Tag: Cycling

Cannondale Offers New Brain Buckets

This year at its PressCamp Cannondale turned heads with its entry into the head protection market. The company has introduced its first line of helmets, which are big on features but light on weight.

There were four new models that will be offered and these feature Internal nylon chassis to keep the EPS foam together during impact, while offering larger vents for better cooling. The helmets include SI Alloy Reinforcement Bridges that are aluminum plates that span several vents under the shell in several locations to provide further exoskeleton reinforcement. The Dual Density EPS foam, with firmer sections on the outer parts of primary impact areas of the front and occipital lobes (rear sides) that use a cone-shaped texture facing into the softer main EPS.

And since cycling isn’t just for men (or at least men with short hair), the helmets offer ponytail friendly rear micro adjust occipital lobe retention mechanism with a soft, water- and odor-proof padding that’s made from the same material as Crocs; and a polycarbonate outer shell that’s fused with the EPS body to create a one-piece design. Continue reading Cannondale Offers New Brain Buckets

What a Bike – the Wattbike

While summer is here and that means hitting the long and (hopefully) winding roads, the weather isn’t always so forgiving. When it comes time to head in doors there will be the Wattbike Trainer and Pro Bikes, the world’s first affordable indoor bikes that accurately measure a rider’s power.

Watt computers allow athletes to instantly see how much power (Watts) they are producing versus waiting on their heart rate to reach a certain point. Signed off by the English Institute of Sport as being accurate, it is the first indoor bike that has ever been endorsed by British Cycling and is widely used by UK and European elite athletes, sports bodies and professional sports teams as their preferred high performance cycle training device.

The founders of Wattbike first approached British Cycling in 2000 with the idea to create an indoor bike which accurately measures a range of high-performance parameters, and six years later the governing body was satisfied that the Wattbike met their criteria.As a result, today Wattbike remains the first and only indoor cycle trainer to be endorsed by British Cycling. Continue reading What a Bike – the Wattbike

Kinetic Shift at the Gran Fondo Los Angeles

This past weekend, Kinetic Shift went to the first Gran Fondo Los Angeles, which started off in Beverly Hills and headed through Santa Monica and over to the massive climbs of Topanga Canyon Road. The event was sponsored by Colnago, which was one of the innovators of carbon fiber technology. The company has worked with Ferrari since the 1980s to produce new materials.

Above is the bike that belongs to Alessandro Colnago, grandson of company founder Ernesto Colnago. This reporter had an opportunity to ride that bike on the 72 mile ride… note my “second water bottle” of choice!

Made in America: CO2 Inflators by Genuine Innovations

The sun is starting to set and the weather is turning cold and damp, but you are still miles away from home on your bike. All you can think of is a hot shower and a nice dinner. Then you notice something does not feel right – the rear end of your bike feels bouncy and is drifting all over the place… damn, you have a flat. The last thing you want to be doing is changing a flat in the dark, but all you have is a spare tube and a bike pump… only 200 pumps until your tire is inflated!

For over 20 years, Genuine Innovations has been coming to the rescue of cyclists. Based in Tucson, AZ, Genuine Innovations has been producing inflators the use small cartridges of compressed carbon dioxide (CO2) to quickly inflate bicycle tubes and tires to get cyclists back on their way quickly. How quickly you might ask? Once the new tube is in the tire, all that is required is the CO2 cartridge to be loaded into the inflator and then the inflator attached to the valve on the tube. In about two seconds your tire will be ready to ride. Continue reading Made in America: CO2 Inflators by Genuine Innovations

Shimano’s Di2 Trickles Down to Ultegra

Shimano announced that the Dura Ace electronic shifting, Di2 (Digital Integrated Intelligence), that has been used by professional riders for the past four years will be available this fall in their Ultegra line of components. Ultegra components are just one level lower than the Dura Ace level and is much more affordable for the avid cyclist and weekend racer.

The advantages of Di2 (Digital Integrated Intelligence) are clear for everybody who has tested it: changing gears becomes easier, effortless and faster by simply touching the shift buttons. Control at the top of your fingers. Additional benefits include an automatic trimming front derailleur, unmatched precision plus super easy installation and adjustment. Continue reading Shimano’s Di2 Trickles Down to Ultegra

Islabikes Clothing Now in Kid’s Sizes

Bikes come in children’s sizes, so why not bike attire? Now Islabikes, the maker of bikes for children ages two and up, have introduced a line of children cycling attire reports our friends at BikeRadar.com. The line, which is currently available in the U.K., includes short-sleeved jerseys (£24.99), a winter jacket (£59.99), bib shorts (£26.99), thermal bib tights (£39.99), and leg (£19.99) and arm warmers (16.99).

Least a parent worry that their young rider will outgrow the clothing too quickly, it is noted that the clothing is designed with room for growth, while still including features and functionality that you’d see in adult cycling kits. These include breathable fabrics, reflective details and of course child-friendly zippers.

Company founder Isla Rowntree, a former British national cyclo-cross champion, said that the company introduced the children’s attire after getting many requests from their customers. It seemed the kids had the bikes and wanted to dress the part too.

[Via BikeRadar.com: Islabikes release children’s clothing range]
Islabikes Official Website

Slide Into More Control with Slidepad

Sometimes there are products out there that seem so simple that it is hard to believe that it took this long to see them offered on the market. The new braking system from Slidepad Technologies, located in Palo Alto, CA, is one of those products.

The Slidepad is a braking system that controls both the front and rear brakes on a bicycle through the use of one brake lever. The rider of a bike that has the Slidepad system installed simply pulls one brake lever which applies braking pressure to the rear wheel. As the pads make contact with the rear wheel, the Slidepad (which looks like an over sized brake pad) ‘slides’ forward pulling a cable that is connected to the front brakes. This in turn applies enough braking pressure to the front wheel to slow the rider, but not too much to cause them to flip over the handlebars. Continue reading Slide Into More Control with Slidepad

Rent a Bike Online

Flying is a hassle and frankly traveling with a bike is a downright nightmare especially while trying to negotiate all of the regulations and fees that the airlines put on travelers these days. Renting a bike while traveling away from home has always been a viable option if you do not need your specific bike, but that too can sometimes be a hassle especially if you are pressed for time. What you need is to “Rent A Bike Now!”

You rent cars, vacation homes and movies online, why not bikes? RentABikeNow.com of Chicago, IL has recently improved their website to offer more features to the users. As reported in Bicycle Retailer:

“Our new reservation platform offers significant enhancements that help bike shops attract more rental business and better manage their reservations,” said company president George Gill. “The most significant enhancements are focused on system speed improvements and enhanced features and flexibility, which create a better user experience.” Continue reading Rent a Bike Online

A Look at BH Group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8g5kaszKMY&feature=player_embedded

Though you may not be familiar with the name, the BH Group has been around since 1909. The Spanish company has many different product lines that fall under the BH name; BH Fitness, BH Bike and BH HiPower to name a few are all dedicated to producing bicycles, fitness equipment and gear for all levels of athletes.

Recently BH has created a website to help people get into the sport of triathlons and guide those who all ready compete achieve their goal of performing better. BH’s website  is full of information regarding the gear required for a triathlon; training techniques; BH sponsored events; training programs; race results; videos; and much more. The website is for both amateurs and professionals in mind, with one goal in mind – to help you achieve your tri-goals!

Along with the triathlon website, BH also has an online group named Club BH Tri where users can participate in discussions, enter contests and be notified of upcoming events. The only shortcoming of the BH Triathlon website is that you might have to brush up on your Spanish… though most of the information is in English; there are still quite a few sections and buttons in Spanish.

BH Official Website

Blaze a Virtual Bike in the Bike Lane

Back in 2009 there was LightLane, which provided a virtual bike cast as an image just ahead of you while you rode. Now there is Blaze, a handlebar-mounted laser that projects a personal bike lane marker. Developed by University of Brighton student Emily Brooke in the U.K., her concept could do what LightLane never did – that is actually make it to critical mass.

While Ms. Brooke still has yet to bring her product to market as well, it seems like a winner to use. The battery power Blaze essentially projects a bright green laser image, which is bright enough to be seen in daylight, of a bike onto the road ahead, warning drivers that you could be in their blind spot. Brooke reportedly consulted with road safety practitioners, Brighton & Hove City Council, the Brighton & Hove Bus Company as well as psychologists who specialize in driving.

Brooke’s idea reportedly won her a place on the Entrepreneurship Program at Babson College in Massachusetts, and hopefully this would be enough to make sure that future riders don’t win the “door prize.”

[Via BikeBiz: A bike lane on your handlebars]

New York Cyclist Responds to Ticket for “Not Riding in Bike Lane”

As a former resident of New York City for 18 years I relate to filmmaker Casey Neistat, 29, who was ticketed for not riding his bicycle in the bike lane. We feel his pain.

I for one can add that in Harlem, the Police actually parked their cars in the bike lane by the local precinct, claiming there was no other nearby parking. So thank you Casey for making your film that shows how almost useless the NYC bike lanes can be.

Photos of the Harlem bike lanes after the jump.

Continue reading New York Cyclist Responds to Ticket for “Not Riding in Bike Lane”

Recall: Magicshine Lights… So Hot, They’re Smokin’

Back in October 2010, Datseplots Inc., DBA GeoManGear, received a consumer complaint regarding a lithium-ion battery for the Magicshine series of lights that are made in China and sold through GeoManGear in the U.S. The consumer reported that a small fire had occurred in the battery pack for his Magicshine light. Upon investigation, two other similar reports came in from other consumers that did not include bodily damage, but did include property damage. GeoManGear took these reports seriously and investigated. They found that there was an issue with some of the battery parks in the Magicshine Series I and II lithium-ion batteries sold with the Magicshine 900 Lumen (MJ-808), 1400 Lumen (MJ-816) and tail light (MJ-818); they immediately stopped production on the Magicshine lights and initiated a recall. Continue reading Recall: Magicshine Lights… So Hot, They’re Smokin’

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Provides Stage Details

We know that not everyone can, or even wants to ride like the pros. But there is no denying that professional cycling helps spread the word about the benefits of using a bicycle for fitness. It brings awareness to bicycles and that hopefully also means safer roads.

Cycling is on the rise in the United States and we’re seeing new races, including this year’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge, a free event for spectators to see 128 of the world’s top riders compete in a seven day race. This will some of the most scenic locations in Colorado, not to mention the world.

The course, which will include the Cottonwood Pass and Independence Pass will also take riders to some of the highest peaks in the world.

“What’s really remarkable is that the athletes will ride both these passes in one stage,” said Shawn Hunter, co-chairman of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. “There is no better place in the world for athletes to test their endurance and pure athleticism than Colorado, and there is no better place to watch a professional cycling race than in the Colorado Rockies.”

The race takes place from August 22-28.

Video after the jump, along with stage details. Continue reading USA Pro Cycling Challenge Provides Stage Details