Gentlemen Start Your...Pedal Stroke??

Was just reading about how Roller Racing is gaining momentum (no pun intended)! For those of us in chilly, clammy climates, more bike shops and riding clubs..and bars looking to sell more beers...are hosting regular roller racing events for good causes (Kryptonite's been there) or good laughs watching some poor individual turn purple going nowhere fast. There are a bunch of software options to give racers choices of ride experiences. So, who needs CO, AZ, CA scenery to enjoy riding?

Let the Good Deeds Roll!

Our congrats to Providence, RI based Recycle-A-Bike, for a successful Roller Race benefit which attracted riders from all walks of life last week. Although the Friday the 13th date was a coincidence, you can see from the pictures that some of the roller-racers looked pretty scarey after they finished their turn! The prospect of winning a Kryptonite lock and raising money for such a good cause transformed them into monster riders...>> Check out the pictures.

So much for my bad puns...here are a few words about the event from our friend Maggie who coordinated, along with other tireless volunteers...

Bike riders and advocates, messengers and occasional riders, men and women of all ages converged on the night of Friday the 13th for Providence's first Roller Races, a benefit for Recycle-a-Bike. With upwards of a hundred people cheering, each racer chose his or her opponent and faced off for a 500m sprint, lasting at best 22 seconds. 42 racers, one broken bike, and multiple raffles later, top times in women's and men's raced for the finals. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our community bike collective, thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors, and thanks to all the volunteers who helped make Recycle-a-Bike the true winner of the evening! If you missed this one, don't worry; there will be more in the future. If you'd like to help make this happen, Recycle-a-Bike is always in need of new volunteers. Stay tuned; spring is coming.

On to the Olympics!

Now that the X-Games are behind us (sob!), it's time for the 2008 Olympic Games to start this weekend. Pretty much first up are the cycling events with the men's road race on Saturday and the women's road race on Sunday.

There's something for everyone with the road racing, time trials, individual pursuit, Keirin, team pursuit, sprints, mountain bike and even BMX.

Full schedule is here. Enjoy!

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.

Tyler Hamilton & Rock Racing Win!

Although I haven't been here writing much about cyling lately, I have been following what's been going on. Again, after all the shenanigans of the Tour Day France riders, I've decided I'm not going to follow it any more. I stopped when Ricco was taken out of th the Tour.

I thought I was just done with pro cycling. Done. And I was for a couple of days...until I saw a bright spot. As I mentioned the other day, the Rock Stars (Rock Racing) have been kicking butt at Tour of Qinghai Lake. And I'm so happy for them.

Well, today, my friend Tyler Hamilton took the overall win!!!! I'm beyond psyched for him. This is his first win since 2004. It's been a long, awful haul for him, but he's back where he belongs.

Seeing this is priceless.

"It is a special win," admitted Hamilton. "It has been a long time. I think that there are a lot of people that didn’t think that I could reach a level like this. The goal coming in was to win the race, whether it was myself, Oscar Sevilla or Michael Creed," Hamilton explained. "A victory for a team-mate is a victory for me and I am pretty sure it goes the other way too. It is nice to repay my team-mates, the staff and especially Michael Ball."

Rock on Tyler!

A Win for Tyler and Rock Racing!!!

It's been no secret to anyone who knows me or reads this blog that I'm a fan of Tyler Hamilton. Now I know a lot of you have other opinions of Tyler, but as his friend seeing him win again brings a big ole smile to my face!

Yes, Tyler won the stage of the Tour of Qinghai Lake today! Tour de France it's not, but with the way the Tour is going, I'm glad he's where he is.

And any of you who are going to poo-poo this win because of him "being a doper", look at it this way...he did his time out of racing (just like Mr. Loud, David Millar), he has a license to race and he's being tested. He won this race fair and square and I'm THRILLED!

And now he's in the Yellow Jersey!

Congratulations, Tyler!!!!!!!

You are a ROCK STAR!

7/19 - Update: According to Rock Racing's Twitter feed today, Tyler finished in the main field today. He retains the yellow jersey. More from Rock Racing's Twitter feed:
"Only Sunday's circuit race stands between Hamilton scoring his first overall victory in a stage race since the Tour de Romandie in 2004"

OH YEA.....

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)!

Tour Day France

Although it's a race with "issues", there is always a little tingle of excitement when the Tour "Day" France starts. I just spied on my Facebook countdown that the start of Le Tour is only 29 Days away! Woa....where has time flown???

So, are you gonna watch this year? Me? I'm torn....I kind of have no time for the dramatics and, as I call them the "divorcing parents" (ASO, UCI), but listening to Bobke every night, watching the French countryside and fans is always fun. But...no Contador...no Levi...but...Bobke. Oy.

What are you going to do? Watch or not?

Masiguy - Tim Jackson

I just got a comment from Blue Squirrel, who happens to be a cool guy and the Masiguy's best friend. Y'all know Masiguy from his blog or from the times I've mentioned him here. Tim Jackson is a good friend to me personally and we've collaborated professionally a couple of times, too. A great, great guy.

Well, Blue Squirrel floored me with his comment to go read his blog about Tim....OH MY GOODNESS! He's been hurt...badly....while on his bike. He's having surgery today!

I'm hoping Blue doesn't mind me posting his update here (below picture). Please continue to watch his blog and this space for updates on Tim. Please keep this fellow cyclists and all around great guy in your thoughts and prayers.

NOT COOL
unfortunately i have some bad news to report concerning one of our star riders, tim, aka masiguy, action jackson, maggie.apparently a total nob slowed down in front of him at the SD velodrome last night and tim tried to go high and ended up hitting the boards at 30mph +. he sustained a concussion [he was out for 5 minutes], broken ribs, a few fractured neck bones and a mangled thumb that will have surgery done on it today. please keep tim in your prays and i will update his legions of fans here as soon as i know more.


UPDATE: KK, who is a frequent contributor here and a wonderfully funny and warm woman, has sent me a note saying that she just talked with Tim's nurse and that Tim's out of surgery and doing well. He's resting now, but she's headed to the hospital to see for herself. Blue Squirrel is headed there tonight, too. Wish I could go with them...but there's 3,000 miles between here and there. Keep sending those good vibes, folks!

Rock Stars in Georgia

With all the talk of tattoos, I've been a little behind in the news this week. Just saw this morning that the Rock Stars will be at the Tour of Georgia! Yes, Rock Racing will be there, in full on Monday. Yes, Yes, YES! Finally, some sensibility to this cycling season.

I don't usually do this, but I feel so strongly about this topic that I'm pasting their press release:

Fulton County, Ga. — Professional cycling fans will get their wish after all: Rock Racing will be a part of the 2008 Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T after reaching a settlement with race organizer, Medalist Sports, LLC.

The overwhelming favorite pro team in a recent online poll by Bicycling Magazine, Rock Racing will be a part of the six-day, 660-mile stage race that begins Monday, April 21. The team’s roster for the race will be announced in the coming days.

“The fans told us they wanted us to be there,” says Team Owner Michael Ball. “We are pleased that we were able to work with Medalist to come to a mutually beneficial decision. Now the race will truly field the best of the best of international and domestic pro cycling teams which will only build on the momentum created for domestic cycling at the Tour of California.”

Today’s decision was made after ProTour team Saunier Duval-Scott announced they would not be racing due to numerous injuries of key riders. Rock Racing had filed an injunction earlier this month to be allowed entry into the race.A hearing in the case was scheduled for earlier today but the two parties settled out of court.

Ball said a flood of e-mails, letters and phone calls from fans in support of the team could not be ignored.“The team is ready to race. Santiago Botero’s win and the team’s performance at Redlands is a clear indication of what to expect next week in Georgia,” said Ball.

Rock Racing’s Botero convincingly won the Redlands Bicycle Classic by 54 seconds in his first ever race in the United States. In capturing the overall, Botero also won the King of the Mountains classification and one stage of the four-day race.At the Amgen Tour of California in February, Rock Racing was equally impressive by scoring seven top 10 finishes during the seven-stage, 650-mile race. To date in 2008, the team has won six races and registered 15 podium finishes.


Way to go Michael Ball!

Rock Racing brings with it all the flash and marketing of a well-oiled NASCAR team. Now, I know that's probably a bad analogy for the cycling world (lots of gas, pollution etc), but marketing-wise, it's a good one. Cycling needs that NASCAR feel - it needs that flash, it needs personalities, it needs a boost and, if you'd like to think of them this way (I don't), it needs some "bad boys" (in a good way, of course).

Now, I will whole-heartedly say - GO, support the Tour of Georgia! GO out on the roads, watch the race, chalk the road, cheer your hearts out. This is going to be one heck of a race. I can't wait to watch it unfold every single day.

To Tyler and all the Rock Stars - Allez! Allez!

Oh, just one thing....again, Rock Racing...where's your gear!? C'mon - we can't wait to get our hands on it.

Rock Stars in California

Tyler Hamilton and the other Rock Stars lead the peloton

Photo: Action Images

Did y'all see the results for the 24th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic? Just who was at the top of the heap when it was all finished? A Rock Star, Santiago Botero!

If you followed along with The Daily Peloton you saw that Rock Racing team members were refered to as "Rock Stars". Not sure if that was The Daily Peloton dubbing them that, or if that came from the PR folks at Rock Racing. Either way, it's brilliant marketing.

The Rock Stars proved they are serious and here to stay...are you paying attention Tour of Georgia?

Just one thing for Rock Racing, though...where's the gear? Your growing fan base wants to get all decked out! Someone told me April....it's April....I want to start sporting some green and black gear gang! Get it out there.

Bravo, Rock Stars, Bravo!

My very own bike racing RANT

USA Today's Sal Ruibal is a great supporter and reporter of cycling and I always enjoy reading his articles. He's a very fair reporter and knows how to get a scoop. Today he's got some information on the Tour of California's new drug testing protocols. Give it a read.

(note: rant about to start...)

I'd heard through the grapevine last week about some of this information. I wasn't happy about it then and I'm not that happy about it now. Now before you run off and say that I want to stick our heads in the sand and have less testing that's not it. I have no problems with the extensive testing they are going to be doing in Cali this year. Actually, I stand up and applaud it. Way to go!

They are actually going to have testing before the race to get a norm reading, if you will. If that varies during the race...well...chances are you've been a bad boy. I'm all for that as long as normal bodily production is taken into account. I'm not a doctor so I have no idea if that last sentence is feasible or not, but just wanted to put it out there.

As they go through the race, each day's winner will be tested and the overall leader will also be tested (I think that's what they do in Le Tour, too). In addition, three random riders will be tested very single day. Bravo! Way to go Tour of California! Much better than last year's plan.

Now comes the part I, personally, am not happy about. I don't want to paraphrase, so I'll use Sal's words here because he's seen the plan and I haven't.

Teams have agreed to guarantee that all members, including coaches, trainers and support staff, are clear of any open doping investigations. The team's roster of riders will be submitted to USA Cycling (the national governing organization) and UCI to confirm that there are no "open investigations."

Sal goes on to write...
That exclusion rule has some teams worried. USADA guidelines say a rider can only be suspended if an offense is established. But without a clear definition of "open investigations" at the Tour of California, teams are concerned that overzealous officials could restrict riders without due legal process.

I bolded that last bit because it is exactly what concerns me, too. It concerned me last week when I heard it because the last I checked we were in the United States where, in theory, you are innocent until proven guilty. This last bit does not allow for that. It shuns people that could be truly innocent and doesn't allow them to make a living doing their job.

Yes, more times than not, it seems like in the last couple of years if you are accused of doping you've done it. BUT, there are a few times that this hasn't been the case at all. Riders have been cleared. Whether you choose to believe them or not is a personal choice, but some riders have been cleared. So, under this new rule in Cali, if you are under suspicion you are, in their mind, guilty and they do not want you at their race. Wow. Judge & Jury out there in Cali without knowing any facts.

I absolutely, without question think that drugs do not have any place in sport. I absolutely, without question think that there needs to be better, more consistent systems. I absolutely believe that those who have gone through the system and been proven to cheat should be suspended and not be able to ride in sanctioned races. I absolutely applaud Tour of California for most of their stepped up efforts in the fight against performance enhancing drugs.

However, I do not condone making potentially innocent men sit on the side lines because someone accused them of something. Maybe there is basis to that accusation, maybe not. It's also a very grey area. What constitutes a legitimate allegation being investigated by the "authorities"? Oy...this could be very messy.

I think that the whole sport has been so damaged recently and that races and officials need to find more consistency in their testing and rules. I don't think that keeping potentially innocent men out of competition is the way to do it. We saw that in Le Tour in 2006 - whole teams were kept out of Le Tour and then a few weeks later, "oops, we made a mistake". Seriously? Who compensates them for the wages lost and the sponsors' dollars lost?

Yes, sponsors are walking away from pro cycling because of the doping. But, let's face it, there have been false accusations. So now we are in the situation where a sponsor believes in their riders, but someone says they aren't clean so they are investigated and during that investigation races start excluding them from riding. The sponsor loses chances to promote their brand and their team during that time. Low and behold, that rider is cleared a few weeks or months later. The rider isn't the only one who loses out.

If this becomes the norm at races, you may see additional sponsors walking away.

We are in the United States, people. Innocent until proven guilty.

End of rant...

The Lion King to Roar Again

What's been rumored for a couple of weeks now is official - Mario Cipollini is coming out of retirement to race again. Better still....he's part of a team that will be racing quite a bit in the US so many fans here may get the chance to see him and all of his funky skin suits streaking past us. C'mon, wasn't it fun to see what crazy design he'd be wearing each day of Le Tour? Not what Le Tour is about, I know, but a fun side piece on the day's serious racing.

Yes, I know he's about to be 41 and yes, I know the team is controversial, but people, it's Mario Cipollini. There is nothing bad about that. That statement is more than just from some chick's perspective. Think about it from the side of what the sport of cycling needs right now. There isn't anything bad about Mario coming back - he's flashy, he's fun to watch, he's usually got something entertaining to say and he's darn talented. The sport needs some fun right about now and, especially in the US, the sport needs someone to draw in fans. With his flamboyance and talent, Mario may just be the person to do that. He'll certainly get attention for his new team, Rock Racing.

On a side note, does anyone else think that it's pretty ironic that Mario, the fashion king, will be racing for a team where the main sponsor is a "trendy clothing company", Rock & Republic? Do I see cross advertising in the future? Oh yea.

I was already a fan of this team because Michael Ball is giving my friend Tyler a second chance. That's all the reason I need to get back out to a race, chalk the roads and cheer like a maniac. Adding The Lion King to the team? Bonus. When can I buy team merchandise and where are they all racing first? I'm going to try to be at whatever race that is...see you on the roads soon!

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.

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.

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....

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.

CMWC & Mountain Mayhem

Since our home office is in the US, we tend to talk a lot about events and such here. But, we are a worldwide company and we are involved in some pretty cool things in other countries, too.

Here's a shot of the bike parking area at Mountain Mayhem at Eastnor Castle this summer.

Thanks to our great distributor partner, Madison, it looks pretty snazzy doesn't it? This was during set-up. I'm told that once the event got started it was a madhouse!

Look for this same set up at the Tour of Britain at Crystal Palace in London on September 9th. Madison set this up last year, too, but this year the parking area will be much bigger. Way to go, guys!

Off to Ireland....

This past weekend was the 15th Annual Cycle Messenger World Championships in Dublin. I haven't heard from the event organizer yet. I'm assuming he's still recovering. But, he'll check in soon.

In the mean time, here are some photos of the event from a participant in Germany. They really capture the fun of the event.

There are a few on the CMWC MySpace page, too. And a few here...my favorite of this bunch? This one, of course. And there are more here and a couple here.

We have been a proud supporter of most of the CMWC events and look forward to being involved next year, too!

Tour de France, Catalogs & Such

Oh my goodness, how about the Tour Day France this weekend? Tim Jackson/Masiguy has great recaps - better than I could do since he has raced and knows more about that aspect. I just watch for the pure enjoyment of watching these guys put it all out on the line athletically. That, and the antics from the sidelines.

Seriously, a guy in a full chicken costume running up the mountain next to Michael Rassmussen yesterday? Priceless.

But, the most enjoyment, for this fan, was watching Alexander Vinokourov just kick some serious butt on the time trial - in the wet! Wow. It was impressive.

Equally impressive was yesterday's win by youngster Alberto Contador. After riding for hours and hours and then needing to attack that last mountain? And, leave most of your competitors behind. Nicely, done. He really made it look effortless, which floors me.

I can't wait for tonight's coverage with Bob and Al (shhh...don't tell...I spend all day not looking to see who won the stages so I can be surprised at night). Besides, I just love the "Bob and Al Show". They are too funny.

Oh, stay tuned for another Bob post at the end of the week. He's going to check in from Paris on Friday night or Saturday to give us his thoughts as the Tour wraps up.

Now it's off to work on the bike security catalog. It's that time where we are getting ready for the big industry trade shows. Eurobike is at the end of August in Germany and then there is the Canadian show in mid-September and then Interbike in Vegas at the end of September. Kryptonite will be at all three. If you are a dealer attending one, or more, of those shows, stop by! Much more news about those shows as we get closer.

I wonder which Tour stars will be at Eurobike....one year Jan Ullrich was there and you would have thought royalty was in the building or something. I don't know what to compare it to. It was a frenzied crowd. Somehow, I don't think he'll be there this year....but you never know who might show up. Someone from Astana? The Chicken himself?

There I go thinking "Tour" again. It's so hard not to in July! But...catalogs need to get done....

Tour DAY France Tidbits

I've caught a couple of the Tour de France stages this week (I missed the opening day due to a family reunion). I loved hearing "Tour DAY France" for the first time this year from our friend, Bob Roll. I just love it!

Speaking of Bob...he'll be checking in here over the weekend. He's blogging right here from Le Tour. I'm pumped about that. I'm hoping he writes about the first mountain stages! Stay tuned....

I started my career organizing events. It's not always easy and event day is a blur of activity. If you have time to breathe, you are lucky. Kudos to Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director, on taking time out to not only breathe, but actually sign autographs for kids and spend a few minutes with them. That's how you make Tour fans for life!

Thanks to Carlton for sending this link. It's a bright spot in the day to know that there are people out there who take the time to make a kid's day. Bravo Mr. P!