Look’s popular Keo 2 Max pedals have typically been available in any color you could want – provided it was black or white white. But unlike Henry Ford the French company decided to really give the people want they want, and this includes the pedals in green, gray and red. So it might not be any color you could want but it still provides a bit of option beyond vanilla white.
Tag: green
Weekend Reading List (8.18.2012): Bicycle Thief, Mass Effect, War Bikes, Green Olympics
Bike Thief Caught
httpv://youtu.be/9-GVpIaPEGM
From YouTube: Bike Thief Gets Owned
Guy finds stolen bike on Craigslist 160 miles away, sets up home-made sting, confronts the thief and gets his bicycle back, thief gets felony arrest.
Google: Moving Sustainably for Commuting Employees
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt5sMxYMkGs&feature=player_embedded
Google has long been thought of as an innovator in the high tech industry, but most people who do not live in the San Francisco Bay Area are unaware that they are also innovators when it comes to their employees commuting to work. With 1000’s of employees, Google has grown what was a grassroots van pool in 2006 to a 70 vehicle fleet with 275 daily departures which can all be tracked online by the waiting employees. This program alone has reduced their yearly carbon dioxide emissions by 5,400 tons or the equivalent of almost 2,000 cars off of the road a day.
Realizing not everyone can or wants to take the shuttle, Google also encourages their employees to use other modes of transportation to commute to work. Along with reducing the carbon footprint and getting some exercise, employees who are part of the Self Powered Commute Program (ie. cyclists) also earn a charity credit for each day that they ride. In addition to encouraging employees to use alternative transportation to commute to work, Google also has 1,000’s of bicycles around that Mountain View campus that employees can use as needed.
Brendon Harrington, Transportation Operations Manager at Google, talks about alternative transportation and says that 40-percent of Google’s Mountain View employees commute via non-single car driving.
Though Google has not completely achieved the goal of being ‘carbon neutral’, they are making a valiant effort. What is your company doing?
Olympic Velodrome Completed and Green
Let the games begin! That’s the feeling we’re getting right now as it has been announced that the site of the 2012 London Olympics track bike racing events has been completed.
The Hopkins Architects-designed arena can seat about 6000, and is the last of four permanent venues in the London Olympic Park to be completed. It is however the first to be completed on time and on budget. The sinuous velodrome was also reportedly inspired by the lightweight and streamlined bikes that do the loops inside. It features a track with western red cedar timber as the main cladding, while the roof collects rain water, which can be resued and recycled. The curved cable net structure is also designed to reflect sun, and thus reduce the need for air conditioning. Continue reading Olympic Velodrome Completed and Green
Portland Goes Green at the Gym
As we’ve noted previously, there is some irony in the way people use gyms. In many parts of the country people sit in traffic in their cars to drive to a gym to work out. And then at the gyms, these places aren’t exactly the greenest operated businesses. There are the treadmills, the music system, the air-conditioning and of course those walls of TVs. The irony is that people are burning a lot of calories, but we’ve already seen some gyms work up ways to recapture some of that effort and put it back into power.
We heard about Portland’s Green Microgym, which has the equipment capture and send some of the energy back into the electrical grid. Because the equipment needs power to operate, as well as those TVs, the lights and air conditioning it is currently impossible or any gym to actually generate more power than it needs to run, but some equipment could do more than it’s part.
According to reports some of the equipment can actually generate more power than it draws, notably a spin bike during an intensive class. This is of course because most spin bikes need practically no electricity, other than possible a speedometer or cycle computer. Thus with every pedal stroke the riders produce energy. Pedal power can make gyms greener.
[Via Voice of America: Exercisers Burn Energy While Creating it]
Oh Danny(Shane) Boy Membership Program Launched
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought it would be worth noting that if absolutely, positivity feel the need to wear green today, at least do it with some style. And if you’re going to wear green while riding, you can put on the green and do so by being a bit green in the process too.
DannyShane, the maker of eco-conscious cycling apparel, announced this week the launch of Club DannyShane, an exclusive membership program for cycling enthusiasts. Club DannyShane founding members receive a DannyShane Targa Limited Edition Jersey (available only to Club DannyShane members), a Club DannyShane bracelet, exclusive discounts, new product previews and invitations to special events and a member ride in Austin, Texas later this year. The cost for Club DannyShane membership for 2011 is $125.
“We are excited to launch this new program, offering our clients exclusive founding membership into Club DannyShane,” said Shane Hunt, president of DannyShane. “We know that cycling goes far beyond the gear and apparel. It’s part of a lifestyle, and we look forward to connecting and riding with our members.”
We should mention that all DannyShane cycling jerseys are infused with bamboo white ash (44 to 50 percent bamboo white ash) in every weave of the fabric, and this natural fiber provides natural moisture-wicking capabilities that promise not to irritate skin or rinse out like chemicals. The bamboo further captures odor naturally, provides natural UV protection, and even offers ultra soft comfort that dries quickly.
SIA: Snow Sports Looks to Another Good Year
While much of the country is again trying to dig out from a major winter storm, the white stuff probably has the snow sport industry smiling. After all, if it is going to snow you might as well enjoy it. This week the shift has moved from the show floor halls at Snowsports Industries of America to the outdoor demo days, but we look back at the word from the show.
The buzz is that the slopes will feature skiers and riders clad in “svelte” high-tech gear of all sorts, including down sweaters, as well as faux fur and tight fitting outfits with bold colors. On the board there will likely be more rocking, as the major trend continues to be the rocker shapes, as well as a greater emphasis on all-terrain freestyle boards.
Snowboarding and skiing will likely take a cue from cycling, with helmets becoming a greater emphasis for safety. According to numbers from the show, the numbers of people wearing helmets has increased to a record high 57 percent. And as with other sports, the helmets are evoking a new sense of style, becoming fashion accessories rather than just protective gear. Continue reading SIA: Snow Sports Looks to Another Good Year