Outerbike 2013 Randoms

Many riders have at least heard of Eurobike or Interbike, the yearly trade shows intended for bicycle dealers and those involved directly with the cycling industry, but Outerbike might not be as familiar of an event. Now in its fourth year, Outerbike takes place just outside of Moab, Utah, and is aimed squarely at consumers, giving them the chance to try out the latest high end offerings from a wide range of companies. Three full days of demos gives riders the opportunity to narrow down their options, and to start scheming how to save up enough pennies to purchase one of these top tier rides.

Once the Outerbike gates open it's a mad dash as eager riders sprint towards the booth containing their ride of choice. The guy dressed in black on the left looks to be doing some kind of ninja heel click move as he nears the Ibis tent.

G-Form had rental knee and elbow pads in a distinctive yellow color available for riders in need of protection from the hard desert sandstone. The pads are constructed mainly from PORON XRD, a flexible, lightweight material designed to harden on impact and absorb the brunt of a blow. The retail version is available in a much less attention-grabbing black color for $49.99 USD.

Be prepared. Decked out with a hydration pack, fanny pack, and seat bag this rider was ready for anything.

With up to 6" of travel, a 1x11 drivetrain, and a Rock Shox Pike up front, this bright orange Intense Tracer 275 looked promising.

Western Spirit Cycling knows how to do it right. Who can resist bacon, especially if it's free? The company was also helping to shuttle riders to various trailheads, and offered guided rides earlier in the week.

Look at all that Kashima. Santa Cruz had their full demo fleet available, and there was a constant line of riders queuing up for some saddle time aboard the new bikes.

We first spotted a prototype version of Kali's Shiva full face helmet at the Taipei Bike Show, and after a few revisions the helmet is now nearing production. The sub-1000 gram, DOT certified helmet has a carbon fiber shell bonded to a foam liner that uses pyramid shapes to help spread the impact force to a wider area, decreasing the force that reaches the head. MSRP: $499 USD.

It was only a matter of time before this happened. Unicycle.com had their $865 Nimbus Oregon fatbike unicycle on display, complete with a disc brake. We're not sure what else to say.

Kitsbow's uber-high end apparel line seemed to be a hit with the Outerbike attendees, especially when the temperatures plummeted and a hailstorm passed through on Friday, sending riders in search of more layers and hot coffee, both of which the company was more than happy to provide

GT's Sensor goes up to 27.5" wheels for 2014, with 130mm of travel and their PathLink suspension design.

Reel Cameras is a relative newcomer to the helmet cam market, but their HD Slayer camera is as full featured as it gets, with a 4x digital zoom, an LCD screen, and the option of swapping between the stock 170 degree or a 142 degree lens (available separately). MSRP: $299 USD.

While there might be plenty of eye-catching bikes to ogle underneath the tents at Outerbike, nothing beats Moab's natural surroundings.


Stay tuned for more from Outerbike 2013.

www.outerbike.com