As a cyclist you want to protect your head, sure, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style and personality. Check out these unique lids that combine fashion, flare, innovation, and old-fashioned creativity:

If you’re the mountain biking type, the Swedish-made POC Trabec Race is up your alley (see photo above on orange background). The construction of this unique-looking and award-winning helmet is modeled after the human skeleton, proving both impact resistance and long-term durability. The inner aramid filament reinforced EPS core is tough, while the outer PC shell is constructed with seams situated in areas of minimal exposure. An aerodynamic channel system with 16 vents enhances ventilation on hot days.

The POC Trabec design has gotten both a best-in-show award at the EuroBike cycling industry trade show and a prestigious best-of-the-best Red Dot innovative design award, beating out 4,433 other entries from 50 countries. “This helmet is inspired by the spongy bone character and layer-by-layer construction of a skeleton,” explained POC CEO and founder Stefan Ytterborn. “We feel like we have found the right balance between low weight, maximum ventilation, and impact protection.” It looks cool, too.

Want to show off your personal flare and perhaps a secret passion for Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, and (a young) John Travolta? Then check out these step-by-step disco-ball-helmet-creation instructions from San Francisco-based art director Natalie Walsh. Her rationale for such a creation? “Because it’s awesome. ‘Nuff said.” Walsh uses an open-faced motorcycle-style helmet in her demo (picture above), but you can use just about any helmet that has surface area flat enough to glue on small pieces of glass tile. Just note that, as it says on her instructions page, the helmet is meant to be a costume piece. If you want to create something with more real-world functionality, skip the glass tile and use acrylic mirror tiles, which are lighter and won’t shatter.

Perhaps coolest of them all, though, is the still-in-development LumaHelm (bottom right photo, above). The brainchild (pun intended) of 28-year-old Dutch designer Wouter Walmink, who works in Australia’s Exertion Games Lab, this prototype interactive helmet both protects your head and signals your intentions as you ride, making you more visible to motorists. For example, tilt your head (and the helmet) slightly left and the helmet blinks on the left side just like a car’s turn indicator light. Tilt your head slightly back and the helmet lights up red like a set of brake lights.

The LumaHelm looks like a standard commuter helmet (and passes basic safety standards), but takes functionality a step further, utilizing two AA batteries to power a sensor that measures movement of the cyclist’s head, and lights up accordingly [see video here]. Walmink and his team have no immediate plans to manufacture the LumaHelm, but it’s not hard to imagine an established helmet manufacturer having other ideas.

Would you wear any of these helmets? What’s your favorite headgear as a cyclist?

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photos courtesy of POC; Natalie Walsh; Exertion Games Lab

If you thought NASCAR stars Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmy Johnson were the only professional athletes with lots of wheel choices, think again. When Chris Horner, Fabian Cancellara, and the rest of the RadioShack-Nissan-Trek team line up for the 2012 Tour de France, they’ll have no less than five different Bontrager wheelsets to choose from as they commence the arduous three-week journey toward the final finish line in Paris.

“Each different wheelset is specifically geared to certain conditions, be it a flat or hilly stage profile, or different weather, be it calm or super-windy,” explained Trek/Bontrager media relations liaison Eric Bjorling. “Every rider will have a least five sets of wheels available to them. Each is primarily differentiated by the depth of the rim, starting at 35mm and going all the way up to a full disc wheel.”

That full disc is perhaps the most unique option, and is specifically geared toward the three time trial stages where maximum aerodynamics and speed are paramount to success. Look for the full disc Bontrager wheels to be mated with Trek’s lightning-fast Speed Concept time trial bike (pictured below), a highly-engineered machine that borrows from the automotive racing world, utilizing a concept known as kammtail, where low weight and aerodynamic efficiency are maximized.

The front end of the Speed Concept bike is likely to be occupied by Bontrager’s 90-millimeter offering, which like the full disc is designed to slice through the wind as efficiently as possible. This is in part achieved via what Trek engineers have dubbed dual-directional design, where the leading and trailing edges of the rim share a similar bulbous design.

This differs from most aero wheels (see diagrams below), which only reduce drag at the front of the wheel. By utilizing this innovative D3 profile, the Bontrager wheels reduce drag at both the front tire-leading side, and the rear rim-leading side. Translation: increased speed and better handling, especially in sketchy crosswind situations.

On big climbing stages, weight becomes the primary driver of wheel choice. Expect most riders to opt for the low-profile carbon fiber Bontrager Aeolus 3 with its 35mm deep rim and ultra-light weight (just 1,180 grams for the set, pictured below). When you run shallower wheels, you reduce weight, decrease the watts required to climb, improve acceleration out of corners, and improve handling on windy days.

On mellower days, most riders will switch to either the Aeolus 5 (pictured below) or Aeolus 7, as both wheelsets are more aerodynamically efficient on the flats and medium rollers. “Here’s where wind conditions will play a big factor,” added Bjorling. “If it’s a calm day, then look for riders to choose the deeper rim depth, but if it’s blowing hard those wheels can be harder to control, so a lot of guys will step down to the 5’s or the 3’s.”

Rider size also plays a role in wheel choice, adds Bjorling. “Bigger guys like Cancellara can more easily handle the larger wheels, where the small climbers will have a tougher time. The goal as the team’s wheel supplier is to make sure they have every option possible. That way they can just worry about riding their bike.”

COME BACK TO INNOVATION FOR ENDURANCE DAILY FOR UPDATES FROM THE TOUR DE FRANCE THROUGH JULY 22!

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photos courtesy Bontrager

When Chris Horner, Andy Schleck, and the rest of the RadioShack-Nissan-Trek team line up for the start of the 2012 Tour de France on June 30 in Liege, Belgium, they’ll have more than just fitness, savvy, and skill on their sides. Each member of the nine-rider team will benefit from an array of top-tier, cutting-edge equipment, including up to three different Trek bikes. “The goal is to give the riders the right tool for the job so they can do their job,” explained Trek media relations liaison Eric Bjorling. “The Tour de France often comes down to just a few minutes, if not seconds. So attaining every possible advantage is critical for success.”

The centerpiece of this arsenal is the Trek Madone (above). This workhorse full carbon fiber bike is legend in the professional peloton, already carrying the likes of Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador to multiple Tour de France titles. “This is the bike the team will ride the majority of the time,” said Bjorling. “It’s what you’d call a traditional road bike where weight, stiffness, and efficiency are key in order to make the most out of every pedal stroke. This bike was built with grand tour racing in mind.”

Highlights of the Madone include Trek’s integrated cable management, where all the bike’s cables are routed inside the bike’s frame, giving it a sleek look to go along with enhanced performance. And the bike’s ultra-light weight means team mechanics actually have to add weight so as not to violate the sport’s rules.

“It’s basically a safety measure which says a bike must weight no less than 14.9 pounds,” said Bjorling. “That means we have to bring Madone up to that weight using various add-on parts.” On days when the course is particularly rough — traveling over cobblestone roads, for example — some of the team’s riders may opt to switch from the Madone to the Domane (below), a bike specifically designed for maximum shock absorption and comfort.

“Most of the riders will probably stick with the Madone on all the road stages, but Fabian Cancellara for one has asked to have a Domane available,” revealed Bjorling. “It’s a bike that is designed to handle broken pavement, gravel, cobbles, you name it. It has lots of stabilizing features, and riders are in a more upright position, making it a more stable and comfortable ride.”

Among a litany of features on a bike that debuted earlier this year is what Trek calls the iSoSPeeD DecouPler, which isolates the seat tube from the rest of the frameset, increasing compliance and comfort without compromising performance.

But arguably the most important bike in the team’s quest for the yellow jersey is the Trek Speed Concept time trial bike (below). Designed specifically to slice through the wind during what’s known in cycling as “the race of truth,” the Speed Concept is the result of extensive wind tunnel testing.

“It’s a specific tool for a specific purpose,” said Bjorling. “And that’s going to be really important at this year’s Tour because of the emphasis on the time trial.” Indeed, the 2012 route includes a short prologue time trial, plus two critical longer TTs. And unlike traditional stages where team riders can work together, the time trial is man against the clock where huge time gains — and losses — are expected.  

“The highlights of the Speed Concept are really twofold,” said Bjorling. “First, it offers a lot of adjustability, which is really important because each rider has a unique position based on their size and flexibility, and you need to be able to accommodate that so they can put out the maximum possible output. Second, this bike borrows a few pieces from automotive racing, including what is called kammtail. This is basically a way to shave weight while at the same time maintaining aerodynamic efficiency. You see it a lot in NASCAR where the cars have a flat back that’s at a 90-degree angle. The idea is to trick the wind into thinking there is material there, which makes the bike faster.”

It’s also worth noting that riders don’t just have one of each bike, but oftentimes two or even three just in case problems arise. “For someone like Andy Schleck, who may be leading the race at some point, he’ll probably have three Madones that are all set up exactly the same,” said Bjorling. “There will be the one he’s riding, one of top of the team car that’s following the race in case he needs to make a change during the stage, and one back at the team truck just in case something happens to one of the other two.”

The same is true for the time trial bikes, meaning that even if all the riders opt not to ride the Domane, the team will still be hauling around upwards of 45 different bikes for three weeks in July. And that’s not counting the potential need for specially-colored frames — say, one that matches the coveted yellow jersey.

What do you ride? Which of these sweet Trek bikes would you love to own?

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photos courtesy of Trek Bicycles

The seventh running of the Amgen Tour of California wrapped up Sunday at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, with Slovak sensation Peter Sagan taking yet another stage win, while Robert Gesink finished comfortably in the main field to secure the race’s overall crown for what the Dutchman called the most significant win of his young career.

During the event’s eight days of racing, American cycling fans witnessed a dramatically exciting affair that climaxed with the penultimate stage, Saturday’s brutal trip up Mt. Baldy. It was there, on a road so steep some cars literally struggled to get up it, that Gesink shown brightest among a peloton that started with 128 riders. Bolstered by the capable aid of his Rabobank teammates, the lithe climbing specialist reeled in a slew of early race escapees, then charged across the finish line first, winning the stage and taking control of the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Afterwards, Gesink was visibly emotional as the weight of the accomplishment set in. It was a fantastic comeback story for a rider (and new dad) who during the previous two years lost his father to a freak cycling accident, and then had to deal with his own tragedy when a training crash left Gesink with a badly broken leg. As recently as January, Gesink was still in the throes of a difficult rehabilitation, having to re-teach his atrophied muscles how to walk again — let alone pedal away from the world’s top cyclists.

Amazingly, four months later, he was on top of the cycling world, winning America’s most prestigious bike race, and earning himself a prominent place on the favorite’s list for July’s Tour de France. The later point was further enhanced by Gesink’s performance in the Stage 5 time trial, a discipline that features prominently at this year’s Tour, and will surely go a long way to deciding the winner of the final yellow jersey in Paris.

Gesink finished just 39 seconds behind stage winner – and time trial specialist – Dave Zabriskie that day, then defrocked the American of his leader’s jersey two days later. If the Rabobank rider can put together a similar performance at the Tour de France, reigning TdF champion Cadel Evans could be in trouble.

Here are some other notable takeaways from this year’s Amgen Tour of California:

PETER SAGAN IS A STAR – NOW: The 22-year-old won five of the race’s eight stages, showing a diversity of sprinting skills that will serve him well as he chases the coveted Green Jersey at Tour de France. The favorite for that title will be the indomitable sprinter extraordinaire Mark Cavendish, but witnessing this week’s Sagan Show, the Manx Missile knows it’s going to be a fight.

CHRIS HORNER IS A FIGHTER: Though the Innovation for Endurance contributor came up short is his title defense, the RadioShack-Nissan-Trek star didn’t go down without showing amazing resolve. After laying an egg in the time trial, Horner attempted cycling’s version of a Hail Mary, attacking from way out on Stage 7, never giving up on his hopes to win the overall title. Some pundits argued that Horner would have been better off just going for a stage win that day, but by making his all-or-nothing bid, Horner solidified his stature as the people’s choice.

GARMIN-BARRACUDA - BRIDESMAIDS AGAIN: The Boulder, Colorado-based outfit is arguably the most popular cycling team in America, but they’d almost surely trade a few fans for a big win. Yes, they’ve had their share of significant days, winning multiple team time trials and the best team prize at last year’s Tour de France. But their record in California now includes three second-place finishes for Dave Zabriskie and two third-place efforts for Tom Danielson.

Team GM Jonathan Vaughters summed it up succinctly after his team failed to defend the Yellow Jersey on Saturday, writing on his Twitter feed, “Very frustrating day for us. Lots of coulda/shoulda…” Garmin still has a chance to score a major prize at the ongoing Tour of Italy (Giro d’Italia), where Canadian Ryder Hesjedal is currently second overall. But Hesjedal lost time and the leader’s jersey on Sunday, making it a tough weekend on both sides of the Atlantic for the Argyle Armada.

FITS AND STARTS FOR AMERICA’S YOUTH MOVEMENT: Many thought one of the U.S. cycling’s young guns, specifically Tejay van Garderen or Andrew Talansky, would rise up and walk away with this year’s California crown. But both riders faltered under the pressure of Gesink’s blistering race-winning pace. However, there was a new name added to the mix – Joe Dombrowski. The twig-thin 20-year-old from Virginia finished the Tour’s most menacing day just 18 seconds behind Gesink, announcing to the cycling world that he’ll someday be a force on the biggest mountains of Europe.

LONDON CALLING: Final selection for the men’s U.S. Olympic cycling team is still almost a month away, but Dave Zabriskie made a compelling case for the squad’s lone spot in the time trial race. Zabriskie was the convincing winner of the California TT, and is the obvious choice to chase gold in London.

What did you think of the 2012 Tour of California? Who will you be watching this summer at the Tour de France, the London Olympics, and at the U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge?

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photo: RadioShack Nissan Trek cyclists in Stage 7 of the 2012 Tour of California

Some 128 riders will toe the startline when the seventh running of the Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race starts this Sunday in Santa Rosa. Each will have their own objectives for the ensuing eight days of racing that will cover 733.5 miles on a southerly trip through the Golden State. But within this international peloton that includes riders from 21 countries and five continents, there are a few who deserve a little extra attention. Here’s your cheat sheet on the top riders to watch and why.

Chris Horner – RadioShack-Nissan-Trek: The Golden State native and reigning Tour of California champion is on the short list of favorites for this year’s race. But to pull off the repeat, Horner will likely have to come from behind during the event’s toughest day. Expect the 40-year-old RadioShack-Nissan-Trek rider to lose time to his key rivals in the stage 5 time trial, meaning he’ll have to be at his best during the race-deciding 78.3-mile stage from Ontario to the summit of precipitously steep Mt. Baldy.

Tejay Van Garderen – BMC Racing Team: Among a highly promising group of young American pros, it would surprise no one if the 23-year-old Van Garderen had a breakout ride and won the race. The native of Montana came close to that Eureka moment last year, finishing third in Colorado’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge and fifth at the Tour of California. Like Horner, Van Garderen is both a capable time trialist and exceptional climber. The BMC rider, who was fifth earlier this season in the prestigious Paris-Nice stage race in France, will also benefit from the expert support of veteran teammate and fellow American George Hincapie.

Tom Danielson – Garmin-Barracuda: One of the world’s best pure climbers as witnessed by his ninth place finish in last year’s Tour de France, the 34-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, is a threat in any race with big mountain climbs. But after a breakout victory at the 2005 Tour de Georgia earned him the moniker of “next great American cyclist,” Danielson has struggled to live up to the hype and actually win big races. He’ll have to buck that trend if he wants to exceed his third place finish at last year’s Tour of California.  

Andrew Talansky – Garmin-Barracuda: Another member of American cycling’s Generation Next, the 23-year-old from Banner Elk, North Carolina, had the breakout ride of his career earlier in the season, placing second at the testing Tour of Romandie. In California, Talansky will share team leadership roles with Danielson, giving the Garmin squad a lethal one-two punch that could be a difference maker.

Levi Leipheimer – Omega Pharma-QuickStep: After being struck by a car during a training ride earlier in the season, there’s still some doubt whether the three-time Tour of California champion will even start this year’s race. But the guess here is that despite suffering a broken leg in the accident, there’s no way he’ll sit out an event that kicks off in his hometown of Santa Rosa. As for his chances at overall title No. 4, it’s unlikely the former Innovation for Endurance contributor will have regained enough form to compete at the highest level.

Rory Sutherland – UnitedHealthcare: The Tour of California includes six teams that race primarily in North America, cycling’s equivalent of triple A baseball. Expectedly few of those team’s riders hold out much hope of competing for the overall crown against the major leaguers from the European peloton. The lone exception could be UnitedHealthcare’s Sutherland, who was seventh overall in 2011, and has been training hard in California during the lead-up to the race.

Tom Boonen – Omega Pharma-QuickStep: Imagine Kobe Bryant or LeBron James showing up for a hoops tournament in Belgium, and you get some idea of how big a deal it is for Tom Boonen (above) to be racing bikes in California. “Tornado Tom” is by far the biggest sports star in his native Belgium, a stature further bolstered this spring with his conquest of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the world’s two toughest one-day races. There are too many big climbs in California for big Tom to win the overall, but the former Tour de France green jersey winner will be in the hunt for victory in any stage that ends in a sprint — and will be a crowd favorite wherever he goes.

Peter Sagan – Liquigas-Cannondale: Like Boonen, Sagan is not built to win overall stage races. But the 22-year-old Slovakian sprinter nicknamed “Terminator” is one of the sport’s rising stars, already owning three Tour of California stage wins. Expect Sagan to add to that tally this year.  

And the winner is… Following a spring campaign where he served primarily in a support role, Chris Horner is coming off a solid at-home training block, and now gets to ride for himself as RadioShack-Nissan-Trek’s team leader. We’re obviously big fans of Horner here at Innovation for Endurance, but the cagey veteran is also one of the sport’s smartest riders, and that’s why he’ll win his second straight Tour of California title. Look for Horner to hold his ground in the stage 5 time trial, then take time on his rivals during the ensuing pair of big climbing stages. And with the overall win, Horner will make a strong case for a place on this summer’s U.S. Olympic team, an honor he’s long overdue.

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photos by Getty Images

In early March, we at Innovation for Endurance asked you to reveal your biggest pet peeves when riding a bike. The response was overwhelming and wide-ranging. But in spite of a such a range of answers, three clear themes emerged. In general, the biggest obstacles facing cyclists are inconsiderate and/or inattentive motorists, bad roads, and other cyclists who ignore the rules of the road.

Respondents — were you one of them? — railed against being honked at, buzzed, and doored by car drivers. They lamented streets with no bike lanes, minimal shoulders, and giant potholes. And they called out fellow cyclists who blow through stop signs, run red lights, ride on the sidewalk, and/or ride three and four abreast on narrow roads.

“Motorists who don’t know or don’t care that cyclists have the same right to the road as they do,” wrote Ron Fife in his response to our question, “What’s your biggest pet peeve as a cyclist?”  He added: “And cyclists who give the rest of us a bad name because they don’t know or don’t care that having the same right to the road as motorists means that we need to obey the same rules of the road.”

Of course there’s no panacea to these problems, but there are some basic tips and tricks that can help all cyclists more safely navigate the sometimes dangerous two-wheeled world.

“Always try to make eye contact with drivers,” explained Elizabeth Train, executive director of the Boulder B-cycle bike-sharing program. “If they’re not looking directly at you, chances are they don’t see you. By engaging with drivers visually, and riding predictably, you’ll stay safer.”

“The No. 1 priority for safety is visibility,” adds Scott Christopher, the development and outreach director for Bicycle Colorado, a cycling advocacy organization. “And that’s not just what you wear or making sure to have lights at night.”

Indeed, Christopher says lane positioning is key. On a road with no shoulder, ride in the “right wheel track” of motor vehicles to ensure you don’t blend into the scenery along the edge of the road. This also gives you 3 to 4 feet of space from the edge of the pavement to allow for emergency maneuvers such as dodging potholes or dealing with a wind gust.

At a red light, don’t creep up the right side of cars, adds Christopher. Take your place in traffic just like you would in your car. Don’t provide a driver a second chance to accidentally clip you by making them pass you a second time. “To successfully have society view bicycles as a part of traffic we need to behave like responsible, considerate traffic,” says Christopher. “Even when I’m in the right, I try to be a good ambassador for all bicyclists when dealing with motorists.”

Of course, even the most conscientious cyclists sometimes break the rules. “That’s why it’s important to govern from within,” says Innovation for Endurance contributor and renowned cycling coach Chris Carmichael.

“One rider can ruin it for all of us,” adds Ainslie MacEachran, head coach and owner of Gemini Training Systems. “Don’t be that guy. When you’re riding with other riders lead by example and if there are riders who have chronic issues with bad traffic habits, don’t ride with them. Also ”

That means staying off sidewalks and riding the right direction on one-way streets, says B-cycle’s Train. Better yet, try to find roads that were designed with cyclists in mind. “Google is beta testing cycling routes on their maps right now,” adds Train.

Another great resource is other cyclists. Stop by a local bike shop and ask for advice, says Carmichael. “I travel a lot, so I’m frequently in cities where I don’t have local knowledge of good cycling routes,” he says. “I use a combination of local bike shops and websites like MapMyRide and Strava to tap into that local knowledge. In many cities there are also city-based resources to find the roads that have bike lanes on them. Regardless, you need to be confident and aware of your surroundings. Keep your eyes open so you can move into the lane gradually. And if you have to avoid obstacles don’t swerve. That’s more likely to put you the path of a driver who thought they had enough room to get around you.”

A little advance recon is also a good idea. “I usually observe the road I’m going to ride a bike on from a car first,” says Frank Overton, who owns and operates the FasCat Coaching and Performance Cycling Center. “I look to see how large the shoulder is, if there is a bike lane, the quality of the pavement, and if there are any other hazards that factor into safe cycling. If the roads are hazardous I do not ride them and seek out side roads or alternate routes.”

How do you work around some of your pet peeves to make cycling more fun? Share your best advice here.

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photos by Stockphoto

With the unseasonably warm weather prevalent across the U.S. during the last month, it may seem like the new cycling season is already in midstream. But while the natural inclination is to get on your bike and ride from dawn to dusk in an effort to regain fitness lost during the winter, it’s best to apply a more measured approach and ease into things. This will lessen the risk of over-use injuries and help avoid burn-out down the road.

“Consistency is the most important component to getting back into shape,” says Innovation for Endurance contributor and renowned cycling coach Chris Carmichael. “Your body hasn’t forgotten everything it learned last summer and fitness returns faster than it is gained the first time around. But if you’re taking 4 to 5 days off between rides, and just riding on weekends, for instance, then it’s difficult for your body to determine whether you’re training or going on a series of disconnected rides. The consistency tells your body it’s time to make adaptations so you get stronger.”

Fellow cycling coach Frank Overton concurs with Carmichael, adding that a gradual ramp-up of duration and intensity is also key. “And make sure to balance the appropriate amount of training with the right amount of recovery,” adds Overton, who owns and operates the FasCat Coaching and Performance Cycling Center. “And of course having a plan or a coach helps.”

Indeed, if you do have a specific goal in mind, say doing a Century Ride (100  miles) in two months, it’s best to map out a plan ahead of time. Ainslie MacEachran, head coach and owner of Gemini Training Systems, suggests breaking your time into two 3-week periods with a 5-day rest week in between. “Also make sure to leave enough time to recover from any accumulated fatigue during the last week before your event,” suggests MacEachran. “Getting your bike fit by a professional will also go a long way towards helping you be more comfortable and efficient. No matter what, be careful in your first week to not go overboard with intensity or hours. If you’re a working stiff, take the approach of shorter harder rides during the week and then longer rides on the weekends. And be certain to dial in your nutrition routine before you arrive to your event. Practice eating during training to figure out what works for you.”

Finally, Ryan Kohler, a sports nutritionist and associate coach with Wenzel Coaching, encourages riders to complete a close facsimile of what their goal event will be. “Start with [lower-intensity] endurance training to gradually build up to a 75-mile ride over the first 5 weeks. Start with 15 miles and increase to 30, 45, 60, and finally 75 miles for your long ride each week,” explains Kohler. “Try riding 3 to 4 days per week and make sure to include one day of hilly riding if the Century Ride you are signed up has hills.”

Bottom line, just like most other things in life, a little calculated moderation is key to achieving your cycling goals. Start off easy, and soon enough you’ll be riding faster and farther than ever before.

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photo by Jason Sumner

Do you have a bike or two sitting in your apartment or garage? Ones you wish you rode just a little bit more? Well, thanks to Spinlister, a new bike-sharing startup, now those bikes can make you cold hard cash while helping out a fellow cyclist in need. 

While community bike programs currently exist in many European cities like London and Paris, they are either funded by government or private organizations. What makes Spinlister unique is that it’s the first peer-to-peer bike program — you rent someone else’s bike while you’re in town, or someone rents yours. 

Created by co-founders Jeffrey Noh and Will Dennis, Spinlisterofficially kicked off on April 1 in New York City and San Francisco when their web-based startup opened for business, bringing bike riders and bike renters together on their online hub. (If you don’t live in New York or San Francisco you can let Spinlister know where you are and that you want them to bring the service to your area or city.)

The process is simplicity at its finest: Bike owners just upload a picture of their bike, their location, and choose a day rate (currently anywhere from $1 a day for a basic bike to $80 a day for a high-end ride.) Bike renters search the site and reserve the bike of their choosing. 

Spinlister handles the transaction and takes a 12.5 percent commission from both ends. So if you list your bike for $20 a day (the average cost right now) you get $15 and the renter pays $23. Spinlister keeps a credit card of all renters on file in case a bike gets damaged, and they are fully insured in the event of injury to a rider. 

While planning a family trip to Disney World a few months ago, I spent several hours online trying to find a bike to rent to get in some early morning Ironman training rides. Had a program like Spinlister existed in Florida, it would have saved me significant time and money, and I could have picked from a number of higher-end bikes. So you can see that I love this idea; it’s a huge win-win for bike riders and bike owners alike. It also offers a simple way for people to be more active while helping protect the environment.

I have to be honest though: I’d list my mountain bike on Splinlister, but my tri-bike is off-limits.

Would you consider listing your bike on Spinlister? Would you rent a bike through them?

- Tom Holland, Men’s Health Reporter

Food-truck fare and healthy post-exercise nourishment don’t typically go hand in hand. But Dr. Allen Lim and chef Biju Thomas are doing their best to change that perception. The pair have already collaborated on a successful athlete-centric cookbook and launched a line of sport-specific hydration drinks. Now, they’re taking their culinary talents on the road — in a food truck.

Lim and Thomas plan on spending the better part of the coming spring and summer driving from one cycling event to another, showing people that healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated or excessively time-consuming to prepare. The program is dubbed Performance Foods from Skratch Labs driven by Nissan. (The truck is actually a food trailer pulled by a V8 Nissan Titan pick-up truck.)

“Our menu will basically be all items from the Feed Zone cookbook, so a lot of portable items like energy bars and rice cakes (see photo below),” explained Lim, a sports physiologist who’s worked with numerous professional cycling teams, and is a personal advisor to multi-time U.S. national time trial champion Dave Zabriskie and three-time Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer. “We’ll also be serving basic breakfast items like oatmeal, French toast, and pancakes, plus fresh beet juice (see photo below), scrambled eggs, and recovery-specific foods like chicken fried rice and curry bowls. It’s all the same food we’ve cooked for pro teams in the past.”

All that healthy fare is a major departure for the food trailer Lim and Thomas bought off eBay from a man in South Carolina. “It used to be set up to sell funnel cakes and deep-fry a lot of stuff,” said Lim of the 20-foot trailer with 8-foot high ceilings. “We’re in the process of pulling out the fryers and adding a four-burner stove top and oven. We’re also removing the funnel cake apparatus and using that as a sandwich prep area, and adding a reverse osmosis water filter system so we can purify our own water and not have to use bottled water.”

Lim and Thomas recently completed a test run, accompanying Tim Johnson’s Ride on Washington, a multi-day charity ride organized by the pro cyclocross racer that started in Boston and ended in Washington D.C. in time for the annual National Bike Summit. The ride’s mission was to raise funds and awareness for the Bikes Belong advocacy organization. Lim and Thomas’ job was to keep the riders fueled for the entire 475-mile journey.

“We cooked for between 25 and 45 riders for 5 days,” recalled Lim, adding that food prep typically started at 4:30 a.m. “It was exhausting but rewarding.”

Next up for Lim, Thomas, and their new kitchen on wheels is the annual Sea Otter Classic bicycle festival and race, April 19-22, in Monterey, California. Lim says that anyone who stops by the truck with an empty water bottle can get a free sample of the Skratch Labs hydration drink. Food will also be available for sale.

“After that, we’ll be working with Levi while he’s training for the Tour of California, then we’ll head to the race,” said Lim of the 8-stage pro-level bike race. “In the past it was always a problem taking care of athletes at events, because if you want them to get proper nutrition, you either need to make a lot of modifications at a restaurant, or bring your own chef into a hotel kitchen. That can be really difficult.

“Having a rolling kitchen makes it much easier. So if there are any teams out there that want to hire us, give a call. We’d love to cook for them during the race.”

The Tour of California starts May 13 in Santa Rosa, and concludes May 20 in Beverly Hills.

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photos courtesy of Skratch Labs

Imagine being able to set up a bike with shift activation points situated exactly where you want them. That may sound like a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist; component manufacturers do a fine job of designing functional and efficiently shifting drivetrains.

But now imagine you’re a wounded war veteran who only has use of a single arm. All of a sudden the ability to move those shift points around becomes more appealing. It’s in part for this reason that component manufacturer Shimano has continued to evolve its Di2 electronic shifting system, and this fall will debut Alfine Di2, a component group geared toward commuters.

“We’ve done a lot with the Ride 2 Recovery program where wounded soldiers use cycling as rehab,” explained David Lawrence, Shimano’s U.S. road product manager. “They may be missing a limb or hand, which doesn’t allow them to shift or brake from one side of the bike. But with our new E-tube system you can move shift points to one side if you need to. Another example is my sister who has arthritis. It hurt her hands to activate a traditional mechanical shifter lever, but she has no problem just pushing a button on an electronic set-up.”

These buttons (see photo below) tell your bike to shift up or down via wires. It’s technology that debuted several years ago as part of Shimano’s high-end road cycling line, and is now trickling down to everyday commuters.

“We’re bringing the technology to the commuter market because we feel it really has the potential to simplify and streamline the experience,” added Lawrence, himself an avid bike commuter. “You can also really clean up the bike, because all the wires can be internally routed from the handlebars back to the internal rear hub.”

Like traditional internal hubs, Alfine Di2 uses a series of cogs resting in an oil bath that when engaged replicate the resistance of high or low gears. But rather than relying on cables or wires to effect a gear change, the Di2 system releases a burst of electricity that engages a small, lightweight motor mounted on the outside of the hub (see photo above). Both 8-speed and 11-speed set-ups will be available.

The Alfine Di2 system runs on batteries (see photo above), which can be mounted internally inside the seatpost, or externally on your bike’s frame. Charge time lasts upwards of 1,000 miles. Release of the new system will also mark the first time drop-bar -style handlebars have been successfully mated with an internal hub, which is heavier than a standard hub, but offers full protection from the elements — good news for riders who frequently commute in inclement weather.

“With a mechanical system it was really difficult to make a road-style drop bar mate with an internal hub because of the physics involved,” explained Lawrence. “But now commuters will have the option of a drop bar or the more traditional flat bar that we’re used to seeing on commuter bikes.”

Other features include a handlebar-mounted information display that shows current battery power level and gear selection (see photo below). Shimano’s also experimenting with automatic shifting capability, though that functionality won’t be immediately available.

“As it is, this is a big advancement for the non-enthusiast cyclist,” said Lawrence. “A lot of people are not sure when to shift or how to shift. But when you go to an electronic system, input equals output every time. So it’s much simpler to figure out, and regardless of how dirty your bike gets, the shift will be the same every time.”

Would you be interested in trying an electronic shifting bike?

—Jason Sumner, Bicycling Reporter

Photos courtesy of Ride 2 Recovery and Shimano