Evolving Consumer: Happiness through shopping - electronics & fitness

Let Their Be Handheld Light

: RL-85 HID Magnalight

If you don’t live in the land of the midnight sun, chances are there are times you just still feel like you’re left in the dark. This can be troublesome at times, namely those late night hours when you need to do some work, or are out where you can’t just flip a switch to add a little illumination. In those case, the handheld RL-85-HID Magnalight spotlight will do more than just brighten your pre-dawn day.

This lightweight, ultra rugged and ergonomic device offers 2.5 consecutive hours of light that can be used after just four hours of charging time. It can work as a spot or flood light via a long life 35-watt High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulb that should operate for 4500 hours of life. The reflector and lens configuration in this bad boy produces a 2800-foot beam in spotlight mode, which equates to a 15 million retail candlepower rating. This one, which is designed for work, security, hunting and spotting, also is lightweight, coming in at just 3 pounds, 6 ounces. It is also durable, with the handle and lamp housing made from high impact nylon, while the polycarbonate lamp housing offers extra support. The impact resistant lens is also lightweight, shatter resistant and thermal resistant as well, so it can take a few spills without leaving you in the dark.

RL-85-HID Magnalight

Bell Built This Citi to Bike and Roll

: Bell Citi Bike Helmet

Riding to work looking like Joe Pro probably won’t endear you to your boss, especially as you might seem more ready to hit the road than saddle up in the cubical for a day of punching the keyboard and hitting the daily grind. Likewise, the gear meant for training probably isn’t always ideal for commuting. A few companies have realized that, and Bell has introduced a helmet for the urban road warrior.

The Bell Citi is designed for commuting, just as the name suggests. It is actually a little bulkier and heavier than a race day helmet. There is even a “glow in the dark” version for those who ride either before dawn or just after dusk. There are also versions in gloss black, matt pewter and safety yellow for those who do their commuting when the sun still shines. But either way, you can stand out in the dark with reflective strips and the ability to affix a light to the back of this lid.

This helmet features the ErgoDial fit system for easy sizing adjustments, and it will protect your head with the Fusion In-Mold construction. It also offers a Blade visor to keep the sun and rain out of the eyes, and air-moving Channeled Ventilation. This brain bucket can even be used with a Flip Mirror as well, so you can see the cars even if they don’t see you. It has good style, without too much racing style, so it is perfect for commuting.

Bell Helmets: Citi

[Via BikeRadar.com]

Anti-Doping Goes High Tech

Discovery News is reporting that a new “biological passport” has been developed to keep pace (or is it pace line) with performance-enhancing drugs and those who use them. This new technology measures blood and body chemistry over time, and thus can help authorities monitor professional cyclists more closely.

Sadly, one rider Franco Pellizotti – who was a favorite for this year’s Giro d’Italia – has already been caught using performance-enhancing drugs from this new technology. The Italian rider was banned for irregular blood levels, which suggested he doped. Let’s hope this new biological passport will end doping and make professional cycling pure again.

[Via Discovery News: Biological Passport Nabs Cheating Cyclists]

Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle Goes MAD

MAD handbuilt bicycle — The Museum of Art and Design's The Handbuilt Bicycle

Want to browse some bikes that you likely won’t be seeing anytime soon at your local shop? The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York City has an exhibit running through the middle of August, which shows off the designs of six internationally renowned bicycle builders. The Handbuilt Bicycle showcases bikes that took weeks, and even months of skilled workmanship to build. Each bike of course bears the builder’s unique signature in design while showcasing their personalities through the choice of materials, forms and techniques.

The frames are metal, but these works of art show off the individual craft with graphics and other artifacts. Michael Manaram, owner of a textile company and an avid bike collector, along with Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles of Portland, Oregon, organized the exhibit, which includes 21 bikes that were completely hand-built.

The bikes include fixed-gear, road racing, cyclocross, mountain and even commuter bikes, as well as a stripped-down randonneur, which was designed exclusively for long-distance racing. The exhibition includes bikes from Mike Flanigan of Alternative Needs Transportation (A.N.T.), Jeff Jones of Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles, Dario Pegoretti of Pegoretti Cicli, Richard Sachs of Richard Sachs Cycles, J. Peter Weigle of J. Peter Weigle Cycles and Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles.

Museum of Arts and Design: The Handbuilt Bicycle

Sunday Starts the Tour of California

A month until the Tour de France begins another picturesque race pedals down the state of California. Tour of California, an eight stage race from May 16 to 23, starts in Nevada City and ends on day eight in Thousand Oaks. Top teams include Columbia-HTC, Garmin-Slipstream and Team RadioShack. Lance Armstrong is among those favored to place.

We’ll be watching Versus Sunday to Sunday next week as the race goes on, and following some of the new cycling technologies used by the racers as well as the officials to time and judge the race.

The San Jose Mercury News has a handy fact sheet on the Tour.

Amgen Tour of California

Tri-Shoes Show Spirit

K-Swiss K-Ona S Shows Your National Pride

For specialized competition there are specialized shoes, and K-Swiss has a line of running shoes meant for race day for your next triathlon. Check out the K-Ona S line. These ultra-light shoes are just 9oz, and feature a durable Aosta II rubber outsole, and anatomically correct flex-grooves, along with the Superoam technology, Si-18 crash pad and k-EVA midsole. This will help you do the miles as you hit the pavement, as a TPU midfoot shank lets you go the distance.

The mesh/synthetic shoes further feature the K-Swiss Flow Cool System for moisture management, so you’re feet will stay dry on the long road to the finish. And you’ll not only feel good but looking good too, as this line offers multiple national flag inspired design. While there are options for Germany, Japan, Brazil and Australia, we’re especially taken with the American flag design!

K-Swiss: K-Ona S

A New Angle on Tracking Fish

Anglers in Florida are doing more than just catch and release. Many sport fishers are taking part in a scientific study to determine whether the tarpon fish are holding up to angling pressure, or becoming over-fished. The Suncoast Tarpon Roundup is conducting the study. The organization asks anglers to take DNA scrapings from a tarpon’s jaw to add it to the registry and determine the lifespan of each of the silver fish. According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, only 11 of 82 fish tagged between 2002 and 2007 died; and most of those deaths were attributed to shark attack. The registry currently tracks more than 2,251,250 tarpon and aims to tag 3,000 more in 2010 with the help of anglers and fishing enthusiasts in the area.

Road Bumps Get Inline

: Newron Axion inline skates absorb the bumps in the road.

Just when you thought inline skating was yesterday’s news, blades get an innovation. Newron Sport developed tandem technology, grouping the wheels in pairs with a shock absorption and pivot system, so skaters get an experience that’s more like ice skating. Inline skates typically present what’s termed “roller-stride,” which means bladers are unable to execute a toe kick with efficiency. That limitation hinders a part of the stride extension. Inline skaters also typically have slower acceleration, less extension and shorter recovery on strides. This is compared to ice skating, and ice hockey in particular.

Newron skates have two pairs of wheels on each foot that pivot as the surface changes to absorb shock and create a smooth ride. This could explain the resurgence of inline skaters we see in the park after a few summers of fewer skaters. Newron makes skates for recreational inline skaters and wheel sets and full skates for hockey players looking to train on the pavement to supplement ice time.

Newron Sport

Hula Shaker

Fitness goes retro-tech with updated hula hoops. An article on Tampa Bay, Fla news site 10Connects touts a fitness version of the yesteryear fad of hula hooping. Today’s hoops are weighted with about one or two pounds, and are said to keep you slim and trim. The activity engages both your core and leg muscles. If you get enough of a spin going you may boost your heart rate to an aerobic level as well.

One source, BodyHoops.com, sells SuperFly, a one pound hoop, for $15 plus $3 for each additional hoop. Many gyms, including Crunch Fitness, offer hula hoop-based workout classes. There’s examples of a few classes on YouTube.

Feminine Sprint

SprintSkort — Moving Comfort Sprint Skort

It’s hard to find shorts for running that don’t look boyish, or just have a feminine and complimentary shape. Skorts, a combination short and skirt, are becoming more popular and give you that flattering shape while not compromising on performance. Moving Comfort’s Sprint Skort ($44.00) is made from aeorosilver, a material that increases performance and endurance by moving sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric. The silver used in the fabric eliminates harmful and odor-causing germs.

The skort has a compression boy short liner under the a-line skirt that has a double layer crotch gusset. It has mesh side panels with pockets to keep you cool and stow ID and keys.

Aerosilver has a number of beneficial properties. It’s clover-like cross section absorbs and evaporates body sweat rapidly. An antimicrobial quality eliminates germs and blocks the spread of any that try to latch on to your skin. Quick absorbtion and quick drying action helps the fabric dry fast and maintains a cool body temperature by wicking and evaporating moisture. A deodorization effect keeps the skort fresh and eliminates odor. The aerosilver also intercepts ultraviolet rays to protect you from the sun.

A flattering fit with a revolutionary material. The Sprint Skort is great for race day or training.

Moving Comfort Sprint Skort

Aerosilver

Break the Ice on Wool

IcebreakerSST — Icebreaker Amazon Scoop T

Wool is probably the last material you expect to wear while running or doing other exercise. All the new technical fibers, many made from old soda bottles, are known to wick sweat and keep you warm or cool, depending on their purpose. Many of those fibers mimic natural fibers such as wool. Now a company called Icebreaker features wool from New Zealand with just enough of the manmade stuff (lycra) to give you a snug fit and hold shape.

Icebreaker began as a base layer company, making thermal underwear and snug tops for layering made of wool. It’s still a strong part of the company’s business, but some of the new designs can take you from the office to the trail with style. The Amazon Scoop ($64.99), a women’s top that can easily be worn on the street, keep you warm on the plane, or wick sweat as you take your bike for a spin. Icebreaker outfits you from head to toe with foot specific wool socks for different sports.

If you’re curious about how your wool became an Amazon Scoop or other style, each garment comes with its own Baacode, which tracks back to the farm, or station, where it was raised. It doesn’t track to the specific sheep, but you get the flavor of the countryside.

TYR These Goggles on for Size

Seeing isn’t merely believing, seeing is what allows you go from competitor to winner – at least when it comes to swimming.

And whether you’re hitting the pool, or getting wet and wild in a triathlon, the TYR Sports Nest Pro Nano will let you see clearly.

These performance goggles are inspired by the unique bird nest architectural design of Beijing’s main stadium that was used in the 2008 Olympics, and this nest design provides intertwined support to give a more open field of vision. That can be good in a pool or in open water. The Nano also features a nice and compact frame, along with smaller gaskets so it is ideal for smaller faces and children. And at $24 these goggles are affordable enough as well, allowing you to see your way to victory.

TYR Sports Online Store: Nest Pro Nano