Novara, REI’s bike line, is marking its 30th anniversary with a new line of bikes and gear that includes folding bikes for transportation, road bikes, mountain bikes and reflective clothing. Retailer REI will start to get the 2013 line of bikes, and continue getting new items through spring. Continue reading Novara Offers New Bikes, Gear at REI
Author: Enid Burns
Primal and RAGBRAI are now Friends
Friend status these days tells a lot. In the case of custom clothing manufacturer Primal and the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), the two are now friends, though the relationship goes back several years. Continue reading Primal and RAGBRAI are now Friends
Liquid-Armor Put to the Test on Concrete
Those sticky screen protectors often get in the way. But if you take your phone along on strenuous workouts, you know that screen is subject to a few scratches. Liquid-Armor from Dynaflo is a spray on liquid that coats the screen so any scratches that happen scratch the coating, not the screen.
There are a few videos on YouTube that test Liquid Armor’s abilities. One review from LinusTechTips drags a control and a coated BlackBerry from a motorcycle to compare scratches. This is when the reviewer discovered that Liquid Armor coats the screen.
To apply Liquid Armor you need to clean your screen with an included cloth, then rub the spray into the screen with the same cloth. We hope it’s more foolproof than bubbly screen protecting stickers.
Trend Growing Toward GPS-Enabled Watches and Eyewear
It looks like we’ll see fewer personal navigation devices (PND), but more devices with built-in navigation. A report from ABI Research finds that while PND sales will go down over the next few years, the market will continue to grow as navigation in phones, watches and eyewear take hold. Continue reading Trend Growing Toward GPS-Enabled Watches and Eyewear
Heated Dutch Treat for Riders
The Dutch love their bicycles, and they don’t stop riding for much. Because many residents don’t own cars they depend on the bikes to get them where they need to go all year round. That means riding in the rain, which we’ve seen firsthand and it didn’t look like fun. But it also means they need to ride in the winter, and that can be dangerous.
But some groups in the Netherlands are looking to solve the problem with heated bike paths. The Dutch Cyclists Union are exploring options to install underground pipes on their pavements to allow bike paths and roads that are used by cyclists to be usable all year. This would make the roads and paths snow free, which could reduce accidents. Continue reading Heated Dutch Treat for Riders
CLIF SHOT BLOKS Adds Chocolate to the Chew
When we met with Clif Bar at Interbike they were very excited to talk about the new flavor, Chocolate Cherry, in their CLIF SHOT Bloks energy chew line. Clif Bar just released the flavor in stores. The reason they were excited about the Chocolate Cherry flavor? It’s difficult to put real chocolate in a chew. It takes a balance to get the chew to be, well, chewy. Continue reading CLIF SHOT BLOKS Adds Chocolate to the Chew
Sanpei Optics Produces Its Audio Adaptable Glasses
At the SIA Snowsports Show in January we got to see an early model of the Sanpei Optics audio-adaptable glasses. It’s a combo pair of sunglasses and earbud headphones that work together to discretely fit into the ears. Sanpei Optics is currently running a crowdfunding program on Indiegogo.com, and will begin shipping its product soon. Continue reading Sanpei Optics Produces Its Audio Adaptable Glasses
Patagonia Warms Up to Encapsil Down
Over the past few years we’ve seen a few advancements in down that makes it warmer, better at staying dry and just more effective as a cold weather layer. Patagonia is now introducing Encapsil, a water-repellent down technology. Continue reading Patagonia Warms Up to Encapsil Down
Pour Cold Water on Your Workout
It’s necessary to drink water during workouts. But new research shows that cold water is more effective at helping exercisers keep up the momentum during workouts. Findings in two studies say that cold water helps keep core body temperature down longer, which allows athletes to push harder during workouts. Continue reading Pour Cold Water on Your Workout
Polar Releases Exercise Intelligence App
There’s activity monitors, and then there’s apps that track your activity. But then what happens with all that data? Polar created Polar Beat, a next generation exercise training app. While other devices will sync up to the app, Polar recommends the new Polar H7 heart rate sensor, which is the first device from the company to use low energy Bluetooth Smart technology. Continue reading Polar Releases Exercise Intelligence App
New Technology Reduces Football Related Head Trauma
One would think that something called “Unequal” would return mixed results. But in fact Unequal CRT, an uneven supplemental helmet padding designed by UNEQUAL Technologies, has been found to reduce the occurrence of concussions during the season.
The Unequal CRT padding – CRT stands for Concussion Reduction Technology – dampens and disperses energy associated with blunt force trauma. This occurs enough to register significant drops in the Severity Index, a measurement of the hazard or risk of injury associated with helmet impacts. Unequal CRT has already been used by some pro athletes in the NFL, and is now available for high school and college football teams.
Riddell Brings Top of Line Helmet Protection in Entry Price
Riddell is bringing performance and protection to the masses. The masses of high school and college football players that is. The company is introducing its Riddell 360 for this season of football. The Riddell 360 helmet has several features that increase safety, yet it’s still affordable for most teams and individual players.
The helmet uses strategically placed hinge clips, and a flexing facemask that reduces force from frontal impacts. Energy is redirected away from the head. An enhanced occipital lock cradles the head for more comfort, fit and stability. All these features also help the helmet stay on and protect the head during tough plays. Riddell also used an aggressive design that includes extreme detailing and oversized vent holes, which allow air circulation around the player’s head. The nexagonal liner system includes a removable, moisture resistant overliner, another comfort feature.
Riddell already earned a five-star helmet rating from the engineers at Virginia Tech.
iPhone 5 gets iBike Dash and Phone Booth Case
Early adopters to the iPhone 5 don’t have to go without a cycling computer. iBike will have the iBike Dash CC 5 Cycling Computer and iBike Phone Booth 5 Case & Mount available next month and the end of the year. Continue reading iPhone 5 gets iBike Dash and Phone Booth Case