Pearl Izumi Speed Shop Unveils New Speed Jersey at Tour

It would seem that Pearl Izumi has taken a page from the Speedo marketing handbook.
Remember the Fastskin LZR Racer The suit was said to make a swimmer 5% more efficient in the water and was worn in the Olymics by Michael Phelps who went on to win a record eight gold medals.

Pearl Izumi will debut a new jersey called the P.R.O. (Performance and Race Optimized) Speed Jersey.
Pearl Izumi claims that the garment offers an unparalleled on-the-bike anatomic fit to generate maximum aerodynamic performance. It has been in development since last year's Tour de France, the new patent-pending Speed Jersey is designed with drag cheating P.R.O. Transfer Aero fabric - the fastest fabric ever developed for cycling. Pearl Izumi Speed Shop went through dozens of prototypes and conducted numerous tests to gain a record-breaking aerodynamic edge for the Garmin-Slipstream Team.

"Our relationship with the Garmin-Slipstream Team has been an incredible catalyst for product innovation," said Cache Mundy, Pearl Izumi's vice president of marketing.

"The Garmin-Slipstream Team provides us with phenomenal testing and feedback in the harshest of conditions. We use their input to further refine our products before they go to market for avid cycling enthusiasts worldwide."

In addition to the P.R.O. Speed Jersey, the Garmin-Slipstream team members may select from three other Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Model jerseys:
The standard P.R.O. Jersey, the workhorse of the line

The P.R.O. Climbers Jersey featuring Direct-Vent Fabric for optimal ventilation and minimum weight
The P.R.O. Aero Jersey, which features a second skin fit and anatomic construction.

This July, Pearl Izumi will pre-launch the 2010 Limited Edition Black Star Design Aero Jersey and Short, which will allow consumers to ride in the exact same Aero Jersey and Bib Short available to Garmin-Slipstream.

The Black Star Kits feature the identical materials, construction, fit and aero fabrics used by the team with the addition of Pearl Izumi's all new P.R.O. Seamless 4D Chamois, the most advanced, anatomic chamois ever produced (available through authorized Pearl Izumi apparel retailers). Look for other Pearl Izumi Speed Shop items such as the P.R.O. Speed Jersey to come to market soon.

German brothel offers discounts to cyclists

A Berlin brothel has come up with a novel way to offset the impact of the global economic crisis and target a new group of customers at the same time - offering a discount to patrons who arrive on bicycles.
Read the full article Here

Take a ride on Wharton's mountain bike trails

When Chris Arterburn wants to go for a bike ride, he doesn't want to pedal a long way to get there.

Arterburn is a mountain bike enthusiast who lives in Collingswood and works in Cherry Hill.

When he wants to go off-road wheeling for a good workout and for good fun, he likes to go to the Wharton State Forest all-terrain bicycle trails.

The Wharton bike track is the lone all-terrain trail park in South Jersey. The site is run by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Parks and Forestry with help from the Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association (JORBA). The next closest trail park is in Allaire State Park.

"There are little bitty parks, but there is not a destination like at Wharton where you can go ride for two or three hours," said Arterburn, about riding in South Jersey. "There are other little parks, but they are like after-work parks, not a destination park to ride."

Read the Complete Article at: Courier post online

Sprain Ridge Park

Sprain Ridge Park
Sprain Ridge Park in Yonkers is less than 30 minutes away from the Jersey side of the GWB (traffic permitting) The Park has some of the best riding I have experienced on the East Coast There are plenty of drops, jumps, obstacles, and skinnies. Making this a great place to practice and get your riding skills together before heading to a Freeride park like Diablo or Hunter. Most of the technical features have an alternate ride options or bypasses similar to Blue Mountain.
I have now ridden Sprain Ridge in multiple conditions from Sunny and hot to Rainy and cool. The ride is a workout and the Heat and Humidity can make it difficult so make sure you have plenty of water and food to keep you going. After a week of rain I was pleased to see that the park drains well and was not too muddy. But be careful of the wooden bridges and log hops they can be treacherously slick.
The single track begins right at the trail head and seemingly never ends although there are a few fire roads. The trails are twisty and technical but with more flow than Ringwood. While Sprain ridge offers miles of trails for free riders, it has its physical challenges as well. There are some long somewhat steep climbs and undulating trails to test the legs and lungs of even the most seasoned XC rider.
This is a great place to ride or train. There are a few sections I want to point out:
Roller/Drop right at the beginning of the trail head.
A long rock ridge with a steep roller or drop (This is about ¼ of the way into the trail (See video and GPS).
An open area that is filled with drops, step-ups, skinnies, and jumps (After the Lions Back Ridge you will go down some tight switchbacks then climb to this open area which is a good place to take a break have something to eat and mess around)
A narrow walled downhill section (see video rider coming down with dog)
Wooden Bridge drop Beginner Trail - start off in the bus parking lot. to get there you need to enter the main entrance of the park from jackson ave, go straight and through the opened gate and turn on your first right turn and park where the buses are. The trail starts at the sign opposite of the buses and is called "otter ramble" Intermediate Trail - start off in the main parking lot. to get there you need to enter the main entrance of the park from jackson ave, follow the road, bear left and make the right into the 1st open lot you see. park in one of those spots and the trail starts at the corner of the lot to the left of where you came in up a big hill/boulder combo. this trail is one of the main trails people start with called "north brother's loop". if you follow the map you can head north, then east, then south east and enjoy the terrain as it loops back, expect to spend 2-3+hrs on your first time out just to find your way around

Directions from New Jersey:
GWB to 87 North

Take Exit 6A (Stew Leonard Drive)
Continue toward Corporate Dr
Turn left at Corporate Dr
Turn right at Sprain Rd
Turn right at Jackson Ave

For additional Information: http://www.westchestergov.com/parks/Directions/Individual/SprainRidgePark.htm

Pictures:


Video from various rides at Sprain Ridge

GPS Links:

Independence Day Ride - Free from Cars

This year was the 400th Anniversary of the Exploration of the Hudson River.
In honor of this the 2009 Macy's fireworks show featured more than 40,000 shells exploding at a rate of more than 1,500 per minute (that's eight times more high-level fireworks than last year's show). The fireworks were set off from six barges positioned between 24th and 50th Streets on the Hudson River.
We rode our bikes along the river path in Edgewater to City Place then once the roads were closed hauled down to Weehawken (River road is a great place to ride when there aren't any cars) We found a great spot to view the fireworks from. The video below captures some of the highlights including the grand Finale. Enjoy