Bike Style Portraits in Las Vegas

I was in Las Vegas for Interbike 2012 – this was my fourth time attending since 2008 – and Sin City…..well, what can you say? It’s at once a torrid, bacchanalian scene of debauchery, a faux-city borrowing from everything else yet retaining it’s own bizarre identity, and home to massive exhibition halls…mixing tourists with business folk, spectators with performers and everyone wondering what the heck is going on. Each time I return, I think I’ve figured out another riddle to this odd place. The reality is, it’s no puzzle. Everything is actually as it seems – over the top, completely ludicrous and a case for capitalism gone wrong.

The Interbike event itself is on such an awesome scale, it’s hard to describe. Every single aspect of the bicycle industry is represented: steel manufacturers, exercise bikes, BMX, scooters, high-end road racing, apparel, gels, gels, gels….oh, those sport gels! Who can enjoy sucking a tart, unnaturally flavoured goo from a bag? Lots of folk, apparently. Of course, with MomentumMag we are there to sort through the sport and suss out the latest in urban/utility cycling – cargo bikes, commuters, spandex-free fashion, city rides with belt drives, internal hubs and flat-proof tires. We brought along a big crew and, as is our tradition, put on the 5th annual Momentum urban cycling fashion show – Gaining Momentum. We had four shows on offer this year and I filmed them all, working on a new fashion show clip for the web. While we prep the latest video, you can check out my clip from 2009 right here.

After the last show, I took the models outside – to the one tiny space that isn’t completely covered in concrete/advertising – and had some fun shooting portraits for a few hours in the Nevada heat. We published this ‘Look Book‘ of images in Momentum’s digital edition, but here are the twelve looks we chose from over 30 in the show, all featuring bicycle-friendly apparel, accessories and the latest in urban bikes. Enjoy!

Las Vegas, NV, 2012.