Tag: Interbike

Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride It: Part I

Are you considering buying a new mountain bike that might even cost more than your car? If so, you might want to crank on the pedals before you put down the plastic.

When I bought my first mountain bike 20 years ago, it was common practice for the local shop to let you take the bike around the parking lot for a ‘test ride’. This was back when there were U-brakes; thumb shifters; no suspension; and a mid end bikes were $500 and high end bikes were seldom over $2000. You got the feel for the bike and if the frame fit you, but it was not a real good indication as to how it would handle on the trails.

With the ever increasing amount of technology being put into bikes today, it is not uncommon for a decent bike to be in the range of $1500 to almost $10,000 – more than some new cars! With front suspension, rear suspension, 29er wheels, disc brakes, 2×10 gearing, etc. the parking lot test course just does not cut it anymore. If you have only ridden 26-inch wheels on all of your mountain bikes, how do you know that you will like the feel of a 29er? This in fact happened to me a few years ago. I test rode a Cannondale 1FG 29er from a bike shop in Fairfax, California and absolutely hated how it handled in the parking lot. I own a 26-inch wheeled 1FG , but the 29er felt slow and seemed to corner like a school bus – I vowed to never own a 29er bike. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride It: Part I

KineticShift One Year Later

It was a year ago that we launched KineticShift with a simple goal: to cover the best products, devices and trends to help make a better you. In that time we reported from the Consumer Electronics Show (we’ll be back in Vegas this week), the Electronic Entertainment Expo and Interbike. We’ll be back at those three shows this year, and we’ll be reporting from other shows as well, including the SHOT Show later this month.

We’ve seen a lot of great products and it has been a great ride – including a ride in the Nevada desert with Cervelo Test Team during Interbike. Rather than waste time, energy and space recapping what we saw in 2010, we’ll keep it simple and say it was a great year for innovative products.

We hope that Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association was right when he said to us in a phone interview last week that as far as innovation goes, “2011 will knock your socks off.”

We’re hoping to have them knocked off!

Hands On: CamelBak Chill and Ice Insulated Bottles

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

The company that invented the backpack with a water bladder built-in has some new offerings in the water bottle category too.

CamelBak Chill Description: The CamelBak Podium Chill Bottle is a soft, lightweight, easy-to-use insulated bottle. Keeps beverages cool for hours. Perfect for cyclists, runners, and other outdoor athletes. With great thermal performance and innovative features, the Podium Chill Bottle sets a new standard for insulated bottles.

CamelBak is the official hydration sponsor of Team Garmin-Transitions, and proud to support the team’s 100% Clean initiative for untainted sports performance.

CamelBak Ice Description: The ultimate insulated bike bottle, the CamelBak Podium Ice bottle keeps water cold four times longer, to maximize your performance and keep you focused on your ride.

Bottle Sizes: 21oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: China
Retail Price: $12 (Chill) and $20 (Ice) Continue reading Hands On: CamelBak Chill and Ice Insulated Bottles

Hands On: Polar Insulated Bottle

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

The Polar express is up and running. Polar Bottle returns with its latest insulated water bottle that is thinner, making it easier to squeeze, yet still keeps water comfortably chilled.

Polar Insulated Bottle Description: Polar Bottle is the original insulated plastic sport bottle. It keeps liquids colder longer than other water bottles. We innovated the industry back in 1994 by creating a bottle that would actually keep water cool during any outdoor activity. The bottle has evolved in the years since with brightly colored foil liners and patterns and an innovative removable valve system. Made in America, Polar Bottle is popular throughout the world.

Bottle Sizes: 20oz and 24oz
Plastic: Low Density Polyethylene
Country of Manufacture: USA
Retail Price: $10.99 (20oz) & $11.99 (24oz) Continue reading Hands On: Polar Insulated Bottle

Hands On: Hydrapak Gel-Bot

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

Hydrapak is the bottle to pack if you’re looking to carry water and an energy gel. It can help you keep fueled up and hydrated at the same time.

Hydrapak Gel-Bot Product Description: No more sticky fingers. No more wrestling with foil packets. Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials in one easy-access bottle. Load the chamber with energy gel, fill the bottle with water. Gel-Bots patent-pending technology lets you fuel or hydrate without slowing down. The Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials, fuel and hydration, in one easy to use sport bottle.

To USE:               
Load the inner chamber with energy gel.
Fill the bottle with water/fluid.
When the nozzle is pulled open, you get water and water only.
With the nozzle pushed down, squeeze to get the gel out of the center valve.
This patent-pending design lets you fuel or hydrate with just one hand. Perfect for racing or total gel addicts.

Bottle Sizes: 20oz and 24oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: Taiwan
Retail Price: $13.99 (20oz) & $14.99 (24oz) Continue reading Hands On: Hydrapak Gel-Bot

Hands On: Water Bottle Round-up – Specialized Purist with the Watergate Valve

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

Specialized’s Product Description: In creating the next generation of water bottles the team set out to solve the puzzle of how to combine the two most desired elements in the ideal bottle – the flexibility and safety of a sports bottle with the purity of taste from a drinking glass.

Introducing Purist – With inspiration from nature we have created the first water bottle that offers a taste as pure as drinking from a glass, with all the advantages of a flexible bottle. With a simple rinse, mold and residue are removed ensuring that water drunk from the bottle does not taste like plastic or impurities, but clean and fresh. All you taste is the water. Even in extreme conditions where tomato sauce is left in the bottle overnight, Purist shields the bottle from the taste, smell and staining. Nothing sticks, so your bottle stays cleaner and your water tastes pure.

Nothing tastes better.

Bottle Sizes: 22oz and 26oz
Plastic: Low Density Polyethylene
Country of Manufacture: USA
Retail Price: TBD Continue reading Hands On: Water Bottle Round-up – Specialized Purist with the Watergate Valve

Hands On: Water Bottle Round-up, Let it Flow

Working out requires that you remain hydrated. For those on bikes that means bringing liquid refreshment in water bottles, Camel Backs and other similar containers. The water bottle concept isn’t really all the unique either. Since ancient times travelers in hunter/gather societies carrying a variety of packs to bring water while on the go.

The earliest “water bottles” were made from animal skins and organs, as well as from clay pots. Each presented its own distinct problems. Over time liquids were carried in glass and metal containers, but in the post-World War II era, plastic became the miracle material for transporting liquids. Some could probably argue the tin can, but for long rides plastic bottles remains the de facto container. While the familiar shape means many bottles look alike, advances and innovations have come a long way. This week we begin a round-up of the state of water bottles.

This water bottle round up has been in the works since Interbike 2010 at the end of September. It was delayed by either the manufacturers delivering product to KineticShift or defective product that needed to be replaced. We ended up with almost 15 bottles to evaluate and it did not seem fair to do a side-by-side comparison since the features and functions differed. This is a roundup of the bottles at Interbike that are currently on the market now and any comparisons that are made will be to either a previous model of the same bottle or the classic Specialized cycling water bottle – considered by most to be the standard.

All of the bottles had to pass a few basic standards:

  1.  Hold cold liquid without leaking when the valve was closed and the bottle was squeezed with the same pressure that is required when in use
  2.  Hold cold liquid without leaking when the valve was closed and the bottle is turned upside down
  3.  BPA free

After the basic tests, each bottle was rinsed and water was filled and tasted to see is there was any lingering plastic taste or smell. After that, each bottle was tested to evaluate the main individual manufacturer’s claim of that bottle. Those claims ranged from ‘won’t retain taste and orders’ to ‘simply rinse to clean’. Accelerade Sports Drink was used in any bottle that claimed to retain no taste or smell from an energy drink.

Please check back over the next few days as we offer the results of our hands on bottle test.

Hands On: Redline Conquest Team Cyclocross Bike

Over the years I’ve had about a half a dozen road bikes, and at least an equal number of mountain bikes. But a recent move from New York City to Michigan opened up new possibilities for me. Not only could I buy more bikes since I have a garage to fill, but there were now a far great number of options with places to ride. With the change in venues also came a change in attitude. In the past few years I’ve opted to do more road riding, and far less off-roading.

To that end I decided that my middle aged body just wasn’t up to the hard core mountain biking any longer. I’m not alone, as many of my old riding buddies have moved on as well. That said, I still like to ride through the woods and trails, especially in the fall as the colors of the leaves change. But hitting the more technical trails, riding complex single track and choosing the right line were in the past for me. I might still head out for some mountain biking, yet what I really wanted was to enjoy the road style riding but on dirt paths, fire roads and other non-technical type trails. Thus it was time to get a cyclocross bike. Continue reading Hands On: Redline Conquest Team Cyclocross Bike

London Calling: New Bike Show for January

After the surprise announcement that Interbike would be staying put, comes word that the Cycle Show, the former London Cycle Show, would move from London’s Earls Court to NEC area in Birmingham. Our friends at BikeRadar.com reported that the organizers are looking to make this move as Birmingham will allow for a “significant expansion.”

The event, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary will take place just weeks after Interbike, and run from September 29 to October 2. Meanwhile BikeRadar also announced that London Town won’t be without a bike show.

In a (confusing) twist, the London Bike Show will take place from January 13-16. We can hope this will mean lots more bicycle tech for us to report on, and for all of us to ride on next season and beyond.

London Bike Show

Interbike 2011: Vegas, Baby, Vegas

Forget everything you heard about Interbike moving to Anaheim for next August. The show is staying put in Las Vegas. The bicycle show’s organizers made it official yesterday. The show will stay in Las Vegas, and will be held September 12-16.

“The announcement that we were moving the show dates and location elicited a very real response that surveys and discussions alone couldn’t accomplish,” said Andy Tompkins, Interbike show director. “Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to this year’s show and the countless conversations we’ve personally had with exhibitors and retailers regarding the future dates and location of Interbike, we are reversing our earlier decision to move the 2011 show to Anaheim in August. We are hearing loud and clear that, at this time, the industry prefers September dates and the convenience of Las Vegas.”

We’re already looking forward to next year’s show, and we’ll be sure to do the right down the Vegas strip!