Category: Made in America

Made in America: Vuelta USA Bicycle Chainrings

Vuelta USA Track and Fixie Chainrings

Finding a bicycle frame made in America is actually pretty easy. Though most of the big names have sent production overseas, there always seems to be a new hand built frame maker popping up. The same used to hold true for component manufacturers, but it is much harder to find companies that still make their products in the U.S.A. Chris King, Paul Components and Wheels Manufacturing are just a few of the companies that remain, but there are even fewer who still make chainrings. Vuelta USA of Pacoima, California is one of probably less than five companies that still manufacture chainrings in America and may be the only one that offers such an extension selection of sizes. Continue reading Made in America: Vuelta USA Bicycle Chainrings

Made in America: SilverSport

Most of us who frequent the gym know that it can be a place with some ‘funky‘ smells. Not because the attendants do not keep it clean, but because some of the materials in the equipment like vinyl, rubber and plastics can be difficult to rid of smells. The warm and humid climate, along with the human contact is the perfect breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria to grow and thrive. This is where the company SilverSport saw a need and they have developed a line of products to help your workout be as clean and odorless as possible. Continue reading Made in America: SilverSport

Made in America: Chamois Butt’r & Chamois Butt’r EuroStyle

Paceline Products' Chamois Butt'r in the 8-ounce Tub

Spring has arrived for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere and for those who have not been on the bike in a few months, it could be a painful time of the year. Not only do the legs need to be dusted off and put through the paces of riding ’base’ miles, but just getting used to time in the saddle can be painful for some people. Even if the correct saddle is installed, the rider’s positioning is correct, and good, quality padded cycling shorts are being worn, sometimes soreness and pain can still develop in the area of the body that is directly in contact with the saddle. Hanging up the bike or cutting a ride short does not have to be the answer. To help relieve this pain, a chamois crème or ointment can be applied to the chamois area of the cycling shorts before putting them on or directly to the part of the body that is sore. This crème is not only designed to reduce chaffing, but also provide relief to that area of soreness through the addition other ingredients inside the product.

We have highlighted a number of different chamois crème products in the past, and all of them have the same goal of providing relief to the area of soreness – just with a different list of ingredients designed to tackle the issue in a slightly different way. The main difference between the two types of chamois crèmes are the ‘regular’ creams act as a lubricant, reducing chaffing; while the ‘European’ formulas, along with similar skin lubricant properties, also provide a cooling feeling through additional ingredients like menthol to stave off the growth of bacteria. Paceline Products, of Pleasant Valley, Missouri, has been developing and distributing both types of chamois crèmes since their ‘regular’ formula, under the name Chamois Butt’r, was introduced to the market back in 1997. Continue reading Made in America: Chamois Butt’r & Chamois Butt’r EuroStyle

Made in America: Timbuk2 Bags

Timbuk2 Original Messenger Bag

Hewlett-Packard, Mattel, and Apple Computer – what do these companies all have in common? They started in someone’s house or garage and have grown into multi-billion dollar corporations. The bag company, Timbuk2, was also started in a someone’s home, but unlike those other companies, they have chosen to keep the design and manufacturing of a number of their products close to where it all began for them in San Francisco, California.   Continue reading Made in America: Timbuk2 Bags

Made in America: Apex Armor iPhone and iPod Cases

Apex Armor Generation 3 iPhone 4/4S Cases... checkout the tiny screws!

“Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China” – flip over any iPod or iPhone and this statement appears on the back. The popularity of these personal electronics from Apple has spawned an enormous accessories market that too has followed suit with regards to manufacturing and followed Apple’s lead of producing their products outside of America. But that is not the case with every company. Apex Armor of Milpitas, California is bucking the trend with their line of aluminum cases for the current generation iPod Nanos and iPhone. Video after the jump

Made in America: Trumark Slingshots

Trumark Slingshots - The Bat

Preparing for an outdoor adventure means packing the right gear: water, food, bike helmet, sunscreen, and more. But how many people are prepared for the “unexpected?” A flat tire or getting turned around in the woods can mean the difference between a two hour trip, a two day survival situation, or even never returning from your adventure at all. Are you prepared to survive in the wild if the “unexpected” does occur?

“Surviving” is not just a situation reserved for the great outdoors, as people push further into the suburbs, we are more than likely to encounter bears, big cats, and other animals that would love to chow on us for dinner while roaming local trails just outside our own door. Sure, a firearm can provide the protection, but it can also land you a criminal record if you are carrying without a permit or carrying in an area that firearms are prohibited. Plus, ammunition is heavy and a firearm can become damaged in the rain. Mace can provide protection, but it cannot kill a rabbit or squirrel – for sustenance – if the situation gets that desperate.

A slingshot, in the right hands, can provide both food for survival and protection from wildlife. It won’t have the killing power of a firearm against a large animal, but it may hurt one enough to allow you and your family to escape. A modern slingshot (a.k.a. a catapult, or katapult for you European readers) is fairly lightweight, compact, and accurate; and the current models on the market are a far cry from a rubber band attached to a Y-shaped stick seen in cartoons. They have fiber optic sights, mounts for flashlights, and stabilizer weights just to name a few features. But, as we are seeing with a number of products, most slingshots are imported from China. One company has not followed that trend and is still making their product line in America. Trumark Slingshots of Boulder, Colorado has been continuously designing and manufacturing their slingshots in the U.S. since 1953. Continue reading Made in America: Trumark Slingshots

Made in America: Belle Baby Carriers

In the next few months life as we know it is going to change – this reporter and my wife are expecting a newborn, our first. The preparations and gathering of baby related products has started at our household, and as exciting as this is for us, there is a disturbing trend that we noticed in this entire industry – a majority of the products are made in China. Certainly there are products manufactured in other countries, Mexico, Vietnam and South Africa to name a few; but we have not found one baby related product that is made in the U.S.A. – until now. Belle Baby Carriers of Boulder, Colorado has been making baby carriers for those on-the-go since 2006 and they are all made in America.

The idea of carrying a baby close to a parent’s chest is not a new concept. It keeps the newborn close to the parent promoting ‘bonding’ during the first few months of development outside of the womb. For the parents, it allows the newborn to be easily carried during the first few months without the hassle of a stroller or jogger. Video after the jump

Made in America: Kifaru International

Backpacking and backcountry snow sports can be an excellent way to stay active and enjoy nature. Whether it is a day trip or multi-day adventure, some gear will be required. Food, water, a tent and a stove are just a few of the items that might be needed. Start piling up the gear and it is not inconceivable that your backpack could weigh over 50-pounds. It doesn’t sound like much, but after hours on the trail, that 50-pounds might as well be 1,000-pounds. Lightening the load can be done by reducing the amount of gear and supplies, or reducing the weight could be achieved by starting off with lighter weight gear. There are certainly a number of companies producing lightweight backpacking gear; just most of them have left the U.S. to manufacture their product line overseas. Kifaru International of Wheat Ridge, Colorado produces an assortment of lightweight backpacking gear and unlike their competition, they are still manufacturing their product line on U.S. soil. Continue reading Made in America: Kifaru International

Made in America: Boone Titanium Rings

Meteorite with Twin Carbon Fiber

Back in the early-to-mid 1990s, the cycling industry saw a number of companies producing computer numerical control (CNC) machined components, often out of aluminum or titanium and anodized in some crazy colors. Consumers couldn’t get enough titanium on their bikes – think of the obsession today over carbon fiber. For whatever reason, the craze didn’t last. Many of those companies either faded away or were bought up by another company to ultimately just be produced in China. Then there were those companies that diversified and are still manufacturing a product today. There are far fewer examples of these companies that evolved, but they do exist. Boone Titanium Rings of Roswell, Georgia is one example of a company that started in the bike industry and is now manufacturing wedding and other types of fashion rings, out of titanium and still made in America. Continue reading Made in America: Boone Titanium Rings

Made in America: Lynskey Performance Products

2012 Lynskey Pro29VF - Painted Flat Black (optional)

Even though the company Lynskey Performance Products has only been around since 2006, the Lynskey name has been involved with the bicycle industry much longer. Back in 1986, David Lynskey merged his knowledge of exotic metals, gained through the years of experience that has family had in the metals industry, with his desire to build a lighter bike frame for competition. The result was the beginning of the titanium bicycle frame company, Litespeed. For the next 13 years, David Lynskey, along with other family members, were the faces behind the name ‘Litespeed’ until they sold the company to the American Bicycle Group in 1999. A few years went by and the non-compete agreements expired, but the desire to build titanium bicycle frames never did die. In 2005, with the encouragement of their mother, the Lynskey family decided to jump back into the bicycle business and Lynskey Performance Products was born on January 1, 2006. Video after the jump

Made in America: Vew-Do Balance Boards

Vew-Do Balance Boards - The Zone Balance Pro

One of the best ways to avoid injury, sports related or not, is to have strong core muscles; and my wife reminds of this when I am doing an activity that might injury my back. “Hold your stomach muscles,” is the statement that she often repeats to me and she is right. Over the past year, strengthening those core muscles has become part of my workout routine and it has really helped. I have had less cycling related back injuries and I find that my back feels less ‘tweaked’ after a good day in the saddle.

There are many was to strengthen your core, from basic home exercises to specific Core Conditioning classes offered by some gyms. Along with these exercises or classes another device can be used will help you strengthen you core, improve your balance and is fun –  a balance board. Vew-Do of Vermont has been designing and manufacturing balance boards for exercise, rehabilitation and just plan fun since 1990. Videos after the jump

Made in America: Redfeather Snowshoes

Redfeather Snowshoes - Vapor

This week’s Made in America post appears on a day when the Colorado Front Range is finally getting pounded with its first winter storm of 2012. If the weather forecasters are correct, we may see up to 18-inches of snow by the time the storm is done. What better day to feature a company that has its roots in Colorado and may actually help me get out and around. Redfeather Snowshoes was founded back in 1988 by another Colorado resident who too was snow-bound, but that individual was a triathlete who lived up in Leadville, Colorado at 10,000-feet. His original design utilized an aluminum frame with a ‘V’ shaped tail that reduced the chance of a tail from one shoe from hitting the other shoe, especially while running and overall improved maneuverability while snowshoeing. This simple change to the shape has lead to the modern sport of snowshoeing that we know today as noted by Jim Tucker on the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) website. Continue reading Made in America: Redfeather Snowshoes

SIA Demo Day: OZ Snowboards

Those individuals who choose to start a business during these difficult economic times have my admiration, especially those who chose to start one in a market that some view as being very saturated. Adam Browning is one such individual who took his 20 years of passion for the sport of snowboarding and has started the Evergreen, Colorado based company, OZ Snowboards. During this the SIA Demo Days at Winter Park, OZ Snowboards took the opportunity to show off their new line of boards for the 2012/13 season. Continue reading SIA Demo Day: OZ Snowboards