Interbike 2013: Outdoor Demo & Enduro Challenge at Bootleg Canyon
To be honest I didn’t want to go to Las Vegas. But business is business, so I made the trip to a city made of illusion. It’s the perfect illusion of success, but the only ones that are successful are the Casinos. It’s a place where they say anything is possible and there are tons of no deposit bonus to take advantage of. The power however, is in the hands of very few, controlling and determining exactly what they offer the masses of tourists in their cities. City? Yes! Every big hotel is it’s’ own city with more “inhabitants”, more bars and restaurants than an average small town. You can choose between Paris, New York, Rome (Caeser’s Palace!) or Egypt. But no matter where you are, you’ll see people that lose everything, money, house and eventually even their family. The divergence couldn’t be any bigger. Pretending to being to be full of culture, but no matter which hotel you are and how much money you have, in sin city everything is about gambling, money, sex and drugs. Even the airport is a huge casino! First night in Vegas – tremendous and impressive at the same time.
Monday morning I took the Shuttle from Mandalay Bay to Bootleg Canyon. A 20-minute-trip into a new world: Interbike outdoor Demo. As a European you know that in America everything is “a little bit” bigger. But is bigger always better? We know size matters, but also the quality. “Outdoor Demo is the largest two day bicycle demo in the world offering retailers and media a hands-on opportunity to ride and test the latest models and technology in an outstanding setting.” And yes, it is outstanding. If you have been to Eurobike’s Demoday you see, feel and live the difference.
First of all, the trails are sick, offering the chance for any type of rider to put the material to test. Mellow, flowy trails, rough enduro tracks and even scary downhills, a jump line, “some kind of a” pump track or dirt jump park and even nice lanes for roadies make up for a great mix. On some of the trails you could even see Las Vegas in the background. Stunning! Second it is just huge! Probably 3 times the size of Eurobike’s Demoday.
Third it is damn hot. You ride in the desert and there’s nothing friendly out there – except…
… the guys at IMBA National Mountain Bike Patrol. They offer tubes, tools and first aid for you and your bike.
And even more important: They offered shade and cold water!
“Keep on drinking” is a good motto in Vegas. For those who didn’t do it only because of the hot temperatures during the day, “Bad Ass Coffee” offered the right pick-me-up in the morning.
For the ambitious testers out there, there was an enduro race on challenging terrain: Four special stages had to be absolved during the day. The excellent timing was done by Innovative Timing Systems.
In order to get to the top of some of the stages you could either pedal up or even take the huge shuttle bus.
We hit the trails with Tsering from Marin Bikes to get some first riding impressions on the new models.
The super light trail bike Mount Vision which comes in 27.5″, offering 140mm of travel in front and rear.
US-based photographer Daniel Dunn and the new Yeti SB-95C.
Another hot bike we could get a first ride on: The Intense Carbine 29.
OutDoor Demo is not only big but also offers high quality time, great trails and a perfect organization. Free beer and special offers for the event’s attendees ensured a great experience and a relaxed vibe!
Words & photos: Robin Schmitt
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