BikeRumor.com

SteriPEN has introduced the SteriPEN Bottle Topper for SIGG aluminum bottles, which allows you to use their UV-Light water sterilization product to kill any bacteria or viruses in your water.  A side benefit is the silicone adapter also provides a softer bit to drink from, and you don’t have to worry about the aluminum bottle getting too hot or cold from the beverage in it…so your lips are comfortable.  Your hands, however, are on their own.

How does it work?  You remove the cap, insert one of two compatible SteriPEN models and turn it on.  SteriPEN uses ultraviolet (UV) light to destroy the DNA of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasitic protozoa.

Without DNA these microorganisms, even Giardia and Cryptosporidium, can’t make you sick. And because the SteriPEN uses light instead of chemicals to purify, water doesn’t have an unpleasant chemically taste or odor.

The adapter is $2.95 at REI.  The SteriPEN units range from $99 to $149.  Sigg bottles are $15 to $28.

Livestrong.com and The Daily Plate have partnered to bring you the Calorie Tracker, a free (for a limited time) iPhone app that shows you the calories for pretty much any restaurant food item you’re likely to encounter.  They have 450,000+ food and menu items in their database…like a sweet, gooey, hot, delicious Cinnabon.  Using the app, I found out that it has 730 calories, 24g of fat and 390mg sodium.  It’s not a perfect system, though, because it shows that Cinnabon having 114g of carbs but only 1g of sugar.  Right.

It also doesn’t show Saturated or Trans fats, only total fat.  Fortunately, some states are on track to ban Trans, and most major chains have started or already eliminated the evil from their recipes.

The app also contains Fitness category that lists various exercises.  The point is to let you add up what you eat and list your activities to help you manage your weight.  Read “more” for add’l screen shots…

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Nuun has just released single-serve, portable packets of their hydration tablets.  So, a little out of character for us here at Bikerumor, but I’m just going to reprint their PR email below.  Why?  Because it’s late, I’m feeling less than creative, I want to go play a little XBOX.  But most of all, because I can just tell their PR girl, Julie, puts so much energy into writing these things:

single serves have arrived and are trickling out to a dealer near YOU. they are rather easy to grab and go and are perfect for those who simply want to sample orange ginger or tri-berry without purchasing a whole tube, or even if you fancy a little special something for the car ride home from the shop. and…whether you’re out on a ride, a good downhill sledding session, or a pleasant walk through a winter wonderland, remember that the single tabs fit in knickers quite nicely (tubes…do not).

two quick points here:

• to the untrained eye, the single serves can look a little bit like condoms, so you can pull one out, wink at your run partner, and ask “are you ready for this yet?”
• knickers in america refer to something other than underpants, which is what they are in england. please, if you’re english, use a pocket. having “that” shape showing through your undies is just asking for trouble

And, if you need some celebrity endorsement…joanna zieger, the recent WORLD CHAMP in the 70.3 ironman herself, likes her single serves….they’re easier to carry and use on the run apparently.

Effervescent sports drink tablets seem to be popping up everywhere.  We just did a full review of Motor Tabs, and CamelBak and SportAktive have them, too.

“U” Natural Hydration, brought to you by Nuun, is a conveniently portable hydration tablet that you can mix in any water bottle (preferably a reusable one that’s good for the planet, like this).

They come in three flavors, Goji Berry Green Tea, Lemon Chai and Tangerine Ginger.  They’re sweetened with Stevia and, compared to Nuun, has less sodium and potassium, no artificial sweeteners or preservatives, but more vitamins and minerals.  

The intent of “U” is for general hydration between sporting activities, and for this, it looks like a pretty solid ingredient list.  For pricing and full nutritional info, and to see how we cleverly went from covering this product to laughing at drug abusing monkeys, read “more“…

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I’m a long-time fan of CarbBOOM…from their early days in the “applesauce” cups to their awesome new flavors, Watermelon and Raspberry.  Here’s why:  They use real fruit!

If you’ve never tried a CarbBOOM gel, you owe it to yourself to break from routine next time you order or buy your normal gels and at least try a couple of flavors.  My very favorite is the Apple because it’s literally like squeezing applesauce into your mouth.  Delicious, and it has complex carbs, electrolytes, etc., to keep you going.  It tastes so good because they use Apple puree and concentrate.  Likewise for their other flavors.

I had a pre-production Watermelon gel they gave me at Interbike and used it this past weekend.  Actually, I couldn’t remember what the new flavor was because the packet was unprinted and only had an expiry date on it.  It only took about a second to figure it out…it tastes like a real Watermelon, albeit leaning toward Jolly Rancher watermelon, but that’s hardly a complaint.

They have some other new products coming out this year and early next, click the “more” link to see the energy chews, women’s sports drink and more…

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Originally, I intended to do a little post about Peace Coffee and their little picture contest.  It’s simple, you take pictures of cool things you see while riding your bike (Harlan, are you reading this?) and email them to “deliveryteam(at)peacecoffee.com“.  They’ll pick the ones they like and use them in their next ad.  In return, you get a pound o’ beans and some cycling socks.

Now, about these belts.  When I went to Peace Coffee’s website, this little item rotated through a window.  They sell them on their online store, and the guy that makes them doesn’t have his site up yet.  They’re $24.00 and each one is guaranteed to be different.  They’re made from recycled tires and bike chain, so the tread pattern and wear will be different on all of them, but the width will be the same.

Now, cool factor aside…do you think it’d be a little tough to undo in a hurry?  Like, say, if you drank a ton of coffee and really, really had to go?

Yes, I know, this is a picture of the Lemon flavor.  That’s because the Raspberry ones aren’t out yet.  But, I will tell you, they are delicious.  The PowerBar sampling team working their booth at Interbike had a hidden tray of the new flavor reserved for serious retailers, but the Media badge works like voodoo magic on them.

If you haven’t tried these, they’re tasty (current lemon and cola flavors included).  They’re squishy, and they have a little liquidy center, and I think they’d work well shoved into a jersey pocket sans resealable bag for quick grabs.  Nine blasts per bag, and six of them equal the carb count of one PowerBar gel.  They retail for $1.99/bag, so  calorie-per-dollar, they’re basically on par with the gel.  Unlike the gel, you can gum on one or two at a time without having to worry about a gooey sticky mess getting all over your fingers and getting your handlebar tape all nasty.

Click the “more” tab to see a pic of the Cola flavor and a BikeRumor breakdown of the ingredients (do you know what invert sugar is?  Is it safe to eat Carnauba Wax?)…

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Long overdue, here’s our review of Motor Tab’s sports drink.  I tested these a couple of weeks before Interbike, but with all the hullabaloo in preparing for the show, just didn’t get a chance to write the review.

MotorTabs are effervescent tablets that contain electrolytes and carbs from several sources to keep you hydrated and energized, all in a convenient package that easy to take on long rides or when traveling.  How do they work?  Do they taste good?  Read “more” and find out!

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We did a post recently about Fluid’s new flavor, and afterward, the guys there asked if we wanted to try some for a review.  I’ve always been a fan of nutrition as a way to ride, recover and feel better, so the answer was a quick “yes!”

Fluid was founded in San Luis Obispo by a nutritional biochemist and an exercise physiologist at Cal Poly State University.  Their theory, “ Everything you need, nothing you don’t” is evident in the simplicity of their ingredient profile: Maltodextrin, fructose, whey protein isolate, L-glutamine, sodium, vitamin C, and potassium.  The only added extras are natural flavors, citric acid (which enhances the flavor) and soy lecithin (which is a good source of Choline and used here as an emulsifier to help with solubility).

Read on to see if it works, how we tested it, and how it compares to other recovery drinks…

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If you’re headed to Interbike, swing by the Fluid booth (#4437) and drop your b-card off for a chance to win a Look 576 frame and Fluid nutrition products.

While you’re there, try their new flavor of recovery drink…or the original. We’re in the process of testing it out for a review posting sometime next week, and so far, so good. Nice, mild taste and a very clean ingredient profile…worth checking out.

Clif Bar has a sweepstakes tied to their LTO 6-pack prepriced at $5.99.  Now, you can buy Clif Bars at your LBS for less than Wal-Mart.  They’re available in Choc Chip, Choc Brownie, Peanut Butter and Blueberry Crisp.

Not only will you get warm fuzzy’s for supporting your local dealer (bike dealer, that is), but you can enter to win a Grand Prize trip for two to Napa Valley to be wined, dined and stuffed full with a year’s supply of Clif Bars (Disclaimer: You do not have to eat all year’s worth at once).  You’ll also get to ride with the Clif Bar crew.

You can also win one of ten $1,000 shopping sprees (along with a year’s supply of CB’s) at your local bike shop.

To enter the Contest for the Grand Prize, head on over to the contest homepage and submit your story in 500 words or less. Do that and you’re automatically entered into the drawing for the shop gift certificates, too.  If you only want to enter the sweepstakes for the shopping sprees, then go buy a 6-pack, mail in the UPC along with the name of your shop and sit back and wait until October 31 when the contest ends.

Fluid Recovery Nutrition, based out of San Luis Obispo, CA, starts shipping their second flavor, Berry Treasure on 9/5/08.  Their first flavor, “Tropical Escape”, was voted “Best Nutrition Product of The Year” at Trifest 2008.

The ingredient list is pretty clean: Maltodextrin, crystaline fruit sugar (which I presume is “fructose”), whey protein isolate, L-glutamine, natural flavor, citric acid, sodium, soy lecithin, ascorbic acid, potassium.  It has a 3.6:1 carb/protein ratio, if you’re counting.

The company claims it’s 100% natural, and given the simplicity, their slogan makes sense: “Fluid is everything you need and nothing you don’t.”  Jarrod Shoemaker (18th, Beijing Olympics, Triathlon) is reportedly a fan.