British Cycling has partnered with training software company TrainingPeaks. This means coaches and members of British Cycling, a national club that includes GB Cycling Team as well as avid cyclists, with software and support for discounted rates.
Continue reading TrainingPeaks Reaches New Peak with British Cycling
While there has been an increased focus on the protection that helmets can provide to the wearer, engineers at the Frauenhofer Institute are also considering how a helmet can also help provide some power for personal electronics. The team has developed a flexible solar panel that is durable enough to be mounted on helmets, and can optimize Bluetooth in the process.
The result is a helmet that can include speakers for a mobile device or music player and use solar cells to get juiced up by the sun, while a battery can ensure that collected power can be saved for those times when the sun might not be shining. The helmets still in prototype but should be arriving later this year.
[Via Ubergizmo: Solar Ski helmet keeps your gadgets charged]
Baseball season is about to see opening day and this year the game, at least for youth players, will be a little different as runs for bats have chanted. The National Federation of State High School Associations has adopted a new standard for baseball bats.
This switch involves bats that are less springy and will have a smaller “sweet spot,” and is a result of bats changing from aluminum to metal. This is part of the Batter-Ball Coefficient of Restitution, with the idea to create balls that come off the bats more slowly to reduce the potential for injury. Continue reading New Rules for Bats Take Effect
Hydration packs are a great way to bring along some water. You can wear these on your back so as to be less encumbered. The downside is that the bladders can get nasty over time. You can’t really “clean” them as easily as a water bottle.
So what if you could use water bottles in a hydration system? Well, that’s the idea behind the JetFlow, which basically is a nifty piece of plastic or aluminum hardware that transforms water bottles into bladders. It can work with traditional reusable bicycle or hiking water bottles or even with store bought water bottles. Just screw the bottle into the manifold and it works just like a traditional bladder-based hydration system. Continue reading Go With the JetFlow
Last week Polar announced that it will be the “Official Heat Rate Technology Supplier” for U.S. Soccer through 2013, and this will include this year’s London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. Polar will supply devices for nine national teams including the Men’s and Women’s National Teams, the Under-23, Under-20 and Under-17 Men’s and Women’s respective teams as well as the U.S. National Paralympics Soccer Team.
Each team will use the Polar Team2 Pro Set to help coaches and trainers gain insight into each individual athlete’s fitness level, where the monitors can be used to help athletes optimize fitness levels and prevent over training that could result in injury. Continue reading U.S. Soccer Picks Polar
Are you ready for spring training? Is climbing on your training circuit? If so, you might consider signing up for the Classic Climbing Challenge set up by Strava and Specialized. The two companies took the climbing feet from five of the most grueling mountain rides from a few Classics tours, then multiplied that by three to challenge riders to climb a grand total of 105,312 feet. The time period? This must be done between March 15 and April 30.
The Classics courses include:
Skate parks get all the attention, and funding. That’s according to Alpine Bike Parks, a company that just launched ParkStart, a design tool package for planning and building bike parks. The program helps park planners come up with a plan and budget to take to City Hall, or other authority, for approval.
Sometimes technology doesn’t need to be advanced to be reliable and durable. Case in point, the G. Wiseman handmade pocketknife, which features classic antique styling. Each knife is made by hand by Gene Wiseman, a former horseshoe maker.
The pocket knife doesn’t offer Bluetooth or GPS, but it will come in handy when you need it, and it will likely outlast most industrially made knives. It features a 2 3/4 –inch slip joint blade made of D-2 steel, hard black canvas micarta and brass pins. Knives can be made to order and even have the owner’s initials stamped in. Continue reading G. Wiseman Handman Knife a Wise Choice
Sporting goods maker Baden Sports is looking to shake things up this spring with the new line of Axe baseball and softball bats. The big change is in the new patented handle design that helps guide a player’s hand into the proper hitting position at contact.This reportedly means more power and more solid contact. While this year will see new changes for bats, the Axe line has been certified and approved for use at all levels of play in 2012 – from Little League to high school, the NCAA and even the pros.
Eleven (11) models will hit the diamond this season for both baseball and softball, and for professional players, the Pro Ash and Pro Maple Series Axe bats are manufactured in Wisconsin, using the hardest ash and maple grown in North America. All strictly adhere to professional league specifications, and are also oriented so that the wood grain is aligned perfectly with the hitting surface for maximum performance and less breakage. Continue reading No Axe to Grind From Baden
Fitness expert Shea Vaughn, mother of actor Vince Vaughn, discovered from both fitness training and personal experience, that women over 45 often feel like they are spinning their wheels and failing to live up to their own expectations. She says the problem is a lack of a mind-body connection, which can lead to depression, discouragement, disconnect, and deflation in body, mind, and heart.
As a 25-year veteran of the fitness industry including as a professional trainer and wellness coach, Vaughn has become a spokeswoman for creating well-being at any age with her recently released book, Breakthrough: The 5 Living Principles to Defeat Stress, Look Great, and Find Total Well-Being (HCI Books). She talks to KineticShift about breaking through: Continue reading Sunday Q&A: Shea Vaughn Talks About Breaking Through
This week we have a wide range of cycling videos and images from an Olympian to street performer. Unique photographs of mashed up structures and finally technology that could be superior to the ever popular Tivo DVR.
Guillaume Blanchet loves being on a bike and attributes the passion to his dad. After a period of 382 days spent riding through the streets of Montreal, he created this video in honor of his father.
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
