The Expo itself was the primary motivation behind the trip, but it was more of just another highlight really.
We arrived early in the afternoon and Brianne parked her truck close to our couch surfing host’s address. We made Lenny put all the bikes back together and hopped out on our first ride.
The destination was a surprise for Brent so I guess Lenny led us down a few wrong turns just to add to the anticipation. He was on to us about a mile before we arrived thanks to a big billboard. This was pretty awesome considering how much effort it was to keep secret while crossing the border.
It was a really nice transition from the crowded truck to Mary (my 10 speed) to cover lots of ground and explore the city on a more intimate level. We made it to Peir 91 to discover a serious lack of bike parking.
We opted to donate for bike valet, but they made us park the bikes ourselves. I never!
Upon entrance we enjoyed a hearty buffet lunch of all the latest Cliff bar offerings. Gummy gels and electrolyte juice for dessert. The whole thing was very traditional as trade shows go. I was hoping to see a lot more custom builders, crafters and local booths of the like. Instead there was a lot of corporate bargain bins, drool worthy (and hideous) super tech gear, people wanting you to sign up for rides all over the world.
Here are the few gems I did notice:
Rickshaw Bags
The girls working this booth seemed especially cool since they were the only ones openly drinking tall cans of Miller Lite. They explained the company uses some recycled upholstery fabrics, some new stuff, can do custom orders and raises money for youth support programs. Also they’re from San Francisco which = instant bike cred.
Alchemy Goods
I’ve known about these guys for a while since I tried to steal their supply of PVC advertising banners from all the Seattle art galleries. I never really liked any of their stuff but I will admit that it looks much better in person. It’s not beautifully manufactured & they definitely need to hire a photographer to shoot their product for their website, but I wound up falling for their charm, durability and accessibility after my first encounter.
Hub & Bespoke
These guys are about to open in Fremont. They’ve got a good blog and are aiming to cater to the urban cyclist desperate for some fashion along with function.
Beloved
Is by a Southeast Portland-based company, Cycle Works Oregon. These “Hers and His” would be the perfect set to pull out of the garage we want to roll in our Sunday bests, hide under big shades or floppy hat and pack a picnic.
Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of the best part of the show - the collection of old road and track bikes. That and drinking beer out of a glove. After a couple of those it was starting to get dark, so I urban spoon’d it up and we hit the road again.
