Author: Brian O'Connor

Interbike 2011: LOOK Kéo Power Pedals

Being able to measure the power output of a cyclist at the pedals is certainly not new. The Vector system, now owned by Garmin, has had this solution available for the past couple of years. The Garmin system is often used with the LOOK Kéo pedals, but now LOOK is selling an off the shelf option with a slight twist – the new LOOK Kéo Power.

The new LOOK Kéo Power pedal combines the expertise of LOOK with POLAR, one of the heart rate monitor market innovators. This new pedal allows very accurate cadence and power measurements by placing the electronics inside each pedal axle. Each axle is equipped with 8 strain gauges which measure the axle deflection, which along with the reed relay measured cadence information, is transmitted to the Polar head unit. The Polar combines this information to accurately determine the power output of each pedal – independently. Continue reading Interbike 2011: LOOK Kéo Power Pedals

Interbike 2011: The Interceptor from Pedego Electric Bikes

Being avid cyclists, we shunned the idea of electric motor assisted bikes when their current incarnation hit the market. After realizing that these bikes are not for the existing cyclists, but the person who has made every excuse not to get on a bike, we warmed up to the idea. Next time you hear from someone that they do not ride a bike because of all of the hills in the area or that they worry that they will ride too far from home and not be able to make the return journey, let them know about the new electric bikes available.

One new electric bike at this year’s Interbike that caught our eye was the Interceptor from Pedego Electric Bikes of Irvine, California. The new Interceptor has the look of a beach cruiser through its swooping tubes and balloon tires. The Interceptor has the styling of a normal bike and even pedals like a normal bike; but when the need arises or you run out of gears and more power is needed, a built-in gearless hub motor can be used. Continue reading Interbike 2011: The Interceptor from Pedego Electric Bikes

Do you get what you paid for? Possibly not with Nike.

A practice that is usually reserved for the counterfeiters, Nike China has admitted to defrauding citizens of China through false advertising. As reported by China Daily and Sports One Source, Nike has been selling the China version of the Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 with half of the air cushions at an increased price of $78 over the U.S. version.

The U.S. Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 has two air cushions where as the China version has one air cushion. This would not be an issue except that the advertisement used for the Chinese market claims that the China version has the two air cushion just like its American counterpart. Continue reading Do you get what you paid for? Possibly not with Nike.

Made in America: Chris King Precision Components

With Interbike kicking off next week, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to feature one of our favorite brands in our weekly Made in America spotlight. Since 1976, Chris King Precision Components of Portland, Oregon has been making what is arguably the best bicycle components available today.

What started off with bearings and a single headset design has evolved into a company that produces bearings, headsets, bottom brackets and hubs for every type of bike on the market. Chris King products are ridden by amateurs and professionals alike due to the high level of quality and craftsmanship that is put into every single product.

Chris King so strongly believes in the quality of their products that they stand behind their headsets with a 10-year warranty and their hubs and bottom brackets with a 5-year warranty – easily double of any other component manufacturer in the market. Continue reading Made in America: Chris King Precision Components

45North… a New Brand to Keep You Rolling in the Winter

With winter being only a few months away, some cyclists will choose to hang up their ride instead of braving the elements. Riding in snow, ice and darkness offers many challenges that some would rather skip in favor of the gym or the couch. A new brand is being created specifically with products geared towards cold weather riding. Based in one of the coldest areas in the United States, Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) of Bloomington, Minnesota has announced the launch of 45North.

This new brand will include all sorts of cold weather gear, but the initial offering will be winter specific tires. A new studded tire, available in both a 26-inch and a 700c; along with the Husker Dü, a proprietary fat tire for all-terrain bikes, will hit the market first. Prototypes will be available for viewing at Interbike which we hope to have some photos posted during our trip to the show. The studded tires will be in stock at QBP and available to bike retailers in October, with the Husker Dü following in November. Continue reading 45North… a New Brand to Keep You Rolling in the Winter

Hands On: 2011 Moots Mooto X YBB

A little over a month ago, a new bike was being assembled to join the fleet in my garage. The initial impressions of the new 2011 Moots Mooto X YBB 29er were detailed in “Mooto X YBB: Building a ‘Dream’ Bike First Impressions” and in that post it was mentioned that a 29er fork was ordered, but it had not arrived. The Fox F29 fork arrived the same day that the post went live so the build could really begin in earnest.

The parts selected for this build included a mix of Sram XO, Chris King, Fox, Stan’s and Race Face. The intention was to move most of the parts over from my older 26-inch wheeled Moots YBB, but the eight weeks required by Moots to build the frame gave enough time to gather all new parts except for the Ibis Ancotech titanium handlebar and Hope titanium skewer. Continue reading Hands On: 2011 Moots Mooto X YBB

Newton (once again) Almost Defies Gravity

Back in January 2010 we posted, Newton Almost Defies Gravity, where we highlighted one unique shoe from the Boulder based company Newton Running; but it seems that they have one-upped themselves with a new shoe. The 5.8-ounce MV2 (pronounced ‘M V squared’) is Newton’s current answer to the other natural running shoes that are appearing on the market.

The new MV2, which will hit the ground running later this month, is super lightweight, zero-drop shoe that encourages a natural-running posture, provides protection and energy return. They are being advertised as “a unique solution for runners who want to run faster, perform better and avoid injury by adopting a natural running stride, but not sacrifice protection.” Typical ‘barefoot’ running shoes do offer some protection from road debris, but the MV2 is a little thicker giving even better protection while still not raising the heel. Continue reading Newton (once again) Almost Defies Gravity

Hands on: Okole Stuff

For any cyclist who has spent numerous days in the saddle back to back, just rides long distances or is treating a saddle sore knows that a bike seat can become a hot seat of sorts. Many a rider has probably used some sort of ointment or cream in the skin area that comes in contact with the seat. These creams and ointments are not designed for daily use to mask an improper positioning or poor quality saddle, but rather they are designed to aid and treat the irritations or sores that arise from excessive time in the saddle. A few months back we were sent a chamois ointment, Okole Stuff by Enduro Stuff, to put to the test.

Any type of cream or ointment product is difficult to review since ingredients can react differently to each individual. For the past few years I have been using a ‘Euro-style’ chamois crème on rides that are longer than 100 miles or times when I have a skin irritation in the saddle contact area of my body. I have become accustomed to this type of creams that contain menthol which have a ‘tinglely’ feeling when applied, but my wife cannot use those products containing menthol due to the irritation that they cause to her ‘lady parts’. Continue reading Hands on: Okole Stuff

Made in America: TriActive America E-Line

Chin up bars, parallel bars and sit -up platforms are all items that you might have seen on your local walking or running path. These stations of yesteryear are typically constructed of steel pipe and wooden posts which work perfectly fine and shouldn‘t be replaced unless they are worn out. At some point, these fitness stations will deteriorate and once your community or company is looking to replace tired equipment or install a new fitness path with stations, there is an alternative to the steel pipes and wood. TriActive America offers a line of heavy duty, outdoor stations that are designed to keep people fit and stand the test of time all while offering many more choices of fitness activities.

TriActive America designs and manufactures this unique line of outdoor fitness equipment for use exclusively outdoors. TriActive America offers a few different product lines: the original TriActive Fitness products, premium E-Line equipment, Wheelchair Accessible equipment, and the E-Shade Line. All products are designed in the U.S.A. with components that are made of powder-coated steel for high durability against damage and the environment. TriActive America is so confident in their equipment that they stand behind every piece with a 10 year warranty. Not all lines are manufactured in the U.S., but the E-Line is all 100-percent American made. Continue reading Made in America: TriActive America E-Line

Moving the People that Move America

If it wasn’t for long haul truckers, you might not have many of the goods that you currently possess in your home, and if you did, chances are they’d cost a lot more. Those men and women spend just as many hours behind the wheel as you spend behind your desk; but for most they do not go home at the end of a long day, they eat at whatever restaurant is along the highway and typically sleep in their cabs. If you have driven across country, you know the restaurant choices can be very limited, and getting in a workout can be a little challenging.

When is the last time you have seen a gym next to one of these fast food restaurants or gas stations? However, Snap Fitness is looking to change this fact, and provide some fitness options for truckers. The company is partnering with Rolling Strong, a firm that specializes in health of truck drivers, to create Snap Fitness Rolling Strong clubs. Continue reading Moving the People that Move America

2012 Moots MX Divide – Interbike Sneak Peek!

Typically if a bike company has a major product announcement, it will be reserved for an industry trade show like the upcoming 2011 Interbike in Las Vegas, but it appears that Moots of Steamboat Springs, Colorado has decided to let their ‘friends’ on Facebook have a sneak peek of what appears to be an exciting new design.

There are few details as of right now, but it appears that the new 2012 MX Divide is a complete redesign of their somewhat archaic current cross country bike, the Zirkel. The most significant difference with the new MX Divide is that Moots teamed up with the Sotto Group of Watsonville, California to design this new frame using a single pivot design and position the rear shock more inline with the travel of the rear triangle. Sotto Group is well known in the bicycle industry, plus they have the experience to design and test making them a perfect resource for this new design. Since the MX Divide is designed to be a cross country bike, the frame has 4-inches of rear travel and is designed to work with a 100mm (4-inch) suspension fork. The rear triangle uses a combination of titanium seat stays and aluminum chain stays with a carbon fiber swing link connecting the seat stays and rear Fox shock.

Along with the new frame design, the MX Divide features an inset 44mm oversized head tube and press fit BB30 bottom bracket which is becoming more standard on mountain bikes due to both items increasing the overall stiffness of a frame.

Another feature that will be appreciated by current Moots owners (such as this reporter) is the curved down tube. I had recently completed building a 2011 Mooto X YBB and personally had an issue with the adjusting knobs of the 2012 Fox F29 fork hitting the down tube. The new curved down tube alleviates this issue and will hopefully appear on other 2012 Moots frames.

This ground-up approach by Moots has produced what appears to be an exciting new bike that we hope to swing a leg over at Interbike to hit some trails. The 19-inch frame MX Divide shown in the photo reportedly weighs just 24.5 pounds which should make this one fast bike on the trails!

Moots Official Website

‘No Shoes, No Entry’ – Not with Adidas!

Summer is ending, and the days of going barefoot will soon give way to snow boots and parkas. That might be a stretch, but it is certainly going to be shoe weather soon. But now Adidas has a way to drag out the feeling of going barefoot with a new shoe – the adipure Trainer.

What makes this new offering from Adidas unique is that it is not designed for running, it is designed for use at the gym. The adipure Trainer promotes the ’natural movement’ of the body by harnessing the natural mechanics of your own body and uses that to strengthen the muscles, build balance and promote dexterity.

“A lot of engineering went into making your foot a high performance machine,” said Mark Verstegen, founder of Athletes’ Performance. “To achieve your full potential during a workout, focus on how your foot interacts with the ground in the same way you think about how your hand interacts with a ball or a bat. Using your foot’s natural power and movement will help you strengthen muscles you never knew you had in your feet, lower legs and throughout your core.”

(Video after the jump) Continue reading ‘No Shoes, No Entry’ – Not with Adidas!

Sproing Into a Lower Impact Workout

If you love running on the beach, but don’t have a beach right out of the door you don’t have to settle for running on a regular treadmill to get that same style of soft on the feet running. Occupying just a little more space than a commercial grade treadmill, Sproing is a new soft platform training machine that promises a lower impact ‘run’ while burning more calories and providing a more intense workout. It is thus ideal for anyone who suffers from consent knee pain that might otherwise also keep you from running.

Though the Sproing appears to be a treadmill at first glance, this new machine has no moving parts. Instead, Sproing has a soft pad ‘running’ surface and uses bungee resistance instead of a moving platform to hold the user in place. The resistance of running against the bungee forces you to run on the balls of your feet instead of landing on your heels; and with no moving platform, the risk of falling off of the platform is virtually eliminated.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading Sproing Into a Lower Impact Workout