Olympic Velodrome Completed and Green

Let the games begin! That’s the feeling we’re getting right now as it has been announced that the site of the 2012 London Olympics track bike racing events has been completed.

The Hopkins Architects-designed arena can seat about 6000, and is the last of four permanent venues in the London Olympic Park to be completed. It is however the first to be completed on time and on budget. The sinuous velodrome was also reportedly inspired by the lightweight and streamlined bikes that do the loops inside. It features a track with western red cedar timber as the main cladding, while the roof collects rain water, which can be resued and recycled. The curved cable net structure is also designed to reflect sun, and thus reduce the need for air conditioning. Continue reading Olympic Velodrome Completed and Green

Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride to White House

For the fifth straight year, wounded warriors will be welcomed by the White House as Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride comes to Washington, D.C. President Obama will visit with thirty warriors and their guests today, in advance of the official Soldier Ride events on Friday and Saturday.

“The recognition from our Commander-In-Chief for these men and women is beyond measure and we thank President Obama immensely for welcoming these warriors to our nation’s capitol,” said Steve Nardizzi, Executive Director of Wounded Warrior Project. “The President and First Lady believe very strongly in supporting our military families, and we are honored to be invited by them.”

This event follows another ride with former President George W. Bush, who hosted the Warrior 100k Mountain Bike ride at Lajitas Golf Resort near Big Bend National Park. The other VIPs were wounded warriors from OIF and OEF.

Wounded Warrior Project
Warrior 100K
George W. Bush Presidential Center

New Titanium Bike Lock Design

 

We’ve seen some new designs for bike locks. One new design from TiGr uses a flexible strip of titanium with a lock mechanism. Titanium is a strong metal composite and will likely stand up to the needs of any cyclist. A video on the TiGr web site shows the inventor using a hacksaw to cut through a typical U-Lock, and then the same with a strip of titanium. It took 1:26 to cut through the U-lock, compared to 2:36 and more huffing and puffing to cut through the titanium strip. Continue reading New Titanium Bike Lock Design

Reversing the Harmful Effects of Sunscreen

These days everyone preaches about sunscreen. Don’t go outside without it. You may even need it indoors if you’re near a window. But then there’s also bad news that comes from sunscreen.

Chemical sunblock using ingredients such as oxybenzone can be bad for you. Oxybenzone is found to increase the production of dangerous free radicals in the skin. It’s been found to harm or alter DNA, affect hormone balance and the production of thyroid hormones, cause early puberty in children, cause male infertility and potentially lead to breast cancer and skin cancers. Isn’t skin cancer what we’re trying to avoid with sunblock in the first place? Continue reading Reversing the Harmful Effects of Sunscreen

Bike is “Slow-Moving Vehicle”

Bike safety is promoted on the LAPD Website

This week Sgt. David Krumer of the Los Angeles Police Department in a presentation admitted that even members of the LAPD are “not well-versed in the Vehicle Code as it pertains to cyclists.” Krumer, who serves as the department’s liaison to the cycling community, analyzed sections of the California Vehicle Code, which identifies bicycles as “slow-moving vehicles.”

This in itself is not innovative, but it should help make the road friendly for riders overtime as it could create better understanding between riders and drivers. Some of the key points of California traffic law that were discussed:

• Cyclists may ride in the middle of a lane as long as their speed does not impede traffic flow.
• To avoid the “door zone”—the space occupied by an open door from a vehicle parked curbside—cyclists must ride three feet from parked cars.
• Riding side-by-side, also called “two abreast,” instead of in a more lane-space-efficient single file line is legal if there is more than one lane in the direction in which the cyclists are traveling that motorists can use to pass on the left.
• A cyclist is impeding traffic if followed by five or more motor vehicles. The law requires a turnout to the right in such an instance.
• Cyclists in crosswalks are a very gray area and for the most part left to an individual officer’s judgment as to whether a citable offense has occurred.
• Traveling the wrong way on a street is never legal for a bike rider, but it is sometimes permissible when riding on the sidewalk, which cyclists are allowed to do.

So will this help ensure that drivers share the road? Maybe, but knowledge can go a long way.

[Via Sherman Oaks Patch.com: Law Defines a Bicycle as a ‘Slow-Moving Vehicle’]

Go Geocaching on the iPhone or Android Phone

Geocaching, a modern day treasure hunt complete with GPS device, can be a fun activity. Seek out containers and other goodies left for you to find. Maybe place your own geocache for others to find.

Garmin just made it easier to take part in geocaching. It’s now offering an OpenCaching app for iPhone and Android devices. The app is an extension of Garmin’s geocaching web site OpenCaching, which went live in December. The app is currently free, though that could change. Continue reading Go Geocaching on the iPhone or Android Phone

Evidence of How Apparel Can Help Performance

The jury may still be out on whether certain “rocker” shoes actually improve fitness, or whether any of those gimmicky infomercial machines actually do any good. But then there is EBA – or Evidence Based Apparel – a play on the traditional Evidence Based Medicine, a term used in medicine meaning to apply the best available evidence gained from scientific methods to clinical decision making.

The EBA clothing from Alignmed was five years in development, and it has the promise to improve performance, help wearer’s heal faster from shoulder injuries, prevent standard shoulder injuries that were once difficult to avoid and improve posture and balance, two essential components to performance excellence.

Among the new products from Alignmed is the Posture Shirt, which features a base material that has a specific four way stretch material, containing a combination of Nylon, Polyester, and Lycra. Sewn into this 4-way stretch material are strategically placed strips of non-stretch material called Neuro-bands.

This combines actually does improve posture, while helping take the excess load weight and stress off the cervical and lumbar spine, and at the same time increasing lung expansion for greater capacity for oxygen. This allows wearers to participate longer and with less fatigue.

Alignmed Evidence Based Apparel Official Website

Miura Golf Introduces Old-World-Quality Craftsmanship With New Line of Forged Irons

We like to report on the latest innovation and new technology, but sometimes the “old” way is still better. Miura Golf shows this in its video highlighting its Passing Point 9003 forged irons.

Creator Mr. Miura and his sons Yoskitaka and Shinei think of their forged clubs as “active machines” says Adam Barr, president of Miura Golf. As the video shows there is art mixed with the forging process in how the clubs are crafted.

Miura Golf Official Website

Zumbawear Collection Goes From Gym to Street

Is the just back from the gym look going to be big this year? Could be, at least if Zumba Fitness has its way. The company, which is the creator of the Zumba fitness-party workout, has announced that it has expanded its lifestyle brand with the launch of the 2011 Zumbawear Wonderland collection, which includes apparel, shoes and accessores for both women and men. The new line of attire is inspired by the exotic, high-energy music and choreography found in a live Zumba class.

“When you’re in a Zumba class, you are transformed – you feel energized, bold and sexy,” said Zumbawear Creative Director Melanie Canevaro. “We want our instructors and Zumba fans to enjoy these feel-good vibes all day – hanging out at home, shopping at the mall or partying at a Zumba class in a nightclub.”

Upcoming products will include the Z1 sneaker, a lightweight cardio dance shoe that will let users cut a rug or bust a move on the dance floor, as well as relaxed tees, hoodies and drawstring shorts. All of the clothing is designed to move and breathe while still retaining style that suggests the runway as much as the gym.

Zumba Shop

Helmet Mohawks Cool, But Cautionary

There’s a new trend in modding bike helmets to give the headgear a Mohawk. Craftzine has a great post on this activity. We applaud the individuality. We don’t mean to be nervous nellies either, but before you attach a ridge of spikes to your helmet, you should think about a few guidelines.

A few bodies including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and SNELL regulate helmets. Manufacturers follow these guidelines for safety. Modifications can potentially change a helmet so it won’t perform its function of protecting your head in the unfortunate event of a crash.

If you attach fabric or materials without changing the structure of the helmet, then go for it. We’re certainly not one to stand in the way of individuality and creativity. But don’t do anything that could reduce the effectiveness of the helmet.

Continue reading Helmet Mohawks Cool, But Cautionary

Shoe Shopping Goes Virtual

Here is a strange twist on buying shoes. Imagine going to the store, but not being able to find just the right athletic shoe. If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably heard, “we have more shoes online.” Well, rather than head to a computer you can head to the wall – as in the adiVERSE Virtual Footwear Wall, which is produced by adidias and powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and features 3D images of the shoes.

Popular shoes feature videos, product specs, game stats and even twitter feeds. Would-be buyers can add product to a virtual cart and check out via the store’s iPad. If the shoe is in stock you can try it on and walk out with it, and if not have it ordered and delivered.

Of course if you can’t try on the shoes, it begs the question why you wouldn’t just check out shoes online, but it is an interesting twist on the shoe store. Think of this as the merging of brick and mortar store with an online shop.

Connected Runners Hit the Ground Running With runens

Technology outsourcing and software product engineering company Ci&T has hit the ground running with its new mobile app for the Apple iPhone. Designed exclusively for the dedicated runner, runens is designed to be an easy-to-use app that enables users to connect and compete with a community of like-minded pavement pounding enthusiasts.

The concept behind the app is that “running is social,” and this connection can boost a runner’s motivation, making them go further and run hard to achieve goals. This is the latest app developed through Ci&T’s employee entrepreneurship program, which offers employees the opportunity to indulge their passion for technology, while still delivering innovative technology services to the company’s valued clients.

“As an avid runner, I know that lack of motivation can often be the greatest hurdle to getting out for a run,” said Marcio Cyrillo, Digital Evangelist for Ci&T. “But I also know that runners are driven by accomplishments, and I designed runens specifically so users could connect with other runners in their community and gauge their goals and achievements against these runners. I’m lucky to work at a company that allows me to indulge my passion so completely, and it’s my hope that the runens app will become as important to die-hard runners as their favorite pair of running shoes.”

This app promises a simple-to-use interface, where runens users can select and set individual goals for runs that include 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Ultra-Marathon or Freestyle. They can gauge the time, distance and pace of each run, with built-in GPS functionality to pinpoint the exact location of the runner on a map; and share and compare their goals and achievements with other runners in their community in real-time, driving the motivation to run even in inclement weather or other harsh conditions. Time to get running and social.

runens on the Apple App Store

Biodegradable Golf Balls Made From Lobster

Here is an interesting solution that could solve two problems. First, what do you do with all those lobster shells that must pile up at various seafood restaurants – at least the higher end versions that serve real lobster? Second, driving golf balls into the ocean probably isn’t that good of an idea – there was that Seinfeld episode that explained why.

So how about golf balls made of lobster shells? In a word, brilliant!

That’s exactly the result that a team from the University of Maine – a place likely known for its lobster – has come up, golf balls made from the shells of last night’s supper. Chemical Engineering Professor David Neivandt and undergrad Alex Caddell, working with The Lobster Insititute, created the biodegradable balls, which are made from crushed waste shells, a binder and coating. Continue reading Biodegradable Golf Balls Made From Lobster