Archive for August, 2010

Wheels Keep Turning, and Now Are Spinning Green

This month Deltron, Inc. announced that its Elasco Inc. manufacturing subsidiary has taken skateboarding in a new – and greener – direction. This latest move has enabled Sector 9, a manufacturer of skateboards and apparel, to offer eco-friendly skateboard wheels. Sector 9 has become one of the market leaders in design and manufacture of skate long boards, which is a fast-growing segment in the skateboard market. And now the company’s boards with have organic-based wheels to let them do the rolling. The new Elasco wheels are actually made with a soybean-based polyols.

“Founded in 1993, Sector 9 has a long and distinguished history of leadership in the boardsports industry,” said Deltron CEO Henry Larrucea. “The Sector 9 team has demonstrated a strong commitment to the environment, providing sustainable products as well as offering information on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption in its corporate materials. When Elasco developed proprietary formulations to produce polyurethane wheels using soybean polyols, Sector 9 seized the opportunity to be the first skateboard company to offer more sustainable wheels. Increasing sales this year show that the ‘green’ wheels have strong appeal for environmentally conscious customers including surfers, skateboarders and the broader youth market.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Biothane Soy Compound Skateboard Wheels, Deltron, Elasco, polyols, Sector 9, Skateboard, soy based, Sustainable, volatile organic compounds, wheels
Posted in Equipment, Outdoors, Sustainable | No Comments »

Computer Differentiates Swim Strokes, Laps

Not sure what stroke you're swimming? The Swimsense will confirm.

This little computer likes to get wet. Some swimmers already wear a heart rate monitor in the pool to track exertion and calories burned, but that’s only part of the picture. Swimsense from Finis records the number of laps swum, total distance, calories burned, lap time, pace, and stroke count. It can even differentiate between backstroke, breastroke, butterfly and freestyle as you’re putting in those laps. Go home and sync the Swimsense with your computer to log how many laps you swim in a week, and your training progress.

If there’s anything disappointing about this watersport watch, it’s that there’s not an optional heart rate monitor for those who don’t mind wearing a strap on their chest in the pool. It makes the calories burned measure more accurate, and helps swimmers better pace themselves.

The Swimsense Performance Monitor will be available for the holidays, and just in time for swimmers making New Year’s resolutions to up their number of laps and keep at it. The monitor is expected to retail for about $199.

Finis Swimsense product page

Tags: athletic watch, calories burned, Swimming
Posted in Gadget, Swimming | No Comments »

Interbike 2010: U.S. Rep Earl Blumenauer to Open 2010 International Bicycle Expo

With the Interbike trade show just three weeks away, it has been announced that U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) will serve as the keynote speaker at a special press conference. Blumenauer is founder of the Congressional Bike Caucus, and he will speak on the state of cycling legislation and future government activity on behalf of cycling.

According to the official press release from the International Bicycle Expo organizers this visit from the congressman comes at a critical time as the U.S. government continues to work on the next transportation bill, which could set the tone for cycling infrastructure investments during the next six years.

Rep. Blumenauer will outline where bicycling stands in this matter, and where it is going. He will further pinpoint what the industry can do to support these efforts.

Congressional Bike Caucus

Interbike

Tags: Congressional Bike Caucus, Cycling, Interbike, International Bicycle Expo, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer
Posted in Cycling, Interbike | No Comments »

Increase in Sport-Related Concussions in Youths Calls for Caution

It's important to wear helmets properly or they'll do more harm than good.

A bump on the head is more than it used to be. A recent study conducted by Hasbro Children’s Hospital and Brown University, both in Providence, R.I. finds an increase in children ages 8 to 19 in the emergency room for concussions. While the study cites a decline in certain organized team sports, kids remain prone to injury in a number of sports including individual sports such as bicycling and snow skiing.

While not all sports call for it, an increasing number of activities now call for a helmet, particularly with minors. Sports have seen great strides in headgear in recent years. Ski helmets like the one from Saloman have made it more common to see helmets on the slopes. Innovations in football helmets like the X1 from Xenith reduce the likelihood of a concussion upon impact during gameplay.

Still, some question whether helmets insure safety. Of course those that question the use of helmets are concerned that wearers are more willing to take risks and put themselves in harm’s way. The best way to reduce head injuries is likely to wear proper protection and be aware of the risks of your activity. It’s also important to be sure if you’re wearing headgear, you’re wearing it the right way. Many cyclists, for example, wear helmets set too far back on their head.

Brown University and Hasbro Children’s Hospital Study [via The Wall Street Journal: Childhood: Athletes' Concussions Have Doubled]

Tags: child safety, concussions, head injuries, Helmet
Posted in Cycling, Equipment, Outdoors | No Comments »

Skechers Tones Up Marketing Campaign

The war of the words over “toning shoes” isn’t going to end any time soon, and the Los Angeles Business Journal is now reporting that Skechers is putting its best foot forward, and it looks to kick back at the criticism.

 The paper notes, “Skechers has hired Century City crisis communication firm Sitrick & Co. to tell its side of the story and has brought in defamation attorney Anthony Glassman and high-powered litigator Daniel Petrocelli, famous for his victory in the O.J. Simpson civil case.” That’s some big firepower, but as the story notes, there is a lot riding on the shoes.

[Via Los Angeles Business Journal: Shoemaker Steps Up Defense] 

Tags: Anthony Glassman, Century City, Crisis Communication, Daniel Petrocelli, Sitrick & Company, Sketchers
Posted in Footwear, Research | No Comments »

Get Fit Through Little Bits of Activity

Every step you take, every move you make, the Fitbit will be tracking you – and it will keep track of calories burned, steps taken and distance traveled. And unlike a traditional step counter, which needs to be worn at just the precise spot on your waist to be accurate, the Fitbit can be placed on your waist, in your pocket or even tucked away. This sleek device contains a 3D motion sensor – which the company claims is just the one found in the Nintendo Wii, except this one won’t help your score on Mario Brothers.

It will instead track your movement in all three dimensions and then converts that movement into easy to understand information on your daily activities. So it can track all your physical activities, as well as track how long it took you to fall asleep and how often you woke up. Thus it can give a 24-hour picture of your entire day, not just the time you’re going for your power walk. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 3D motion sensor, calorie counter, Fitbit, Nintendo Wii, step counter
Posted in Equipment, Exercise, Gadget | No Comments »

Bicycles That Fit Like a Tailored Suit

When purchasing an upscale bicycle a buyer often picks out a frame size, picks out some components and then opts to get a fitting. This is much like buying a suit or a wedding dress, where an item is made to fit you. But PK Cycling of Fairfax, California takes the custom fitting to the next level, and it offers clients the option for a truly customized bike that will fit riders like a tailored suit.

Christopher Kautz of PK Cycling was kind of enough to describe his company’s unique process. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bikes, Christopher Kautz, Custom, Cycling, Guru, PK Cycling, Serrota, Titus
Posted in Cycling, Equipment, Triathlon | 1 Comment »

Zen to the iPad with All-in Yoga HD

For less than the price of a yoga class you can get customized routines on your iPad or iPhone with the All-in Yoga HD app from Belarus-based Viaden Media. The company has developed many apps, most of them gambling, which may inspire the name “All-in Yoga.”

While deciding to buy the app for $4.99 for the iPad may seem like a gamble versus all the other yoga apps in the iTunes store, it appears to be comprehensive. The software promises 200 poses and yoga classes to enhance both mind and body. It offers a database of asanas (poses) recommended by professional yogis and highlights the most popular. If you’re not sure of the sun salute routine or any number of other positions, there’s detailed how-to’s, photos, video and male voice guidance to instruct yoga classes and tutorials. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: All-in Yoga, Apple, iPad, iPhone, Viaden Media, Yoga
Posted in Exercise, Mobile Phone, Software | No Comments »

Taking the Board Off-Road

How long do you think this board will stay white?

Over the years there have been attempts to take skateboarding off road, with bigger tires, more tires but now Bryson Lovett has taken the board in a new direction. With his unique Vertrax Electric Skateboard he’s essentially ditched the traditional wheels, and in place utilizes a tread system – much like you find on a tank or tractor.

Thus instead of needing the typical flat and smooth skating surface, the Vertrax can tackle sand, snow, dirt, worn concrete or even grass quite well. There have been suggestions that it could be used in military operations, such as for transporting soldiers across rough terrain, and because the tracked skateboard is electric it runs quietly without the traditional exhaust of similarly small vehicles.

Given that a rider still has limited options for holding on the Vertrax is probably best on flat terrain as well, but it should be able to tackle conditions that would riders carrying their traditional skate deck.

Byrson Lovett Official Site

Tags: Bryson Lovett, deck, off-road, Skateboard, Vertrax Electric Skateboard
Posted in Equipment, Exercise, Outdoors | No Comments »

The End of Cervélo Test Team in the Tour de France?

Have we seen the end of the Cervélo Test Team? That seems to be case as the company announced today that it would not be continuing as a title sponsor after the end of this season. However, this doesn’t sound like it will be the end of Cervélo bikes in the Tour, or in other major races. We’ll post more as news develops.

UPDATE: CyclyingNews.com reported that Cervélo could be the bike du jour in next year’s Tour for the Garmin-Transitions team, which could become the Garmin-Cervélo Team.

“The bike manufacturer has been linked with the Garmin-Transitions team as a possible replacement for the American squad’s Felt sponsorship, with Transitions dropping from the second sponsor slot and Cervelo taking over in their place. Neither team confirmed this.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Cervelo, Cervelo Test Team, Cycling, Pro Racing, Tour de France
Posted in Cycling, Pro Sports | No Comments »

Montague Cycles Knows When to Fold Them

Tags: bicycles, Boston, Cliz, Crosstown, Cycling, Fit, folding bikes, Jonathan Vandenberg, Montague, Navigator, Single Speed
Posted in Cycling, Exercise, Travel | No Comments »

Fitness Journal: Joining a Gym, Sign on the Dotted Line

When it comes time to joining a gym, you need to sign on the dotted line. In this way gyms and cars are a bit alike. As with cars, it begins with sales. Membership at many gyms, particularly larger chains, is handled by salesmen. Unfortunately, like their auto counterparts, gym salesmen are viewed as deceptive. While many salesmen are hardworking and honest, there seems to be many that are willing to meet a sales quote at any cost, even if it means lying or omitting information; then there are those who just don’t know anything and end up giving the wrong information.

Most likely you’ll sign up without a hitch. At the affordable no-frills gym I joined, there was no salesman involved, just the front desk. The process required filling out one page of paperwork, signing a one-year contract, and handing over a credit card—done. At the second, costlier but full-featured gym I joined, I worked with a salesman on signing up for the membership. Although the process seemed routine, I ended up having to deal with unresolved problems that, unfortunately, the salesman no longer wishes to deal with. Without going into details, there are some things to remember before and after you join. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Fitness Journal, Gym, membership
Posted in Equipment, Exercise, Gym | 1 Comment »

Time To Fly With New NRX Rod

Many products take time to design and refine, but 17 years in the making is a long time indeed. But when it comes to fly fishing there is doing it, and there is doing it right. From the fisherman to the manufacturers, there is something to be sad about patience and persistence. This is why it really doesn’t come as a surprise that it has taken this long for the new G.Loomis NRX fly rod to finally be revealed to the public.

The company noted, “A very precise, lightweight trout rod designed for casting small dries and nymphs on large freestone creeks and small rivers where long casts are a factor, but where accuracy is the key. NRX makes it as light as the proverbial feather, allowing you to cast all day long and hardly notice the rod in your hand. Whether its lake fishing or stream fishing, trout or panfish, this may be the lightest, most technical 3-weight on the market.”

We’re not really sure about all that, but we know about the old saying that if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, and that if you give a man a fishing pole he’ll never be hungry again. Now if you give a man an NRX fly rod he might be able to feed a lot of people, but let’s hope he doesn’t sell the rod instead! These quality rods range in price from $700 to $770, and come in nine-foot lenghts with line wieght ranging from 3wt to 9wt and from medium stiff to stiff taper, and finally from moderate fast to fast power.

NRX Official Website

Video: Steve Rajef talks about the NRX

Tags: 17 years, fly fishing, G.Loomis NRX fly rod, lake fishing, panfish, Steve Rajef, stream fishing, trout
Posted in Equipment, Outdoors | No Comments »