
When Vital MTB user bikeboardorblade commented on our WTF gallery (which is bursting at the seams, by the way), it made me think about how I've seen the Interbike tradeshow change over the years.

And he's right to an extent. Over the past several years I've seen it morph from busy halls filled with innovation and eager dealers to half-empty corridors and what feel like snake oil salesmen.

Pickle juice, anyone?



Virtual reality meets porn meets Z-Jays. Oh dear.

Seriously?

Another industry friend posted something to his Facebook feed along the lines of: "A dinosaur waiting for its comet" with a Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas location tag. Yikes.
And so I'd like to ask our readers, what went wrong with Interbike? What does that say of our industry?
It used to be that all the WTFs were found in the back isles. Now they're front and center, and there's something oddly un-easing about that.
Are we simply beyond the tradeshow model? Can you, the brands and shops that attended, more effectively fill the various needs the show once fulfilled?
It used to be that when a shop rep went to the show, they came back with what seemed like tall tales of the next great products and knew exactly what to stock. Times have changed though. Can you, the public (and even shops?), find sufficient knowledge of products in coverage online?
What will save the dino?

God help us all.
(And don't you dare go arguing with me about pickle juice. I've tried all the so-called remedies.)