The problem with most technology is that it needs to be charged. We haven’t jumped to DI2 because, well, we don’t need another bit of kit that needs to be plugged in to an outlet before we can ride. We forget to charge stuff all the time and even our friends who claim their electronic shifting systems rarely need to be charged have stumbled home locked in one gear more often than they like to admit.
POC, the Swedish helmet manufacturer has partnered with Exeger, another Swedish company to create a helmet with a light on the back that is charged by solar panels on the helmet. Yes, it’s lot of tech for a blinky light on the back, but the concept is more interesting than just a helmet. It’s a piece of technology that requires electricity, yet, never needs to be plugged in and that is pretty cool. Here’s how POC spins it.
POC is proud to introduce the Omne Eternal, the world’s first self-powered cycling helmet which integrates Powerfoyle, an innovative light-harvesting material, which can convert any light source, indoor or outdoor, into electrical power. . . To enhance a rider’s safety on the road, the Omne Eternal features an automatic and self-powered light, which never needs charging with a cable or activation from an on or off switch. Safety and light from clean, endless energy.
If having a light on your helmet that you don’t need to charge EVER is something you find interesting, the please, follow the jump for all the official details.
We know you’re clamoring to tie on a number and get dirty and on Saturday, January 30, 2021 you can. It’s race one of the Quick n’ Dirty Winter Series! at Barona Oaks MX in Lakeside, California. Q n’ D is presenting three weeks of racing on a hand built course that organizer claim will “will blow you away.” There’s even a drop-bar category for the CX/gravel types. Here’s the official word:
The Winter Series will mimic our world famous Summer Series in that the races will be about an hour long and of course we have categories for all ages and abilities. Also, we’ll kick everything off with a kids race so make sure to bring the groms so they can get in on the fun too!
Here’s all the important info!
Kids race rolls off @ 8:30am, categories racers fire out at 9am
On site registration from 7am to 8:40am
The trails are in pristine condition and we will race RAIN OR SHINE!
Food and coffee on site thanks to Conchita Bros!
$5 for parking – cash is king!
For directions, registration, and all the official details, please click the link.
Skater Mark Partain is joining the Loose Riders family and moves his shred from four wheels to two. Even at 57 it doesn’t appear that Mark’s even begun to think twice, or slow down.
For those who just don’t need or want all the virtual training bells, whistles, and attached appliances, Garmin has a new (almost retro in its simplicity) Tacx Boost indoor, mostly analog trainer.
A powerful magnetic brake allows cyclists to apply resistance, or lighten it, to get the most of their indoor ride. . . Cyclists can ride anywhere –there’s no need for an external power source. Setting up the Boost is easy –with just two simple clicks, cyclists can start riding. What’s more, the multifunctional front wheel support ensures a natural cycling position while riding and serves as a handle to carry the trainer.
In other words, this thing is straight out of 1986, with a few design upgrades. The Boost is selling right now for $299.99. Which seems kind of high for what they are offering, but if you like the looks of the Boost, please follow the jump for all the official details.
For those who love the 100 mile Strava segment: Peter Stetina and Amity Rockwell, roll out to see if they can be the king and queen of Moab’s White Rim Trail. Did they make it? Watch and see.
Occasionally, we’ll see something we like. Don’t know why exactly, but we see it, read about it, and immediately start figuring out ways to add the item to our collection. That’s where Chrome’s new Storm Salute Commutejacket comes in. It has all the bells, all the whistles, and yet it still looks good, and that’s not easy to do.
Working hard to keep you dry, the new Storm Salute Commute is constructed with 2.5-layer waterproof + breathable stretch fabric, fully seam-taped to ensure waterproofness. The breathability keeps you comfortable while on the go through the city, and the adjustable Storm Hood fits your helmet without slipping off while on the bike. . . Chrome continues to balance utility and style with reflective accents on the left sleeve, cuffs and lower back to keep you visible during night rides. This ideal commuter jacket offers the perfect fit with an adjustable drop hem with drawcord, while the two-way zip and upper back yoke vent aid in keeping you cool. To stash your stuff, the Storm Salute Commute features a zippered interior phone pocket and back cargo pocket.
We get all this fit, function, and style for $185. It’s available in black and dusty olive. Want to buy one? Click the link.
Flobikes is advertising itself as the best way to watch the Giro d’ Italia in the USA. Only $12.50 a month, they say. Cancel anytime, they say. What they don’t say is that they will immediately charge your credit card for $150 for a year subscription, and when you try to cancel your subscription, they won’t give you your money back. They keep your money and say they won’t charge you for the upcoming year. Here’s how they word it on their FAQ:
When you cancel your subscription, you will retain Pro access until the end of your billing period. During that time you will continue to have access to the entire FloSports network on the web and through our mobile and TV apps across 25+ sports. To see when your subscription will end, click Manage on the subscription page in account settings.
In other words, they appear to allow monthly subscriptions at $12.50 a month and infer that you can unsubscibe anytime, when in reality you’re paying $150 immediately and not getting any of it back no matter when you decide to cancel. It is a classic bait and switch and while nothing on the site is technically incorrect they do their best to hide what they are doing at every single page of their website.
Be warned. If you want to watch Flobikes be ready to pay $150 immediately. If not, DO NOT DO IT!
Sometimes new bike computer money might be better spent on a new watch. While Garmin’s new Forerunner 745 was designed with triathletes (ahem!) in mind, it works great as an on-wrist bike computer, too. Obviously it is also solid training partner thanks to a load of onboard tech.
To help athletes better prepare for a race or training cycle, the Forerunner 745 includes key performance monitoring tools from Firstbeat Analytics like VO2 max, training load, training status and aerobic and anaerobic training effects. Athletes will even receive on-device running and cycling daily workout suggestions based on their current training load and VO2 max.
But it’s not all training, the Forerunner 745 also includes Garmin Pay, and when paired with music from Amazon Music, Spotify or Deezer the 745 can hold 500 songs. Garmin says the battery will last for a week in smartwatch mode, up to 16 hours in GPS mode, and 6 hours in GPS mode with the music blasting. It is available now in black, neo tropic, magma red or whitestone and has a suggested retail price of $499.99. For all the official details from Garmin, please follow the jump.
[Update September 14, 2020] According to Reuters, Christian Prudhomme has now tested negative for COVID-19 and will be back on the Tour de France in full force tomorrow. Having been only one week since he tested positive are we to believe he was miraculously cured, or was his positive test a false positive? We may never know. Either way it’s great to have him back.
[September 8, 2020] There’s nothing we’ve loved more this month than watching the Tour de France. Seeing the riders in a big old pack for a couple hours a day had us forgetting for a moment that it will still be awhile before we feel comfortable back in the peloton that we miss so much. Then, on rest day, the organizers did massive COVID-19 testing (650 people tested) and five TdF support staff tested positive. One of them was Tour Director Christian Prudhomme, according to a story in The Guardian.
“The testing campaign revealed that Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for Covid-19. The director of the Tour will now quarantine for seven days,” read a statement from race promoters ASO. “Although he was not part of the ‘race bubble’ and had not been in direct contact with any of the riders and their entourage, Christian Prudhomme still decided to get tested.”
So far, no racers have tested positive so it appears that we get at least six more days of racing before the next test. We hope Prudhomme gets well quickly, and that none of riders get sick in the coming days, because damn, it’s so good to watch a grand tour right now.
Flobikes is advertising itself as the best way to watch the Giro d’ Italia in the USA. Only $12.50 a month, they say. Cancel anytime, they say. What they don’t say is that they will immediately charge your credit card for $150 for a year subscription, and when you try to cancel your subscription, they won’t give you your money back. They keep your money and say they won’t charge you for the upcoming year. Here’s how they word it on their FAQ:
