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KANSAS BOB: THE UNSUNG HEROES OF OUTDOOR DEMO
Kansas Bob
October 7, 2008
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I’ve been lucky enough to attend Interbike two different times in the past, but never could work the Outdoor Demo into my schedule. This year I was able to remedy that.
My plan was to arrive early Sunday night to get good nights sleep, then head out to Bootleg Canyon and check every thing out. I got in a little later than I planned and was a bit worn out from climbing Onion Valley Road the day before, but managed to roll out of bed at the “crack of nine” and start the day.
Registering took but a moment and soon I was on the bus! Stepping down from the bus gave me my first view of the Bootleg Canyon complex. What a sight! The setting was just below a row of mountains, with a view of Lake Mead to one side, and another view of the desert stretching far into the distance on the other. Just before I entered the complex and passing an unarmed guard, I climbed a small knoll and took several photos of the tents, bikes, and trails below. It would take an extreme fish-eye lens to do Bootleg Canyon justice.
As I systematically walked each aisle of tents full of the latest bike goodies, I was overwhelmed. Almost to the point of lock-up. It was obvious that this was going to take a plan. I felt like a kid that just wanted to run up to each table full of candy and start gorging myself.
Figuring that I could look at the cool parts, tools, and accessories later in the week, I headed first to the Specialized tent to check out the new Roubaix patterned after the bike that Tom Boonen won Paris-Roubaix this year while riding. My newest best friend Garth Spencer pulled one out of stock and set it up for me.
My first impressions were one of familiarity of fit and handling, but the responsiveness has been livened up considerably from that of my personal 2006 Roubaix Pro, that I’ve ridden many miles on. I’ve been told that Mike Sinyard has chosen a Roubaix for his personal ride. Look for a full test, written by those in the know, in an upcoming issue.
Next up was the Colnago CX1 a ten on the coolness factor if there ever was one. I’ve never ridden a Colnago before and couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. My first impressions were of responsiveness, stable handling, and great climbing (not to mention- Hey look at me, I’m on a Colnago CX1). What would it be like to own one of these?
One of my buddies has a Storck and constantly brags about it, you know the drill, lightest, stiffest, most responsive. Looking across the paddock there were the Storck guys. Bruce McCarthy came out to greet me and asked if I’d like to ride one. Sure, why not I answered. He rolled out one of their hottest models, the Fascenario 0.7. Casually, he mentioned that this was a $12,000 bicycle! What’s a Kansas boy to think about that? Heck, I could buy a John Deere with that kind of money. The build on my bike brought the weight in to the 13 pound range. Holy, Cow! Bruce then told me that they commonly build this model into the 10 pound range.
Let’s ride this puppy. I headed down the demo road and couldn’t believe the feeling of flick ability. The Fascenario was quick out of the saddle, climbed great (greater with a skinny, younger guy, I’m sure) and stiff. Racers should love this bike and so did I. If only I could do it justice.
It was hot at Bootleg Canyon as only Nevada can be, and I was dying of thirst. Looking over near the Polar Electronics booth, I spotted Kirsten making smoothies. As she greeted me with an Aloha, she asked what I would like – a Mango – Orange, Black Raspberry and Banana please, I answered, large. It was Nirvana! Her smoothie booth became my hangout as my energy faded each day.
Riding out on the bus yesterday, my seatmate Ray Liebert of Bike Warrior Fame in Tarzana, asked if I’d ridden a Scott Addict yet. No, should I? He then began to tell me what a cool bike it was. With that in mind, I headed for the Scott tent to search out Scott Montgomery to ask him for a test ride. It took a couple of return trips before I got my hands on one (they were really popular).
Stephan brought out my Addict and began the setup for me. He also filled me in on some details of the bike’s construction. The main triangle is laid up with one piece of carbon fiber, thus avoiding overlap at the tube junctions. This helps brings the weight of the frame down to an amazing 790 grams. I loved this bike. It handled as though it knew what I was thinking. Out of the saddle, it ripped, and climbed as though some one else was doing the pedaling. If I’m lucky, maybe we’ll get one for a long term review.
I’ve always wanted to ride a Ridley, especially the Noah, Ridley’s top of the line race bike. It’s known to be stiff and very responsive. Monty pulled a 52 off of the rack, and to my dismay, the integrated seat mast was too long to accommodate my short inseam. If I’d brought along my battery powered sawzall, I could have fixed this thing on the spot. As it was, I still wanted to ride the Noah, so I took it out for a “stand up test ride”. It’s a really good climber out of the saddle (which was the only option for me). But I never got to ride it much more than down the hill, and back up again. Integrated seat posts have a lot going for them in the racing world, but I’m a little wary of them for casual riding. The Noah is a race bike and I’m cognizant of that fact, but my ride was affected adversely. Sorry Ridley.
Way back in the late seventies, I owned a really sweet Gios. It was all Campy Super Record and would be a collector’s item now, if only I hadn’t sold it. It’s been thirty years since I’ve felt the road through a steel frame and I wanted to see what I’ve been missing all of these years. With that thought in mind, I searched out the Masi tent and asked Tyler Vanosdell to pull a classic steel Masi off of the rack for me. He found a beautiful metal flake red number in my size and started mounting my pedals and adjusting the seat height for me. The Masi looked familiar except it didn’t sport the lugs used in the old days. The tubeset was a Masi proprietary butted steel, designed to mimic the characteristics of Reynolds 631 tubing. Once on the Masi, my memory reverted to the Seventies. Steel is real, they say, and the ride was sweet indeed. The handling was neutral and I was thinking that this bike would be ideal for long, solo rides just enjoying the experience. It was nice to be back.
Summing up my two day Outdoor Demo experience would have to lead to some unasked for advice. Quit your day job and go to work for your favorite bike shop, but stipulate in your contract, that you get to attend Interbike’s Outdoor Demo (in the interest of your customers). Along with that, I’m sure that when you explain your need to ride to your significant other, that they will gladly take on a second job to help you achieve your dreams.
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