Interbike.
Not sure, but I think this is my 11th or 12th attendance. First was in Anaheim, back in my bike shop days. So different back then, as a shop guy. It was the world’s biggest candy store and I freaked out like a kid in Toy’s R Us on his birthday. Horded stickers, catalogs, T-Shirts, you name it. Dreamworld.
Little did I know then that I’d return a few years later while working for the same shop, and then a few years later still as an Editor of the mighty Bicycling Magazine, no less. Again, the experience was amazing and entirely different than my bike shop days. I found the edit side to be a) more work, and b) potentially more lucrative, as companies give editor types all kinds of free stuff. That was quite nice. Five years well spent, if not a bit hard on the feet.
For the past three years it’s been with Blackburn. And once again the experience is different. Now it’s more booth work and less floor walking, hand shaking and product ogling. The work aspect was up and down but overall very good, and the rare moments when I escaped the booth, I saw the most amazing bikes my Pegoretti (someday I’ll buy one, I swear) and Easton’s new cross fork, which will be on my Rock Lobster team bike, which I’ll get soon.
By far, one of the best aspects of the show was telling friends and acquaintances that I’d won back-to-back cross races the weekend before.
I did a bad thing upon arrival Monday…stayed up late with coworkers, gambled in the room with dice and drank unspecified quantities of vodka. Woke up next morning with $140 extra in my pocket, and enough vodka in my bloodstream that I might have still been drunk.
Apart from that, every night I was in bed relatively early. Still worried about keeping the legs fresh, walking/standing all day, no rides, and a big race the day after my return.
Not sure, but I think this is my 11th or 12th attendance. First was in Anaheim, back in my bike shop days. So different back then, as a shop guy. It was the world’s biggest candy store and I freaked out like a kid in Toy’s R Us on his birthday. Horded stickers, catalogs, T-Shirts, you name it. Dreamworld.
Little did I know then that I’d return a few years later while working for the same shop, and then a few years later still as an Editor of the mighty Bicycling Magazine, no less. Again, the experience was amazing and entirely different than my bike shop days. I found the edit side to be a) more work, and b) potentially more lucrative, as companies give editor types all kinds of free stuff. That was quite nice. Five years well spent, if not a bit hard on the feet.
For the past three years it’s been with Blackburn. And once again the experience is different. Now it’s more booth work and less floor walking, hand shaking and product ogling. The work aspect was up and down but overall very good, and the rare moments when I escaped the booth, I saw the most amazing bikes my Pegoretti (someday I’ll buy one, I swear) and Easton’s new cross fork, which will be on my Rock Lobster team bike, which I’ll get soon.
By far, one of the best aspects of the show was telling friends and acquaintances that I’d won back-to-back cross races the weekend before.
I did a bad thing upon arrival Monday…stayed up late with coworkers, gambled in the room with dice and drank unspecified quantities of vodka. Woke up next morning with $140 extra in my pocket, and enough vodka in my bloodstream that I might have still been drunk.
Apart from that, every night I was in bed relatively early. Still worried about keeping the legs fresh, walking/standing all day, no rides, and a big race the day after my return.
posted by the seamus at 1:07 PM
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