2013 Interbike Roundup

October 1, 2013

The following is a guest post by Patrick O'Grady.

Adventure Cycling's Josh Tack is busily cranking out a four-part roundup of all the nifty items he unearthed at this year's Interbike trade show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. I don't have the stamina for that sort of project — I'm still coughing out secondhand smoke from my daily strolls through the Luxor casino — but I thought I'd mention a few bikes I wouldn't mind seeing in my garage should Santa decide against all evidence to the contrary that I've been a good boy this year.

So, here's my personal podium from the show, along with a half-dozen other possibilities you might consider if you're in the market for new machinery. If you like what you see and want to learn more, stay tuned — you're likely to see one or more of these bikes reviewed in Adventure Cyclist magazine come 2014.

Co-Motion Klatch

The Klatch was first to catch my eye in Las Vegas. As Josh notes in his first recollection from the show floor, it's a "gravel grinder" — a niche item that slots in somewhere between a cyclocross bike and a touring bike — and boy, was this one ever a beauty. You know it's a good one when Co-Motion co-founder Dwan Shepard orders one for himself.

The Reynolds 853 frameset can run 40mm rubber and carry three bottles, and Co-Motion's jet-black show model was nicely spec'd; among the goodies was a set of TRP's dual-piston Spyre mechanical disc brakes, which I have yet to sample but have heard good things about.

Expect to pay $2,195 for frame and fork, $4,460 for a Shimano 105-equipped bike, and $4,995 for an Ultegra machine. Co-Motion is taking orders now, and lead time is six to seven weeks.

Cinelli Bootleg Hobo

The Bootleg Hobo, meanwhile, looks like just the ticket for the Adventure Cycling crowd. You've got to love PR copy that draws a pair of Jacks — Kerouac and London — when pitching a product.

The Hobo starts with Columbus Cromor tubes, then adds an FSA Alpha Drive Trekking triple crankset with a nine-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain, Microshift bar-end shifters, bosses for three bottle cages, tubus racks, fenders, clearance for 45mm rubber, spare-spokes holder, and (gasp!) Tektro cantilever brakes! What's not to like? Bonus: The bar tape sports coded symbols that hobos use to communicate with one another, such as "kind lady," "camp here" and "hit the road quick!"

Santa Fe's Bicycle Technologies International (BTI) is distributing the Hobo, and I expect it will be an insanely popular piece of machinery with the go-anywhere, do-anything crowd, if only because of the price: $1,850 complete. Yeah, I didn't believe it either. But BTI's Cinelli USA brand manager, Chris Blumenstetter, says it's no joke.

Chris King Cielo Tanner Goods Edition

Finally, the Chris King Cielo Tanner Goods Edition (man, is that ever a mouthful) is a beautiful commuter-slash-bikepacker, with a Tanner Goods saddlebag, handlebar bag and frame bag, the last of which doubles as a shoulder bag.

The $2,895 price includes frame, fork, bags and Honjo fenders; the show bike was tricked out with Chris King headset and hubs (duh), L.H. Thomson seatpost and stem, and Paul's Neo-Retro and Touring canti' brakes.

It's a work of (mostly) American art on wheels, and it's rolling out the door — marketing manager Dylan VanWeelden says Chris King has shipped a half-dozen so far "with many more orders coming down the pipes." Expect your Cielo Tanner Goods Edition to ship within 60 days of ordering.

Tern Eclipse S18

The Tern Eclipse is a striking heavy-duty folding bike, complete with racks and fenders, FSA double crankset, SRAM X7 drivetrain, adjustable Andros stem with integrated Valo 2 dynamo headlight, fat Schwalbe Big Apple tires and a nifty seatpost-cum-pump, all for $2,100.

Other bikes worth a look:

Raleigh Tamland: Reynolds 631 main tubes, rack and fender mounts, double crankset (50/34), 11-speed cassette, TRP Spyre disc brakes. Available with Shimano Ultegra (Tamland 2, $2,400) or 105 (Tamland 1, $1,600).

Jamis Bosanova: Reynolds 520 chromoly main tubes with rack and fender mounts, carbon fork with steel steerer tube, triple crankset (50/39/30), 12-30 cassette, Avid BB5 disc brakes, $1,300.

Surly Straggler: Chromoly frame and fork with rack and fender mounts. Available as a frameset or a complete bike with double crankset (46/36), 11-32 cassette, Avid BB7 disc brakes.

Redline Metro Classic: Chromoly frame and fork with rack and fender mounts, triple crankset (50/39/30), 12-28 cassette, Avid BB5 disc brakes, $1,150.

Norco Indie Drop: Chromoly frame and fork with rack and fender mounts, double crankset (50/34), 12-30 cassette, Hayes CX5 disc brakes, $1,400.

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PATRICK O'GRADY has written and cartooned about cycling since 1989 for Velo News, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, Adventure Cyclist, and a variety of other publications.