Bicycles That Fit Like a Tailored Suit

When purchasing an upscale bicycle a buyer often picks out a frame size, picks out some components and then opts to get a fitting. This is much like buying a suit or a wedding dress, where an item is made to fit you. But PK Cycling of Fairfax, California takes the custom fitting to the next level, and it offers clients the option for a truly customized bike that will fit riders like a tailored suit.

Christopher Kautz of PK Cycling was kind of enough to describe his company’s unique process. Continue reading Bicycles That Fit Like a Tailored Suit

Zen to the iPad with All-in Yoga HD

For less than the price of a yoga class you can get customized routines on your iPad or iPhone with the All-in Yoga HD app from Belarus-based Viaden Media. The company has developed many apps, most of them gambling, which may inspire the name “All-in Yoga.”

While deciding to buy the app for $4.99 for the iPad may seem like a gamble versus all the other yoga apps in the iTunes store, it appears to be comprehensive. The software promises 200 poses and yoga classes to enhance both mind and body. It offers a database of asanas (poses) recommended by professional yogis and highlights the most popular. If you’re not sure of the sun salute routine or any number of other positions, there’s detailed how-to’s, photos, video and male voice guidance to instruct yoga classes and tutorials. Continue reading Zen to the iPad with All-in Yoga HD

Taking the Board Off-Road

How long do you think this board will stay white?

Over the years there have been attempts to take skateboarding off road, with bigger tires, more tires but now Bryson Lovett has taken the board in a new direction. With his unique Vertrax Electric Skateboard he’s essentially ditched the traditional wheels, and in place utilizes a tread system – much like you find on a tank or tractor.

Thus instead of needing the typical flat and smooth skating surface, the Vertrax can tackle sand, snow, dirt, worn concrete or even grass quite well. There have been suggestions that it could be used in military operations, such as for transporting soldiers across rough terrain, and because the tracked skateboard is electric it runs quietly without the traditional exhaust of similarly small vehicles.

Given that a rider still has limited options for holding on the Vertrax is probably best on flat terrain as well, but it should be able to tackle conditions that would riders carrying their traditional skate deck.

Byrson Lovett Official Site

The End of Cervélo Test Team in the Tour de France?

Have we seen the end of the Cervélo Test Team? That seems to be case as the company announced today that it would not be continuing as a title sponsor after the end of this season. However, this doesn’t sound like it will be the end of Cervélo bikes in the Tour, or in other major races. We’ll post more as news develops.

UPDATE: CyclyingNews.com reported that Cervélo could be the bike du jour in next year’s Tour for the Garmin-Transitions team, which could become the Garmin-Cervélo Team.

“The bike manufacturer has been linked with the Garmin-Transitions team as a possible replacement for the American squad’s Felt sponsorship, with Transitions dropping from the second sponsor slot and Cervelo taking over in their place. Neither team confirmed this.” Continue reading The End of Cervélo Test Team in the Tour de France?

Montague Cycles Knows When to Fold Them

Montague’s Boston Single Speed Folding Bicycle

Folding bicycle manufacturer Montague Cycles has announced a new line of 700c road bikes, including its first ever full-sized single speed. The Boston model includes a flip-flop hub, allowing to transform the bike from a traditional free-wheel single speed to a track ready “fixie.” 

It features a 42x16t drivetrain, which is considered ideal gearing for city riding. Designed more for the urban canyons than off-road, this bike still offers the durability that has become a Montague signature. The Boston model features the Cliz quick release and the company’s patented folding system, which allows for a conversion from full-sized ride to trunk-worthy bike in just about 20 seconds.

Continue reading Montague Cycles Knows When to Fold Them

Fitness Journal: Joining a Gym, Sign on the Dotted Line

When it comes time to joining a gym, you need to sign on the dotted line. In this way gyms and cars are a bit alike. As with cars, it begins with sales. Membership at many gyms, particularly larger chains, is handled by salesmen. Unfortunately, like their auto counterparts, gym salesmen are viewed as deceptive. While many salesmen are hardworking and honest, there seems to be many that are willing to meet a sales quote at any cost, even if it means lying or omitting information; then there are those who just don’t know anything and end up giving the wrong information.

Most likely you’ll sign up without a hitch. At the affordable no-frills gym I joined, there was no salesman involved, just the front desk. The process required filling out one page of paperwork, signing a one-year contract, and handing over a credit card—done. At the second, costlier but full-featured gym I joined, I worked with a salesman on signing up for the membership. Although the process seemed routine, I ended up having to deal with unresolved problems that, unfortunately, the salesman no longer wishes to deal with. Without going into details, there are some things to remember before and after you join. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Joining a Gym, Sign on the Dotted Line

Time To Fly With New NRX Rod

Many products take time to design and refine, but 17 years in the making is a long time indeed. But when it comes to fly fishing there is doing it, and there is doing it right. From the fisherman to the manufacturers, there is something to be sad about patience and persistence. This is why it really doesn’t come as a surprise that it has taken this long for the new G.Loomis NRX fly rod to finally be revealed to the public.

The company noted, “A very precise, lightweight trout rod designed for casting small dries and nymphs on large freestone creeks and small rivers where long casts are a factor, but where accuracy is the key. NRX makes it as light as the proverbial feather, allowing you to cast all day long and hardly notice the rod in your hand. Whether its lake fishing or stream fishing, trout or panfish, this may be the lightest, most technical 3-weight on the market.”

We’re not really sure about all that, but we know about the old saying that if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, and that if you give a man a fishing pole he’ll never be hungry again. Now if you give a man an NRX fly rod he might be able to feed a lot of people, but let’s hope he doesn’t sell the rod instead! These quality rods range in price from $700 to $770, and come in nine-foot lenghts with line wieght ranging from 3wt to 9wt and from medium stiff to stiff taper, and finally from moderate fast to fast power.

NRX Official Website

Video: Steve Rajef talks about the NRX

Cervelo TestTeam Races “Beyond the Peloton” With YouTube Channel

While the excitement of the Tour de France is typically on the road, there is much to see that isn’t part of the official coverage on TV. From the antics of the fans, to what it takes to prepare a pro team for this grand event, and finally just to the day to day happenings there is a lot “Beyond the Peloton.” And it can now be experienced from the official Cervelo TestTeam YouTube Channel, as it is presented in High-Definition from documentary film makers Joe Finkleman and Booker Sim, who let you return to France to see what the race footage failed to capture.

In addition to the event, the channel gives some great insight via past videos such as the New Cervelo Project California, or the how the Cervelo TestTeam ROTOR Q-Rings no doubt helped get the teams’ riders in the spin of things. So if you’re already waiting for next year’s Tour de France, this site might help you pass the time.

Cervelo TestTeam YouTube Channel

Fitness Journal: To Gym or Not to Gym

There are several questions you should ask yourself when it comes to deciding on whether or not to join a gym. 

Can you achieve the same results from working out with some weights at home or taking a run or bike ride?

I know many people who are healthy, lean, and fit, but never or rarely step foot inside a gym. They achieve this by either working out at home using simple weights dumbbells or barbells or through a physically strenuous activity like biking, running, or walking, plus proper nutrition. While every individual’s body is unique and respond differently, keep in mind that there are other ways to get fit without having to go to the gym.

Of course, if you’re looking to bulk up and work specific muscles, a good gym offers plenty of machines and free weights for that purpose. Plus, many gyms have indoor amenities like a swimming pool and racquetball and basketball courts to cater to those types of activities, and, should you wish to pay for one, a trainer.

But a gym can also feel “soulless” and boring. Imagine biking on a forest trail or through an urban jungle like New York City and crossing over the George Washington Bridge into a more leafy New Jersey, all while experiencing the sights and sounds of a mini adventure. You can never get that type of exercise experience from a gym. Continue reading Fitness Journal: To Gym or Not to Gym

Armour Up For the Court

In Medieval times knights would sometimes adorn just a bit of armor when visiting the royal court. And now a very different type of “armour” will be adorned for a very different type of court. Baltimore sports apparel company Under Armour Inc. is looking to gain a foothold in the competitive basketball shoe market. Last week the company unveiled its first-ever line of basketball shoes, which will debut in stores this coming November.

The question is whether Under Armour will be able to soar in a market dominated by Nike, which practically stole the market from rivals such as Adidas and Reebok. Of course back in 1980 the shoe maker made its name on the court with its Michael Jordan branded shoes – and Jordan has been retired from the game for a long time, so maybe Armour’s assault is actually long over do. Continue reading Armour Up For the Court

Cycling Brakes for Energy Boost

Every time you shift into granny gear, don’t you wish you had a motor on your bike to kick in and help you up that hill? The Copenhagen wheel claims to do just that. Developed by a team of students at the SENSEable City Lab at MIT, the motor encases the rear hub of the wheel on your existing bike to give it power. The MIT team recently won the U.S. national round of the James Dyson award for the Copenhagen wheel. Continue reading Cycling Brakes for Energy Boost

Fitness Journal: Should You Join a Gym?

I have only heard someone say “I love my new gym” once, and that came from someone who had too much disposable income to spend on an outrageously pricey workout facility. Exercise and staying fit should be an accessible and affordable (and, dare I say it, fun) activity, but as times have changed and we have traded working in the fields for the office, gyms have become an expensive but necessary evil in our modern sedentary lifestyles. But working out in a gym should be rewarding and enjoyable, right?

Well, unlike said person just mentioned, gyms are for the most part expensive. Most gyms are inconvenient and unless you live in Manhattan where everything is accessible, gyms involve driving to (oh, the irony). But even more excruciating is the actual joining of a gym, from shady business practices to dirty facilities.

Before you join a gym, read on about what you should be aware of. Much of the advice comes from personal experience and working at a fitness magazine with trained experts, and you may find them useful. Although there are many common-sense “duh” tips, there are some that even experienced gym-goers tend to forget when they join a new gym. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Should You Join a Gym?

Electra Bicycles Get a Flat (Foot)

Electric Amsterdam

This week Vista, California based Electra Bicycles was awarded US Patent #7740262 for its revolutionary flat foot technology bicycle design. This forward-pedaling design was developed in 2003, and has been featured on several Electra bike models including the Townie, Cruiser and Amsterdam collection. This unique design allows riders to place their feet flat on the ground while still sitting in the saddle.

This technology was accomplished by something rather simple; so simple in fact that it is one of those things that we ask why no one thought of it before. Basically by moving the crank forward of the set tube, thus is created a forward pedaling ride position that is comfortable and stable. The result allows riders to sit in an upright position in the saddle with proper leg extension for pedaling. This should also help reduce tension in the back, neck, shoulders, arms and wrists. Continue reading Electra Bicycles Get a Flat (Foot)