TwinSix and Dubba have combined forces on this one. It means what it says. I think the next one should have a blood infusion machine with wings and of course a skull with the unmistakable shape of the cyclist formally known as Bernie.

Conceptual Plans as Envisioned by Tarras Landscape Innoventions I just wanted to share with you a little sampling of what’s coming with Valmont Bike Park. What people need to understand is that this project is literally at the tip of the spear in many aspects…from the way we organized to push the concept in 2007 with the City of Boulder to the aggregation of the most professional resources possible to ensure this park is world class.

One such example is Tarras Landscape Innovation. This is the team which was selected by the Valmont Park Committee after they submitted their designs  held during an open competition and clearly blew the team away. Their contributions will be to look conceptually at the space we have allotted to us (45 acres) and look specifically at the ‘details’ of the Park itself to balance aesthetics with usability/sustainability all the while keeping the theme of cycling and cyclists at the core of their usable designs.

It’s worth a look at this brief snapshot they’ve provided.

Get excited!

I came across this in Advertising Age. This is a totally random post but I though it was interesting that such a mainstream product is utilizing ‘cross to help identify their brand. The article, found here in its entirety, talks of various beverage brands launching in the recession and bucking the trend by succeeding. I carved out the one using cyclocross interestingly in their advertising below...

OWATER

BACKGROUND: Tom First is no beverage novice: He co-founded and sold Nantucket Nectars. But when he decided to jump back into beverages in 2004, it was with a different type of product. Owater is billed as a "healthy sports drink," with all the components of a traditional sports drink but fewer calories and no artificial flavors or colors. The brand had nearly $4 million in sales last year and expects growth of about 65% this year. It's available at Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Duane Reade and Au Bon Pain.

MARKETING STRATEGY: Mr. First is relying primarily on radio ads, which feature him chatting with a colorful cast of Owater friends. Those friends, including star center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox, yoginis Ashley Phoenix and Ann Zilvitis, the Boston triathlon team and Devon Haskell, a "cyclo-cross" racer, are also tapped to appear on product labels. Virtually all of those partnerships are gratis; Mr. Ellsbury is one of the only Owater friends to receive a small amount of money from the brand.

SECRET TO STANDING OUT: Sampling. "Market to people's taste buds first," Mr. First said. A bit of chutzpah also doesn't hurt. Mr. First forged the partnership with Mr. Ellsbury after cold-calling him. "That's how I do things. ... I'll call the guy until he figures maybe if he says yes, I'll stop."

Update!

Ah the powers of the interwebs. I made contact with Devon and she explained how rad things are with Owater and this process. She even pointed to me to their 'featured' labels...labels that describe real people...and with that, I think one of the PUREST examples of modern advertising waves we're experiencing. That being the tighter connection between:

consumers<-->the real people who manufacture the product<-->other real people who could/should use the product.

No more anonymity.

Here's the label (click on it to nav to Devon's profile and a larger view of the label...as well as other REAL people Owater are profiling).

My eyes miss nothing. I’d LOVE to see Trek go ‘old school’…not unlike Cervelo is doing now with 'Test Team' and rock kits to focus on advertising their brand of bike as Bianchi did and forever branded celeste in doing so...with Coppi of course...although Big Jan tried too. Adding some LiveStrong flair would be great too and the ultimate publicity booster for the predication of Lance’s comeback. Bottom line, I’d love to FINALLY see Lance et al in some rad uniforms instead of those God awful kits the great state of Kazakhstan makes these guys wear. I think Trek’s per annum on carbon bikes is likely bigger than the capital city Astana’s GDP.

You be the judge…

It's Better To Drink Beer After Exercise Than Water

Submitted by Julie on November 2, 2007 - 8:47pm.

Researchers at Granada University in Spain have come across a discovery that will undoubtedly please athletes and sports enthusiasts - a pint of beer post-workout or match is better at rehydrating the human body than water.

Professor Manuel Garzon, a member of Granada's medical faculty, made the finding after tests on 25 students over several months. Researchers believe that it is the sugars, salts, and bubbles in a beer that may help people absorb fluids more quickly.

The subjects in the study were asked to run on a treadmill at temperatures of 104F (40C) until they were close to exhaustion. Once they had reached the point of giving up, researchers measured their hydration levels, motor skills, and concentration ability.

Read the whole article here….