Bike Expo Report

[KnottedYet]

Only got to spend about 2 hrs at Bike Expo, as SKnot seems to be coming down with some sort of bug. Got to see 3 TE'rs, but had to get SKnot home before I could meet AintDoody. Darn...

Collected lots of goodies. Best of all was Ibex, chatted with the Ibex rep for quite a while. Ibex is coming out with a seamless undewear line: women's tops will be a bra and a supportive camisole, women's bottoms will be a brief, a thong, and a pair of compression shorts. All these will be a lighter fabric than the Roaster Boxers. Turns out the Ibex rep is also the Chaco rep! Chacos are my all-time favorite shoes. Chaco has a children's line now. By the time we'd left the Ibex booth the rep had given SKnot a pair of Teko socks and me an Ibex Meru hat. (in black, the color I've been yearning after and which is out of stock... ooh, yeah!) I've got his card, he said he can get me a demo shoe that's in pieces so I can show my patients how Chacos are built and how they can be resoled and such. Very cool. I also got stickers.... hee hee! I like stickers and am more than happy to advertise Chaco and Ibex on my car.

Ooohed and aaaahed over Ralieghdon's new bike. Wow, is it GORGEOUS.

Collected lots of info on rides and such, a couple water bottles.

Learned that FlexCar has started putting bike roof-racks on their Subarus.

Bike Works is having their annual auction this coming Friday March 16th at the Univ of Wash. www.bikeworks.org

I didn't buy anything, but SKnot spent all my cash on a gyro sandwich and a bottle of pop. Next time I'll just tell him to go graze at the Clif booth instead...

[mimitabby]

Well, I met Susan126, AnnOrange (annieorange) and of course I ran into Knot
several times.

I did not find AintDoody, she was late for her shift and I had to go home.

When I come home from the next social activity, I will post a few photos of a few sights at the expo.

There were none of those amazing bikes like you saw at the Handmade bike show, but there WERE nice bikes and lots of great booths.

more later
Mimi

[mimitabby]

This Waterford was on display at the Elliott Bay Bikes booth. It was recently purchased and set up the night before of the show. Look at the beautiful paint!


The inventor of Sella An-Atomica, Tom Milton was there at the show.
I asked him why he wasn't making any saddles as big as my Brooks B67
he said he sent out hundreds of test saddles in 3 sizes, and this was the
size that most everyone liked the best. This saddle has OSTRICH KNEE leather on it..



There was a guy doing a demo, he jumped his bike ON TOP of his truck trailer.



Here's a cool Bleriot side by side with Raleighdon's bike




Here's a fully set up Raleigh, perfect for Seattle, full carbon, brooks saddle,
and FULL FENDERS!!



And there was plenty of bike parking at the bike corral outside.

[KnottedYet]

Mimi - the one time SKnot showed any interest in any bike, it was that Waterford.

[Susan126]

What a great day! Even though it rained it was a good day! I went to the bike expo with dh and daughter. I met mimitabby and knottedyet and her very nice son. I missed Aint Doody (and I stopped by the CROC booth twice)! I guess we just missed each other! I got a lot of information on rides and gear. I bought quite a few things (and a couple of things for dd). I drowled over a Rodriguez bike (I want a Rodriguez bike . . . completely custom fitted! It's on my gift to me when the kids finish college list!) Here are some pictures I took of a beautiful blue one:









and here is a picture of my daughter with Ryan Leech:



and here is a short video clip of dd riding an inline bike trainer . . . I may have to get me one of these. It feels like the real thing and man do you ever work up a sweat riding it!

My daughter on the in line trainer!

It was great meeting everyone!

I hope this "pineapple express" passes quickly and we get some decent weather for the up coming weekend!

Sue

[East Hill]

Dang! I actually talked to Susan, but didn't realise it. We were standing at the Redspoke booth...Hi Susan!

Other than that, I didn't get to meet anyone...I still had a great time. Drooled over the Rivendell Bleriot and the Rodriguez travel bikes...talked with Jim of Pac-Mule trailers (I have one of his commute trailers, they are wonderful)...even my husband enjoyed the walk around.

Ryan Leech was incredible (he's the man who jumped his bike on top of the trailer), makes me want to go out and do some BMX stuff...

East Hill

[mimitabby]

East Hill, when were you at Expo? You never came by the Redmond Cycling club booth where I was sitting?


Susan, how cool that video was!!! She actually GOT ON that thing!!

[Susan126]

mimitabby, yep she sure did get on that thing! I stopped my camera to soon, she actually was riding without any help from the guy! He did the old "parent fake out" . . . he pretended to still be a hold of the thing but he actually had let go and she was going all out on her own. He then walked in front of her and said, "See it's not that hard is it?" Then they tried to coax me into getting up on that thing but I kindly declined. Hubby liked it so much he is thinking about buying one in time for next winter.

East Hill . . . You're kidding! We met and I didn't realize it either! Dang I wish I knew it was you! Nice meeting you too! So hi right back at you!

What an awsome day!

I am thinking about playing hooky from work on Starbuck's bike to work day and riding the interurban trail to kent station for "swag!" and of course a black and white mocha . . . non fat of course! LOL

[East Hill]

I was there pretty early in the morning--I think we got there about 10.30--I thought we had hit all the booths where I thought people would be, but I kept getting blank stares when I would ask about TE Ladies and BF members... . But I thought Susan looked familiar...and wondered if I should announce I was East Hill, but since everyone else had given me such odd looks I thought not... .

Still had a great time, it was well worth it to go!

I'm off for a ride now--going to go down the 277th Recreational Corridor to see if it's back open, then head to Bicycles West for a bottom bracket tool...

East Hill

[anorange]

Hi all,
It was great getting to meet Mimitabby and KnottedYet. Sorry we missed you Aint Doody- Mimi and I stopped by your booth several times. This is planning way ahead but maybe we could get a TE contingent at the Tour de France outdoor showing that Cascade does in the summer.

[Aint Doody]

I cannot believe I missed every last one of y'all! I was there for 9 long hours on Saturday. Then Sun. I was to be there from 1 until 4. And, yep, I was about 15 minutes late--friend & I standing in the check out line at REI spending dividends & using coupons!

As soon as I got there and relieved the crew, I raced over to Redmond's booth, and Mimi--you had been gone about 20 minutes, the fellow said. I did leave you a little note and had to give the fellow a kiss on the cheek for him to give it to you! What a character!!

And our CROC people told me about y'all stopping by. I was soooo looking forward to meeting everybody. I wore my buff both days and watched necks for others!

It was a terrific Expo. We even got 5 people to sign up for our ride. We usually get quite a few after the Expo, but never before during. Hope some of y'all will think about it. It's a great ride--and cheap! $110 for 3 days--fully supported. (Man, I'm tired of the spiel, but I cannot seem to quit!)

As the others have said, there were lots of gorgeous bicycles to drool over. And there was fun stuff to see and to try. And Susan, last year I got on the Emotion rollers--and I bought one. I've never regretted it. That young man rode it all day both days last year, too. The little narrow one sorta scared me--the young woman fell off it while I was there visiting on Sat.

The whole Expo experience is just great. Everybody should try to get there if possible. Cascade Bicycle Club is to be applauded for hosting such a marvelous event.--And, of course, Seattle ain't bad either rain or not.

[mimitabby]

Aint,
WHICH guy did you kiss, the tall good looking one or the short chubby one?
PLEASE tell me it was the tall good looking one!

[Susan126]

Aint . . . glad to hear you got one of those emotion rollers and that you love it because my daughter and my hubby think it will do the trick for our indoor riding needs! Joe said we will just have to buy one to help get us through those rainy, windy, yucky days next winter!

[Aint Doody]

Well, Mimi, he was seated. I think if he'd been tall & good-looking I'd remember that. I do think he was the chubby one. Oh, no!!! What have I done???? He didn't ask for my phone number.

And, Susan, the emotion rollers are great. The fact that they "float" in the frame makes a big difference. It took me quite a while to feel comfortable on them and not totally petrified. During the yuck weather I usually ride 13 miles in the morning before work 2 days/week and about 25 on Sat or Sun. It's an amazing work out. Get a fan to blow on you. Keep me posted.


Susan

[mimitabby]

eyewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
I would have really LIKED to get a kiss from the cute one.
Bummer....