October 9, 2004 (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Interbike was busting at the seams with activity, as retailers, manufactures, and suppliers, converged on Las Vegas for North Americas biggest bicycle trade show. The tradeshow floor was flooded with the latest and greatest from the cycling industry, from RockShox to Rocky, from Campy to Garneau it took us four days to cover it all. Here are a some scoops to whet your appetite for the new season

Gary Fisher has teamed up with SRAM/RockShox to develop the Reba 29 forks, proving size does count. Fisher has the exclusive on the sub-four pound, 100mm shock for “˜05 and features them on all their 29 wheeled bikes. SRAM has also provided Trek/Fisher with another unique exclusive, the RockShox PopLoc Dual Remote. The new remote features a dual action that provides simultaneous adjustment of front and rear suspension on the fly, and works with any combo of Ario Remote and MC3R rear shocks and SID MC3R shocks will be exclusive to Trek Top Fuel and Fuel EX lines for 2005

Kona’s 2005 lineup has the addition of several new models, including the Cowan dirt-jump, Coiler Primo, 8″ travel Stinky and Stab Supreme, and the return of the Humuhumu-Nukunuku A’Pua’a, the longest name in the bike biz. Many of the bikes in Kona’s line have been upgraded with more travel and carbon rear ends were noted on a few top end models. Kona also displayed their new Sutra, a retro-modern, long distance touring rig with 700c wheels.

Devinci showed off their latest in carbon frame technology with the intro of the CX road line made of Torayca T700-SC carbon fibre and offered in both Shimano and Campagnolo packages.

Orbea was hot on the Tri market with the intro of their new 1420g frame, the Aletta. Aletta was presented in both an Ultegra and Dura-Ace package with Zeus carbon seat and chainstays.

Suspension was hot at this year’s show, and the big four were all vying for top spot on the 2005 podium.

Manitou was showing off their new Nixon line and was grabbing lots of attention. The Nixon shocks use a combination of propriety technologies to achieve exceptional stiffness at impressively low weights. The Manitou Stance was also turning heads. The Stance represents a budget priced alternative to Manitou’s Sherman line, with steel stanchions and reverse arch magnesium casting.

RockShox had their newest long-travel trail/freeride fork, the “˜36 , on display as well as their new Reba 29er Fork, and Pike Dual Air. The Pike features RockShox Air Spring system and new Motion Control Damping, which offers a huge range of motion adjustability. The lightweight XC/ Marathon specific Ario and the new MC3 and MC3R, exclusive to Trek for 2005, highlighted the rear suspension.

Shimano was in full force at the show with a battalion of new products, including the new Ultegra 10-speed gruppo and a couple of new budget-priced mountain bike groups. The 2005 Ultegra features Hollowtech II cranks with new outboard bottom bracket, and redesigned front and rear derailleurs with wide linkage design to improve stiffness. Budget gruppo’s include the new Hone and Deore LX line with trickle down technology well represented.

SRAM’s big showstopper was their new X-Gen front derailleur. The super stiff derailleur that fits almost any frame with top or bottom pull cables, comes in both black and silver finishes and satin chrome plated cage. At SRAM’s booth was their recently acquired Avid Juicy Five, Juicy Seven’s new little brother. The Five offers the same stopping power as the seven but with less in the way of adjustability.

Campagnolo has deepened its commitment to carbon fibre, specifically in cranksets. Carbon cranks are now available in the Record, Chorus, and Centaur groups. Campagnolo has also added a series of flatbar shifter/lever sets for commuting and comfort bikes, available in Mirage, Veloce, Centaur, and Chorus versions. In wheelsets, the Neutron and Eurus will be available with a choice of alloy or carbon hub shells, and the Eurus will be available in a limited-edition silver version that was made for the 2005 Bianchi Luna white carbon bike.

For 2005 Specialized new line of Optics, include the San Remo, Cortina, Chicane, and Singletrack glasses for roadies and mountain bikers. Specialized’s new Decibel helmet, along with the S-Works and Carbon MTB shoes were also on display. Focus on comfort and fit continues with Body Geometry Pro and Comp shorts, as well as Body Geometry socks. Additional comfort will be seen with patented Zertz technology inserts. Look for an increase in the apparel, gloves, helmets, and saddles division in the Designs For Women.

Crank Brothers finally lived up to its name by making its first foray into the crank market with the Cobalt SL Crank. The ISIS compatible crank features a forged aluminum backing bonded to a unique hollow stainless steel shell for stiffness and lightness and comes with TruVativ chainrings.

In apparel Race Face offered up the new Deus, constructed of polyester knit fabrics and polyester mesh for improved moisture control and airflow. The Dues has a box cut design with a drop tail for a loose comfy fit.

Sugoi had a parade of new fabrics and technologies lighting up their booth at this years show including the Irod and Tonic jerseys built with silky lightweight full-stretch FinoStretch and featuring extensive ventilation from Vector Stretch panels. Last years RS short has also been improved for 2005 with the development of the Formula Flex Cham.

Louis Garneau introduces a new base layer, Drytex 1000 – a new way to keep you cool and dry. A 100% micropolyester, its perforations create an air layer between skin and damp clothing, serving as insulation from body heat to keep you cool in hot weather. Shorts also see an addition with the new Power Bib, with a higher lycra density fabric featuring an ergonomic 10-panel cut, with Garneau’s Ergozone molded chamois.

We could go on and still only cover the tip of the Interbike iceberg. For more info on Interbike’s jar-full of eye candy check out Pedal Magazine’s Holiday 2004 issue coming soon.