Reports from Interbike 2018

[Tricia]

Phil and I spent the morning at Northstar for the Consumer Demo Day and getting the lay of the land.

Several things piqued our interest ranging from new helmet concepts, recovery products, 3D print projects, clothing, and cool bikes.
Give us a shout out about any specific products you'd like us to look at a little closer.

Here are a few photos of the day to get things going.

First Kali Protectives helmet.
The dual foam is molded with the plastic instead of being glued like most helmets are.

A 3D printed bike frame.

Like I said, these are just a few teasers. Look for more in the coming days.

 

[Philpug]

Day 1. First I will say that Interbike is way different than SIA/OR. This is the first major trade fair that I have attended that consumer actually got to experience and see the product before the retailer. The bike demo was scheduled before the retailer demo, Saturday vs. the Sunday/Monday of the dealer demo. At this open air demo product display we actually expected it to be far more crowded than it was. I am not sure how well publicized the event was other than seeing it on Northstars Facebook page showing that it was 10 days out and that number never changing.

There were about 40 booths set up in the parking lot. The booths included smaller nutrition companies, tire brands, helmet companies and less bike companies than I expected for demoing options. Cannondale and Pivot were the two majors along with Haro, Raleigh/Haibike, Mondraker, Camapnolo, Richey and a few smaller e-bike specific brands like Fantic. Gates was there promoting their belt driven bike parters and had the eye candy winner of the show so far 3D printed frame which Gates kept aside for pics but could not be test ridden.

Bosch wa sponsoring an E-bike race and here are pictures from their charging station for all the bikes.

Küat was the only rack carrier that had a tent set up, with a new slider ski rack. We will get more picks of their racks from the floor in Reno.

Ventana had a really cool 4" tire bike with a unique carbon fork design.

There is a new Tahoe based shoe company, Ride Concepts which is starting with a full line of shoes. We look forward to talking with them some more.

 

[Philpug]

So far, if I were to give the show a grade, I would give it an "E". First, I will start for the not so obvious reason, who has access to the venue. The answer would be everyone. I do like how SIA/OR limits access to the show floor and the demo tents, but at Interbike, there is access by anyone who seems to have a pulse. As we were walking in, we ran into a group of riders who we knew socially, that were taking some bikes for a test ride...a fourteen mile test ride. Hmmm how long will a 14 mile ride take? Maybe a couple of hours. Now, I really don't blame them but there should be a set limit to tell a consumer/rider how long is exected to tak e bike to decide if it is right for you...this should/could be done in significantly less time/miles. Later I ran into this group when they were returning their bikes and in that time I had been on four bikes...that I rode up to mid mountain and back down on one of the DH trails. This gave me a pretty good feel for their pluses and minuses...again, on four different bikes. We have also seen this happen at consumer ski demo's, where someone takes a ski in the AM, does not return it until last chair. In the meantime, that ski could have been out with numerous testers.

We were at this even to conduct business, IMHO, this was not an even for a consumer demo, especially when in most cases dealers were there to help make decisions on how to round out their order for the coming season. There is a time for consumer demos and IMHO, there are not enough of them. There were levels of frustration seen in the aisles and from the techs trying to help the people that needed to be there. The topping on the sundae/Sunday was when a women walked up to a tent asking to "try a bike", she was asked what did she have in mind, she simply replied "Oh, a mountain bike". I grade the event so far as an E.

The second E grade would be that E-bikes were the hit of the show. It was not that everyone asked for one but it was that everyone asked for one and when there was not one to take, they took what they could until the next E-bike was returned. In our case, we were guilty by association because quite frankly, they were so easy and quick to access the middle for the mountain. In talking to some long term riders that we knew..all said how much fun they were having on the assisted bikes and not so much that they were cheating but that it made accessing so much more terrain that much easier and quicker.

I will add a couple of additional observations from today, first besides everyone wanting to try the E-bikes, Pivot was also a winner of this show, there was always a line at the Pivot tent. With the sign up saying that the last bike would go out at 3:30, the line was still 15 deep at 3:20, crazy. The second was that I took out a E-bike that had 2 bars and on a 2 mile loop, I ran out of power 1.5 miles in. Fortunately the rest of the ride was downhill. While I made it back..and later to type this..it was like driving a truck that the power steering went out on...not an easy task. I will add this to the review of the particular bike after clarification from the brand and if there was indeed an issue with the battery. Third, while you would think there would be a consistancy between drives like Bosch, Brose or Shimano, ect...there is a definitive feeling if difference in the applications from brand of bikes to brand of bikes and models to models. Don't think that you might assume that you just want X motor...you need to ride it in the application you are thinking. Like full suspensions from the turn of the century, brands are still trying to figure this whole E-bike thing out.

 

[Philpug]

Photos from day 1 on the floor September 18
Descriptions and details will follow
Fazua Drive System

Bulls
Estream EVO

KiddiMoto Balance bike. Carbon fiber frame weighs just a little over .5 lbs (420 grams)

Another bike that stood out and received a Pugski award.

 

[Tricia]

Day 2 Tariffs: (Phil's post below will have day 2 highlights that are not tariff related)
Phil and I needed to divide and conquer this morning so we could meet with our appointments and also attend the session on Tariffs and how they are/will effect the bike industry.
I'm sitting in the session, which was held up a few minutes to see if more people were coming in. There are a total of 15 people, including me at the moment, (note: by the end of the session, there were 25 people in attendance)

NOTE: Tariffs are an important discussion for both bike and ski related topics. Please keep this discussion on track for how it impacts us, and keep it civil. This will not be turned into a left/right political discussion

The first thing to understand the background on Section 301:
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 was set up allow the President of the United States to set tariffs to protect intellectual property of the US without Congressional approval.
The only way that this can be repealed is if Congress makes a strong move to do so, which can be vetoed by the President.

In the first round of tariffs, 50 billion in products were involved in the first round, which was pared down to 34 billion. The biggest part of the bike industry impact was GPS.

2nd round E-Bikes and E-bike motors were included. This was 16 billion in tariffs which reflect the pared down amount from the first round.

3rd round is the biggest impact and impacts most bikes, parts, and accessories.
On September 17, USTR made an announcement regarding implementation of the Round 3 tariffs:

• The tariff will be raised by 10% effective Monday September 24, 2018
• The tariff will raise by an additional 15% (total increase of 25%) on January 1, 2019

An emphasis was made that the bike industry was already paying a fairly heavy tariff prior to these, something around 7% depending on the product.

Prior to round three going into affect, People for Bikes as well as other lobbying groups had over 200 people testify in an effort to have this list pared back. The biggest roll back was for helmets and lights because they were able to make a case for safety.

A new law will provide tariff relief for several product categories on October 13, 2018

• Disc brakes
• Stand up and elliptical bikes
• unicycles
• speedometers
• Zee cages
• Reflectors
• Water bottle caps
• Some shoes(Depending on the HDS code you use to import)

What's next?
Even though Congress can't override the tariffs set forth by the President, it is important to continue to lobby and do everything we can to fight back in an effort to get some of these tariffs pulled or pared down.
In the mean time, if you're importing from China, you can appeal to have the tariff lifted, but you have to show proof that you can't source from the US or a US friendly country.
Example:

*I typed and uploaded images while it was happening. There is so much to absorb.
For updates on tariffs and regulations associated with tariffs go to https://www.regulations.gov

 

[Philpug]

Day 2 fun photos

More on this torque tool later in the thread.

This Helmet by Suomy could be a good fit for someone who needs to wear glasses while riding.
Magnets secure the goggles to the helmet, which can be flipped up when necessary.

Sena started building blue tooth audio systems for motorcycle helmets several years ago so that Road riders could talk to each other while on the road. They have expanded their technology through most helmet lines including this one, which has incredible sound.
They have a ski helmet in the works but its not in production yet.

Leatt protection products MTB Helmet.
Some cool technology built in to this helmet. Looking forward to riding in one next summer

 

[Tricia]

Day three on the floor was a day of few meetings and lots of strolling through the aisles to see if there was anything we missed.
The first photo is actually from day 2 but I didn't get it posted.
Smith has redesigned their bike helmets with a different placement of Koroyd which allows the helmet to vent better than previous models. Cyclists have given them feedback on this and they have listened. They have also integrated a visor that has three positions to get it up, out of the way or down for sun glare. In the up position, you can put your sunglasses in the fitted groove to keep them out of the way when not in use.

Stompump
This was a last minute find, but we're happy we found it. Stompump wins an innovative bike tool award from Pugski.com.
This 2 inch diameter, compact pump is powerful enough to air up a tubeless tire. No exhausting push/pull with your arms, just stomp on it.

Wildsyde E-Cruiser Bike out of Steamboat Springs.
@Ron brought this one to our attention
This E-Cruiser has a Hog kind of feel for someone who wants that unique ride around town.

This company was by the front door, so we walked by it every day while we were rushing to and from meetings. Today I stopped because .... Phil.
Phil Wood worked for another company to source quality lubricants, but he wanted to do more with the things with the cycle industry both with lubricants and the things you use the lubricants for, so he started with a top quality lubricant. Then he started making hubs, wheels, axels.....
Phil Wood & Co

That's a wrap for Interbike 2018. If you have questions or comments about any of the things in these first few posts, please quote them and we'll be happy to answer
Also, look for more detailed reviews on products that we will be testing in the coming year.

 

[Tricia]

This needs to be it's own thread. Please stop by Mavic, I'd love to see 2019 softwoods, also please tell them that we NEED a 12-spd Shimano freehub body or they have lost this 30 year customer forever.

Quote from the MTB thread.
We'll put Mavic on our list.

 

[Tony S]

MTB shorts for guys who are less than seven feet tall.

 

[luliski]

Those Ride Concept shoes look like they might have a wide toe box? I'm still looking for that.

 

[Tricia]

MTB shorts for guys who are less than seven feet tall.

I'd be happy to find MTB shorts that fit the curves of a woman who has curves

 

[Tricia]

Those Ride Concept shoes look like they might have a wide toe box? I'm still looking for that.

I'll try some on and give you an idea.

 

[luliski]

I'll try some on and give you an idea.

Thank you! I looked at their website. It looks like they won't be available until the fall.

 

[Tricia]

Day one of industry demo, which coincided with day two of consumer demo, met with some challenges, as @Philpug said in his above post.
Consumers think of a demo as a "Take this toy and do your normal ride with it".
Industry professionals think of it as, "Take it for a run or two to get a sense of what it does, but get it back soon so someone else can try it"
That being said, we didn't get on as many bikes as we thought we would but we did get a chance to talk to a lot of manufacturers to get a little deeper into the nitty gritty.

A stand out for me was the different screens and buttons on the different e-bikes. Some seemed clunky to operate and difficult to read while others seemed intuitive to operate and easy to read. As someone who wears reading glasses on a daily basis, but not while I ride, I really liked the two screens that had color changes when going from eco/tour/turbo.

The operating system that I found most intuitive was the Shimano on the Cujo NEO 130

When we took a walk through the village to grab lunch, we found this cool set up on the end of the rink for kids

All in all, this is a fun and informative experience with only a few frustrating moments.

 

[Tricia]

We had some really good riding today.
We spent our time on e-Bikes, in part because there were many that we know we won't have the chance to demo locally. In part because it was good to get a sense of different drive trains with different e-assist.

Take aways from two days of demos for me:
The Pivot Shuttle and Cannondale Cujo NEO were pretty much what I expected them to be. Both were good, had intuitive screen and remote. Both shifted well and changed e-assist nicely. They also coasted nicely on the DH trail.
The Haibike SDURO was not as intuitive as I thought it would be since they were on the forefront of e-bike technology. I found the remote for the e-assist to be clunky and difficult to push just right and the bike made a lot of noise.
The surprise of the demo was Haro, a brand that I didn't associate with mountain biking as much as dirt jumpers, pump track and BMX.
The first time I was at their tent, I was able to take out the hard tail Subvert (I/O 9). Not super excited to ride some of the terrain available to us on a hard tail, but this was a good experience.
My "tail" wasn't happy with the ascent considering the ruts and bumps, but the bike climbed like a billy goat, even on a mid range setting. Phil was intrigued by it so he switched bikes with me for a bit (He was on a Mondraker).
While a hart tail mountain bike is not ideal on real DH terrain, this bike was nimble and fun. Would I buy it for my every day bike? No, because I really like a FS bike, but dang it was fun.

The second Haro I demo'd was the Haro I/O 9 Shift. (Phil took out the same bike). They use the same e-assist system on this bike as some of the other leaders in the industry, like Pivot, so it was intuitive to me and easy to operate. While the frame is aluminum, instead of carbon like on a few other bikes we rode, it didn't feel like aluminum.
Haro is a stand out for me, not because its the absolute best e-bike out there, but because its a really, really good bike that wasn't on my radar. NOW its on my radar.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Mod raker had an e-bike? Must have made the Pivot look like a bargain!

 

[Philpug]

Mondraker had an e-bike? Must have made the Pivot look like a bargain!

Haha..yup. It was their top of the line e-CRUSHER CARBON RR+...usually about $10,500 but this was a special build that was there just as an experiment and would be about $11,500 or so.

Plus this beauty which was ungodly light...they wouldn't tell us the weight but it felt about 21ish...at the most.

 

[Jed Peters]

Plus this beauty which was ungodly light...they wouldn't tell us the weight but it felt about 21ish...at the most.

I'd be surprised if that was over 19.

I wonder if it'd last a whole ride underneath me? (Doubtful)

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I read elsewhere it was 18.6 lbs

 

[Philpug]

I'd be surprised if that was over 19.

I wonder if it'd last a whole ride underneath me? (Doubtful)

I read elsewhere it was 18.6 lbs

They wouldn't let us weigh it and wouldn't discuss any numbers. We plan on packing a scale to go to the show today but Mondrake won't be on the floor, they were just at the outdoor venue.