Equipment | Evolving Consumer

Norco Crosses the Threshold

The 2015Threshold is ready to go. This new cyclocross bike from Norco is heavily influenced by the B.C. brand’s mountain bike heritage, and features a frame with size-scaled tubing that ensures that that a heavier rider on a larger frame will experience the same ride characteristics as a lighter rider on a smaller frame, while proprietary Gizmo cable routing features plugs that create tight seals at entry and exit points, blocking water and debris from entering the frame and preventing cable rattle.

It features through-axles, disc brakes and offers quick handling on the course.

Norco Official Website

Magellan is Ready to Ride

Magellan once again shows its customers the way, and this includes those on bikes. The company has launched its new Cyclo 315 and 505 GPS cycling computers in North America, following the debut of these last year in Australia and Europe The Magellan Cyclo units are designed to help guide the way for all bike riders from the hardcore triathlete to the body armored mountain biker, or even the weekend touring enthusiast.

At 3-inch in size, both the Cyclo 315 and 505 have the largest touch screens in the GPS cycling computer category. The units feature a highly detailed road network with cycling POI’s, enabling turn-by-turn navigation, as well as the very popular Open Street Map bike network, for either the U.S. or Canada. The Cyclo 505 is also the first GPS cycling computer to include Shimano Di2 gear data display and recording, Bluetooth Smart HRM/SAC sensor support, Android and iOS smartphone support for call and SMS notifications, Indoor ANT+ trainer support and enhanced ANT+ power meter support. Continue reading Magellan is Ready to Ride

Folded Blades

This month Spyderco noted that sometimes “progress” is actually a step backward. The knife maker called out new knife laws in other countries – noting that Denmark has prohibited any one-hand-opening knife. Rather than just fold up and go home the knife maker has addressed the issue with modified versions of its U.K. Penknife!

The result is the Spyderco Spy-DK Orange Plain Edge Knife, which features a reduced blade, and removed the one-handed opening, but is otherwise still a solid pocketknife that will come in handy when needed.

Spyderco Spy-DK Orange Plain Edge Knife Official Website

From Fat to Fit

Phil Gaimon isn’t as famous as Lance Armstrong or Bradley Wiggins, but he could be a true success story for anyone feeling who has hopes of getting in better shape. He just released his book, Pro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro. Gaimon began cycling at age 16 to shed some pounds before he headed off to school, and ended up falling in love with racing. He now rides for Team Garmin-Sharp.

VeloPress, his publisher noted: “His book chronicles a racer’s daily lot of blood-soaked bandages, sleazy motels, cheap food, and overflowing toilets. But Gaimon also celebrates the true beauty of the sport and the worth of the journey, proving in the end that even among the narrow ranks of world-class professional cycling, there will always be room for a hardworking outsider.”

VeloPress Official Website

Giving Its All

If you’re looking to go old school cyclocross brand Gevenalle will help you get in gear with its new line of components that include hydraulic shift levers and cassette adapters designed for use in mud and dirt. Formerly known as Retroshift, the company’s new name is derived from a pair of Dutch words and translates to “Give All,” and this line certainly does that and more.

“Gevenalle products are the result of a love for cyclocross and desire to offer innovative and problem-solving solutions for the sport that road components don’t quite meet,” said company founder Adam Clement, who launched Retroshift in 2011. “Our products are geared toward the ’cross racer looking to improve his/her performance with race parts built to better meet their requirements. We are offering affordable aftermarket components that better meet the requirements of the muddy carnage we call cyclocross.”

Gevenalle Official Website

Made in America: Weekend Bag For Every Day

Getaways shouldn’t be limited to weekends, and whether you have a week day journey or truly need to “bug out,” the APV Weekend Pack is the back you’ll want on your back. A Permanent Vacation (AVP) partnered with Valentich Bags of Ridgeway Colorado to create this American made back that comes with a lifetime guarantee.

It is made of two layers of cordura nylon and features waterproof zipper closures so it can handle rough weather and that weekend or weekday adventure. With this bag getting away is as easy as AVP.

APV X Valentich Bags Official Website

Fat-Bike Goes Hollywood

If you’re looking to take that fat tire bike up to the Hollywood Hills and ride with the rich and famous perhaps you can do so with the new wheel holders from Hollywood Racks! These replace the standard wheel/tire holders on all Hollywood Sport Rider and Trail Rider racks and are designed to accommodate all bicycle tires up to 5 inches wide. Thewheel holders are sold as a pair (for one bike), and include reinforced extra-long wheel straps.

Hollywood Racks Official Website

Weekend Reading List (05.24.2014): Golf Gear, Interbike Opens Up, Vacation Fitness

Golf Gear

From Sport Techie: Golf Gadget Round-Up for All Types of Players
I’m far from being a high-tech wizard. I don’t collect gizmos for the heck of it, but I can appreciate the latest offerings in golf gadgetry just as much as the next guy. When GPS-enabled golf carts hit the market, essentially, if your local course didn’t jump on board, they were considered behind the times. While some of us still prefer to know more about the course than our carts do, it’s impossible to remain analog in this newly digitized version of the game. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (05.24.2014): Golf Gear, Interbike Opens Up, Vacation Fitness

Silk Road

Trek has introduced a new women’s endurance road bike with the Isospeed decoupler popularized by the Trek Domane. The new Silque (pronounced “silk”) will reportedly provide the perfect balance of smoothness and power for female road riders the world over. The women’s size-specific custom Ride Tuned OCLV Carbon frame is designed for women to ride smoother, longer, and faster than ever before. In other words the Silque combines the attributes of the Domane endurance bike with the Madone race bike making for a stable but lively bike.

“The Silque takes the customization of women’s road bikes to a new level,” said Trek Women’s Product Manager Amanda Schulze. “When comparing female and male athletes on the same frame size, professional training data shows that most female athletes place less stress on the frame. Knowing this, we designed a size-specific frame to compliment a woman’s power to weight ratio, delivering the perfect balance of smoothness and power at every frame size.”

The bike comes in four models, the Silque, Silque SL, Silque SLX and the Project One Silque SSL. All be hitting the road this year.

Trek Bicycles Official Website

Jimmy and the Cruisers

If you’re going to commute on a bike it shouldn’t have to be a beater. The James Perse City Cruiser is a custom built single speed that will have you riding to work in style. It features a chromoly steel frame that is equipped with a flip-flop rear hub – so riders can do the ‘fixie’ thing or be able to coast. There are of course front and rear brakes, while leather grips and a canvas-infused rubber saddle will add to the comfort during the ride to the office.

James Perse Official Website

One Street Makes the Shift

Our friend Sue Knaup, executive director of One Street, has updated on the progress on the efforts to bring out the simple Bike Shift Lever. The group has been working to develop and produce easy to use, easy to repair bike components. It seems like progress is really being made.

The long hunt for a machine shop willing and happy to make our permanent casting mold for our Bike Shift Levers, has finally come to an end. They will begin machining the first mold out of steel this week at their shop in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’m thrilled that we have finally reached this next important step in the production process to create these simple, durable shift levers designed for people who rely on their bicycle every day.

This first mold will be a prototype marked as “Mold #1 2014” so that the shift levers I produce with it here in Prescott will be collector quality, sent only to supporters of our Kickstarter campaign last October. With their feedback, we will adjust the mold design so that the next mold will be ready for full production.

If all goes well, I should be using that second mold here in Prescott to produce shift levers for sale by late summer. At that point, we’ll also be ready to sign up license partners who are prepared to buy in and receive their own mold for producing these shift levers for their region of the world.

Defying Poverty with Bicycles Official Blog

OGIO Goes to Gotham

We heard about OGIO’s Gotham line of golf bags earlier this year. These were unveiled in January at the PGA 2014 Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., the Stand Bag and Cart Bag feature OGIO’s cutting-edge, revolutionary design and technology. The bags are now arriving at retail and you don’t need to be Batman to pick one up.

“There is a lot more to golf than driving for show and putting for dough; golfers today want to represent ‘their look’,” commented Tom Gocke, OGIO’s Global Golf VP. “Combined with a proprietary blend of exotic water, stain repellent fabrics and evolutionary construction techniques, the Gotham golf bag collection delivers a head turning appearance with a feather-light feel.”

The bag collection reduces the zippers to make for a sleek design, while it offers six interior protected pockets for easy access to balls, tees, valuables and any additional golf gear. And yet this bag weights less than four pounds and features OGIO’s four point-strap system and 7-way Holster performance top with side putter pit. We noted this could appeal to a particular caped crusader when we first heard about the bag. If Batman were going to play golf we’d expect him to have some super hero worthy golf bag and the Gotham golf bag collection might just be it. And yeah, we think Robin would make one good caddy.

OGIO Official Website

Go for Boker

Simple is truly underrated, but the Boker Plus Albatros Knife might just change that perception. This simple steel blade is housed within two thick plates of titanium to keep the weight down while still being one strong knife. Unfolded it is nearly seven inches of serious cutting power for the campsite, hiking trial or even the backyard.

Boker Official Website