Author: Enid Burns

Bay Area Residents Say You Can Bike There

The League of American Bicyclists calls May National Bike Month. It makes a lot of sense. For a large part of the country, cyclists are just getting back on the saddle. And many of us are itching to do so. We don’t need an excuse such as Bike Month, but it’s nice motivation.

Additional incentive is Bike to Work Day, Thursday May 12. It’s the 17th Annual of such days for the Bay Area. This year they’re hosting sign-ups on the YouCanBikeThere.com web site. Get a few friends and coworkers together to sign up as a team of 2-5 people. The Team Bike Challenge officially kicks off May 1. Log your rides on the teambikechallenge.org site to compete. You can check your team’s status through the personalized Facebook Friends Leader board.

For the Bike to Work challenge, every member of the top scoring team in each county will receive a bike-related prize valued over $50. The top scoring team in the Bay Area receives a bike-related prize valued at over $1,000.

Even if you’re not in the Bay Area, the weather is starting to lend itself to biking to work and other places you may be headed. The Bike to Work challenge says “It’s a fun and easy way to see just how much biking does for your health, budget, and the environment.”

League of American Bicyclists

Bike to Work Day’s You Can Bike There

Log your miles at Team Bike Challenge

Students Push for Bike-Friendly Streets in Prescott

Students at Prescott College in Prescott, AZ aren’t happy with the state of biking in their city and as part of a class project they’re coming up with a solution to present to the local government. Students enrolled in the course The Bicycle: Vehicle for Social Change, studied possible solutions for bike-friendly roadways and plan to follow-through in changing the community.

The course guides students through the bicycle’s beneficial role in society. Students traveled to Europe to attend the Velo-city conference in Seville, Spain last month where the Charter of Seville was signed. The Charter is a document that proposes the acceptance of cycling. At the Velo-city conference the students observed the gathering of officials from cities including the Netherlands, Spain and other communities around the world. Continue reading Students Push for Bike-Friendly Streets in Prescott

Bike Stability Still Baffles Science

If you’re just learning how to ride a bike, you may be surprised at how stable the bike is once you start rolling. It turns out an academic team of engineers studied the physics behind cycling and still remain puzzled by a bike’s ability to be self-stable.

This group of academics with degrees in engineering wrote a paper published in Science Mag, “A Bicycle Can Be Self-Stable Without Gyroscopic or Caster Effects.” The group of four engineers studied the bike, its history, and built a bike absent of gyroscopic forces found on most bikes, and found the bike still remains upright. While the math works out, the physics remain a bit of a mystery.

via [ars technica]

Denim As Accessory to Your Single Speed

Hipsters, we know you love your single speeds. But we don’t love it when your bare your butts in your skinny heans while riding. Since you won’t wear spandex with all its beneficial properties like wicking, cooling and padding in strategic areas, it’s time to invest in skinny jeans made for cycling.

Levi has a version of its 511 jeans just for you. The Levi 511 Skinny Commuter is just for you. It even has a jacket companion, the Trucker Jacket Commuter. The denim outfit is packed with safety and convenience features while keeping in style.

Continue reading Denim As Accessory to Your Single Speed

Jump for Fitness

The trampoline is back, at least to according to JumpSport Fitness. The company has two new models of a personal trampoline for exercising in place. The Model 220 and Model 250 each offer some innovation over the old springs used to add bounce to the trampoline.In both cases, the legs on the frames are curved, which makes the trampoline more stable and less likely to tip over if you land on it unevenly or step on or off to one side.

The second thing you’ll notice is that heavy duty elastic secures the trampoline’s platform with plastic buckles that are hidden under the platform. The EnduroLast 2 elastic cords make a much better transition to the frame than springs. The manufacturer says the EnduroLast offers a smooth, cushioned and exhilarating bounce. Continue reading Jump for Fitness

Visit New Amsterdam Bicycle Show

New York, originally called New Amsterdam, will play host to the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show on April 30, later this month. The event benefits Transportation Alternatives.

If you’re in New York at the end of the month, it will be worth attending to check out new bikes and gear. Exhibitors include Adeline Adeline, Alternate Needs Transportation, bcycle, Bern Unlimited, bfold, Bamboo Bike Studio, Basil, Bicycle Habitat, BicyclePaintings.com, Bike By Me, Bike Doctor NYC, Light & Motion, Bikes to Rwanda, biomega, Biria, Bowery Lane Bicycles, Carjacked, Chelsea Bicycles, Chrome, Continuum Cycles, Cooper Bikes USA, cyclelogical and plenty more. Big names such as Specialized, Raleigh, Sram, Jamis, and others will also exhibit.

The show will be held at Center 548 on West 22nd Street way over by the Hudson. Check out the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show site for more details.

Cool It Down in Hotter Weather

As warmer temperatures replace cooler ones, you have different reasons to cover up. In between seasons like spring and fall call for transitional layers. Arm warmers and leg warmers are good options since you can peel off the layers when you warm up.

In the summer heat, there’s no option to add or remove layers to beat the heat. That is unless you pull on one of Craft Apparel’s Body Control Coolers. While they have other garments, the arm coolers and leg coolers are a good choice. The Body Control Coolers feature a compression fit, super-cooling fabrics, silver ion technology and sun protection. Continue reading Cool It Down in Hotter Weather

The Lutsen 99er Mountain Bike Race in Minnesota

Just one mile shy of a century, A new mountain bike race in Minnesota, the Lutsen 99er, will take its course along the shores of Lake Superior on Saturday, June 11. The race, organized by Life Time Fitness, aims to promote mountain biking both nationally and in Minnesota.

The crushing 99 mile racecourse starts at Lutsen Mountain’s Bridge Run, then takes participants along the shores of Lake Superior before climbing into the Sawtooth Mountains. Just following the ridgeline, the course takes advantage of glacially-sculpted terrain and rolling hills of the Boreal Forest. Cross the finish line in front of Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountain. Continue reading The Lutsen 99er Mountain Bike Race in Minnesota

Women’s Ski Jumping Approved for 2014 Sochi Olympic Games

It’s hard to believe there’s been no women’s ski jump in the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) just approved the sport for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The approval follows the two-time recommendation by the International Ski Federation. Before the 2014 Winter Olympics, three World Championships will have taken place. Continue reading Women’s Ski Jumping Approved for 2014 Sochi Olympic Games

Trimble Updates AllSport GPS Apps for Android

Trimble released new versions of its AllSport GPS app for the Android Market. This includes AllSport GPS Pro ($3.99) and AllSport GPS (free). The programs collect more than 20 fitness stats and calculate calories burned to help people reach their fitness goals. AllSport GPS apps track 14 outdoor fitness activities including running, cycling, skiing and walking. The apps also let you access real-time weather forecasts, chart workouts over time, and view street and park maps.

Continue reading Trimble Updates AllSport GPS Apps for Android

Train with the UFC on Kinect

Want to train like a UFC fighter? It doesn’t need to be intimidating. THQ is releasing UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System, a fitness-oriented game due out this June. UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is an organization that pits different style fighters against one another. Fitness routines and full programs are designed to challenge and motivate users looking to get in shape. That includes over 70 mixed martial arts (MMA) and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)-approved exercises. Benefit from disciplines such as wrestling, kickboxing and Muay Thai. Each workout is designed to improve strength, endurance and conditioning through the routines. All 51 routines, along with nine exclusive bonus routines on the Kinect for Xbox 360 version, will be specialized to target specific muscle groups, and factor individual skill levels and fitness goals.

UFC Personal Trainer was designed by the NASM and support from MMA training experts Mark DellaGrotte, Greg Jackson and Javier Mendez, who have worked with UFC fighters.

UFC Fitness Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System Official Website

Giro Makes Us All Lightheaded

If a helmet’s aim is to protect your head in a crash, it’s goal is to provide ventilation and be lightweight. Following the introduction of the Specialized Prevail at Interbike last fall, Giro just announced its Aeon performance road helmet. This one was introduced over the weekend at the Tour of Flanders. The Aeon weighs in at 222 grams (size medium), 28 percent lighter than comparable helmets such as the lonos and close in weight to the Prolight. Continue reading Giro Makes Us All Lightheaded

U.K.’s NHS Wants to Combat Tiredness

There’s an acronym, TATT, which stands for “tired all the time.” Does that sound like you? Or do you have strategies to combat tiredness? Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) wants videos from people, presumably residing in the U.K. explaining or demonstrating how to combat tiredness. It’s for use in a video wall.

The social media outreach is asking for user-generated videos that are factual, funny or professional. All content welcome. They’re asking for videos to be uploaded to the NHS Healthy Living Facebook page. The first video submitted is of a woman filming herself running up six flights of stairs to get a boost of energy rather than eating a bar of chocolate. It will be interesting to see what others come up with, and whether this helps those of us who are TATT.