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Halfway up the climb in the Vail Time Trial, a throng of people teemed around a large flatscreen TV mounted on the side of an old school bus. Andrew Talansky, the young rider on team Garmin-Sharp, had just set a time so quick in Stage 5 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge that only Tejay van Garderen would top it at the end of the day of racing. The crowd was so thick that the Boo team who had driven the bus up the valley road, mounted the TV, set up the kegs and bike stands, and set up the awning, could hardly catch a glimpse of the action.

Down the road from the bus, noise erupted as another rider flew by and the crowd turned as one to cheer. Some held cups of New Belgium beer, others plates of freshly grilled pizza. Among the crowd was Paul, a veteran masters racer who has been the owner a bicycle touring company in North Carolina for ten years. In the crowd was Paul, the future owner of two new Boos and a fleet of AluBoos for his touring company.

It was hard for Paul to miss the bus when he rode up the climb earlier in the day, scouting a prime location from which to watch the day’s racing. It was, after all, parked in one of the best spots on the course. With a lively group already gathering on the seating deck atop the bus and a fleet of Boo and AluBoo bikes waiting along the bus, it seemed an appropriate place to set up camp for the remainder of the day. And with hours remaining until the racers began to climb by one by one, why not take one (or two or three) of the bikes out for a quick test spin?

Half an hour later, the smile on his face could not be suppressed as he climbed off one of the demo Boo RS-Rs. Though he had ridden up the valley on a friend’s top of the line Specialized Venge, he had found a new love, one that was “so much smoother and more responsive” than his current bike. As soon as he returned, he began thinking of purchasing one each for him and his wife and replacing his company’s fleet of bikes with the new AluBoo road bikes.

Paul wasn’t alone. From Stages 2-6, Boo parked the newly completed Boo Bus in prime viewing spots for each stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge and offered fresh pizza, New Belgium Fat Tire beer, and unlimited test rides to anyone who happened to stop by. This was the beginning of a new phase of the Boo Bicycles and AluBoo demo program and, judging by sea of smiling faces enjoying not only the race but also falling in love with the road, mountain, and cyclocross bikes on offer, the first outing for the Boo Bus was a rousing success. Words cannot do the Boo Bus justice, so take a peek at the photo gallery for more pictures.

You don’t have to travel to Colorado in August to have the same experience. The USA Pro Cycling Challenge was but the first of many stops on the road for the Boo Bus and Nick and the rest of the gang are taking the show on the road this fall. Cyclocross season is just around the corner and the Boo Bus will be at Interbike and CrossVegas for several days of joyrides and fun company. And after that? Who knows where you will see a giant black bus with a fleet of demo bikes… but big cross races across the country is a solid bet. If I were you, I’d check the blog for updates soon…