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Thursday, April 2, 2009
Amazing new bike
Wow. The future is now. I thought carbon fiber solid-tube bikes had the final word in technological wizardry, but no more. Enter the Delta 7 IsoTruss carbon-kevlar woven road bike, the Ascend.
Claiming to be one of the strongest frames in its weight class with an estimated weight of less than 1000 grams, the Ascend acheives an optimal strength-to-weight ratio by weaving a single carbon fiber strand into IsoTruss carbon Kevlar spider web-like open lattice tubes.
Available as frame set only or as a complete bike with SRAM Red or Campy Super Record. MSRP of $5,995 (frame only), $10,995-$16,995 (complete bike).
For more photos, head over to bikerumor’s web site.
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Commuter challenge registration is now open
Just got back from a press conference on the Austin Commuter Challenge at City Hall. Mayor Will Wynn spoke briefly about the need to encourage more people to drive less. The Austin Commuter Challenge is an interesting, and what should be a fun program to help get the message out. The challenge began as a game between employees at the Bicycle Sport Shop to get folks to ride more to work. It worked. So now this year’s challenge is open to everyone, including team participation. I’m hoping this gets a nice turnout and it will become an annual event.
Another interesting point during the press conference was about the City of Austin employee bike share program. The Austin Climate Protection program has purchased automatic-shift bicycles that city employees can use to ride to meetings, lunch or other activities. It sounds like a good step, I just wonder how many city employees will take advantage it, especially during the blazing hot summer months. I am hoping that through the use of these bikes, those that do ride will begin to realize just how problematic commuting can be in Austin. It could only help to accelerate more awareness and progress to those who actually have the power to change our city’s infrastructure and law.
By the way, if you haven’t checked out the Austin Climate Protection program, you should. It sounds like an aggressive plan to make our city a leader in the fight against global warming.
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Another reason for coffee heads to drink up
I’m not a big coffee drinker, but it could be time to start. According to a recent study, caffeine can help to reduce muscle pain during cycling. Who knew?
Article from: Australian Associated Press
Coffee can make mornings more tolerable, but is it making them less painful?
A US study into the effect of caffeine on cyclists found those who took a
pill containing the stimulant reported less muscle pain, ensuring they
could exert themselves for longer.
The study took in 25 fit men who were put through a series of different
intensity trials on a stationary bicycle. The riders abstained from
caffeine for 24 hours before the tests and they were then given a
nondescript tablet - either a pill containing the equivalent of two to
three cups of coffee or a placebo.
Oxygen consumption, heart rate and their work rate were monitored as the
cyclists were also quizzed on their “perceptions of quadriceps muscle pain”
during the trials.
“We’ve shown that caffeine reduces pain reliably, consistently during
cycling, across different intensities, across different people, different
characteristics,” said Robert Motl of the University of Illinois.
