Tag: Boulder

SIA: Carbon Fiber Meets the Trail with the ‘Kilo’ from Crescent Moon

Skis, snowboards, poles and boots – these are just a few of the winter sport items that use carbon fiber in their construction. Carbon fiber has been the material of choice for higher end equipment due to its high strength to low weight ratio. Not only is it light weight and strong, but it is the type of material that can make an overall product stronger by adding additional layers in higher stress areas. Wanting to tap into the advantages of this material, Crescent Moon of Boulder, Colorado is in the process of testing their newest and lightest snowshoe, the Kilo.

The new Kilo is simply named after its weight – 2.2-pounds with bindings for both pairs, making them easily one of the light pair of snowshoes on the market. Crescent Moon is not new to the snowshoe market, they have been around since 1997 and primarily use aluminum in the construction of their frames. At the SIA show this year, they are showcasing the Kilo that is uses carbon fiber in the construction of the entire frame of this snowshoe. Continue reading SIA: Carbon Fiber Meets the Trail with the ‘Kilo’ from Crescent Moon

Small Bike Frame Builder Offers Some Big Options

Bespoke (adj – \bi-‘spok, be-\), from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, meaning ‘dealing in or producing custom-made articles’. There is a bicycle frame builder in Boulder, Colorado doing just that – handcrafting some of the finest custom bicycle frames around.

Mosaic Cycles, based in Boulder, Colorado is producing custom bicycle frames with a list of options typically are not available from the larger manufacturers. Working in steel and titanium, owner and frame builder, Aaron Barcheck has been producing custom bike frames since 2009. As a former fabricator with Dean Titanium Bicycles for seven years, Aaron is building frames at or above some manufacturers that have been fabricating for decades.

As I was making my way through the booths at the Boulder Bike Swap this past weekend at the Boulder Indoor Cycling facility, I was able to see Aaron’s work firsthand and meet the builder. Having been to plenty of trade shows and swaps, it is easy to just stroll right by a booth if nothing of interest jumps out. What caught my attention was all of the different bikes with the Mosaic name that were constructed using different techniques. Continue reading Small Bike Frame Builder Offers Some Big Options

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

Get Your Energy From the Lab

When one thinks of a “lab” you probably think of white rats and mad scientists, but the folks at D3 Multisport aren’t looking to become super villains. Instead they may be looking to create super athletes with their D3 Energy Lab in Boulder, Colorado. The company opened its world-class facility for indoor cycling and training late last month.

And while Boulder and the surrounding area are great for training, this facility will feature state-of-the-art indoor cycling equipment to provide riders with significant benefits in a short amount of time, and more importantly no matter what the weather. Continue reading Get Your Energy From the Lab

Rocking and Driving With the RockyMounts DriveShaft

RockyMounts, based in Boulder, Colorado, has been making bike and ski mounts that fit Yakima, Thule and other roof racks for years. They offer the same quality as the two big names, but at a lower price point and with a vast array of colors. New for 2011, RockyMounts has introduced the DriveShaft, which is not a complete bike mount, but rather an adaptor to fit bikes with 15mm and 20mm thru axles to the standard 9mm bike mount. They are not the first to introduce this type of mount, but the RockyMounts model offers a level of security that the others do not. Continue reading Rocking and Driving With the RockyMounts DriveShaft

Minneapolis Rides to Top Spot in Bicycling Magazine Ranking

Minneapolis, Minnesota is the best place in the country to bike, at least according to the annual top 50 bike-friendly cities in America, as chosen by Bicycling magazine. This year’s list pays homage to cities that have shown solid innovation in making cycling better, and also looks at how local government support riding.

Interestingly, this list must be taken fairly seriously, as Miami has become one of the five up-and-comer cities, now ranking 44th on the best cities list; quite an improvement from 2008 when the city was on the “Worst Cities for Cycling” list! Miami now has added bike lanes, sharrows and trails in the works, but the city recently hired a bike-ped coordinator to make it even friendlier. As for Minneapolis, it was chosen as best for its thriving bike community, and the fact that it has 120 miles of on- and off-street bicycle facilities, plus indoor bike parking for commuters.

Here is a look at the Top Five Best Cities:

  1. Minneapolis, Minnesota
  2. Portland, Oregon
  3. Boulder, Colorado
  4. Seattle, Washington
  5. Eugene, Oregon

The Top Five “Rising Stars” as cities that are improving:

  • New York City
  • Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Long Beach, California
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Miami, Florida

And of course for everything good, there has to be the worst places to cycle. These cities include:

  • Birmingham, Alabama
  • Jacksonville, Florida
  • Memphis, Tennessee

For the entire list, as well as top foreign cities, go to: http://www.bicycling.com/topbikefriendlycities/