Cyclists are odd people. We like to support our favorite professional racer, team or country, but many of us shy away from wearing the team jersey or kit since we do not actually race for them. This certainly isn’t the case w ...
Just over six months has past since writing a post regarding my 2011 Mooto X YBB bike build that ran last summer. That 2011 Moots should have been a keeper and still hanging in my garage, but shortly after the post went live, ...
Having a tire go flat on a bike is not a pleasant experience. The resulting situation can range from a minor inconvenience to a major catastrophe. A majority of the time it is just an annoyance that interrupts the momentum of ...
Last month we profiled the innovative Wheelblades, which essentially allow a user in a wheelchair to better travel over snow and ice. Patrick Mayer, the visionary behind this technology, told us how he hopes it can improve th ...
Why would anyone want to ride a single-speed? I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that question in the nearly 15 years that a single-speed mountain bike has been hanging in my stable of bikes. Having been a longtime ...
Written by Louis Ramirez on 27 April 2012
There’s never been a better time to get fit. Technology and the Internet have combined to make it easier than ever to record and track your health. From advanced pedometers like the Fitbit to wearable bracelets like Nike’s Fuelband, we’re living in an era where tracking your day-to-day health is as easy as updating your Facebook status.
However, a new study from New York-based NPD Group shows that while consumers are highly aware of all the latest health gadgets, many are still reluctant to purchase them. For instance, of the men and women polled for the NPD Group’s digital fitness study, only 9% have ever used a heart rate monitor. Making matters worse, nearly half of those who have used one have borrowed it from a friend or relative. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Fitbit, GPS, Heart Rate Monitors, Nike Fuelband, NPD Group, pedometers
Posted in Exercise, Gadget, Personal Electronics | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 27 April 2012
The Tour de France is still just over two months away, but yellow products are popping up with cycling tie-ins. Polar is offering a limited edition Polar RCX5 Tour de France training computer. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Biking, cadence, GPS, heart rate monitor, Polar USA, RCX5, Running, Tour de France
Posted in Computing, Cycling, GPS, Personal Electronics, Running | No Comments »
Written by Brian O'Connor on 26 April 2012
Cyclists are odd people. We like to support our favorite professional racer, team or country, but many of us shy away from wearing the team jersey or kit since we do not actually race for them. This certainly isn’t the case with fans of other professional sports teams, especially football and baseball. If the local pro team is in the play-offs, it is tough to go anywhere without seeing their colors and jerseys draped on the backs of their loyal fans.
So how does a cyclist still show their support?
A number of companies are producing jerseys that are ‘influenced’ by the rich heritage of professional cyclists or regions. These jersey designs are stylishly designed and colorful without being a rolling billboard for a company or team. Since 2005, Solo Cycle Clothing, based in Auckland, New Zealand, is one such company producing these retro looking jerseys and they are introducing their wears to the U.S. market. We recently had a chance to look at their König Jersey and take it out for some test rides. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Classique Jersey, Cycling, König, Solo Cycle Clothing
Posted in Apparel, Cycling, General, Hands On | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 26 April 2012
It seems that great minds must think alike, is we’ve come across another innovative (and dare we say bright) idea for helping cast a little illumination for those cycling at night. Los Angeles industrial designer Nathan Wills has launched a Kickstater project to create a helmet with built-in luminous panels.
The still in prototype Torch T1 features white LED bulbs in the front, and red ones at the back, covered with plastic lenses, which dispersed the bold light to a greater viewing angle. These LED lights are powered by two rechargeable CR2 batteries and can offer five hours of run time in a non-flashing mode. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Cycling, Helmet, KickStarter, LED, Nathan Wills, Torch T1
Posted in concept, Cycling | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 26 April 2012
Need to replenish what was lost after a workout? Try a glass of chocolate milk. While often thought of as a kid’s drink, low-fat chocolate milk has the nutritional benefits to help you recover after a marathon run, according to a story in The Tennessean, which reports that the St. Jude Country Music Marathon & Half-Marathon in Nashville will be offering low-fat chocolate milk for the first time in its 13-year history, alongside water, sports drinks, fruit, and energy bars.
Many nutritionists and fitness mags are advocating chocolate milk for post-workout recovery, and you’ll find plenty of chocolate-flavored protein shakes. “Chocolate milk after a workout or after a run has got protein in it for replenishing muscles and more carbohydrates in the lactose,” said Jimmy Burkhard, a licensed nutritionist interviewed in the story.
Another expert quoted, Tracy Noerper, recommends drinking eight ounces of chocolate milk within two hours after a training run or after completing a marathon or half-marathon. She says chocolate milk has the right mixture of protein to carbohydrates.
Of course, the thought of drinking several glasses of something thick like milk might turn off a lot of people, but who doesn’t enjoy chocolate?
The Tennessean: Chocolate Milk Does Marathon Runners Good
Tags: chocolate milk, hydration, marathon, Running
Posted in diet, General, nutrition, Running, Triathlon | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 26 April 2012
We’ve heard (unfortunately) about the so-called “Bridezillas,” but now we’ve heard about Bridalicious, as in a program that allows the bride to be in shape for the big day. Online wedding planning resource site TheKnot.com has announced a new comprehensive and healthy fitness solution.
Bridalicious Boot Camp by The Knot, in partnership with certified fitness trainer and bridal fitness expert Doug Rice. This includes 12 targeted, energizing workouts on eight DVDs and four e-Books with extra tips and tricks, including: the Big Day Diet nutritional plan; For Better, For Worse: A Bride’s Guide to Better Eating; Go-To Guide with a workout calendar; and The Final Engagement, a custom eating plan for the final 21 days before the wedding. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bridalicious Boot Camp by The Knot, Carley Roney, Doug Rice, TheKnot.com
Posted in Computing, Exercise, Software | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 26 April 2012
Japanese bicycle component manufacturer Shimano continues to drive innovation. The company was the first (at least successfully) to introduce electronic shifting for bicycles, with its high-end Dura Ace groupo. Now the company could be shifting gears again, as it looks to introduce an 11 speed version.
Photos surfaced this week on a Japanese website of what appears to be the Dura Ace 9000 groupo, and it will be interesting to see if any of the pros will take advantage of the extra gear this season – or it will even be allowed by the UCI? Addition photos after the jump
Tags: 11-speed, Cycling, Dura Ace, gears, Shimano
Posted in concept, Cycling | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 25 April 2012
After 80 years in business Helle of Norway has decided to fold it. The company, which has operated exclusively as a fixed-blade knife manufacturer since it was founded, isn’t closing shop but instead is looking to introduce its first folding knife. Until now, the company’s mantra was that folding knives simply never met the strict quality standards synonymous with the brand.
Quality isn’t being sacrificed however, as the company introduces the Dokka, a folding knife that features a triple laminated stainless steel blade, which measures 3.5 inches long and has 58 Rockwell hardness. Unique to Helle of Norway the Dokka the triple laminated steel blade gives a lasting, razor-sharp edge designed to protect against corrosion and breakage but any folding knife design. The blade nestles into the curly birch handle, making it an easy knife stowaway. The Dokka is distributed in the USA and Canada by Sport Hansa.
Helle of Norway Official Website
Sport Hansa Official Website
Tags: folding knife, Helle of Norway, Sport Hansa, triple laminated stainless steel
Posted in Equipment, Low Tech | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 25 April 2012
Athletic shoe, apparel and accessory maker Finish Line just formed a multi-year partnership with the Special Olympics. Finish Line will provide support for the Special Olympics, and become the only national sponsor of the TRAIN Athlete Sports Assessment program, and also support for the Nutrition Education Program that’s part of the athletic event. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Finish Line, Special Olympics
Posted in Apparel, Footwear, Pro Sports | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 25 April 2012
This week Waterloo, Wisconsin-based announced that its pilot program Materials Innovation Technologies has cycled more than 70,000 lbs. of carbon fiber in the year since the program was first initiated. Since April of last year, all manufacturing scraps, non-compliant frame components, and select reclaimed warranty frames undergo processing at Material Innovation Technologies’s South Carolina facility for repurposing in reinforced thermoplastic applications, including aerospace, automotive, medical and recreational applications.
“We’re really proud of the results that we have had in just one year,” said Trek’s Senior Composites Manufacturing Engineer Jim Colegrove. “Now that carbon has become such a commonly used material in cycling, it’s important for all brands to consider the entire life cycle of a product.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bontrager, Cycling, Jim Colegrove, Materials Innovation Technologie, OCLV, Trek
Posted in Cycling, Sustainable | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 25 April 2012
It’s always nice to see a company responding to customer feedback. Endomondo is one such company. It asked users what features they’d like to see in the iPhone app. Users responded with requests for interval training, which Endomondo granted in its newly updated version. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Android, App, Blackberry, Endomondo, interval, iOS, iPhone, Running, Training, Windows Phone
Posted in Mobile Phone, Personal Electronics, Running, Triathlon | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 25 April 2012
It might not take a rocket scientist to build a surfboard but that isn’t stopping a couple of surfboard makers from using aerospace engineering to create a line of light, strong and ascetically pleasing boards. Kitson Boards, LLC, a company that looks to change the way surfboards are made, and do so with new materials.
The company has been developing recreational boards that feature sleek designs yet are built for the long haul with carbon fiber, which offers a long history of strength to weight ratio. Additionally, as we noted in our recent Weekend Reading List coverage, “the typical surfboard is a slab of petroleum-spawned polyurethane slathered in layers of toxic polyester resin.” Carbon fiber could be an improvement on this, in part because of its ability to essentially last a lifetime. While polyester resin may break down in the surf and sun, carbon fiber is not inherently photodegradable and thus endure season after season. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Kitson Boards, surfing
Posted in Surfing, Sustainable | No Comments »
Written by Louis Ramirez on 24 April 2012
Yoga is showing up everywhere these days, even on water. Paddle board yoga, a combination of paddle boarding and yoga, is the latest craze in Florida and with June just around the corner, could become this summer’s hot new exercise.
Paddle boarding is a form of surfing while standing up. Unlike traditional surf boards, paddle boards are thicker and more buoyant. The sport has been around for some time and provides a low impact, high-intensity workout. Combined with yoga, paddle boarding becomes a completely different kind of workout hitting every muscle in your body, especially your core which is used to keep you from falling off the board. Classes, which can be up to 90 minutes long, include everything from stretches to sun salutations, all performed on the board. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Paddle board yoga, Paddleboard yoga, stand up paddle surfing, stand up paddleboarding, Yoga
Posted in Exercise, General, Outdoors, Water Activities | No Comments »
