I first saw a photo of this guy with his mobile home last year, but there was no information to back up this quite remarkable image. However now thanks to a recent article on Bike Rumour I’ve managed to find out what its all about.

Kevin Cyr was born 1976 in Edmundston, Canada and now lives and works out of Brooklyn New York. He received his BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.

His work has been included in numerous group exhibitions both nationally and internationally and also featured in New American Paintings.

For years Cyr has been painting vehicles such as delivery trucks and vans which capture the beauty of the vehicle and the stories that they tell. A lot could miss the imagery that tells a story about where the vehicles are from and who they are used by, Cyr has a way of capturing what they represent.

Years of painting  led him to start creating his own vehicles, which like his paintings say so much about were they are from and who uses them. The project that stands out for me is his ‘Camper Bike’ which is a one-off vehicle which takes the term mobile home to a whole new level.

The Camper bike is a project he worked on in China which was based on a 3 wheeled Chinese bike that was the type of bike used by the working class who lived on the outskirts of Beijing.

The Camper Bike is a functioning sculptural piece, built in April 2008. A stand alone piece and the subject of a series of paintings.

From the blue print you can see it has all the creature comforts you need from such a compact space, I’m fairly sure I’ve stayed in lesser equipped hotel rooms.

A truly remarkable guy with a great vision. His Camper bike is well worth a closer look.

(Illustrations by Kevin Cyr).

Some other images I’ve found of bikes and there usages, not sure about the one of a bike pulling bikes. Reminds me about something quite post apocalyptic.

As a long time user of Giro helmets it is safe to say that I’ve been swallowed up by the brand, whether it’s for road or MTB I have a Giro helmet to suit the job. It was a relatively easy conversion for me, because as a soon as I tried a Giro helmet on for the first time, I immediately noticed a greatly improved fit than the helmets I had previously worn. That was over 10 years ago and a number of helmets later, that time has come again where I need to replace my road helmet. This isn’t because it doesn’t match my new bikes colour scheme, that would be absurd to replace helmet for a bit of a colour clashing…(honest!) It is because the magical 3 year figure when helmets should be replaced has come upon me once again. For those who don’t realise, it is recommended to replace your helmet every three years with the deterioration of the construction due to sweat and temperature changes.

So before I tell you about my new helmet choice, there are a number of reasons I can tell you about why I’ve stayed loyal to Giro for so long.

We all know it can be the design that will draw you to a brand and the simple fact of the way the helmet looks. I will hold my hands up and say I’ve come very close to buying a different brand of helmet just because I thought they looked cool. In fact, when I tried this helmet on, it came down to the simple fact that it did not fit anywhere near as well as the Giro I was replacing.

The Giro fit comes from their RocLoc system they use through their range of helmets. It’s a simple little device that securely fits to the back of your head making the helmet fit like a glove. There are 3 vertical adjustments you can make to the rear strap to get the strap to fit in just the right place and the ease of this system means that it’s easy to readjust your helmet after wearing a scull cap for example. Their new RocLoc SL system is all set to create a new benchmark for helmet fitments with its elasticated system.  Supposed to be a more snug fit than traditional systems and just as secure, be sure to keep a look out for this on Giro’s new Prolight helmet.

Giro spends a lot of time and money in research and development of its helmets especially with aerodynamics. Wind tunnel testing is used to reduce the drag of not only time trail helmets, but also road and MTB helmets don’t escape this scrutiny. Giro can mathematically work out that a 100g saving in drag reduction can save 46 seconds in a 40km time trial. Now that is something to take note of! Not only are wind tunnels put to use at the University of Washington, but Giro also make use of flow tanks. Here they put scale models of helmets into the tank and using dyes in the water they look at the flow of water through the helmets. Giro put heat removal as the single most important performance benefit from a helmet design, so the flow tanks help with the design of the ventilation flow through the helmets as well as helping with the aerodynamic drag. With active external vents feeding the air into the internal exhaust channels, this forces cool air over the head whilst at the rear the vents also pull heat and stale air out at the same time. A lot goes into keeping your head cool.

The construction of Giro helmets have been taking huge steps in advancements, where the outer shell of the helmet is no longer a plastic shell fitted to a polystyrene construction. With Giro’s ‘In-Mold Technology’, the shell becomes a structural part of the helmet. During moulding the polycarbonate shell is fused with the absorbent EPS liner, which makes the helmets lighter, more durable and with a better ventilation design, it can be used as a reinforcement around the vents, creating an exoskeleton in the helmet.

So with all these features showing up throughout Giro’s helmet range, you know you’re in safe hands. With a lifetime warranty against manufacturers defects plus a crash replacement program, they really now how to look after the consumer.

So my choice this time around has been the Ionos. I have chosen this over the new Prolight for the simple reason of ventilation. I get very hot very quickly whilst out on my bike and this helmet offers the best in ventilation and fit over a reduced weight. You might notice that it is currently the most expensive helmet Giro offers, but as far as I’m concerned you can’t put a price on safety and comfort.

Now the fact they do a colour scheme which matches my new bike perfectly is purely a coincidence, but Giro helmets are definitely worth a much closer look!

Check out the Giro helmet range at ProBikeKit.com

Tis the season of hedge cutting, well it was when I (Dave) first started to venture out on the highways and byways around PBK towers on the new Continental Gator Hardshells. I received a pair long before they arrived at PBK for general sale and was looking forward to trying them out.

A new favourite winter tyre?

These are Continental’s all new updated version of the very popular and successful Gatorskin tyres. So how have they improved the original Gatorskins? With an all-new weave to the fibres that make up the tyre casing, a good lot of rubber and with the usual added puncture resistant Duraskin layer, these tyres are as tough as Mr T with a cement hat on. Yeah, That tough!

I’ve been using them on my every day work horse bike, the Kona Paddy wagon. This bike not only does the daily commute, but at the weekends doubles up as the bike used for good solid training rides.

We are based up in the not so sunny north of England and we’ve had it all this winter; floods, snow and the lovely local farmers hedge cutting. Yep, the tyres have had a nice bit of abuse and I can happily report that so far they’ve stood up to all that nature and the farmers have thrown at them. No punctures what so ever (touch wood). Nice and tough, just as they say on the box.

Handmade Quality

I could go on here about all the technology that’s in the tyre, the different layers and the way they are made, but really all that doesn’t matter if the tyre doesn’t do its job well. So I’m sure you want to know the basics starting with what the ride quality is like. Obviously they’re not going to be as fast as an out and out race tyre, but they are a very comfortable fast training/commuting tyre. They stick to the road really well and as long as you stick to the guide lines and take in to consideration the weather conditions you’ll have no worries. So no pumping in 120psi on a miserable wet cold icy day or you may come a cropper, but that can be said for any type of tyre.

With the amount of rubber and other goodies that are packed in to the tyre, they soak up a lot of road noise along the way and glide over the road. They give a great reassuring feel when diving in to corners to, sticking to the bends with ease.

A good sign for a tyre, or in-fact any other piece of bike kit is when you forget that it’s there, leaving it to just get on with its job. The Continentals did this to perfection.

I’ve so far put a healthy amount of miles on them and they are still looking pretty fresh with limited signs of wear. You would think they should be a bit rough around the edges after all the floods and snow, especially as the roads often resemble gravel tracks.

Tread - no major signs of wear

All in all I’ve been pleased with the tyres, no quibbles with them at all. Weight wise, they are what you would expect from a good quality winter tyre at 310g, but they roll a lot faster and lighter than this. The grip is great and as for keeping those foreign objects from squiring inner tubes and ruining your ride, they do that with bells on!

For the tech minded of you out there, here is the blurb on how Continental have improved the Gatorskin:

After extensive market research, feedback from commuters all over the world showed us that a new type of tyre was in demand. Our Gatorskin race bike tyre had filled a gap for hardcore commuters, but they wanted more; MORE casing; MORE breaker; MORE protection…

Taking the Gatorskin as our base, we’ve added a third Polyamide layer in the sidewall to make a unique 3-ply casing for the Gator Hardshell.

We’ve also added a wider Poly-X anti puncture breaker belt under the tread which extends down into the shoulder area for wider coverage.

Add this to the Duraskin anti-tear mesh on the outside of the casing and you are presented with a tougher commuter which is also fast.

Stars: an honest 5 Rating:

Available at Probikekit.com now!

Click here

At ProBikeKit we strive to bring you the best products available that will (hopefully) enable you to realise your maximum potential. We research, test and review all of our products and sometimes hard decisions have to be made as to what we can and can’t include in the PBK ranges. Tough decisions that are not taken lightly! We always try to find new products from a variety of sources and are always looking to explore new markets and technologies.

Imagine my surprise whilst out on lunch, when I stumbled across a ‘fitness product’ that harks back to a golden age of health and well being. A time when nutrition meant a cup of tea before setting out on the ride and a warm up was the stretch to pull on your socks.

I was wowed by the amazing properties of …’The Sauna Suit’.

The key selling points apart form the £2.99 price tag, were that it is used for weight loss and conditioning by (wait for it) professional athletes. You lose weight apparently by burning more fuel and sweating out lots of water that then helps you rid your body of toxins.  “If used with care, it can be a great addition to any one’s workout routine” say the manufacturers. Key features include; elasticated cuffs to retain heat and because it’s a two piece suit, I imagine you have the option to wear the top or bottoms on their own.

Now the list of cautionary advice is too much to write, but needless to say the words ‘naked and flame’ were fairly prominent!

Being the loyal employee that I am I purchased the suit and returned to the office to demonstrate its superior fitness qualities for the rest of my bemused colleagues.

I can confirm that the tight cuffs and neck are restrictive and also induce the sort of panic only equalled when you put that plastic bag over your head because your mum told you not too. The fit is a mixture of relaxed and tight, depending on the length of time spent in there and at no time did I want to do anything other than stay calm!

Just to prove we test everything, here is a picture of me on one of our ‘Evil’ Singlespeed bikes. Everything but the hair is real!

If you find any more products of this nature you think we should know about at PBK, put them on the blog and we’ll do our best to consider them in the range!

Now that 2010 has officially started with the Tour Down Under and our training is quickly ramping up, the graphics department at ProBikeKit have created this race calendar for you to keep track of the big races and events happening this year.

Tour Down Under 2010.

I’ve had Crud’s Roadracers on my winter bike since early December after getting thoroughly soaked and freezing on a descent and deciding that I definitely needed something to keep the water off me.

Road Racers on a Trek Madone

For bikes with small clearances and no eyelets these are the perfect option. I fitted them at home, with no tools and just a good read of the instructions. Saying that, there isn’t much to get wrong.

The front and rear are identical in shape and have attachable flaps to provide extra coverage. The mounts fasten to your frame with o-rings;simple and easy to do. You might want to cover the paint with masking tape beforehand to prevent scratching over time. Sliding the guard between the tyre and brake and fastening with a re-usable zip-tie is easy to do, on a Team PBK carbon bike there is just enough clearance. It then takes a bit of jiggery-pokery to get the position correct. They are adjustable at the frame mount and can be adjusted at the guard as well. Once you’ve got this sorted and there is no serious rubbing, you’re ready to go. The self-adhesive brushes are put where the brake tracks run to keep the guard clear and they should keep any debris off your brake tracks.

First impressions were brilliant. Having never ridden a bike with mudguards before the feeling of smashing through all puddles and patches of surface water without flinching was great. It also gives you almost dry feet (nothing is ever going to keep your feet 100% dry) a dry back and legs. One of the main problems I have is that once I get wet I then get cold, wind-chill on a descent is one of the worst feelings to have. By not getting wet in the first place nips this particular problem in the bud! Another nice benefit is that your bottle tops don’t get covered in as much muck, so drinking quickly and on the charge is easy. Secondly they make group riding a much more enjoyable experience. It prevents the rider behind you grabbing mouthfuls of dirty water and generally keeps them in a better mood and allows them to see clearly! If none of your group has them, it’s a great incentive to get to the front and lead the way.

They also prevent this!

A fair few hundred miles on and the weather is almost immaterial now, if its raining fine, if its just rained, you hardly notice. Apart from the lack of traction on wet roads you’re good to go…..watch out for those drain covers though!

If you’ve never had guards before, at £25 and around 180g they are well worth giving a go. Once set-up you won’t believe the difference, it really takes the brunt out of wet, cold winter roads.

Rating:

Click here to view them on Probikekit.com

Click here to have a closer look

Even today, for all the worldwide distribution of their products, Veloflex continues with a handmade production process that ensures a unique quality of Tubulars and Tyres. All products are made individually by experts that are able make products to such an exacting standard, that even the most technologically advanced machines can’t replicate!

Veloflex

Founded in 1981, Veloflex started with production of manufactured rubber and plastic articles for printers. Only later, thanks to the great passion for cycling of the two founders, Veloflex started production of tubulars and tyres for competition. In a small working laboratory in the north of Italy started the adventure that lead Veloflex to be the most appreciated producer of bicycle tyres for use in competition.

For their production process they use only the most technologically advanced raw materials available on the market. The ultra light casing and the natural rubber exclusive compound of the thread will ensure you have the best performance on every type of road surface. The value of Veloflex tyres and tubulars is recognised worldwide and many professional cyclists entrust their victories to Veloflex products.

The Veloflex Pave Kevlar Tyre:

Veloflex Pave

Rating: First impressions are of a cool looking tyre with a canvas sidewall. With a claimed weight of 180g and an actual weight of 195g (on our office scales) it is certainly a light-weight contender. The packaging is minimal and the running pressure of 7 -10 bar (100-145psi approx) will cater for all riders.

Narrower than most 22mm, the tyre rolls superbly and along with its lightweight it accelerates with your wheel very well.

Along with most tyres there is a Kevlar bead to keep thorns and sharp stones out, a 300tpi casing is also re-assuring.

For those who would like a tubular tyre there is the Record Tubular:

Veloflex Record Tubular Tyre:

Record 20mm Tubular

Marketed as an ideal race, criterium, stage and time trial tyre, it has found favour with some Pro Teams out there.

Rating: It weighs just 197g (on our scales) which is very close to the claimed. They run again up to 10 bar – very high pressure and this keeps rolling resistance to its absolute minimum. The valve core can of course be removed for those with deeper rims and the tyre features a puncture protection belt below.

Considering that these tyres are all handmade, in terms of value for money they are brilliant! You also have the advantage of going racing on something slightly different yet in no way inferior to the well known tyre brands.

It’s that time of year again, when having seen the sneak previews of the new team kits, we get a chance to see them in action during the first Pro Tour event of the year.

There are obviously going to be some nice looking kits in the mix, but you can always guarantee on some hideous creation being dragged into the limelight, especially when to all concerned, it should have been left on the drawing board.

Something which always seems to pop up in conversation when the team kits appear, are peoples views on which they think is the worst team kit of all time. There has been some heated debate in the office about which kit takes the top prize.

The only way we can think of settling this argument fairly is by putting it to the public vote; that’s where you come in. Please help us by putting your suggestions in the comment box at the bottom of the page and we’ll tally them up and get a top five together for your viewing pleasure.

If you’re really lucky we’ll find a prize or two to give away in some competition related poll to help you with your suggestions.

Don’t forget to put in the year of the team kit you’re suggesting to help us track them down!

The all important image of a Pro Tour Team is built up out of a series of aspects to create the ultimate marketing machine. It can be won and lost on the smallest of decisions, from the design of the kit, employing the right riders, or even as simple as choosing the team car.

Here at ProBikeKit we pride ourselves on attention to detail and as we put the finishing touches to our new team car, I thought we better have a look at the competition.

There are the usual host of European estate (station wagon) cars that seem to dominate most team’s choice, which is somewhat rather predictable and repetitive. We have all seen the dreary fleet of cars before and apart from a fancy paint job, they could pass us by without us even noticing them.

But there are a couple that do stand out.

Team Sky is certainly leading the way with Jaguar supplying their vehicles. Not only have they got a brilliant brand in Jaguar, but the paint jobs are looking understated and rather classy.

Now they are obviously going to be using estate car’s at some point for obvious reasons, but at least it’s a break from the norm, with looks and the badge from Jaguar.

Team Radioshack could pull something rather cool out of the bag with Nissan as their sponsor, but with no official pictures as of yet we cannot be certain. With a whole host of vehicles to choose from in Nissan’s extensive range, it will be interesting to see what they do decide on. BikeRumour have made a mock-up of what they could look like…

I’m hoping they’ll go for something a bit different, something that will stand out from the crowd and Nissan may just have something in their line up!

So with Jaguar leading the way and the possible wild card from the quirky Nissan, I’ve had to pull out all the stops on our new design. So much to take into account and so much at risk, so with brand image at the forefront of my mind I think I might have come up with a winner!!

We have no word from our suppliers about fitting a roof rack and I’ve not had the go ahead just yet to purchase the Bugatti; but I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Once again, ProBikeKit are pleased to be supporting a team of cyclists in Finland for 2010.

Like most Scandinavians, the Finnish are brilliant at making the most of the cold winters. Even with the roads covered in snow and temperatures bordering on the insane,  training and fitness carries on regardless. I don’t think many people would complain about taking up skiing for 3 months?!

PBK Team Finland 2010

Here is Ville’s outlook on the coming year:

It seems crazy that racing season is just around the corner. Watching out from the window there are about 10 inches of snow on the ground and the temperature is -8 degrees Celsius. Still we have to realise that there is only one month until the first race.

I am more than happy to announce that PBK Finland is now registered as an Elite
Team. Last year we tried and tried to ride under our hometowns name but that was chaos. At the time co-operation didn’t work well especially because the cycling circle here in Finland really is not big. You would really think that in these small circles such a co-operation inside teams would work.

Well enough of that last season talk.

There is not a man in our roster who isn’t hugely exited about this season. I think that is common in any new team, guys are like those young horses which are held inside all winter long and now they smell the fields where they run.

Training has gone well, we haven’t had huge injuries like last year. All the skiers in the team have been very pleased because of the nice winter. Skiing which has been fantastic here and guys have collected those miles week after week. It seems all of Finland has had a skiing fever, perhaps due to Finnish skiers having good success in World Cup?

At Christmas we had a small break from training but we are all now back on the track. In recent years my interest on going out with my mountain bike to that chilling breeze has decreased by 90%. Turbo Training is the work tool for me in winter time. And why not? You can ride with short bib shorts and you don’t need three layers of clothing to breath through. Also it really is much more effective training and you can push yourself much harder than outside. We have also been running quite a lot. Couple of weeks ago we ran with the teams sprinter Matti for 5 hours in three days. That included a half marathon. Knees and feet were pretty sore the rest of the week… We both agreed lets not do that again in near future!

Racing scheme for the team is still under construction. It starts overseas though, hopefully in the next blog update we can already share some good results with you guys.

Pre-ride preparation We’ll keep you up-to-date with the results and any more news we receive from Finland along with our Elite team in England and the local boys and girls in the North West of England.