ExerBeat it on the Wii

Move over Mario. Gamers looking to tone up can now put down the controller – well hang on to it as you’ll be needing it – and get off the couch and take part in more than 150 simple yet challenging exercises with Namco Bandai’s ExerBeat. The new interactive fitness game has arrived for the Nintendo Wii,

The games spans a variety of categories including dance, martial arts, body conditioning and even offers quirky mini-party type games. More importantly the games types allow for options for all ages and skill level, to help get those totally out of shape to tone up while still encouraging those who are their way. ExerBeat is compatible with the Wii Balance Board and Wii MotionPlus accessories.

(Trailer after the jump)

Continue reading ExerBeat it on the Wii

Saving (Race) Face

The Canadian manufacturer, Race Face Performance Products, emerged from receivership less than two months after the future of the iconic brand was thrown into uncertainty.It was announced on March 12, 2011, that after 18 years of business, Race Face would be entering receivership with many accusations circling of mismanagement by the then CEO, Craig Pollack.

The Race Face website remained unchanged, but their products started cropping up all over the internet retailers in the clearance and ‘specials’ pages. It seemed from the outside that it was the end for Race Face or worse – it would be sold to a company who then produce all of the products overseas… see Control Tech, American Classic, Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, etc. Continue reading Saving (Race) Face

Polar Tour’s France

This week Polar USA announced that it is taking a “Yellow is Everything” attitude, and has announced the release of the CS500 Tour de France, the official Tour de France training computer. The granddaddy of cycling events kicks off in just a month and a half, and now you can give it your best and try to ride like the very best in cycling.

The device features an aerodynamic diamond shape and yellow accents, as the the CS500 Tour de France is designed for event riders who want to improve their fitness at the competitive level through highly effective training guidance. The CS500 Tour de France features twice as much memory than the original, and offers compatibility with the forthcoming Polar LOOK Keo Power pedals, the world’s first pedal-based system for measuring power output and cadence. Continue reading Polar Tour’s France

Possessed to Skate

There are a fair amount of cities and towns around the country, that along with building recreation centers, community pools, amphitheaters and ball fields, have built skateparks. Often these skateparks are proposed with all of the other options a community can choose to fund; but it is not uncommon to find that a community has to pick and choose based on finances or space.

Skateparks are usually subject to harsh and often unfounded criticism based on stereotypes that may or may not be true and can ultimately lead to a skatepark being unfairly passed over as an option. At Kinetic Shift, a few of us have skated in the past and feel that it is better to have our kids out actively skating than to sit in front of the TV playing video games all day. A community park allows our kids to have a safe place, away from our streets and business staircases, to skateboard and ultimately get some exercise. Continue reading Possessed to Skate

BDSM for Your Bike

More than likely, if you are a cyclist, there is not one bit of natural fiber on your bike or in your cycling wardrobe. Cotton and leather has been replaced by Lycra, Coolmax, Nylon, leatherette or any number of other manmade products on the market. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but there is still a great appreciation for leather goods within the cycling community – just look at Brooks England, they have been making leather saddles since 1882 and they are still going strong! Continue reading BDSM for Your Bike

The Tough Touchscreen GPS

GPS is popular in the car, but it really likes the outdoors. The new Montana, a GPS handheld from Garmin, gives you a ruggedized device with touchscreen functionality. The Montana goes far beyond the state it was named after. It supports a wide range of Garmin cartography with its dual orientation and screen layout options. It has a barometric altimeter for elevation profiling and the ability to profile the route ahead using a worldwide elevation model. The device has a 3-axis compass that provides a heading while standing still, on the move or even when the Montana isn’t held level.

The ruggedized device has a 4-inch touchscreen and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera. Several features make the Montana useful for more than just directions. Two battery options keep your device powered during remote, outdoor adventures. The rechargeable, lithium ion battery pack is said to last up to 16 hours. You can substitute three AA batteries for an additional six hours of battery life when you can’t plug in your handheld.

The Montana supports geocaching GPX files for downloading geocaches and details straight to the unit. It stores key information including location, terrain, difficulty, hints and descriptions.

Official Garmin website

BMX Skateboard Scooter

What do you get if a BMX bike were to somehow mate with a skateboard? Technically this is impossible, not just because the BMX bike and skateboard aren’t actually living creatures, because even if they were they’d have different chromosomes and thus not be able to produce an offspring. But getting past those issues, we return to the question at hand, and since this sounds like the makings of a mad science experiment gone bad – let us also say that a third ingredient is added to the mix, namely a scooter.

So now we’re really crazy. But the result would the sbyke, the invention of Bart and Steve Wilson, who apparently broke their BMX bike, ruined a perfectly good skateboard and created a scooter-like contraption.

The sbyke – which is confusingly pronounced “spike”- has  a fixed-position front wheel that isn’t turned using the handlebars but rather by the shifting weight of the rider. There is a break attached to the handlebars to stop this thing at least.

(Video after the jump)

Continue reading BMX Skateboard Scooter

Scape Let’s You Run Without Running Into Your Eyes

Summer is just about here, and that means time to get out for a run or ride. The problem is that the sun can be very harsh, so it is advisable to cover up with sunblock. But most sun screens don’t mix well with sweat, and this can be a stinging feeling when the lotion hits the eyes.

Dr. Nic Marten devised a solution. As a lifelong enthusiast of action sports including surfing, windsurfing, snowboarding and mountain biking, he personally learned the all too hard way that sweat makes sun block run. He worked to create SCAPE Athlete Sunblock, which promises to be five times more waterproof and sweatproof than a leading sport sunblock, but more importantly provides amongst the highest levels of UVA protection.

The SCAPE Athlete Sunblock will not rub off as it features a Polyplex Polymer technology that was developed in vitro to better adhere to the skin, forming an almost Gore-Tex like barrier, yet it is breathable and keeps body temperature down. It won’t clog pores, allowing runners and other athletes to work up that good sweat. It is even loaded with vitamin E and other antioxidants to protect and nourish the skin.

It has us wanting a nice sunny day so we can sweat it up!

SCAPE Official Website

Excursion Bags to “Adventure-Proof” Electronics

Nothing beats getting away, and if you’re the kind of traveler who likes an adventure you know that can mean roughing it or it can mean the conditions can be a bit rough. Either way that’s not good for your electronics, which remain all too fragile. And while there is no shortage of shoulder bags, few are designed to handle the great outdoors and protect your electronics.

But Briggs & Riley have introduced a line of bags for your off the grid trips. The Excursion Field Bag and Excursion Messenger Bag will provide safe and secure storage for your tablets, netbooks and other electronics.

These provide a pull system for easy retrieval and plenty of storage for USB drives, mobile phones, business cards and more. These offer water resistant zippers and are well padded, but still lightweight so you won’t need a team of Sherpas for that hike in the woods.

Briggs & Riley Official Website

No Mountain Need to Do Some Climbing

If asked why do you climb a mountain, the answer usually given is because it is there. But what if you don’t have a mountain but still want to do some climbing? Well, you’re in luck because the MtEverClimb Rope Climbing Machine will let you climb and climb and climb some more.

OK, it isn’t exactly like mountain climbing; in fact it is more like rope climbing from grade school gym class, but you won’t need a 40-foot ceiling and there is no fear of falling from such heights either. More importantly rope climbing is a great full-body strength training exercise as well as a true cardio workout.

The machine features a heavy-duty welded tubular steel frame, a pulley wheel, and a looped rope that creates a continuous climbing action, while a front-mounted switch box allows the user to control speed, power, and direction of the rope. So with this device you can get your climb on and on and on!

MtEverClimb Official Website

Hands On: The StemCAPtain Keeps You On Time

Back in March we mentioned the StemCAPtain in an entry titled “TIME to Ride with StemCAPtain” and happily a few weeks later we had our very own to test. We were sent the thermometer version and the clock version of the StemCAPtain with both red and black bases. The thermometer version is still being tested, but here is our reaction to the clock version.

The clock version of the StemCAPtain is one of those products whose success is based on either working or not working – there is really no middle ground. It is a simple accessory that replaces your threadless headset stem cap with an aluminum base cap that acts as a holder for the clock, thermometer, compass or picture frame version that you choose. The faces of the clock and thermometer are available in both black and white so we received a black faced clock and a white faced thermometer. It is true that the functions that the StemCAPtain perform are redundant if you have a cycling computer with these features, but the Stem CAPtain performs them in a more stylish way and frankly simple way when compared to most computers. Also, as a bonus with the clock version, you can leave your wrist watch at home an have one less tan line! Continue reading Hands On: The StemCAPtain Keeps You On Time

Yurbuds for Your Ear

Going for a long run often means getting away from it all, but unless you’re in the middle of nowhere your run probably doesn’t get you away from everything. But Yurbuds could just take you away, even if you’re just on a treadmill.

These in-ear headphones were developed by athletes for athletes and officially launched this week with the new Ironman Series earphones. The earbuds were designed by company CEO and Ironman triathlete Seth Burgett while he was training. The result is an earbud that won’t fall out, even when taking part in grueling training regimes.

The sport earphone was developed to match the contour of the human ear without creating any pain points – because if the earbud is uncomfortable who is going to ever want to wear it. The Yurbuds Ironman Series feature an ultra-soft comfort fit and use the company’s patented “TwistLock” technology to provide the wear with exceptional sound by channeling the audio straight to the ear via the patented funnel shape.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading Yurbuds for Your Ear

Kick it Up a Notch on the iPhone

There are some workouts that you don’t want to skip, least you might face “trouble” when you return. One of those might be the Kersey Cardio Kickboxing workout. We don’t think Brandon and Krista Kersey will hold a grudge if you skip a workout, but do you really want to take the chance?

Now you don’t have to worry about it. The pair, who have previously released their workouts on DVD, have recently released an iPhone and iPad app developed by Windsor, Ontario’s Red Piston. The workout gives users the ability to increase strength, shed pounds and generally tone up.

As with most apps, it offers instructions, and allows those who can’t make it a class or workout with the DVD, still get a quick session. This way whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure you can still do some kick ass cardio to start your day.

Kersey Cardio Kickboxing Workout App