Written by Peter Suciu on 03 September 2010
This week Waterloo, Wisconsin based Trek Bicycles announced that it would sponsor a new pro cycling team for next year’s Tour de France. This new, to be named team, will be led by two-time Tour runner-up, and white jersey (for best young rider) winner Andy Schlek.
Schlek and his brother Frank, who was unable to finish this year’s Tour de France after crashing out early in the multi-stage race, had previously announced that they would be leaving the Saxo Bank team to start their own team based in their native Luxembourg for the upcoming season. This team has yet to announce its full roster or title sponsor.
Trek will join Specialized Bicycles in being a company that will provide cycles to more than one team, as this year Specialized had provided the bikes for Alberto Contador’s Team Astana. Contador, who won the tour, has made the move to Saxo Bank, which was the other team riding Specialized this year. It was also the first time that a Specialized bike was used by a tour winner. Contador and Team Astana had previously ridden Trek, but the company followed Lance Armstrong to the Radio Shack team for this season.
It was announced that Trek would continue to provide bikes for Radio Shack next season, despite the fact that Armstrong has announced that he will be retiring. It isn’t clear if Astana will be in the Tour next season, or if the company will be using Specialized bikes.
Trek Bicycles
Specialized Bicycles
Written by Enid Burns on 03 September 2010
Research shows men kick the soccer ball differently than women. The study, published this month in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, finds males activate certain hip and leg muscles more than females during the most common soccer kicks – the instep and side-foot kicks. While men activate more muscles, the data may explain why female players are twice as likely as male players to sustain anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
“By analyzing the detailed motion of a soccer kick in progress, our goal was to home in on some of the differences between the sexes and how they may relate to injury risk,” said orthopaedic surgeon Robert H. Brophy, MD, the study author and assistant professor of orthopedics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Peter Suciu on 03 September 2010
There are few sad truths about an active lifestyle. The first is that bones don’t heal as fast as you get older. The second is that while the BlackBerry and iPhone maybe great for staying connected while you’re out, on the road or off, the handsets aren’t exactly what we’d label as “rugged.”
Even with protective sleeves the mobile smartphones aren’t exactly designed for those with more active lifestyles. But Motorola is looking to defy what the traditional handset can do, and that’s where the Motorola Defy comes in. This is actually the company’s second rugged Android smartphone, and it promises to be waterproof and dustproof.
The Defy has a 3.7-inch 480×854 Corning Gorilla Glass Display, along with a 5megapixel auto focus camera that offers video recording, LED flash and most notably image stabilization, so you can capture the thrill of victory as well as your personal agony of defeat. The Defy also includes A-GPS, WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, MotoBlur 1.5, a microSD card slot, and it runs on Android 2.1 OS.
That all sounds great, but there is some bad news, you’ll have to head to Europe to get one, when the Defy is released in Q4. No word on pricing or when this handset will arrive in hands in North America.
Written by Peter Suciu on 03 September 2010
This week cycling in unfamiliar territory may have just gotten a little easily thanks to the newly released Garmin Edge 800, a feature-packed touchscreen GPS device that builds on the industry-leading Edge 500 and Edge 705 models. In additional to tracking statistics for riders, the Edge 800 adds an intuitive touchscreen interface, allowing users to pull up the Garmin BaseCamp route planning, and get access to its BirdsEye Satellite Imagery. The BaseCamp functionality allows users to plan and even preview routes, including elevation changes along the way, and this information can be sent to Edge 800, Edge 705 and Edge 605 devices – meaning you’ll never have to pass out a ride map ever again.
The Edge 800 is truly a biking computer that will appeal to cyclists of all levels, from the casual riders looking for a new route on their weekly group ride, to those who like to go cycle touring and explore distant roads and trails far from home to those looking to wear yellow on the podium. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Enid Burns on 02 September 2010
Banned: The full-length swimsuit worn in swimming competitions including the controversial Beijing Olympics. On the first of the year the Federation Internationale De Natation (FINA), the governing body of competitive swimming; water polo; diving; synchronized swimming and open water swimming, ruled that competitive swimmers must discontinue the use of the rubberized suits. Now the aftermath and controversy of so many new world’s records takes place.
Last year 108 world records were broken, and nearly 30 so far this year, cites an article on Canadian radio site CBC. A second article mentions other sports associations enforce an 18-month waiting period when revolutionary technology is introduced to equipment. These suits were embraced after just three months of testing. And not all competitors had access to the suits during training and competitions. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Peter Suciu on 02 September 2010
Having a fantastic run on the ski slopes is something you’ll want to talk about with your friends, but Vail Resorts now has a new mobile smartphone app that will let you share your experience on the slopes before you even get back to the lodge. EpicMix is a new online and mobile application that allows skiers and riders a seamless way to digitally capture and share their mountain experiences. From either a computer or via free mobile app for the iPhone, Android or other smartphones, the EpicMix takes advantage of newly installed state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) scanners that are in place at 89 lifts across five mountain resorts. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Peter Suciu on 02 September 2010
Fall means football, and as the season kicks off this year will see a whole new dimension to the games. ESPN 3D has just announced that the first 3D college games will be broadcast on the new network, and this should certainly have fans getting into the school spirit like never before.
“The technology is now cleaner, crisper and more interactive than ever before,” says David Berman of Home Technology Specialists of America, adding, “it’s more affordable and there is strong demand for these products. Consumers are investing in a variety of options on the market right now that will create an exciting experience.”
Beyond the 3D experience, Berman notes that another way fans are enjoying the game is by watching them outdoors but closer to home; tailgating in their own back yards with new weather-proof outdoor TVs from makers such as Pantel and SunBrite. These sets are ruggedized and meant to stand up to extreme temperatures – from the record highs at the season openers to the more nasty November weather.
So while we still like to focus on technology that gets users moving, we have to admit that the large HDTV sets offer plenty of ways to enjoy the big games, whether it is outside in the elements, or in the full glory of HDTV in 3D. It’s time for some college football.
Home Theater Specialists of America
ESPN 3D
Written by Enid Burns on 01 September 2010
Laces. Velcro. Buckles. Bindings. You need one of those to tighten the shoes to get the support you need. Nike recently filed a patent for shoes with tightening laces. Or at least self-tightening straps. A battery and electronics built into the heel of the shoe control the laces and maintain a snug or loose and comfortable setting for the wearer. This technology is still in development, but fun to think what it will be like to slip into a pair of shoes and have the straps tighten on command.
Of course there are drawbacks in relying on this technology. The electronics could cause the shoes to tighten on their own, or give up working while laced on your feet. Is there an emergency out setting? We’re not sure if the battery is replaceable, and therefore its life could possibly determine the life of the shoe. On the flip side an electronic indicator to replace your shoe might be what some people need. I’ve seen people wear their shoes into the ground. Quite literally.
[via PopSci: Nike Patents Back-to-the-Future-Style Self-Lacing Shoes]
Written by Peter Suciu on 01 September 2010
There have been dozens of books on bicycle maintenance, riding techniques and even the history of the sport, but little has been written that actually describes the technology around a bike – at least not in a way for the average rider. Authors Rob van der Plas and Stuart Baird, who both share a lifelong passion for bicycles, have finally addressed this and have written a concise book that examines everything you’d ever need to know about the two wheel contraptions.
This effort, Bicycle Technology: Understanding the Modern Bicycle & Its Components will appeal to the hardcore gear head as well as the causal rider. It offers 28 chapters, beginning (fittingly enough) with a short yet thorough history and development of bicycle, its accompanying technology and finally to what the future may bring for riders. Additionally, this book offers detailed information on practically every single component and materials used in bike construction, and while this isn’t meant to be a study on maintenance, it will help anyone who tinkers with their cycles have a better understanding of how the specific parts work. Other key topics such as different types of bicycles, as well as information on design are all presented over the course of the 320 pages. Read the rest of this entry »
Written by Peter Suciu on 01 September 2010
Skiers heading to Park City, Utah this coming season will be in for a treat. It has been announced that the first of its kind bubble enclosed, quad lift will be introduced just outside the Grand Summit Hotel. The weather protecting orange bubble will give visitors a new perspective on the slopes. It promises to offer unmatched visibility, safety and for those who don’t like the mountain chill – new comforts that include heated seats.
The orange bubble will further make skiers feel like they’re inside a pair of ski goggles, and this lift should increase the uphill capacity from base to mountain by around 47 percent. And it will allow skiers to get to the top of the mountain in a mere nine minutes. But again, we think the fact that skiers will stay warm is the best part.
