Outdoor Retailer Summer Market pictures

Some of the pictures I took while walking around the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Expo this year. Some of the products and retailers will be featured in later posts as I review or talk about them.

A cool lightweight gear trailer at the Yakima booth.

Cake toppers for the outdoorsy types when they get married.

Lots of companies used bikes in their booth display, even if their product didn't have anything to do with bicycles. I don't remember what product was being offered here, but I liked the old trailer and cruiser bike.

Dogs were everywhere.

The Salt Lake Bicycle Collective was again on site with their free bike parking service.

Love this shirt.

Camelback is introducing a new integrated hydration pack/jersey combo for 2010, the Veloback. It differs from this year's raceback in that the Veloback has a zipper and 3 rear pockets - like a standard cycling jersey, but also has the integrated 70 oz. bladder. Price point is expected to come in around $130.

A survival pack, small enough to fit in a medium to large seat pack on your mountain bike.

Pictures really cannot express how large this expo is, and how many booths there actually are.

Swobo was outside with a fleet of demo bikes you could check out and ride around the town. If only I would have had more time...

Don't have bleached blonde spiky locks? Always wanted to? Now you can!

Action wipes. Watch for an upcomming review of this product.

Tarma designs necklace. Made from recycled materials. I liked the bicycle pendant.

Messenger bags by Green Guru out of Denver. The top one is made from recycled vinyl from a billboard, and the bottom one is made from a tractor innertube.

GelBot bottles. I didn't get a bottle to review, but I am impressed with this product. Watch for an upcomming post about it.

My hairy arm. Actually you are looking at the Extreme Sports ID bracelet. Review of this product soon.

For the multi-sport enthusiast who wants to leave a minimal footprint when he travels, a kayak trailer for your mountainbike.

Buff. Don't know what a Buff is? Watch any episode from any season of Survivor. Those streatchy, lycra tubes they are wearing on their heads, wrists, midriffs (for the skankier female consestants)? Those are Buffs. Review coming soon.

Clif Bar. I have expressed my love for the Clif Bar before. No trip to the OR expo would be complete without a trip to the Clif booth. Tried the soon to be released Shot Roks, yummy!

Ride with the Land Rover/ORBEA Cycling team

The FredCast, in conjunction with Contender Bicycles and the Land Rover-ORBEA cycling team - who will be in Utah for the Tour of Utah - are giving you the opportunity togo on a training ride and have dinner with team Land Rover-ORBEA.

The ride will be sutiable for all abilities and will be between 60-90 minutes in length. A social dinner will follow the ride.

The date for the ride is Wednesday, August 12. Meet at Contender Bicycles - 875 East 900 South - at 6:00 pm. The ride will start at 6:30 pm.

There is a $25 participation fee for the ride. This fee will go towards the Utah State Chapter of the National MS Society. If you are a participant of the 2009 Bike MS event, wewill credit that donation towards your fundraising total!

This is a unique opportunity! Don't miss the chance to ride and talk with riders from a professional cycling team just a few days before they ride in the Tour of Utah. Also, you will get a chance to ride with David from the FredCast. If you haven't listened to his podcast, I highly recommend you take the opportunity to do so. David puts his heart , soul and a considerable amount of his free time into producing a quality podcast for the cycling community. He is also deeply involved with the MS Society and it is through his connections within the cycling community and the MS Society that he is able to put together this ride. Come out and support David and the MS Society on August 12th!

Registration and more information can be found on the Utah State MS Society page.

Bicycle powered blender

From the Outdoor Retailer expo yesterday.

The Timberland booth had a couple of bicycle-powered blenders set up, and were letting people blend their own smoothies. Of course I had to give it a spin...

I took a short video with my cell phone while I was blending. In case the video doesn't show up like it should, go here to check it out.

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2009 Expo

I spent a couple of hours today at the Outdoor Retailer expo. I wish I could have spent a couple of full days. There is so much to see. I barely scratched the surface.

I still was able to talk to some companies, and I will be reviewing some of the products that I was able to get more than a passing glance at in the future.

More Tour of Utah

Several posts ago, I listed the teams and riders that were scheduled to appear in the 2009 Tour of Utah. I gave my opinion on some riders to watch.

I need to add to that list.

At that time, BMC Racing hadn't revealed their roster. I commented that it was more than likely a given that 2008 ToU winner Jeff Louder would be in the lineup.

He is:

BMC Racing Team
Directors: Gavin Chilcott, John Lelangue
http://www.bmcracingteam.com/
Complete team and rider information powered by VeloBios.
Jeff Louder
Chad Beyer
Jonathan Garcia
Brent Bookwalter
Steve Bovay
Nathan Miller
Jackson Stewart
Ian McKissick


The only other team that did not have their roster posted yet was the Trek/Livestrong U23 Development team, A team formed by some unknown rider from Austin, TX.

Trek/Livestrong U23 Development Team
Director: Axel Merckx
http://www.treklivestrongu23.com/
Ryan Bauman
Sam Bewley
Cody Campbell
Guy East
Benjamin King
Ryohei Komori
Taylor Kuphaldt
Julian Kyer
Taylor Phinney
Bjorn Selander
Jesse Sergent

Their roster has a couple of interesting people on it. First off is the Director, Axel Merckx. Axel's palmares as a professional rider are impressive, but he is better known as the son of cycling legend Eddy Merckx.

The other person is also comes from some impressive cycling genes: Taylor Phinney. Wunderkind offspring of former professional racing cyclist Davis Phinney and Gold Medal cyclist and speed-skater Connie Carpenter-Phinney. Taylor is most recently won the individual pursuit at the 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

With talent like this, the Tour of Utah is going to be impressive to say the least.

The Tour of Utah starts on Tuesday, August 18th with a Prologue starting at the state capitol. I will post stage and GC results each day, and hopefully I will be able to report from at least one of the stages again this year. Also, there may be a special surprise coming up. I can't say more, because nothing is confirmed. But if it works, it should be good.

Ugh!

Yes, it has been almost two weeks I since I have posted anything here, and I apologise for the scarsity of content. July has been a difficult month. Heck, this has been a difficult summer.

I have had several posts that I have intended on publishing, but I haven't yet; the Tour de Cure is one of the big ones. I am still trying to get back into the swing of things since my trip back East for my brother's funeral. I'll try to be more consistent with my posting in the future, and will even try to have some more interesting content.

Michael Earl Hill 17 June 1957 - 14 July 2009

Yesterday, my oldest brother, Mike, lost his battle with renal cancer. We were fortunate to be able to go and visit with him and his family back in February.

Tomorrow, my mom and I are flying back to New Hampshire for the funeral and to be with family.

I really am at a loss of words. Right now I don't know how to express what is in my head and heart.

You will be missed, Mike.

Sunday funnies - video edition

Caption this! - 4th of July edition.

Please be safe with your fireworks this 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July tomorrow.

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle."
- Ernest Hemingway, By-Line

"I'll tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood."
- Susan B. Anthony 1896

"As a social revolutionizer, the bicycle has never had an equal. It has put the human race on wheels, and thus changed completely many of the most ordinary processes and methods of social life. It is the great leveler, for not till all Americans got on bicycles was the great American principle that every man is just as good as any other man fully realized. All are on equal terms, all are happier than ever before."
- New York Evening Post, June 2, 1896

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.? Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man.? And (unlike subsequent inventions for man's convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became.? Here, for once, was a product of man's brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others.? Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle.
- Elizabeth West, Hovel

4th of July fun

Yet another non-bike post.

This comes from treehugger.com. On July 4th this year, if you are in the Austin, TX area you can participate in a veggie hot-dog eating contest.

Hot-dog eating contests have been synonymous the 4th of July since who knows when. It's nice to see one for those of us who are vegetarian.

2009 Tour of Utah teams announced.

The teams, and most of the lineups have been announced on the Tour of Utah website. Here is a rundown of who you can expect to see this year...

Bissell Pro Cycling Team
Director: Glen Mitchell
http://www.bissellprocycling.com/

Frank Pipp
Paul Mach
Omer Kem
Ben Jacques-Maynes
Tom Zirbel
Jeremy Vennell
Burke Swindlehurst
Morgan Schmitt


BMC Racing Team
Directors: Gavin Chilcott, John Lelangue
http://www.bmcracingteam.com/

Rider lineup coming soon. I would guess that Jeff Louder will be part of the team, since he won the Tour of Utah last year.


Bobs-Bicycles.com
Directors: Tad Hamilton, Scott Cross
http://www.teambobs-bicycles.com/

Kevin Rowe
Chris Stuart
Erik Slack
Kai Applequist
Brandon Lynch
Chris Hong
Matt Weyen


California Giant Cycling Team
Director: Anthony Gallino
http://www.calgiantcycling.com/

Justin England
James Mattis
Chris Lieto
Jesse Moore
Adam Switters
Mark Santurbane
Ozzie Olmos
John Hunt


Canyon Bicycles All-Stars
Director: Dave Harward
http://www.canyonbicyclesdraper.com/

Dave Harward
Alex Rock
Jesse Gordon
Chase Pinkam
Norm Bryner
Cameron Hoffman
Michael Booth
Ben D'Hulst
Ryan Barrett (alternate)
Cody Peterson (alternate)


Ciclismo Racing
Directors: Rob Granger, Andy Clark
http://www.ciclismoracing.com/

Ben Kneller
Alex Hagman
Nick Frey
Phil Mann
Brad Cole
Ian Gray
Dan Workman
Rolf Eisinger
Paul Esposti (alternate)
Jarred Berger (alternate)
Ointiz Uribe (alternate)


Colavita/Sutter Home Pro Cycling Team, presented by Cooking Light
Directors: John Profaci Jr, Sebastien Alexandre
http://www.pegasusracing.com.au/

Luca Damiani
Lucas Sebastian Haedo
Davide Frattini
Luis Romero Amaran
Alejando Borrajo
Anibal Borrajo
Guido Palma
Kyle Wamsley


Cole Sport Racing
Director: Scott Ford
http://www.teamcsr.org/

Todd Hageman
Brad Gehrig
David Clinger
Tanner Putt
Eric Jeppsen
Billy Demong
Eric Pardyjak
Mike Sohm
Freddy Cruz (alternate)
Ali Goulet (alternate)
Zack Simons (alternate)


Fly V-Australia / Successful Living Pro Cycling Team
Director: Henk Vogels
http://www.pegasusracing.com.au/

Phil Zajicek
Benjamin King
Jonathan Cantwell
Scott Davis
Ben Day
Curtis Gunn
Bernard Sulzberger
Michael Garbinger
David Kemp (alternate)
Steven George (alternate)


Holowesko Partners/Felt U23 Team
Director: Jonathan Vaughters
http://www.slipstreamsports.com/u23-team/
Peter Stetina
Kirk Carlson
Caleb Fairly
Taylor Sheldon
Alex Howes
Raymond Kreder
Walker Savidge
Peter Salon
Danny Summerhill


KFAN Composite Team
Director: None

Jonathan Baker
Scott Tietzel
Will Routley


Land Rover-ORBEA; Benefiting the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Directors: Norrene Godfrey, David Godfrey
http://www.landrover-orbrea.com/

Aaron Tuckerman
Carson Miller
Logan Hunn
Josh Bartlett
Roman vanUden
Jim Camut
Mike Northey
Evan Elken (alternate)
Bobby Sweeting (alternate)
Ryan Taylor (alternate)


OUCH Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis
Director: Mike Tamayo
http://www.teamouch.com/

Floyd Landis
Rory Sutherland
Kari Menzies
Andrew Pinfold
Tim Johnson
Cameron Evans
J. Patrick McCarty
John Chodroff


Ride Clean
Directors: Doug Loveday, Marty Ryerson
http://www.ridecleanteam.com/

Jake Rubelt
Matt Cooke
Brian Forbes
Kyle Colavito
Paul Thomas
Nate Page
David Glick
Jared Gilyard
Jme Carney (alternate)
Ron Jensen (alternate)


Team Rio Grande
Director: Scott Glasscock
http://www.riograndecycling.com/

Corey Collier
Allen Krughoff
Logan Garey
Kiel Reijnen
Jesse DeKrey
Matt Cooke
Matt Shriver
Caley Fretz (alternate)
Ben Kneller (alternate)


Rock Racing
Director: Laurenzo Lapage
http://www.rockracing.com/

Jamey Driscoll
Sergio Hernandez
Victor Hugo Pena
Freddie Rodriguez
Nic Sanderson
Oscar Sevilla
Cesar Grajales


Team Type 1
Director: Ed Beamon
http://www.teamtype1.org/

Jesse Anthony
Charles Joe Eldrigge
Kenneth Hanson
Aldo Ino Ilesic
Valeriy Kobzarenko
Shawn Milne
Matt Wilson
Harold Phil Southerland


Trek/Livestrong U23 Development Team
Director: Axel Merckx
http://www.treklivestrongu23.com/

Rider lineup coming soon.




Trek Red Truck Racing Team
Director: Matthew Barth
http://www.trekredtruckracing.com/

Rob Britton
Jamie Sparling
Dave Vukets
Tyler Trace
Nic Hamilton
Kevin Noiles
Adan Thuss
Dave Brooks
Nathan MacDonald (alternate)
Marsh Cooper (alternate)


Team Waste Management
Director: Steve Cullinan
http://www.racelabu23.com/

Stevie Cullinan
Sean Mazich
Scott Stewart
Grant Van Horn
Kevin Soller
Larry Warbasse
Carter Jones
David Talbott


ZteaM Cycling Team
Director: Hunter Ziesing
http://www.zteamcycling.com/

Nathaniel English
Luke Biker
Jim Wngert
Stefano Barberi
Justin Laue
Chris Phipps
Chris Lyman


Cyclists to watch:
Burke Swindlehurst and Jeff Louder are the local boys, and Jeff was the GC winner of the 2008 Tour of Utah. This is Floyd Landis' first season back since his 2 year doping suspension following the 2006 Tour de France doping scandal.

Other cyclists to watch, but not for their performance:
The circus that is Rock Racing - although Freddy Rodriguez did put in an impressive performance in last year at the downtown criterium. David Clinger - probably the only pro cyclist to sport a full-face Maori tattoo.