From Fat to Fit

ProCylcingPhil Gaimon isn’t as famous as Lance Armstrong or Bradley Wiggins, but he could be a true success story for anyone feeling who has hopes of getting in better shape. He just released his book, Pro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro. Gaimon began cycling at age 16 to shed some pounds before he headed off to school, and ended up falling in love with racing. He now rides for Team Garmin-Sharp.

VeloPress, his publisher noted: “His book chronicles a racer’s daily lot of blood-soaked bandages, sleazy motels, cheap food, and overflowing toilets. But Gaimon also celebrates the true beauty of the sport and the worth of the journey, proving in the end that even among the narrow ranks of world-class professional cycling, there will always be room for a hardworking outsider.”

VeloPress Official Website

Giving Its All

RetroshiftIf you’re looking to go old school cyclocross brand Gevenalle will help you get in gear with its new line of components that include hydraulic shift levers and cassette adapters designed for use in mud and dirt. Formerly known as Retroshift, the company’s new name is derived from a pair of Dutch words and translates to “Give All,” and this line certainly does that and more.

“Gevenalle products are the result of a love for cyclocross and desire to offer innovative and problem-solving solutions for the sport that road components don’t quite meet,” said company founder Adam Clement, who launched Retroshift in 2011. “Our products are geared toward the ’cross racer looking to improve his/her performance with race parts built to better meet their requirements. We are offering affordable aftermarket components that better meet the requirements of the muddy carnage we call cyclocross.”

Gevenalle Official Website

Made in America: Weekend Bag For Every Day

APVGetaways shouldn’t be limited to weekends, and whether you have a week day journey or truly need to “bug out,” the APV Weekend Pack is the back you’ll want on your back. A Permanent Vacation (AVP) partnered with Valentich Bags of Ridgeway Colorado to create this American made back that comes with a lifetime guarantee.

It is made of two layers of cordura nylon and features waterproof zipper closures so it can handle rough weather and that weekend or weekday adventure. With this bag getting away is as easy as AVP.

APV X Valentich Bags Official Website

Fat-Bike Goes Hollywood

HollywoodIf you’re looking to take that fat tire bike up to the Hollywood Hills and ride with the rich and famous perhaps you can do so with the new wheel holders from Hollywood Racks! These replace the standard wheel/tire holders on all Hollywood Sport Rider and Trail Rider racks and are designed to accommodate all bicycle tires up to 5 inches wide. Thewheel holders are sold as a pair (for one bike), and include reinforced extra-long wheel straps.

Hollywood Racks Official Website

A New Element

ElementDon’t look on the periodic table to find this ELMENT, instead you can find it on the health food aisle. It is a new GMO-free, gluten free and extremely low-sugar dessert – made of rice and corn with pure Italian chocolate and yogurt, ELEMENT cakes are made under strict EU regulations, ensuring the product is all natural yet tasty as well. It is available in dark chocolate, milk chocolate, strawberry yogurt, and vanilla orange flavors. The ELEMENT snacks are vegan certified by the Vegan Awareness Foundation and do not contain any animal products.

Element Snacks Official Website

Weekend Reading List (05.24.2014): Golf Gear, Interbike Opens Up, Vacation Fitness

Golf Gear

Golf

From Sport Techie: Golf Gadget Round-Up for All Types of Players
I’m far from being a high-tech wizard. I don’t collect gizmos for the heck of it, but I can appreciate the latest offerings in golf gadgetry just as much as the next guy. When GPS-enabled golf carts hit the market, essentially, if your local course didn’t jump on board, they were considered behind the times. While some of us still prefer to know more about the course than our carts do, it’s impossible to remain analog in this newly digitized version of the game. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (05.24.2014): Golf Gear, Interbike Opens Up, Vacation Fitness

Worth Its Salt

SaltSalt’s line of skateboards have an old school design that harkens back to surfboards – which makes sense because Salt if primarily a surfboard maker! Of course the two sports are closely connected and Salt offers a line of boards for carving on the pavement even if it is on land.

The boards are made from two layers of walnut veneer with layers of maple in between, making for a hardwood deck that is still responsive for shredding. The result is almost like riding the waves but on dry land.

Salt Official Website: Skateboards

Drone Strike

httpv://youtu.be/MXMwsXCeP7o

When we think of drones we think of taking out the bad guys from an unmanned vehicle. Many technologies developed for and by the military have found civilian applications and in the case of drones what was/is used to kill terrorists could soon help make for a truly awesome home video.

Next Level Aerial Filming is using drone technology to put a camera up in the sky and capture the action from a perspective (a bird’s eye view as they say) that wearable cameras can’t match. We’ve seen other attempts to get that eye in the sky – such as the Lehmann LA100 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – but Next Level Aerial Filming offers truly a professional service without the need to hire a helicopter.

Next Level Aerial Filming Official Website

Made in America: In the Bluff

Bluff-WorksThere are naked rides that have cyclists ride in the buff – but if that’s not your style but showing up at work looking ready for race day isn’t your style either the new cycling friendly apparel from Bluff Works might be more your thing. The company launched last year via a Kickstarter campaign, and now offers business friendly men’s pans that are ideal for cycling to work and that early meeting.

The pants, which are available in four colors, are made from a technical polyester fabric that is wrinkle-free and stand up to being rolled, folded, stuffed in a bag and worn time and time again without ironing or washing in between. The fabric is breathable and machine-washable.

These pants even offer a zippered front hidden internal security pocket that large enough to hold a passport, along with a rear zippered pocket that can hold an oversized travel wallet. These pants even offer a discrete side pocket for phone storage, and a hidden loop to clip keys or a security badge inside your front pocket.

Bluff Works Official Website

Be Cool

Cool-HuntingEcoalf and Cool Hunting have created a new Limited Edition Anorak for this spring; a jacket that feature a uniquely bold green color with just a hint of contrasting camouflage. It is made from 60 percent recycled fishing net and 40 percent regular nylon and the result is a lightweight yet highly durable jacket that is water-resistant and will keep you dry this spring and summer.

Ecoalf Official Website

Silk Road

SilqueTrek has introduced a new women’s endurance road bike with the Isospeed decoupler popularized by the Trek Domane. The new Silque (pronounced “silk”) will reportedly provide the perfect balance of smoothness and power for female road riders the world over. The women’s size-specific custom Ride Tuned OCLV Carbon frame is designed for women to ride smoother, longer, and faster than ever before. In other words the Silque combines the attributes of the Domane endurance bike with the Madone race bike making for a stable but lively bike.

“The Silque takes the customization of women’s road bikes to a new level,” said Trek Women’s Product Manager Amanda Schulze. “When comparing female and male athletes on the same frame size, professional training data shows that most female athletes place less stress on the frame. Knowing this, we designed a size-specific frame to compliment a woman’s power to weight ratio, delivering the perfect balance of smoothness and power at every frame size.”

The bike comes in four models, the Silque, Silque SL, Silque SLX and the Project One Silque SSL. All be hitting the road this year.

Trek Bicycles Official Website

Maximum Air

Air-MaxNike is promising smooth running this summer with its Nike Flyknit Air Max running shoes, which offer a lighter waffle pattern outsole that has been redesigned to distribute the wearer’s weight more evenly. The shoes feature Flywire technology that integrates with the laces and provides a dynamic yet supportive fit.

The sculpted cushion midsole will put spring in the step, while the flex grooves provide for more natural range of motion. The crazy colors include reflective elements that should enhance visibility in low light.

Nike Flyknit Air Max Official Website