Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas II

Yeah, yeah, so Hunter S. Thompson never wrote a sequel. Doesn't mean he shouldn't have.

More Interbike nonsense, obviously.

It's worth noting that the Stolen Pivotal post from yesterday doesn't bother me so much because it's a plastic seatpost, but because it's an ORANGE plastic seatpost. It looks like something that belongs in a roadside emergency kit, or maybe a tackle box. Yes, it will probably be both lighter and cheaper than an aluminum post. But a) how often do you replace your seatpost, and b) how heavy is a stubby aluminum Pivotal post to begin with? I suppose if you're getting your first Pivotal setup it could make sense, but...yeah, whatever.

No original product shots for you today, so I'm just gonna steal some from Dig and comment on them instead. Here's the link if you just want to see the photos. (Day One here.)


1. FBM Exodus


It's an updated version, apparently, although Dig makes no effort to point out what the updates are. However, the maroon paint and prismatic stickers make it look like a late-'70s, early-'80s BMX bike, which is never a bad thing. I always thought someone should rip off Mongoose's original 'BMX' headtube sticker.



2. Fit cruisers.


We're all getting older. It can't be helped. And as all the owners of rider-owned companies—Miron, Cielencki, Sher, Castillo, Morales—age, thoughts turn to big wheels. I'm sure I'm oversimplifying this and the real reason for all these 'street' cruisers is that market research revealed that the 24" (and 26") market is ready to take off like a rocket, but oversimplification is my bag, baby. Do NOT tell me if FBM and Metal come out with cruisers, I'm not sure whether I could handle it.


3. Eastern Bi-rectional hub


"Bi-rectional," besides being Porno of the Year for 1998, is the name of Eastern's new convertable cassette/coaster hub. Anyway, Dig took a pre-emptive shot at us blogging types out here:

This is Eastern’s bi-rectional freecoaster which can also be transformed into a cassette hub. It works awesome, but I’m sure the blogosphere will find something to bitch about anyways....

"It works awesome." Is this because someone at Eastern said so, or did Dig put it through some sort of condensed torture test? Because while I'm sure it worked great on the display bike in Vegas, and I'd like to believe it IS awesome, I can't help but think of folding Grim Reapers and improperly welded titanium cranks. Love to take your word for it fellas, but I wouldn't want to be the first one on my block with one of these. I'll hold out for V2, thanks.

(Would have also been cool to hear more about how it works. Is it really worth taking the guts out of your hub any time you want to switch between cassette and coaster?)

Also, if you get a bi-rection for more than four hours, see a doctor.


4. Macneil race frame


This is kind of awesome, actually. I'm not sure whether Macneil will be sponsoring racers or just hooking up their team riders, but I do know that it should lead to some gnarly tracks if Jay Miron is involved. Here's hoping for water-hazard doubles filled with beer and alligators.



5. Federal grips

Hey look, it's more Longneck derivatives! It's so funny. Company A picks up Rider B, who loves Longnecks. Company A wants Rider B to run THEIR grips, so they come up with a grip design that is almost-but-not-quite like Longnecks just so Rider B can still feel like he's running Longnecks even while he isn't. My question is, who the heck is left running actual Longnecks? ODI should sue everyone.


6. Unnamed Federal frame.


I know it's unnamed (and a Federal) because Dig told me:

A yet unnnamed Federal frame with low standover height, steep head angle and short back end.

Wow, gee, how stunningly original. And look at that! Drilled-out stay caps and clearance for a big tire in the back! How revolutionary! We here at SPRFLS would like to suggest some names, since Federal apparently shot their creative load coming up with the unique design:

• The Burr
• North Dakota
• Generica
• Zee Rocks
• The Follower
• Decimal
  

7. Animal cassette hub

Whenever a company enters a market that they've previously left untouched, I always wonder what team riders are supposed to do. Because it's entirely possible at this point for a rider to be sponsored by three different companies—who once never overlapped—that all make, say, seats, or handlebars. How do you decide who to rep?

In the interests of full disclosure, I saw this hub a while back but was sworn to secrecy. Not that I knew anything about it anyway. It doesn't lace weird, it doesn't have a massive female axle, it doesn't have bushings instead of bearings. About all I can tell you is that it's purple, has aluminum axle nuts, and comes with a matching hubguard. What else do you need?


I'm a little disappointed that no one took pictures of the what must be countless new Pivotal seats debuting at Interbike. UGP has something like 20 new 'designs' all by themselves. If I do go next year, perhaps that will be my mission. Since no one else has chosen to accept it.

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UPDATE: Dig posted a third batch of Interbike photos with the admonition not to steal them. I feel like I'm in the legal clear since I was commenting and editorializing, but if I made someone mad, I apologize.

I won't post anything from said third batch, but I will say that the red Versa frame is gross, and that the Kink Empire Revision C is the equivalent of Dave Grohl re-naming The Foo Fighters "Nirvana Revision B." The only thing it has in common with the original Kink Empire is that it's a BMX frame made by Kink. No piercings, NO SALE. Jerks.

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