Kinetic by Kurt: One Great Trainer

All companies claim to have the best trainers, so how does one decided? Well you search, test, ask tons of questions, read blogs, reviews and in the end ask avid cyclist which one they use. Now there are many different features one can buy in a trainer, but sometimes the simplest is the best. KINETIC by Kurt is smooth, easy to set up and here is the most important part, does not leak!!! The Road Machine is the one that I have, it is great, almost better than ridding on the road, the 6.25 lb flywheel is tough yet smooth. I was using a IC Elite for a while and I thought that was a great workout, well nothing can prepare you like the KINETIC by Kurt. I am sure others have a great pitch to, but word of mouth and being the first in the business counts for something and in my book it really is the best.
Features include:
-6.25 lb flywheel for realistic coast down
-Powertap calibrated resistance unit
-Sealed fluid chamber with magnetically coupled driveshaft
-Thermodynamically neutral silicone resistance fluid
-Consistent resistance at multiple temperatures
-80 cooling fins to dissipate heat
-Lowest operating temperature of any fluid trainer
-Smooth, quiet resistance from 5-3000 watts
-Approved for tandem use
-Guaranteed not to leak
-2 1/8” roller reduces tire wear
-Unconditional Lifetime Warranty
-Crash replacement policy for a lifetime of use
-Compatible with all bikes with 16" - 29" diameter wheels

Check it out!
KINETIC by Kurt

KtraK: Ultimate all-terrain Machine

Well if you thought that Mt. Bike season ended when the snow fell, wrong again. KtraK cycle has come up with a snowmobile looking device that attaches to your bike. The KtraK kit comes with a front part and rear. The Rear-Drive Kit is a universal attachment that replaces the rear wheel with a track drive system. The Front Ski Kit replace the front wheel and mounts like a wheel would attaching to your forks. Great but expensive. Check it out. KtraK cycle

traineo | Fitness & Weight Loss Community

As the days draw closer to 2007 and New Year's resolution of losing weight, joining a gym, running a marathon, doing a Tri, get into full swing, we all seem to lose the reason that why we do this, TO GET IN SHAPE, not for anyone else but yourself! I understand that it is not easy but hey adding a few more years to your life and cutting down on global obesity is a good thing, right! Well try Traineo, it might not be for all but it will help you stay motivated by using close friends as motivator's. You sign up and have 5 people in your inner circle, those people get email notifications on how your progress is going, they can then push you, yell at you, or just congratulate. Seems to have a good hook.
"Motivation, Support and Accountability are the keys to achieving a weight loss and fitness goal. Our mission is to create the most effective weight loss and fitness community on the web by combining the latest software technology with sound information and services from the world’s leading health and fitness experts. traineo is the culmination of over three years of development, testing and focus group studies in partnership with leading experts in weight loss, health, sports and fitness."
Check it out if you need to be motivated a little more.
traineo

Polar RS800sd Running Computer

It's new and strutting it's stuff, Polar's new running watch or should I say computer. Now the Polar S625X is a great watch already, so how do you improve, team up with adidas. Nike has teamed up with Apple to come up with their version, which talks to you and keeps you on pace, great in it's iPod circle. The RS800sd is in it's own league. This is for the serious athlete who is looking to improve their performancee by crunching the data at the end of the workout. The one part that hurts is the price, $470.
Here is the short list of what it has to offer:
Running Cadence and Average Stride Length
Running Index
R-R Intervals / Online HR Variability
Speed/Pace and Distance
Polar sport zones
Interval trainer (HR, pace, distance) guided workouts
Check it out! Polar USA

The Better Body Armor: POC LAB

Look at the things that hurt (back, arms, legs, and shines) us the most and then have a company like POC Lab take a look at how to protect them! What you end up with is a full line of Body Armor or Protective gear, that is built to function effortlessly while you play hard. If you are into skiing, Mt. Biking, Motor Cross and even rollerblading you will find a use for this gear.
"The body armor has been developed in close collaboration with our back specialists at POC Lab. The Spine back protector and its accessories assures that you get protection for the upper part of the spine, including vertebrae C1 to C7, and also for the lowest part including the caudal area. Spine forms the basis of a modular system that you can trust absolutely. It consists of a flexibly jointed back-shield in a special combination of the latest high-tech materials, anatomically shaped and generously ventilated. We have improved the design of the waistband by widening the bands, which are tapered towards the ends, to add support and comfort. The waistbands also use a new super-strong Velcro that will last for ever."
Check it out! POC Lab

Brilliantly Simple Solution for Bike Storage: CYCLOC

If you are like most we all have a couple bikes and lack of storage. Now most people will hang their bicycles from a hook or lean them up against a wall, bumping into them and getting grease on their cloths. Cycloc is a stylish and great way to get you bike out of the way. In towns and cities, where cycling is the answer to your transport needs, Cycloc provides the practical solution to bike storage in your home. Buy a Cycloc and instantly free-up floor space, so you can win back your hallway.
Check it out! CYCLOC

Energy Drink: FRS PLUS at it again

This stuff is great a energy blast from concentrate. I used it for about 5 months then thought hey lets see what happens. Well what happend was that my performance was off, so I'm back on and feeling great. In less than a year they have 4 new products, Concentrate, Chew, Powder and Ready to drink. Now I have only had the Concentrate, so I really can't judge the rest of New Sun Nutrition, LLC., (unless they would like to send me some) and it is great. 2 ounces with 6 ounces of water, and 1/2 hour later I am ready to go. FRS concentrate is the perfect solution if you drink FRS on a regular basis and prefer to drink FRS in beverage form. Each bottle contains 1-2 weeks supply of product and fits conveniently in your refrigerator. The concentrate is also great for adding to your favorite smoothie, seltzer water or juice blend. It comes in Orange Regular & Low Calorie.
Check it out! FRS PLUS

Slipstreamz cycling earwear for iPods

Would have, Could have, Should have, this is one of those pieces of equipment that all of us wish we would have thought of, Slipstremz a functional ear cover that you can plug your iPod buds into and still be able to hear what is around you. Slipstreamz attach/fasten to a bicycle helmet's straps, keeping the buds away from your ears, enabling your to hear cars coming upon you. If you already ride with your Apple iPod (which is a very bad idea) then you are aware that they keep coming out unless you tape them onto your ears. Then you have too turn the volume way up tp hear anything, the Slipstreamz is the solution it is like having the music playing in the background at home. A nice way to listen to your music while ridding for hours at a time.
Check it out! Slipstremz Purchase! MacFriends

Burton, Audex Push To Talk Jacket

Burton has done it again, they have really hit the music in motion just right. Knowing their market and working with the top company Motorola. With the Audex they not only combined the ipod, but now Burton has incorporated Push-to-Talk, Two-Way Radio System. This is great and have really pushed the limits. The price is a different thing, whoever said technology doesn't cost these are $400. Hey if you hold onto it for more than a year it could see the justification. Targeting snowboarders who want to listen to music and take/make calls while on the slopes, the jacket has a set of controls in its left-hand sleeve which connect to a set of speakers and a microphone concealed in the hood. Bluetooth connect wirelessly to the Speaker and Micophone.
check it out!Burton

Nixon Snow Dork

Thanks to Outside Magazine for pointing this one out. It is called the Snow Dork and by the look of it you will know why. They best thing is that with a touch of the brim it screams out the time. How many times have you tried to roll up your jacket to un-bury your watch, what a pain. No velcro and no straps. Press, Listen catch the last chair!
Check it out! Nixon Snow Dork

Cranking out New Technology, Dr Martin Becker!

Special thanks goes to Gizmag for discovering this juicy piece of technology. Dr Martin Becker of the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE, has developed a chip that uses sensors and actuators to help racing cyclists optimize their performance. There are many different devices out on the market that will measure cadence, speed and power but this one seems to have a different angle. Most of us know that if you want to be on the top of your game you need to be computer monitoring your activity, to see where you are falling short. "Ambient Intelligence will make it possible to constantly monitor and enhance the performance of individual riders and whole teams," says Becker of the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE in Kaiserslautern. "Each bicycle is fitted with equipment that constantly registers the forces acting on the pedals. Further significant factors are the riderÂ’s pulse andpeddlingg frequency, the speed and the gradient. All these readings are collected in a processor on the bicycle and radioed to a central processing unit where they are analyzed. The computer delivers individual training recommendations to each rider: He can view them on a display mounted on the handlebars or listen to them over headphones. To enable the cyclists to retrieve information on demand while riding, the Hungarian research team is developing an adaptive component that recognizes voice commands even when they sound distorted due to physical exertion."
Check it out! Smart technology for racing cyclists

BodyWall Stretching Human Performance

Now wild as this may be, there might be some validate in the BodyWall. Seems as though this was used by the Auckland Warriors and team NZ at the America's Cup, not bad since they won the cup. Chris Toal the inventor of the BodyWall became frustrated at treating quite large numbers of injuries that were easily avoided by releasing tension within soft tissues. Research told him clients would only use it if the solution was easy to use fast and effective. It works with gloves, shoes and a mat that hangs on the wall. The surface (might be velcro) can hold ones body weight, from there you can stretch, hold moves even come up with ideas without having the impact of the ground or messing up. It is an interesting concept.
Check it out! BodyWall

Bern Helmets one for all sports

You have to love this and wonder why the big guys never came up with it. A helmet that is for all sports and all season. Bern Helmets have removable goggle clips, ipod integration, heat release, interchangeable liners for BMX, skate, snowboard, Mt. Bikes, etc.. They even have accessories for to help keep your head warm. They seem to have hit it big with the news that Andy MacDonald signed with them. I am really interested and would sell or through out my old helmets to have just one.
Check it out! Bern Helmets

Profile Design Tri-Stryke Ti Saddle

Well Profile Design has redeemed themselves with the Tri-Stryke saddle, I have been using the saddle that came with my Cannondale and I was happy with it until I started really putting in the miles. The Tri-Stryke has relieved the pressure and there is no looking back. It has a padded nose where most triathletes spend most their time, transition rack friendly, Cut-away with vents for comfort and a price point that can't be beat, MSRP - $74.99.
Check it out! Profile Design

Polar and the Treo 650, Great Together

VidaOne is some cool technology, they allow you to take the data from several Polar devices and transfer it to the Treo 650 or PocketPC seamlessly. At first they allow you to have 10 trial transfers then you have to pay a small fee, I understand that Polar sends software with their watches but the ease of use and set up compared to doing it on your PC is night and day (Polar should take notice).

Keep in mind I don't have to have the USB IR interface (the white wand), now I know that Polar has come out with a new device that works a little better but I have not had the chance to review it just yet. Straight and simple watch+Treo 650=data. NICE.
Also no more MAC vrs. PC problem.

Requirements:
MySportTraining Polar for Palm OS
MySportTraining for Palm OS 3.2.5 or newer

One of the following Polar heart rate monitors (all other Polar models, including the S810 and 820i models, are not supported):
S610
S610i
S625X
S710
S720i
S725
S725X
One of the following Palm OS handheld models. Models that are not listed may very well work; if you've successfully tested on a device not listed below, we would be grateful if you could let us know. Thank you!
Handspring Visor Pro
Kyocera 7135
Palm Vx
Palm m505 (with S710 only)
PalmOne LifeDrive
Palm T|X
Palm Z22
Palm Zire 31, 72
Sony CLIE TJ-25
Sony CLIE TJ-37
Sony CLIE TH-55
Sony CLIE UX-50
Treo 650
Tungsten C
Tungsten E2
Tungsten T3
Tungsten T5:

Check it out!
VidaOne