The Realcyclist.com Pro Cycling Team has been killing it this season. Not bad for a debut. Need further proof of the team’s winning ways? Check out the vid below and consider this: Mancebo crossed the Stage 5 finish line 20 minutes before predicted. That’s after 100+ miles of grueling climbs and terrifying descents through the rugged Gila Wilderness. Give the man some applause.
Jeb Admire
Originally from Taos, NM, Jeb has been circling the globe in search of adventure since his parents left for India in '86. Recently, whether it's shredding in Hokkaido, or sailing on the Caribbean, Jeb is always searching for fresh experiences and new perspectives. Maybe someday he'll go back to school, but for now he calls the Wasatch home.
New Camp Tech
By: Jeb Admire | April 22nd, 2011A break from a cold, wet spring in SLC is always welcome, so a couple backcountry creative types and pro athletes headed down to Bishop, CA to climb on boulders, ride bikes and test out some new camping gear. They had one blissful day of SoCal warmth before a Pacific tempest barreled over the Sierras and ensured a very comprehensive gear test. See the reviews below.
2011 Redlands Classic – Realcyclist.com Pro Cycling Team
By: Jeb Admire | April 8th, 2011Last weekend I got the chance to hang out with the Realcyclist.com Pro Cycling Team and shoot video during their impressive effort at the four-day USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) event in Redlands, Calif.
The Redlands Classic is the first major race of the NRC season and this year’s competition for the top podium place in the General Classification (G.C) was tight throughout the prologue and the following three stages. Despite being formed only this year, the Realcyclist.com team Pro Cycling Team took home the General G.C. overall win thanks to impressive individual and team performances. Team leader Paco Mancebo, the 34-year old Spaniard with an already impressive pedigree and overall winner of the 2011 Redlands Classic, and Cesar Grajales (second overall in the 2004 Redlands Classic) led the team and commanded the course strategy throughout the four-day race, while impressive young gun Cole House threw down the hammer to win the Stage 3 Sunset Loop circuit race. Strong challenges from BISSEL Pro Cycling and Jamis were enough to concern team Director Gord Fraser, but helped to galvanize the Realcyclist.com Pro Cycling Team and focus every member on the task of seeing Paco finish at the top of the podium.
Click below to play the video of some of the action from the Realcyclist.com pro cycling team’s win at the 2011 Redlands Classic:
How to Shoot and Edit POV Video
By: Jeb Admire | February 25th, 2011If the Internet is the great equalizer of the 21st century, democratizing the power of data, then POV action sports video cameras like the GoPro Hero and Contour HD are the equivalent video camera revolutionaries of our age, giving everyone from 3-year-old rippers to gray-haired veterans the chance to share their ski footage with the world.
Inspiration
Videos created with these cameras have the potential to wow your audience, but don’t be intimidated or tell yourself you have to be the ripping-est shredder on the hill to produce compelling footage. With a simple shot list of angles to get, followed by a couple of hours of filming and a modicum of commitment toward editing, you can ditch the bored-to-death ’60s vacation slide show stereotypes and keep your audience glued to their screens.
- Caveat: This is not meant to be the definitive syllabus on shooting with a POV camera, but simply a starting point for those who eschew the thought of becoming the latest blip in the YouTube universe. Read More …
Athlete Highlights from Outdoor Retailer – Video
By: Jeb Admire | February 18th, 2011Salt Lake City — Most self-respecting gear junkies will submit to nearly any dare to get a pass to the Outdoor Retailer show held every winter and summer in Utah. Fortunately we didn’t have to chug a gallon of milk or eat a plate of raw chicken to get into the Salt Palace convention center to scope out the show to get you a sneak peak. Showcasing the world’s finest outdoor brands and their seemingly endless smorgasbord of samples of next year’s gear, the winter OR is probably the coolest place where those of us addicted to ripping waist deep cold smoke can hang out when we aren’t be in the mountains. This year we walked the floor, checked out the on-snow demo and got the chance to link up with a few of the backcountry.com-sponsored athletes. From Greg “2mill” Hill, to Chris Davenport and Julian Carr, the 2010 Winter OR was teeming with heavies happy to give us some of their time and spread the good word on what to look for in 2011.
Schmoozing with Greg Hill at Outdoor Retailer
Read More …
Ice Climbing with backcountry.com Athlete Stephen Koch – Part 4
By: Jeb Admire | January 28th, 2011JOE’S VALLEY, UT — Having a technique always matters. Backcountry.com athlete Stephen Koch shows you two in the last installment of our January Ice Climbing series. Whether you’ve been swinging tools for years, or are just getting started and looking to soak up some insider beta, Stephen has something for you. This week’s videos cover proper rope coiling and tying into your harness. Read More …
Ice Climbing with backcountry.com Athlete Stephen Koch – Part 3
By: Jeb Admire | January 21st, 2011JOE’S VALLEY, UT — Ice screws are your life link on frozen flows, and cold feet aren’t just a problem at the altar, so check out the ice climbing tips Stephen Koch is sharing this week. Whether you’ve been swinging tools for years, or are just getting started and looking to soak up some insider beta, Stephen has something for you. This week’s videos cover ice screws and keeping feet warm. Read More …
Summer Bivy Preview
By: Jeb Admire | May 28th, 2010biv·ouac
1 : a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter
2 a : encampment usually for a night b : a temporary or casual shelter or lodging
Minimalists, who are a hearty bunch, prefer an almost ascetic style in their backcountry shelter setups, and while we may not all ascribe to the quick, light, and often, solo ethos, the minimalist way can be exhilaratingly liberating. Whether you’re planning to make record time on a trail or want the security of an emergency backup shelter, a bivouac is an essential piece of gear for every backpacker. That said, here are a few that we like ranked from ultra-minimalist to more rugged expedition grade designs:
MSR E-Bivy
5 Outdoor Trips for Summer
By: Jeb Admire | May 10th, 2010
Whether you need a weekend of outdoor-infused peace or are the next badass moving in to claim a place in local legend, cancel your über-spendy St. Tropez wine-tasting/windsurfing trip, pack up the Vanagon, and hit the road. Thanks to a complex process of deduction (throwing darts at a dusty map), we compiled a rockin’ list of spots around the country where you can paddle until you’re blue in the face, climb until your hands are a mélange of blood and chalk, and crank until you collapse in a pool of sweat. Read More …
Energy Gels Taste Test
By: Jeb Admire | May 6th, 2010
the gels
My roommate Keith is an avid trail runner and occasionally pushes his limits competitively on the local half-marathon circuit as well as on distance runs through the desert (32 miles in Bryce, Utah, being his latest challenge). He seemed like the perfect candidate to participate in a simple energy gel/goo test and happily obliged.
Keith tested each gel for flavor, reaction time, and result.
While this isn’t a nutritionist-guided or very scientifically controlled test, we hope the results might help you make a choice more easily and save a few bucks.
Maybe you can do the same: what’s your experience with energy gels? Read More …