PDX Bicycle Show highlights

Boy I sure am glad that I just didn't blindly head down to the Convention Center, where last year's show took place, but checked online and discovered that this year, the Expo Center was the place to be.  I got to see & touch & test some really awesome products, and talk to their designers.  Here are the ones that I liked so much that we may eventually carry them at Upcycles - if you're interested in anything here, we can certainly special order!

Retroshift - It's kind of tricky to explain this one, but it's an ingenious retrofit of a downtube shifter on a Tektro ergo brake lever.  Designed with cyclocross in mind, but I would totally use them for commuting and touring as well...combines the functionality of STI levers with the reliability of downtube shifters.  The only problem is that I didn't think of them first!  Here's a photo:

Green Guru - Biking gear made from "upcycled" bike tubes, climbing ropes, wetsuits, and other outdoor gear.  They're all made in Boulder, CO, by really nice folks.  I love the sexy goes-with-everything matte black look of this line!

Flipside Hats - Your friends wear 'em and you should, too: fashionable hats made from "abandoned" materials, hand-crafted right here in Portlandia.

Titus/Planet X/On One - designers and direct sellers of thriftily-priced steel and carbon-fiber frames and components.  You might see me riding one of their carbon fiber cyclocross frames soon...

Alright, enough of this: it's time for me to enjoy the last of this weekend's sun :)