Working up a sweat is one reason we work out an exercise but sweat in the eyes is never fun when on a long summer bike ride. This is where the SweatHawg comes in. It is a helmet liner that can be is made in Oregon of Hydo-phillic fabric from Germany and can reportedly absorb 10 times its weight in water, and which can be rung out if it gets too saturated.
Los Angeles-base Ignoble doesn’t do large runs on its products. What it does is deliver quality in small rungs, and this includes the Cora Classic rucksack. This model features a tough nylon construction and offers plenty of space for camping, hiking, trekking or just bugging out.
There are padded shoulder straps along with a padded airmesh back panel, while the Cora offers a large main compartment with internal hanging pocket plus laptop sleeve. There are additional storage with a zippered front stash pocket, hood stash pocket and even dual side utility pockets .The 400D nylon construction with YKK branded zipper closures will keep your worldly possessions safe and secure.
While many companies offer up inspiring names for their bicycles, Paul Budnitz takes a more simple approach with names like Model No. 1 and No. 2. This isn’t to say that his bikes are super plain. In fact his lineup of handmade bikes, which are made in Vermont, are sleek, simple and minimalist yet solid enough for serious riding.
Budnitz offers up a variety of steel, aluminum and even titanium bikes that ride well and look good.
We like the fact that the Statement Bike Rack is made in America, and unlike many sleek and simple bike racks that are little more than a couple of pegs that users stick in the wall this one offers both real form and provides functionality. Designer Daniel Sculnick sees this as a type of art that can double as a place to hang a bike. He is now looking to Kickstarter to raise funds to finish making his statement. Video after the jump
While backcountry wool wear from Voormi’s fall 2013 line is made in America, we’d also like to point out that the wool was also sourced in America. Voormi worked with Rocky Mountain Highcountry Merino exclusively to source the wool for its line of Precision Blended baselayers and midlayers. Read the rest of this entry »
Los Angeles skateboard maker District Skates has seen the skateboarding mature but it continues to do things it owns way. This privately owned company has looked to carve out a niche for itself using eco-friendly materials that include reclaimed wood and taking the custom approach with each order. The company does all the planning, laminating, gluing and pressing for each board in downtown Los Angles. But the skating is left to the rider.
Around since 2009 Meier Handmade Skis makes – as the name suggests – handmade skis. The Colorado-based company also is looking to take what might otherwise be unusable and is finding a use for it. The company is now sourcing wood from pine trees that have succumbed to beetles.
The proliferation of beetles has killed millions of acres of trees in Colorado, but companies such as Meier have managed to find a use for the wood. The result is a quality ski with a wooden core and at the same time it has found a use would the dead trees.
Meier Official Website
[Via GearJunkie: Beetles killed trees, Meier made skis]
We’ve seen a few wooden bikes over the years, but the Connor Wood Bikes are ones that could really turn heads. Produced in Denver, these American made bicycles feature frames made of steam bent, hand-sculpted, Kevlar reinforced ash and walnut. The bikes are coated with marine spar varnish to protect them from the elements. Two models are now available – including the Scorcher and Cruister – and both feature 29er wheels that let riders head through the woods on wooden bikes.
From a company like Shinola we’d expect a shinny bike and they didn’t let us down. The Detroit revival company that is known for its quality watches has also taken pride in making quality bicycles. To commemorate its new business the company has introduced a one-off, brass-plated work of art. The Runwell frame was built at the Waterford Precision Cycles in Wisconsin and then brass plated in Detroit. While it isn’t for sale it shows that the company truly knows style.
Last month Competitive Cyclist, an online specialty bicycle retailer, announced that it is reviving the Merlin brand. The titanium bicycle maker, which had been one of the dominant brands making titanium bikes in the 1990s, was purchased by Competitive Cyclists in 2011.
Launched in 1986 as Merlin Metalworks, the company was one of the first to release a titanium mountain bike frame, and in 1988 debuted its first road bike. Competitive Cyclist was proud to announce that Merlin bikes have upheld the tradition and are still 100 percent made in the USA.
Mission Workshop’s is on a mission to provide quality bags for commuter cyclists and the latest result is the Advanced Projects edition, which is made in America and features a waterproof waxed canvas construction. The bag further features the company’s Arkiv closure system and VX liner to ensure that items inside stay dry and protect during the commute year round.
It also offers quick-access outboard pockets, internal zippered pockets, custom aluminum strap hardware and detachable cross-chest stabilizer. The weatherproof roll top main compartment can be used in either the “roll top” mode or in a traditional “flap down” configuration. Mission very possible.
We’ve seen a number of action camera accessories that are designed to change the perspective, including a few wearable systems that change the view from first-person to third-person – putting the rider/runner/athlete in the shot.
The latest gizmo to entry this market is the VuPackPole, a POV/action camera backpack mount, which is now being developed by creator/designer Rodger Dean through a Kickstarter project. This pack is being designed and assembled in Alaska, and the frame is made using a CNC process from HPDE plastic, while the subsystem all and joint is made in Washington.
While this will allow wearer’s to be in the shot, the designers also noted that one problem with typical head-mounted systems is that the video can be shaky and hard to watch. By moving the camera to a pack it is more stable as well. According to Dean the joints will still give under pressure so no worries about getting caught up on branches! Video after the jump
At the recent SIA Snow Show Light Bohrd showed off its lighted snowboard, but now comes word that the company is also introducing a lighted skateboard. This is a bright idea especially for skaters who look to hit the streets after the sun goes down. The Urban Commuter Longboard is made in Texas and will riders to make a statement while being seen.
