Interbike 2012 - Day 1

This is one of the REALLY exciting pieces from this year's show. It's the Stage One, from a brand new company called Stages Cycling out of Boulder, Colorado. And their product is about to turn the power meter market on its head. The new Stage One power meter is a tiny little pod that attaches to the inside of a crank arm, adds a mere 20 grams to your bike, and has a user-replaceable CR2032 battery that lasts 200-hours. The only drawback is that it has to be used on an alloy crank (meaning no carbon crank arms). That's because their technology is based on measuring the deflection of the alloy arm, and carbon doesn't have the same predictability of deflection that aluminum does. Oh, and did I mention the best two parts? Their pricing starts at just $699. That's not a typo - for just SEVEN HUNDRED BUCKS, you can have a crank-based power meter that will last you through bike build after bike build. And the BEST part ... this is no pipe dream prototype. The Stage One was actually on display with working units, and the first production cranks will start shipping IN JANUARY. In my opinion, the rest of the industry has just been put on notice. Stages is here to rock the boat.

Every year, I hear predictions that Interbike is going to be a boring show, and that all the major innovations are already public knowledge. But every year, those predictions prove to be wrong. I'm consistently dazzled by what I actually find on the showroom floor, and that's never been more true than it has been this year. Over the next three days, I'll be showing you some of the most exciting gear to come out in a decade. This is stuff that is going to redefine how athletes equip themselves to train and race, and there are several pieces that I'm really, really excited to use. So buckle up, because here we go!