Bike Hugger 

Ibex sent us arm and knee warmers and a jersey to try out. I took the New Zealand Merino wool clothes with me to Santa Barbara. It was thankfully warm in SBA and I didn’t wear the warmers for very long, but did note during the ride that they were well-constructed and offer a unique blend of wool, nylon, and Lyrca. They’re also made in the USA.

Temperature regulation is always tough in wet, cold climates (and Seattle has been the wettest and coldest this year!) and I think Ibex would meet the demand for training rides, commutes, and recreational rides. The material is probably too thick for hard riding, but I’ll need to long-term test that factor on a colder, pouring, suffering ride to make sure.

Submitted by San Fran Cup

Check Pink Bike and Flowers post on racing hard to win a new pair of gloves, which is only slightly better than winning a tube, tire, or the all-time favorite, a seat post. Ah well, we don’t do it for the money.

Related photos, including some road rash.

Team Bike Hugger had an outstanding first NRC race of 2007 in Redlands, California. We rode well as a team, enjoyed time together before and after each stage of the race and were a positive presence in Redlands. We also had a good time reporting on the race through the team’s blog. Check it out for race videos and final thoughts on the race.

The Bike Hugger shirts are really cool, we got lots of compliments on them. We suggest that if you wear a size small jersey, to order a medium shirt.

Thank you for the opportunity to share our race experiences with the Bike Hugger community. We have all returned home to compete locally until we can get back together again for another NRC stage race (tbd). I’ll be writing for Bike Hugger periodically, for more on racing and whatever you’re interested in hearing about.

Apple profiles Trek and the tools they used to create their Project One experience. It’s an interesting read with quotes like, “a bike isn’t just a set of wheels. It’s an extension of bone and muscle, a projection of personality in motion. It’s not merely a machine, it’s personal.”

In the Santa Barbara photos, you can see the Project One bike Union Bay Cycling is racing on this year and, as I’ve posted before, getting personal is an alternative to an industry that’s increasingly homogenized.

Trek’s coasting bike, Lime, is also discussed in the profile. And I just found that Lime is blogging with updates on sightings, news, and a podcast.

Also noted on Treehugger.