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From the Folder Frolic to the Sinclair Imports party, and from Interbike TV to the Interbike urban fashion show, and from the Circulus velodrome to the Women’s Lounge, the Las Vegas trade show is packed with events to tickle anyone’s fancy. So long as that fancy involves bicycles.
Unlike Eurobike, which is staged in a quiet, conservative part of Germany, Interbike is staged in a party town. And the bike trade knows how to party. But it’s not all free beer (there is plenty of that, too, of course), there’s a healthy helping of bicycle cultural events, some staged by Interbike itself, others organised independently.
Bikehugger’s Mobile Social at Interbike is one such event. Organised by DL Byron of the Bikehugger blog, the MoSo is an excuse for a group bike ride in an American city not exactly noted for its bicycle friendliness. In effect, the MoSo is a Critical Mass, with a party at the end.
60-70 riders set off from the Sands Exposition centre, with motorised traffic halted by the Las Vegas police department to let the bikes through. There were fixies, there were folding bikes, there was a skidding trike, there were three boom box bikes, and there were full suss MTBs. All were welcome.
Fixie chicks with thigh chainring tattoos mixed with execs in smartly-pressed shirts.
Las Vegas motorists weren’t phased by the ride. In fact, many cheered on the riders, and some took photos. Hobos and whores were impressed too.
The Mobile Social ended at a downtown bar, three miles from the main drag. Frosty beers were supplied by New Belgium brewery, with further sponsorship from Tern Bicycles. Tern’s Josh Hon and his team came along for the ride and helped get others mobile, too.
Interbike isn’t just a trade show it’s a community get-together.
Event organiser, DL Byron, aka Bikehugger.
This pooch is called Maile and wears a GoPro camera. The pooch can be found on YouTube videos tagged as ‘Doggy journalist’.
BMXers buzzed the MoSo and then rode off.
There were some impressive no-handers during the evening.
And some impressive tattoos, too.
(Left) Chip Smith, president of Soar Communcations, PR consultants to Interbike, and David ‘Fredcast’ Bernstein, host of Interbike TV.
No shortage of music on the MoSo.
Uwe Weissflog, Interbike’s German PR and sales agent (left) chatting with Ross Ringham, editor of Cyclingmobility magazine.
Pro photographer Kimberly Capriotti of ThoughtYouKnew.us trackstands at the lights. "TyK’s goal is to empower women by helping them regain ownership of their sexuality, in whatever form they choose to have it manifest. These are real cyclists, like you’ve never seen them before."
You can never have too many bubbles.
The MoSo passed strippers in a swing, hookers wished us all the best, and there was this strapping young lady. She was posing for a photographer, and grabbing quick shot seemed the right thing to do.
