Category: Hands On

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: BioGreen PROx from California Bike Gear

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

California Bike Gear puts an interesting spin on water bottles with the PROx, which are made from 20 percent post industrial recycled plastic. But more importantly these bottles will be gone in two years. Not because the company won’t continue to sell them, but because these can biodegrade in about that time. Talk about planned obsolescence.

California Bike Gear’s Product Description: These enhanced plastic bottles biodegrade in landfills and are the most environmentally responsible product you can buy. They offer the following benefits: Biodegradable – BioGreen Bottles with EcoPure additive are unique in that they biodegrade in an active microbial environment which are present in landfills. EcoPure is a non-toxic additive that actually helps the environment. The final product left behind with EcoPure is humus and methane. Humus regenerates the soil.

Recyclable – The BioGreen Bottles are also fully recyclable in the normal recycle stream.

Reusable – These bottles have the same long useful life as normal LDPE plastic bottles Light, heat or humidity do not activate the degradation process unlike corn/starch based plastics.

Made with Recycled Materials – BioGreen Bottles are made with at least 20% post industrial recycled plastic.

Isn’t “Recyclable” Enough? Recycling is always the best option and BioGreen Bottles are 100% recyclable. The sad truth is over 90% of recyclable bottles wind up in landfills and will remain there for 1000 years. BioGreen Bottles will completely Biodegrade in about two years. Now, that’s Enough! Continue reading Hands On: BioGreen PROx from California Bike Gear

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: Kinect for Xbox 360

Kinect for Xbox 360 delivers a whole new way to interface with games, as advertised. Just be sure to have a seven-year-old on hand to help mount the hardware. Shaun Conlin, editor of Evergeek.com explains.

There’s no denying that Nintendo took Microsoft by surprise when its comparatively wimpy little Wii became a runaway hit with general consumers, not just gamers. Wii’s simple and somewhat sloppy motion-sensitive controllers were key to its success.

After some presumed head scratching, Microsoft set about the none-too-small task of one-upping the competition. Taking the controller out of motion-controlled gaming altogether, the Xbox people delivered last week a true evolution of interactive entertainment, one where the player’s body waves and flails and prances about – and sometimes speaks – to invoke on-screen actions of the playable character on screen. Awesome idea there, Microsoft. Continue reading Hands On: Kinect for Xbox 360

Hands on: Water Bottle Round-up – Elite Corsa

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

Serious athletes are often considered the elite. But does the Elite Corsa water bottle, which is used by professional cycling teams including LiquiGas and HTC during major races including the Tour de France,  have what it takes to stand up to the true elite? And does it have what it takes for those who tend to use the bottles over a season instead of tossing them to the road after a single use? Here is what we found.

Elite’s Product Description: Soft squeezable construction; New triple- function cap with soft push-pull nozzle is easy on the mouth and  delivers fluid fast; Easy to grip bottle with ergonomic shape; wide mouth opening for easy filling and cleaning; dishwasher safe and BPA- free; 550ml liquid capacity

Bottle Sizes: 550ml (approximately 22oz). The Super Corsa is available in 750ml
Plastic: Polyethylene
Country of Manufacture: Croatia
Retail Price: $7.00 (est.) Continue reading Hands on: Water Bottle Round-up – Elite Corsa

Hands On: Water Bottle Round-up – Nalgene ATB Bottle with Black Closure

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. That is unless you have a water bottle like the Nalgene with you.

As part of our round-up of water bottles, we’re starting with this the Nalgene All-Terrain Bottle. It says all-terrain but how does it really stand up?

Nalgene’s Product Description: You can rely on the NALGENE All-Terrain Bottle wherever you go. It’s great for carbohydrate/energy beverages, easy to use, and simple to clean. Your ATB fits standard bicycle cages 

Except the 32oz. That does not fit in any cages, waist packs or backpack pockets. The hinged Co-polyester mud-cap keeps the drinking spout clean, and the slim profile and textured grip give you firm handling in virtually all conditions. The wide neck opening easily accommodates ice cubes for chilled drinks, and the neck configuration works with most major water purifiers and filters.

Bottle Sizes: 22oz and 32oz
Plastic: Low Density Polyethylene
Country of Manufacture: USA
Retail Price: $7.58 (22oz) & $6.83 (32oz) Continue reading Hands On: Water Bottle Round-up – Nalgene ATB Bottle with Black Closure

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.

Fitness Journal: Can’t Buy It? Build It!

About a year ago my friend, Sean, and I were at Tam Bikes in Mill Valley, California when I noticed a bike which caught my eye – a belt drive mountain bike by Spot Brand. I immediately feel in love with the belt drive concept due to the simplicity, but I was not in the market for a single speed mountain bike as I already owned a few. But if you can’t buy one, the next best thing was to build it, which is exactly what I did. Here is the story of building up a bike. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Can’t Buy It? Build It!

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

Hands-on: Boo! Freighting Good Ride With Bamboo

While visiting the Gates Carbon Drive System booth at the 2010 Outdoor Demo in Boulder City, NV, there was one bike the jumped out as being completely unique from all of the other manufacturers using the belt drive system. That manufacturer was Boo Bicycles from Ft. Collins, Colorado. The feature that really made this bike stand out was the use of bamboo as the main tubes and stays of the frame. Bamboo is one of those materials that has picked up steam as a building material in the mainstream recently due to its beauty and more importantly its sustainability as a building material.

Unlike traditional lumber, bamboo can be harvested for use as a building material in a few years as opposed to a few decades. For centuries, Eastern cultures have used bamboo for everything including building shelters, weapons, food and textiles. Boo is certainly not the first manufacturer to use bamboo in a bicycle frame, but they are one of the few to use the material in every single frame they produce. Continue reading Hands-on: Boo! Freighting Good Ride With Bamboo

Hands On: Shhh! I’m Trying to Ride Here

While at Interbike this year I had the pleasure of riding a 2010 Wazee, offered by Spot Brands from Golden, Colorado. I was interested in riding this bike not because it is a fixed gear bike, but because it is a belt drive, fixed gear bike. Spot utilized the Gates Carbon Drive System with this fixed gear bike and came up with what might be the quietest bike on the market.

I was amazed at how quiet the ride of this bike was and the positive feel of the belt drive system. There was no slop in the chain when backpedaling and after being ridden by countless people at Interbike, the belt was clean. The frame uses track geometry, which made the bike handle very quick and nimble. Continue reading Hands On: Shhh! I’m Trying to Ride Here

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

Hands On: Garmin 500 Edge – First Impressions

The Edge 500 fittingly on my Felt road bike, the same brand that the Garmin Transitions Team is riding in the Tour de France.

This past week we had the chance to test out the Garmin Edge 500 GPS-based cycling computer. With this on my bike I’m feeling like I’m ready for the Tour de France – that is if women actually were allowed to race in the most famous of cycling classics. But it helped me on my way for my local training rides.

The very first impression was that this one could be difficult to setup and calibrate. The problem with technology is the more it can do, the more complicated it is to use. But I was more than pleasantly surprised with the ease of the set-up and the versatility that this device offered out of the box. While not the most notable, but certainly appreciated is the fact that this device comes with several rubber loops for securing the computer’s mount to the bike. This is such a small thing, but it is so welcome, especially for anyone who can’t decide the best placement for the mounts, and only realized this after tightening the zip ties.

But the more notable point is that this is a wireless device. So there is no wire to run, making for a cleaning line on the frame, and more importantly making for one less thing to worry about. The Edge 500 can be used without a heart rate monitor, without the sensors. But the version I’m testing came with those items, and all this set up very easily and quickly too. Continue reading Hands On: Garmin 500 Edge – First Impressions