Five things we're excited about

Last week, Bryan, the boys from the other stores (Trek O Papillion, KC, St. Louis) and some of the higher-ups went to Wisconsin for the annual Trek World show. It was new stuff, wall to wall. Here are five things we're psyched to show you (and we'll have them all sooner or later):

1. Trek Earl
At $439, the Earl is simplicity at its best. Single-speed, versatile, fun. It has dual top tubes -- spaced a couple of inches apart -- to hold a U-lock. Beauty.

2. Speed Concept

The Speed Concept is pretty much the polar opposite of the Earl. Starting at under $2,000 and heading north of $10,000, the Speed Concept is for going fast. Period. There will be three frames to choose from -- the 9, 7 and 2 Series. According to Trek's white paper study, the 9 is the fastest TT/tri bike on the market. The 7 is the second fastest. Third? Assuming testing goes as planned, that would be the 2.

3. New helmets
Trek has, admittedly, been lagging behind in helmets. Where other brands have it dialed, Trek's had the same stuff for a while. Well, no longer. The company showed off its new entry- and mid-level lids -- the Solstice and Quantum. They'll replace the Vapor and Interval, respectively. And there's more on the way ... .

4. New shoes

Bontrager shoes have been around for a couple of seasons now, but it's time for a revamped lineup. The XXX-Lite road shoe (above) is the biggest splash -- and it's awesome. Super-light and super-stiff, it's a pro-level shoe in every way. Also notable is the Race MTB shoe. For $90, you get a stiff, lightweight shoe that's reworked from the ground up. It's a huge improvement over anything else out there under $100.

5. Madone SSL

You didn't think we'd skip the flagship road bike, did you? No way. The new 6 Series SSL is lighter, stiffer and faster than the previous model. When you mash the pedal, it goes -- plain and simple. The current 6 Series remains for 2011, as does the 4 Series. A reworked 5 Series and a new 3 Series Madone round out the lineup.

There you have it. We'll have 'em all at some point. It's gonna be a fun year!