With February just around the corner, the bicycle industry is ramping up for the first-ever winter trade event, as show organizers, product suppliers, bicycle retailers, and industry leaders begin preparations for Winterbike 2005 – held in conjunction with the Bicycle Leadership Conference, February 10-13, 2005 in Phoenix, AZ.

Early support from suppliers has been strong, with many of the industry’s leading brands recognizing the value of Winterbike as a new opportunity to connect with the nation’s top retailers in an intimate, one-on-one setting. At this time, many of the industry’s biggest names, such as Giant Bicycles, Mavic-adidas Cycling, Fuji Bicycles, and Quality Bicycle Products have made the commitment to showcase their brands and products at Winterbike.

Many suppliers and retailers have expressed excitement for the dual component event, which features a demo day and an exhibit-style product forum.

“Winterbike provides a more intimate setting and a better chance for everyone to focus on the products and business at hand,” said Todd Cravens, national sales manager for Quality Bicycle Products. “For this reason, Winterbike makes a lot of sense for us.”

“Having the opportunity to ride bikes at the Demo Day gives retailers a great chance to connect with a manufacturer on a different level. We’re very excited that Interbike has added a new component to the conference,” said Jay Graves of the Bike Gallery, Portland, OR.

“We’re supporting Winterbike because we’re confident that it will be a great event for everyone,” said Pat Cunnane, president of Fuji Bikes. “Thanks to Interbike for adding a trade component to the conference, it will surely be a tremendous benefit to the BLC.”

Winterbike 2005 is designed to provide the industry’s top suppliers and buyers a new opportunity to preview and demo products, gain business insight and build relationships. This inaugural event kicks off with Winterbike Demo Day on February 10th at McDowell Mountain Regional Park – a top cycling park just outside Phoenix, and continues with the Winterbike Product Forum on the evenings of February 10th and 11th at the world-class Point Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix.