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Dirt Rag Articles
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Veloswap Denver
October 23, 2004
Denver, CO
National Western Complex
Well, this is the second time I’ve attended Denver’s Veloswap and let me tell you: it is a zoo! No, I’m not referring to the fact that the venue is also the showcase for farm animal exchanges (well, maybe I am, a little...it’s rather strange to be surrounded by stockyards at a bike show), but to the fact that the second the doors open 9 a.m., a mass of frenzied, bike-loving humanity flows into the complex like herd of agitated buffalo. I don’t blame them, either. Although Maurice, Dan (our west coast correspondent) and I are stuck in the booth working for the entire stint from 9–5, I would love to be able to troll the halls for awesome deals and freaky tidbits. Because you’ll find both...from complete full suspension bikes to archaic cruisers, to used saddles (hmm) and bike bits, there is a treasure trove of bike stuff for everyone from hi-zoot racers to collectors of two-wheeled antiquity.
Maurice and I were able to tempt a continuous flow of subscribers to sign up, both new and renewals, and we slung quite a bit of swag in the progress. From Zoic technical tees to Dirt Rag’s own Nema made vests, we had some sweet goodies to dispense to the crowd.
A long but rewarding day for both my partner and I, and the bargain hunters; it almost brought a tear to our eyes as we spotted proud owners of freshly purchased steeds wheeling them gently through the crowds. They were easy to spot, with their shining faces, perky step and quick but frequent downward glances at their new rides. Sniff. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
If you are ever in the area and have the opportunity to attend a Veloswap in San Francisco, Denver, and now Chicago (see World Tour report), do it. Eight bucks to get in, varying rates for booth space, and you’re in the middle of a sea of bike lust. A few tips: bring your own food if you can (convention center food is historically both incredibly expensive and quite outrageously bad, no offense to Denver’s convention food in particular) and bring a bag for your swag. Check it out at www.veloswap.com.
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