We’ve long loved the idea of wearing the Go Pro video camera while cycling, and at last month’s Amgen Tour of California the helmet mounted camera was there for the sprint of Stage 8. Makes you feel like you were in the race… almost!
Tag: Cycling
Mini Drome Heads to Glasgow Scotland
The Red Bull Mini Drome, which is currently the world’s smallest velodrome, will make its way to Glasgow, Scotland for an indoor racing competition.
This is the first time the Red Bull Mini Drome has visited Scotland, and on June 25, the Barrowland Ballroom will play host to a race, where 100 randomly selected riders will compete in a single timed race of 10 laps. The fastest 32 will venture to the finals. Fixed gear bikes and helmets are required.
The purpose built track was designed and engineered in Germany by Velotrack, the team who built the tracks at the Atlanta Olympics and Delhi Commonwealth Games. It actually maintains racing dimensions in the smallest possible size to enable a single pursuit. This is the second time the track has visited the UK, and was used in a London competition earlier this year.
[Via BikeRadar.com: “World’s smallest velodrome” coming to Glasgow on 25 June”]
Red Bull Mini Drome Official Website
Fitness Healing the Arizona Economy
There is no denying that getting out and doing some hiking, biking or running is good for the body – but according a recent study from economic consultants Brigitte Bavousett and Gerald O’Neill Jr. fitness can be even better for the economy. The pair prepared a study, titled “Sustainable Economic Benefits of Human-Powered Recreation to the State of Arizona,” and found that the “human-powered” outdoor recreation industry produces $5.3 billion in annual retail sales and generates nearly $471 million in state tax revenues.
The study concluded that 86,000 jobs were directly created from the fitness sector, while 100,000 jobs were indirectly created. The economic consultants even noted that closing state and national parks actually had a negative impact on economic recovery. The thinking hers is that keeping parks open encourages people to use them, and thus buy new products, which puts people back to work.
Meanwhile, Arizona’s neighbor to the west, California, is looking to close state parks to save money. Maybe the new governor should hire these consultants so residents in the Golden State don’t go without those parks.
[Via Arizona Daily Star: Hikers, mountain bikers, climbers boost economy]
Polar USA Rolls Out Suite of Technology Accessories With New Computer
There is no denying that training computers have typically had very specific uses. What is good in the water isn’t so good on the bike, but Polar USA looks to change the way the game is tracked with its new RCX5 training computer. It builds on the company’s decades of experience, and this new device combines Polar heart rate tracking accuracy with features that make it ideal in the water, on the bike and even on the pavement as you pound out each and every step.
The device, which is now available in “smart black” and will available in “striking red” later this year, is includes sport profiles that are essential for multisport and triathletes. It allows users to quickly switch between sports during training, so no time or training data is lost between swims, rides or runs.
“Triathlons are one of the fastest-growing sport segments in the United States, and we understand better than anyone in the market that multisport athletes demand data, whether they are training for their first regional event or chasing a lifelong professional pursuit,” said Jeff Padovan, President, Polar USA. “The Polar brand has been an established name among elite athletes for more than 30 years, and we are proud of the loyalty and knowledge we’ve built within the ‘tri’ market specifically. The RCX5 is the realization of everything we’ve been hearing that ‘tri’ users require to get to that next level, packaged in a new, sleek design.”
The RCX5 features a ZoneOptimizer that adjusts to personal heart rate zones based on the user’s current physiological condition to optimize just the right level of training intensity; plus Race Pace that lets the wearer set a target time for certain distances to see how far ahead or behind on a course the user is at a given time; and even a Training Load feature to let a wearer known when he or she has recovered enough for the next session.
The RCX5 is available in multiple product sets for running, cycling and multi-sport use. There is even a WearLink+ Hybrid transmitter that can ensure transmission in the water via a comfortable, fabric chest transmitter that transfers data both in 5 kHz and 2.4 GHz.
Training may never be the same again.
Bell Recalls Helmets
This week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Bell Sports announced a voluntary recall of the Full-face bicycle helmets. The plastic buckle that connects the chin straps can fail, causing the helmet to come off the wearer’s head. This poses a head injury hazard to riders in the event of a fall. The firm has received one report of a buckle failing during an accident, resulting in an injury that required stitches below the wearer’s eye.
Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. About 31,100 of these helmets were sold in the United States and about 2,500 were sold in Canada. The helmets were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and Amazon.com between August 2009 and March 2011 for between $50 and $60. Continue reading Bell Recalls Helmets
Hands On: Bike Repair App Gives Your Ride a Tune Up
You might be able to change a flat tire. But do you know how to clean your rear cassette? Bike Repair App for the iPhone ($2.99), and Android ($3.07) from Atomic Softwares gives you a pre-ride checklist plus step-by-step maintenance instructions to keep your ride on the road without running to the shop every time you hear a clicking sound.
Photos with instructions help walk you through basic repairs for bike components such as wheels, rear derailleur, front derailleur, chain, handlebar/headset, crankset/pedals, brakes, disk brakes, shifter, suspension, helmet and even your body with an “aches and pains” category.
Atomic organized the app well, including a section for problems and another for parts. The app includes messages, sort of a Q&A where the developer posts answers to user emails. Throughout the app typos appear. Maybe it’s just my editor instinct. However if you’re publishing an app — especially if you’re charging for it — you should probably have someone read through the copy before putting it up there. I’d rather concentrate on identifying why my pedals click than become distracted by miss-worded instructions.
Bike Repair doesn’t replace a visit to the shop for a tune-up or major repair, but it does help you fine-tune your bike. The bike inspection information is helpful. It walks you through what to do before every ride, and a second section gives you a checklist of things to check your bike for monthly. The monthly checklist tells you to look for structural damage, looseness, and gives you tips on cleaning and other simple maintenance issues.
You probably need some knowledge of bikes to make use of the app. If you don’t know what a derailleur is you might be able to identify it from the picture, but it helps to know your way around the bike since the pictures are confined to the size of a phone or tablet. It’s a lot of instruction if you don’t know a tube from a tire.
Bike Repair App on iTunes
Bike Repair App on Android
Specialized Jumps on the Eco-Wagon
A few weeks back, we mentioned that Trek was going to be recycling carbon fiber bicycle frames as carbon fiber is not as “green” as all metal bike frames. Now it appears that Specialized, the manufacturer that created the frame that Alberto Contador just rode to victory in the Giro d’Italia, is creating their own environmental initiative. Some carbon fiber breaks can be repaired, but when is comes to the end of the line, carbon fiber is not a material that can easily be recycled.
This week Bicycle Retailer reported that Specialized has launched a comprehensive sustainability initiative by incorporating Outdoor Industry Association Eco-Index evaluation of their products during product creation, and leading a carbon fiber recycling coalition. Specialized has become the first major industry member to join the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Eco-Index—a comprehensive system for evaluating and improving the environmental footprint of products during the design stage. Continue reading Specialized Jumps on the Eco-Wagon
Finish Line Crosses the Line Into Recyclable Bottles
When you’re done with that bottle of bike lube, do you wonder if you can recycle? Finish Line Technologies just made the switch to polyetheline terephthalate plastic, or PET, for its bottles. That includes Finish Line’s Ceramic WET Lube; Ceramic WAX Lube; Dry Lube made with Teflon Flouropolymer; WET Lubricant; 1-Step Cleaner and Lubricant and Ceramic Grease products.
The company used PET for its stability. The material provides improved barrier permeability, preventing paneling and the loss of product due to evaporation through the bottle walls. The barrier protection protects the stability of the formulations inside, and increases shelf life. Continue reading Finish Line Crosses the Line Into Recyclable Bottles
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
No More Yelling “On Your Left” – Verbal Bike Bell Does It For You
If you ride on bike paths, in a large urban park or even on bike lanes, chances are you yell “On your left” at least once a ride. The alternative is a bell, but who wants to put a bell on their road bike or time trial bike? Shouting is good, but on a long ride can leave you more winded than the pedaling.
How about a Verbal Bicycle Bell? This can offer up to a 20-second recording, and features a 44mm speaker that plays messages at about 80 decibels – so it is audible over most ambient noise.
Of course this does need three LR44 batteries and is actually bigger than a bell, and will add about 2 1/3 ounces to your bike. Finally, this is the sort of thing that you’ll get at Hammacher Schlemmer rather than a bike shop, and at $24.95 you could probably use the money for something else – might we recommend the Bicycle Speakerphone that the shop also offers.
Seriously, it is a gimmicky device, but it is so silly that it might just be worth the $25 to impress your friends and seriously annoy all those you want to pass.
The Verbal Bicycle Bell at Hammacher Schlemmer
[Via Besportier: Verbal Bicycle Bell Very Effective Car Horn]
Tri(ing) to Reduce the Hassle of Racing
Traveling or shipping a bicycle to an event can be a major hassle and expense. There is the time that it takes to find a box; disassembly/reassembly (twice); shipping through a carrier like FedEx or bringing it on the plane; insuring your bike; and praying that will see your bike in one piece or for that matter…ever again! Triathletes rejoice – now there is another option. Three seasoned triathletes, Erol Sarikaya, Jeffrey Goldberger and Jeff Mark, have launched a new company to rent high-end triathlon bikes that are race-day ready and onsite at certain events.
Their company, Tri-Cycle Rentals, offers a race-day ready fleet of Orbea bikes for rent that athletes pick up at the race venue. Riders reserve the bike online, show up at the event to check out the bike, get fitted on it, then return the bike afterward at the race expo or transition area. Continue reading Tri(ing) to Reduce the Hassle of Racing
Saving (Race) Face
The Canadian manufacturer, Race Face Performance Products, emerged from receivership less than two months after the future of the iconic brand was thrown into uncertainty.It was announced on March 12, 2011, that after 18 years of business, Race Face would be entering receivership with many accusations circling of mismanagement by the then CEO, Craig Pollack.
The Race Face website remained unchanged, but their products started cropping up all over the internet retailers in the clearance and ‘specials’ pages. It seemed from the outside that it was the end for Race Face or worse – it would be sold to a company who then produce all of the products overseas… see Control Tech, American Classic, Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, etc. Continue reading Saving (Race) Face
Polar Tour’s France
This week Polar USA announced that it is taking a “Yellow is Everything” attitude, and has announced the release of the CS500 Tour de France, the official Tour de France training computer. The granddaddy of cycling events kicks off in just a month and a half, and now you can give it your best and try to ride like the very best in cycling.
The device features an aerodynamic diamond shape and yellow accents, as the the CS500 Tour de France is designed for event riders who want to improve their fitness at the competitive level through highly effective training guidance. The CS500 Tour de France features twice as much memory than the original, and offers compatibility with the forthcoming Polar LOOK Keo Power pedals, the world’s first pedal-based system for measuring power output and cadence. Continue reading Polar Tour’s France