Blog Posts
Pedicabs at SXSWView here.
Tom
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Interview
Professional PhotographersView here.
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Trade Show Coverage
2014 SIA Snow ShowView here.
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Snowsports How-To
Big Mountain Backcountry LineView here.
Avalanche Safety Training
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Travel
Canoa, EcuadorView here.
Motorcycle Diaries in Colombia
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And here.
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Historical Research
Avalanche Safety GearView here.
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Product Descriptions
Orbea is an icon of Spanish cycling, and the bikes they create aren’t just for winning the top races in Europe, they’re works of art as well. Their Orca Gold DI2 sits at the top of their offerings with an ultra-high modulus carbon fiber frame that’s sculpted and tweaked to get every bit of pedaling efficiency while minimizing weight and aerodynamic drag. What truly sets this bike apart from its brethren is the Shimano DI2 compatibility. It is designed and wired specifically for Shimano’s category-defining electronic shifting system that uses motorized deraileurs to shift your gears instead of antiquated cable and spring tension. The Orca’s frame comes from the factory with sleek internal electric wire routing, and has a specific battery mount hidden from wind on the left chainstay. Don’t try to run traditional cables on this masterpiece, Orbea removed the cable stops needed for mechanical derailleurs to save weight and improve ascetics. Orbea doesn’t try to go head to head with the biggest bike companies in the world, they know they offer a special product and they take time to ensure that the bike you’re riding is the absolute best it can be. Their attention to detail is apparent with their Size Specific Nerve technology. They use this to produce frames that are tuned for each rider’s size, so a five foot four climber isn’t lugging a frame made for a six foot one sprinter, and so the six foot one sprinter isn’t turning the climber’s bike into a wet noodle. The bikes feature proprietary tube diameters and specific carbon fiber layups for each size of the frame. Talk about a tuned ride! Orbea sculpts the Orca’s frame and fork shapes so they disappear from the wind, improve stiffness, and make for a comfortable ride. This difficult task gives rise to the unique and undeniably European lines of the frameset. Orbea creates the fork from their Gold level ultra high modulus carbon fiber so it integrates perfectly with the frame through a 1.5 inch head tube. The entire drivetrain comes courtesy of Shimano Dura Ace 11-speed, including shifters, brakes, deraileurs, cassette, and even the chain. Spinning beneath you are the Dura-Ace Carbon wheels wrapped in Vittoria Diamante Pro rubber so you can climb with speed and dive into any corner with confidence. Orbea keeps their parts spec local, reaching to the other European cycling stronghold of Italy for a stem and handlebar by 3T, and a comfortable saddle from Selle Italia that matches perfectly with the Orca’s Monolink seatpost. With such an efficient and comfortable ride, the Orca Gold DI2 is sure to be your favorite bike whether heading out for an after-work group ride or putting the screws to the peloton on Sunday morning. The Orbea Orca Gold DI2 is available in Orange, Blue, Red, and Carbon Matte, and sizes 48cm, 51cm, 53cm, 55cm, 57cm, and 60cm.-
Shimano’s XTR mountain bike componentry has a long-standing reputation for being the absolute best hardware you can hang on your prized rig. It features impeccably smooth shifting with precise gear engagement, beautiful design integration, and a litany of new technologies that can’t be found from any other manufacturer. Shimano calls their most innovative design feature for rear deraileurs a Shadow profile, and you can be sure it is included on this masterpiece. A Shadow profile is made to pull the body of the derailleur closer to the bike, keeping it away from pesky rocks, roots, and logs that like to snack on expensive parts for fun. This keeps you riding more, and fixing mechanicals less. XTR rear derailleurs use push the limits of engineering with a half-carbon fiber, half aluminum cage. While slightly more difficult to see, the sealed bearings inside the pulleys greatly decrease friction so you expend less energy. The return spring has also been reworked by the Shimano engineers so you’ll click into the smaller cogs even easier than with any previous generation of XTR deraileurs. It is best paired with a full Shimano 2 x 10 drivetrain, but will work well with most 10-speed cassettes, and it is available with a medium or long cage depending on your rear cassette tooth count.
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Breathe the crisp mountain air and soak in the high-alpine sun while enjoying the awesome ride qualities of GNU's environmentally friendly Eco Genetics snowboard. They've combined fast-growing bamboo, aspen, and balsa wood for minimal weight and a poppy snap! Banana Tech Magne-Traction keeps your edge locked in for turns on icy terrain while still giving a fun and floaty ride, and LCP Liquid Crystal Polymer fibers help calm board chatter. The illustrated topsheet is even environmentally friendly, and the sintered base is fast and tough.
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Patagonia's Untracked Jacket brings freeride style and performance to the rest of the mountain. Created for riders looking to drop pillow lines or throw spins off a natural spine, this jacket features 3-layer Gore-Tex fabric to keep you warm and dry while hiking and shredding. Patagonia has equipped you with a low-profile, rotating powder skirt, an adjustable helmet-compatible hood with a visor, pit zips, a RECCO avalanche rescue system reflector, and an abundance of purpose-built pockets.
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If the cold weather has been keeping you inside sipping hot chocolate then put on a pair of Mountain Hardware Returnia Insulated Pants and go join the fun. Featuring a very stylish cut in two colors that go with everything, these pants are ready to take to the slopes. Warmth is provided by Thermic Micro insulation, and Twill 2L fabric keeps the water out and warmth in while zippered vents are like a personalized climate control system. Powder cuffs keep the snow out if you take a tumble and Ambush edge guards stop your skis from shredding your new favorite pants. Fleece lined hand pockets are standard.
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Surly's Trucker Hat will instantly make you cooler, more desirable to the person of your choosing, and as an added bonus block sun from your face. It has a mesh back for ventilation and style, and a patch on the front where you can write anything you want. Get a couple because you have a lot to say to the world.
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When Brooks set out to make the Criterion Ladies Jacket - a new standard by which all other cycling jackets would be judged - they knew meticulous care had to be taken to ensure artistry and functionality. For this reason they enlisted the expertise of renowned British tailor Timothy Everest. Bearing the name of their founder in the John Boultbee Collection, this fine piece of outerwear is made of Ventile - a woven cotton textile with enduring waterproof and windproof characteristics originally developed for pilots in the Second World War. Its popularity continues thanks to its nearly silent mobility that will help the discerning cyclist slip into classrooms or board meetings marginally behind schedule without notice. The catalog of cycling-specific features includes a small rear flap protecting trousers from rain and soil that neatly folds away when not in use, thumb openings that the wearer might use to hold each sleeve in place, and shoulder panels that have been reinforced so backpacks and bags do not leave unsightly blemishes.
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If friends ask you to bring a Kazoo on the camping trip be sure they specify between The North Face’s warm and light new sleeping bag or something to facilitate campfire sing-a-longs. The first thing you’ll feel when climbing in is the smooth, soft fabric used to make sure you sleep in comfort all night. As the bag warms up your body heat is held in by 650+ gray goose down all the way from Hungary. If you decide to embark on any middle of the night excursions, a glow-in-the-dark zipper pulltab will allow you to get out of your bag quickly, and then you can slip into socks, gloves, or a hat that has been warming all night thanks to the internal draft tube pockets. The best part about having a bag that stuffs into a compression sack and weighs less than a liter of beverages is that you still have plenty of room to carry, well, liters of beverages.
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