Tag: Interbike

Hands-on: Boo! Freighting Good Ride With Bamboo

While visiting the Gates Carbon Drive System booth at the 2010 Outdoor Demo in Boulder City, NV, there was one bike the jumped out as being completely unique from all of the other manufacturers using the belt drive system. That manufacturer was Boo Bicycles from Ft. Collins, Colorado. The feature that really made this bike stand out was the use of bamboo as the main tubes and stays of the frame. Bamboo is one of those materials that has picked up steam as a building material in the mainstream recently due to its beauty and more importantly its sustainability as a building material.

Unlike traditional lumber, bamboo can be harvested for use as a building material in a few years as opposed to a few decades. For centuries, Eastern cultures have used bamboo for everything including building shelters, weapons, food and textiles. Boo is certainly not the first manufacturer to use bamboo in a bicycle frame, but they are one of the few to use the material in every single frame they produce. Continue reading Hands-on: Boo! Freighting Good Ride With Bamboo

Hands On: Shhh! I’m Trying to Ride Here

While at Interbike this year I had the pleasure of riding a 2010 Wazee, offered by Spot Brands from Golden, Colorado. I was interested in riding this bike not because it is a fixed gear bike, but because it is a belt drive, fixed gear bike. Spot utilized the Gates Carbon Drive System with this fixed gear bike and came up with what might be the quietest bike on the market.

I was amazed at how quiet the ride of this bike was and the positive feel of the belt drive system. There was no slop in the chain when backpedaling and after being ridden by countless people at Interbike, the belt was clean. The frame uses track geometry, which made the bike handle very quick and nimble. Continue reading Hands On: Shhh! I’m Trying to Ride Here

Interbike 2010 Wrap Up: Cycling with Cervelo

At Interbike we were able to get a peak at what is going on with “Project California,” and took a ride on some of the new Cervelo bikes, including ones using the upcoming BBright. This new technology is the only bottom bracket standard that uses an oversize axele and oversize frame tubes. The idea here is that it will be an optimal combination for overall system stiffness and weight for the frame, crank, and bottom bracket.

There are a few moments with any technology where you say, “this is going to change everything,” and that ride with Cervelo to Red Rock Canyon was certainly one of those. Continue reading Interbike 2010 Wrap Up: Cycling with Cervelo

Interbike 2010: Let the NiteRider Pro 1400 Light Your Way… on Your Terms

As you are browsing through the accessory section your favorite bike shop, you will probably notice that most of the large bike companies have their own headlights on the market. These headlights are perfectly fine for commuting and bike path rides, but rarely do they offer enough light for a fast descents or tight single track. If you find that you are riding slower during the night or you are planning on entering a 24-hour race, you need to invest in a good lighting system.

One system that may interest you is the Pro 1400 system offered by NiteRider based in San Diego, CA. As the name implies, this dual LED lamp system produces 1400 lumens when set to the ‘high’ mode. The 1400 lumens is achieved during the ‘high’ mode by both the spot and flood light being fully illuminated to 700 lumens each. Though this will offer plenty of light for the trail you are blazing, your run time will only be 2:30 hours. For a longer night ride with these light right out of the box, all you have to do is switch to either the flood or spot lamp when the full 1400 is not needed. Continue reading Interbike 2010: Let the NiteRider Pro 1400 Light Your Way… on Your Terms

Interbike 2010: GoPro Introduces 960p Camera, Goes to Third Dimension

You might remember the old Wide World of Sports opening that offered the line “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” In the last decade or so there have been a few different helmet-mounted video cameras that would allow you to film your own victories and defeats – let’s just hope the latter weren’t the final moments to boot.

Earlier this year we noted that GoPro camera had arrived and that with this mounted to the side of your helmet could make you feel like a hero. That’s because the guys at GoPro think light athletes, perform like athletes and know the demands that are required to capture those moments. You might get to watch a replay but you only have one chance to record it. Continue reading Interbike 2010: GoPro Introduces 960p Camera, Goes to Third Dimension

Interbike 2010: Fold and Change

Change is coming, and we hope this time it is actually means something. We’re not talking about anything political either, but rather the Change Folding Bike. We’ve seen a few folding bikes we like a lot, and we’ve seen a lot of folding bikes we don’t like at all. The Change is one that might actually “change” everything. It features the traditional diamond frame – with a few sexy curves thrown in for good measure – and more importantly this is one of those bikes that doesn’t offer tiny wheels and a messed up center of gravity. It offers full sized 26-inch tires, disc brakes, is compatible with standard bike parts and weights just around 11.5 Kg. Continue reading Interbike 2010: Fold and Change

Interbike: For Women Doesn’t Mean Pink

Just because it’s pink, doesn’t mean it’s made with women in mind. That’s the feeling among bikers and the emphasis of a handful of “made for women” bike clothing companies. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a pink jersey or pair of socks in there. Here’s a few companies tailoring their gear just for the fairer sex.

Shorts are among the most important garments for cyclists. They must have padding, and they should have coverage enough so people don’t see whether you wear underwear or go bare underneath. We’ve had a pair or two that were too revealing. Tough Chik Woman’s Cycling Shorts are a six-panel style with a rear privacy liner to keep things to the imagination. They feature an E.S.P. Chamois, silicon gripper and tagless labeling so you don’t have the discomfort of a tag poking at you while you ride. This short is recommended for mid-distance rides. Continue reading Interbike: For Women Doesn’t Mean Pink

Interbike 2010: Lighted Brain Bucket

There was no shortage of helmets at Interbike this year, but one was hard to miss – mainly because it lighted up the booth and more. Leave it the Taiwanese to put an electronic fiber optic light into a cycling helmet, and actually make one worth even considering. Aegis could have just slapped a normal bike light on the back of a simple helmet and called it a day, but at the company developed a nice brain bucket that is ideal for commuting and other causal riding.

It features 19 large vents to help keep the head cool, while stainless steel mesh over the holes work to keep out insects and other objects. The shell is constructed of high impact PC, and the YKK clip and chinstrap ensure a nice tight fit. The LED light is powered by 2 AAA batteries and can flash for up to 120 hours, while the LED offers a lifetime up to 50,000 hours. It is EMS certified, so no worries about harmful electromagnetic waves frying the brain it was meant to protect.

Aegis Bicycle Helmets Official Website

Interbike 2010: Steel Wheels for Rush Hour

Single speeds and fixies remain popular on the track and on the mean streets, yet few one gear cycles fit all need. Hipsters and urban dwellers want their stylish bikes, racers want a quick and responsive ride and messengers and commuters want a simple bike where little can go wrong.

Raleigh’s Rush Hour  is the bike you’ll be rushing to ride no matter which need you look to fill. It goes old school with a Reynold 520 butted chromoley steel frame left bare, fitting for a bike that has the bare minimum of parts too. Rather than trying to hide the beauty of the materials, it instead shows off the unfinished metal, offering a special clear coat protection finish to stop rust. The Rush Hour can be ridden on a track as a sleek racer, or used on the street as a truly one-of-a-kind bike where no two will be exactly alike.

Raleigh Rush Hour
$770
Raleigh USA

Interbike 2010: Timex Ironman Lives Up to Its Name

Timex is a company that has a really solid reputation for making quality products, and with the new Ironman Global Trainer Bodylink System they’re raised the bar and then some. The core of the system is an all-in-one wristwatch, which at first glance is really large. We’re talking, “is that meant for a grandmother with poor vision” big, but this device is so loaded with features that it wouldn’t fit on a standard sized watch face.

The watch is powered by SiRFstarIII GPS technology so it requires no calibration for use with a bike or for running. With this it can calculate precise speed, pace and distance in real time, and measure location and altitude with ascent/descent distances and rates. For those who like to micromanage their workouts there is even the option to record 100 location waypoints for track back and create new routes – while up to 50 custom routes for pace tracking can be recalled.

We’re also impressed that this device, which runs on a rechargeable battery for up to 15 hours in GPS mode, offers four-window data displays, so you can check your pace, record multisport progress, see calories burned and summaries for up to 1,000 laps. Since this is a triathlon friendly device it is water-resistant to 50 meters, but it can’t track you under the water however.

Post workout is where this one keeps on ticking too. It offers the ability to wirelessly sync with online software powered by TrainingPeaks, and is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems. It can be used with ANT+ heart rate and bike sensors as well.

During Interbike we were given a demo of what you can view on the computer, and you should plan to spend an extra half hour a day not working out, but going over your workout results, because there is just that much to see. The Timex Global Trainer Bodylink System will be available this month, priced from $249.99 to $299.95.

TimexIronman Official Website

Interbike 2010: You’ve Got the Whole World on Your Back

There is looking like a team player when riding, and then there is really showing your support. Or if you’re like us you just like flags a lot. That’s why we were seriously impressed by the cycling attire from World Jerseys. The company has a handsome line jerseys with international flags, so whether you’re a fond of a particular nation, or just happen to like the idea of being decked out in a flag, you can show your true colors – and many colors at that.

Each jersey is made of 100 percent polyester Euro-Mesh fabric to provide moisture wicking, whilst the lightweight material features an antimicrobial finish that resists odors and reduces germs. Now is your chance to fly the flag – such as the Spanish one pictured (in honor of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of course).

World Jerseys

Interbike 2010: Oh Danny Boy, Oh DannyShane

With apologies to the classic Irish tune, and to our friends at DannyShane: Oh Danny Boy, the bamboo, the bamboo is calling.

The eco-conscious cycling apparel company is doing something very unique with bamboo. While we heard about a bamboo water bottle previously, and even a bamboo bicycle, we never thought we’d ever have the chance to wear bamboo whilst riding. The whole grass skirt thing doesn’t seem ideal for use with a bike. But DannyShane will suit you up in the fast growing grass.

The has created a line of proprietary fabric blend materials that 44 to 50 percent bamboo white ash (BWA), the latest innovation in truly natural fibers. And according to reports the BWA should capture odor naturally, breathe easily and provide natural UV protection while still feeling soft. The fabric dries quickly too, as it provides the BWA into every weave of fabric, helping provide natural moisture-wicking capabilities. Continue reading Interbike 2010: Oh Danny Boy, Oh DannyShane