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

Road Bike Grips Heat Up!

For years motorcyclists or snowmobile riders have had the option of heated grips to warm their hands during times of colder weather. If your hands get too cold, the ability to control your ride can be made much more difficult and become dangerous. Coming this September, A’ME Grips is introducing their new Heated Road Bike Wrap for cyclists. This unique product will be a nice cold weather option for road cyclists, cyclocross riders and bike commuters; and provide a comfortable hand temperature to improve blood flow reducing fatigue and maximizes dexterity and performance. Continue reading Road Bike Grips Heat Up!

Inspired by the USA Pro Cycling Challenge to Climb Some Colorado Mountain Passes?

Colorado Bicycle Climbs Locator Map

After watching the great coverage on Versus or NBC of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge (UPCC), you may be inspired to come out to Colorado and tackle some of the highest, paved passes in the country. One of the great cycling experiences in the state of Colorado is climbing in the mountains, but it is difficult to pick your routes with just a road map. The state has a tremendous selection of canyons, passes and mountains to ascend with some of the most breathtaking views imaginable. Over the years my wife and I have been drawn to climb many of the passes and “classic climbs” in the state. We started in the San Juan mountains of southwest Colorado climbing Coal Bank, Molas and Red Mountain.

(Video after the jump)

Continue reading Inspired by the USA Pro Cycling Challenge to Climb Some Colorado Mountain Passes?

Leadville Trail 100 Sponsor Product Highlights

This past Saturday was the 18th running of the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike race in Leadville, Colorado and the 6th time that I have partaken in the race. This event has really grown in popularity and size during the past few years due to the highest level of professional cyclists like Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer showing up to compete. Along with the professional racers, larger corporate sponsors are becoming involved with this race and the whole Leadville race series, especially after Life Time Fitness took over the reins from Ken Chlouber and Merilee Maupin. As a racer, we have to be up in Leadville early on Friday for our medical check in which gave me a few hours to walk around and chat with the sponsors. Here are some interesting products from a few of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB sponsors.

Continue reading Leadville Trail 100 Sponsor Product Highlights

Yoga Gets a Leg Up with Stick-e

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2lzZ204HVw&feature=player_embedded#at=108

Practicing yoga during the summer, or in hot studios as practiced with Hatha (or “hot”) yoga, sometimes doesn’t seem compatible. The heat makes you sweat, and sweat makes you slip on the mat or floor. Continue reading Yoga Gets a Leg Up with Stick-e

Go Deep With This HD Pocket

Summer may be winding down, but there is still time to hit the beach. Most cameras don’t play well in the water, but now you can record those fleeting moments of summer, and time in the sand and surf with the new Vivitar DVR 690 HD underwater digital pocket video camera. While a sleek camera, it might still have you feeling almost like Jacque Cousteau.

The camera is sleek, easy to use and offers waterproof features with a built-in microphone and speaker, and even includes an SD memory card slot. The HD camera, which is available now for $59.99 also features 4x zoom capability so you can get your close ups.

The camera also comes with software so you can upload your underwater adventures to Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, Picasa Albums, Photobucket, and YouTube, so you can remember what it was like when life was a beach.

Vivitar Official Website

Transforming Laptop – More Than Meets the Eyes

The popularity of “Transformers” is a mystery to me, as I don’t exactly get why a robot would want to “transform” into the shape of a car or airplane. What’s wrong with being a robot? But when it comes to computers, transformers make a lot more sense.

GammaTech proves this fact with its newest mobile, rugged and convertible Durabook, the U12C. This computer is both regular laptop with a full-sized keyboard and is a tablet computer with LCD touch screen. It is ideal for on-the-go field technicians, mobile professionals, journalists who don’t work in a press room and just about anyone who needs to take their computer on the go.

“U12C is designed so it can be easily used in the most demanding professional environments,” says Jen Chen, GammaTech president. “Mobile professionals should have access to fully featured, convertible notebook computers that are rugged enough to stand up to grueling conditions. The GammaTech U12C has answered the call for dependability in mission critical situations.” Continue reading Transforming Laptop – More Than Meets the Eyes

USA Pro Cycling Challenge: Spectator Information for Stage 2 – Buena Vista to Aspen

Top of the last climb of Stage 2 - Independence Pass

The second half of Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge is not going to be any easier to get around and watch than the first half from Gunnison to Buena Vista, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying.

Not only will you get to see some great cycling in action, you’ll be treated to some of the most scenic beauty that ‘Colorful Colorado’ has to offer.

After riding this stage (The Riding of Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge – Part 2: Buena Vista to Aspen), we agree that a much better viewing experience is to be had by selecting a spot and soaking in the action. The following are our thoughts regarding spectating of this stage for the portion after Twin Lakes.

Continue reading USA Pro Cycling Challenge: Spectator Information for Stage 2 – Buena Vista to Aspen

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?

USA Pro Cycling Challenge: The Riding of Stage 2 – Part 2: Buena Vista to Aspen

The racers pass Twin Lakes at about mile 93, but still have 17 miles and 2,500 feet of climbing to the summit of Independence Pass

We continue our coverage of the “Riding of Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge” (The Riding of Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge – Part 1: Gunnison to Buena Vista)

Once my cleat malfunction was addressed in Buena Vista, Mike Prendergast and I continued our ride of Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. At this point, we were 67 miles into the 131 mile stage from Gunnison to Aspen. From Buena Vista at 7,965 feet, we had almost 43 miles until we reached Independence Pass at 12,095 feet – the Continental Divide for the second time. As we rolled out of Buena Vista, the skies did not look so good. With only a couple of tiny sections of blue sky, dark clouds started to form and the wind started to pick up. US-24 closely follows the Arkansas River for almost another 20 miles, but only climbs about 1,100 feet. Though this road is very heavily traveled, there is a wide shoulder for most portions of this section of the stage – not important for the racers as the road will be closed, but nice if you are just out for a ride. There is some nice scenery even though this section is a grind… it is probably the least enjoyable section of the ride due to the traffic and winds. As we approached Granite, the grade increased slightly, but it felt easier. From Granite up to CO-82, the grade or reduced headwind allowed for a large chain ring climb to the turn at CO-82. Continue reading USA Pro Cycling Challenge: The Riding of Stage 2 – Part 2: Buena Vista to Aspen

USA Pro Cycling Challenge: Spectator Information for Stage 2 – Gunnison to Buena Vista

12,126 feet above sea level on Cottonwood Pass

If you can’t ride the course with the pros, the next best thing is watching them in action, and next week you can get your chance if you head out to Colorado to watch the “Queen Stage.” After riding the course (The Riding of Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge – Part 1: Gunnison to Buena Vista), we thought we’d share our thoughts on the best way to take in the course.

With road closures and traffic, it is going to be quite a feat to see Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge (UPCC) from both the start in Gunnison and the finish in Aspen. For the brave or those who would rather sit in a car than hang out at the host cities, there is a route that is only a 2.5 hour drive. Getting out of Gunnison, driving the distance between both cities, finding parking in Aspen and hoofing it to the finish line is going to be tough. After riding the stage, we agree that a better spectating experience will be had by not trying to see both ends of the stage. The following is our thoughts with regards to viewing along the first half of Stage 2. Continue reading USA Pro Cycling Challenge: Spectator Information for Stage 2 – Gunnison to Buena Vista

Nike Makes Your Run Into Artwork

You may imagine your run as a form of art. You go out, push your body’s limits, brave the elements, and sweat it out a few miles. But when you get home, the run fades. What if you could display a print that marked your tracks?

Nike, working with YesYesNo in collaboration with DualForces, produced the project Nike+ City Runs. Participants wearing Nike+ went on runs around New York City. Runs were then plotted on a lithograph-esque map of the city. A line representing the runner’s path is brighter and wider depending on the speed and intensity of the run.

For a SoHo store location installation, the project tracked a year’s worth of runs from the Nike+ website. YesYesNo created software that palyed back runs throughout New York, London and Tokyo. The runs showed tens of thousands of people’s runs, which animated the city in a black and white relief.

OpenStreetMaps created the maps used for the project.

This was part of the launch of the Nike Free Run+ 2 City Pack Series.

[Via psfk]

USA Pro Cycling Challenge: The Riding of Stage 2 – Part 1: Gunnison to Buena Vista

 

City of Gunnison - The start of Stage 2 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

With our plans in place to ride the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Mike Prendergast and I left our homes on the Colorado Front Range and began our journey with a four hour drive to Gunnison. We chose to make the trip late on a Wednesday, meet the representatives from Gunnison and roll out early Thursday morning for the ride. We arrived in Gunnison with enough time to check in to our hotel, drop our bags, shoot some video of the city and make it to Garlic Mikes for dinner.

We met with four representatives on the Gunnison side of Stage 2, Joellen Fonken, Petra St. George, John Messner and Jon Brown, all who had various roles in bringing the stage to Gunnison. John Messner, the Facility and Events Manager for the City of Gunnison, was a major driving force behind the task of securing a stage and explained to us that it was not the race organizers who proposed the stages, but each town and city in Colorado had the opportunity to submit a bid outlining four to five different stage routes through their community. Gunnison submitted a number of options including one through Black Canyon. Though the race organizers were reluctant at first to go with the stage over Cottonwood Pass due to the dirt road, that was the option that was finally selected. Continue reading USA Pro Cycling Challenge: The Riding of Stage 2 – Part 1: Gunnison to Buena Vista