Tag: off-road

(Tre)Lock and Ride

Trelock-LS950Riding off road at night requires a good headlamp and fortunately the days of massive battery packs are a thing of the past. The new Trelock LS950 from Cantitoe Road offers six hours of full brightness of 70 lumens, but also features five power levels for those times when a little less light will still do the trick. This means up to 45 hours of run time in between charges.

It has a somewhat sinister look that kind of resembles the Alien from those Alien movies, but perhaps that will just creep out the competition.  More importantly, the rechargeable light attaches tool free to a handlebar offering an easy set up and plenty of time. You do need time to sleep after all.

Cantitoe Road Official Website

Quad Bike Tears It Up

Do you like the idea of tearing it up off-road, but would like to do so with pedal power, yet don’t want to ride a mountain bike or BMX bike for various reasons? This limits the options, but you aren’t out of luck either, as the Athos from Contes Engineering will let you experience quad-style riding but with the freedom of pedal power. Video after the jump

Pump it Up on the Trail

All off-road trails are not the same, yet there are numerous ways to adjust a mountain bike fork while riding. With the flip of a switch or press of a button a fork can be adjusted to accommodate trail conditions. Tire pressure remains another issue. To actually change tire pressure typically requires the rider to stop to add or release air from the tires. ADAPTRAC has another solution, and its designers have created a new system that allows writers to actually inflate or deflate tire pressure well in motion. Continue reading Pump it Up on the Trail

Trek Gets Dirty

Not everyone is born to mountain bike. In fact no one is really born knowing how to ride, but the Trek Dirt Series – which enters it 12th season this year – is here to help grow the sport of mountain biking by developing skills and confidence through instruction weekend camps located in the sport’s most popular destinations.

This program offers a coaching staff that includes professionals from the sports, health and wellness industries, and in the past 12 years has helped more than 7,500 riders experience the fun of hitting the trails. Camps are open to beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders. Participants are divided into small groups based on abilities and interests so that every rider will have the opportunity to improve their riding skills while having a fantastic time in the process. The small groups also allow riders to focus on cross-country, downhill, or freeride skills, based on their interest.

“Not only will you become a better rider, but you’ll leave your Trek Dirt Series camp with new friends to ride with and the confidence to continue improving your skills on your own,” said former Trek Dirt Series camper Lacy Kemp. “The coaches teach you how to read trails and select lines while providing you with the tools to ensure that your riding will be more fun.” Video and 2012 Camp Dates After the Jump

Moto Tires Have Off-Road Mojo

WTB proves it once again has some serious off-road mojo as it introduces its new line of “Moto” tires, which include open spiked knobs, lower profile tread, DNA rubber and inner peace sidewalls – the latter no doubt helps with some peace of mind when on the trail.

The WTB tires were developed by company founder and rubber designer Mark Slate, and these are now available in 26-inch and 29-inch versions. These feature double center blocks for traction in wetter conditions, spiky knobs to penetrate the trail surface, good transition edge knob placement for control where control is hard to come by, and a more open pitch to get a grip on almost any surface. Continue reading Moto Tires Have Off-Road Mojo

What the Fiik Skateboard

Sometimes you just have to say what the Fiik. Well, actually you never really need to say Fiik at all, but then again maybe you will – at least if you like to skateboard and ever considered taking it off road. We’ve seen a lot of supposedly “off road” skateboards – including a couple that have been designed with military needs in mind.

But now comes the Fiik Street Surfer, which was designed by two brothers from Queensland, Australia. It features a digital wireless throttle control system, ABS braking system big wheels that can handle most terrains. The Fiik (Future Is In Knowledge) also has a bit of retro appeal – it looks like a classic “sidewalk surf deck” with red strips. But unlike those retro boards, this one has a maximum speed of 23 mph/37 km/h. While the board comes with a sealed lead acid battery, users can also upgrade to the optional lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, which also offers a range of 22 miles or 1.5 hours of runtime. The board further includes three speed settings, including a setting to limit the top speed for newbies.

Given the rising price of gasoline, maybe decks like this could help you get to and from the office. At $1600, with the lithium iron phosphate battery upgrade, this deck could help you commute and even take you off the beaten path to get there.

Fiik Street Surfer Official Website

[Via Gizmag: FiiK electric skateboard – wireless control, ABS braking system, ton of attitude]

Taking the Board Off-Road

How long do you think this board will stay white?

Over the years there have been attempts to take skateboarding off road, with bigger tires, more tires but now Bryson Lovett has taken the board in a new direction. With his unique Vertrax Electric Skateboard he’s essentially ditched the traditional wheels, and in place utilizes a tread system – much like you find on a tank or tractor.

Thus instead of needing the typical flat and smooth skating surface, the Vertrax can tackle sand, snow, dirt, worn concrete or even grass quite well. There have been suggestions that it could be used in military operations, such as for transporting soldiers across rough terrain, and because the tracked skateboard is electric it runs quietly without the traditional exhaust of similarly small vehicles.

Given that a rider still has limited options for holding on the Vertrax is probably best on flat terrain as well, but it should be able to tackle conditions that would riders carrying their traditional skate deck.

Byrson Lovett Official Site

Hands On: Hitting the Trail With the Montrail Sabino

Montrail Sabino Trail Shoes

Over hill, over dale, I hit the dusty trail and the Sabino carried me along. After years of primarily being one to pound the pavement, I laced up with a pair on Montrail Sabino shoes and got off road. Now truth be told, given the state of many roads and even sidewalks in much of the country these days, finding “off road” isn’t as hard as it seems. But these performance running shoes are really designed for stability in true trail conditions.

The Sabinos are heavier than many of today’s lightweight running training shoes, but that’s because these need to stand up to harsher terrain. In other words you wouldn’t use a sports car where a SUV needs to go – then again, many SUVs probably couldn’t go where these shoes will take you. Made of synthetic leather and lylon mesh upper materials and thermoplastic midfoot shank, the Sabinos fit like a glove and were just right for the rather humid and warm day when I hit the trail. Whether we’ll be able to say if these were neither too hot nor too cold will have to determined at another time, but it is safe to say that these will do the job in a variety of weather conditions. Continue reading Hands On: Hitting the Trail With the Montrail Sabino