By Scotty Mac
I could write a book on Vegas.
It would be a book about how this town distends who you are in an amalgam of ways, coming at you from all sides with vices innumerable. There would be a far-ranging cast, a seeming mixture of clichés that nonetheless came across as indisputably real. You’d meet the guy trying to be ironic in the tuxedo shirt and the young woman strutting away in an approximation of a skirt. Then, of course, there’s the mom dragging her 9 year-old son around the Strip, his eyes scrunched and mouth open in silent supplication. And who could forget the boy band castoffs, glowing in their pastel’d shirts, casually handling their neon drinks topped with gaily bedecked umbrellas? Maybe it’s just the 36oz bier from the Hofbrauhaus talking, but I’m fairly certain this book would be epic.
Short of that however, let’s aim for a coherent retelling of the day’s events.
Demo Days Expo at InterBike 2013
We got to Bootleg Canyon for the second day of Demo Days by 8:30 a.m.; a half hour after the venue had opened. In the time it took me to walk from the minivan to the Santa Cruz tent, all the Bronson 27.5s were gone. This not being my first rodeo, I grabbed something else to ride. That something turned out to be the Santa Cruz Bantam 27.5, a shorter travel version of the Heckler I had ridden the previous day. It rode very similar to its longer travel brother, the front end always ready for whatever I threw at it.
Pat attacked the Marin Attack Trail XM8 27.5, and Yeti SB66 26 and SB75 27.5. Of the three, the Attack Trail came out on top. “I really liked how it climbed and the front end was playful on the descents. Very confidence-inspiring.” A playful front end was a common theme for us out at Demo Days. We all wanted a bike that would go where we pointed it, lift up when we lifted it, and whip around when we whipped it. Well, those of us who actually can whip, at least.
Miss Lisa Represents the Ascent Cycling Ladies at InterBike 2013 Demo Days
Clay’s two-wheeled honey for the day was the Yeti SB75. “The bike felt light, very confident in all the terrain, and it seemed to hold the momentum you put into it very well. Climbs well, too.” Clay went on to say that he believes the 27.5” wheel format is here to stay, and though it will never supplant 29ers as the sole format, it does signal the death knell for the 26” bike.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t jump away from talking bikes and Vegas Strip randomness and give a shout-out to EVOC Sports USA. The domestic arm of a German company, these guys are putting out some pretty nice pack options for riders from all walks of life. The colors are bold, the pack layouts logical, and the reps- Colorado Springs’ Cameron and Amber Chambers- are awesome.
Oh, and this happened:
Oh, and this happened:
Day One of the indoor convention coming at us on Wednesday, and coming all too soon after stuffing my face with food and drink at the Hofbrauhaus and then taking an existential walk around the Strip. Time to rally!
