LA Times writer Roy Wallack, who is also the author of books about running and cycling, seems to genuinely enjoy anything on two wheels that provides exercise.  Hence, his quite serious (and positive) reviews of four ridiculous contraptions based on bicycles.

Case in point: The Row Bike, above, of which he says “Exhilarating. Rowing is a great all-body workout, and doing it at 20 mph on land is a thrilling joy ride that gets you sweaty fast and hammers the shoulders and butt. It makes you realize how little exercise your upper body gets on a normal bike. Seeing cyclists do double takes added to the specialness.”  (Sidenote: This was invented by the guy that invented RollerBlades.)

Think that’s good?  Read about the others here. Sure, they might be fun and provide a good workout, but seriously, with prices starting at $1,000 for any of them, who’s going to expose themselves to such (hmmm…how to put this delicately) peer review?  Or, perhaps more appropriate, where do they find the consumer focus groups that say “yeah, you know what, I think I would ride that in public and pay handsomely to do so.”?

Found via Cyclelicio.us.

Robbie McEwen and his Katusha team will return to Adelaide in January with hopes of success at the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under.

Santos Tour Down Under Race Director, Mike Turtur, believes McEwen is a hot favourite to win stages and contend for the overall Santos Ochre Leaders’ Jersey.

“McEwen has won 12 stages at Santos Tour Down Under, more than anyone else in the race’s history,” says Mike Turtur.

“It wouldn’t be the Santos Tour Down Under without Robbie. He is fast, competitive and always ready to put on a show in front of a home crowd.”

McEwen is a triple winner of the Tour de France’s green jersey sprinters classification, has won
12 stages at both the Tour de France and the Santos Tour Down Under and was overall winner of the 2006 and 2009 Cancer Council Helpline Classic.

“Robbie is one of the fastest sprinters in the world and he’ll be a contender for the Jayco Sprint Jersey as well as overall honours in January,” says Mike Turtur.

Kutusha will bring a competitive team to Adelaide for their second appearance at the Santos Tour Down Under.

Alexander Pliuschin, the 2008 National Road Champion for Moldova, will make his riding debut with Katusha after transferring to the Russian team from Ag2r La Mondiale.

“It is good to have Pliuschin back at our race. He is a rider to watch and has made good progress in the two years since he’s been professional,” says Mike Turtur.

Russia’s Pavel Brutt will join Pliuschin after a strong 2009 season, winning the 2009 Tour de Vendee.
Katusha’s line up for the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under will be led by Team Manager, Dimitri Konychev (RUS) and include Alexander Pliuschin (MDA), Pavel Brutt (RUS), Denis Galimzyanov (RUS), Joan Horrach (SPA), Sergey Klimov (RUS), Robbie McEwen (AUS) and Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL).

Katusha made their UCI ProTour debut at the 2009 Santos Tour Down Under and will officially start their 2010 cycling season in Adelaide. The Katusha team was created in Russia with the aim of promoting cycling at every level.

PRESS RELEASE: Tifosi Optics is proud to announce that Tom Cox has joined the company as Director of Sales & Operations. Cox is a veteran sales executive in the golf, footwear, and sporting goods industries, having held senior sales and marketing positions at Bite footwear, Aetrex Worldwide Mizuno Golf, Rawlings Sporting Goods, and Ektelon Racquetball.

“The Tifosi product, company, and team represent some of the most innovative performance products in the sport optic industry.” says Cox. “I am excited about continuing to build and expand the distribution network in the core Tifosi channels as well as in targeted new channels for the products. The Tifosi heritage of outstanding innovative products, coupled with industry leading service is a tremendous combination that has contributed to the success of the Tifosi organization.”

Tifosi co-founder, Joe Earley states; “Tom brings a wealth of sales management experience to our company as well as intimate knowledge in some of our core markets. We are excited to have Tom on our team as we continue to grow the brand in the years ahead.”

Tifosi Optics, Inc. was established in 2003 after Joe and Elizabeth Earley noticed a need for a technologically-advanced, value-oriented eyewear brand in the sport optic market. Tifosi Optics currently has more than 3,000 U.S. retailers and distributes in 32 countries worldwide.

Kona and Ethicalsuperstore.com have teamed up to deliver local purchases via bicycle in the UK.

Customers in Gateshead and Newcastle will see various staff members dressed as jolly ol’ St. Nick pedaling their purchases directly to their door, in some cases on the same day.

EthicalSuperstore.com says it has launched the same-day delivery service “to make sure that customers are kept happy at the busiest time of the year, with minimal carbon footprint and less impact on the environment.”

The Ute’s utility has been extended (literally) with a Yak trailer, allowing Santa to make everyone’s wishes come true.

Ben Mawhinney, marketing manager for EthicalSuperstore.com, said:

“We are always keen to go the extra mile and this helps us with our carbon neutral aim, as well as ensuring that in the run up to Christmas over 600 customers in the NE1 to NE9 postcodes can be confident of same-day delivery.

“Santa will be carrying Christmas presents, but he’s also delivering an important message about the environment as he cycles around the area with his sleigh.”

Via Bikebiz.com.

The video above hints at the sustainability efforts being undertaken at Griffin Studios (which, y0u may recall, collaborated with Charge Bikes  to create a co-branded fixie recently).

Besides sourcing their supplies and labor locally, they’re also busy converting some of their land to forest and farm, raising their own food and protecting the environment.  So while all your friends are consuming watts to raise fake vegetables on Facebook, Griffin is tilling the soil to raise real produce.

Read more and check out a few of the styles after the break…

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Looking for possibly the best internship ever, anywhere?  Sacred Rides mountain bike tours is looking for two folks to work customer service, social media and promotions for up to 10 hours per week for a 4-6 month part time internship.  Those that do the job well get a Gold Star and become teacher’ pet, making them the best candidates for any full time gigs that open up.  Here are the specifics of what you’ll be doing:

• Customer outreach (planning and coordinating special events, such as mtn bike races, weekly rides, special guests, etc…)
• Social media (creating and launching unique campaigns, communicating with customers and mountain bike community)
• Publicity (developing relationships with media, inviting journalists on press trips,  customizing and submitting press releases)
• Segmentation (researching customer segments and determining best publications, websites, blogs to reach each segment)

Perks include a $2,000 credit with them for a future trip, plus opportunities to go to mountain bike events and races all over the place. For more info, check their website to apply.

“IMG_0267” by martysavalas.

These fellows are participating in the Scottish Cyclocross race in Irvine Beach Park, Scotland.

To see more Pics Of The Day, click here.

If you’d like to submit a picture for our Pic Of The Day, click here.

INTERBIKE 2009 – Tacx showed off their latest virtual reality cycling software and programs.  The setup allows you to download (or purchase) different rides, and the software alters the resistance to mimic the roads.

They said there are rides with pros like Cadel Evans, so you can train with the stars, or plug in your own route.  Daniel watched as they pulled up our hometown of Greensboro, mapped a short ride, and it used a Google Streetview like picture and pulled the topography to recreate the ride.

Pricing ranges from $1707 and $1976 for software and trainers. A few more photos reside after the break…

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INTERBIKE 2009 – Kuat introduced a new universal Trail Doc bicycle workstand that will attach to their racks as well as those from competing brands.  They also introduced a new 27lb two-bike hitch rack called the Sherpa.

The Trail Doc is an $89 accessory that’ll fit into the tubes on most major brands, including Saris, Thule and Yakima.  It clamps your bike on any tube (it rotates 360º) and make parking lot repairs much easier than trying to lean the bike against something.

Hit ‘more’ for additional photos and specs of this and the Sherpa bike rack…

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“Cyclist Christmas Ornament” by stevethepewterguy.

For those of you who missed “Black Friday” holiday shopping, here’s your chance to do some now at www.mytriathlonjewelry.com.

To see more Pics Of The Day, click here.

If you’d like to submit a picture for our Pic Of The Day, click here.

Alberto Contador was delighted with the UCI’s confirmation of Astana’s ProTour license, since he now knows for sure which team he’ll ride for next year and can begin planning the season with high hopes. “I’m happy with this solution because it was time to clarify my future. I had already reached a preliminary agreement with the team and everything depended on the license. Finally, just as we expected, I’ll stay with Astana.”

What’s your opinion of Astana’s team for 2010?

I’m very satisfied with the technical team because they’re doing very serious work and that’s essential for everything. About the riders, I think that we’re going to have a good team, maybe not as powerful, especially in terms of big names, as some others who’re looking forward to the Tour, but I have complete confidence in how we’ll work and in the high motivation that we’ll have in the Tour.

Is trust the fundamental value of this team?

Yes, absolutely. The key will be knowing how to motivate ourselves highly and that we all feel involved in the set goals. In order to have a good Tour, what matters most is the motivation to prepare ourselves in the best way possible.

Have you already decided on your calendar?

No, not yet, beyond knowing that the Tour de France will take precedence over everything else. I like to be doing well already at the beginning of the season, but this year I want to take it relatively calmly.

read the rest on his website…

Bern Unlimited’s Watts helmet is a sweet alternative to normal cycling helmets, giving you a little more style for the commute and looking trick when you hit the jump park.

With a carbon fiber shell, it’s about 1/2 pound lighter than comparable helmets, and it’s available in a range of colors, too.  Plus, it comes with accessories for both wet weather (below, left) and cold/snow (right), making it an all-season brain bucket. Heck, it’s even good for some cross ‘training’ like snowboarding and skating.  MSRP is $200.