The National Bike Challenge kicks off today and it looks to build on last year’s challenge that saw more than 34,000 bicyclists ride some 19 million miles. For 2014 the League of American Cyclists is calling upon 50,000 bicyclists to reach a combined goal of 30 million miles.
The National Bike Challenge, now in its third year, is a fun, free, game-changing event that runs from May 1 to September 30.
Interbike is still several months away, but the trade show’s organizers are going back east – to New Jersey specifically. Later this month the Interbike and Outdoor Retailer have signed several key brands to participate in Charged Up, a new experiential media event that will bring electric bike and portable outdoor technology brands together with non-endemic consumer and technology print, broadcast and online media. BionX, Prodeco, Pete’s Electric Bike’s, Currie Technologies (izip, eflow, Haibike, Lapierre), Leatherman, Led Lensor, Ascent Solar Technologies/EnerPlex, GoalZero, D.Light Designs, Celliant and many more, have already signed on to participate.
Charged Up is supported by PeopleForBikes, the Outdoor Industry Association and Bicycle Retailer & Industry News. PeopleForBikes and the Outdoor Industry Association will present detailed content outlining trend data as it relates to the ebike and outdoor technology categories. It is a way for the media to test products without having to head out to Las Vegas in September, and it allows them a chance to get truly charged up!
We never really expected the mountain to come to Mohammed; hence Mohammed had to go to the mountain. After all mountains go to no man – or can they? A German company is looking to build artificial climbing structures that are much more than just a climbing wall.
Those walls in the gyms looking nothing like the terrain found in nature so Climb Up!-Kletterwelt is now creating a man-made mountain that eliminates the needs for colored holds. Instead it offers crevices, ledges and protrusions that climbers can expect to find in the real world. Unlike the real world however the Climb Up mountains will feature integrated safety cables bolted to the climbing surfaces that can be used with a ferrata clip harness so there is no need for a belayer.
CLIMB UP! – Kletterwelt is looking to build the mountains as part of a park near Berlin, and recently it launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to raise the mountain. Continue reading Mountains to Climb
A waterbottle cage doesn’t work so well as a cup holder – and it certainly isn’t ideal for warm or hot beverages like coffee. If you’re taking a cup with you (or a large iced tea) the waterbottle cage won’t do. This is where the Bookman Cup Holder might work so much better.
The Bookman Cup Holder, which can be flipped and used with either the smaller ring or the larger ring depending on cup size, attaches to the handlebars with a spring steel construction. Open the spring by pressing the rings together, place it on the handlebar and let go. According to the company the Cup Holder will not lose its grip even during rides over bumps and potholes. Plus there is even a small “storage cube” that slots into place when not in use to keep everything flat and tidy. The Bookman Cup Holder is available in black, white, red and green.
The bicycle played an important part in the First World War – as many nations used bikes to transport soldiers to the front. Just as now one problem was flat tires. With the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War this summer the Imperial War Museum in London and retailer On Your Bike have introduced a bike repair kit that is truly a blast from the past.
The new On Your Bike Repair Kit comes in a vintage styled tin, yet provides all the essentials a cyclists could need today. It includes Tyre Levers, Multi-Function Bike Tool, Rubber Solution, Bone Wrench, Metal Rasp, Patches and Instructions.
There are plenty of cardio-focused fitness trackers on the market, but a heart rate monitor and calorie counter only goes so far at the gym. This is where the GYMWATCH comes in. It is a new fitness tracker, which is being developed through an Indiegogo campaign to measure strength and motion. It is thus aimed at those who hit the gym to gain weight and mass instead of losing it. The GYMWATCH is worn on an armband and features a built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer to record movement and strength during a workout.
It is paired with a smartphone so users can monitor the process – but of course not phone it in! Video after the jump
Rokform has launched a Kickstarter campaign that has a goal of bringing out a universal mounting system for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – which will provide hands free solutions for those with active lifestyles. This can include taking the mobile handset on a bike or on other adventures – and ensure it is “Rok steady” as well. Video after the jump
White River Knives is a new company but it is now producing knives that suggest years of experience. It now offers ultra high quality all American products made with all American materials. White River’s production methods involve a blend of CNC machining and handcrafting processes utilizing a variety of woods, synthetics, cork, and stag for handles and a wide variety of standard and exotic steels.
Among the new offerings is its fillet knife, which the company claims is probably the best in the market for a couple of reasons: It is constructed of American made 440C high-carbon stainless steel, while these knives are designed to cut fish flesh as thin as a sheet of paper if desired. It also offers 54 Rockwell C scale steel blades that are very flexible and yet hold a razor edge that is still easy to sharpen. Continue reading Made in America: The River Cuts Through It
The Utah-based company is a new “one for one” startup where proceeds from purchases are used to help those in need. For example, the purchase of a water bottle from Cotopaxi will help provide a child in India with access to water for six months. The video above allows the Smiths to tell their story in their own words.
The Yeti – also known as the Abominable Snowman – is a mythical creature who lives in snow covered mountains. The Delazify Yeti is a wrist monitor that will make it easier to find your way on the slopes. It offers a GPS receiver, which tracks current/max/average speed, plus distance, number of runs you’ve made and even altitude.
The only complaint is that it is rather large – sort of like the Yeti of myth – but maybe that just makes it easier to see. And while there are plenty of apps for mobile phones that can do much of what the Yeti can do, this one is IP65 rated to be waterproof, freeze-proof and shock-resistant, so it can stand up to the mountains much more than say a typical smartphone.
Our friends at BikeRadar have gotten up early to check out the new Evo AM helmet from SixSixOne, which they reported is light yet well-fitting. It provides more coverage at the rear of the helmet to provide the wearer in a crash, yet still has plenty of vents to keep the head cool.
The helmet is made of Contigo foam, which also has greater shock-absorbing properties than EPS foam. It will be available in two versions including on with MIPS, a system aimed to reduce the chance of rotational injury in certain types of impacts.
While you probably wouldn’t reach for a Peanut Butter Cup after a long ride, you could grab Bonk Breaker’s new protein bar – the Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip flavored bar. This is the latest edition to its protein bar lineup, and is consistent with the company’s philosophy of baking simple, high quality, real food ingredients into great tasting bars.
“We’ve seen huge demand for our protein bar products since introducing the first two flavors, Peanut Butter & Jelly and Almond Cherry Chunk,” said Bonk Breaker co-CEO and founder Jason Winn. “For the third addition to the high protein bar family we went for a classic favorite – Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip – and spent a year perfecting the flavor profile and ingredients. We were committed to maintaining a clean ingredient list of real food that tastes great, which differentiates the Bonk Breaker Protein line from other protein bars on the market.”
The 62 gram bar has 13 grams of protein from brown rice protein and nuts. The bars offer a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein, helping to restore depleted carbohydrate glycogen stores after exercise. Like all Bonk Breaker bars, the new flavor is gluten and dairy free.
Bonk Breaker has its followers as it is the official nutrition bar of Ironman, USA Cycling and the USA Cycling Team.
Electric bikes offer some benefits beyond pedal assistance. The VANMOOF Electrified is an e-bike that also offers an integrated GPS anti-theft tracking system.
“”One of the features that had first turned me on to the VANMOOF Electrified was its GPS tracking ability,” said Adam Richmond, an Electrified early adopter, had three electric bicycles stolen from his home last month. “I used the app to track my bike, providing me with its exact location. Using this information, the West Palm Beach Police Department recovered my bike and returned it to me, unharmed, within hours of the theft.”
It is almost – just almost – enough to make you forgo the lock.