by editors on August 27, 2013
Our favorite riding glasses, the Spy Cutter have been upgraded and we couldn’t be more stoked. Few sunglasses that we’ve worn recently have given us the coverage, protection, and lack of hassle that the Cutters have over the past year. And, it appears that Spy President and CEO Michael Marckx is even more excited about it.
“We’re breaking away now. With its squared-off silhouette and sweptback edges, the Cutter is a performance sunglass unlike anything else out there: a uniquely SPY style in direct contrast to the robotic look that’s been foisted upon the cycling world for decades,” says Marckx. “We set out to design a sunglass that would perform as the ultimate cycling piece and yet have the style and artistic sensibilities of a fashion frame, without sacrificing any of SPY’s patented technologies. We not only achieved our goal but raised the bar, literally, by adding the Fast Track lens system and our innovative Happy Lens in one beautiful, but hard working piece of art.”
Yeah, all that, but we just like the way the Cutters keep our sweat off the lenses and are so light we don’t even know they’re on. For the official word from Spy, follow the jump, or click here to buy a pair. [click to continue…]
by editors on June 6, 2013
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After working with Nike on the Nike+ GPS watch TomTom’s recent announcement that they were launching a sports watch of their own should not have been that big a surprise. What was surprising is how good the watches look.
The TomTom Sport watch comes in two different configurations: The Runner and The Multi-Sport. Both styles feature well-designed, yet slightly different, modular straps and are operated with a “one button control.” That button, located just below the watch face, makes it possible to scroll through menus up and down as well as left and right making it easy to get to the data while eliminating the button clutter that plagues other watches in the category. [click to continue…]
by editors on April 18, 2013
Pivot, the makers of one of our favorite full suspension XC bikes, has dropped a new 27.5er just in time for the Sea Otter Classic. The new Firebird reportedly melds all the long-travel benefits of a 26 inch with the roller over everything 29ers and meets them right there in the middle at 27.5 (as Pivot like to call their 650b).
“The new Firebird 27.5-inch model takes everything that’s great about the Firebird and makes it better. It’s definitely a favorite around our office,” offers Pivot president and CEO Chris Cocalis, “Within a line of very versatile bikes it stands out because it really is a quiver-of-one. It rewards and inspires confidence for an aggressive rider.”
All that and 6.6 inches of travel in the back seat. If you’re at the Sea Otter, check it out at the Pivot booth. Otherwise, follow the jump for all the official details. [click to continue…]
by editors on April 15, 2013
SRAM just rolled out their new Force 22 and Red 22 11-speed (including hydraulic and disc brakes) groups to a select group of cycling journalists recently and while we didn’t get an invite, Bike Radar was there to get all the details.
SRAM claim all the new 11-speed groups to be ‘trim-free’, meaning you can use the full width of the cassette on either chain ring without adjusting the front derailleur or getting chain rub on the derailleur cage. In all cassette options from 11-25 to 11-28, what’s new is the 16-tooth cog, which makes for single-tooth differences from the 11 up to the 17. An 11-32 WiFli option will also be available.
The most interesting thing for us is the disc brakes. Having not ridden them on the road yet, all we can say is that we certainly like like the direct braking control we have on our mountain bikes.
[Link: Bike Radar]
by editors on April 3, 2013
Ricardo Camargo of Vapor Studio, just tipped us in on a new project he’s working on called Lit, by NZN labs. Lit is an action tracker that no only keeps track of all your walking and running, but also cycling, mountain biking, snowboarding, and skateboarding and pulls it all together for some social competition as well. Camargo and his partners are currently trying to raise $100,000 for the project on a site called Indigogo.
LIT’s advanced sensors analyze your movements 24×7, scoring both activity and action by interpreting steps, distance, duration, intensity, strokes, paddles, jumps, rotations, turns, g-force, airtime, and more. . . Earn points for activity and bonuses for action. Points become the currency used to challenge yourself, your friends, and the world. . . LIT is 24×7 wearable and built to go where you go. Snow, surf, dirt, pavement? No problem. LIT is built for extremes. It’s rugged, shock resistant, and water resistant to 10 ATM / 100 m.
It’s like Strava for the rest of your action life. NZN Labs has already raised $27,000 but in the next 30 days they need going to need $70,000 more. To see how you can participate and help make Lit a reality, click the link.
[Link: NZN Labs]
by editors on March 4, 2013
Aside from their rubber straps repeatedly failing (and being replaced by our local bike shop), we’ve loved our Knog lights both front and rear. Now, we’re set to be even more stoked on the company a they announce their Blinder Road series of lights featuring 200 lumens of light up front and 70 for the rear.
According to a story on Road Cycling UK the lights feature the following:
The front light uses two Cree LEDs in separate lenses, one with a narrow, focussed 15° beam, and the other with a wider 22° beam to flood the road. That makes the Blinder Road visible at up to 1,000m, according to Knog, while the front light also uses a thermal management system which automatically regulates light output for optimum performance when the bike is stationary and in motion. The front light has four lighting modes, with a claimed battery life of one hour on the brightest mode and up to six hours in eco-flash mode.
Not sure what the US pricing is going to be but keep on the look out. These lights shine.
[Link: Knog via Road Cycling UK]
by editors on January 15, 2013
Just in time for Oprah Winfrey’s two-part confessional interview with the Biggest Liar Of All Time former competitive cyclist but now banned for life Lance Armstrong comes World Industries‘ Live Juiced deck. According to Oprah:
Armstrong will address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career. Winfrey speaks with Armstrong in the only interview since the seven-time Tour de France winner was stripped of his titles and dropped from millions of dollars in endorsement deals after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released an extensive report accusing the renowned cyclist of doping throughout his career. Armstrong was given a lifetime ban on competing professionally. Late last year, Armstrong resigned as chairman of the foundation he created, Livestrong, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the fight against cancer.
Wonder if he will mention this new Live Juiced skateboard? The graphic, created by artist Ron Lemen, features what appears to be a man in cycling shoes, surrounded by bottles of urine, with a syringe in his mouth, tying himself off to shoot up with EPO, baby. Saying you don’t skateboard anymore? Well, just think of it as a great wall hanger.
For a closer look at the Juiced graphic, follow the jump. It’s good. [click to continue…]
by editors on December 17, 2012
It’s nice when a company tests helmets and their’s win. Bell Helmets has been in the business long enough to know the difference between a head covering posing as a helmet and a real, certified helmet. And yeah, that first helmet they show in the test is the one we’ve been skateboarding in for years. Whoops! Thanks, Bucky!
by editors on November 28, 2012
We all have loads of gear. Take one look around the garage or office of any cyclist and you’ll find a pile of equipment. We’ve all got solutions to tame the clutter, but few of them look as good as Turnstone’s new Limited-Edition Bivi Bike Hook.
A division of SteelCase, Turnstone offers sustainable designed, modular and modern office furniture and accessories. The Bivi line encompasses everything from desks and privacy screens to desk chairs and couches. The bike hook is made to work congruently with the existing Bivi line, but it can also be mounted solo on a wall.
The bike hook features a hook and a tray that keeps those dirty street tires off the wall. Available in arctic white, platinum, tangerine, wasabi, and midnight metallic, this thing looks right at home next to pieces from George Nelson or Charles and Ray Eames. The rack has a $129 price tag, but for hose who appreciate good design the biggest problem may be in not buying the entire Bivi office suite to go with it.
[Link: Turnstone]
by editors on November 16, 2012
Our favorite full suspension XC bike, the Pivot Mach429 Carbon gets a run through by the crew at BikeRadar.com and it would appear they agree with us.
There’s no doubt that one word outweighed all others during our test time on the 429C. Whoever was riding it attached every possible superlative (and a fair amount of swearing) to the basic bottom line of ‘stiff’. Load the pedals into a corner, shove the inboard tip of the bar towards the trail, flare the back end broadside and slam land it sideways. Whatever we did with it, the frame didn’t flinch an inch. . . Add a low bottom bracket and super smooth Fox Kashima fork and shock action, and this translates into phenomenal cornering accuracy and tenacity on the trail. The Pivot consistently carved through corners with an aggression that stretched our trust in the tyres to the limit.
Sounds like heaven for those soft XC riders who need a softer tail. For the rest of the review, click the link.
[Link: BikeRadar]
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