Low Tech | Evolving Consumer

Interbike 2011: SRAM’s pART PROJECT

What might appear to be a waste of perfectly good bike parts, the SRAM pART PROJECT was a challenge given to 50 artists to create something out of 100 brand new components. Their results were on display at this year’s Interbike where they were judged before being shipped to a galley in Chicago to be put on display in October where additional judging will occur. After both exhibitions are complete, all of the pieces will be auctioned off online.

This is not some sort of snooty artist affair with champagne and caviar – this is art with a purpose. After all of the shows and auctioning of the pieces is complete, the proceeds will go to the World Bicycle Relief. This non-profit organization was created in 2005 by the SRAM Corporation and with additional support from other leaders in the bicycle industry, the World Bicycle Relief helps people in third world countries through the use of bicycles.

Video after the jump

Continue reading Interbike 2011: SRAM’s pART PROJECT

Interbike 2011: Keeping a Cool Head So You Don’t Sweat It

Keeping a cool head while riding is a good idea to play it safe, and Headsweats is introducing a line of headwear that is ideal for those hot summer days when the temperatures climb higher than most riders. This new headwear is designed to help manage excessive sweating on hot days.

The new line of Super Duty under helmet headware (MSRP $22), which will be available in black and white in February of next year, will feature moisture management and “Perspiration Technology,” along with a COOLMAX fabric terry sweatband. The COOLMAX fabric shell will keep you dry as well, while the Eventure elastic will make for a perfect fit. It should allow you to truly keep a cool head.

Headsweats Official Website

Do you get what you paid for? Possibly not with Nike.

A practice that is usually reserved for the counterfeiters, Nike China has admitted to defrauding citizens of China through false advertising. As reported by China Daily and Sports One Source, Nike has been selling the China version of the Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 with half of the air cushions at an increased price of $78 over the U.S. version.

The U.S. Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 has two air cushions where as the China version has one air cushion. This would not be an issue except that the advertisement used for the Chinese market claims that the China version has the two air cushion just like its American counterpart. Continue reading Do you get what you paid for? Possibly not with Nike.

Easton Packs In a Lot in Portable One-Person Tent

Smaller is better, at least when it is something you have to bring along while hiking or biking. Smaller is not better when it comes to having someplace to rest your weary head however. But Easton Mountain Products has come up with a solution in its new Kilo 1P ultra-light one-person tent. It basically 1 uPs the Kilo tent that was introduced last summer, and which turned heads at the 2011 Utah Innovation Awards.

The Kilo 1P is a three-season, minimalist shelter that is designed to be an alternative to traditional bivvy shelters, and includes shorter pole segments that make it easily packable into a daypack, kayak or bike pannier. It features one person capacity, is there-season usable, weighs 1 pound 14 oz, and is made of waterproof nylon ripstop material. Continue reading Easton Packs In a Lot in Portable One-Person Tent

Strap It On For When You Might Need It

When you’re out in the woods it never hurts to have an extra length of high-strength cord, but with all the gadgets, gizmos and gear that you might carry it might seem that bringing one more thing is the cord that broke the hiker’s back. However, the folks at Survival Straps had another idea.

Maybe they watched that old Wonder Women series on TV and saw that magic bracelets are the way to go. While the Survival Straps won’t stop a bullet, there is a lot these things will do. Essentially the straps are made of a paracord – 550 test military spec paracord to be precise – that can be untied and unfurled when the need arises. The Regular Survival Bracelet is about $25 and is an inch wide, resembling a watch band, and it unfurls to about 16 feet. This can be used in anyway where paracord might come in handy – to replace a boot lace, sling an arm, replace a broken strap on a pack or just about anything else. Continue reading Strap It On For When You Might Need It

Knock on Wood(en) Helmet

There is an old saying that “X doesn’t grow on trees.” This is becoming less and less true as many fitness related products are using sustainable materials. We’ve seen bikes made of wood, and shirts made of bamboo. Now Coyle Wood Design is looking to introduce a line of sports helmets that will rely on wood as well.

These brain buckets are handmade in Oregon and are the brain child of Dan Coyle, who has a personal interest in woodworking and sports. He’s reportedly made his own clothes and fitness gear by hand, and this year began to make helmets that are a natural alternative to the traditional ABS plastic and foam. The helmets are created using a patent-pending status designed for “natural fiber helmet shells’ that works with his CNC machining tools. Continue reading Knock on Wood(en) Helmet

Made in America: TriActive America E-Line

Chin up bars, parallel bars and sit -up platforms are all items that you might have seen on your local walking or running path. These stations of yesteryear are typically constructed of steel pipe and wooden posts which work perfectly fine and shouldn‘t be replaced unless they are worn out. At some point, these fitness stations will deteriorate and once your community or company is looking to replace tired equipment or install a new fitness path with stations, there is an alternative to the steel pipes and wood. TriActive America offers a line of heavy duty, outdoor stations that are designed to keep people fit and stand the test of time all while offering many more choices of fitness activities.

TriActive America designs and manufactures this unique line of outdoor fitness equipment for use exclusively outdoors. TriActive America offers a few different product lines: the original TriActive Fitness products, premium E-Line equipment, Wheelchair Accessible equipment, and the E-Shade Line. All products are designed in the U.S.A. with components that are made of powder-coated steel for high durability against damage and the environment. TriActive America is so confident in their equipment that they stand behind every piece with a 10 year warranty. Not all lines are manufactured in the U.S., but the E-Line is all 100-percent American made. Continue reading Made in America: TriActive America E-Line

Ready Steady Go

There is a universal problem with bicycles – when you aren’t riding them they’re simply in the way. The New York Times recently ran an article on bike storage rooms in New York City apartments. Even if you’re not in an apartment, good bike storage is still an issue.

If you just lean your bikes (or use the kick-stand – gasp!) in the garage, you’ll want to check out a few of these space-saving racks and hooks to get your bikes out of the way.

Last year at Interbike we met with David Steadman, who showed off his invention SteadyRack – which made storing bikes after a ride a little easier. Now a year later, Steady Corp has signed an agreement with GearUp, Inc, which brings the rack to the United States.

“We are excited to be partnered up with the lads from GearUp and the great distribution network they have and the quality relationship and service level they have established in the U.S.,” says Steadman. “The SteadyRack has really taken off here in Australia and we are looking forward to great success in the U.S. as well.”

The new Steady Rack will once again be on display at Interbike 2011 at the GearUp booth, and hopefully will be in apartments and garages in America soon after.

Steady Rack official Website
[Via The New York Times: In N.Y. Apartment Buildings, Bicycles Muscle In]
[Via EcoVelo: NYT On Bike Storage in Apartment Buildings]

Turning on No Axle

Pedals are a very personal thing on bikes, and mountain bikers often times like prefer platform pedals that involve no clipping in. This is good for downhill and trials riding – as opposed to trail riding where riders typically want that clipped in feeling. Regardless of the system, most pedals are the same in that these are built around a sturdy axle.

But does it have to be that way? In other words, why can’t flat platform pedals in fact be actually flat? And not just flat but thin as well? To date the thickness of platform pedals has been determined by the thickness of the axle, which is where the Tioga ZEROaxle MT-ZERO comes in. It is ultra thin because it essentially loses the axle, with the result being a pedal that is just 7mm thick, making it the world’s “thinnest dual-concave mountain bike pedal.” And it is concave, so instead of the thickest part being the middle, it is actually the outer edges that are 7 mm, with the inside being just 4 mm thick, with the weight being just 450 grams or 15.87 oz. Continue reading Turning on No Axle

Hand Wipes Worthy of a Safari

If you’ve been to parts of Africa you know that having clean hands can be a difficult thing to obtain, even in urban centers such as Cairo. Being a germaphobe, this reporter typically carries all sorts of hand wipes and disposable towels, and while those are fine for walking through museums or past the Great Sphinx, they don’t quite do when it comes to wiping down after a bike ride.

Now you could use two or three moist towelettes, or you could pick up the Safari Towers, which are a massive 14-inches by 24-inches, making them ideal for cleaning up after a daily commute to work, or even making yourself presentable after a long training ride. The Safari Towels are about $1 each, or 42 cents per square foot. This might seem like a bit, but it could take several other towelettes to get just as clean.

As the Safari Towels come from the makers of Anti Monkey Butt Powder, we think they know something about surviving and getting clean in a jungle, urban or otherwise.

Anti Monkey Butt Official Website
[Via Urban Velo: Safari Towels]

Made in America: Paragon Machine Works

Paragon Machine Works is a name that may not be familiar to you, but one of their products might be right in your garage. Machined from aluminum, steel, stainless steel and titanium, Paragon Machine Works manufactures and stocks precision made components for bicycle frame builders. They stock the largest variety of titanium bicycle frame building components in the world, plus they offer design development and high volume manufacturing capabilities allowing them to offer competitive pricing.

Founded in 1983 by Mark Norstad, Paragon Machine Works had its humble beginnings in the Marin County basement of his parent’s house with just a lathe and mill. From that basement, Paragon Machine Works has grown into a 6,000 square foot operation in Richmond, California, employing ten full and part-time employees. Continue reading Made in America: Paragon Machine Works

USA Pro Cycling Challenge: Strider World Cup Answers the Challenge

While the riders are probably too young to handle the climbs, not to mention the descents, of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, they’ll get their chance to make the podium as part of the Strider World Cup. Toddlers, age two to five, will take to the track at the Downtown Denver Finish Festival on August 28.

Every rider will receive a Team Strider t-shirt, Strider handlebar bag/number plate and souvenir cowbell, and every racer will earn a medal for participation, while the top-three finishers in each age group will be awarded trophies during the podium ceremony. Riders will race on the Strider No-Pedal Bikes, which can help toddlers age one to five learn balance and coordination.

Pre-registration is required, and limited to 200 racers. Entry fee is $25, but the chances of a podium finish… priceless. Just ask Cadel Evans!

(Video after the jump) Continue reading USA Pro Cycling Challenge: Strider World Cup Answers the Challenge

Does WingFlyer give you wings?

It seems nearly everyday a new fitness or sports product comes around with a campaign promoting how much fun, revolutionary or weight you will loose once you buy the product. Some are outright scams, some are fads that are short lived, a few have actual staying power as a new sport, and some turn out to be similar to an existing sport, but eclipse it using new technology. When is the last time you have seen someone on roller skates going down the street? More than likely though you have recently seen an inline skater. This past July, the WingFlyer made its debut. Part scooter, part bike and part stair stepper, the new WingFlyer is promising a fun experience, easy to use and a good workout all in one package. The WingFlyer is very easy to use. Simply place one foot on the lowest pedal, push off the ground once or twice with the other foot, and begin to pedal. The faster you pedal, the smoother your flight! Gently squeeze the right hand control to active your brakes when needed. The WingFlyer is not only a good workout, it’s a fun workout which means you’ll do it more often! You’ll quickly feel the work in your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, and the cardio will certainly make you sweat! Continue reading Does WingFlyer give you wings?