ϳԹ‘s editors are excited to announce the launch of our all-new Gear of the Show awards program at this year’s , September 14-16, in Las Vegas. These five awards will be given to the most innovative and promising products we see at North America’s largest bicycle trade event and show.
Between our regular coverage in the monthly magazine, our annual Spring Cycling Special (May issue), Aaron Gulley’s The Cycle Life blog, and our bi-annual ϳԹ Buyer’s Guides, we review a lot of bikes, apparel, and accessories. Every year we test nearly a hundred mountain, road, and utility bikes. And we have been singling out our favorites: for the past 16 years in the Buyer’s Guides, we’ve bestowed our highly-coveted Gear of the Year awards to the mountain and road bike that performed the best during months of field testing. The Gear of the Show awards are a different animal: we’ll be giving these to the products we can’t wait to get our hands on, ride, wear, and test. The winning companies will be receiving actual awards on the show floor, and we’ll announce the first three winners on Wednesday night via social media (Twitter tag #interbike) and highlight them on our website. The remaining two winners will be decided on Thursday.
Not familiar with ? Once a year, Las Vegas, Nevada, hosts a five-day trade show of bicycling products, events, and seminars that attracts an international contingent of industry professionals for everything from movie screenings to gear testing to exhibition races. More than anything, the show lets shop owners and media get a preview of everybody’s new stuff. For the most part, the gear and apparel on display at the show won’t be available to consumers until later in the winter and spring of 2012.
—Sam Moulton (), Editor, Buyer’s Guides, and Aaron Gulley, ϳԹ Magazine Mountain- and Road-Bike Test Director