If the crew members watching for icebergs on the Titanic had the Fraser-Volpe Optics Mariner binoculars 100 years ago this past April 12 those 1514 people who went to a watery grave would have instead made it to New York City, and director James Cameron would likely have had to settle for making a movie about the Hindenburg instead!
Today cruise ships have modern radar to prevent tragedy – Italian cruise ship captains excluded – but for others having a pair of binoculars is still necessary, and should be a crucial part of equipment out on open water. Fraser-Volpe, which has supplied binoculars to the military for more than 30 years knows a thing or two about optics, and now have introduced a marine grade pair that are built for sea. Continue reading Binoculars for Boaters
We’ve heard the expression “if the shoe fits,” but what if you want to do more than just make it fit? What if you want the perfect fit? Louis Garneau has the answer with its new Course 2SL line of cycling footwear, which provides perfect fit, increased comfort, reduced weight and improved power transfer.
The League of American Bicyclists, Endomondo and Bikes Belong announced this week that more than 30,000 Americans took part in the 2012 National Bike Challenge, with a collective journey of more than 12 million miles that spanned all 40 states.
If Jeremiah Johnson were around today and opted to go into the woods to become a hermit he’d probably opt for something like the just announced Mountainsmith Haze pack to carry his gear. Empty this pack weights just 1.9 pounds, but it can carry 50 liters of gear in its open main body, while the outer mesh pockets provide places for all the things a modern mountain man might need.
That old TV show The Avengers (not to be confused with the recent super blockbuster) started out with the introduction, “Extraordinary crimes against the people and the state have to be avenged by agents extraordinary.” This is what comes to mind when seeing the Granit Extreme 59, the latest addition to the Abus u-lock line. This is serious security but it comes at a hefty price – $279.99.
We’ve seen a number of innovative bags from Timbuk2 this season, but this month the company has gone Full-Cycle, with its new brand of recycled/upcycled bags. These feature fabrics and webbing that come from recycled plastic bottles, while the straps and buckles are made from post-industrial and post-consumer materials.
American bicycle company Argonaut Cycles has made a bold promise in its attempt to “re-define custom,” but that is what the Portland, Oregon based company is looking to do with its new carbon fiber road frame business.
Sometimes a little light can go a long way, such as not cutting yourself when using a knife in the dark. For those times when you’re hiking, camping or just need to cut something and don’t have access to a light – and don’t want to hold a flashlight in your mouth – the SOG Blade Light, a folding knife, will come in handy.
Wahoo Fitness has put a new spin on cycle training with its KICKR Bike Trainer, which can be controlled via an iPhone app. This looks a bit like the Lemond Revolution Trainer, which works much like a traditional cycle trainer but instead of spinning on a drum has users ditch the rear wheel completely by offering a cassette and gears. Resistance is controlled via the app, which also lets riders know the speed and watts produced. It reportedly can simulate different conditions such as riding uphill, where more effort is required. 
With Labor Day behind us it means that fall is around the corner and road cycling will soon give way to the fall/winter sport of cyclocross. For those who are new to the sport Jeremy Powers, professional cyclocross racer for Team Rapha-Focus, and renowned cyclocross videographer Sam Smith have put everything you need to know on a DVD. 
At last week’s Eurobike Trade Show in Germany Mio introduced several new bicycle computers, including the Mio Cyclo 100 (above), which can record cycle times, speed, distance and calorie burn. The device features 1.8-inch display and has a waterproof casing so you don’t need to worry about getting caught in the rain – or at least you don’t need to worry about the bike computer. 
Earlier this year we profiled an interesting design in bicycle locks called the Pedal Lock. As the name suggests it was designed to use a bicycles pedals as a means of securing the bike.