Fitness Healing the Arizona Economy

There is no denying that getting out and doing some hiking, biking or running is good for the body – but according a recent study from economic consultants Brigitte Bavousett and Gerald O’Neill Jr. fitness can be even better for the economy. The pair prepared a study, titled “Sustainable Economic Benefits of Human-Powered Recreation to the State of Arizona,” and found that the “human-powered” outdoor recreation industry produces $5.3 billion in annual retail sales and generates nearly $471 million in state tax revenues.

The study concluded that 86,000 jobs were directly created from the fitness sector, while 100,000 jobs were indirectly created. The economic consultants even noted that closing state and national parks actually had a negative impact on economic recovery. The thinking hers is that keeping parks open encourages people to use them, and thus buy new products, which puts people back to work.

Meanwhile, Arizona’s neighbor to the west, California, is looking to close state parks to save money. Maybe the new governor should hire these consultants so residents in the Golden State don’t go without those parks.

[Via Arizona Daily Star: Hikers, mountain bikers, climbers boost economy]

Polar USA Rolls Out Suite of Technology Accessories With New Computer

There is no denying that training computers have typically had very specific uses. What is good in the water isn’t so good on the bike, but Polar USA looks to change the way the game is tracked with its new RCX5 training computer. It builds on the company’s decades of experience, and this new device combines Polar heart rate tracking accuracy with features that make it ideal in the water, on the bike and even on the pavement as you pound out each and every step.

The device, which is now available in “smart black” and will available in “striking red” later this year, is includes sport profiles that are essential for multisport and triathletes. It allows users to quickly switch between sports during training, so no time or training data is lost between swims, rides or runs.

“Triathlons are one of the fastest-growing sport segments in the United States, and we understand better than anyone in the market that multisport athletes demand data, whether they are training for their first regional event or chasing a lifelong professional pursuit,” said Jeff Padovan, President, Polar USA. “The Polar brand has been an established name among elite athletes for more than 30 years, and we are proud of the loyalty and knowledge we’ve built within the ‘tri’ market specifically. The RCX5 is the realization of everything we’ve been hearing that ‘tri’ users require to get to that next level, packaged in a new, sleek design.”

The RCX5 features a ZoneOptimizer that adjusts to personal heart rate zones based on the user’s current physiological condition to optimize just the right level of training intensity; plus Race Pace that lets the wearer set a target time for certain distances to see how far ahead or behind on a course the user is at a given time; and even a Training Load feature to let a wearer known when he or she has recovered enough for the next session.

The RCX5 is available in multiple product sets for running, cycling and multi-sport use. There is even a WearLink+ Hybrid transmitter that can ensure transmission in the water via a comfortable, fabric chest transmitter that transfers data both in 5 kHz and 2.4 GHz.

Training may never be the same again.

Polar RCX5 Official Website

GPS Meets Two-Way Radios

It was only a matter of time before two-way radios became location aware. Garmin just released the Rino series, a line of three two-way radios with integrated GPS. The Rino 610, 650, 655t have different levels of features, and all three models operate with up to a 20-mile communication range.

With each of the three models you can send your exact location coordinates. Other Rino users will see the location pop up on their map page. Once two radios are paired, you’ll be able to see your friend, or at least the radio, on the map. This helps when someone is in a location where the radio can’t get a signal for voice communication. You can also send unit-to-unit text messages between radios. This feature is ideal for windy conditions where it’s hard to hear, or if you need to be quiet and not disturb wildlife. While you don’t get the benefits of viewable location, the Rino radios are compatible with conventional FRS/GMRS radios, so you can use them to communicate with park rangers or other two-way radio users in the area.

The Rino 650 and 655t include a built-in NOAA weather radio to warn you of hazardous weather approaching. The radio supports Specific Area Message Encoding, which lets you access National Weather Service warnings and watches displayed county-by-county on the map. The Rino 655t has a built-in 5-megapixel autofocus camera so you can take and store pictures of your outing.

All three Rino models have high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix, a feature that automatically calculates and stores critical satellite information and can use that to calculate a position for you. The devices have multiple profiles such as marine, recreational and automotive so the Rino radio can be customized to your activity.

Expect to see the Rino devices at retail in Q3. The 610 will retail for $349; the 650 for $499.99 and the 655t for $599.99.

 

Garmin blog

Garmin Rino

Bell Recalls Helmets

This week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Bell Sports announced a voluntary recall of the Full-face bicycle helmets. The plastic buckle that connects the chin straps can fail, causing the helmet to come off the wearer’s head. This poses a head injury hazard to riders in the event of a fall. The firm has received one report of a buckle failing during an accident, resulting in an injury that required stitches below the wearer’s eye.

Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. About 31,100 of these helmets were sold in the United States and about 2,500 were sold in Canada. The helmets were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and Amazon.com between August 2009 and March 2011 for between $50 and $60. Continue reading Bell Recalls Helmets

Hands On: Bike Repair App Gives Your Ride a Tune Up

You might be able to change a flat tire. But do you know how to clean your rear cassette? Bike Repair App for the iPhone ($2.99), and Android ($3.07) from Atomic Softwares gives you a pre-ride checklist plus step-by-step maintenance instructions to keep your ride on the road without running to the shop every time you hear a clicking sound.

Photos with instructions help walk you through basic repairs for bike components such as wheels, rear derailleur, front derailleur, chain, handlebar/headset, crankset/pedals, brakes, disk brakes, shifter, suspension, helmet and even your body with an “aches and pains” category.

Atomic organized the app well, including a section for problems and another for parts. The app includes messages, sort of a Q&A where the developer posts answers to user emails. Throughout the app typos appear. Maybe it’s just my editor instinct. However if you’re publishing an app — especially if you’re charging for it — you should probably have someone read through the copy before putting it up there. I’d rather concentrate on identifying why my pedals click than become distracted by miss-worded  instructions.

Bike Repair doesn’t replace a visit to the shop for a tune-up or major repair, but it does help you fine-tune your bike. The bike inspection information is helpful. It walks you through what to do before every ride, and a second section gives you a checklist of things to check your bike for monthly. The monthly checklist tells you to look for structural damage, looseness, and gives you tips on cleaning and other simple maintenance issues.

You probably need some knowledge of bikes to make use of the app. If you don’t know what a derailleur is you might be able to identify it from the picture, but it helps to know your way around the bike since the pictures are confined to the size of a phone or tablet. It’s a lot of instruction if you don’t know a tube from a tire.

Bike Repair App

Bike Repair App on iTunes

Bike Repair App on Android

Bad Week for Board Riders

Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins at a past X Games

This hasn’t been a banner week for skateboarding. The northern Utah city of Richmond is considering banning skateboards on city streets. There have been complaints that skateboarders ride in the middle of streets, but one city councilman reportedly expressed concerns that the boarders threatened the safety of pedestrians, especially children.

Won’t someone think of the child? But seriously, how is it that the boards are threatening children – are the kids walking in the middle of the streets as well? It would seem that skateboarding on the sidewalk would threaten the safety of pedestrians.

Meanwhile, ESPN has announced that it has eliminated women’s vert skateboarding form the program at this July’s X Games in Los Angeles. This event reportedly struggled to sustain a viable competitive tour, and the X Games was the only remaining major competition.

On the plus side women’s street skating will remain a part of the X Games program.

Wearable Computer

Over the years technology designed for the battlefield has made its way to the commercial sector. The latest device that might just turn heads is Black Diamond Advanced Technology’s MTS (Modular Tactical System) wearable ultra-rugged PC. This new system is available as a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) system, where parts can be mixed and matched as needed. The system has been tested in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, and was optimized for dismounted use with command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR for those in the know).

The system essentially places the MTS computer right on the wearer’s chest in the backpack. While based on COTS, this doesn’t mean that it is actually commercially available right now. However, we already see the potential for civilian applications. Who wouldn’t want to wear their rugged computer? Continue reading Wearable Computer

GolfBuddy Gets Worldly

Just in time to hit the links, GolfBuddy has gone global of sorts. The Golf GPS that carries no added fees has just launched with an international World model. GolfBuddy World comes pre-loaded with more than 33,000 courses and still does not require any subscription fees or download fees. It is ready to hit the fairway right out of the box.

The GPS device has the capacity to hold 40,000 courses in its internal memory, while offering a high resolution, color touch screen that is easy to navigate without or without golf gloves. It features an anti-glare screen that makes it remain visible, even in direct sunlight. The device offers a digital scorecard, statistical analysis, a shock and water resistant casing and 50 channel satellite reception. Continue reading GolfBuddy Gets Worldly

Bollé Storms the Water

With summer just around the corner, you may be gathering and preparing all of your gear to hit the water for some fun. Whether your are an angler, sailor or just enjoy spending time on the water, you may be in the market for some sunglasses to help cut down on that annoying glare. Bollé, one of the many names that Bushnell Outdoor Products of Overland Park, Kansas produces under, has announced the expansion of their Marine line of sunglasses to now include 15 models.

Up to 2011, Bollé already had been offer nine different styles of glasses in their Maine Collection. The Bollé Marine Collection features two specialized mirrored lens hues – Inland Gold for low light conditions and Offshore Blue for the harsher light of open water. Both lenses are polarized to eliminate distracting glare while enabling the wearer to see below the water’s surface. Bollé Marine lenses also block distracting blue light to minimize eye fatigue in their unique water environments. Continue reading Bollé Storms the Water

Slackers Walk the Line

Tightrope walking has been around for thousands of years as a form of entertainment and amusement. In recent years, a new form of walking on a taunt rope has developed – slackline. Rock climbers used to walk on the cables and chains used by the National Park Service to stop the flow of traffic on trails or roads in the parks. This cable/chain walking provided the climbers with practice balancing and building of core strength when they were no on a rock face. In the 1980s two climbers, Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington, who frequented Yosemite National Park started stringing the webbing used in climbing as their ‘rope’ to practice their balancing skills. With Yosemite being filled with climbers, the sport caught on like wildfire.

(Set up video after the jump)

Continue reading Slackers Walk the Line

Wiley X Eyewear Remembers America’s Soldiers Who Gave Their All

Today Wiley X Eyewear encourages everyone to remember our soldiers who gave their all, and so much more. The company, which has a long tradition of providing U.S. soldiers with state-of-the-art eyewear that protects their vision in combat situations and in the world’s harshest environments, offers a special thanks to the troops.

“With Memorial Day marking the unofficial kickoff to summer and many families taking the opportunity to get away for an extended weekend, it’s easy to forget the true meaning of this holiday,” said Myles Freeman, Jr., Co-Owner of Wiley X Eyewear. “Memorial Day is a time for Americans to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice so many have made over our great nation’s history. On behalf of the Wiley X family, I encourage people to pause during this holiday and really think about the gift we’ve all been given — as well as its tremendous cost. If you meet a veteran or a solider this weekend, make sure to say ‘thank you!’ We need to truly appreciate our fallen heroes and our standing soldiers alike.”

True words from a class act.

Wiley X Eyewear Official Website

Made in America: Horseshoes by St. Pierre Manufacturing Corp.

Happy Memorial Day. While this day is meant to honor our soldiers and all Americans who have died in all of our wars, we do hope you are also having some time to relax too. We thought we’d offer a special Made in America, of one of the most American of items… horseshoes!

So what do tire chains and horseshoes have in common? Well, they are both made of metal… In Worchester, Massachusetts, the St. Pierre family has been forging Authentic Pitching Horseshoes since 1938 and are the only large-scale remaining manufacturer of pitching horseshoes still in the USA. The  trademark designed horseshoes are all Made in the USA and forged of solid steel for balance and control, plus the horseshoes are coated with a special non-slip finish that is superior to high gloss finishes and helps prevent chipping and corrosion. Continue reading Made in America: Horseshoes by St. Pierre Manufacturing Corp.

Made in America: Louisville Slugger

The first product that we chose for our ‘Made in America’ section had to be truly American. A company or product that reminded you of the good old U.S.A. when you heard the name. It only made sense to feature something from the game that is as American as apple pie… baseball and the Louisville Slugger.

Continue reading Made in America: Louisville Slugger