Virtual Interbike
You can’t always go to the big game. But staying home and watching it on TV isn’t ALL bad. You get your own brew, of MUCH MUCH better quality than the event variety and also for A LOT less money. Your own couch, your own remote, AND your own bathroom. One other thing – TV networks are able to splice and dice their feeds, giving you detailed quality coverage from multiple vantage points.
Similarly, the internet is a unique portal for all things. I'm not at Interbike this year, but I’m making the best of it. Besides spending time with Oskar and Dana, with my better brew and my own bathroom, it’s fun following the whole thing on the net. There are tons of news sites, blogs, and forums covering the event. Honestly I think I’ve learned more about new bike hardware and technology this year than any other year. While at the show it’s difficult to objectively focus and pick out every last detail, especially on little sleep and a foggy head.
Interesting to note that the thrust of this coverage, so I've found, is on hardware and hotties. Shiny bike parts and beautiful women seem to drive postings and hits and more postings and more hits. Of the sites covering Interbike, MTBR.com has probably the best in terms of photo variety. Their '05 Interbike People/Hotties page gets more hits than any other for their '05 Interbike coverage, individually or combined - more than components or frames or anything. Sooooo, coverage is a little light on the softer side of the bike business – softgoods and clothing.
I do find the singlespeed stuff interesting. 29er stuff too. I came across a nice '05 Interbike cyclingnews.com article on singlespeeds and 29ers and the growing trend toward 29er singlespeeds. WOW!!! I thought I’d re-post just the first paragraph as a teaser, with a link to the entire article. I’m still looking for riveting ’05 Interbike softgood articles worth reading and re-posting . . . until then, for those that ride a 1x1 or a 29er or one in the same, you might want to check this out:
Is bigger better, or less really more?
One of the most pervasive themes in the mountain bike scene at this year's Outdoor Demo [’05 Interbike] is the proliferation of singlespeed bikes and the 29" wheel concept (which are increasingly found paired together). Both of these ideas were practically regarded as circus sideshows in the not-so-distant past but have recently matured into legitimate subsegments of the market with an increasing number of bicycle and component manufacturers embracing the ideas and offering products to meet the demand.
For the rest of the article, go here.
Cranky on 09.30.05 @ 12:22 PM PST [link]
Tuesday, September 27th
World Carfree Day
Okay . . . a little slow to recap this one, none-the-less here’s the short and sweet of it. September 22nd (last Thursday) is/was World Carfree Day. The idea is to dedicate at least one day a year to promoting alternatives to car use. The Alternative Transportation Club at our local Humboldt State University puts together a fine early morning, community-oriented, controlled critical mass through town.
Critical Mass . . . Arcata Style
This culminates at the central “quad” on campus for a breakfast. There’s also campus events including music and speakers, films, and more. Each year I participate in this event. In fact I participate in Carfree Day every day, with most of my trips being of a pedaled nature. With automobile fuel costs what they are, automobile health and safety issues what they are, and automobile greenhouse gas outputs what they are – we can’t afford NOT to seek transportation alternatives. It’s all about balance folks. We currently need the automobile for some trips, but not for most trips.
If you missed the event there’s still time to have your own personal Jimmy Carfree Day or Suzie Carfree Day. All you have to do is choose a day where most of your trips are done by pedaling, walking, skating, mass transit, etc. Sooner or later you may not have a choice. Analysts are speculating that by the summer of ’06 gas at the pump will be as much as $5/gallon. Add that to rising insurance costs, maintenance costs, etc. . . . I’m pretty sure the automobile will become more of a luxury item, than an "everyman" transportation device. Personally, I’m ready to pay the full value of this precious commodity (oil). Pretty outrageous that you pay less for a gallon of gas at the pump than you do for a gallon of most any beverage at the grocery store.
Cranky on 09.27.05 @ 10:13 AM PST [link]
Thursday, September 15th
Wheelbuilding Fascination
Get used to it son . . .
Dad doing bike stuff.
Cranky on 09.15.05 @ 02:08 PM PST [link]
Tuesday, September 13th
Knicker News
For those interested in men’s black knickers, the long wait is almost over. Thanks for your patience. I’ve all but sealed up the pre-production process – buying of fabrics, arranging contract time, pattern changes, etc. They should be available for shipment October 31st. That’s my best guesstimate. I’ll continue to post updates as I know more.
The men’s knicker will be changing ever so slightly. I’ll be switching to a lighter material (same material used in the women’s) that should allow for extended wear outside the fall/winter weather window. For those of you in Austin, TX . . . you’re welcome. You know when you email or phone Hypnotic you don’t bump up against the “man” . . . instead you get THE man (because it’s a one man show here) and I listen to you. The material is almost identical by construction (composition, stretch, etc.) but has the added benefit of increased Durable Water Repellency (DWR) applied to the fabric, making them VERY water resistant. I’m also doing away with the lower cargo pockets. Apparently nobody but me actually uses them. Instead there will be the addition of a side cell, as seen on the women’s knicker. The front pockets will also receive a super plush lining upgrade. Those are the changes.
I’ve got a growing list of backorders. If there is a Hypnotic dealer near you have them contact me for backordering. If you’re miles from a dealer (which isn’t hard, especially if you’re east of the Mississippi) the best way to secure a pair is to order directly through the website. The “choose color/size” field has been updated to read “avail 10/31” for out of stock sizes, but it will allow you to order even though the item is not in stock. If you knowingly place such an order, kindly type BACKORDER PLEASE in the comment field on the order page. I will not charge your card until the item has shipped. For backorder customers, you will receive email updates only in the event production takes longer than anticipated. Take note, the greens will go bye bye when they’re all gone. It’s looking like black and only black for the time being. It’s all anybody ever really orders anyway.
And for the ladies . . . the women’s knicker has been selling well. Find out what those in the UK aleady know! If you haven’t already made the plunge and are considering it, I currently have good on-hand. This may change as Thanksgiving approaches, on up to Christmas. So don’t be shy.
Cranky on 09.13.05 @ 08:36 AM PST [link]
Thursday, September 1st
No Interbike Pour Moi
Hypnotic will not be attending Interbike this year. After much internal wrangling I decided this about a month ago, but not without leaving the door slightly open. I figured if the right mix of things were to occur I’d still consider it. Each year as it comes ‘round I go back and forth on the value of attending. Do I really gain much by going? It seems like I always get something out of it – seeing old friends, selling a few things here and there, making a connection, meeting an existing client for the first time, etc. Although largely it feels like I spend about $1,000 to go to Vegas to drink beer. I can do that at home and spend a lot less. My fancy new GS1 US status (read below) pretty much sealed the deal and closed the door tight. I had no idea how expensive it was to join this club. I had to pay a hefty fee just to get in and I have to pay annual dues just to stay current. All that simply to be assigned a unique number. And this doesn’t have anything to do with actually printing the things – for that I need to purchase additional software!!!! Besides I’m digging any amount of time with Oskar these days. I think he’s happy I’m not going. Have fun at the Double Down. Have fun at the Kona Bowl. See you there next year.
Cranky on 09.01.05 @ 01:10 PM PST [link]
Bar Bow
Hypnotic recently became a member of the GS1 US, formally known as the Uniform Code Council. This organization dishes out company ID numbers, enabling a business to bar code products with a UPC (Universal Product Code) unique to each member business. There’s some irony in this because Hypnotic is not “uniform” or “universal” as a brand in the marketplace. At the bottom of their home page it states:
One world.
One global language of business.
GS1 US.
Yikes! Although well intentioned, this type of rhetoric and its implication typically scares me a little. I tend to shy away from the Babel approach to anything. Just a personal slant or hang up there – I invariably orient myself locally. But Hypnotic is sold 99% of the time outside my locality and is therefore aimed at the bigger picture. And bar codes are certainly indispensable little tools for the business supply chain. Standardization (not to be confused with homogeny) does make life easier in almost all cases. So I bow to the bar code.
Cranky on 09.01.05 @ 12:28 PM PST [link]
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