Archive for Sport-Outdoor

Razor E300S Seated Electric Scooter

I bought an E300S for my son on his 10th birthday. He had ridden a smaller electric scooter at a block party and had been smitten with it. I opted for the bigger scooter for the large wheels, as I want him to stay on the sidewalks with it and around here there are some bumps and cracks, these big wheels handle them with ease. This is important because it goes fast (for sidewalk travel) – it needs to be stable to be safe.

The scooter is very well built. The basic components – frame, wheels, fork and handlebars are almost indestructable. In this age of plastic and throw away items, it is refreshing to come across a toy built for the long haul – much better than scooters in the ‘good old days’. Of course the controls are somewhat vulnerable, but they are about as tough as bicycle parts, and should last indefinately if not abused. I particularly liked the charge connector. It is necessarily used often and if it breaks, the scooter can’t be used. Razor used a high quality connector that should stand up to anything a 10 year old can dish out. It tells me they expect this scooter to be used, not gather dust.

A bonus feature is the freewheel on the rear sprocket which allows the scooter to coast with very little drag. The smaller scooters from razor don’t have this feature.

We should have opted for the plain E300 – without the seat. It is a sturdy mount and easy to put on and off with a couple of (included) hand tools, but he simply prefers to ride standing up and does not use the seat at all.

I only wish it had a foolproof way to lock it up outside – a steering stem lock or hole in the frame for a bike lock. Without one, we are hesitant to ride it to school or the ice cream parlor.

I’m looking forward to the day when new battery technology will economically stretch the ride time. By the time they run low, he is ready to get off anyway, but maybe then they can make one I could ride.

Oh, by the way, my son loves it!

Great toy – Get one.

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Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch

I really did my homework in choosing a fitness watch with heart rate monitor. I ordered competing models from Garmin, Timex, Polar, and Suunto, to look them over closely and compare. Then I sent them all back but this one.

Someone pointed out that this Garmin watch is a little on the clunky side – that’s true. I have a small wrist,and the watch part of it is long and flat and doesn’t really fit nicely. But no matter – with the band strapped tight, it stays put, and it’s not so huge that people would say “What’s that thing on her wrist?” It still looks like a watch. A funky sort of a watch maybe, but not a television set or anything.

I think you need to decide if you want GPS or not. I decided that yes, I really wanted GPS to measure my distance, because I run and jog and hike and travel quite a bit, so my routes are always changing. In my ideal world, I’d be able to pop up a map on my PC and see my route, and have a table showing all my workouts and how many miles they total, in running, biking, etc. I could finally answer the folks at the running store when they ask how many miles are on my running shoes.

I ended up with this Garmin, far and away the best choice for just what I wanted. All the other GPS solutions were separate strap-on-the-arm ones that contain AAA batteries that need to be replaced every 12 hours of operation – ouch, costly. Even with rechargables, it would be a hassle to be always taking them out, plugging them into the charger, putting them back in the arm-band-GPS unit. The watch on those other devices was just a receiver for the arm-unit. Granted, it meant that their watches could be a little smaller … I really liked the design of the Timex the best, and the Polar was small too. But who wants to carry a clunky thing around their arm? That’s one more thing to pack or lose, more batteries to buy and fuss with, more parts to break… forget it.

I also was swayed heavily by the Garmin software and tight integration with the PC and mapping software. None of the other brands, as of this writing (January 2010) had anything near as easy. Polar excels at fitness tracking, but not the mapping part. Timex and others require third-party mapping solutions that you have to manually upload and integrate with. Only Garmin had a simple plug-and-play solution. Plug in their little included USB “ANT Stick” (like a little thumb drive), and bring the watch near, and it automatically receives the data the watch stored from your workouts, loads it into your Garmin fitness/mapping program, and you can see all your stats and your routes etc.

I also liked that this unit is one of the few that tracks altitude, so you know not only how many miles, but how much total up and down you went (cumulative). It can display the data on a chart with any paramets you set, for example you can see the actual altitudes of your run along your route. That is so cool!

Other people trashed this unit because the bezel-touch operation is a hassle. One guy made the point that he just locks the screen into a view before his run starts, so he doesn’t hassle with the touch thing going haywire. That is the perfect solution, and it’s what I did too.

So with this Garmin watch, you only have to remember two pieces: the watch, and the charger. The charger clips right onto the watch to rejuice the battery inside. It ships with conversion plugs for international outlets.

Here’s a tip that isn’t written anywhere: the GPS can be turned on or off. With the GPS on all the time, the watch will run out of juice after about 8 hours and will need to be recharged. With the GPS off, it lasts… I’m guessing at least a week (I haven’t let it go that far). It works like a normal watch, tells date and time, etc. Heart rate monitor. Etc.

I was worried that this watch wouldn’t work if you, say, went out in the morning for a hike, stopped for lunch, continued hiking… 8 hours wouldn’t be enough. The simple solution is to turn off GPS when you don’t need it, and your battery will last as long as you need it.

So, if you can afford it, this one is the only way to go, if you want GPS. I’ve had it a month, after handling all the others, reading their manuals, etc., and settling on this one. I’m super happy with it and love Garmin. Next generation will be even better, when they fix the bezel issue and get the watch to be even more watch-looking, but this is miles ahead of the competition as is. 

More :  Forerunner 405 | Forerunner 405CX | Forerunner 310XT

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Treadmill and Elliptical Trainer

It is in exercising that our muscles are strengthened and our bones are kept in a strong state. There are many ways a person can exercise; walking alone is already a form of exercise. But there are some people who prefer to perform their exercise inside their homes due to some reasons. Today’s technology provides us the option to have an exercise inside our homes.

Treadmill – is one of the most famous equipment used for exercising. Though the original reason why treadmills were made was because to reform offenders in prison, many ordinary people these days are using the said equipment to stay fit and healthy.

Treadmills are great to use by people who does not want to run, walk or jog outside because of some reasons (bad weather, dangerous neighborhood, unwanted attention and other reasons).

If a person does not want to join a gym session or does not have the time, he can therefore use a treadmill right at his own home.

What’s great about using a treadmill for exercising is that the consequences of having ankle, knee and lower back injury is very low due to some shock absorption technology applied on the machine. Unlike running on ordinary surface, walking on treadmill is less stressful to your joints and other body parts.

Elliptical Trainer – is another indoor exercise machine. The device is similar to that of treadmill which simulates the action of walking, running or jogging without causing too much pressure to the joints of the body, which therefore reduces the risk of injuries.

An elliptical trainer machine works the user’s upper and lower body part out. The elliptical trainer is more of a cardiovascular workout machine than working out the body’s muscle.

There are three types of elliptical trainer, and these trainers are classified by the position of its motor. The oldest type of elliptical trainer is the Rear Drive type; with Front Drive type next and the latest Center

Drive type elliptical trainer.

If a user wants to improve the way he is exercising, he can use the elliptical trainer machine without holding on to machine’s handgrips. It is on this position that the core muscles of the person are held in a state of constant tension therefore raising the level of exercise the person is doing, this also helps promote better body posture.

Exercising should not be taken for granted, it should be given proper care. Our body should be taken care, it should be fed, give it an exercise and proper rest. Doing the right kind of exercise in the right place plays a very crucial role in maintaining a good health.

More: Ironman gravity 4000 | Body Champ IT8070 | Nautilus T514 | Body Vision PT600 | Teeter Hang Ups EP-950 | Teeter Hang Ups EP-550 | weider 200 | Body Champ BRM3671 | Fenix TK40 | Koolatron p95 | Schwinn Midmoor | Merit Fitness 725T | Schwinn Windwood | Schwinn 431

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Schwinn Active 20 Serie Exercise Bike Review

The bike arrived in great condition. I have never had a problem with Amazon’s shipping so this was not surprising.

The bike was very easy to assemble, as other reviewers have said. It took about an hour, with the help of my ten year old, hyperactive son. Instructions were easy to follow and all of the tools and hardware you need are provided, which is a very nice touch. The bike is sturdy and well built.

The bike’s computer console is easy to read, and once you get a quick read through of the operating instructions, it is very easy to use.

I like the variety of workouts you can get with this machine. You can use one of the presets (six of these), program one yourself, or go by heart rate. Or just hop on and ride. I also like the sensors in the handle bar grips.

Very nicely done, Schwinn!!

**It is now July 2009 and my bike is still going strong. There are four pretty rambunctious kids and a husband that all like to hop on and give it a whirl. The handle bar sensors are still accurate, which I tested several times by just taking my pulse rate the old fashioned way(finger on the pulse for 10 seconds). The seat moves smoothly from one position to another with no problems, and since the kids think that is “wicked” it gets moved up and down many times.

The only recommendation I would make is that the display screen should be back lit. The screen is easy to read , as I said in my earlier review, in regards to the size of the graphics. However I have found that it is harder to read without a light shining on it from behind me. Maybe they could put a button on the side that you can hit when you need the back light, like they put on some watches, and then it turns back off after a few seconds.

I am still loving it. (By the way, I have lost an inch off my waist since I started riding and it is pretty much the only thing I have been doing for extra exercise.)

more Schwinn Bike | Active 20 Serie

Tags Werner MT 22 | Coby TFDVD7008

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Dynamat Xtreme Bulk Pack

Dynamat 10455 Xtreme Bulk Pack 9 SheetsI put it in my two front doors (doubled on the outer and inner panel) and the rear hatch door. I still have a bunch left so I might do more but it takes so long I don’t know if it’s worth it. The first door took like 3 hours until I got the hang of how to do it and how to get the doors off. I can’t say this isn’t a good product, it obviously does make a difference in the sound but I don’t know if it really works in my car. I probably won’t know until I get new tires since I still have the stock, which have been said to be obnoxiously loud. I put this in my 2001 Toyota supra and I honestly can’t tell if it made a real difference. Sure it seems like the road noise is duller. The wind sound isn’t as harsh but did it actually improve anything? It sounds like it got rid of some of the higher pitched road noise but the low dull roar still gets through, which might just be because of the tires.

Dynamat 10455

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Saris Bones 805 Review

Saris Bones 805 2-Bike Trunk Mount RackIt’s a great thing when you see a product you like in a store but you can find it on Amazon for much less! The seller offered free shipping and the delivery took MUCH less time then expected. The package was in great condition and everything was there. I have used my Bones several times and it’s great. Thanks!

Saris bones 805

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