Equipment | Evolving Consumer

Ballista Ready to Launch

A ballista was a medieval weapon that fired massive arrows and now the FBM Bike Co.’s new Ballista is ready to hit like a massive bolt! It is actually designed specifically for hardcourt bike polo players.

This tig-welded chromoly frame is based on the original FBM Sword frame geometry, but features modifications based on input from Evan George and Koyo Maeda of Seattle’s The Assassins bike polo team. The Ballista features a frame that has a taller headtube for a more upright riding position, a lower seattube for more standover clearance and a bulged seattube for more strength at the top tube/seatstay junction. The frame has optional front and rear canti mount brakes and optional front disc brake mounts.

FBM Bike Company Official Website

Romer3 If You Want To

Rome wasn’t build in a day, but the Romer 3 eyeglasses from Wiley X didn’t take long to join the popular Series of performance protective eyewear. This new style is aimed at hunters, shooting sports enthusiasts and others who require state-of-the-art eye protection, clear vision and the ability to select from a range of lens options to best suit environmental conditions.

These feature a full-frame, wraparound-style sunglass with Wiley X’s innovative Slot technology that allows for easy lens removal and replacement while ensuring the highest level of structural integrity and vision protection. The new Romer 3 meets stringent ANSI Z87.1 High Velocity and High Mass Impact Safety standards, providing occupational grade protection for all wearers and a wide range of activities; as well as the updated MIL-PRF-32432 (GL) MCEP Standard for ballistic eye protection. It also meets the EN-166F high velocity impact standards.

The Romer 3 features a lightweight, ergonomic frame for all day comfort, while the non-slip nose bridge keeps the Romer 3 secure on the wearer’s face, even during strenuous activities at work or in the field. The glasses also offer Foil Anti-Fog lens coating to ensure clear, distraction free vision in challenging conditions and a special T-Shell™ lens coating to resist scratching.

The Romer 3 is offered in two lens package options – one includes a Matte Black frame paired with Smoke Grey and Clear lenses; the other matches a Matte Black frame with Smoke Grey, Clear and Light Rust lenses. All of these lenses provide 100 percent UVA/UVB protection and distortion-free vision.

These are much more than just eyeglasses these are true stylish eye protection as well.

Wiley X Official Website

Cast Off

Fishing is generally easy to pick up, but fly fishing can take some work to master. Patagonia looks to make it a little more accessible with its Patagonia Simple Fly Fishing Kit, which includes tenkara rod, the book “Simple Fly Fishing: Techniques for Tenkara and Rod & Reel,” which offers basic fly fishing techniques, a line, leader, and a box of one-dozen already-tied flies. About the only thing missing is land with a river that runs through it.

Patagonia Simple Fly Fishing Kit

Cannondale Looks to go OverMountain Again

You can’t ride through the mountain – unless there is a tunnel – so most of the time that means going over it. The Cannondale Trigger and Jekyll “OverMountain” trail/endro bike is ready for the ride. It features 27.5 inch wheels, superMax Lefty forks and a new Fox Dyad rear shock.

The Trigger (above) is this year’s new trail/all-mount ride, which features 140/85 millimeters of adjustable travel and comes in five models — three of which are equipped with a 140-millimeter SuperMax Lefty. The Trigger will also be available in a 29-inch version. Continue reading Cannondale Looks to go OverMountain Again

Deluxe Storage

If you’re heading out on the bike there is always more stuff you need and less room to bring it. The Bike Cube Deluxe from Mountainsmith will let you carry the goods in style. It features a roll-up tool organizer, padded changing mat, a padded eye-wear pocket, specific spots for helmet, shoes and more. This ensures that you don’t leave that important “something” behind. It works as a standalone piece or in conjunction with our Modular Hauler Systems, so you can arrive at the next event in style.

Mountainsmith Bike Cube Deluxe Official Website

Biodegrading in Memphis

While you can be walking in Memphis, you can know that the new Zeal Optics’ Memphis sunglasses won’t last forever. These are part of the company’s Crafted series of biodegradable sunglasses, and are made of acetate based on Italian-grown cotton.

“Taking its hints from the retro classics, Memphis stands as a piece that transitions from suit and tie to an afternoon on the boat and is wearable by all,” said Zeal director of marketing Joe Prebich. “Subtle eye shape with a flat bridge on the brow of the glass allows for a closer, more comfortable fit. Lightweight sculpted temples help to increase comfort as well, for a long-term wearable sunglass.”

The Crafted Collection includes the Memphis, Ace, Fleetwood and Dakota models, and all are biodegradable, designed in Colorado and made in Italy.

Zeal Optics Official Website

Route 66 Shows Its Curves

The old Historic Route 66 isn’t exactly a straight shot from Chicago to San Monica. It is known for how it winds its way through eight states and has many a curve along the way. Maybe that’s why French steel mountain bike maker Caminade has named its new road bike the Route 66. It features plenty of curves that can surely handle the curves in the road.

Caminade Official Website
[Via BikeRadar: Curvy Caminade Route 66 frameset to be shipped]

Rocket Powered

When heading out into the wilds less can be more as the new Rocket Torch from Pyle Audio proves. This sleek cylinder is both a multi-functional speaker and flashlight equipped. It is equipped with Bluetooth technology, FM radio, mini SD card slot and AUX-IN jack. It is water resistant yet weighs less than a pound, while the Bluetooth technology allows users to connect to any iOS, Android or PC device and listen to music and phone calls up to a distance of 32 feet.

It also offers a bright, energy efficient LED flashlight that can be clipped to a backpack or even a bike for traveling at night. This is one rocket that will light the way and rock out the tunes.

Pyle Audio Official Website

Silca Gets Inflated

Silca is launching its first new product in the United States – a CO2 inflator and matching cartridges. These are the first new products from the historic Italian brand as it was reborn in the United States last year. These new inflators use a smaller, lighter spring than other brands, and makes them truly pocket sized.

The new U.S.-made EOLO III inflator is shipped with two Austrian-made 16 gram cartridges that are reportedly made to higher standards than most cartridges sold in the bike market. The higher standard requires that each 16 gram cartridge contains between 15 1/2 and 16 grams of gas. The inflators also feature rubber protectors to prevent the threads from being damaged inside saddle packs or elsewhere.

Silca Official Website

Reflecting on a Rope

After dark guy lines, tents and other stuff around the campsite can be hard to see, but the Nite Ize Reflective Rope can offer some illumination without the need of batteries or other power. This 50-foot green rope features embedded reflective strips that light up when hit by light. You’ll still need a flashlight to see the rope, but the reflective strips ensure that you can’t miss the rope.

Nite Ize Official Website

The DURT Bike

The truth about wood is that it hasn’t really changed much in the last few eons, and yet it continues to be a material of choice for many products. We’ve seen many bicycles made of wood, but Connor Wood Bicycles of Denver, Colorado is doing something a little different.

The company is using Kevlar to reinforce the wood. Chris Connor, owner of the company, recently showed off his “DURT” Bike – which uses sections of steam-bent, locally-sourced reclaimed wood that is reinforced with Kevlar.

The result is a beautiful looking bike that is strong and durable. It is so much like art that some might not want to risk getting the DURT dirty. And for those who question whether wood can handle the woods, Connor likes to point out that the DURT survived the Leadville 100 Race. Video after the jump

Healthy Idea?

We’ve seen a lot of interesting bicycle saddle designs in recent months, and the Dpardo T2 Healthy Saddle is in a word unique. It is a horizontal bar that offers two main functions – it is designed to eliminate friction on the groin but also pressure on the perineum.

It certainly does seem based on the concept that less can be more!

[Via BikeRumor: Make your Butt happy with the Dpardo T Type Healthy Saddle]

Cool Breezer

Breezer has launched a new line of of full-suspension bikes with 29-inch wheels and 120 millimeters of travel, called Supercell, which are equipped with Link suspension design Breezer introduced on its 650b Repack enduro bike last year. The MLink was designed with Sotto Group, an independent engineering firm.

“When we introduced Repack last summer, Breezer’s new all-mountain bike, it climbed and handled so well it completely changed people’s perception of what an all-mountain bike could do,” said JT Burke, Breezer product and brand manager. “And with Supercell, our new trail bike, we’re pushing that even further. Our patented MLink suspension technology is so efficient, lockouts are a thing of the past; and Breezer riders are seeing just how fast a balanced and efficient full-suspension system can climb.”

This innovative MLink design features a short-link pivot placed in the middle of the chainstay, which reportedly can balance out opposing braking and pedaling forces for an anti-squat and anti-rise ride. Breezer Supercell and Repack are currently the only bikes available with the technology.

Breezer Supercell Official Website