Category: Equipment

Armour Up For the Court

In Medieval times knights would sometimes adorn just a bit of armor when visiting the royal court. And now a very different type of “armour” will be adorned for a very different type of court. Baltimore sports apparel company Under Armour Inc. is looking to gain a foothold in the competitive basketball shoe market. Last week the company unveiled its first-ever line of basketball shoes, which will debut in stores this coming November.

The question is whether Under Armour will be able to soar in a market dominated by Nike, which practically stole the market from rivals such as Adidas and Reebok. Of course back in 1980 the shoe maker made its name on the court with its Michael Jordan branded shoes – and Jordan has been retired from the game for a long time, so maybe Armour’s assault is actually long over do. Continue reading Armour Up For the Court

Cycling Brakes for Energy Boost

Every time you shift into granny gear, don’t you wish you had a motor on your bike to kick in and help you up that hill? The Copenhagen wheel claims to do just that. Developed by a team of students at the SENSEable City Lab at MIT, the motor encases the rear hub of the wheel on your existing bike to give it power. The MIT team recently won the U.S. national round of the James Dyson award for the Copenhagen wheel. Continue reading Cycling Brakes for Energy Boost

Fitness Journal: Should You Join a Gym?

I have only heard someone say “I love my new gym” once, and that came from someone who had too much disposable income to spend on an outrageously pricey workout facility. Exercise and staying fit should be an accessible and affordable (and, dare I say it, fun) activity, but as times have changed and we have traded working in the fields for the office, gyms have become an expensive but necessary evil in our modern sedentary lifestyles. But working out in a gym should be rewarding and enjoyable, right?

Well, unlike said person just mentioned, gyms are for the most part expensive. Most gyms are inconvenient and unless you live in Manhattan where everything is accessible, gyms involve driving to (oh, the irony). But even more excruciating is the actual joining of a gym, from shady business practices to dirty facilities.

Before you join a gym, read on about what you should be aware of. Much of the advice comes from personal experience and working at a fitness magazine with trained experts, and you may find them useful. Although there are many common-sense “duh” tips, there are some that even experienced gym-goers tend to forget when they join a new gym. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Should You Join a Gym?

Electra Bicycles Get a Flat (Foot)

Electric Amsterdam

This week Vista, California based Electra Bicycles was awarded US Patent #7740262 for its revolutionary flat foot technology bicycle design. This forward-pedaling design was developed in 2003, and has been featured on several Electra bike models including the Townie, Cruiser and Amsterdam collection. This unique design allows riders to place their feet flat on the ground while still sitting in the saddle.

This technology was accomplished by something rather simple; so simple in fact that it is one of those things that we ask why no one thought of it before. Basically by moving the crank forward of the set tube, thus is created a forward pedaling ride position that is comfortable and stable. The result allows riders to sit in an upright position in the saddle with proper leg extension for pedaling. This should also help reduce tension in the back, neck, shoulders, arms and wrists. Continue reading Electra Bicycles Get a Flat (Foot)

Spin in Circles With the Ciclotte

A lot of exercise bikes have you put in the miles without actually going anywhere. But the Ciclotte spin cycle will have you getting nowhere in true style. The bike even looks much like a real work of art, but that’s because it is actually based on a concept bicycle is now part of the permanent collection of the Milan Design Museum. As such it is one piece of workout equipment that you probably wouldn’t mind having in your living room, even when you’re not actually using it!

 Designer Luca Schieppati took his concept bike, which was based on the classic unicycles from the 19th century, and reinterpreted its operating dynamics. This in turn became the Ciclotte stationary bicycle, which does look like it belongs more in a museum than a gym. It utilizes a minimalist design but with the utmost of high-tech components and materials, including fully adjustable saddle, pedals, handlebar and support arms. Instead of a chain-driven system the Ciclotte uses a dual satellite epicycloids system that features four gears with varying cogs. Thus the bike doesn’t have a traditional drive train, and instead has gears that turn the magnetized main wheel, in turn creating a magnetic field and thus maximizing the level of resistance. The result should be a good workout once you get into a nice spin. Continue reading Spin in Circles With the Ciclotte

Vibrant Colors Gets the Shaft

The technology of golf club design has evolved greatly since the first Scotsman took to the greens, but while the course regularly changes color with the seasons, the same can’t be said about those clubs, which pretty much all look alike. This is especially true ever since the advent of metal shafts, where you’ve been able to get your choice of chrome or plain metallic finishes. Those looking for a particular flare might as well find themselves in the bunker or water hazard, because about the only customizable aspect of clubs has been to put new grips.

But Vibrant Golf’s line of VibraCoat technology could very well change the traditional steel shaft by offering seemingly endless color combinations and finishes. The company offers opaque, gloss, flat, metallic and translucent finishes, all built around a durable polymer coating that will look good, but just as important will also protect the steel shaft from harsh weather conditions. Players can thus admire their stylish looking clubs while out on the fairway, and know that the metal is also well protected from the elements.

The clubs with VibraCoat are permitted under the rules of golf, while the addition of the coating has virtually no effect on the weight or swing. According to the company it can be applied to any steel shaft regardless of taper or stepping. The best part is that you know even if you can’t always get into the swing of things, your clubs will good trying.

Vibrant Golf Official Site

No Long Way Down For Long Boarders

Wes Sampson (Photo: Welcome to Williams Lake)

Wes Sampson knows as well as anyone what goes up, must come down. And if the veteran longboarder has his way he’ll come down very fast. He’s the organizer of this weekend’s upcoming Mount Washington Downhill Race in Comox, British Columbia, and if all goes as planned he hopes to break the International Gravity Sports Association downhill skateboarding world speed record of 113.02 km/h.

Unlike traditional skateboards, this race is essentially like street luge, but standing up. Thus this can be a serious deal, and Canada.com reported that one longboarder lost year life just last month while riding down Mt. Seymour Road in North Vancouver. This week’s ride promises to be safer, as it is a sanctioned event, with traffic controlled on the Strathcona Parkway during the event. Continue reading No Long Way Down For Long Boarders

Showdown Over “Toning Products” Looming?

A war of words could be brewing over those so-called “toning” shoes reports MediaPost, which notes that Nike is firing back at rivals Reebok/Adidas (Adidas owns Reebok). Nike is running print ads (see below) for its own Trainer One women’s shoe, with the headline “The Ultimate Quick Fix is not a magical toning shoe,” and follows with the tag line: “This shoe works if you do.” In other words it goes back to the old Nike slogan of “Just do it.” So is that the end of the “toning” craze? Not likely. Continue reading Showdown Over “Toning Products” Looming?

When the Surf is Down, the Skimboard Can Still Let You Get Wet and Wild

Woody Classic Skimboard

Summer maybe winding down and even if the waves aren’t up for you to catch, you can still make like a surfer with a very different type of board. Enter the skimboard, a three to four-foot wooden plank that literally skims on just inches of water. It is one that is easy to learn, and can better still doesn’t require that would be riders need be near a large body of water.

Thus the sport has been catching on in many parts of the country, especially those regions where it isn’t always possible to catch the big waves. According to a recent story in The Bellingham Herald in Washington, skimboards have been around since the early 1980s as an alternative to surfing, but this year has seen a pick-up in the sport. As the article notes skimming can also be relatively cheap when compared to surfing or even snowboards. Continue reading When the Surf is Down, the Skimboard Can Still Let You Get Wet and Wild

Zoom Boom Golf Club Swings Into Action

Inventor and self-professed “golf nut” Lance McWilliams is looking to change the game. He’s in the swing of things with a newly launched training aid, the Zoom Boom. The 44-year-old Fort Worth native had already gone from average golfer to the creator of the 15 Minute Golf instructional system, and now he’s looking to truly revolutionize the way golfers make their swings. To this end he actually studied not just the way the game is played but also the players too, and found that it might not be the golf clubs that are what is at question, but rather the way they’re used that really needed to change.

In an article for The Fort Worth Business Press, McWilliams explains, “I studied all the greats and then I’d go the driving range and study the not-so-greats. I tried to figure out what makes this golfer different from that golfer.” It was seeing the so-called “not-so-greats” that was the epiphany for the erstwhile marketer turned designer. He saw that many golfers failed to stay on plane and finish their swing in a balanced position. Continue reading Zoom Boom Golf Club Swings Into Action

Stan is the Man Thanks to His Tubeless System

During the Second World War many nations relied on bicycles to transport soldiers in rear areas, and to carry messages. Some nations, such as Japan, even used bicycles to rush troops to the front lines. This worked well until the bikes got flat tires – and with rubber in great demand many bikes proved to be sort of worthless, a feeling any rider with a flat probably feels. However, the Japanese solution was simply to ride on the rims until those bent out of shape. Fortunately today bicycle tubes are still just about the least expensive part on the bike, but that’s little comfort when you get a flat and have to change the tire – unless you think of riding on the rims.

So we’re not exactly sure who this “Stan” might be, but he invented one cool product – at least as long as you’re not the maker of bicycle inner tubes, or like riding on your rims with flat tires. The Stan’s Tubeless System is essentially a kit that allows for most standard bike tires to hold air without the use of a tube. This innovative system uses a rubber rim strip to cover the spoke holes along with a liquid sealant to prevent air from leaking through the tire. Continue reading Stan is the Man Thanks to His Tubeless System

Brain Bucket for the Slopes

Salomon Patrol C.Air Mike Douglas Ski Helmet

A decade ago chances were you’d be more concerned with keeping your head warm while hitting the ski slope than with actually protecting it. But as helmets have come to be standard gear for biking, so too have the brain buckets have become part of the outfit for skiing. Getting a helmet to fit properly has never been easy – so when Saloman decided to introduce a new ski helmet they turned to Whistler-based pro skier Mike Douglas to help with the design.

To truly make a “one-size-fits-all” helmet, Salomon utilized a built-in inflatable pump. The same technology has been used in previous models, but the Mike Douglas pro-model features lightweight and breathable design that will be good for all sorts of weather conditions – because the last thing you want is a helmet that is hot or uncomfortable. If the helmet doesn’t fit right people simply won’t wear it. Continue reading Brain Bucket for the Slopes

Wheels Keeping on Turning and Turning

While the general economy in the United States seems to be barely moving, Elasco, Inc. is just wheeling along. The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deltron, has seen a significant increase in the sales of its high performance roller skate wheels. And we thought roller skates were as dead as disco.

 But in fact Elasco has increased sales of its proprietary polyurethane wheels to existing quad skate OEM customers by 116 percent this year. Although part of this could be that consumers are replacing wheels on old skates, as roller skating as a retro activity is catching on, the other part of the equation is that roller derby is also hot again.  Continue reading Wheels Keeping on Turning and Turning