under such intense scrutiny that their transgressions would be exposed before they came to the Tour and would never be allowed to compete. But, in the ongoing battle between the ASO and the UCI it has become, this year, more difficult to scrutinize the athletes adequately. In this case of the “feuding, divorcing parents” (ASO and UCI), the “kids” (the riders) are the ones that are free to do bad things that they might not do otherwise.
Since Beltran is not one of the top riders and no rider on his team, Liquigas, was forecasted to be an overall contender, let’s hope this is another incident that will blow over and we can resume paying attention to the race itself.
One side note, a recent signing to the Liquigas team for next year should give us an idea of the increased scrutiny that will be on this team. That would be Ivan Basso.
The ASO, organizers of the Tour de France, can not be asked to send a clearer message and every rider, no matter what station of the hierarchy of the sport, must race clean or never race again!
Tour '08 Report #1
After a great opening week of racing where the yellow jersey changed hands between 4 riders in only 6 stages, and sprint finishes were won by Valverde, Hushovd and Cavendish, and generally speaking a fantastic opening week of this year’s Tour….some rather disturbing news has come to us this evening.
A Spanish rider, on the Italian team, named Manuel Beltran has tested positive for EPO during the first stage. This is a stage where Mr. Beltran did not finish in the top 100 riders and is not a rider that anyone has picked to win a stage or finish well in the overall standings. As is often times the case, it’s the bad news that grabs all the headlines. And justifiably so or not, this Tour will not be free from the infamy that cycling has gone through recently.
To imagine any rider could be so conceited and have such total disregard for his teammates, his sponsors, the fans, the Tour itself and, most importantly, for himself is another sad chapter in the continuing degradation of a beautiful sport.
One would presume that all of the riders are under such intense scrutiny that their transgressions would be exposed before they came to the Tour and would never be allowed to compete. But, in the ongoing battle between the ASO and the UCI it has become, this year, more difficult to scrutinize the athletes adequately. In this case of the “feuding, divorcing parents” (ASO and UCI), the “kids” (the riders) are the ones that are free to do bad things that they might not do otherwise.
Since Beltran is not one of the top riders and no rider on his team, Liquigas, was forecasted to be an overall contender, let’s hope this is another incident that will blow over and we can resume paying attention to the race itself.
One side note, a recent signing to the Liquigas team for next year should give us an idea of the increased scrutiny that will be on this team. That would be Ivan Basso.
The ASO, organizers of the Tour de France, can not be asked to send a clearer message and every rider, no matter what station of the hierarchy of the sport, must race clean or never race again!
Monday, July 07, 2008
Happy Birthday Bobke!
Yes, today is Bob Roll's birthday! Most every year he spends it commentating on the Tour Day France for us Americans and we are thankful for it!
Happy Birthday, my friend!
Happy Birthday, my friend!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
July is a month for cycling!
Ok folks, Bob Roll has left for France! Yes, in a few short days you American cycling fans can sit in front of your TV and watch the Tour DAY France with Bobke! You know I'll want to know your favorite Roll-ism this year!
And, I see that the US Olympic team has been set. Zabriskie, Leipheimer, Vande Velde, Hincapie and McCartney...nice.
If you are in Massachusetts, don't forget the Longsjo Classic this weekend, too! I might just head up there myself.
Safe riding (and don't forget that helmet)!
And, I see that the US Olympic team has been set. Zabriskie, Leipheimer, Vande Velde, Hincapie and McCartney...nice.
If you are in Massachusetts, don't forget the Longsjo Classic this weekend, too! I might just head up there myself.
Safe riding (and don't forget that helmet)!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Landry's Hosts Bob Roll
Friday night we were at Landry's Boston store for "An Evening with Bob Roll." Rob, Roby, Eric and I had a blast at the shop - everyone was so nice and they had everything planned perfectly. I think Bob's going to blog about it, but I thought I'd post some photos before then.
I just loved this display of the jersey and the old fashioned sign.
I might like this display just a teeny bit more, though. How could I not? It's what you see as you walk through the front door! I'm not kidding - it's right there. Have I mentioned that we love the guys and gals at Landry's?
Rob, Eric, Bob and Roby hanging out before the event
Packed house! I think there were a couple of hundred people there. Everyone had a great time.
Bob joins manager Mark Vautour and the rest of the Landry's Crew. I dig their shirts, don't you?!
After the event, Mark brought us to the Washington Square Tavern, which isn't too far from the shop. Gerry's the owner and made us feel extremely welcome all evening. He's a cyclist (if you can't tell by his shirt!)and hosts evening rides with the Landry's crew on Tuesday nights. But, better than that...yes, there is a "better than that"...the food is amazing! I've been raving about it all weekend to everyone I know in the area; both Roby and I have been telling everyone in the office today, too. It was the perfect end to a great event.
Thank you to Mark and everyone at Landry's for making us feel so welcome - and, of course, for being such a great Kryptonite partner!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
THIS WEEKEND
There are so many things to do this weekend....here are only a few of the VERY coolest!
BOB ROLL at Landry's Boston store. Friday night at 7pm. C'mon out. Roby, Eric and I will all be there, too.....but we won't be offended when you tell us that you're there to see Bob...
Barb's Harley-Davidson in New Jersey is having their annual Open House on Saturday. Dave Perewitz will be there -- and, bonus....Susan and Jaren will be there, too!
Austin's latest bike shop, Mellow Johnny's, is opening on Saturday at 7am. They expect "special guests." Why's that so important? Lance Armstrong owns the joint. You figure it out. If you go let us know how it was....and take photos that you can share.
There's Cyclism Sunday on Versus! The Giro is going on, don't cha know!
And, of course, on Sunday it's Mother's Day. Celebrate by going on a Tour Day Neighborhood with mom. Just please make us and your mother happy and WEAR A HELMET, please!
Have a great, great weekend! And, Bostonians...we expect to see you on Friday night!
BOB ROLL at Landry's Boston store. Friday night at 7pm. C'mon out. Roby, Eric and I will all be there, too.....but we won't be offended when you tell us that you're there to see Bob...
Barb's Harley-Davidson in New Jersey is having their annual Open House on Saturday. Dave Perewitz will be there -- and, bonus....Susan and Jaren will be there, too!
Austin's latest bike shop, Mellow Johnny's, is opening on Saturday at 7am. They expect "special guests." Why's that so important? Lance Armstrong owns the joint. You figure it out. If you go let us know how it was....and take photos that you can share.
There's Cyclism Sunday on Versus! The Giro is going on, don't cha know!
And, of course, on Sunday it's Mother's Day. Celebrate by going on a Tour Day Neighborhood with mom. Just please make us and your mother happy and WEAR A HELMET, please!
Have a great, great weekend! And, Bostonians...we expect to see you on Friday night!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Bob Roll Event in Boston - Friday!
So, it's May...and the weather is starting to get better here in New England. Driving to work this morning I even got a whiff of fresh cut grass for the first time this year. That is when I know Spring really has arrived!
Another way to tell it's spring? More cyclists out and about. More people commuting, more people riding for enjoyment. It's great to see.
We are all about getting Spring going here at Kryptonite! And, we're helping one of our great dealers, Landry's, kick off the spring cycling season by stopping by with Bob Roll on Friday night! That's right, Bobke is going to be at Landry's Boston store this Friday night for "An Evening with Bob Roll." How cool is that?
The event kicks off at 7pm and all the details can be found on Landry's event page.
Here's the address:
Landry's Bicycles
890 Commonwealth Avenue
BOSTON, Massachusetts 02215
617.232.0446
RSVP to: boston(at)landrys(dot)com
I'll be there....Eric will be there....Roby will be there....and probably a few other Kryptonite folks. C'mon out and join us - it will be lots of fun hanging with Bob!
Another way to tell it's spring? More cyclists out and about. More people commuting, more people riding for enjoyment. It's great to see.
We are all about getting Spring going here at Kryptonite! And, we're helping one of our great dealers, Landry's, kick off the spring cycling season by stopping by with Bob Roll on Friday night! That's right, Bobke is going to be at Landry's Boston store this Friday night for "An Evening with Bob Roll." How cool is that?
The event kicks off at 7pm and all the details can be found on Landry's event page.
Here's the address:
Landry's Bicycles
890 Commonwealth Avenue
BOSTON, Massachusetts 02215
617.232.0446
RSVP to: boston(at)landrys(dot)com
I'll be there....Eric will be there....Roby will be there....and probably a few other Kryptonite folks. C'mon out and join us - it will be lots of fun hanging with Bob!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Bob Roll, Velo Pasadena - A Pictorial
Remember our Interbike contest....Velo Pasadena won a ride with Team Kryptonite member Bob Roll. Well, Don Shipman, our regional manager in the west, gave us all a great post about the day he and Bob had at Velo Pasadena at the beginning of this month.
Angela, the owner's daughter, took a lot of photos during the day. Below are a few to get the feel of the day to compliment Don's words, but you can view all of the photos here. Enjoy!
Thanks to everyone who came out to meet Bob; we hope you all had a great time.
Bob signed autographs and chatted with folks that were on the ride and some that just stopped by. In all, about 300 people were hanging out at Velo Pasadena throughout the day.
Angela, the owner's daughter, took a lot of photos during the day. Below are a few to get the feel of the day to compliment Don's words, but you can view all of the photos here. Enjoy!
Thanks to everyone who came out to meet Bob; we hope you all had a great time.
Bob didn't travel with his bike so Velo Pasadena kindly provided him with one.
Here he's doing a few last minute adjustments before he's off with the group.
Don looks like he's all set to get out and enjoy a ride on a gorgeous Sunday morning!
There were about 150 people who joined Bob and Don on the ride.
Bob's all set to go!
Here's the front of the ride as they got going just a little ways from the shop.
I just love this shot. Looks like a pro peloton coming down the road.
Check it out. Everyone following the rules of the road
and stopping at the red light! Safety first!
Everyone seems to be having a good time.
According to Don, Hrach (store owner) moved around the group
often making sure everyone was riding comfortably and having a good time.
The ladies were out in full force for the ride, too. But...where's Bob?
There he is - with a bunch of new riding buddies.
And there he is again in a different part of the group.
And...with even more people. Looks like Hrach wasn't the only
one doing some meeting and greeting during the ride.
Bob, Tori and Hrach look like they are ready for some BBQ after the 20-miler!
Bob signed autographs and chatted with folks that were on the ride and some that just stopped by. In all, about 300 people were hanging out at Velo Pasadena throughout the day.
Hrach and Bob reminisced over "the old days"
Bob with our hosts for the day
(l-r) Nevrik, Hrach, Matthew and Angela Gevrikyan
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Bob Roll visits Velo Pasadena
by Don Shipman, Western Regional Manager
At the Interbike trade show in September, Bob Roll worked in the Kryptonite booth with us each morning. In the booth, Kryptonite retailers could enter to win a personal store visit by Bob himself, and on the last day of the show we drew from the fishbowl to see who the lucky winner was.
This year's winner was Hrach Gevrikyan at Velo Pasadena in Pasadena, California. Hrach and his wife Nevrik have run their high end Pro Shop since 1988 and were thrilled at winning. Hrach selected Sunday, November 4th and organized a "ride with Bob" VIP ride for his best customers, invited some vendors like Time & Specialized to demo their bikes, hired a DJ and a guy to BBQ and the party was on!
The sun rose Sunday on a perfect day. I was to pick Bob up at the hotel and arrived early - but Bob was ready to go! As we drove to the shop he asked how many people were expected and I said well.............we though there would be about 30 on the ride but that there were already about 80 when I left a half hour ago. Bob seemed worried, "80?" he asked. "80, but that was a half our ago".
We snuck in the back of the store where Hrach had full use of a large parking lot - the lot was jammed full of bikes and people - it was a sea of color. We wasted no time and made our way though the crowd to get fitted on a couple of spankin new Time bikes.
Back outside, a ride leader announced the route - were going to do about a 20 mile loop out around the Rose Bowl. Bob "clicks in" and were off through the quiet streets of Pasadena. I dropped back to count and was astonished - there were about 150 people on this ride! The peloton was about the same size as what you see in the "Tour Day France" - and the amazing part was that wile the pace was brisk the pack stayed together, mostly because as we snaked our way through the tree canopied streets of Pasadena Hrach was working the peloton to keep it together - he dropped back and pulled some back to the peloton, was calling out to others and checking on people, going to the front, dropping to the back and just working hard at 20MPH! Some wanted to go faster, some slower but Hrach just wanted everyone to ride together and have fun.
As we rounded the Rose Bowl and started the mild descent back to the shop the pace relaxed some. People were going to the front to ride with Bob and chat with him a bit. The fun and relaxed pace slowed as we rounded the final turn onto Colorado Blvd. (yep, the same one as the Tournament of Roses Parade) and arrived back at the shop. The BBQ was smokin, the DJ was spinning and the demo bikes were ready to go.
Bob changed and worked the crowd some before settling under the tent to sign Kryptonite posters, shake hands and take pictures.
As the crowd of roughly 300 finally subsided Hrach, brought out an old program from the 1982 Coors Classic and Bob and Hrach shared war stories about racing together back in the day. When Bob left I heard him invite Hrach to come hang out with him at the "Tour of Cali" in February.
A special thanks to Hrach and his wife Nevrik for their warm, welcoming hospitality. We only get Bob to the store - the rest is up to the retailer and Velo Pasadena know how to throw a party!
At the Interbike trade show in September, Bob Roll worked in the Kryptonite booth with us each morning. In the booth, Kryptonite retailers could enter to win a personal store visit by Bob himself, and on the last day of the show we drew from the fishbowl to see who the lucky winner was.
This year's winner was Hrach Gevrikyan at Velo Pasadena in Pasadena, California. Hrach and his wife Nevrik have run their high end Pro Shop since 1988 and were thrilled at winning. Hrach selected Sunday, November 4th and organized a "ride with Bob" VIP ride for his best customers, invited some vendors like Time & Specialized to demo their bikes, hired a DJ and a guy to BBQ and the party was on!
The sun rose Sunday on a perfect day. I was to pick Bob up at the hotel and arrived early - but Bob was ready to go! As we drove to the shop he asked how many people were expected and I said well.............we though there would be about 30 on the ride but that there were already about 80 when I left a half hour ago. Bob seemed worried, "80?" he asked. "80, but that was a half our ago".
We snuck in the back of the store where Hrach had full use of a large parking lot - the lot was jammed full of bikes and people - it was a sea of color. We wasted no time and made our way though the crowd to get fitted on a couple of spankin new Time bikes.
Back outside, a ride leader announced the route - were going to do about a 20 mile loop out around the Rose Bowl. Bob "clicks in" and were off through the quiet streets of Pasadena. I dropped back to count and was astonished - there were about 150 people on this ride! The peloton was about the same size as what you see in the "Tour Day France" - and the amazing part was that wile the pace was brisk the pack stayed together, mostly because as we snaked our way through the tree canopied streets of Pasadena Hrach was working the peloton to keep it together - he dropped back and pulled some back to the peloton, was calling out to others and checking on people, going to the front, dropping to the back and just working hard at 20MPH! Some wanted to go faster, some slower but Hrach just wanted everyone to ride together and have fun.
As we rounded the Rose Bowl and started the mild descent back to the shop the pace relaxed some. People were going to the front to ride with Bob and chat with him a bit. The fun and relaxed pace slowed as we rounded the final turn onto Colorado Blvd. (yep, the same one as the Tournament of Roses Parade) and arrived back at the shop. The BBQ was smokin, the DJ was spinning and the demo bikes were ready to go.
Bob changed and worked the crowd some before settling under the tent to sign Kryptonite posters, shake hands and take pictures.
As the crowd of roughly 300 finally subsided Hrach, brought out an old program from the 1982 Coors Classic and Bob and Hrach shared war stories about racing together back in the day. When Bob left I heard him invite Hrach to come hang out with him at the "Tour of Cali" in February.
A special thanks to Hrach and his wife Nevrik for their warm, welcoming hospitality. We only get Bob to the store - the rest is up to the retailer and Velo Pasadena know how to throw a party!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Meet Bob Roll Sunday
Each of the last few years at Interbike we've held a drawing for dealers that attend the show. There are a few prizes, but the grand prize is a visit to their shop by Bob Roll. Each of the last three years it's been "An Evening with Bob Roll" where he'll come in and share stories about his riding days, his fellow competitors and team mates, the Tour Day France and the state of cycling today. He always arrives to packed shops wherever he goes.
This year we changed it up a little bit as part of our whole Feel Free to Stop campaign. This year the grand prize is that Bob will go to the winning shop and ride with the owner and a few of his/her close friends and then go back to the shop and hang out for a little bit. As we mentioned, a very good customer of ours won the event at the show in September. Well it's this weekend!
Yes, Bob will be visiting Velo Pasadena this Sunday morning! It seems as though owners Nevrik and Hrach have taken their prize to the next level and created quite an event for their customers, too. They really care about their customers because not only will Bob be there but there will be food, music, demos, test rides, raffle prizes (hint..think locks, Bob Roll shirts...) and, did I mention...Bob Roll!
The festivities will start around 11am so if you are close to Pasadena, c'mon over and meet Bob - he'll be with our regional manager, Don Shipman, so it's a Kryptonite twofer. Bob and Don will be there until around 1-ish so get on over there and say "hi". And, while you are at it, thank Nevrik and Hrach for making us feel so welcome. Have a great time!
This year we changed it up a little bit as part of our whole Feel Free to Stop campaign. This year the grand prize is that Bob will go to the winning shop and ride with the owner and a few of his/her close friends and then go back to the shop and hang out for a little bit. As we mentioned, a very good customer of ours won the event at the show in September. Well it's this weekend!
Yes, Bob will be visiting Velo Pasadena this Sunday morning! It seems as though owners Nevrik and Hrach have taken their prize to the next level and created quite an event for their customers, too. They really care about their customers because not only will Bob be there but there will be food, music, demos, test rides, raffle prizes (hint..think locks, Bob Roll shirts...) and, did I mention...Bob Roll!
The festivities will start around 11am so if you are close to Pasadena, c'mon over and meet Bob - he'll be with our regional manager, Don Shipman, so it's a Kryptonite twofer. Bob and Don will be there until around 1-ish so get on over there and say "hi". And, while you are at it, thank Nevrik and Hrach for making us feel so welcome. Have a great time!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Bob Roll's Interbike Experience, 2007
by Bob Roll
As expected, the 2007 Interbike extravaganza lived up to its pre-event hype and was a great event, thoroughly enjoyable to all. For me, step #1 is extracting myself from the airport and arriving at the hotel without incident. Coming from a small town in the mountains to the megalopolous that is Las Vegas is always a shock to the system. The melee at the airport never ceases to amaze me. Las Vegas, for some reason, remains a powerful attraction to zombies from all over the world.
Consequently, getting from the airport to the room is one of the most substantial challenges of Interbike. Thanks to Donna Tocci my journeys have been smooth and without incident. The place of habitation is the Venetian Hotel and Casino. The casino part is what makes it more difficult than it needs to be. Although at the Venetian, at least, you can check in without wading through an ocean of slot machines. Not the case, however, when you navigate to your room. Everybody has to pass through the casino in an effort, I presume, to pry peoples’ hard earned cash out of their wallet. For religious reasons I do not gamble and consequently my trips to Vegas have been much more enjoyable. The room, as always, was fantastic.
The first order of business at the trade show was to serve coffee to the thirsty masses at the Kryptonite booth. Then, it was time to be the judge at a video contest sponsored by Shimano and presided over by such luminaries as Phil Liggett, Kozo Shimano and, of course, Donna Tocci.
From there I had a signing at the Hi-Torque booth and after that was a reunion with my teammates from my racing days on 7-Eleven at the Tourneau Watch store sponsored by Bicycling Magazine. All of which was a fundraiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation. What a fantastic honor and great pleasure to be reunited with some real legends of American cycling. On the panel was Tom Schuler, Chris Carmichael, Alex Stieda, Ron Kiefel and, of course, Davis Phinney. The assembled throng were regaled with the tales of our efforts in Europe. A lovely time was had by all. Thereafter was, just like the old days, a team dinner where much wine was drank at Spago.
Day 1 was supposed to include the annual Sinclair extravaganza, where I have imbibed dramatically in years past. But this year I was too exhausted to attend - so much for Day 1!
Day 2 began early again at the Kryptonite booth with coffee for an even larger assemblage of attendees. Repositioning myself at the front of the booth rather than the storage unit in the middle inexplicably seemed to draw more people. The rest of the day included, but was not limited to, a speaking engagement at the Wounded Warrior Project press conference and a book signing at Velonews.
Directly after the book signing was six hours of live TV courtesy of the World Criterium Championships held at the Mandalay Bay parking lot. The professional men’s race was an exciting and very competitive high stakes, great race. It was a real pleasure to commentate on.
The women’s race was won by Laura Van Gilder but it was the Industry Cup race that provided the most crashes and thrills. Such luminaries participated as Steve Bauer and Mario Cipollini. The rest of the field was made up of supposed employees of the cycling industry, which is a pretty broad requirement. There were so many crashes it was difficult to know the beginning and the end of field. Also, the variety in fitness levels made the pack impossible to differentiate from the stragglers. Add oil on the streets and two days, at least, of heavy drinking and you have a recipe for hilarity.
I am sure the next day at the show there were many employees nursing their wounds. Six hours of live television is not easy but having a crash to commentate on about every half a minute makes the time fly. Generally, my job is as a commentator on cycling events and it was nice to be able to apply my trade at the bike show. However, being able to meet the people at the Kryptonite booth is the main attraction for me going and remains an event that I look forward to throughout the racing season.
I’m looking forward to next year’s races and have enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Kryptonite and look forward to all of our promotions in the future. So, everybody go out and buy some locks!
The trip home was uneventful, which is my favorite kind of trip. My liver has shrunk back down to normal size and I’m looking forward to ’08.
As expected, the 2007 Interbike extravaganza lived up to its pre-event hype and was a great event, thoroughly enjoyable to all. For me, step #1 is extracting myself from the airport and arriving at the hotel without incident. Coming from a small town in the mountains to the megalopolous that is Las Vegas is always a shock to the system. The melee at the airport never ceases to amaze me. Las Vegas, for some reason, remains a powerful attraction to zombies from all over the world.
Consequently, getting from the airport to the room is one of the most substantial challenges of Interbike. Thanks to Donna Tocci my journeys have been smooth and without incident. The place of habitation is the Venetian Hotel and Casino. The casino part is what makes it more difficult than it needs to be. Although at the Venetian, at least, you can check in without wading through an ocean of slot machines. Not the case, however, when you navigate to your room. Everybody has to pass through the casino in an effort, I presume, to pry peoples’ hard earned cash out of their wallet. For religious reasons I do not gamble and consequently my trips to Vegas have been much more enjoyable. The room, as always, was fantastic.
The first order of business at the trade show was to serve coffee to the thirsty masses at the Kryptonite booth. Then, it was time to be the judge at a video contest sponsored by Shimano and presided over by such luminaries as Phil Liggett, Kozo Shimano and, of course, Donna Tocci.
From there I had a signing at the Hi-Torque booth and after that was a reunion with my teammates from my racing days on 7-Eleven at the Tourneau Watch store sponsored by Bicycling Magazine. All of which was a fundraiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation. What a fantastic honor and great pleasure to be reunited with some real legends of American cycling. On the panel was Tom Schuler, Chris Carmichael, Alex Stieda, Ron Kiefel and, of course, Davis Phinney. The assembled throng were regaled with the tales of our efforts in Europe. A lovely time was had by all. Thereafter was, just like the old days, a team dinner where much wine was drank at Spago.
Day 1 was supposed to include the annual Sinclair extravaganza, where I have imbibed dramatically in years past. But this year I was too exhausted to attend - so much for Day 1!
Day 2 began early again at the Kryptonite booth with coffee for an even larger assemblage of attendees. Repositioning myself at the front of the booth rather than the storage unit in the middle inexplicably seemed to draw more people. The rest of the day included, but was not limited to, a speaking engagement at the Wounded Warrior Project press conference and a book signing at Velonews.
Directly after the book signing was six hours of live TV courtesy of the World Criterium Championships held at the Mandalay Bay parking lot. The professional men’s race was an exciting and very competitive high stakes, great race. It was a real pleasure to commentate on.
The women’s race was won by Laura Van Gilder but it was the Industry Cup race that provided the most crashes and thrills. Such luminaries participated as Steve Bauer and Mario Cipollini. The rest of the field was made up of supposed employees of the cycling industry, which is a pretty broad requirement. There were so many crashes it was difficult to know the beginning and the end of field. Also, the variety in fitness levels made the pack impossible to differentiate from the stragglers. Add oil on the streets and two days, at least, of heavy drinking and you have a recipe for hilarity.
I am sure the next day at the show there were many employees nursing their wounds. Six hours of live television is not easy but having a crash to commentate on about every half a minute makes the time fly. Generally, my job is as a commentator on cycling events and it was nice to be able to apply my trade at the bike show. However, being able to meet the people at the Kryptonite booth is the main attraction for me going and remains an event that I look forward to throughout the racing season.
I’m looking forward to next year’s races and have enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Kryptonite and look forward to all of our promotions in the future. So, everybody go out and buy some locks!
The trip home was uneventful, which is my favorite kind of trip. My liver has shrunk back down to normal size and I’m looking forward to ’08.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Interbike Wrap-Up - Inside Our Booth in Photos
Ok, so here's the last batch of photos from Interbike. As I mentioned, I'd try to do a little different spin on Interbike at times - life from inside a booth. Here are some more things I saw from inside our booth....
Simon and Lisa from Colin Lewis Cycles in the UK were greeted by our in-transition European/South American Sales Manager, Gustavo. They won a trip to Interbike through a Kryptonite contest held this past winter. It was great having them with us. Last I heard they were headed for some sight seeing and shopping....hope they had fun on the rest of their trip.
Chris and Cyndie from Cool Breeze Cyclery stopped by to say 'hello' to Bob. It was so much fun meeting them in person!
Century Cycles in Ohio won "An Evening with Bob Roll" during our Interbike contest a few years ago. Scott, the owner, came by to say a quick hello and drop his card in to win a ride with Bob this year.
Craig checks out a funky bike that made its way to the booth.
Tim Grahl stopped by for a bit at the show and showed us that he's all in tune with our new Justice League padlocks. By the way, he was telling me some amazing things about the growth of his Commute By Bike site. Check it out!
Our friend Eric from Pedro's stopped by on Friday at just the right time. We asked him to pick the winners for our 'Win a Ride with Bob' contest and he did a great job. And the winners are....
Christian (MN), Kevin/Squid (NY) and Billy (CA) are way loyal Kryptonite customers. Each has been a bike messenger for more years than they'd probably want me to tell you about and have become friends over the years. Ok, I just met Billy, but he was hanging with Kevin so it's all good. I know they don't go anywhere with their bikes without a Kryptonite lock. Congrats to Kevin on opening is own messenger company recently.
Lucky gal, version 2. The best part of any job, for me, has always been the people I meet along the way. I've been truly lucky in this job to meet some wonderful folks. Some I am fortunate enough to see more than once a year, some I only see at Interbike and some only come to the show every other year or so. This was a special year...the gang's just about all here (John seemed to be missing during this photo, but he was there, too).
Karen and Craig take a short break to smile for the camera before getting back to talking with customers. Our booth was jammed pretty much from the get-go right up until Friday afternoon when it was very sloooowww...so slow all around that I heard booths coming down by 4ish (the show is open until 6pm).
Simon and Lisa from Colin Lewis Cycles in the UK were greeted by our in-transition European/South American Sales Manager, Gustavo. They won a trip to Interbike through a Kryptonite contest held this past winter. It was great having them with us. Last I heard they were headed for some sight seeing and shopping....hope they had fun on the rest of their trip.
Bob Roll chats with and signs a poster for one of our customers. Bob joined us in the morning both Wednesday and Thursday and was, as usual, a crowd favorite!
Craig and Eric serve up some coffee to the folks that stopped by to see Bob. They did a great job! Sandy, too, but I learned during this show that Sandy is about as comfortable in front of the camera as I am.
Chris and Cyndie from Cool Breeze Cyclery stopped by to say 'hello' to Bob. It was so much fun meeting them in person!
Eric Hawkins, owner of Park Tool, also stopped by to greet Bobke. The Park Tool booth is right near ours at Interbike, which is great because we've known those guys forever and they are always fun to hang out with.
Through the power of the internet and the telephone, I've "known" Mark Alker from Singletrack Magazine for years. We are even Facebook friends and connect on MySpace. However, since I think he is never allowed out of the office for some reason, I've never met him in person....until Interbike! It was great meeting him in person. From what I can gather, Mark's first trip to Vegas was a full experience....he needed the coffee we were serving, big time!
Through the power of the internet and the telephone, I've "known" Mark Alker from Singletrack Magazine for years. We are even Facebook friends and connect on MySpace. However, since I think he is never allowed out of the office for some reason, I've never met him in person....until Interbike! It was great meeting him in person. From what I can gather, Mark's first trip to Vegas was a full experience....he needed the coffee we were serving, big time!
Century Cycles in Ohio won "An Evening with Bob Roll" during our Interbike contest a few years ago. Scott, the owner, came by to say a quick hello and drop his card in to win a ride with Bob this year.
Craig checks out a funky bike that made its way to the booth.
One of our favorite visitors to the booth every year is Marilyn Price from Trips for Kids. She was telling Karen here about all the new chapters she's opening. Bravo!!
Tim Grahl stopped by for a bit at the show and showed us that he's all in tune with our new Justice League padlocks. By the way, he was telling me some amazing things about the growth of his Commute By Bike site. Check it out!
Our friend Eric from Pedro's stopped by on Friday at just the right time. We asked him to pick the winners for our 'Win a Ride with Bob' contest and he did a great job. And the winners are....
Nevrik and Hrach from Velo Pasadena are the grand prize winners! Bob's going to be visiting their shop the first week of November. We are very happy they won since they are such great customers.
Christian (MN), Kevin/Squid (NY) and Billy (CA) are way loyal Kryptonite customers. Each has been a bike messenger for more years than they'd probably want me to tell you about and have become friends over the years. Ok, I just met Billy, but he was hanging with Kevin so it's all good. I know they don't go anywhere with their bikes without a Kryptonite lock. Congrats to Kevin on opening is own messenger company recently.
Lucky gal, version 2. The best part of any job, for me, has always been the people I meet along the way. I've been truly lucky in this job to meet some wonderful folks. Some I am fortunate enough to see more than once a year, some I only see at Interbike and some only come to the show every other year or so. This was a special year...the gang's just about all here (John seemed to be missing during this photo, but he was there, too).
And that's Interbike for another year. I think that Bob may have his own wrap-up later this week, but his will be very different from any of ours and I'm sure it will include a mention of the 7-Eleven team reunion. Stay tuned for that.
Now, on to the fall...
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Dave Zabriskie's Calling YOU out!
Have ever watched the Tour Day France and thought, "I can take him". Ok, me either....but maybe you've watched a race at some point and thought, "I can hang with him." Tomorrow's your chance if you live in or near the state of Utah.
As part of the Bikes for Kids Utah, current USA Time Trial Champion, Dave Zabriskie will race YOU, big talker. Yup, that's right. Bring your trash talkin' and give it a go. For $75, which goes to this great organization, you can race Dave on a USA Cycling sanctioned time trial course. Is there a catch? No...except that it is up Salt Lake's Traverse Ridge (that to me says "mountain").
Dave's ready. Are you?!
If that's a stretch for you...'cause it is for me....you can participate in Bikes for Kids Utah on Saturday with Dave, too. There's a 5K family ride and a 50K with Dave and a metric century at 100K. Hopefully, it will be a nice fall day for a ride. Go on out and join 'em. I've only been in contact with Dave once...he visited our booth at Interbike in '06 (no not to see me...to say 'hey' to Bob Roll). He seemed very, very nice - I'm sure he'll be fun to ride with.
So, what is Bikes for Kids Utah? You can read all about them here, but basically they are an organization that started last year to provide "disadvantaged children with free bicycles as an inexpensive and fun way to get to school and as a hobby that helps them exercise as well as learn responsibility and safety."
The organization teaches them about bike safety, rules of the road and the importance of regular exercise. Last year they gave away....are you ready for this....they gave away 1,000 bikes! They are aiming to do so again this year. Amazing.
Kryptonite has been a proud supporter of this event the last two years. Seriously - kids, bikes and safety...it's a great thing for all involved.
We wish everyone involved tomorrow the time of their life and everyone a crisp, clear fall day to ride on Saturday.
As part of the Bikes for Kids Utah, current USA Time Trial Champion, Dave Zabriskie will race YOU, big talker. Yup, that's right. Bring your trash talkin' and give it a go. For $75, which goes to this great organization, you can race Dave on a USA Cycling sanctioned time trial course. Is there a catch? No...except that it is up Salt Lake's Traverse Ridge (that to me says "mountain").
Dave's ready. Are you?!
If that's a stretch for you...'cause it is for me....you can participate in Bikes for Kids Utah on Saturday with Dave, too. There's a 5K family ride and a 50K with Dave and a metric century at 100K. Hopefully, it will be a nice fall day for a ride. Go on out and join 'em. I've only been in contact with Dave once...he visited our booth at Interbike in '06 (no not to see me...to say 'hey' to Bob Roll). He seemed very, very nice - I'm sure he'll be fun to ride with.
So, what is Bikes for Kids Utah? You can read all about them here, but basically they are an organization that started last year to provide "disadvantaged children with free bicycles as an inexpensive and fun way to get to school and as a hobby that helps them exercise as well as learn responsibility and safety."
The organization teaches them about bike safety, rules of the road and the importance of regular exercise. Last year they gave away....are you ready for this....they gave away 1,000 bikes! They are aiming to do so again this year. Amazing.
Kryptonite has been a proud supporter of this event the last two years. Seriously - kids, bikes and safety...it's a great thing for all involved.
We wish everyone involved tomorrow the time of their life and everyone a crisp, clear fall day to ride on Saturday.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Interbike Day 1
Day 1 of the Interbike show opened with a flourish. I don't think I took a deep breath until about noon - or maybe later.
Highlights:
- seeing good friends! Some I only see once a year, some I haven't seen in a few years and others that I have never met in person until yesterday. I know trade shows are a lot of work, but this truly is the best part. And, if you have more than 2 minutes to catch up with some of these folks, it's truly a great day. Thanks to those friends who found more than a few minutes to catch up.
- having Bob Roll in the booth, of course. Bob is always fun and brings in a great crowd.
- judging the YouTube contest at the Shimano booth. I was in some pretty cool company. Wow!
- actually doing a Spokesmen podcast in the same room with the rest of the crew! I may have sounded like a complete dork, but it was great to be in the same room with David, Carlton, Tim and Tim.
- seeing dragons - yes, dragons...
- attending the 7-Eleven team reunion. What a historic occasion. As John Eustice said, this is really the team that started it all...7-Eleven to Motorola to US Postal to Discovery....and what stories they have of the 'old days'. The pre-event announcement mentioned "Celebrating the Fast Times & Raucous Racing of American Cycling's Original Supergroup". After hearing some of the stories, I have to think it was quite a wild ride (no pun intended).
***The 7-Eleven reunion was a fundraiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation. All donations to the foundation to October will be matched by Bicycling Magazine. You can donate here, just leave the box for the "Victory Lap" checked and Bicycling will match. Bravo, Bicycling!
Ok, got to run to the second day....here are a few photos...
Kryptonite booth (side view)
Oh, look at the front view of our booth...it's the new Masi Soulville ...yes, it's as cool as you think it is....and it looks good on our flamed out parking meter (yes, it's a Dave Perewitz original).
Bob Roll telling stories to some cycling fans at the Kryptonite booth.
I'm a lucky gal....this was the group judging the YouTube contest. (l-r) Dave (Shimano), David (Fredcast/The Spokesmen), Tim Grahl (Crooked Cog), little ole me (!), Bob Roll (y'all know him...), Master of Ceremonies Carlton (BikeBiz), Mr. Kozo Shimano (our gracious host) and Phil Liggett (y'all know him, too).
I wasn't kidding about the dragons....
Highlights:
- seeing good friends! Some I only see once a year, some I haven't seen in a few years and others that I have never met in person until yesterday. I know trade shows are a lot of work, but this truly is the best part. And, if you have more than 2 minutes to catch up with some of these folks, it's truly a great day. Thanks to those friends who found more than a few minutes to catch up.
- having Bob Roll in the booth, of course. Bob is always fun and brings in a great crowd.
- judging the YouTube contest at the Shimano booth. I was in some pretty cool company. Wow!
- actually doing a Spokesmen podcast in the same room with the rest of the crew! I may have sounded like a complete dork, but it was great to be in the same room with David, Carlton, Tim and Tim.
- seeing dragons - yes, dragons...
- attending the 7-Eleven team reunion. What a historic occasion. As John Eustice said, this is really the team that started it all...7-Eleven to Motorola to US Postal to Discovery....and what stories they have of the 'old days'. The pre-event announcement mentioned "Celebrating the Fast Times & Raucous Racing of American Cycling's Original Supergroup". After hearing some of the stories, I have to think it was quite a wild ride (no pun intended).
***The 7-Eleven reunion was a fundraiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation. All donations to the foundation to October will be matched by Bicycling Magazine. You can donate here, just leave the box for the "Victory Lap" checked and Bicycling will match. Bravo, Bicycling!
Ok, got to run to the second day....here are a few photos...
Kryptonite booth (side view)
Oh, look at the front view of our booth...it's the new Masi Soulville ...yes, it's as cool as you think it is....and it looks good on our flamed out parking meter (yes, it's a Dave Perewitz original).
Bob Roll telling stories to some cycling fans at the Kryptonite booth.
I'm a lucky gal....this was the group judging the YouTube contest. (l-r) Dave (Shimano), David (Fredcast/The Spokesmen), Tim Grahl (Crooked Cog), little ole me (!), Bob Roll (y'all know him...), Master of Ceremonies Carlton (BikeBiz), Mr. Kozo Shimano (our gracious host) and Phil Liggett (y'all know him, too).
I wasn't kidding about the dragons....
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
We're all set up
So...Interbike set up day is behind us...we are ready to go. Or as ready as we will ever be.
Today was a day for all the little things to go wrong - although not many did for us. A shelf missing a peg here....a hook missing there...minor stuff really. The one missing piece is our Masi bike, but that's coming in the morning. I'm super pumped about that. I guess it's been getting a lot of attention out at Dirt Demo - the belle of the ball. Congrats to Masiguy!
Among all the craziness it was a time to see some dear old friends that we don't see often enough. I saw Eric from Park Tool (as he was on his way to take one of their guys to the hospital for stitches after Dirt Demo- eek), Tripp from Thule, Eric from Pedro's and Chris Fallon from Earth, Wind & Rider. All friends from way back that I don't see often enough.
Rich Kelly ran by the booth and actually stopped to say 'hey'. It was great of him to stop for a couple of minutes in his busy day. I can only imagine how busy he really is during this show. Thanks for stopping in, Rich.
Bob Roll's here...haven't seen him or talked to him, but did a mean game of phone tag with him today. We'll see him at the booth tomorrow.
Tomorrow's the day. So many folks that I can't wait to see!
Here are some photos from set up day.
Ok, it's fuzzy, but this gives you an idea of what the spaces between the booths look like the day before the show...all crates as far as you can see.
The view from the top of our booth. Doesn't look like there is room for any customers does it? There will be by tomorrow - all the ladders, boxes and assorted stuff will be outta there.
We're all glad that Chris Fallon stopped by to say 'hello'.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Vegas/Interbike Here We Come!
Well, part of the crew is already out there at a meeting...seriously...that's their party line and they're sticking to it anyway.
The rest of us arrive tonight and tomorrow. We're all there for the Interbike trade show. Bob Roll's given his pre-event take on it and I have to say it isn't too far off my opinions. But, I'm very excited to see all the great people that I only get to see once a year. There are too many to name here, I'd miss someone and feel terrible about it. Just suffice to say, I'm glad to see all these folks!
I'll try to blog from the show, but I won't be as good about it as Fritz will, or any number of the other bloggers going. Tim Grahl, he'll be all over the show. And so many more. Me? I'll be hanging in my booth for the most part, except for The Spokesmen live podcast on Wednesday. Yikes - live! But, that may give me a unique perspective to the show - most bloggers get to walk the show and see all kinds of cool things. I will let you know what I see from the inside of a booth out. Could be booorrrring to y'all....but could be interesting. We'll just have to wait and see.
If you are a dealer and headed to the show come by and see us! We're in the same place as always (I don't know if I could find my way somewhere else at this point!) - booth 3319. All of our new regional managers will be there to abuse...I mean meet and talk with. :)
One thing that I know won't be boring to write about.......Bob Roll will be with us on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 10-11am with FREE COFFEE. You know you need it to give you a little boost after one of those looong Vegas nights.
We are also giving away a chance to ride with Bob Roll to a lucky dealer. We'll bring Bob to you. Yes, we will. It's a great promo for your store. Bob will come ride with you and some of your friends and then hang out at the store and have a little coffee and chat with your customers.
So...Feel Free to Stop at the Kryptonite booth, say 'hey', chat with Bob, get some coffee and enter the drawing.
See you there!
The rest of us arrive tonight and tomorrow. We're all there for the Interbike trade show. Bob Roll's given his pre-event take on it and I have to say it isn't too far off my opinions. But, I'm very excited to see all the great people that I only get to see once a year. There are too many to name here, I'd miss someone and feel terrible about it. Just suffice to say, I'm glad to see all these folks!
I'll try to blog from the show, but I won't be as good about it as Fritz will, or any number of the other bloggers going. Tim Grahl, he'll be all over the show. And so many more. Me? I'll be hanging in my booth for the most part, except for The Spokesmen live podcast on Wednesday. Yikes - live! But, that may give me a unique perspective to the show - most bloggers get to walk the show and see all kinds of cool things. I will let you know what I see from the inside of a booth out. Could be booorrrring to y'all....but could be interesting. We'll just have to wait and see.
If you are a dealer and headed to the show come by and see us! We're in the same place as always (I don't know if I could find my way somewhere else at this point!) - booth 3319. All of our new regional managers will be there to abuse...I mean meet and talk with. :)
One thing that I know won't be boring to write about.......Bob Roll will be with us on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 10-11am with FREE COFFEE. You know you need it to give you a little boost after one of those looong Vegas nights.
We are also giving away a chance to ride with Bob Roll to a lucky dealer. We'll bring Bob to you. Yes, we will. It's a great promo for your store. Bob will come ride with you and some of your friends and then hang out at the store and have a little coffee and chat with your customers.
So...Feel Free to Stop at the Kryptonite booth, say 'hey', chat with Bob, get some coffee and enter the drawing.
See you there!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Show Time!
by Bob Roll
I love Interbike! Interbike is the annual bicycle convention in Las Vegas that has become a ritual gathering of the tribe. Nearly every manufacturer from all over the world, who make every component you could imagine and quite a few you can’t even believe, all congregate each fall in Las Vegas to show the world their products.
I love all the new shiny gizmos displayed under the shiny lights. Even after so many years seeing all the new bikes, wheels, components, clothing and, of course Kryptonite locks, it never ceases to get me excited about riding all over again.
Whenever I see something that I fancy I can’t wait to try it out on the road or trail. What amazes me is that this has been going on for over 20 years. If you added up all the extra tradeshows that I’ve been to, I’ve probably been to more than all, if that’s possible.
Try to imagine, if you will, the best products from Asia, North and South America, Europe and even Africa that relate to cycling even in the remotest sense and put all of those products and people in the same building for three days and nights. Then throw in a variety of personalities and you have an absolutely spectacular display of innovation and wackiness. Now, factor in the inevitable one-upsmanship and you start to get an idea of the pandemonium and joy on display at Interbike.
I am trying to love Vegas also. I have been less than successful in the past and so I’ve decided that there are certain aspects of Vegas that I love more than others. One thing I don’t love is the transportation system. It might be worst in the world. Waiting for an hour in a taxi stand every single time you need to go somewhere gets old after about the first hour. That is exacerbated by the fact that it is illegal to walk anywhere, apparently, and the distances are staggering even if you had the inclination to walk.
I also am not crazy about gambling. I find it hard to believe it’s legal for people to lose all their money, sometimes in a matter of minutes. The chances of anybody winning more money than they started with when you factor in the heartache of bankruptcy must be less than zero.
I’m sure there are many things to love about Vegas and I’m still trying desperately to find any. Mostly, though, I love Interbike because of the people who attend. It is the only chance I get during the year to see many of the people with whom I’ve spent my entire adult life. I also love to see the famous bike racers, riders like George Hincapie, Greg LeMond, Ron Kiefel, Davis Phinney and Levi Leipheimer, among many other luminaries, are perennial attractions that make the show a tremendous amount of fun.
It’s also, for me personally, a chance to reconnect with some of my ex-team mates from my racing days. There have been, over the years, some celebrities that provide really delicious surprises. I’m speaking, of course, of Phil Liggett - although we have yet to experience a confirmed sighting of Paul Sherwen.
The schedule this year tentatively includes, but is not limited to, the World Criterium Championships, a 7-Eleven team reunion, a cyclocross race, the mountain bike hall of fame induction ceremony, the Wounded Warrior Ride coming into Vegas, the Shimano/YouTube video competition judging and an outdoor demo where anybody can ride the latest equipment. As well as lunch at the Italian pavilion, which is not to be missed.
All in all, with so much fun, excitement, innovation, late nights and early mornings, the town of Las Vegas itself and all the personalities, it’s probably good that Interbike only happens once a year.
I love Interbike! Interbike is the annual bicycle convention in Las Vegas that has become a ritual gathering of the tribe. Nearly every manufacturer from all over the world, who make every component you could imagine and quite a few you can’t even believe, all congregate each fall in Las Vegas to show the world their products.
I love all the new shiny gizmos displayed under the shiny lights. Even after so many years seeing all the new bikes, wheels, components, clothing and, of course Kryptonite locks, it never ceases to get me excited about riding all over again.
Whenever I see something that I fancy I can’t wait to try it out on the road or trail. What amazes me is that this has been going on for over 20 years. If you added up all the extra tradeshows that I’ve been to, I’ve probably been to more than all, if that’s possible.
Try to imagine, if you will, the best products from Asia, North and South America, Europe and even Africa that relate to cycling even in the remotest sense and put all of those products and people in the same building for three days and nights. Then throw in a variety of personalities and you have an absolutely spectacular display of innovation and wackiness. Now, factor in the inevitable one-upsmanship and you start to get an idea of the pandemonium and joy on display at Interbike.
I am trying to love Vegas also. I have been less than successful in the past and so I’ve decided that there are certain aspects of Vegas that I love more than others. One thing I don’t love is the transportation system. It might be worst in the world. Waiting for an hour in a taxi stand every single time you need to go somewhere gets old after about the first hour. That is exacerbated by the fact that it is illegal to walk anywhere, apparently, and the distances are staggering even if you had the inclination to walk.
I also am not crazy about gambling. I find it hard to believe it’s legal for people to lose all their money, sometimes in a matter of minutes. The chances of anybody winning more money than they started with when you factor in the heartache of bankruptcy must be less than zero.
I’m sure there are many things to love about Vegas and I’m still trying desperately to find any. Mostly, though, I love Interbike because of the people who attend. It is the only chance I get during the year to see many of the people with whom I’ve spent my entire adult life. I also love to see the famous bike racers, riders like George Hincapie, Greg LeMond, Ron Kiefel, Davis Phinney and Levi Leipheimer, among many other luminaries, are perennial attractions that make the show a tremendous amount of fun.
It’s also, for me personally, a chance to reconnect with some of my ex-team mates from my racing days. There have been, over the years, some celebrities that provide really delicious surprises. I’m speaking, of course, of Phil Liggett - although we have yet to experience a confirmed sighting of Paul Sherwen.
The schedule this year tentatively includes, but is not limited to, the World Criterium Championships, a 7-Eleven team reunion, a cyclocross race, the mountain bike hall of fame induction ceremony, the Wounded Warrior Ride coming into Vegas, the Shimano/YouTube video competition judging and an outdoor demo where anybody can ride the latest equipment. As well as lunch at the Italian pavilion, which is not to be missed.
All in all, with so much fun, excitement, innovation, late nights and early mornings, the town of Las Vegas itself and all the personalities, it’s probably good that Interbike only happens once a year.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
CALL FOR VIDEO ENTRIES
A few months ago now, Carlton Reid from BikeBiz and Quickrelease.tv announced a video contest, I Want to Ride My Bicycle that anyone can enter over on YouTube.
It's a fun contest and there are some pretty cool prizes for the winner. According to Carlton, "The competition winners get Shimano schwag, including top-end components. The competition is also sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Co. of the US, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale." Sweet!
Get in your entries!!! You have until next week. August 30, to be exact. That gives you one more weekend to film your video.
Now, I won't be doing a video....but for an extremely cool reason. I'm a judge. Little ole me. Seriously. And I'm not the only one (did you think Carlton would leave this all to me and my wacky ways?). My fellow judges humble me....Carlton will be there....and David Bernstein from The Fredcast and Spokesmen Podcast....and Tim Grahl from Crooked Cog Network....and my friend Tim "Masiguy" Jackson...AND...get this...Phil Liggett (yikes!)....AND (yes, there's more)....Bob Roll! HOW did I end up in this great company? I have no idea! I'm just happy to be included.
Now, it actually does get a little bit cooler. We aren't all going to be around the world watching videos and emailing in our favorites...oh, no....we'll all be together at the bicycle trade show, Interbike, next month (Sept. 26-28). Voting together. Me. Phil. Bob. Masiguy. David. Carlton. Tim. All together. I'm speechless....ok, seriously, y'all know me...when it comes time to voice my opinion I will not be speechless....but for now, I'm just happy to be included with this group.
So get in your videos! There are 126 so far....so start thinking of your own Tour Day Neighborhood, film it and get it in.
It's a fun contest and there are some pretty cool prizes for the winner. According to Carlton, "The competition winners get Shimano schwag, including top-end components. The competition is also sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Co. of the US, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale." Sweet!
Get in your entries!!! You have until next week. August 30, to be exact. That gives you one more weekend to film your video.
Now, I won't be doing a video....but for an extremely cool reason. I'm a judge. Little ole me. Seriously. And I'm not the only one (did you think Carlton would leave this all to me and my wacky ways?). My fellow judges humble me....Carlton will be there....and David Bernstein from The Fredcast and Spokesmen Podcast....and Tim Grahl from Crooked Cog Network....and my friend Tim "Masiguy" Jackson...AND...get this...Phil Liggett (yikes!)....AND (yes, there's more)....Bob Roll! HOW did I end up in this great company? I have no idea! I'm just happy to be included.
Now, it actually does get a little bit cooler. We aren't all going to be around the world watching videos and emailing in our favorites...oh, no....we'll all be together at the bicycle trade show, Interbike, next month (Sept. 26-28). Voting together. Me. Phil. Bob. Masiguy. David. Carlton. Tim. All together. I'm speechless....ok, seriously, y'all know me...when it comes time to voice my opinion I will not be speechless....but for now, I'm just happy to be included with this group.
So get in your videos! There are 126 so far....so start thinking of your own Tour Day Neighborhood, film it and get it in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
