Author: Brian O'Connor

Hands On: Epic Comp 29

Recently I mentioned the demo day and test bike programs that bicycle retailers and manufacturers have in place so that the consumer can really test drive a bike before purchasing. With bikes costing several thousand dollars, it only made sense that the customer would really want to make sure that their new bike investment was the right one. Out of all of the mountain bikes that I have, only one is full suspension and it only has a little over one inch of rear travel. Since my days of racing for Pro-Flex in the late 1990s, I have been turned off of full suspension bikes. Realizing that there have been many advancements in bike technology and now that I am a little old (translated…more body pains), I think it might be time to add a full suspension bike to my fleet. Continue reading Hands On: Epic Comp 29

Bolt it Down

So you finally have purchased that new piece of sporting equipment that will not fit in your car when you want to take it out to the slopes or trail head with your friends. You will either need to mount it on the outside of your vehicle utilizing a rack or tow it behind on a trailer, but as you know someone always needs to make a pit stop along the way. Of course you are worried about the security of your new toys so someone gets left on ‘guard duty’ while the rest of the group takes a break, but this is no fun when it is a post activity function like food and drinks. If you are lucky enough to park in front of a window at your pit stop, you can then keep an eye on your car. Sometimes luck does not always work in your favor, so what do you do?

Most roof racks offer some sort of locking mechanism, but as most of you know these can easily be overcome with basic hand tools. So a second way to deter those who might seize upon a crime of opportunity is to use a cable lock and weave it through your equipment. Now you have to remember to bring a third key  with you – one for your car, one for the rack locks and now one for the cable lock. Well Strattec, a leader in OEM and aftermarket automotive locks, has you covered with their new line of BOLT Locks. Continue reading Bolt it Down

Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride Part II

You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it out for a test drive, but surprisingly this is exactly how many people buy bikes. This isn’t surprising for lower-end bikes, but then the numbers are well north of $1,000 this is just crazy. Why wouldn’t you test a bike first?

Some of the major bike retailers even maintain a small fleet of ‘Test Bikes’ for their customers to sign out for the day to ride on the local trails. There is usually a fee that you will have to pay to take the bike out, but most shops will allow you to apply that fee towards the purchase of a new bike. Just a few weeks ago, I was able to sign out two different full suspension Specialized 29ers from a local dealer, Tam Bikes in Mill Valley, California, to take up on some trails that I am very familiar with and have ridden often. After a few hours on each of the full suspension bikes, my mind was swayed by being able to ride a test bike on trails that I have ridden often instead of just around the parking lot. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride Part II

Gunshot Detectors Tell Where Shots Are Coming From

The Army recently announced that they will be shipping 13,000 Individual Gunshot Detectors (IGD) to Afghanistan specifically to be used by the dismounted Soldiers. These devices, manufactured by QinetiQ North America, consist of four sensors and a small screen that will pickup and identify the direction of incoming gunfire. The small sensor is about the size of a deck of playing cards and can detect the supersonic sound waves generated by the enemy shot and instantaneously alert the Soldier of the direction and distance of the enemy fire.

Stationary and vehicle mounted systems have been in use for years, but this is the first time that a system weighing less than two pounds is being widely distributed to the Troops. The Army plans to distribute 1,500 more IGD per month for the next twelve months.

The Army plans to integrate the individual IGD devices into the larger Land Warrior and Nett Warrior systems essentually networking in the entire battle group. Not only will one Soldier know where the enemy fire cam from, but others will also know at the same time.

Though this is not a sports or fitness related product and can not be purchased by the general public, Kinetic Shift feels that anything that can save the life of a Soldier is worth mentioning!

U.S. Army Official Website: “Army deploying ‘Individual Gunshot Detector’”

Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride It: Part I

Are you considering buying a new mountain bike that might even cost more than your car? If so, you might want to crank on the pedals before you put down the plastic.

When I bought my first mountain bike 20 years ago, it was common practice for the local shop to let you take the bike around the parking lot for a ‘test ride’. This was back when there were U-brakes; thumb shifters; no suspension; and a mid end bikes were $500 and high end bikes were seldom over $2000. You got the feel for the bike and if the frame fit you, but it was not a real good indication as to how it would handle on the trails.

With the ever increasing amount of technology being put into bikes today, it is not uncommon for a decent bike to be in the range of $1500 to almost $10,000 – more than some new cars! With front suspension, rear suspension, 29er wheels, disc brakes, 2×10 gearing, etc. the parking lot test course just does not cut it anymore. If you have only ridden 26-inch wheels on all of your mountain bikes, how do you know that you will like the feel of a 29er? This in fact happened to me a few years ago. I test rode a Cannondale 1FG 29er from a bike shop in Fairfax, California and absolutely hated how it handled in the parking lot. I own a 26-inch wheeled 1FG , but the 29er felt slow and seemed to corner like a school bus – I vowed to never own a 29er bike. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride It: Part I

U.S. Paralympic Track Gets Lightweight Front Wheels

The U.S. Paralympic track riders have a new weapon in their arsenal – an extremely lightweight front wheel from Phil Wood & Co. that weighs less than 1-1/2 pounds. This wheel uses all of the latest innovations from both Phil Wood and ENVE Composites to deliver a wheel that will hopefully help sprint our team to the top of the podium.

There are two main components that make up this wheel – the hub from Phil Wood and one of the lightest weight rims on the market from ENVE (formerly Edge). This hub may look like an normal Phil Wood track hub, but that is where the similarities end. This LF Track Hub features an alloy axle, titanium end caps, titanium washers, titanium bolts and Phil Wood Carbonyte bearings. These Carbonyte bearings are designed for speed and offer a very low rolling resistance, but the downside is that they are not built for longevity or endurance. Continue reading U.S. Paralympic Track Gets Lightweight Front Wheels

Convert Your Old Road Frame Into a Single Speed With Wood (Phil Wood)

Do you have a spare bicycle frame that you would love to turn into a single speed or fixie, but the frame does not have horizontal dropouts? Do you want to avoid running a singulator chain tensioner especially in a fixed gear setup? The innovators from San Jose, California, Phil Wood & Co., have come to the rescue. Phil Wood recently announced the upcoming release of their Square Taper Phil Centric bottom bracket to solve this problem.

The Phil Cetric’s center point of the spindle on this bottom bracket pivots closer or further away for the rear dropout where the rear wheel mounts allowing the chain to be properly tensioned. There is currently not much information released about this bottom bracket yet, but from the photos it looks as if there is about 3/8″ – 5/8″ of adjustment in the chain tension. This should be enough adjustment to allow proper tensioning of a chain in almost every frame. Continue reading Convert Your Old Road Frame Into a Single Speed With Wood (Phil Wood)

Not a Slouch Through Powder

With the recent news of snow being present in 49 of the 50 states, you may have gotten the urge to get outside and float through the white stuff. If you enjoy spending your days on the slopes riding in fresh powder, then Ride Snowboards may have the board for you. 

The Slackcountry UL snowboard is specifically designed to float above deep snow using a high rocker or front tip called the HighRize rocker. This increased rocker height design helps keep the front of the board from diving into the snow and makes it much easy to float on top. The Slackcountry UL board has a ‘Twinish’ shape which means that it can also be ridden rear tip forward or switch foot. Ride also increased the rocker height of the rear tip, but the rear rocker rise is not as much as the front. 

Another unique feature of the Slackcountry UL is the traditional plastic top sheet has been replaced by hemp. The all new Hemp Brain Topless Technology uses the renewable resource, hemp, to create a top sheet which is reported to be lighter and stronger than a similar plastic top sheet. Not only is the rider suppose to have an improved product over plastic, they can feel warm and fuzzy on the inside knowing that they are ridding a product that is better for the environment. Continue reading Not a Slouch Through Powder

Fitness Journal: Let It Roll With the Tru-Trainer

If you are familiar with cycling, you are probably familiar with the training device called ‘rollers’. Rollers are a very simple training aid consisting of three aluminum or plastic drums which the rider can only maintain their balance while riding. If they cyclist stops pedaling, they fall over. This might sound a bit dangerous and unnerving to learn, but if you can master riding rollers, not only will you get a physical workout, your handling and pedaling efficiency will greatly improve.

Even though there are many manufacturers who make rollers, they have remained virtually unchanged for decades until recently. TruTrainer rollers, manufactured by CycleDyne LLC in Brownsburg, Indiana, claim that their rollers have the closest feel and feedback to actually riding on the road. The secret to their rollers is the drum furthest to the rear is actually a flywheel. The only real visual difference between TruTrainer rollers and others on the market is the second drive belt connecting the two rear rollers. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Let It Roll With the Tru-Trainer

Double Triple Bypass… say what?

For the past 22 years Team Evergreen Bicycle Club has been putting on the Triple Bypass one Saturday every July. This one-day ride is 120 miles starting in Evergreen, Colorado and ending in Avon, Colorado, just west of Vail. The 120 miles may not sound tough, but the riders must cross three mountain passes before arriving in Avon – Juniper/Squaw, 11,140 feet; Loveland, 11,990 feet; and finally Vail, 10,560. The total climbing is 10,600 feet.

On the plus side, this ride is very well supported with five aid stations, signs along the way, detailed maps, Colorado Highway Patrol, SAG wagons and even a post-ride dinner. Continue reading Double Triple Bypass… say what?

Fitness Journal: Is Cycling a Pain in Your Rear?

Are you an avid cyclist or just starting to ride your bike for fun and exercise? Is your rear end sore when you are finished and keeping you from riding your bike more often? You do not have to take this pain sitting down. After you have adjusted your seat, changed your seat to one that is more comfortable and even upgraded to a good pair of padded cycling shorts, your soreness may still exist especially on longer rides. A product that you may want to try is chamois cream.

Chamois cream was originally used to soften up  and preserve the leather chamois pad used in cycling shorts, but with the advent of synthetic materials, this cream is now used to battle a sore rear end. Now there are many different choices on the market, but they all  offer the same claims…skin lubricant and anti-friction. Some other claims may include anti-fungal, anti-bacteria, chamois conditioning, anti-saddle sore and more. Unfortunately, there is no clear choice to recommend as each offers a different batch of ingredients and will react differently with each user. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Is Cycling a Pain in Your Rear?

Fitness Journal: Can You Keep a Secret?

Do you participate in a sport or fitness activity regularly? Do you enjoy trying out the latest technology? Can you offer technical praise or criticism of a product? Can you keep a secret? I you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you might be a perfect candidate to become a ‘wear tester.’

A wear tester is an individual under agreement with a manufacturer to test and evaluate a product before it arrives to market. This is a non-paid position, but can be rewarding if you enjoy testing new products and you can provide written product evaluation in a timely manner. As a bonus, you may even be allowed to keep the product after testing or evaluation by the manufacturer. The downside is you cannot tell anyone that you are participating in the program; you cannot give away, loan or sell the item; you cannot photograph the item; you cannot post pictures on a social networking site… basically the first rule of wear testing is to not talk about wear testing. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Can You Keep a Secret?

Hands On: Nalgene Bottles Made from Tritan Plastic

KineticShift.com concludes our hands on test of water bottles.

All good things come to an end, including our hands on test of water bottles. We wrap things up with the Nalgene bottles, which use Tritan copolyester plastic. The line includes the All-Terrain Bottle made from low density polyethylene, the On the Fly (OTF) and the On-the-Go (OTG). Here is our test.

Nalgene Bottles Made from Tritan Plastic Description: Each of the bottles tested (unless noted) are manufactured using Eastman’s Tritan copolyester plastic.

Everyday Tritan
BPA-Free High impact resistance
Resistant to staining
Won’t retain odors
Withstands sub-freezing to boiling temperatures
Dishwasher safe away from the heating element
Max temperature: 100 degrees C/212 degrees F
Min temperature: -40 degrees C/-40 degrees F

Bottle Sizes: Varies – 16oz to 32oz
Plastic: Eastman’s Tritan copolyester
Country of Manufacture: USA except for the flip tops – those are made in China
Retail Price: Varies – $6.75 to $14.99 Continue reading Hands On: Nalgene Bottles Made from Tritan Plastic