Adidas is on the Roll

AdidasWhen we think of Adidas shoes are the first thing to come to mind, followed by apparel – but the company looks to hit the road on wheels this year. For 2014 Adidas has collaborated with Bombtrack Bikes to create a limited edition track bike. It is a minimalist looking ride, but apparently you’ll have to head to Asia or Europe to get one. It will only be available in Adidas stores but sadly not in the United States.

[Via BikeRumor: LIMITED EDITION ADIDAS BOMBTRACK BICYCLE]

Weekend Reading List (11.10.2012): Philly Welcomes NYC Runners, More Marathon Options, Winter Bike Prep, Kayak Rescuers, Track Star, Election and Biking

Brotherly Welcome for Runners and More Marathon Options

From Runner’s World: Philly Marathon Opens 3,000 Spots for NYC Runners
The Philadelphia Marathon announced late Tuesday it’s opening 3,000 slots for those registered but unable to run the ING New York City Marathon.

From The New York Times: Options for Runners After a Race Is Canceled
With its majestic vistas, huge crowds and brand name, the New York City Marathon is one of the top road races in the world. So when Hurricane Sandy led the organizers to cancel this year’s race, many of the 47,000 entrants asked themselves: What now?

Continue reading Weekend Reading List (11.10.2012): Philly Welcomes NYC Runners, More Marathon Options, Winter Bike Prep, Kayak Rescuers, Track Star, Election and Biking

Figure 8 Velodrome Concept

Architect Charles Wagner has created a novel concept for track bike racing with his Luxodrome design, which essentially consists of side-by-side 200 meter and 250 meter tracks that are connected with diverging lanes. Of course this would require a new type of racing, but it could put a new spin on the century old sport.

Charles Wagner Luxodrome

Interbike 2011: Mini-Velodrome To Be Installed at Sands Expo and Convention Center

Fixie riders will get to take to the track at the upcoming Interbike, as Portland Design Works will be rolling in the Circulus, a 132-foot circumference, 45-degree wooden mini-velodrome. This track will be installed in the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and is being sponsored by Paved magazine, Yakima, All-City Cycles and Portland Design Works. It will be the site for multiple events during the Interbike Expo in Las Vegas, from September 14-16.

Show attendees will get to take to the track to ride All-City Cycles and even compete in events for the first and second days of Interbike.

“Circulus will add something completely new and unique to this year’s show,” said Interbike Brand and Communications Director Rich Kelly. “We’re placing a big emphasis on urban cycling and the brands that support it and having Circulus there will be a big draw for that segment of the market. And, of course, I can’t wait to take a spin on it myself.”

(Video of Circulus after the Jump) Continue reading Interbike 2011: Mini-Velodrome To Be Installed at Sands Expo and Convention Center

UCI Provides List of Approved Cycling Equipment

What defines a bicycle? Let’s see, two wheels, seat, chain, pedals, frame, fork? Actually that might describe the parts on a bicycle, but it doesn’t mean those parts will be legal when it comes to international racing. This week our friends at BikeRadar UK noted that the UCI (International Cycling Union) have published its latest list of new items that a “legal” for racing this season. The two lists show which frames, forks and wheels have been authorized for road, track and cyclo-cross competition under the latest approval protocol.

So how important is this list? Well, so far five new frames (as well as their respective forks) have been approved, but one has reportedly met the criteria but not been added to the list. This is important to note as race bikes tend to go into production just after the first of the year, and must be submitted for testing. Consider that as we head to the second half of March that means bikes could already have been in production for nearly three months – and if not passed, they aren’t legal for any UCI sanctioned race! While this shouldn’t be an issue for the Scott Plasma 3 – the bike that is pending at press time – we can imagine it is a concern over at the bike manufacturer’s offices.

List of Approved UCI Frames and Forks

List of Non-Standard Wheels in Conformity

Convert Your Old Road Frame Into a Single Speed With Wood (Phil Wood)

Do you have a spare bicycle frame that you would love to turn into a single speed or fixie, but the frame does not have horizontal dropouts? Do you want to avoid running a singulator chain tensioner especially in a fixed gear setup? The innovators from San Jose, California, Phil Wood & Co., have come to the rescue. Phil Wood recently announced the upcoming release of their Square Taper Phil Centric bottom bracket to solve this problem.

The Phil Cetric’s center point of the spindle on this bottom bracket pivots closer or further away for the rear dropout where the rear wheel mounts allowing the chain to be properly tensioned. There is currently not much information released about this bottom bracket yet, but from the photos it looks as if there is about 3/8″ – 5/8″ of adjustment in the chain tension. This should be enough adjustment to allow proper tensioning of a chain in almost every frame. Continue reading Convert Your Old Road Frame Into a Single Speed With Wood (Phil Wood)

Interbike 2010: Steel Wheels for Rush Hour

Single speeds and fixies remain popular on the track and on the mean streets, yet few one gear cycles fit all need. Hipsters and urban dwellers want their stylish bikes, racers want a quick and responsive ride and messengers and commuters want a simple bike where little can go wrong.

Raleigh’s Rush Hour  is the bike you’ll be rushing to ride no matter which need you look to fill. It goes old school with a Reynold 520 butted chromoley steel frame left bare, fitting for a bike that has the bare minimum of parts too. Rather than trying to hide the beauty of the materials, it instead shows off the unfinished metal, offering a special clear coat protection finish to stop rust. The Rush Hour can be ridden on a track as a sleek racer, or used on the street as a truly one-of-a-kind bike where no two will be exactly alike.

Raleigh Rush Hour
$770
Raleigh USA

Erie Colorado to Get Velodrome

An artist's rendering of the proposed Boulder Valley Velodrome, a 250-meter outdoor cycling track planned for the intersection of County Line Road and Bonnell Avenue in Erie. (Courtesy of David A. Beal & Associates )

The Erie Trustees recently approved plans for the Boulder Valley Velodrome, which could be operational in as little as a year. This would be the first velodrome built to Olympic guidelines in the United States since 2004, and it certainly could be of interest to the world’s cycling community. While single speed and fixies have become popular in recent years, the fact remains that there are woefully few places across the country to actually compete, or even to learn the ropes. Continue reading Erie Colorado to Get Velodrome

No Flying Scotsman Tricks for the Track

Track bike racing could turn into an off-the-shelf sport soon, as the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced plans to force teams to use equipment that is commercially available. UCI chief Pat McQuaid noted that Britain, Germany and Australia – three track bike powerhouses – have been warned this past weekend that the use of illegal technological advances will not be tolerated, and that he had concerns about the way some teams continued to flout rules while using expensive equipment that is (in his words) “not commercially available.”

This is reminiscent of when Graeme Obree – a.k.a. “The Flying Scotsman – built a homemade bike and broke the one hour distance record on the track. In Obree’s case the bike wasn’t so high-tech as it was just ingenious, utilizing parts of a washing machine for the bottom bracket, but the fallout was a crackdown on equipment that wasn’t standard. McQuaid has not defined what is actually meant by “freely available” nor “reasonable price” when discussing the new rules, so there will no doubt be questions raised.

But as some teams were riding on bicycle prototypes that cost between 50,000 and 100,000 Euros each, we have to agree that while technology should help athletes, the playing field needs to be level. In this case, even if the track the competition takes place on is banked!