Category: Gear (Page 22 of 25)

Product Review: Nike+ FuelBand

April 10, 2012 / Jason Zingale

There are a lot of gadgets out in the marketplace these days fighting for your hard-earned dollars, and one of the latest to garner serious buzz is the Nike+ FuelBand, a fitness bracelet that tracks your daily activity using a three-axis accelerometer inside the device. Nike is doing its very best to build hype for the FuelBand by releasing it in limited quantities and therefore keeping demand high, but at a rather pricey $150, is it even worth it? I was given a FuelBand to test out for one week and arrived at the following conclusion: it’s complicated.

Nike has done a great job with the overall presentation of the FuelBand; it’s simple yet stylish, and although the band is a little more rigid than expected, it’s so lightweight that you’ll forget you’re even wearing it most of the time. (I actually went to sleep wearing mine every night). Additionally, the band is water resistant, so you can feel free to wear it in the shower or the rain without worrying about it short-circuiting on you. Of course, I wouldn’t have risked it if I had actually paid for mine, but Nike says it’s okay as long as you’re not completely submerging it in water, so hopefully that’ll put your mind at ease.

In addition to the bracelet itself (which can be purchased in three different sizes: small, medium and large), the FuelBand comes with two extension links (8mm and 16mm) to fine-tune your fit, a sizing tool that makes adding and removing them a breeze, and a USB charging stand for when it’s plugged into your computer. I was a little surprised at how long it took for the band to charge via the USB connecter (which also functions as the bracelet’s clasp), but the battery life is remarkably good, running on a single charge for the entire week despite Nike’s claim that it would only last for four days.

The FuelBand works in much the same way as other fitness bracelets or pedometers on the market – tracking the number of calories burned and steps taken – but what sets it apart is the concept of Nike Fuel, a points-based system that represents your level of activity for the day. You earn Fuel for just about anything you do (walking, running, pouring milk into a bowl of cereal, etc.) and can even set daily goals that the FuelBand tracks with a strip of colored lights located just below the main LED matrix. As you get closer to hitting your goal, the lights progress from red, to orange, to yellow, and finally to green, celebrating your achievement with Jumbotron-style flair. And if that wasn’t enough, the device also has a built-in watch function, which I found to be really useful.

Fitness, Gadgets, Gear, Lifestyle, Recreation

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Classic Looks, Modern Protection: The Roland Sands Tracker Jacket

April 2, 2012 / Joe Gustafson

Motorcycle gear tends to be very intense. It screams from across the room, “PLEASE ASK ME ABOUT MY MOTORCYCLE.” Logos, scoops and bright peacock colors grab attention in all the wrong ways if you’re just trying to hang out at a local dive bar instead of careening through corners. In response, many motorcyclists turn to more classically styled gear that blends in with the crowd.

However, most jackets may not have the armor you need while on a bike. This presents a problem. You want the look that you just stepped out of the 1960s, but need the protection the new millennium has given us. Roland Sands Design (RSD) has just the product for you.

RSD is known more for its custom bikes than its apparel, but last year, RSD took the plunge by offering retro styled motorcycle apparel with modern protection. With his bikes, he takes modern machinery and turns back the clock just enough to give a retro feel without the pitfall of trying too hard to look cool. This design ethos has been transferred to their gear offerings as well.

The Tracker jacket is a perfect example of this. Before dirt bikers started wearing exposed armor and billowy blouses, the likes of Steve McQueen would blast around the dirt in boots, Levi’s and thick cotton/canvas coats. The Tracker jacket brings this style back.

Many people think of leather when a motorcycle jacket is brought up, but the Tracker eschews leather for waxed cotton. Why is waxed cotton better than leather? For protection, it’s not, but leather often makes you look like you are just trying way to hard to look cool. Also, the fit and construction of leather make it tough to flatter your figure. More often than not, the result is you looking like the Fonz instead of Marlon Brando. However, if you really want leather, RSD has those too.

Custom touches also give the jacket an heirloom feel. Some examples are the gussets and satin interior lining that harken back to an era when you would repair an article of clothing rather than toss it away. Plus, you’d be hard pressed to find just who made it since the only logo is embossed on the sleeve in a matching brown tone. You could easily get away with telling people its an heirloom piece, but please don’t do that.

But waxing nostalgically won’t keep you safe on a bike. Asphalt does not care that your jacket was designed from a different era, or that that chick at the concert was into it, but that’s wear the armor comes in. The Tracker jacket can be outfitted with armor in the shoulders, elbow and back. This is a huge step up from some other vintage styled jackets that offer only leather as a protection.

That being said, the waxed cotton won’t have nearly the same sliding resistance of thick leather or Cordura, but should fit the needs of those riding on the street. Plus, $390 is right in the thicket of quality motorcycle pieces.

So, skip the yuppie motorcycle gear that only looks like it can protect you, fire up any vintage bike of your choice, and don the Tracker Jacket. With style out of the 1960s, it definitely answers the question, “What would Don Draper ride with?”

Gear, Motorcycles, Stuff to Buy

motorcycle jackets Roland Sands Tracker Jacket Tracker Jacket

Icon breaks the 5 myths of motorcycle gear

March 21, 2012 / Joe Gustafson

“Uncomfortable,” “pricey” and “not necessary” are often heard from people who don’t wear gear when riding motorcycles. The reason being is that typically gear is seen as being constricting and cowardly. Why wear gear? You’re a total hard ass, and you’re such a good rider you don’t need it. However, nothing is harder than the pavement.

So yes, gear is necessary while riding a bike, but just because it protects you doesn’t mean it has to look stupid. In fact, with modern constructing and materials, motorcycle armor is both attractive and safe. Working with Icon, here are five misconceptions you may have about motorcycle gear, and why they just aren’t true.

5. Motorcycle gear is uncomfortable

One misconception about motorcycle gear is that it’s uncomfortable. Regardless of if it’s safe, people whine that it’s too hot and too bulky; they just feel more comfortable without it. Icon’s Compound Jacket and Strongarm 2 pants say otherwise.

The Compound jacket is a hybrid, but not the nerdy car kind. Leather where you slide and textile to keep the weight down; you barely feel the jacket at all. It also has a bevy of adjustable vents to keep the cool air flowing. Most importantly, the Compound has armor on the elbows, shoulders and back. This jacket has the protection you need and the comfort you want, all in one package.

For the other half of your body there are the Strongarm 2 Enforcer pants. Rather than full motorcycle pants that are unbearable to wear any time off the bike, the Strongarm 2 Enforcers look and feel like normal jeans. And aside from the Aramid reinforced knee plates, they basically are. This is good for comfort, but I would recommend purchasing the optional kneepads for more protection. But still, the comfort and style of jeans with the protection of traditional motorcycle pants is a fantastic bargain.

4. Motorcycle gear is ugly

No one wants to wear clothes that look stupid. Luckily, if you want to be protected on a bike, you can choose not to look like a rolling safety cone. Icon’s mission is to get people to wear gear, regardless of their tastes and preferences. Because of this, they design gear that will appeal to everyone from the guy looking for something subtle, to those looking to make more of a statement.

For instance, the compound jacket is firmly in the former category. Aside from the red logo on the small, exposed armor plate on the back, the all-black Compound jacket is subdued and stylish. The fit is spot on – snug but not tight – and the quality is top notch. Being all black, it’s as if the classic leather motorcycle jacket was updated for the 21st century. It makes a statement, without screaming it, or sacrificing safety for style.

In the latter category are the Strongarm 2 pants. If you are a firm extrovert and want everyone to be able to spot you from a mile away, buy these jeans. The wash is dark, and the fit is straight, but that’s where the subtlety ends. These pants are packed with embellishments. Fake stiches, contrasting colors on the pockets, and the cherry on top, a giant skull and crossbones on the back pocket. These pants are not for shrinking violets.

The Alliance Torrent helmet continues this theme. Skulls, stars, slashes and streaks are all over the place on this piece. It’s a basically a fireworks display on your head. It is a bit subtler because the black graphics are set against a dark silver background, but it definitely isn’t a piece that blends with the crowd. The best part, though, is that both the jeans and helmet can be had in more subtle colors and design schemes. So if you want to ride under the radar, or into the spotlight, pick whatever armor suits your taste and ride on.

Gear, Motorcycles, Stuff to Buy

Icon Icon Alliance Torrent helmet Icon Compound Jacket Icon gear Icon Strongarm 2 Enforcer Pants motorcycle gear motorcycle protection

Limited Edition Morgan Coast boat shoe from Rockport Review

March 9, 2012 / Bullz-Eye Staff

Whether you are into sailing or just appreciate cool style in what you wear everyday check out the just released on March 1st Limited Edition Morgan Coast boat shoe from Rockport. These trendsetters or collectibles are limited to only 200 pairs that will be individually numbered. The original Morgan Coast shoe from Rockport was released in 1994 as the official boat shoe of the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race (later known as the Volvo Ocean Race). This new limited edition release hearkens back to Rockport’s rich sailing history, where the company’s shoes have been the casual and technical shoe of choice for many professional sailors and boating enthusiasts. We’re not quite into boating season yet in Northeast Ohio but I wore my test pair of Limited Edition Morgan Coast boat shoe in white from Rockport and I must say they are extremely comfortable and provide plenty of ankle support. The Rockport design team scoured sailing schools in the New England area to find the perfect vintage sail (approximately 170 square feet) and repurposed as fabric and material for 200 limited edition pairs.

The limited edition styles include two colorways of the Morgan Coast shoe in white and navy, and these shoes include many design cues and distinctive features that could be found on traditional sailing boats with Oversized grommets at the sides, with reinforced rubber gaskets, Zig zag stitching on the upper, reminiscent of stitching found on actual sails, Shoe laces that replicate the look of nautical rope and Ingenious hardware at the collar of the shoes which mimic pulley systems used in sailing. Bottom line is not only are these very sharp and unique shoes but the technology that Rockport put into these limited edition kicks is top of the line. Go to Rockport.com to learn more.

Gear, Style

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Munitio Billets 9mm Headphones: Press play, listen to the world disappear

December 21, 2011 / David Medsker

It’s as if they invited the dark, brooding 19-year-old versions of ourselves into the pitch room.

“So, we’re launching a new line of high-end earbuds. What should the design look like?”
“Like we have bullets in our head, ’cause death is cool.” (*puts on old, clunky headphones with broken foam covers, resumes listening to the Smiths’ Hatful of Hollow*)

The truth is, we would have loved Minutio’s Billets 9mm earphones regardless of how they sounded, because that bullet casing design is so damn cool. As it stands, these things are like listening to music in space. The noise cancellation, for starters, is uncanny. We didn’t hear the doorbell or the phone while listening to music – quietly, we might add – and each is only 15 feet away. The fullness of the sound is unlike any pair of earbuds we’ve ever tried, though to be honest nearly every pair of earbuds we’ve tried before these sounded like styrofoam. The entire package comes equipped with replacement buds as well, and in three different sizes in the event that the default size isn’t a perfect fit for your ears. There is a hard black vinyl case to store the earbuds when not in use, and they even included optional earhooks should you require them. Best of all, there is a built-in microphone, making these ideal for cell phones, web conferencing, and they are certainly killer for online gaming. (They have a sponsorship tie-in with Call of Duty, but these earphones are not made for console gaming.)

One thing to consider with these headphones is that the noise cancellation is really, really good, as in you might not hear the car horn, or the whistle, or whatever noise that would otherwise warn you that you’re about to get hit by a bus. In other words, wearing these while biking or rollerblading could be risky, and we’d definitely only use one bud when taking phone calls while behind the wheel (assuming that’s legal where you live, of course). If you have an audiophile in your life with a warped sense of humor (don’t they all?), these Billets 9mm headphones will speak to both their grown-up selves and the inner teen that still lurks beneath the surface.

Gear, Music, Stuff to Buy

Billets Munitio