Deer Valley, Utah ... snow still in the mountains!

I had a wonderful time last week (June 20-24) with my client Fallbrook Technologies’ NuVinci® N360™ Continuously Variable Planetary (CVP) transmissions for bicycles. We were in Deer Valley/Park City for the third annual Bike Press Camp, which brings together many of the leading cycling brands with more than 30 of the top editors from the cycling, mainstream consumer and cool tech publications.

NuVinci N360 on the 2011 Breezer Uptown Infinity

NuVinci N360 hub and shifter combo in black

NuVinci innovative shifter ... hill = underdrive; flat = overdrive

We started out the week with a wonderful dinner and mingling at the exclusive Stein Ericksen Lodge in Deer Valley on Monday, June 20 where editors signed up for 45 minute slots for interviews and background sessions in our condos at the Black Bear Lodge over the course of the next three days. In addition, we received a warm welcome from Emily Summers, communications manager for the Deer Valley Resort area, and heard from Chris Zigmont and Lance Camisasca from Lifeboat Events, the superb organizers of the Press Camp and Dealer Camp (next month) events. We also were treated to a live demonstration (on big screen) by three local road riders using Wahoo Fitness’ cool application that enables an iPhone to track speed, cadence and heart rate.

Geoff and Kim with Aaron Gulley, Outside Magazine (center)

Kim and Geoff with Wired's John Bradley and James Merithew with the 2012 Novara Gotham

Bike Radar US Editor Matt Pacocha demos the Bodhi Sport eBike

Geoff with Jennifer Olson, Women's Adventure and the Dahon Mu-N360 Folding Bike

Avelino with David Bernstein, The FredCast Bike Podcast, and the 2012 Jamis Commuter 4

Geoff with BikeRadar's Matt Pacocha and the Bike Friday Tikit folding bike

Over the course of the next three days we had morning interviews and background sessions with the likes of Wired, Bicycle Retainer and Industry News, Los Angeles Times, Mountain Bike Action, Outside, Canadian Cycling, Mountain Magazine, Road Bike Review, Bike Biz, Popular Science, Women’s Adventure, Dirt Rag/Bicycle Times, Bicycling Magazine, Bike Radar, Bike Rumor, Bike World News, The FredCast Cycling Podcast, and many of others who visited our NuVinci booth at the afternoon outdoor demo. NuVinci was at Press Camp to highlight the expansion and further acceptance of its smooth and seamless N360 drivetrain (hub and shifter system) in North America by more bike brands for the 2012 season. With a simple twist of the wrist, the NuVinci N360 makes shifting any bike a breeze (check out the Breezer Uptown Infinity, Bicycling Magazine’s 2011 Commuter Bike of the Year!). Cyclists have an infinite choice between the highest & lowest “gears” — a 360 percent range — with the new N360 drivetrain. The NuVinci N360 makes riding even more enjoyable with seamless, continuous shifting (even under high pedal torque), without power interruptions, missed gears or dropped chains. The intuitive shifting dial’s feather touch is fun to use, easily increasing or decreasing pedaling exertion. And even better, the NuVinci N360 hub is maintenance free and requires no adjustments!

MBA's Jimmy Mac with the Ellsworth Enlightenment NuVinci

Tyler Benedict of Bike Rumor, and Geoff, with the Buddy Bike

Peter Stefaniak of REI Salt Lake City came up to pick up the 2012 Novara Gotham

We brought a number of 2012 models for the editors to have a first-look preview, including the Novara Gotham, Jamis Commuter 4, Bike Friday’s New World Tourist and Tikit folding bikes, Dahon Mu-N360 folding bike, Bodhi Sport eBike, Breezer Uptown Infinity, and the Buddy Bike Family Bike. Additionally, for our mountain bike editor friends we brought along the Ellsworth Enlightenment 26 NuVinci, a carbon hard tail cross over bike … Jimmy Mac from MBA loved it!

And interspersed with meetings and demos, I did a little riding … testing the Turner Sultan 29er, GT Bikes 2012 Zaskar, and the 2012 Niner Jet, on the fabulous Deer Crest Trail, a rocking and rolling singletrack trail that features views of Deer Valley, lakes and Park City. Unfortunately, due to the record snow this year (including the Sunday night prior to arrival), the Deer Valley Mountain Bike Park could only open 12 of the 60 miles of trails. So I did not get to ride the world-famous Mid Mountain Trail … a 23 mile epic singletrack (from the Silver Lake Lodge to the Canyons Resort down in Park City) that everyone here was talking about … maybe in August if I come back with the family!

Beautiful Lake view on the Deer Crest Trail

Great mountain views from the Deer Crest Trail

Riding the Deer Crest singletrack trail

Above the colorful brand tents at the Bike Press Camp Outdoor Demo

Press Camp was also highlighted by fantastic breakfast offerings each morning at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, incredible buffet lunch and dinner on the patio at the Silver Lake Lodge overlooking the mountains, and there was an very memorable lunch on Wednesday hosted by the Royal Street Cafe … ice cream sandwiches to die for! We had one night free, I spent walking around Historic Park City with a dinner on the patio overlooking street at the 501 On Main Restaurant (for their famous Gingered Meat Loaf … Yummy!)

Really cool bike racks in Historic Park City

View up Park City's Historic Main Street from Deck of 501 on Main Restaurant

All in all, a wonderful and very productive trip for myself and NuVinci. Many thanks to the Lifeboat Events team, Emily Summers from Deer Valley Resort, Amy Kersey of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, Geoff, Avelino, Damon, John and Katie from NuVinci, Jerry from Tifosi Optics (lovin’ the Logic & Mast in SD!) and the hospitality of ResortQuest and its staff for making life so pleasurable at the incredible Black Bear Lodge! Also, a huge THANKS to ZOIC Clothing for providing their best-selling mountain biking shorts (Ether and Posh) in our editor gift packs as well as KOOL N’ FIT Sport for their sports performance spray.

ZOIC Cycling's Ether shorts with NuVinci logo

You can check out NuVinci’s Press Camp Gallery on its Facebook page for more event coverage.

Black Bear Lodge in Deer Valley