Interbike 2015: WTB and Apidura

It’s been a long week of recovery, but I had two more updates I wanted to make from Interbike. These two companies are on opposite ends of the spectrum. One is a company with a long history in offroad riding, and the other is a relative newcomer to the niche. WTB Tires are always a big conversation starter, no matter what type of riding you enjoy. Being a dirt focused company, I have always liked the way WTB presented themselves. The evolution of mountain bike parts owes a lot to them, and they’re still going strong. Their lineup of 27.5+ tires looks great. The Bridger and the Trail Boss are a full 3″ wide while the Trailblazer is a more modest 2.8″ Each of these looks like a decent tire, but the Trail Boss had me the most interested. It’s a solid tread pattern that I think would do well in certain parts of the country. Being in Oregon, I could see this tire being a great asset on our variety of damp to dry to loamy trails.

Apidura This is a company that I’m not all that familiar with. I’ve seen a few people with these bags, but I wasn’t quite sure what the story was. In the relatively new world of “bikepacking” it seems like there are a number of quality pack makers to choose from. Setting yourself apart has to be tricky considering the needs and options are becoming more standard every day. The two bikes on display looked great with the full array of bags, and the quality looks top notch. Unlike Porcelain Rocket and Revelate, there isn’t a central figure or history that drives the company, at least not publicly. Instead, Apidura has a number of ambassadors that test their gear and provide content for them. It will be interesting to see how they evolve over the next handful of years as our market evolves.