Wood Makes a Return to Youth Baseball

We reported earlier this year that the NCCA had introduced new rules regarding what constitutes a “legal” bat, as some alloy metals were banned, because they gave an unfair advantage to players. But now Rhode Island has stepped up to the plate to ban all metal bats in its American Legion Baseball league for youth players.

This is just one of three states where the American Legion has reportedly mandated this switch from metal to wooden bats, citing safety as the main reason. While tradition has been cited, and thus the use of wooden bats is in line with those Major League Baseball, it has been argued that wood bats are in fact safer. Research has shown that balls tend to leave wooden bats less quickly, and this gives players on the field more time to react to line drives.

As we noted last year, the National Federation of State High School Associations adopted new guidelines that will come into effect in 2012 on the performance of non-wooden bats as well.

[Via Rockdale Citizen: Youth leagues mull different bat standards]

Interbike: DannyShane to Preview New Products for 2012

Oh Danny Boy, Las Vegas is calling, as eco-conscious cycling apparel company DannyShane has announced that it will previewing its 2012 cycling apparel line at next month’s Interbike International Trade Expo in Las Vegas. The innovative cycling apparel company is known for its product line that features a proprietary fabric blend of 50 percent bamboo white ash (BWA), a natural, eco-friendly performance fiber. The BWA is infused into every weave of jersey fabric, providing natural UV protection that is breathable and moisture wicking.

“We are excited to return to Interbike and look forward to previewing our 2012 spring line at North America’s largest cycling trade event,” said Shane Hunt, president of DannyShane. “We unveiled the DannyShane 2011 line at last year’s expo, and the industry and consumer response since then has been phenomenal. Our new line builds on that success with new, innovative designs and a continued commitment to capturing the wonderment of cycling’s past in our styling, while using cutting-edge, eco-performance fabrics.” Continue reading Interbike: DannyShane to Preview New Products for 2012

The Joya of Walking

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTpiBQ8ZSkY&feature=related

If you’re on your feet a bit, they probably hurt. You may at least need out of your shoes after a long day. Swiss shoemaker Joya claims to have the opposite effect on the wearer. MBT shoe creator Karl Müller sold his company and went on to create Joya Shoes. Continue reading The Joya of Walking

Made in America: Cages Fit for a King

Not much consideration is given to a water bottle cage purchase by the average cyclist, the greatest importance is that there is at least one mounted to their new bike. It is not until they hit the trails and lose a bottle or have to wrestle with the bottle just to pull it out of the cage to get a drink does the thought of a well made water bottle cage come to mind. King Cage, based in Durango, Colorado, has been making water bottle cages the right way since 1991 and making them in America.

Ron Andrews has worked for a unique list of manufacturers in the bicycle industry including Fat City Cycles, One Off Titanium, Joe Breeze Cycles, Ted Wojack Cycles and Yeti Cycles. It was at One Off Titanium that Ran was asked by a customer if they could have a water bottle cage made from titanium. After he successfully made the titanium cage, he continued to produce them ever since Continue reading Made in America: Cages Fit for a King

Is Motorola Going to Give Nike+ a Run?

Motorola has seen many bumps in the road. Once a dominant player in the mobile phone space (and a title sponsor in the world of professional cycling), the company has many times seemed down for the count, but now it appears it could be up and running again and ready to sprint against Nike.

Rumor has it that Motorola is looking to take on the Nike+ SportWatch. Online images suggest a “tricked out nano watch,” one which has been described as an “all-in-one fitness and music personal fitness device” along with GPS for “accurate performance tracking.” So far the device hasn’t actually been made public, and has no actual name (MotoActive is one rumor). The word is also that this watch can sync to a PC for post workout analysis. All this is based on an apparent online survey to help name the name – which is where MotoActive seems to have come from.

What is interesting is that this seems to be a multi-use monitor and music player, with some interesting music features. We are hearing that the “smart music player” can compile a list of songs based on the tunes that help you sweat your best. Let’s hope that doesn’t mean that it downloads “Let’s Get Physical” and “Eye of the Tiger” for you!

[Via Engadget: Motorola considering Nike+ SportWatch contender?]

One Street Goes the Right Way By Launching Components Arm

Getting bikes to those who need them is just one way that One Street helps, but now the organization has announced that it has launched a new program to help address the issue of what happens after bike parts wear out. Now the international bicycle advocacy nonprofit has launched One Street Components. This new components arm of the organization has become necessary as One Street’s Social Bike Business program provides durable transportation bikes to impoverished people in communities around the world.

Each local program starts by refurbishing used bikes as they move toward manufacturing their own steel frames, forks and racks. This local manufacturing will be necessary as the bike industry no longer produces quality, affordable transportation bikes. But an alarming pattern has been hindering even the refurbishing stage. Continue reading One Street Goes the Right Way By Launching Components Arm

A New Mountain Bike Standard?

Mondraker, a ten year old bicycle company based in Spain, has announced the upcoming release of what they are claiming will be a new mountain bike standard. The 2012 Podium has features that we have seen before – a carbon fiber frame, internal cable routing and a BB30 bottom bracket; but the feature that they are touting as the new standard is an integrated stem.

The new Podium is a front suspension, hard tail design specifically designed for cross country racing and riding. By integrating the stem as a virtual extension of the top tube, the rider’s weight and center of gravity is lowered on the bike. This increases stability and provides for better pedaling efficiency. Continue reading A New Mountain Bike Standard?

For the Dearly Departed Surfboard

We all bemoan when a favorite workout item reaches the end of the line, and in many ways whether it is a bike or surfboard, it can feel like a friend passing. But what happens next we ask? While new products often get a lot of attention, less is given to what happens when the new new becomes old? The truth is that much of our new materials aren’t so easy to recycle, and many products that are made from recycled materials can’t be further reused.

Designer/surfer/artist Christopher Anderson is drawing attention to this fact with a new project he’s calling “1000 Surfboard Graveyard,” which aims to provoke new ideas and generate a conversation about the sustainability of high performance surfboards, while looking at their carbon emissions and non-renewable resource consumption and finally their eventual disposal into a landfill

The artist is currently trying to collect and install 1,000 broken surfboards on Garie Beach in New South Wales, Australia as part of a project with Surfrider Foundation Australia. We’ll be sure to follow this story and look for the results.

1000 Surfboard Graveyard Blog

Carbon Fiber – Not Just for Aircraft and Bikes

What’s not to love about carbon fiber? The truly space age material that made big waves in aerospace and of course racecars, and has become the standard material for many high-end bicycle frames, as well as seeing use in surfboards, golf clubs and countless other fitness products. Now the same material is starting to head to the world of fashion, and because it looks good and is quite rigid and durable, the material is ideal for protecting those high-tech toys in a high-tech way. This is the idea behind Smartt Mate, a new back cover for the iPad 2 from monCarbone. Unlike leather or even plastic covers, the carbon fiber Smartt Mate is light-weight and will help protect the case from scratches, and as a carbon fiber is UV resistant, can help from discoloration from sunlight.

“It’s rare that you see a new material like carbon fiber transforming categories and claiming new ground in the competitive world of design and fashion,” said Ming Chen, Managing Director of monCarbone. “We’re watching the hallmark of good design as it happens – discovery of something truly new and trend-setting andd its adoption by discerning people as a way to express themselves through fashion that stands out for all the right reasons.”

The Smartt Mate covers the rear and sides of the iPad 2 with no unnecessary cutouts. It is just 0.35mm (less than 0.023 inches) thick, and weights just 40g, while there are still 690,000 carbon fiber strands with each cover. It is available in classic colors including Mystery Black and Mystery Black – with special edition colors including Luminous Silver and Parisian Champagne – to be announced soon. Sounds “smartt” to us.

monCarbone Official Website

Get Closer to the Racers and the Bikes During the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Are you dreaming of seeing a mountain stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge Tour de France style, but are dreading the drive up one of the passes due to the traffic or road closures? Do you want to see who is using carbon fiber, SRAM, the new Shimano DuraAce Di2 and not just read about it? Does getting an up close look at the latest technology that the pros are riding that may not even be available to the general public yet interest you? The Colorado State Police (CSP), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have decided to allow spectators to camp out overnight alongside each state road that the race travels past. For a period of 24 hours prior to the race passing your campsite, CSP and CDOT will not ticket or require campers to move as long as they are camping off of the path of travel, including shoulders and private property. As long as the campsite does not impede traffic, it can stay. This move will allow more spectators and fans to have closer access to the competitors as they struggle to tackle some of the toughest mountain passes of the Rockies and this is your perfect chance to see the racers pass by at a speed that you can actually get a look at their equipment! Continue reading Get Closer to the Racers and the Bikes During the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Spots on your glasses?

Are you annoyed the spots that are left behind on your glasses after getting caught in a rain shower or being forced to remove your glasses completely just when you need them the most so you can see where you are going on your bike in a storm? For $20, Oakley may have a solution for you. The Oakley NanoClear Lens Cleaner + Hydrophobic Kit is a liquid product which is applied directly to the lenses of your glasses and repels water similar to the RainX product for your car’s windshield.

The Oakley NanoClear Lens Cleaner + Hydrophobic Kit is easy to apply using the applicator marker and is formulated to work with almost any type of eyewear and frames, including prescription glasses. To apply, simply run the marker tip across the entire lens surface, wait 30 seconds then buff it lightly with the included MICROCLEAR cloth. The formula can be applied to both sides of the lenses – especially useful for those who sweat a lot. The coating prevents water from leaving streaks and sheens that can corrupt your vision, and it creates a smudge-resistant barrier that repels skin oils and lotions, so keeping your lenses clean will be a whole lot easier. Continue reading Spots on your glasses?

The Shoe of the Tiger

Everyone always talks about “the eye of the tiger,” but this month the talk could turn to the “shoe of the Tiger,” as in the new Nike prototype shoe for Tiger Woods, who has been working with one of the directors of Nike’s Innovation Kitchen. Tiger Woods and Tobie Hatfield, along with Nike Golf, have created a Nike Free prototype shoe that the golfer will wear during this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (August 3-7, 2011).

Developed in 2004 by a group led by Hatfield, the Nike Free provided “natural motion” technology that mimics and conforms to the natural motion of the wearer’s foot, while providing the protection and traction of a lightweight performance shoe. The Free-inspired elements in the new prototype model allow for greater movement for the front of the foot, while increasing stability with mobility.

“This will help give Tiger greater stability as he addresses the ball,” says Hatfield. “The freedom of movement that natural motion technology delivers will also allow more power to be released through the swing rather than through the body, which can happen when your feet are too static.” Continue reading The Shoe of the Tiger

Keeping Water Off of a Cyclist’s Back in Style

The British company, Water off a Duck’s Back, is set to release this fall a new men’s cycling rain coat designed to be both functional on the bike as well as fashionable after the bike is parked. Currently Water off a Duck’s Back has three different styles of coats for the ladies, but none for men. The new men’s coat is approximately the length of a peacoat, but is tailored to allow movement in the shoulders and arms where needed for cycling.

Along with style and cut designed for use while cycling, this British manufactured coat also has a‘hidden’ feature. When the cuffs are folded down, the collar is pooped up and the button strip on the back of the coat is turned over, wide reflective strips are revealed to hopefully allow the rider to be seen easier in low light situations. Continue reading Keeping Water Off of a Cyclist’s Back in Style