That giant flaming ball of hot gases is back, and aside from telling ourselves to stop staring at it, Seattlest's mind is on the fence. (It's a small fence.) We haven't had enough ski season yet, but a nice dry bike ride sure would be dreamy. If the extra vitamin D from the past few days has skewed your thoughts to similar memes, or you just want to pick up a bunch of free swag and some dirt-cheap lycra, by all means please head over to Magnuson Park for the 2006 Bike Expo from Feb 18-19.
For Seattlest, the Bike Expo is a bit like Bumbershoot with wheels. It doesn't change much from year to year, yet mystifyingly we end up attending almost every time. We're mostly frustrated that so few bike manufacturers show up--we strongly believe that being able to chat with the actual people who make the bikes you ride is what helps the industry, and its customers, the most. This year it appears that only Ellsworth will be on hand, while at least last year we had a few more including two of our favorites, our northern neighbors Kona and Transition, both from Ferndale. We fear that Expo organizers aren't doing enough to draw the bike companies in, but if Bumbershoot could get Elvis Costello and Talib Kweli, then a girl can dream, right? Either way, we'll be there gorging ourself on LUNA bars and sale-priced clothing on Saturday afternoon.
On the upside, there's usually some decent entertainment, and typically a few stand-out guests. Last year featured Bob Roll of Tour de France announcer fame, and the year prior we were blessed with an appearance by Marla Streb, arguably one of the best female downhill racers ever, and without a doubt the smartest (she has a PhD in molecular biology, swoon). This year, the theme swings towards the roadies, with Irish Tour de France star Sean Kelley, and US cycling phenom Davis Phinney. We'll be looking out for the BMX camps with pro Nina Buitrago, and the 5-7pm Bikes and Beats show on Saturday, featuring freestyle tricks, jumping, circus-worthy trials riders, and a handful of DJs.
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