Frostbike Day 0.5

Oh howdy from Frostbike, Quality Bicycle Product's annual tradeshow here in the most picturesque industrial park in Bloomington, Minnesota. For those unfamiliar, QBP is the biggest, fastest, and at least for us, most reliable parts supplier in the bike industry. They're very efficient like WalMart, but with the soul of Ben & Jerry's. Pass the Kool-Aid, please. Most every shop does at least some business with them, so yeah, good guys can finish first.

Food and coffee is a bit hard to come by in our remote Crowne Plaza lodging, but that Minnesota friendliness is making up for it. I spent Day 0.5 in a borderline psychosis, having endured a caffeine and food free 9 hour adventure on US Air, complete with late departures, wind sprints through terminals, and some snags finding and securing lodging. Next was a blur of seminars designed to excite me about enhancing the profitable paradigms of our new world of outside the box something something. I need coffee....

My traveling companion, our Chevy Chase buyer Eric, led my bedraggled shell to a charter bus, which hauled us to a happy hour (sponsored by Saris) and dinner, featuring more people saying doubtlessly profound things, and me gulping down water like my airline peanuts were meth-roasted. The highlight was the video tour of Saris played on the bus, on the video monitor, located 9 inches from my bloodshot eyes, Clockwork Orange style.

Anyway, gear postings to follow, here's a teaser: