Southeast Bike Expo This Weekend

The first ever Southeast Bike Expo is being held this weekend at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, site of the 1996 Olympic mountain bike competition. Online registration closes at midnight tonight and you can save $5 off the $25 admission by pre-registering with all proceeds going to IMBA/SORBA. The weather forecast is looking …

The first ever Southeast Bike Expo is being held this weekend at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, site of the 1996 Olympic mountain bike competition. Online registration closes at midnight tonight and you can save $5 off the $25 admission by pre-registering with all proceeds going to IMBA/SORBA. The weather forecast is looking good with sunny skies Saturday and Sunday with highs in the mid 50s.

There will be hundreds of demo bikes at the Expo from brands like Trek, Niner, Specialized, Felt, Scott, and Jamis. Dozens of additional brands will be on hand as well showing off the latest gear – everything from helmets and hydration packs to bike lights and energy drinks. Terrapin will be pouring their brew and there’s even a bike swap where you can set up a table to sell your old equipment (or donate it to Cycle Youth). According to the SE Bike Expo Twitter feed, there will also be camping available on site.

Since the Expo is really about trying out the latest and greatest mountain bikes and gear, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of the weekend:

  • Bring your own pedals. Most bike vendors will have a few loaner sets of each type of pedal (Crankbros, Shimano, etc.) but if your particular pedal flavor is already out on a demo bike, you’ll be waiting for that bike to come back. Bring your own pedals and the mechanics can slap ’em on the bike for you quickly.
  • Don’t forget your helmet and other riding gear (like gloves, shoes, etc.). When demoing a bike it’s important to get the experience as close to your regular trail ride as possible.
  • Know your weight, including gear. This helps the mechanics quickly set up shock pressures.
  • Bring your driver’s license and have it easily accessible. Most companies will want to keep your license or even a credit card when you take out a bike – you know, just in case you don’t come back. 🙂
  • Make sure you get the right size bike. It’s tempting to just grab whatever bike is available but be patient and get your size. This makes a huge difference in evaluating a bike.
Don’t forget to bring your smartphone to the demo so you can use the singletracks app to look up bikes, add post-demo product reviews, and check in at the trail. I’ll be there on Saturday morning and mtbgreg1 and dgaddis will be there Sunday so say hi if you see us wandering around!