Dirt Rag visits the SF Bike Expo

By Adam Hunt

Pity Daly City’s Cow Palace. Everyone says the Cow Palace is in San Francisco but it isn’t. Sorry to burst any bubbles. Other than being criminally miss-identified as San Francisco-based entity, the Cow Palace has an unusual history. Its origins go back to the 1915 San Francisco Pan-Pacific International Exposition when the fair’s livestock show was one of most popular attractions. As the name implies, the Cow Palace has hosted numerous livestock shows and rodeos but it has also seen the likes of The Beatles, Elvis, The Doors, Billy Graham, the Exotic Erotic Ball and, keeping in line with the two-wheeled theme, Evel Knievel.

Saturday, November 6 saw the return of the San Francisco Bike Expo. While the main exhibition hall was strictly off limits (who do you think you are, Metallica?), the Bike Expo made good use of two side halls and a joining corridor to bring together differing groups of cyclists under the same roof. Fixie kids rubbed elbows with down hillers, ultra fit roadies stood in line for eats with scraper bike riders, and little kids paraded by custom low rider bike builders.

If that wasn’t enough for you the joining grounds of the Cow Palace ran a series of cyclocross races, dirt jump contests, a pump track for grommets and a street course for fixed gear and BMX riders.

Enjoy the pictures!