I am TOTALLY the Star of Interbike
A Note from Fatty: Be sure to check out the photo my sister got yesterday on her blog.
I am now a grizzled Interbike veteran, and so I would like to offer you a piece of advice to those of you who have not yet ever visited Interbike, but hope to someday.
When you first step onto the expo floor and you see all the carbon and Ti and aluminum and steel and gears and cables and tires and wheels and pedals, do your utmost not to throw your hands in the air, squeal, and run around in circles yelling "I’m in heaven I’m in heaven I’m in heaven I’m in heaven!" until you fall over.
Because others will not necessarily appreciate your candor, that’s why.
But that’s how you’ll feel. Seriously, it’s a bike geek’s dream, and there’s enough there for you to see for days and days and days.
And then, when you realize that you only have a couple of days to see months and months worth of bike-related wonderfulness, you will be tempted to run up and down the aisles as fast as you can, grabbing information at a breakneck pace, an idiot grin on your face.
Yeah, don’t do that either. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.
So, anyway, after I finally got Kenny to calm down and get his shaking under control, we went and checked out some of the most awesome stuff there is to see.
With a definite emphasis on not looking at complete bikes.
Fatty is Starstruck
I’m pretty sure I’ve made my hero-worship of Scot Nicol / Chuck Ibis a matter of public record. So it shouldn’t surprise you at all that the first place we made a beeline for was the Ibis booth, which is a Streamline trailer, so that I could finally get a picture of me with Scot.
For some reason, he declined to autograph my chest. Jeez, how uptight can a guy be?
I then waxed nostalgic about the only bike I’ve ever truly regretted selling — my Ibis Ti Mojo. Scot agreed that I was stupid, which didn’t help me feel any better.
But the cool thing is, Ibis is in fact doing a special run of the Ibis Ti Mojo again. I’ll have to look under the couch and see if I have a few thousand dollars there.
Booth Babes, Part I
Then, as I was talking with Scot, all man-to-man and stuff, some booth babes walked by.
Kenny’s attention was diverted.
"Hey, would you mind posing for a picture with the Fat Cyclist?" Kenny asked.
Well, of course they would be happy to.
So here we are.
It’s kind of sad, really, how the one on the left had to kind of crouch to not be 8" taller than I am. Also, it’s kind of sad that it’s impossible to tell what their outfits are promoting. Seriously, you can’t tell, even in real life. Kenny tells me that he spent a good ten minutes staring at these girls and he still doesn’t know what their outfits were about. And finally, it’s kind of sad that I blinked as the photo was taken.
Not that any of you noticed that I blinked.
Booth Babes Part II
Kenny and I were very interested in a very innovative quick release skewer setup called "Clix." Instead of having to loosen the skewer by unthreading it, you just pull out the spring loaded tab. It’s fast and easy and really nice, especially for folks who have to remove wheels all the time — like I do any time I mount my bike on the truck’s fork-mounted rack.
In addition to its actual merits, Kenny was interested in seeing if he could win the speed wheel change competition Clix had going on — whoever during the course of the show could remove one wheel and then put another on would get $500.00.
Kenny took about nine seconds, which — at least at the time — put him in second place.
And of course, as a top scorer, Kenny was required to pose for a picture with the Clix booth babes.
Imagine, if you can, his disappointment.
Tasty
When at Interbike, you can tell yourself you’re just objectively looking at all the bike wares there are to see, but that is of course a lie. There is some part of you that is at the show to look for something you want for yourself. In my case, that item is an adult-sized Big Wheel.
In Kenny’s case, it was an all-carbon bike saddle.
Kenny was not disappointed.
He found the Selle Italia SLR C64, and was unable to resist licking the glossy 85g miracle.
Kenny’s that way about carbon fiber. It’s a curse.
Oh, and I found the thing I was looking for, too.
But I didn’t lick it. That’s not my way.
I Am A Very, Very Important Panelist
Of course, the day wasn’t all goofing off for me. I sat in on the Web 2.0 panel, where I gave away a whole bunch of Fat Cyclist t-shirts (pretty sure I gave away about 60), to distract folks from the fact that I had nothing meaningful to contribute to the conversation. Here’s me, sneaking a look at my iPhone because somebody had asked me something about my site stats and I couldn’t remember what numbers I had most recently made up.
"Uh, yeah, it’s just like I said: I get 20,000,817 hits per day."
And here’s the rest of the panel.
And you know what’s really cool about this whole panel thing? Andy Freaking Pemberton (second from the right in that photo), publisher of VeloNews, gave me his business card after the panel. Which just goes to show: he hasn’t ever read my blog.
OK, really I did make what amounts to what I consider to be one really good point in the panel, which I will reiterate here: Web 2.0 is just a fancy and obscuring word for "neighborhood." Use the same techniques you would use to be a good neighbor when you build your site — be available, helpful, interested, interesting, and fun — and you’ll be just fine.
I’d tell you what the other people said during the panel, but I was too busy looking for opportunities to interrupt them and make the conversation be about me.
Oh, Oakley
Kenny and I capped off the day with a stop at the Oakley booth. There, Alyssa showed the upcoming-but-still-in-development replacement for my beloved Racing Jackets:
I’m afraid I might have gotten a little strident with regards to this news, seeing as how I replaced my seven-year-old Racing Jackets with yet another pair of Racing Jackets.
So I’m kind of slow to change. Fine.
Anyway, I told Alyssa that I demanded I be made a beta tester for these new glasses, seeing as how I’m all emotionally invested in them and stuff.
"Sounds good," she said, edging for the nearest exit.
But before all that happened, we all took turns vamping it up with some of Oakley’s finest.
Alyssa tried on some men’s glasses:
And then Kenny tried on some Bono glasses:
And I went for the recently-reissued Frogskins.
I am, after all, a product of the 80’s.
Tomorrow
First thing tomorrow, Kenny and I are going to the press conference Lance Armstrong is doing, wherein he will give us details around his return to pro racing.
And then, of course, I will give you the straight scoop. Including, quite possibly, pictures.
After which, Kenny and I are going to go goof off on the convention floor some more.
I confess, I am having fun.
PS: Over at BikeRadar.com, I talk about my delightful experience with the Rock Racing booth.
Comment by Mike Marx | 09.25.2008 | 12:58 am
Fatty, nice meeting you at the web 2.0 demo. Thanks for the shirts, my friends and I will wear them proudly.
Comment by Ian | 09.25.2008 | 1:08 am
It was awesome meeting you at the Web 2.0 seminar. Somehow you seemed like the only one with actual advice for people trying to start up a web based “neighborhood”, or as I like to say, “Web-munity”. And thanks for the shirts, my co-workers thought they were awesome, I think maybe cause they were free, or pink, I’m not really sure.
Comment by matt (ming) | 09.25.2008 | 1:49 am
cool write up, look at all the pretty!!
i too am a big fan of the chuck ibis / scot nicol
keep rocking fatty,
Comment by Weean | 09.25.2008 | 2:30 am
Not that any of you noticed that I blinked.
Guilty!
Comment by Little1 | 09.25.2008 | 3:26 am
“I spit me of you!”
“I bite my thumb at you”
I want to go to interbike! why, oh, why, oh, why, must i work and live on the wrong side of the pond!
Sounds like the best place to be. Thanks for all the updates. can’t wait to hear confirmation of the “you heard it here first” rumour.
Comment by buckythedonkey | 09.25.2008 | 3:52 am
Just caught up with your Interbike adventures. I must say thyat I’m surprised that you went to the outdoor expo and didn’t ride the Arantix? Surely Delta 7 can’t have gone bust, not with such a dead set winner in their stable!
http://delta7sports.com/Arantix.html
On the other hand, I am delighted to discover that my recumbent theory has proved to be so spot on.
Exhibit A: you were pictured not once, but twice, in the supine position.
Exhibit B:you have taken to calling them “bents”. Adopting the vernacular is a sure sign of, er, adoption.
Leadville will be a better place for it, Fatty. You know it.
The Johnny Cash jersey is fabulous! Glad to hear that the secret message tradition is being upheld. :-) It is also nice to see the T6 guys faces, although I must say that the bloke on the left looks familiar… More pink FC T-shirts please!
WIN SUSAN!
Comment by DD | 09.25.2008 | 4:01 am
My friend just emailed me from interbike that she scored a t-shirt from you to give to me!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!
Comment by Big Boned | 09.25.2008 | 4:18 am
Fatty,
I watched the web 2.0 panel discussion LIVE on Fox News until I got tired of the correspondent interrupting you. I switched over to CNN, the coverage was much better there.
You did great.
BB
Comment by Mike Roadie | 09.25.2008 | 5:25 am
I was watching too, and I especially liked the part where you asked the American people to approach the issues in a bi-partisan manner, so as to avoid a complete “panic” (that was your word) of the financial system.
You are being brilliant at Interbike, but the suit, tie and dumb look are going too far!!!!
Ooops, wrong webcast!
WIN
Unite
LiveSTRONG
Comment by John | 09.25.2008 | 5:50 am
You did great Fatty!
(and BTW – Could you stop by the White Industries booth, and tell them to please go home and ship my freaking gear? Thanks! :) )
-John
Comment by Don | 09.25.2008 | 5:55 am
still jealous, but living vicariously through you…
Awesome write up, man! Glad to see you and Kenny are having so much fun, er, working so hard.
Can’t wait for more!!
Comment by Rob L | 09.25.2008 | 6:16 am
From fatty’s intro paragraphs I had a total vision of Fatty as Hiro from Heroes, appearing in interbike, looking around and yelling YATTA! while throwing his arms in the air! hahahahah.
Great report man! Keep up the neighborhood!
Comment by Brokemba | 09.25.2008 | 6:21 am
Envy…big green unadulterated envy…
Comment by peter | 09.25.2008 | 6:34 am
I am to jealous to even be happy for you clowns.
However as they say in NYC “AYHSMB” ……………
Comment by Annie | 09.25.2008 | 6:42 am
Fatty,
I love your blog, and I know your devotion to Susan, so it pisses me off to see you posed with those girls. It does.
Annie
Comment by Nix | 09.25.2008 | 6:52 am
Hi, never considered the Ibis, but checked their site out. The Tranny looks awesome but only available from November this year in South Africa… Am on the phone to my bikeshop now, so I will be registered for a testride!
Comment by Donald | 09.25.2008 | 6:53 am
Fatty… it seems you’ve made people both happy and upset.
Look forward to more on the bikes at the show and an update soon on Susan.
Comment by Rob | 09.25.2008 | 6:57 am
Nice work. And another great recap. Kenny as Bono is hilarious!! Have fun!!
WIN Susan.
Comment by Fai | 09.25.2008 | 7:20 am
Delurking to agree with Annie. It’s a blast seeing how much fun the two of you are having, and we all know how devoted a husband you are. And Susan is a saint so maybe it won’t bother her but … that pic is just not cool, dude.
WIN, SUSAN!
Comment by Aaron | 09.25.2008 | 7:25 am
I didn’t notice that you had blinked in that photo. In fact, I didn’t notice you were even IN the photo!
Comment by TomE | 09.25.2008 | 7:55 am
I’m drooling all over my keyboard Fatty – what a great time you and Kenny are having!!! I’m glad you are sharing it with all of us – EVERY part of it!
Comment by BotchedExperiment | 09.25.2008 | 8:01 am
Annie, see it’s called irony.
Ok, first, you have this really committed middle-aged husband/father guy who is at a bicycle trade show. Second you have a complete disconnect from cycling: hot chix with their cheeks hanging out selling who knows what (other than sex appeal). Now, you put those two things together and you get a really funny and ironic picture.
Anywhoo, I think the picture is preposterous and therefore funny.
On the other hand, Kenny’s hand is going a little south. Easy there killer.
You know what would have been the funniest thing ever? Bob with his “serial killer” hairdo and look posing with those girls.
When that guy won the Ibis in the raffle, I thought I was a jealous as I could possibly be. Now, I’m even moreso.
Comment by Jodi | 09.25.2008 | 8:11 am
yo –
As Elden’s sister I can tell you that him posing with those girls is equal to the D&D playing Debate Club President Oingo Boingo loving high school geek posing with the Journey Loving Just Manicured Having Homecoming Queen Cheerleader. It is a funny picture because they are so not his type, he is so not their type, yet there they are.
Elden’s exact type is who he has at home, and it is ok for him to take a goofy picture. Because he is one goofy guy.
So you know – while I think it is awesome that you’ve got Susan’s interest in mind, believe me when I say NO ONE has it more in mind than Elden.
Comment by Annie | 09.25.2008 | 8:28 am
Botched,
I get it. I hated to even bring it up, since I KNOW that Fatty is faithful to Susan. Not even an issue. So I get the irony; I just don’t find it funny. I’m sorry to have made a mountain out of a bit of a molehill.
And I hope your leg is healing well from your accident.
Annie
Comment by leon | 09.25.2008 | 8:34 am
you blinked? you were in that pic? all i saw were a
couple of really hot uhm, nvm..
and ladies, please lighten up. We all know what a devoted husband and father Fatty is, so allow him this one chance to goof off. Give the guy a break for chrissake.
WIN SUSAN!
Comment by KeepYerBag | 09.25.2008 | 8:36 am
Ditto to what Jodi said. I’m sure nobody’s laughing harder than Susan.
Besides, the real point of the picture is to show what Nicole Kidman’s up to when she’s not making movies or visiting waterfalls.
If anyone deserves a virtual spanking, it’s Kenny. Look at the guilt on his face!
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Comment by Punkass CG | 09.25.2008 | 9:07 am
Hey there Fatty!
It was great to meet you the other day. What a happy coincidence that I got to set you up on the Roscoe. Thanks so much for the shirt, and best wishes to you and Susan!
-Chris
Comment by Ryan Thomspon | 09.25.2008 | 10:02 am
You should check out the Trek booth the MOD’s are their high end Big Wheels that are easily modified to fit an adult. I picked one up this spring. Most fun I have had in years. 40 mph down the Squaw Peak road on a Big Wheel… Yeah its fun. The best thing they make it in Pink. That was the obvious choice for me. http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/kids/ages_4_6/mod/
Comment by Brandy | 09.25.2008 | 10:09 am
Oh my gosh, Fatty likes Oingo Boingo? I thought I was the only one!!! ha ha
Fatty, glad you are having a good time. I know Interbike is information overload, but fun!
Comment by Donna Tocci | 09.25.2008 | 10:11 am
Was at the Web 2.0 panel yesterday. You did a great job. I like the “neighborhood” talk – you are right on there! Thanks for the t-shirt. You rock!
Comment by Philly Jen | 09.25.2008 | 10:12 am
What this pop stand needs is:
(1) Male booth babes
(2) Female panelists
I expect one of Fatty’s twins to take care of the latter, circa Interbike 2025. But do we really need to wait that long?
– To all the ladies, for the WIN –
Comment by Flatman | 09.25.2008 | 10:21 am
Sweet coverage dudes….keep up the “hard” work! I still want a t-shirt.
Comment by KanyonKris | 09.25.2008 | 11:06 am
Kenny, you must be VERY sure your wife doesn’t read this blog. As Botched noted, that left hand is crossing the DMZ and moving into enemy territory. And her expression is not helping your case. Yes, I know:
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas *
* Unless there is photographic evidence posted on the Internet.
The show looks like great fun. I don’t think I could have stopped myself from doing a happy dance inside the entrance.
Comment by Eufemiano Fuentes | 09.25.2008 | 11:07 am
Is this blog sweeps week or something?
Kenny for the ladies and Booth Babes for the men
You are really trying to reach a larger audience FC
Comment by BotchedExperiment | 09.25.2008 | 11:55 am
Thanks Annie, I’m feeling pretty good. I think if I work hard on stretching it, I’ll be able to turn the pedals on my bike (really slow and easy) in about 4 days!
Comment by Clydesteve | 09.25.2008 | 12:22 pm
Jodi – the intro to your blog is a crackup.
Fatty – the booth babe pic with Kenny – priceless!
Comment by Big Boned | 09.25.2008 | 12:33 pm
Fatty,
You screwed up. If you’d have had another post today I wouldn’t have even noticed…
I took another look at that picture of you with the booth babes…Did you steal something out of her back pocket? Now, I know you are going to say there wasn’t room for anything to be IN her back pocket, but you are clearly distracting her and there is SOMETHING in your hand.
Posting that pic on your blog is likely to get you 5-10…
Comment by Kt | 09.25.2008 | 12:47 pm
I found the booth chicks pictures to be ironic and eye-rolling funny. :)
Uh, Kenny, you’re going to want to watch where you put your hands when taking pics with booth chiclets…
Fatty, I thought the fact that you have your eyes closed in your picture added to the irony.
Sounds like you’re having fun, though! :)
Comment by KanyonKris | 09.25.2008 | 12:48 pm
Booth Babe Photo Comparison
- Both Kenny and Fatty have a left-hand-low, right-hand-high posing technique.
- Kenny’s hands like skin, Fatty’s hands like hair and schwag (definition: trade show giveaways – just in case some of you think schwag means something else).
- Kenny’s eyes are resolutely looking forward (no oogling), Fatty takes this one step farther by closing his eyes altogether.
- Both men are virtuously standing straight up and facing forward – no leering, leaning, nudging, etc.
Conclusion: Aside from some unfortunate hand placement, these photos are within the bounds of acceptable booth babe posing. Of course spouses have veto power over this ruling.
Comment by NW Biker | 09.25.2008 | 1:12 pm
how can I view a recording of the interbike Web 2.0 conference?
Comment by Big Boned | 09.25.2008 | 4:48 pm
NW Biker,
I think CNN is scheduled to rebroadcast it at 9:30 pm Pacific on Friday night, and I THINK again on Saturday morning, but I can’t remember what time that one is.
BB
Comment by Lucky Cyclist | 09.25.2008 | 7:02 pm
You are all missing the most important metric of those photos…..The Clix Chix are Waaaaaay hotter than the whatever it is their selling chicks.
Comment by Jason | 09.26.2008 | 4:48 am
Had the pleasure of attending the first web 2.0 seminar. Great job! I found the sporadic cell phone interruptions ironic. Some folks were obviously already very socially connected. :)
Comment by LanterneRouge | 09.26.2008 | 6:20 am
When I saw Kenny and the bike babes I wondered why he wasn’t drooling and grinning like an idiot. Then I remembered the pictures that Fatty posted of Kenny’s wife Natalie last year and realized that he has a better biker babe with him at home every day so this was kind of like slumming for Kenny.
Comment by Jim Palmer | 09.26.2008 | 10:43 am
Fatty – Thanks for participating in the Web 2.0 Seminar – your POV was most helpful. I enjoyed meeting you & thank you for the t-shirt as well.
Comment by Andy Pemberton | 09.26.2008 | 1:19 pm
Hey Fatty, Great meeting you at Web 2.0 seminar. Well done. And thanks for the T.
Pingback by It’s Just A Ride » Blog Archive » Bleh. | 10.2.2008 | 3:31 pm
[...] check out FatCyclist’s excllent fan’s-eye-view coverage of Interbike: the outdoor expo, star-struck on day one, Greg LeMon– er, ’scuse me, Lance’s Press Conference, fan photos with Fatty, and [...]