Interbike is one of those events that I think a lot of people have a love / hate relationship with. For me personally, I love seeing everyone and getting a look at all the new product, but I hate Las Vegas. I don’t know what it is about the city, but I just dread going there every year. Every year we see a lot of changes from brands that have booths, size of those booths, the products and more. This year was different in the sense of size. There were fewer brands in attendance and honestly the BMX section was smaller than I’ve seen it in the past 7 years I’ve had the opportunity to attend.
Thanks to the internet, a lot of the “surprises” we used to see at Interbike are trimmed down thanks to previews popping up on websites, Issuu, videos, etc. which isn’t a bad thing, but it leaves people like myself wondering what we’ll actually see at the show. Thankfully, a lot of brands hold out on product being seen until the show and we’re still surprised every time we come through which is awesome. I decided to compile 10 of my personal favorite items from the show for you guys to check out if you haven’t seen it yet. Let’s take a peek.
I should mention that this is just a random order and it’s not really a “favorite to least favorite” kind of list.
1. Supreme Interlock Chain
Up top before the intro we have The Shadow Conspiracy‘s Supreme Interlock chain. This chain isn’t exactly “new” since we have seen it the past 3 Interbike shows. Over the course of the 3 years, we have seen the initial design which uses forged plates versus the traditional machined ones we have seen on the Interlock chain for years. This design is meant to make it harder for the plates to break and also to help keep the chain from stretching as much as traditional chains. Now, the biggest reason this chain has taken as long as it has is because the cost of manufacturing it was insane. When the concept was first shown off, it would cost over $100. In that time, Shadow has worked with its manufacturer to create the chain in a more efficient way. They have managed to get the price down to $49.99 and it should be hitting shops and mail-orders worldwide in a few months.
Check out more of Shadow Conspiracy’s product at Interbike right here.
2. Z-Coaster
We’ve seen a TON of freecoasters surface from most brands in the past year or two and it’s been awesome seeing the progression. There’s one in particular we have had a lot of interest in for a while, the Profile Racing Z-Coaster. Not to say it’s bad, but most of the latest freecoaster options to become available have been built around modified KHE internals which some have worked out and some have had to be given some tweaks.
We haven’t had the chance to see what’s inside of this Profile freecoaster, but from what we have learned, it’s a unique system. Simply put, Profile have taken the Elite hub shell and created a freecoaster that is essentially a cassette design that coasts. Corey Alley gave us a full explanation, but without seeing the inside, it got pretty complicated pretty quickly and I could see myself saying all the wrong things to explain it, so let’s leave it at that for the time being. Since the initial concept, they have done two entirely separate versions of the hub and this second go requires some custom designed small pieces they had to design and make in the warehouse down in Florida that will be getting some patents put on them. As of right now, they have Chad DeGroot on the hub with Jeff Klugiewicz and a few other guys on the team about to get samples for them to beat to hell soon. No set release date, but the mystery of what’s inside is killing us.
Check out more of Profile Racing and Madera’s product at Interbike right here.
3. Springhanger Brakes
This next one is the new Springhanger brake system from Flybikes that we’ve been hearing about for a little while now. The concept is pretty straight forward and can be compared to the popular Odyssey Springfield brakes for those of you who have seen those brakes or given them a go. Fly have taken their Manual brakes, removed the springs from the arms and replaced them with copper bushings, increased the radius of the arms for more tire clearance, then replaced the bridge cable with an oversized spring that gives the arms tension. You simply adjust the tension of the brakes by bending the spring arms in or out similar to what you would do with individual springs on the arms. This design is to help simplify installation and maintenance of the brakes. I some how convinced David at Fly to let me test of a sample set and I’m so psyched on how well it really works and how smooth the brakes pull. These will be available in October!
Check out more of Flybikes product at Interbike right here!
4. Hawks Nest Bag
This next one is going to be one for those of you who like to travel. Odyssey have been working with Chase Hawk to design a signature bike golf bag they’re calling the Hawks Nest that is designed to fit your bike without having much of a fight or giving away that there is a bike in your bag when you’re checking it in at the airport. From what we have gathered, Chase was really particular about everything on this bag from shape to where the pockets were and everything, so you know it’s done right. If you’re looking for another option from an actual golf bag, the DK Golf Bag… You might want to keep your eye out for this one.
Check out more of Odyssey and Sunday Bikes’ product at Interbike right here.
5. 20 Year Anniversary Sprocket
BMX is pretty notorious for having cycles of classics being brought back into rotation and this is a good example of that. To celebrate their 20 year anniversary, Kink are bringing back one of their original sprocket designs (with a modern touch) as part of the celebration. This CNC machined sprocket has a laser etched logo, one crank arm position and I’d assume adaptors for 19mm and 22mm spindles. We’ve seen a few brands like United and Demolition that are doing similar sprockets, so if you’re looking for something with a bit of a throw back look, keep your eye out. Kink also have a new sprocket in the works that’s about the polar opposite of this that’s made from steel that’s really minimal on material. Check that out in the link below.
Check out more of Kink’s product from Interbike right here.
6. Woodgrain Colorway
Here’s one a lot of people are excited about… Tree Bicycle Co. are bringing the woodgrain colorway back. Some of you older guys would remember that woodgrain color originally being available through Mosh years ago. Tree brought the color back a few years on on their frame that they no longer offer and now they have it coming out on their parts. In a world of oil slick and metallic this and that, it’s good to see this one making its way back from the past.
Check out more of Tree Bicycle Co.’s product from Interbike right here
7. Bionic Cranks
One brand you can always count on something new and unique from is Portugal’s Mutant Bikes. We got a preview of these cranks last year, but Nuno has been hard at work to refine this version that will be available in a few months. These cranks use a unique 2-piece design with both arms welded to the spindle that is separated in the middle and then pulled together with one long bolt that runs through the middle. The arms also feature investment casting at the spindle and pedal bosses which makes for overall stronger arms. It sounds like this design will be opened up for licensing so you might just see a few more brands putting their own spin on the idea in the near future. In a close second for a favorite from Mutant, the new Linear cable design that uses fiberglass threads versus steel wire.. Check that out in the link below.
Check out more of Mutant Bikes’ product from Interbike right here.
8. BF Tire
This next one got quite a bit of buzz which is rad to see. Brian Foster’s signature tire from Merritt goes against the traditional knobby trails tire design and uses a unique pattern that has a smooth center to reduce rolling resistance on those hard packed trails with an increasingly aggressive pattern the further out you get from the center for extra traction when turning. This will be available in a few different color options as well which helps cater to the younger generation looking for a little extra flash on their bike. This is just one of two new tire options, and parts from Merritt this year.
Check out more of Merritt’s product from Interbike right here.
9. Blind Hub
This next one is one of those products that have seen its fair share of ups and downs from a few years of development. After a lot of work and testing, the Shane Weston signature Blind freecoaster from Eclat is finally done and will be hitting shops and mail-orders soon. Even looking at the fully pulled apart version I have trouble understanding just how this one works, but I can tell you it’s an all-in-one package. The Blind freecoaster and right and left side drive convertible and freecoaster and cassette convertible… Essentially 4 different hubs built into one. So if you aren’t fully sure if you want to run a freecoaster or if you want the option of switching back and forth, this might just be on the one for you.
Check out more of Wethepeople and Eclat’s product from Interbike right here.
10. Hydra Frame
And for number 10, we’ve got the new Hydra frame from Stolen. We’ve seen hydroforming used in BMX before, but I think a full hydroformed rear triangle that eliminates welds on the drop outs is a new one. You can also find features like that Vortex down tube which helps eliminate denting and a full post weld heat-treatment to help strengthen the frame even more. It will be interesting to see how well that rear triangle works and if we’ll see it being picked up by other brands in the future. Either way, props to Stolen for stepping outside of the box to create a new and unique frame that stands out.
Check out more of Stolen’s product from Interbike right here.
Now this list is just 10 of the unique items we spotted at Interbike this year and I’m sure we missed a few things completely. There are literally hundreds of products that we posted up that you can check out by checking out all of the brands individual posts in our 2014 Recap! We want to know what you guys think, so let us know in the comments!
