Happy Memorial Day from KineticShift.com
Category: General
Wheel Dock
Changing a rear wheel on a bicycle isn’t exactly rocket science, but it is far from the easiest thing too. It is almost impossible to do so without getting your hands dirty, and it is harder to get the wheel back on than it is to take off.
Leonard Ashman of California created a system where the hub comes off but the drivetrain – gears and chain – stay nicely attached to the bike. His HubDock utilizes a thru-axle that can be pulled out of the hub on the non-drive side, but remains please on the drivetrain. This can be reinstalled just as quickly (as the video below shows).
This system allows the cassette and freehub to say attached to the bike frame, while the wheel can pull straight down. This means no greasy hand grabbing the chain, no trying to wrestle with the chain to get it to line up with the cassette. Just pull down and out. Ashman is currently looking to take this from concept to reality via a Kickstarter campaign. Continue reading Wheel Dock
Wedge Issue
We’ve seen no shortage of innovative tent designs, and Heimplanet has impressed us with its geodesic inflatable Cave tent, which his ideal for those looking to take the family – or several friends – to the woods. Now the company has created something a little more compact with the inflatable Wedge, a tent made for two! The company says setting it only requires for users to “roll out, inflate, finished.” There is no ripcord, no semi-rigid poles to assemble, no hooks or gussets. Just inflate, stake and shelter is ready – instant campsite.
En Garde on DVD and YouTube!
httpv://youtu.be/tcEhLxJr2UI
Fencing is a serious sport, and is much more than hacking and slashing with a sword. Learning the basics is easy, but mastering it is another story. This is where some technology can come in handy. FencingMultimedia.com has released a line of DVDs and even posted some videos to help those looking to be a cut above the competition.
Merry Christmas from KineticShift
Happy Holidays from KineticShift. Don’t forget to get some exercise – and opening presents doesn’t count!
Horn Dog
Who hasn’t ridden a bicycle and had cars honk? Well show those in the cars that you can be the real “horn dog” with the Loud Bicycle horn. Currently being developed through a Kickstarter project, the concept is to mass produce a “bicycle horn that sounds just like a car horn.”
What’s the purpose besides having the ability to annoy? According to the creators drivers tend to react to the car horns and this provides a way for cyclists to audibly alert drivers. Certainly could beat trying to yell. Video after the jump
Happy Thanksgiving
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Don’t over do it, and be sure and get some exercise tomorrow!
Primal and RAGBRAI are now Friends
Friend status these days tells a lot. In the case of custom clothing manufacturer Primal and the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), the two are now friends, though the relationship goes back several years. Continue reading Primal and RAGBRAI are now Friends
Riddell Brings Top of Line Helmet Protection in Entry Price
Riddell is bringing performance and protection to the masses. The masses of high school and college football players that is. The company is introducing its Riddell 360 for this season of football. The Riddell 360 helmet has several features that increase safety, yet it’s still affordable for most teams and individual players.
The helmet uses strategically placed hinge clips, and a flexing facemask that reduces force from frontal impacts. Energy is redirected away from the head. An enhanced occipital lock cradles the head for more comfort, fit and stability. All these features also help the helmet stay on and protect the head during tough plays. Riddell also used an aggressive design that includes extreme detailing and oversized vent holes, which allow air circulation around the player’s head. The nexagonal liner system includes a removable, moisture resistant overliner, another comfort feature.
Riddell already earned a five-star helmet rating from the engineers at Virginia Tech.
Take the sting out of your eyes with Sweat GUTR
One of the most annoying and sometimes dangerous situations that can occur will cycling is to have sweat, laced with sunscreen, drip into one or both eyes. This is especially true while descending some of the canyons around Colorado at over 50- miles per hour. Just that split second of time not focusing on the road can mean the difference between riding home on your bike and never making home again. The pads inside a helmet do a decent job holding the sweat back to a point, but once they become saturated, the sweat just continues to run down the forehead and into the eyes. A terry cloth and bandanas can also be used, but they too will become soaked with sweat leading to the same problem.
There exists another solution for managing the sweat that doesn’t involve a fabric band that can ultimately become saturated with perspiration. The Sweat GUTR is an ingenious little invention that does exactly as the name implies – it acts like a rain gutter for sweat. The thin, non-absorbent band is worn across the forehead, just as a terry cloth sweatband is worn; but instead of soaking up the sweat, it channels the sweat from the forehead to fall down the face between the ears and eyes. When a workout is over, simply remove the Sweat GUTR, wash it with soap and water, and let it dry. Continue reading Take the sting out of your eyes with Sweat GUTR
Made in America: Bag that Phone – Jersey Style
Most cyclists ride with their cell phone, usually stashed in the jersey pocket if it is not being used on the handlebar as a cycling computer. One ride is all it usually takes to realize that sweat builds up on the phone and regardless of the chance of rain, the following ride usually sees the phone placed in a zipper closure plastic bag before being put in a jersey pocket.
This is exactly the scenario that played out when I first purchased my iPhone. Since the replacement cost of that phone can exceed $600, every following ride saw the iPhone being protected by a Ziplock bag. Over time the zipper usually stops properly sealing and the bag breaks apart. While at Interbike this year, the crew from the 2013 Amgen Tour of California was giving away JerseyBins, the vinyl zipper pouch used to protect cell phones, cash, or anything else that may need to be protected while out for a ride. This little pouch seemed like the perfect solution.
The JerseyBin is a heavyweight zipper closure pouch that is available in four different sizes. The 10-gauge vinyl is cold crack tolerant to below -10 degrees Fahrenheit, yet it allows the use of a touch screen without removing your phone from the pouch – that can be difficult to do through a normal Ziplock bag. Continue reading Made in America: Bag that Phone – Jersey Style
How can 14.3mph set a Cycling World Record?
Take a look at the stats for the most recent Tour de Frances and you will find that the average speed for the entire 2000+ mile race is between 24 and 26 miles per hour. So how is it possible that a new World Record for the relatively short distance of 100 kilometers (62 miles) was just established at an average speed of 14.3 miles per hour? Well, it is possible through the efforts of a Frenchman, Robert Marchand, who will turn 101 on November 26. That’s right, 101 years old, nearly four times as old as the average age of the Tour de France winners. Continue reading How can 14.3mph set a Cycling World Record?
A ‘Slick’ Chain Lube
Stroll into any bike shop looking for a chain lubricate and prepare to be inundated with numerous choices. From synthetic to ‘biodegradable’ options, picking a lube usually comes down to a recommendation from a shop mechanic or a friend who works on their own bikes. Each year at Interbike there seems to be a new lube making its debut, but is there really any need to change from what already works? This year there was one company bringing a lube to market that maybe worthy of trying something new. Slick Lube of Newark, Delaware has a product line with a laundry list of features, some of which have not appeared in any other chain lubes. Continue reading A ‘Slick’ Chain Lube