Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Hollywood Spin

It’s always good to see Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey on two wheels. Being a cyclist is part of his brand. He aligned with Specialized and Amgen a few years ago for the “Breakaway from Cancer” initiative and annual "Dempsey Challenge" to benefit the cancer center he founded in honor of his mother, who is a survivor.  (BTW, the 2012 Dempsey Challenge will be held October 13-14 in Lewiston-Auburn, ME. http://www.dempseychallenge.org/)

Dempsey’s proved to be the consummate celebrity endorser for the Specialized brand, a cause close to his heart, and the sport in general. For one thing he is believable. He looks like a true cyclist riding along Pacific Coast Highway on a Tarmac complimented by S-Works shoes and Specialized kit.  Cool! And very HOT!



On the other hand we have Gwyneth Paltrow tangled in a scripting nightmare during the filming of “Thanks for Sharing” in New York’s Central Park. One look at the photos below leaves cycling purists gagging on their Gu Gel. If you’re going cleat-less in shoes meant for cleats, with yoga tights and a t-shirt, don’t put someone on a Serotta with aero bars and flat pedals. Put her in sneakers, call Trek and get a hybrid for the scene. And isn’t it ironic to see such a bad fit on a brand that makes custom bikes? Generally, when a brand is used in a script, it is either a paid product placement or the production company requests permission from said brand to use it and allows control over how it's represented in a scene. Maybe Serotta should have given them some tips? Cut! 



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Should Cyclists Run in the Offseason? | Active.com

Winter is just around the corner for most of us in the US. We're all trying to figure out the best way to stay in shape and keep our aerobic engine in good form when it's too cold or snowy to ride. 

Here's an informative article about cyclists and running.

Should Cyclists Run in the Offseason? | Active.com

New blog post re: social fitness and Strava coming soon!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Use Your Head


Topics related to cycling are covered almost daily in New York media as Mayor Bloomberg’s administration and the Department of Transportation continue to push their urban cycling agenda which includes a bike share program in 2012. This particular article contends that share bike participants will not be required to use a helmet. The article also says the DOT supports helmet use. However, in the case of bike share required use may dissuade participation for a myriad of reasons: "inconvenience," “costly” and “implies cycling is dangerous.”  And if helmets were provided with the bikes, it would be a "hygiene" issue. OK, that's understandable.  But the other reasons. No.