Interbike 2003 Miscellaneous Notes and Highlights

I was really struck by the E-bay selling seminar being pushed at first day check in. At first I didn’t think that would be appreciated by the dealers association putting on the show, but on further information and investigation it seems that E-bay is marketing to shops to increase sales by selling their merchandise on E-bay. The E-Bay reps were quick to allay billing and security concerns with coming advances in their operation.

Something different for us here along the coast was the interest in fitness equipment. Once shop owner from Milwaukee told me (as we waited in line at the Pinarello booth for Allesandro Petachhi’s autograph), increased fitness equipment business is really driving his overall sales totals. The overall theme was, more and more people want to stay fit for the next season and are working harder to do it. So manufacturers and bike shops are responding with more and more fitness and cycling specific indoor equipment. Two companies leading this were LeMond Fitness (making stationary “Spinning”-type bikes) and Spinervals (making guided workout tapes for “Spinning”-type bikes or trainers. They were set up side by side and Spinervals’ tapes featured LeMond stationary bikes. Spinervals’ current line features 15 competition series tapes and DVDs and two fitness series tapes and DVDs. They are also coming out with a Runervals series and a three hour cycling video.

The Maxxis tire both was a popular stop. They are introducing some newer more flat resistant road tires that should be available in December. They also seemed high on the Reynolds all carbon clincher as they were displaying tires on them. One interesting highlight here was their promotional poster with our South Bay Cycles neighbors ogling a beautiful woman on a Maxxis equipped bike. Also, watch out for Maxxis as a new sponsor of Health-Net, if I overheard the rumors correctly.

Clif-bar had one of the absolute hits of the show. A shuffleboard type game set up across their booth. People were constantly waiting in line on both sides of the board for the chance to win various prizes ranging from a small ball (in the 0-1 point “Win Something” category) to a Clif-bar cap (in the 2-4 point “Win Something Better” category) to a pint glass (in the 8 points and above “Win Something Wonderful” category.)

Finally, it is not a trade show without the “talent” hired by companies to entice the largely male audience to stop by. By far the coolest were the candy-cane-red-haired women at the SRAM booth. They frequently left the booth to wander with their product and rarely went unnoticed.

22 October 2003

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