Interbike 2013: Roundup 1

First day in the desert and we’ve got a a few photos of new things to run through.

It’s like a day at a medieval competition with all the flags and tents stuck in a gravelly space half an hour out of Vegas. There’s the chance to see new things in the daylight, ride bikes on dry gravel and see what everyone else is after riding as well.

 

 

Chris King was showing its collection of shinyness. It’s also just started building wheels in house for the US market. No plans to do that in Europe yet though.

 

Camelbak Podium.

Camelbak has released what’s probably the world’s first right-handed specific water bottle. (Unintentionally, mind you…)

In order to make the new Podium easier to squeeze, Camelbak has put some distinct ridges, which are all for a right thumb. Great if you drink right handed (which for us Brits is good as it leaves your spare hand covering the rear brake. Less fab for the Euros and Americans. The bottle will work left handed too, it’s just that it works better in the right hand. Reckon I’m getting over-obsessed with it? OK then…

The leak-proof cap is also new – with a much wider port/sphincter and it comes apart super easily for cleaning too.

 

 

Giro’s women’s helmets are looking great with these big splashes of colour on mostly white helmets. There are other colours too, but Giro was being all designery and minimal.

 

POC, meanwhile has a new road helmet coming out which is sleek and also well vented. And comes in orange. A colour they’ve picked because it’s visible around five times further away than a black or white lid.

Giro on the pumpkins.

Sharing a similar colour scheme (and with matching shoes) was this selection from Giro. Obviously the colour of the season is a sort of dark pumpkin orange. There’s big emphasis on camo too. And ever-present black.

Smith

While we’re on the subject of helmets, Smith was showing its new trail helmet that uses, for want of a better description, a collection of plastic drinking straws for impact protection. According to Smith, the material is hard-wearing and also gives you protection through your vents from sticks and the like. It’s a striking design and probably one we’ll get used to after seeing it for a while.

 

 

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