Category: Low Tech

Keep Riding in Focus

For years there has been corrective lenses available for those who are active in sports that could be purchased from most optometrists at a premium price. If you do not require corrective lens to see the road ahead of you, but are finding that when you look down at your cycling computer you can no long read the small numbers, there is a new option out there for you. Dual Power Eyewear is a company started by industry veteran Louis Viggio out of Boulder, Colorado that just launched a new line of eyewear, similar to bifocals, to address this issue.

Viggio founded Dual Power Eyewear after discovering that he could no longer read the small numbers on his bike computer and cell phone when out for a ride. After checking local bike shops and sports stores he found plenty of sunglasses, but nothing that addressed this issue.

Dual Power Eyewear launches with three styles, the Dual V6, S4, and SL2. Each model is available in two lens colors (smoke or brown) and feature impact resistant TR90 frames, shatterproof and scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses, and a discrete +1.5, +2.0, or +2.5 Optimized Magnification Zone.

Dual Power Eyewear is intended to be sold at retailers in a similar manner to how reading glasses are sold at most pharmacies. The consumer picks the style and magnification that meets the level of correction, and simple purchases them at the register – no prescription needed. Continue reading Keep Riding in Focus

Possessed to Skate

There are a fair amount of cities and towns around the country, that along with building recreation centers, community pools, amphitheaters and ball fields, have built skateparks. Often these skateparks are proposed with all of the other options a community can choose to fund; but it is not uncommon to find that a community has to pick and choose based on finances or space.

Skateparks are usually subject to harsh and often unfounded criticism based on stereotypes that may or may not be true and can ultimately lead to a skatepark being unfairly passed over as an option. At Kinetic Shift, a few of us have skated in the past and feel that it is better to have our kids out actively skating than to sit in front of the TV playing video games all day. A community park allows our kids to have a safe place, away from our streets and business staircases, to skateboard and ultimately get some exercise. Continue reading Possessed to Skate

BDSM for Your Bike

More than likely, if you are a cyclist, there is not one bit of natural fiber on your bike or in your cycling wardrobe. Cotton and leather has been replaced by Lycra, Coolmax, Nylon, leatherette or any number of other manmade products on the market. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but there is still a great appreciation for leather goods within the cycling community – just look at Brooks England, they have been making leather saddles since 1882 and they are still going strong! Continue reading BDSM for Your Bike

Hands On: The StemCAPtain Keeps You On Time

Back in March we mentioned the StemCAPtain in an entry titled “TIME to Ride with StemCAPtain” and happily a few weeks later we had our very own to test. We were sent the thermometer version and the clock version of the StemCAPtain with both red and black bases. The thermometer version is still being tested, but here is our reaction to the clock version.

The clock version of the StemCAPtain is one of those products whose success is based on either working or not working – there is really no middle ground. It is a simple accessory that replaces your threadless headset stem cap with an aluminum base cap that acts as a holder for the clock, thermometer, compass or picture frame version that you choose. The faces of the clock and thermometer are available in both black and white so we received a black faced clock and a white faced thermometer. It is true that the functions that the StemCAPtain perform are redundant if you have a cycling computer with these features, but the Stem CAPtain performs them in a more stylish way and frankly simple way when compared to most computers. Also, as a bonus with the clock version, you can leave your wrist watch at home an have one less tan line! Continue reading Hands On: The StemCAPtain Keeps You On Time

Indian Goes Cruising

For 2011, Felt Bicycles is releasing a cruiser that is a little bit different from the norm – instead of being inspired by balloon tired bicycles from the past, it is inspired by motorcycles from the past. The Felt Chief cruiser takes design cues from the early Indian motorcycles up through approximately the late 1920s. The deep red paint, tank frame, gold decals, the typeface, Thick Brick 3” white tires, springer seat and spoked wheels are all details that can be seen in the early Indian Motorcycles. Continue reading Indian Goes Cruising

Giant Bikes Makes Giant Donation to Trips for Kids

This week Trip for Kids, which helps provide bicycles to at risk children, announced that Giant Bicycle USA recently made a giant sized donation that will help insure that around 200 mountain bike rides will be available for youngsters this summer. The product donation to Trips for Kids and Re-Cyclery actually required that staff flew to Los Angeles, rented a U-Haul truck and drove a number of the bikes and parts back to their San Rafael warehouse.

“Trips for Kids is one of the most important organizations that Giant supports,” said Patrick VanHorn, Corporate Communications Manager for Giant USA. “I lived in Marin County before I ever worked in the bicycle industry, and I’ve seen the great work TFK has done. To now be able to help continue Giant’s backing for the organization is really quite an honor.” Continue reading Giant Bikes Makes Giant Donation to Trips for Kids

Let’s Rollors

While there is increasing concern of the increasing size of children today, and there is no doubt that childhood obesity is on the rise, the truth is that many outdoor activities have fallen out of vogue. Worse still, old favorites like lawn darts have actually been banned for sale in the United States.

It is true, this type of “nanny state” that tries to protect children, actually has taken some of the fun out of playing on the lawn. But now a new game called “Rollors” could bring a return to the grass. Played with wooden disks that are basically like over-sized hockey pucks, the game promises to get things rolling. Players try to aim at a colored coded goal, thus the game takes traditional yard games and dare we say puts a new spin on it! Let the good times Rollors.

Rollors Official Website

A Better “Mouse Trap?”

As long as bicycle racing events have been occurring, riders have been using a number of containers to hold water or other liquid nutrients on their bikes. Aluminum canteens, glass bottles, plastic bottles and more recently hydration backpacks, worn on the rider, have been used. Bottles have been mounted or carried on the handlebars, down tube, seat tube, behind the seat or in a jersey pocket.

Hydration backpacks have been worn on the back or as a fanny pack, but usually mounted to the body with the liquid being delivered to the rider’s mouth using a tube. Now the Portland, Oregon company, Shower Pass, is looking to merge the bike mounted bottle with the convenience of the hydration pack delivery system into one unique system.  (Video after the jump) Continue reading A Better “Mouse Trap?”

Hydromax – The End of the Water Boy?

We may soon mark the end of the end of the era in football. Over the years there have been many changes to the game, the introduction of helmets and pads, the change of the grid field and even rules in scoring. But soon, the once proud water boy maybe out of a job thanks to a new wearable water supply system.

In truth, this could actually solve an increasingly worrisome problem. Dehydration remains an issue for many players, especially in southern states and on those sunny and warm fall days. The Hydromax system could just be the key to keeping athletes hydrated for those times when water remains on the sidelines – so close and yet so very far away. Continue reading Hydromax – The End of the Water Boy?

Get a Grip – a Tater Grip

This season has seen the “power” of baseball bats greatly reduced, at least in college, high school and little league as new regulations on bat size have taken affect. But one area that is still seeing forward development is in the “grips” – or more accurately the Tater Grip, which are now available nationwide at retail.

Tater Grip’s new patented, proprietary technology, ultimately a slide and shrink-to-fit installation system, allows ball players to custom design a bat handle label which is then visible through the slide-on, clear rubber grip.

Tater Grip comes packaged air-tight in a proprietary solvent which expands up to three times its normal size when exposed.  When the grip is removed from the package simply slide the grip over the bat knob, and within a couple of hours, it forms and shrinks to the bat handle’s size.

(Video after the jump)

Continue reading Get a Grip – a Tater Grip

Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride to White House

For the fifth straight year, wounded warriors will be welcomed by the White House as Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride comes to Washington, D.C. President Obama will visit with thirty warriors and their guests today, in advance of the official Soldier Ride events on Friday and Saturday.

“The recognition from our Commander-In-Chief for these men and women is beyond measure and we thank President Obama immensely for welcoming these warriors to our nation’s capitol,” said Steve Nardizzi, Executive Director of Wounded Warrior Project. “The President and First Lady believe very strongly in supporting our military families, and we are honored to be invited by them.”

This event follows another ride with former President George W. Bush, who hosted the Warrior 100k Mountain Bike ride at Lajitas Golf Resort near Big Bend National Park. The other VIPs were wounded warriors from OIF and OEF.

Wounded Warrior Project
Warrior 100K
George W. Bush Presidential Center

Bike is “Slow-Moving Vehicle”

Bike safety is promoted on the LAPD Website

This week Sgt. David Krumer of the Los Angeles Police Department in a presentation admitted that even members of the LAPD are “not well-versed in the Vehicle Code as it pertains to cyclists.” Krumer, who serves as the department’s liaison to the cycling community, analyzed sections of the California Vehicle Code, which identifies bicycles as “slow-moving vehicles.”

This in itself is not innovative, but it should help make the road friendly for riders overtime as it could create better understanding between riders and drivers. Some of the key points of California traffic law that were discussed:

• Cyclists may ride in the middle of a lane as long as their speed does not impede traffic flow.
• To avoid the “door zone”—the space occupied by an open door from a vehicle parked curbside—cyclists must ride three feet from parked cars.
• Riding side-by-side, also called “two abreast,” instead of in a more lane-space-efficient single file line is legal if there is more than one lane in the direction in which the cyclists are traveling that motorists can use to pass on the left.
• A cyclist is impeding traffic if followed by five or more motor vehicles. The law requires a turnout to the right in such an instance.
• Cyclists in crosswalks are a very gray area and for the most part left to an individual officer’s judgment as to whether a citable offense has occurred.
• Traveling the wrong way on a street is never legal for a bike rider, but it is sometimes permissible when riding on the sidewalk, which cyclists are allowed to do.

So will this help ensure that drivers share the road? Maybe, but knowledge can go a long way.

[Via Sherman Oaks Patch.com: Law Defines a Bicycle as a ‘Slow-Moving Vehicle’]

Evidence of How Apparel Can Help Performance

The jury may still be out on whether certain “rocker” shoes actually improve fitness, or whether any of those gimmicky infomercial machines actually do any good. But then there is EBA – or Evidence Based Apparel – a play on the traditional Evidence Based Medicine, a term used in medicine meaning to apply the best available evidence gained from scientific methods to clinical decision making.

The EBA clothing from Alignmed was five years in development, and it has the promise to improve performance, help wearer’s heal faster from shoulder injuries, prevent standard shoulder injuries that were once difficult to avoid and improve posture and balance, two essential components to performance excellence.

Among the new products from Alignmed is the Posture Shirt, which features a base material that has a specific four way stretch material, containing a combination of Nylon, Polyester, and Lycra. Sewn into this 4-way stretch material are strategically placed strips of non-stretch material called Neuro-bands.

This combines actually does improve posture, while helping take the excess load weight and stress off the cervical and lumbar spine, and at the same time increasing lung expansion for greater capacity for oxygen. This allows wearers to participate longer and with less fatigue.

Alignmed Evidence Based Apparel Official Website