Outdoor Retailer - Winter Edition

When I first went to Outdoor Retailer last week, I wasn't expecting to post anything about the show. Usually, I can find a handful of cycling-related products that warrant a post or review, this time hardly any.

Then, I went back for a couple of hours on day 2, and found something that made my cycling geek day.

Hidden down an aisle that I missed on the first day, I found the gem that I was looking for. Bern, one of my favorite helmet manufacturers (I have three Bern helmets), has entered into the soft goods market!

Jeans and shorts have stretch fabric, gusseted crotches, and photo-reflective hits for safety. 

The shirts shown have a cool chain link pattern, and come in short and long sleeve versions.  

The Bern/Masterlink line features jeans, shorts, shirts and jackets that reflect the urban commuter/messenger style that Bern has become known for, while incorporating the performance features that cyclists need.

Unfortunately, this is just a quick post, I am hoping to get some samples and additional information so I can write a full review.

Food Friday - Raw Revolution bars

Yes, another energy bar on Food Friday. I'm sure that this isn't the last time the subject of energy bars will pop up, for a couple of reasons:

1. If you haven't figured it out from the title of this blog, or from the majority of the posts, I consider myself a cyclist.
   
2. I like energy bars. In the past, when we would stop at the gas station to gas up and load up on junk food, more often than not, I would grab a Clif bar, or something similar to that.

The subject of today's post is another product I found while wandering through the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market expo in January.

Raw Revolution bars were created by Alice Benedetto, a registered nurse and natural foods chef who was looking to create an alternative to high sugar processed snacks for her son. Friends who tried the brownie loved the taste, and suggested that she sell them.

From the website:

"Raw, living foods are clean, and have higher nutrient content than cooked food. Processed foods such as protein isolates and grain based fillers are acidic and cause fermentation in the body. Raw Organic foods are closest to their natural state, bringing us closer to healing ourselves and the global ecology."

Raw Revolution bars are all natural, vegan, organic, gluten free, wheat, corn, soy, trans-fat, cholesterol and refined sugar free, and 100% raw. Plus, they taste good.

I haven't had a chance to taste all of the flavors (there are 10 of them), but my favorites so far are Spirulina & Cashew, and Cashew & Agave Nectar. The spirulina gives the Spirulina & Cashew bar an interesting dark green color which can be a little unsettling the first time you see it, and it comes out of the package a little oily, but don't let that stop you from trying it. I also liked the Chocolate & Coconut, but I found it a little dry. I haven't come across one that I dislike yet. I am going to have to try the rest to see if they all are as good as they sound like they will be.

As a someone who has been vegetarian for the past 5 years, and very recently decided to go vegan, I like it when I am able to find something that I am confident about eating. The ingredients are simple and straighforward, no preservatives or addatives, no words that you can't pronounce, and have no idea what it even is. The ingredient list is also refreshingly short - the Spirulina & Cashew only has six ingredients total.

Give them a try, I've seen them at Whole Foods, or you can order them directly at http://www.rawindulgence.com/. You can also check their events page to see if they will be at an event near you.

Product Review: ChicoBag

ChicoBag is another one of the companies I came across at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show.

To give a little history of the company, ChicoBag was started in early 2004 when Andy Keller, president of ChicoBag, visited his local landfill. The dominant article of the landfill was single-use grocery bags. They were everywhere! On the way home, he noticed bags stuck in trees, collecting along the bottoms of fences, in puddles, and blowing along the streets.

Andy decided that what was needed was a reusable bag that people would actually use. With a used sewing machine, he created lightweight, reusable grocery bag that stuffs into it's own little integrated pouch.

The Bag Monster. Made up of 500 single-use grocery bags (the average number of bags one shopper uses in a year).

Since that time, ChicoBag's line has evolved from the original bag into a whole line of bags in several sizes and colors, including a sling bag, their rePETe line of bags made out of recycled PET bottles, and recently a messenger bag and daypack.

I talked to the people at ChicoBag at their booth at the Outdoor Retailer Show in January, and they gave me one of their messenger12 bags from the rePETe line to try out.

Like all of the bags that ChicoBag makes, the messenger stuffs down into it's own small integrated pouch, and comes in a couple of different colors. All of the rePETe bags are made out of at least 80% recycled materials, from the bag to the harware. In fact, on outside of the stuff pouch, and on the inside of the main flap, there is a listing of exactly what percent of the bag is recycled (mine says 85%), and what recycled materials the bag is made from.

I have been using my bag for a couple of weeks now, taking it to work and back as my lunch bag. I throw my lunch (a sandwich, bag of sun chips, and a couple pieces of fruit), my moeben buff, a couple of magazines, and a diet coke in it and I'm ready to go. The strap is wide and comfortable. It isn't padded, but then it's a small bag, and not meant to carry large, heavy items (plus, a padded strap would negate it's stuffability) If I don't have anything to bring back home, I can stuff it away, and throw it into my jacket pocket.

from a small, compact pouch to a full-sized bag

The main flap is held in place by a couple of fairly strong magnets. Aside from the stuff sack (which when the bag is unstuffed is in the back of the main compartment, and becomes a perfect pocket for your keys or cell phone) there is a large zipper pouch on the front of the bag, and a pocket on each side of the bag to hold a water bottle - or similarly sized object.

The other day, I had to stop by the grocery store on the way home. Since I had my ChicoBag with me, I decided to put it through the paces. A couple bunches of broccoli, zucchini, garlic, and two boxes of Valentines day cards for my boys to take to school all went into the bag with no problem.

yours truly modeling the messenger12, after a trip to the grocery store - and lookin' good doing so ;-)

a couple bunches of broccoli, zucchini, garlic, and Valentine's day cards for my boys to take to school

I love messenger bags. I have a couple of bags that I use almost constantly. Unless I have to take my laptop with me, I will be using my ChicoBag from now on. It's the perfect size for my normal usage. I haven't had a chance to use it on my bike, but come spring I'll try it out to run some errands around home, and on days that I commute to work by bike.

The messenger12 rePETe sells for $17.99. There is also a stabilizing strap that is available that attaches to the back of the bag so it won't shift while you are on the bike. You can order it directly from http://www.chicobag.com/ or use their store locator to find a store in your area that carries them.

Sustainability

If I had to use one word to sum up what I saw at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market this year, it would have to be sustainability.

Many of the booths that I visited were doing something to help the environment. They were either re-introducing existing products in their line that are now made with recycled or sustainable materials, or they were coming out with new, environmentally friendly products.

Products made with PET from recycled water bottles were common. As well as clothing made from bamboo fibers.

Here's a small look at some of the recycled items I saw...

Chico Bags were created with sustainability in mind. Their line has expanded from a simple alternative to the ubiquitous white plastic shopping bag to a messenger bag and a day pack. They also have several bags that are made out of more than 80% recycled material, with fabric made from recycled PET bottles. The folks at their booth were kind enough to give me one of their Messenger rePETe bags to try out. Expect a full review soon.


Teko has a line of running/cycling socks made from 100% recycled PET. They told me that they are just as durable and comfortable as your traditional lycra cycling socks.

Another material that was being recycled and reused in new materials was rubber - as in rubber tubes. Bicycling may be an environmentally friendly alternative to driving, but we aren't completely green. One problem is our tires and tubes. It is considerably cheaper for companies to produce tubes from raw butyl rubber than to recycle used tubes. So, what happens to those tubes? One company, Green Guru creates messenger bags, wallets, and other accesories out of recycled tubes.


These bags are made out of recycled tubes. the top one is made from one truck innertube, the bottom one is made out of 6 mountain bike tubes. They also make bags from recycled billboard and hemp.

Cycle Dog makes leashes and collars for man's best friend from recycled bicycle tubes. Hailing from Portland, The owner combined her love for cycling and her love for her dog and came up with a use for all her discarded tubes.

It always helps to have a cute spokesmodel at your booth to draw the crowds

Their collars also have a "pup top" for opening your favorite frosty beverage.

Many other companies were offering products made from recycled, repurposed, or sustainable materials. I can only imagine that number will increase in the future.

Outdoor Retailer

Here are a few pictures from the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.

More to come later...

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010 is coming...

The Outdoor Retailer Expo is back in town. The Winter Market 2010 starts on Wednesday the 20th with a demo day at Snow Basin and it continues with the trade show at the Salt Palace Thursday the 21st till Sunday the 24th. Again, I was able to obtain a media pass. This time, I got it early enough that I was able to do so me advance planning. I have some meetings set up with a couple of companies. Expect some product reviews sometime after the expo ends.

I hope to possibly blog from the expo - depending on the wifi availibility there.