Competitive Cyclist Reviews EFS Liquid Shot

Competitive Cyclist Reviews EFS Liquid Shot

This is one six-pack you want to knock back when behind the bars. If you’re riding all day. Literally. First Endurance is building on the success of their drinks and bar with this “gel,” the EFS Liquid Shot. We put quotes around gel because there are no gelling agents in the liquid. Since you probably don’t ride all day that often, you can take a flask in place of two bars. Or in place of a bar and toss it in the fridge when you get home.

You might think the world needs another energy liquid like it needs another hole in the ozone layer. You’d be wrong. It gets down to this; the EFS Liquid Shot is jammed with carbohydrates, amino acids, and electrolytes. And goes down easy thanks to the absence of gelling agents, which can make “gels” sticky and dry. Without these agents, the liquid is more viscous and can be ingested without the aid of water.

The first thing is they measure a serving as five ounces of liquid, which fills the flask the shot comes in. In that, you’ll find 400 calories. Of the 400, there are 100g of carbohydrate in a mix of glucose, maltodextrin, and sucrose. The reason for the mix is to have fast-acting, slow-acting, and easy-absorbing carbs. The bottle also has 1000mg of amino acids, broken down into glutamine and branch-chain amino acids isoleucine, leucine, and valine. There is also a pretty heavy-duty electrolyte blend of 400mg sodium, 290mg potassium, 150mg calcium, 120mg magnesium, and 600mg chloride. As all cyclists should know, we sweat out salt and have a great need for electrolytes when exercising hard, and the loss of salt can lead to cramping. First Endurance argues that you need more than just salt to prevent cramping; that’s why the rest of the electrolytes are present. The Liquid Shot will keep your electrolytes balanced, help with absorption, reduce lactic acid build-up and keep the body going.

If you’re the type who can’t reach back for your pockets or, in the cold, have poor pocket access, you can empty the flask, or two, into a water bottle and top off with water. 400 calories in a standard-sized bottle is thicker than any drink we know. 400 calories is also about the size of two bars. Doing two in a bottle would make for a liquid meal.

The flasks can sit sealed and unrefrigerated for a year, but once opened, should be consumed within 24 hours. If a bottle is unfinished after a ride, pop it in the fridge and keep it there until the next ride. When you empty the bottle, save it for reuse with the First Endurance EFS Liquid Shot 32-Ounce Bulk Container (with 30 ounces of Liquid Shot). The flavor is Vanilla.

Event: Red Trail Racing's 6hrs of El Lagarto

We've been participants of this event many times over the years, and now we sponsor many RTR events.

Spreading the word... January 25th, 2009 at Loyce Harpe Park in Lakeland, FL

Need more information? Go to www.redtrailracing.com

Northwave Shoes, Bell, Giro, Blackburn, and more!

Just got a call from a customer who, for the first time, took her bike out on a ride while "clipped in"... "Holy cow what a difference! I love the shoes!" She's an accomplished runner, and we got her on a bike... look out for her at the area triathlons!

Speaking of those shoes... check out the Lizzard MTB shoe or the Vertigo road shoes... Northwave is making some really nice stuff!



OYM also has the Tribal Carbons, Mission, and Aerlite's in stock!


2009 Bell and Giro Helmets are in stock and ready to go for the riding season!

With the time change we are all going to have to make sure we are visible to motorists. The New Blackburn Flea is an incredible light, its available in a front or rear model ... you gotta come in and see our test model.

OYM represents at the WPB Time Trial Series

Check this link out: http://bikediva.net/2008/10/14/122flv-video-photobucket-video-and-image-hosting/

Our time trial team is representing us well. We thank them for their hard work and good sportsmanship! Charlie Lockerson took 5th in his age group, a monumental improvement over his previous TT's. Charlie recently got his bike dialed by Matt Goforth (our resident laser bike fit professional) and BOOM he's on the podium!

When seconds count our bike fit will get you minutes! Congrats Charlie, we know you work hard too!

Lynn Symthe, aka The Bike Diva, also did well. She took 4th place in her division.

These three are also slated to ride the Intracoastal Waterway Century with Team in Training in November. If you will, use the link to navigate to their pages and help them out to raise funds for this great cause. You know these folks are tough when they are training for a century and TT's at the same time! Almost as tough and courageous as the people battling Leukemia.

Congrats to you all! Keep up the hard work.

Join IMBA's 'Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day' Celebration on Oct. 4

For Immediate Release
08-20-08
Contact: Mark Eller, IMBA Communications Director
markeller@imba.com
303-545-9011
IMBA'S International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

IMBA clubs and patrols around the globe will celebrate the fifth annual National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008. The event provides a great opportunity to help kids have fun. All you need to do is visit IMBA's website, register your ride and plan an excursion. Whether you bring a few kids -- or a few hundred -- outdoors on their bikes you'll be helping the next generation gain an appreciation for the healthy, low-impact activity of mountain biking.

Register your event.

IMBA has a tradition of leadership in youth-oriented mountain biking programs. Leaders in the field gathered at this summer's IMBA World Summit and discussed strategies for expanding and improving youth programs.
Corporate Sponsors Onboard for Fifth Year

This year's celebration marks the fifth edition of Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. Click here to find out more about last year's gatherings.

Once again, longtime IMBA corporate supporter Schwinn will donate prizes --including 10 youth-sized bikes -- for a drawing of registered events. The good folks at CLIF ZBaR will again donate healthy snacks for all registered events. Smartwool and the National Park Service will provide additional support for the celebration.

Trips for Kid provides valuable assistance for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. Trips for Kid has been helping disadvantaged kids discover mountain biking since 1988. Trips for Kids chapters nationwide make a difference in kids' lives by opening their world to mountain biking.
Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews to Attend Events in ID, MA

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews will be participating in two huge events. Kelly and Collins will join the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) at Middlesex Fells Reservation near Boston, and Anna and Jason will be partnering with the Southwest Idaho Mountain Bike Association (SWIMBA) at the Idaho Velodrome Park in Boise. Both events promise to be some of the most exciting celebrations of the year. Organizers are expecting close to 100 participants each, and numerous VIPs will be in attendance ‹ big names like Gary Fisher, Eric Carter and Randy Drielling.

FL CX is coming!!!

National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest at Fisher Farm Park in Davidson, NC, October 24‐26, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 8, 2008

Contact:

Connie Giordano

704‐957‐8450

connie@NationalMtbOktoberfest.org

connie@therightwords.com

David “Tinker” Juarez and Cowbell Challenge Inc., bring National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest to metro Charlotte

Charlotte, NC ‐ World and national mountain bike endurance champion, two‐time Olympian, and Mountain

Bike Hall of Famer David “Tinker” Juarez partners with Cowbell Challenge Inc., in presenting the National Mountain

Bike Oktoberfest at Fisher Farm Park in Davidson, NC, October 24‐26, 2008. The three‐day, family‐oriented

mountain bike festival features the last race of USA Cycling’s 2008 National Ultra Endurance Calendar, as well as

short track, time trials, and children’s races. The race venue is uniquely designed to take advantage of the early

sunset, giving racers the opportunity to ride the trails at night. Proceeds from the festival benefit Davidson

Recreation & Parks Youth Scholarship fund.

“I’ve been a professional cyclist for 35 years,” says Tinker. “I love this sport, especially endurance racing, and

this chance to step off the trail and give back to sport is tremendous. We can’t wait to come to North Carolina for

this world‐class endurance cycling event and festival.”

National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest kicks off on Friday night with short track races, sponsored by Niterider

Lighting Systems. Kids can get in on the action with special Kids Kompetition races on Saturday morning, including

a chance to try out the Strider balance bikes, designed specifically for one to five year old children. The featured

event of the weekend, the Oktoberfest 8‐Hour Endurance Race, starts at noon on Saturday. Time trials and a

special combination event known as “the Beast” round out the weekend on Sunday. Races conducted after sunset

will require adequate front and rear lighting.

A drawing for a five‐night stay at Anse Chastanet Resort in St. Lucia will also be held on Sunday. “This is a true

mountain bike festival with something for everyone with a bike and a little energy,” says Taylor Sullivan, president

of Cowbell Challenge. “We’re designing an endurance course that will challenge the top pros and amateurs, and

the whole weekend will be filled with chances to ride for fun and for prizes.” The 8‐hour endurance race boasts

equal cash payout for men and women in the solo (Open) categories and prize packages from sponsors including

MonaVieCannondale.com and ODI Grips. Other activities include Halloween costume contest for kids and adults,

and bike demos by Cannondale and Specialized Bicycles.

Fisher Farm Park in Davidson, NC, is the site of a former dairy farm owned and operated by the Fisher family

since the mid‐1800’s. Davidson, approximately 25 minutes from Charlotte‐Douglas International Airport, is a

beautiful college town situated near Lake Norman for an idea combination of small town ambience, outdoor

recreation, a flourishing Main Street of local businesses, and a unique sense of community.

Sponsors for National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest currently include Niterider Lighting Systems, Cannondale

Bicycles, MonaVieCannondale.com, ODI Grips, Specialized Bicycles, iBert Safe‐T‐ Seats, Strider Running Bikes, Anse

Chastanet Resort in St. Lucia, Summit Coffee, Bicycle Sport and The Cyclepath. Registration for short‐track,

combination, and time trial races begins at $10, and the 8‐hour endurance race begins at $50. There is no charge

for children’s races, but they must be registered. For more information on registration, purchasing raffle tickets,

new sponsors and activities, and the schedule of events, visit www.NationalMtbOktoberfest.org.

Cowbell Challenge, Inc., a 501C3 nonprofit corporation, is a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting

and organizing endurance mountain biking events which raise funds in support of charitable causes that promote

health, well‐being, and strong communities. Its signature event, the Cowbell Challenge 12‐Hour Endurance

Mountain Bike Race finished its seventh year in 2008 with more than $16,000 raised in support of numerous local

and national non‐profit organizations that support those facing catastrophic illness, families in crisis, maintaining

natural spaces, and promoting cycling and fitness.

###

Related links:

http://www.NationalMtbOktoberfest.org

http://tinkerjuarez.blogspot.com/

http://www.usacycling.org

http://www.cowbellchallenge.org

Event: Oleta Off-Road Half Marathon & 5K Run

Presented by Down 2 Earth

Warning: No Whiners!

This event is off-road folks... that means running on singletrack, thru water crossings, and ground rappelling. Sounds like a challenge of monumental proportions.

Date: October 11th, 2008
Location: Oleta River State Park, 3400 N.E. 163rd St, N. Miami Beach, FL (305) 919-1846
Time: 7:30am Sharp!

Register Online at www.active.com and use keyword "down2earth"

For more information just send them an email here, or call Marlon at (786) 385-4204

Sizing a bike vs. Fitting a bike

In the market for a new bike? Have you thought about where you are going to have your investment professionally fitted? Do you know what size bike frame you need?

Sizing a bike is rather mundane, and often overlooked as an important step in the bike fitting process. The directions below will give you exactly what you need to find the proper frame size. Taken directly from Wobble-Naught , the worlds best fitting solution and our chosen method to professionally fit bicycles.

The only tools needed to size your bike are 1) level or book, 2) a metric tape, and 3) a calculator!

This is a very simple sizing process!!! It takes very little time.

1. Take your inseam length while standing in your socks with your feet about 4 to 6 inches apart, back against a wall.
2. Hold your level or book under your crotch (pull up firmly).
3. Use the tape from the top of the level or book, and measure to the floor.
4. Read the tape in centimeters.
5. Multiply the (cm) measurement by .67
6. Mountain Bikes, subtract 11 cm and round to the lower number, road bikes round to the nearest even cm.
7. This should roughly be the length of the seat tube on a properly sized frame.

This should give you a good reference point on size, so that you can obtain a precision fit.

Train with Purpose: Dean Yobbi's Perspective

I've come to respect my bike racing peers to the point where I feel lucky to have met them. If it werent for racing mountain bikes I wouldnt have met many of who I consider friends. Its amazing how something as simple as bike racing can bring people together. Often I hear "I'm not a racer", or "I'm not in shape to race" and I cant help but laugh, as if thats why people race bikes. To many, its not about being labeled something, or having a negative body fat... its about the journey, the relationships, and the lifestyle.

Dean Yobbi and I have crossed paths (no pun) on a few different occasions. Exclusively during mountain bike races such as the Goneriding 6hrs of Oleta, and the 6hrs of Santos. Dean does a lot of talking with his bike, with many podium finishes and consistent efforts over the years. He's always been one of those racers I've liked to watch compete because you know he'll be there at the end. Dean started training with a power meter a couple years ago and explained to me "I had my best year when I started training with purpose". Dean is a student of the game, like me, and now he's passing on his knowledge as a USA Cycling Coach.

I feel lucky to have finally met Dean on a more personal level, and respect him for the work he is doing to give back to the sport of cycling. I also value his opinion and insights. Dean has started a blog, and its shaping up to easily fit into my list of daily reads. Check Dean out at dyotraining.blogspot.com and drop him a line, mention OYM sent you.