RECALL: Norco, Trek, Cannondale

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RECALL: Norco, Trek, Cannondale Bikes
SportsOneSource Media Posted: 5/19/2009
Three bike manufacturers - Norco, Trek, Cannondale - have issued voluntary recalls of their products in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Norco Bicycle Frames
The recalled frames were sold at various bicycle distributors nationwide from September 2006 through February 2009 for between $2,000 and $7,000.

The bicycle frame can crack and separate, causing a rider to fall from the bicycle and suffer injuries. Norco has received one report of a rider who fractured their collar bone after falling from the bicycle.

The recalled bicycle frames include the following model year and model names: 2007 Team DH, 2008 Team DH, Aline Park, Aline, Atomik, Shore 1,2,3, 2009 Atomik (without gussets). All colors are included in the recall and the model name is printed on a decal on the top tube of each
frame/bike.

Trek

About 16,000 bicycles with JD suspension forks were imported by Trek Bicycle Corp., of Waterloo, WI, and sold at Trek bicycle dealers nationwide from August 2008 through April 2009 for between $640 and $940.

The recalled bicycle's fork can lose alignment causing the front wheel to turn unexpectedly. This can cause the rider to lose control of the bicycle and crash. There have been four reports of misaligned forks. No
injuries have been reported.

The recall involves model year 2009 Trek 7300, 7300WSD, and 7500 bicycles. The model name is printed on the bicycle's frame. The bicycles have a suspension fork with the words "Bontrager SPA" printed on them.

Consumers should stop riding the recalled bicycles immediately and contact their dealer to arrange for a free repair.

Cannondale

About 1,500 bicycles with JD suspension forks were imported by Cannondale Bicycle Corp. and sold at Cannondale bicycle dealers from February 2009 through April 2009 for between $600 and $800.
The recalled bicycle's fork can lose alignment causing the front wheel to turn unexpectedly. This can cause the rider to lose control of the bicycle and crash. There have been no reported injuries.

The recall involves model year 2008 Cannondale Adventure 2, Adventure 3, Adventure 2 Feminine and Adventure 3 Feminine bicycles. The model name is printed on the bicycle's frame. The bicycles have a suspension fork with the words "cannondale AT35 adventure trail" printed on them. Bicycles equipped with the Rock Shox i-ride fork are not included in the recall.

Consumers should stop riding the recalled bicycles immediately and contact their dealer to arrange for a free repair.

Ritter in Springs today to sign bill protecting rights of cyclists

Ritter in Springs today to sign bill protecting rights of cyclists | bill, cyclists, sign - Top Stories - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

Ritter in Springs today to sign bill protecting rights of cyclists
Comments 47 | Recommend 6
May 11, 2009 - 10:03 AM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Gov. Bill Ritter plans to sign a bill here today aimed at protecting the rights of cyclists.

The measure (Senate Bill 148) requires that drivers give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing or risk a $110 ticket.

Anyone who throws an object at a cyclist could be charged with a class 2 misdemeanor. That carries a fine of between $250 and $1,000 and a possible sentence of three to 12 months in jail.

The bill was sponsored by a bipartisan pair of avid cyclists - Republican Sen. Greg Brophy and Democratic Rep. Mike Merrifield. It will take effect Aug. 5.

The governor plans to sign the bill along with six others at Penrose Library.

Among the bills:

SB 148 (Brophy/Merrifield), Bicycle Safety Bill
SB 110 (Morse/Levy), Civil Rights Commission
HB 1058 (Morse/Marostica), Abandoned Military Remains
HB 1250 (Merrifield/Penry), Federal Money to Counties for School Districts
HB 1290 (Nikkel & Apuan/Harvey), Student Financial Aid National Guard
HB 1313 (Merrifield/Bacon), Expand Higher Ed Civic Engagement
HB 1334 (McCann & Apuan/Newell), Aggregate Two Theft Offenses

Pretax dollars to pay for sports and fitness. Good idea if not to convoluted.

SportsOneSource.com - Sporting Goods Business UPDATE

Physical Fitness Bill Introduced in Congress
SportsOneSource Media Posted: 4/29/2009

According to the SGMA, Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) has introduced the Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2009 (PHIT) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Zach Wamp (R-TN) joined Kind in sponsoring the PHIT Bill.
ADVERTISEMENT The SGB Question
The PHIT Act would change current federal tax law to allow for the deduction or use of pre-tax dollars to cover expenses related to sports, fitness and other physical activities. Americans could invest up to $2,000 annually to pay for physical activities by investing money in existing pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Medical Savings Accounts (MSA) and/or medical reimbursement arrangements. PHIT would only expand the expenses eligible for reimbursement to include physical activity costs as a form of prevention; PHIT would not increase contribution limits to these accounts. Once an individual or family spends 7.5% of their income on qualified medical expenses, they could deduct physical activity expenses directly.

“SGMA has been supporting this bill in recent years and we are delighted to see that Representative Ron Kind is leading the effort on this legislation,” said Bill Sells, SGMA VP of government relations. “For the consumer, it reduces expenses associated with exercise, fitness and sports participation through the use of funds in pre-tax accounts. By encouraging more physical activity via financial incentives, we will improve health, reduce medical costs and lower absenteeism at school and in the workplace. PHIT has the potential to make a big difference in people’s lives, the economy and health care spending.”
“Regular physical activity is the best preventive medicine we can prescribe,” said Kind, a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. “This bill will give people the incentive they need to get active – to participate in that exercise class, join an intramural sports team, or sign up for a gym membership.”

With Kind, Blumenauer and Brady all serving on the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee, the prospects for PHIT are improved. Health care reform is a top priority in Washington and PHIT is consistent with reducing health costs – a primary objective of reform efforts.

One of the main reasons PHIT is getting attention on Capitol Hill is due to the Congressional support generated by physical activity advocates last month during SGMA’s National Health Through Fitness Day (NHTF). On NHTF Day, a delegation of well known athletes, sporting goods and fitness manufacturers, sports retailers, concerned citizens, physical educators and association leaders met with Members of the U.S. House and Senate to encourage passage of two legislative initiatives that will help Americans (of all ages) become more physically active and healthy. In addition to PHIT, the sports industry also promoted higher funding for quality physical education through the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP). PEP provides grants to school districts and community based organizations for innovative physical education and activity methods. Since 2001, PEP has provided close to $600 million for equipment purchases and P.E. training.

“Both pieces of legislation are important,” said Sells. “Basically, PEP provides support to school-age children while PHIT will provide financial incentives for all Americans to lead more active and healthy lives.”

Underarmor Cups, not so armor like

SportsOneSource.com - Sporting Goods Business UPDATE

RECALL: Under Amour Protective Cups
SportsOneSource Media Posted: 4/29/2009
Under Armour, Inc., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission, has issued a recall for 211,00 protective athletic cups, which the company said can break if hit-thus posing an injurt threat to the wearer.

The company has received five reports of the cups breaking, including an injury that involved cuts and bruising. The recall involves all cups with that have the Under Armour logo, including adult, teen and youth sizes. The cups in question were sold individually and as part of a set with compression, slider or jock shorts. Consumers should immediately stop using the cup and contact Under Armour for a $20 voucher for use online or at any Under Armour specialty or outlet store.

Boulder sheriff decries 'bicycle safety' bill approval

Boulder sheriff decries 'bicycle safety' bill approval : Cycling : Boulder Daily Camera

BOULDER, Colo. — A bill that clarifies cyclists' rights and seeks to better protect them from aggressive drivers has been approved by the Colorado Legislature and is headed to Gov. Bill Ritter's desk for a final decision.

But Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle says the bill "goes too far" and warns that there could be trouble if Ritter gives the bill the go-ahead.

Senate Bill 148, also known as the Bicycle Safety Bill, would make major changes to how drivers and cyclists share the road. It passed both the state House and Senate on Monday, tallying final votes of 57-7 and 29-6, respectively.

Provisions of the bill would require drivers to give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing, allow vehicles to cross double-yellow lines to pass riders safely and allow cyclists to ride two abreast as long as they don't impede the normal flow of traffic.

But while bicycle advocates are celebrating the victory and anticipating a final approval by the governor, the Boulder County sheriff said Tuesday that the law would make cyclists virtually immune to prosecution.

"It will be very difficult or impossible to enforce anything against the cyclists," Pelle said.

He said language that allows cyclists to ride in the middle of mountain roads or two-abreast, for example, could lead to increased conflict between riders and drivers.

"There's really nothing now that requires them (cyclists) to yield or move over," Pelle said. "This bill gives them full access to the road."

On the county's open highways, he said, cyclists would not be required to use the special shoulders added specifically to separate riders from traffic.

"Under the old statutes, if a bicycle lane or bicycle path was provided, cyclists were required to use it -- and now they're not" if the bill passes, Pelle said. "Boulder County spent million to build bike lanes."

He said he hopes that most riders will continue to use the designated lanes as a matter of safety.

"There has to be accountability and common sense on both the drivers' and the cyclists' part," he said.

While cyclists should be given a three-foot-wide berth while passing, as the bill would require, the rest of the proposed law gives cyclists "carte blanche," he said.

The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, said Pelle's concerns are unfounded.

"You can ride two-abreast as long as you're not impeding the normal flow of traffic," Brophy said. "It goes to show we need to educate law-enforcement officers along the lines of what the cycling statues say and don't say."

Donald Cicchillo, president of the Boulder Cycling Club, said he thinks most riders will use common sense and not take advantage of the law.

"The reality is that it's safer to be over on the right in the bike lane," Cicchillo said. "I don't think it's going to cause people to be less courteous."

Dan Grunig, executive director of Bicycle Colorado, called the statehouse approval "a victory for everyone who wants safer roads in Colorado."

"It's been a long time coming," Grunig said. "It gives real clear guidance" about how drivers are to treat cyclists on the roads.

Grunig said the governor, himself an avid cyclist, is expected to sign off on the bill. If he does, the law would likely be signed during a June 7 ceremony and would go into effect Aug. 4.

A spokesperson for the governor's office did not return a phone call Tuesday.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Heath Urie about this story at (303) 473-1328 or urieh@dailycamera.com.

VeloNews Photography | Blade Re-Sharpened: Notice the shape of the top ... | The Journal of Competitive Cycling.

VeloNews Photography | Blade Re-Sharpened: Notice the shape of the top ... | The Journal of Competitive Cycling.

Litespeed's TT Bike

VeloNews | After a two-year hiatus, Litespeed's TT bike is back and looks sharper than ever. | The Journal of Competitive Cycling.

After a two-year hiatus, Litespeed's TT bike is back and looks sharper than ever.
By Robbie Stout
Posted Mar. 13, 2009
Article Extras

* Photos

Blade Re-Sharpened: The new Blade has super high-profile frame tubes.
Blade Re-Sharpened: The new Blade has super high-profile frame tubes.
Photo: Robbie Stout

Re-introduced in September 2008, after a two year hiatus, the Litespeed Blade is a bike with a storied history. The signature titanium airfoil tube shape was created by accident in the early 1990s and brought to widespread prominence when Lance Armstrong used one (disguised as a Trek) in the 1999 Tour de France. Ten years after that historic ride, Litespeed is wielding a totally new Blade, and we had a chance to check out one of the first bikes to leave the test lab.
Sharpening the Blade

I drove to Moab, Utah, a month ago for a training camp with Chip Chilson of Aspen Sport Performance. The Litespeed Blade ridden by Chilson is the first to be released outside of the company. Litespeed engineer Brad DeVaney met Chilson a few years ago at an Interbike dinner and felt that he would be a good candidate to test the prototype Blade.
Blade Re-Sharpened: The new Blade has downtube cable routing and an under-stay rear brake.
Blade Re-Sharpened: The new Blade has downtube cable routing and an under-stay rear brake.
Photo: Robbie Stout

Though the geometry on Chilson's Blade is custom, it gave DeVaney a chance to test the capabilities of the manufacturing process. "We're also creating tools and fixtures to build the bike while we build the bike," said DeVaney. The process used to create the dramatic titanium tube shapes requires innovative methods and tools that didn't exist until the design of the Blade was created.
Advertisement

More than ever, the storied Litespeed time trial bike lives up to its name. This new Blade has drastically flatter tubes that taper off into a sharp edge. Using 3/2.5 titanium, a more malleable alloy branded “T1,” Litespeed is able to achieve the ultra-narrow tube profiles for the Blade. A front view of the Blade shows the efforts that were made — the frame has a broad side profile and minimal frontal area. The seat tube similarly takes an extreme approach to aerodynamics and to match the effort, Litespeed created a bladed seatpost. Finally, the top tube is triangle-shaped, flat on top and pointed on the bottom, providing added lateral stiffness with minimal side and frontal exposure.
Blade Re-Sharpened: The downtube is left open at the bottom.
Blade Re-Sharpened: The downtube is left open at the bottom.
Photo: Robbie Stout

The wing-like downtube also functions as a conduit for internal routing of the rear brake and derailleur cables. Cables enter near the headtube and exit the open-ended downtube at the bottom bracket junction. As on a growing number of time trial bikes, the rear brake is mounted to the chainstay bridge for maximum aerodynamics.

To complete the package, Litespeed designed a matching titanium aero fork. As a gesture to the stealthy aesthetics of the frame, the logo is printed in black and placed on the inside of the fork, keeping the visible side uncluttered.
Blade Re-Sharpened: The bike is almost two-dimensional.
Blade Re-Sharpened: The bike is almost two-dimensional.
Photo: Robbie Stout

Component Highlights of Chilson's bike:

* Wheels: ZIPP 1080 Tubular Rear and 808 Front
* Handlebar: Zipp VukaAero
* Stem: Look Ergostem
* Drivetrain: Wireless SRM FSA K-Force Light with ceramic bearings
* Saddle: ISM Adamo Racing

A slice through time: the history of the Blade

In this era of carbon fiber, a material permitting almost any frame shape imaginable, a titanium time trial bike radically bucks the trend. But the Blade has a legendary history that lends credibility to this latest iteration.

In 1992, DeVaney was shaping a large titanium tube that was meant for a tandem. Just as he had it heated and under pressure from the press, the tube cracked. "Once a tube is cracked, it's garbage," recalled DeVaney, "Therefore in my frustration, anger, embarrassment, I completely squished the cracked tube as I bottomed the press faces together." At that moment a second crack and pop were heard. When the press was raised, to DeVaney's surprise, there lay two perfectly symmetrical, slightly ovalized halves of a tube. "I was off the hook by having mistakenly formed the first Blade tube halves," he said, "I dressed the edges and had the two parts welded into a tube immediately."
Blade Re-Sharpened: Notice the shape of the top tube and the narrow profile.
Blade Re-Sharpened: Notice the shape of the top tube and the narrow profile.
Photo: Robbie Stout

After the initial discovery, Litespeed developed a more consistent, cost-effective process of manufacturing tubes for the Blade. After four years of research and development the Blade was first brought to production in 1995, said Litespeed's Chris Brown.

DeVaney then worked with Steve Hegg and Lance Armstrong in 1996 on building the best available time trial bike. Hegg won his third elite U.S. national time trial championship and Armstrong won the final time trial (and overall) at the Tour DuPont in 1996 on a Blade.
Blade Re-Sharpened: That's no Trek under that paint.
Blade Re-Sharpened: That's no Trek under that paint.
Photo: Graham Watson

In 1998, Armstrong called DeVaney seeking a UCI-legal time trial bike for the 1999 Tour de France. He went on to race the prologue and time trial on a Blade, painted blue with Trek decals.

Not only did Armstrong famously ride a Blade, the RLX Polo Sport triathlon team used the Blade in 2002 and 2003, as did the Lotto-Adecco team at the 2002 Tour de France.
Carving a new niche

Now after 14 years and 12 generations of the Blade, Litespeed has once again designed a time trial bike unlike any other on the market.

Even though Chilson’s frame is a prototype, the design is virtually complete. “It’s down to aesthetics,” says DeVaney, “When a bike is at that segment of the market you just don’t make any compromises.” By “aesthetics,” he means the slightest details of joints and welds, not so much the shape of the main tubes.

Due in part to the high price tag of the new Blade, upwards of $10,000, DeVaney expects that a good percentage of these bikes will be made with custom geometry — Litespeed has the capacity to make every Blade fit like a glove.

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