Category: Outdoors
George Hincapie Goes Grand
Professional cyclist George Hincapie retired this past Sunday after competing in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The rider, who competed in the Tour de France a record 17 times, had been a pro for 19 years. Instead of just hanging up the cycling shoes Hincapie – who wants to spend more time with his wife and kids – will be riding in his native South Carolina foothills this October and invites anyone to join him for the Hincapie Gran Fondo. Video after the jump
Polar Leads the Way With Integrated GPS
Heart rate monitors are great for keeping track of heart rate (obviously), time and calories burned. Some have added GPS as an add-on function, but now Polar takes it a step further by offering fully integrated GPS within the device. The Polar RC3 GPS is aimed at runners and cyclists who want a light weight heart rate monitor.
The water resister (IPX7) device offer GPS functionality for distance and speed recording without the need for an extra sensor. It features route mapping and a “back to start” option so you don’t need about worrying about how to get back home! Continue reading Polar Leads the Way With Integrated GPS
Burton Hits the Mystery Spot
What would an international snowman of mystery ride on the slopes? Why a Burton Mystery Snowboard! There is no mystery in that. This is the first flagship board to be produced at Burton’s Craig R&D facility, and it features the visual look of the brand’s classic boards but with the latest innovation that includes a carbon Ultrafly core and Frostbie technology to keep the edges sharp as long as there is snow on the ground. The result is the lightest Burton board to date and one meant to shred.
For those who love winter sports there is no mystery that this will be a board they’ll truly love as well.
Safariland Kona Patrol Bikes to Roll at RNC
While the weather might not be agreeable next week in Tampa, Monday marks the beginning of the four day Republican National Convention and the Tampa Police Department will be relying on bicycles to help officers keep the peace. The department purchased 200 Safariland/Kona Patrol Bikes, which have been engineered from the ground up with specific features to meet the rigorous demands of bike patrol officers.
As we noted previously this premium patrol bike for law enforcement and security markets is the result of a partnership between Safariland and Kona USA. Continue reading Safariland Kona Patrol Bikes to Roll at RNC
Olympus TG-625 Goes Uber Tough
Olympus keeps coming back for more. The company has introduced a full line of rugged cameras this year, but for those that have been holding off you might be in luck. The Olympus Stylus TG-625 is the top of the line – it is waterproof, shockproof and freeze-proof. But this 12megapixel camera with back-illuminated CMOS Sensor is far looking too rugged.
It looks durable yet stylish at the same time. But more importantly it is loaded with features, including iHS Technology, to ensure the picture. It offers a fast start-up time so you won’t miss that perfect shot, while the 28mm wide-angle to 5x optical zoom will also put you right where you need to be. Continue reading Olympus TG-625 Goes Uber Tough
Barefoot Golfing?
Adidas has introduced a variety of new shoes this year – and now two different trends have apparently merged. Adidas has made inroads in the minimalist shoe category and has been active with a variety of golf shoes. Now the Puremotion golf shoes deliver that lightweight and minimal feel for the fairway. These shoes are waterproof and flexible, and come with a 90 day comfort guarantee.
Since most courses probably won’t let you golf barefoot this might just be the next best thing.
Ecoxpower Brings the Gear
We’ve seen a new trend this year with bicycle hub-attachments that power lights and more. Earlier this month we noted the BikeCharge Dynamo and now rugged outdoor and waterproof lifestyle product maker Ecoxgear by Grace Digital has introduced the Ecoxpower pedal powered headlight and smartphone charger.
This nifty gizmo attaches to most standard and oversized hubs, which is what the Dynamo and other devices do, but the Ecoxpower takes it a step further by providing handlebar mounted, water-resistant yet touch-screen compatible phone/GPS case. This solves the problem of worrying about that expensive device while riding home in the rain. Continue reading Ecoxpower Brings the Gear
A Glove to Love
Whether baseball is really America’s pastime is left open to debate, as is whether a quality glove will improve the game? For those who want to see if it is true – that a serious glove will turn anyone in an all-star – there is the Mixuno Pro Limited Edition Glove.
This is $500 worth of not just leather but Deguchi Tanned Northern European Kit leather, and it has been engineered with special “Speed Drive” technology to have a perfectly balanced position to provide the wearer with the fastest reaction and best response possible. And this isn’t really just a single glove meant for any position – instead the company has provided specifically tailored for eight different field positions including first base and catcher.
This is a serious glove and deserves serious respect, so for the money Mizuno will provide “off-season conditioning including maintenance such as re-lacing, felt replacement and web-replacement to ensure it always fits like a glove.
Mizuno Pro Glove Official Website
[Via GearPatrol: Mizuno Pro Limited Edition Glove]
FollowMe Bike Lets Kids Ride Connected Bike
There are a few specialized bikes that are designed to allow children to ride behind their parent’s bike – but these systems typically lack a true front wheel. This can actually make it harder for the child to keep balance and is reported at times to be somewhat disturbing for the child. Imagine how you’d feel riding without a front wheel.
The other issue is that the geometry can be affected depending on the size of the parent’s bike. And it also is impossible for the child to actually ride the tandem without mom or dad because again there is no front wheel! Continue reading FollowMe Bike Lets Kids Ride Connected Bike
Beverages for the Backcountry
After a day spent hiking, biking or just out in the woods a cool beverage can just hit the spot. The problem is that it means trekking with said beverage and to be environmentally conscience it means trekking out with the cans or bottles.
Pat’s Backcountry Beverages offers another solution that includes a drink kit and carbonator bottle. The gourmet beer and soda concentrates allows campers to create a microbrew-style beer or five different all-natural flavored gourmet sodas just about anywhere – at least anywhere with safe to drink water. And let’s face it there is “safe” to drink but that doesn’t always mean pleasant to drink, so perhaps these drink mixes can change that as well.
Weekend Reading List (8.18.2012): Bicycle Thief, Mass Effect, War Bikes, Green Olympics
Bike Thief Caught
httpv://youtu.be/9-GVpIaPEGM
From YouTube: Bike Thief Gets Owned
Guy finds stolen bike on Craigslist 160 miles away, sets up home-made sting, confronts the thief and gets his bicycle back, thief gets felony arrest.
Made on America: Survival Straps
We first heard about Survival Straps about a year ago, and at this month’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Show the company announced that has strapped on deals with 36 universities, the PGA Tour, all five branches of the military, and The Wounded Warrior Project. Most recently, the company became one of the few small businesses selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to license official Team USA gear. Survival Straps also provided all Team USA athletes with a Survival Straps bracelet and gear tag to wear and use at the London games. Continue reading Made on America: Survival Straps