Interbike product review: Media kit memory sticks

By Adam Newman

Interbike can be a stressful time for exhibitors working hard on their booths, and attendees working hard to damage their livers, but for the cycling media, it’s just hard work. Trying to cover the entire show and still find time to sneak away for some of this elusive "fun" doesn’t always happen. 

Our favorite brands are ones who make it easier on us, especially in the form of media kits. Printed product catalogs are not only expensive to produce, but no one wants to carry one around all day. Thankfully, the USB memory stick has become the go-to vehicle for product information and catalogs. 

Here’s a few of the ones we picked up at the show this year. Please note, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. 

Gravity Check: Its small size belies its capacity: 4GB. This little guy would be great on a keychain for emergencies. Bonus points for the drive being named "Gravity Check" when it appears on the computer. 

GT, BMC, and Cannondale: Not surprising there was some overlap in choices for custom USB sticks. GT and Cannondale went for 2GB versions while BMC only offered 1GB. None of them were named when loaded to the computer. 

Nukeproof: Who says a memory stick has to just be a memory stick? This little guy can store your data and open your favorite oat soda. It clocked in at 2GB. 

Darn Tough: Like the brand it represents, the wooden shell gives of a rustic, Americana vibe. The cap is held on with magnets (how do they work?!) but it’s so big I had to unplug some other USB devices to get it to plug in. It’s 1GB and was named when loaded. 

Travel Wisconson: The state’s tourism agency hooked us up with all sorts of cool ideas for why your next bike ride should be in Wisconson. A thumb drive seemed like an odd way of delivering what was just a PDF of a brochure. It is 1GB and named WIS BIKING.

Niner and Sugoi: Two of the heavy hitters here. The Niner stick is 8GB while the Sugoi is 4GB, much larger than most of the others. These two might end up sticking around for a while for personal use. 

Thule: The most swank memory stick of the show, the Thule business card-sized drive offers only 500MB of storage, but was a staff favorite. It gives up some functionality for form, however, since you can’t plug it in next to another USB cord, it’s too wide. 

Did you get any USB thumb drives at the show that stood out? Tell us in the comments.