"Vegas is excessive and strange" part 4

Glad to be back home and into the groove. I washed the smell of hookers and sweat out of my clothes and have begun to construct my debt. This final installment of our Vegas coverage brings a bit of a smile to my face. There was certainly a 24 hour period where all sorts of activities were dabbled in (glitter and baby oil) broken glasses, pyromania and a bit of a sleepy cab driver. Did I mention the sea anemone? Overall I had a good time with the people I was with. What you discover is that its more about the people you share your time with then the location you are in.

My favorite "Baller" memory.

My favorite fork legs.

My favorite prosthetic baby.

Carbon, carbon everywhere this year. These will be on a custom Bishop bike coming soon.

My favorite DH bike.

My favorite ride.

One of my favorite uses of a new patent.

My favorite neon and potential band name, either side really.

Toys for big and small

"Vegas is excessive and strange" part 3

Next year Interbike will move to Anaheim, California. For all the griping about Vegas I am a bit curious to see what Anaheim will be like. I wonder what Outdoor Demo day will look like, what type of trail network is near by? Of course Anaheim is home to Disneyland so that peculiar and unsettling feeling of being in the adult theme park which is Vegas will be replaced by the peculiar and unsettling feeling of being in a children's theme park. Mickey doesn't know what he's in for.

Big shoes to fill.

Vegas has a way of letting you leave adulthood in the rearview.

One of my favorite rides with a spectacular view aboard two borrowed mules.

My favorite throwback graphics at the show had to be the SC bikes setup.

One of my favorite innovations that may never see the light of day on my bike.

My favorite painted hubs of the show.

Paste ups and anti-ads were everywhere if you knew when to look.

Nathan Rennie returns to racing

Then:Nathan Rennie is returning the World Cup circuit after a year hiatus. He will be harnessing the power of those muscular cankles to propel his new Intense M9 through the entire World Cup schedule in 2011. Always a force to be reckoned with, we can expect Rennie out there schralping turns in all of his flat pedal madness.

Now:

"Vegas is excessive and strange" part 2

The whole place is a gigantic stage and prop show. The facade is rarely broken and in the event you find yourself "backstage" the gritty and raw reality of Vegas is actually quite soothing in a unique way.

More pics...

This was my favorite bathroom. While not technically a lavatory, the time and money that went in to creating this hallway was enough to make you shit your pants.

Favorite cryptid was this beast that was far from home and overheating.

Favorite misuse of technology was this dinner plate strapped to the side of a tandem road bike. I think a drag chute would have been more appropriate or just a giant stick you could ram down into those fiber spokes.

My favorite "swag" was Chrome's tattoo setup. If a custom bag for 30 bones was not enough you could have some sweet ink applied.

Favorite stem was certainly the ODI direct mount. Not as slick as a Point One Racing stem but a heck of a lot cheaper.

Favorite frame re-design had to be the 2011 Commencal Supreme. Lighter frame weight and stiffer swingarm are welcome side effects on the new design. The Devinci Wilson was a close second with a newly designed DW-Link.

Favorite ding-a-ling inspired photo. Sword-fighting.

"Vegas is excessive and strange" part 1

Not the first time you've heard that. The lights are always on, always. The "ding-ding-ding-ding" sound is audible poison. The smells range from Chanel no.5 to putrefaction, they combine to create an aroma that makes you smile and gag simultaneously. The air carjacks the moisture from your body and somehow your wallet is getting thinner and thinner. This place has a very short shelf-life. We did have a beautiful room overlooking a pathetic drunken hunting preserve. the room was filled with remnants of hundreds of fallen geese in the form of comforters and pillows. A gluttonous way to slumber. The coffee shop had 24k gold brushed on their danishes, 24k gold on a fucking pastry. What did the five fingers say to the poor?

Ok my rant is over. On to Interbike photos and my favs:

My favorite decal-color combo was Vanderham's Evil Revolt. The carbon version is around the corner.

My favorite guerrilla marketing campaign sticker.

In the land of excess its is refreshing to see people doing what they need to do just to get by. Hats off to Gibb and Frankowski for their efforts in sexing my eyes.

My favorite pro was on hand giving his John Hancock at the Maxxis booth. Who the hell is Troy?

Flamingo and Koval is where Tupac was gunned down. 200 feet from my room. 14 years and 10 days ago.

Favorite throwback product of the show.

Favorite paint job.