At Interbikes past, we used to travel from our digs at a weird, kind of crusty Travelodge on the Vegas Strip to the Sands convention center for the indoor portions of the show on a random assortment of borrowed bikes. Last year we wised up and borrowed some demo bikes from Raleigh and Diamondback, and rented a house to stay in. This year we got even smarter and assembled a fleet of proper commuting bikes in a wide variety of styles, and rented a different house on the same side of Interstate 15 as the Sands so we wouldn’t have to try merging on the freeway anymore.

The lucky riders will give a more full report – a mini-test, if you will – on their experiences aboard these machines later on. Watch this space for more details.

Here is the lineup:

РFelt Caf̩ 8 Deluxe, a relaxed but practical 8-speed bike with an integrated rack (and cupholder!)
– Felt X:City 2, a bit more speed-oriented, with a Shimano Alfine internal 8-speed hub
– Giant Twist Freedom DX W “hybrid” bike – hybrid as in propelled by a combination of pedal and electric motor power
– KHS Urban-Xtreme, a lightweight flat-bar road-ish bike with big gears (here’s a link to the ’08 version)
– Pashley Roadster Classic, a proper English bike and a “whale among minnows”
– Raleigh Clubman, a steel-framed “café racer” with drop bars and Shimano compact road gearing
– Rans Alterra, a prototype crank-forward mountain bike – yes, a recumbent, sort of (here’s a link to the bike it’s replacing, the Dynamik Pro)
– Masi Soulville, a curved-frame steel bike with full road gearing and a swept-back handlebar (’08 version here)

There are a lot of different options for commuting and other types of road riding these days, and this is but a small dip in the pool, but we aim to shed some light on those options. We’re also scoping out bikes for future full reviews. Stay tuned for more…