Heart rate monitors can share a lot of information, but trying to read it while working out means taking the eyes off the road. While that can mean taking the eyes of the prize, it can also be dangerous. Now Heart Zones USA CEA Sally Edwards has announced the founding of ZONING Fitness, which will release four wrist-top heart rate monitors that utilize the ZONING fitness program.
The idea is hart rate monitors that blink according to your workout, so instead of squinting at tiny numbers you can see a light – blue indicts low intensity, yellow at moderate and red when you’re going all out. The monitors further work with the ZONING solution, which just received a U.S. patent for cardio-training.
“There are hundreds of heart rate monitors on the market, but they are just watches with numbers,” said Sally Edwards in a statement. “The Blink gives you instantaneous and continuous feedback on how hard you are walking or cycling or doing any cardio exercise.”
Users should be able to help blink their way to better fitness.
Louis Garneau has made a bit of a name in cycle fashion and cycling solutions, and now the company looks to expand to a new market to help fuel riders with Garneau Nutrition, which will launch with six flavors of energy gels, as well as an electrolyte sports drink. Additional nutritional products to follow in the near future.
If you’ve watched a mountain stage of the Tour de France you’ve probably seen David Mayer, but then again it could be anyone inside that water bottle costume. While Mayer is owner and designer of the Clean Bottle – the water bottle that unscrews from the bottom as well as top for better cleaning— he still actually “suits up” and runs along cyclists dressed as large bottle.
This week at the Taipei Cycle Show in Taipei, Taiwan the JD Group presented its award-winning automatic-shift bicycle gear system, the Automatic Gear Transmission Bike+ (AGT Bike+). This handlebar mounted, computerized unit automatically determines when the rider needs to shift and puts the bike in the proper gear. This system features a maintenance free self-charging Lithium battery that attains ranges of up to 500km. 
We’ve seen a big trend in barefoot running shoes that fit the feet like a glove, and now Sazzi is taking this to a new direction with the “Toe Motion Footwear” system, which includes four toe posts (for all five toes). The company, which gets its name from the ancient pueblo dwelling of the Anasazi people, was founded by Mark Thatcher, who previously launched Deckers. This time around he’s creating footwear that is actually based on the Anasazi’s tribes traditional footwear – albeit with a modern twist.
Last week our friends at BikeRadar.com got us all excited, and we helped spread the rumors that Geoff Kabush was spotted possibly riding a prototype Shimano Di2 XTR groupo – in other words it sounded like the popular electronic shifters for the road were going off-road.
We’ve seen much innovation in the way to measure helmet impact, and this isn’t just to determine what effect the impact had on the wearer but now the helmet as well. The reasoning is that with each significant hit or impact the protective value of that helmet actually decreases. This in turn means that a helmet that protected on one impact might not protect as well the next time. The Brain Injury Association of Canada noted recently that the lifespan of helmet is often overlooked and that proper helmet care should be part of a regular routine to make sure that the helmet provides maximum protection.
Sometimes technology doesn’t need to be advanced to be reliable and durable. Case in point, the G. Wiseman handmade pocketknife, which features classic antique styling. Each knife is made by hand by Gene Wiseman, a former horseshoe maker.
Fitness expert Shea Vaughn, mother of actor Vince Vaughn, discovered from both fitness training and personal experience, that women over 45 often feel like they are spinning their wheels and failing to live up to their own expectations. She says the problem is a lack of a mind-body connection, which can lead to depression, discouragement, disconnect, and deflation in body, mind, and heart.
Earlier today we noted exercises that can damage the back, so what about carrying a child? Toddlers often like the idea of hiking – at least in the beginning, but eventually they’ll need to be carried, and it seems most end up getting a piggyback ride as well. It is might be good for the rider, but it can be a pain in the neck and back.
There are parts of a bike that can be stolen easily and those that require tools. Bicycle light usually fall into the former category, which is a shame as these are meant to keep riders safe. Now commuters can look to the Defender, a bike light that looks tough and is quite tough for a would-be thief to remove. The aluminum clamp, as well as the battery pack require Allen keys, so this won’t stop a determined parts-pilferer but it could deter those quick grab and run crooks.