Registration was efficient, yet brutal. Pity any person that tried to gain entry to the show that couldn't prove that they had a business. You needed to provide documentation consisting of two of the following:

• Business card
• Invoice of products purchased for your business
• Letter from a lawyer stating that you intended to start a business

I thought I would be in their system from earlier years, but I wasn't, and fortunately I had planned for this and brought the necessary documentation.

They also would check your web site to see if you were a bona fide business. If you had a business solely engaged in the manufacturing and sale of products then you weren't considered a retailer and they tried to charge you several hundred dollars to get in.

Brompton told me that they've received a trademark for their curved shaped frame. Other curved shape frame bicycles like the Dahon Mu are violating the trademark, but it's not clear what, if anything, Andrew Ritchie can do about it. Apparently Brompton is still the only folder where the chain is on the inside when the bike is folded.

One of the many long wheel-base cargo bikes at the show. This one from RANS.

This is an LED flare used by police departments. The guy told me that after a lot of cyclists began buying their products they decided to exhibit at the show. Unfortunately there is no bicycle bracket for this device, you can hang it from the seat with a zip tie.

Surly had a big booth. I love their "Nice" racks.

One of the many "shopper" bikes at the show. Pity the person that thinks a shopper bike should be a low-priced item. You have to pay big time to be retro-cool.

New rack for the Dahon Speed TR. I need to get one of these for my Dahon.

Josh Hon is positioning Dahon as a "Green" company. Guess how many Dahon bicycles fit into a Prius and win two bikes (but not the car). I guessed 27.

A folding bicycle manufacturer finally comes to the realization that people want to put water bottle cages onto folders.

Schwinn "Earth" concept bike. Schwinn said that it is too expensive to manufacture.

Fuji Cambridge Roadster. It costs to be cool.

Mirrors make a comeback as shopper and roadster bikes become more common as the Republicans destroy the U.S. economy.

Creating a need and filling it. I know that I stay up at nights worrying about squeaky disc brakes.

Very nice Carbon-Fiber wheels from Germany

Pashley Roadsters now sold in the U.S.. The first roadsters in the U.S. where you have to take out a home-equity loan to buy them. Look at the true shopper with the humongous basket.

Moulton had thankfully moved away from exclusively offering 17" wheeled models.

The Madsen guy told me that they hauled in their whole booth on the back of their bicycles, and that the booth was specifically designed for this type of transport (note the panels in the wall). At the Shanghai bike show, the show company built all custom booths for every exhibitor then destroyed them all after the show.

Interesting selection of bicycle related jewelry and metalwork.

Garage Gator (formerly Garage Gorilla) lets you store a lot of bikes high up in your garage.

Lots of Recumbents at the show.

Gatorade forgot to train the booth personnel that they hired in Vegas to staff their booth. Gatorade is trying to get into the higher end sports drinks. Lots of nutrition and sports drink manufacturers were at the show. Lots of free samples so the crowed was well hydrated thanks to the babes with trays of cups walking around.

Civia, another brand from QBP, expressed disappointment that more shops were not carrying their products.

Another shopper, this one from Kona

Hopefully more businesses will install these racks. This vendor should exhibit at some supermarket trade shows.

This tandem has the stoker in front. Inexplicably they have a brake lever for the stoker, but they said that it's going to be removed. I suggested leaving it there but not hooking it to anything.

Lots and lots of lighting manufacturers.

Clothing, with its high margins, was big at the show, and some exhibitors were selling samples. I ended up with a whole new wardrobe. From a pair of University of Florida socks ($4.50), to a Phil Wood shirt ($10), and a pair of trekking shorts ($16), to a free Dahon tee shirt.

Civia's awesome front basket/rack.

A longer Civia rack

Fully equipped Civia.

This roadster is being exported to third-world countries. The U.S. will soon qualify, thanks to W.

USB charging of a light. That's gotta be really slow at 500mA.

"Hybrid" has a new meaning, now it's electric and pedal power. Massive numbers of electric bicycles and scooters were at the show. Unfortunately for these manufacturers, no one seemed too interested.

Smith and Wesson bike with an awkwardly mounted rear rack.

Soma Fabrications with a beautiful Mixte frame.  I saw two other Mixte frames at the show as well.

KHS Mocha Folder. Sold at Sports Basement for $320.

KHS "Green" roadster/shopper

Raleigh has a big booth and showed several new $1000+ roadsters.

Specialized Pays Big Bucks for a Big Booth but Won't Let Attendees In

Welcome to our booth, now please get lost. This was weird. Specialized had a large booth, enclosed on all four sides, and would not let anyone other than their existing dealers in. Usually when you take this approach at a show you rent a hotel suite for a lot less money than show floor space. What were they thinking? Nearly every attendee could be a prospective dealer. All they did was make themselves look like jerks. They need a new marketing v.p.. They should just stay home like Trek does.

I've worked many trade shows. When you have a booth you treat every visitor interested in your products with respect. You never know who that shabbily dressed individual may be, and in fact some members of the press intentionally dress down in order to see how they're treated by a company's employees. I've decide to crush my three Specialized bikes in protest.

Specialized needs to hire someone to write the verbiage on their sign that doesn't speak no bad English.
And just be honest and have a sign that simply says "Specialized dealers and media only," rather than
trying to rationalize your decision to not let people into your booth. In my area, Specialized has a big shortage
of dealers, and it would seem that they'd be anxious to show off their products.

Slime was pushing its tubeless tire sealant.

Jamis had a lot of interesting bikes on the floor and in the air. I've always liked their offerings as they have some designs not offered by any other manufacturer. What does that classic paint job remind you of?

Famous Tubus racks.

Reel Light

These lights have been ridiculed a lot, but in reality they're quite practical when you realize that they're not a replacement for a powerful battery powered light. I had a long conversation with their guy from Denmark. The reign of the dynamo in Europe is on the wane. It's lasted this long because of protectionist polices from Germany.

Tubus "gets it" when it comes to providing the bits and pieces needed to attach racks to a lot of different types of frames.

Tubus, famous for steel racks, is coming out with a lower cost aluminum line of racks called Rackline.

Recumbent tricycles.

Another valiant attempt to replace the chain with a belt.

A unique front mounted trailer.

Phat cycles hauled their whole trailer into the booth.

Surly Traveler's Check with S&S Torque Couplings

Surly Pugsy

Sqivvy

I love the weird items that show up at shows. Sqivvy, a pop up changing room.

Axiom

Axiom basket that has a quick release mount to a front or rear rack.

Axiom

The Axiom Streamliner is a narrow rear rack

Axiom

Axiom Rack that works with rear suspension.

Bruce Gordon

I was surprised to see long time touring bicycle manufacturer Bruce Gordon at the show. He is coming out with a lower cost touring bicycle with a frame made to his specifications in Taiwan.

Still no BG bikes with S&S couplers. I talked to the owner of S&S Machine, and he told me that Bruce told him that he felt the couplers would affect the bike's performance, but thinks the reason is more related to the requirements he has  for frame builders to use his couplers.

New Bruce Gordon frame from Taiwan, shown with his racks.

 Bruce is looking for investors to grow the company.

Stevens Roadster

Another valiant attempt to replace the chain, this time with a shaft. Why don't these Asian companies pay someone $100 to check their English prior to printing literature, signs, and banners?

These frames have a rear rack as part of the frame.

Nordic Cab offers trailers that convert to ski trailers, cargo trailers, and can be towed with a bicycle or by a person walking.

Another Cargo Bicycle

Take a cheap bike and add a battery and a motor, and you've got an e-bike. Electric bikes garnered little interest.

Surly's cargo bike.

Some retro cruisers from Retrovelo Mehlert Patitz GbR

Triton

Low-cost recumbent trike.

Tires from India

This was the only company from India that I saw at the show. They needed a boothmanship class.

GyGabyke

Everyone thought that GyGabyke was some sort of electric bike. No, that thing is simply a storage container that velcros to the frame.

The ultimate full-size, disassembable road bicycle

The Dahon/Ritchey full size dissasembleable bike.

Dahon goes Really Up-Market

Forget about a Trek Madone. Introducing the $3000 Dahon carbon fiber Mu.

Kryptonite

Kryptonite was Putting on a Brave Face, even though the U.K.'s ITV piece continues to haunt them.

Airhubs (or hubs for airheads)

I think this should get my coveted "Worst of Show" award.

It's hard to see what this is about. OMG, how did I live without an air pump in my hubs for so long? A hose connects the hub the valve. You push a button, then get on and ride, and the tire inflates up to a pressure pre-set with an adjustment screw. Bizarre.

Maybe they could add a tire pressure monitoring system that wirelessly sends the tire pressure to your bicycle computer.