March is upon us, and while Punxsutawney Phil, the only true weather forecasting groundhog in the business, saw his shadow back in February predicting  another six weeks of winter, we are already looking forward to the green of Spring. Daylight Savings begins on March 14, St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17 and fun bike rides and tours are popping up across the country.

In today’s edition of Fast Facts Friday we’re discussing some of the upcoming bike rides and tours taking place across the country, with a focus on some of the the more interesting and obscure events. If you know of or are participating in any interesting bike rides or tours coming up, let us know! Just leave a comment below, and maybe we’ll feature you in a future Bell True Fit blog post!

1. The Muddy Buddy Ride is coming to a city near you! From California to Virginia, down to Florida and up to Oregon, the Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series is a must for the adventurous. Muddy Buddy is all about having fun (and getting muddy of course) with a friend, family member, partner or co-worker. Teams of two traverse a 6-7 mile off-road course and five obstacles. “At the start of the race, one team member will run and one will ride the bike. At the 1st obstacle, the rider will drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and begin running. The runner will arrive, complete the obstacle, find their bike and begin riding. Teams will continue leapfrogging each other through the entire course,” according to the Web site. Funds raised through this meaningful program, benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and allow people with physical challenges to live an active lifestyle. So go get dirty, challenge yourself, support a great cause, get some exercise and get to know someone really well! Visit Muddy-Buddy.Competitor.com to get the “the dirt” on this awesome event.

2. Maybe getting sweaty and muddy with a boss or new girlfriend isn’t your cup of tea … maybe you’d prefer a glass of wine? Geared towards the novice rider, with an epicurean/vinophile bent Napa Valley Bike Tours offers a variety of scenic bike rides through rustic wine country. Since 1987 they’ve been offering single and multi-day guided bike tours, self-guided bike tours, bike rentals and bicycling vacation packages that include accommodations and dining. Sample and purchase wines, wine and dine at some of the best wineries and restaurants, and enjoy an “invigorating sensory experience” as you roll through scenic Napa Valley past rows of vineyards. Visit Napa Valley Bike Tours or become a fan on Facebook to start planning your trip today.

3. Register’s Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) always takes place in the summer, during the last full week of July. Sponsored by The Des Moines Register, this annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, and is the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world.  RAGBRAI is heading into its 38th year in 2010. A week-long rider fee is $140 and includes baggage transportation, camping accommodations, emergency medical services, daily route maps, entries into drawings for a free bike, and much more. Meals, concerts, parties and events along the way make this scenic ride all the more worth it at the end of every day (after you’ve ridden 75+ miles!). Hurry though, because the entry postmark deadline is April 1, 2009. Visit RAGBRAI.com for more information and check out their blog for interesting updates.

4. Not interested in being confined to the borders of one state? Cycle America offers Cross-State Tours and a Coast-to-Coast journey from June to August. Go from Seattle, WA to Boston, MA crossing over 13 states and one Canadian Province in 64 days. The ride will take you 4,200 miles, averaging 65-86 miles per day through “the lush mountains and forests of the West, across the grasslands of the Great Plains, to the lakes and farms of the Great Lake states and the quaint towns of New England.” The cost is $6,685, and is all inclusive. If a three month bike ride across the country doesn’t quite fit into your calendar or your bank account, you can opt to ride one of the nine cross-state tours for much cheaper (roughly $800 per event). For more information or to reserve a spot visit CycleAmerica.com.

5. Looking for something closer to home, maybe not as long? Then check out The World Wide Bicycle Tour Directory (BicycleTour.com) – a comprehensive directory of bicycle tours and events for both road cycling and mountain biking. They have an easy-to-use menu to help you find bike tours based on country, state, month, duration, and type.

Whichever tour you participate in, be sure to wear your helmet! And be on the lookout for Bell helmets along the way, as many of our models are considered the best. ConsumerSearch.com says the Bell Vela is the best bike helmet for women, the Bell Citi is the best bike helmet for commuters, the Bell Boomerang is the best bike helmet for toddlers, and the Bell Trigger is the best youth bike helmet.

The 82^nd Academy Awards are at 8 ET / 5 PT Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and the glamour will be in full effect. In honor of this year’s Oscars we’d like to recognize those that we consider superstars by setting positive examples of safety by wearing a helmet! This week’s Fast Facts Friday is a collection of photos from around the web of Oscar-related celebs wearing helmets.

Jake Gyllenhaal is best known for his roles in Donnie Darko, Bubble Boy, The Day After Tomorrow, Jarhead, and Brokeback Mountain (in which he was nominated an Oscar for best actor in 2005). He isn’t nominated for an Academy Award this year, but his older sister Maggie Gyllenhaal is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Crazy Heart.

We’re not sure if Maggie rides a bike, but Jake sure does. We’re excited to see him staying safe in a Giro helmet when he’s riding the streets.

Photo courtesy JustJared.BuzzNet.com

 Matthew Broderick is best known for his role in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He also starred in the 1999 movie Election which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing. These days he keeps his pant leg rolled up so it won’t get caught in the chain, and wears a Bell helmet for safety.

Photo courtesy Cyclelicio.us

Matt Damon is best known for … ummm, well, he’s been in a TON of popular movies including Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Rounders, The Bourne series, The Departed, and 2009’s Invictus. He is actually nominated this year for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Invictus. We’re definitely glad to see he’s staying safe with a Bell Helmet.

Photo courtesy ShowHype.com 

Hugh Jackman is known for his role as the slashing, side-burned X-Man Wolverine. He hosted the 81^st Academy Awards last year to rave reviews. He isn’t nominated for an Oscar this year, and he’s not hosting the awards show either, but when we found photos of him wearing a helmet while riding his mountain bike we had to share.

Photo courtesy DailyMail.co.uk

Carey Mulligan is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in An Education.

Here she is seen sporting a helmet as she rides on the back of a motorcycle with boyfriend Shia LaBeouf, also protecting his valuable head with a helmet.

Photo courtesy DailyMail.co.uk

Have you seen or know of any other celebrities that wear a helmet? Please share with us by leaving a comment below!

The great health-care debate has been raging for months. Politicians in Washington D.C. hope to overhaul America’s health care system with the overarching goal of making affordable care more accessible. While there are major disagreements about the government’s role in regulating  health care, one of the main components of all health-care legislation, from both Democrats and Republicans, is aggressively pursuing preventative care. This means that the government would have a role in educating and urging Americans to exercise, eat healthy, and give up bad habits. Here are a few facts about preventative care, and examples of what you can do to stay healthy.

1) According to the American Heart Association, about half of all deaths from heart disease are sudden and unexpected, so there’s little opportunity for treatment. For people at risk of sudden death, prevention is the key. The AHA believes that more effort must be focused on preventing heart disease by addressing and educating people on the major risk factors, including tobacco smoke, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity. (AmericanHeart.org)

2) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers a Pocket Guide to clinical preventative services which includes recommendations on screening, counseling, and preventive medication topics. Recommendations are organized for quick reference and easy searching. One section matches recommended preventive services to patients—men, women, pregnant women, and children. AHRQ’s Clinical Preventative Services Guide was created (and is continually updated) by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force which is the leading independent panel of private-sector experts in prevention and primary care. (AHRQ.gov)

3) Preventing child obesity has become a focus of first lady Michelle Obama , and she has recently launched Let’s Move – an ambitious initiative to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation. Let’s Move will provide healthier food in schools, help kids be more physically active and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of the country, among other things. (LetsMove.gov)

4) SparkPeople.com is a web site dedicated to making healthy living fun and easy with tools, content and a community of like minded people looking to get fit. The site offers great resources, tips, and suggestions on nutrition, fitness, motivation, wellness, and diet, as well as a streaming online video section and recipes section (SparkRecipes.com) with more than 217,000 healthy and delicious recipes. Be sure to check out Health A-Z, a medical reference section created by the faculty of the Harvard Medical School, for information on specific conditions. (SparkPeople.com)

5) According to the Cycling Resource Centre (Australia), the health benefits of cycling have been shown to be a primary reason why many people choose to cycle.  They say that cycling has been shown to significantly reduce the chance of developing obesity, diabetes  and other types of disease. Integrating cycling into everyday life, by using the bike as a form of transport has been shown to be a very sustainable method of regular physical activity. (CyclingResourceCentre.org)

The consensus is in, and an active lifestyle is likely the best way to prevent major health problems. We suggest strapping on a Bell helmet, hopping on a bicycle and pedaling your way towards better fitness.

Looking for products and resources  to compliment your active lifestyle? Be sure to check out Savasa – The Unique Fit. They offer unique women’s fitness products (their Ankle Weights were recently awarded Best Weights for Women), a Tips For Busy Women section, a Savasa Personal Trainer section with quick, 15-minute workouts in audio, video and guide format.

What forms of preventative care do you use to stay healthy? What is your favorite form of exercise? Do you have any useful examples of things you do in your life to stay fit? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

There’s something enriching about watching an Olympic athlete stand on the podium and receive their medal. After years of practice, relentless dedication and an unwavering desire to be the best in the world, these athletes glow with a sense of fulfillment when they take the podium to receive their medal. Even the most hardened of competitors are affected, in some way or another, by the medal ceremony, as it enshrines the winners’ name in Olympic history. Today’s Fast Facts Friday touches on Olympic medals and medal winners.

1) The last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912. The Olympic medals are designed especially for each individual Olympic Games by the host city’s organizing committee. Each medal must be at least three millimeters thick and 60 millimeters in diameter. Also, the gold and silver Olympic medals must be made out of 92.5 percent silver, with the gold medal covered in six grams of gold. Let’s start with some figures: there are roughly 2,500 volunteers at the games, there are more than 10,000 media members at the games, and there are about 5,000 officials and athletes participating. (About.com)

2) Bob Richards, two-time Olympic pole vault champion became the spokesman for Wheaties cereal in 1958, and since the 1960s hundreds of athletes (Olympic medalists and other professional athletes) have been shown and promoted on Wheaties boxes. (Wikipedia)

3) As of Friday, February 19, 2010 the United States is leading the medal count in the 2010 Winter Olympics with six gold, five silver, and seven bronze for a total of 18 medals. Germany has four gold, four silver, and three bronze for a total of 11 medals. And Norway is in third place with three gold and silver each, and two bronze for a total of eight medals. (Vancouver2010.com)

4) The all-time medal leader for all Olympic Games from 1896 to 2008, including Summer Olympic Games and  Winter Olympic Games is the United States with 2,511 medals. To put this number into perspective, the second and third place countries in the all-time medal count are (the former) Soviet Union and Great Britain with 1,204 and 736, respectively. (Wikipedia)

5) UPDATE: Easton-Bell sponsored, two-time Olympian Natalie Darwitz, who is serving as the captain of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team, moved into the record books on Thursday when she broke the U.S. women’s record for most points in an Olympic hockey tournament. Darwitz is now at 11 points (four goals, seven assists) through three games. Next up for Darwitz and the Americans is the medal round, beginning Monday against Sweden in the semifinals. Records are great, Darwitz says, but these next two games will define her tournament more than any statistic. (USAHockey.com)

Do you have an all-time favorite Olympic athlete? Was there a moment, medal ceremony or otherwise, during the Olympics that moved you? Let us know by leaving a comment below! And don’t forget to enter our giveaway contest for your chance to win a Bell Hawk Helmet AND Tony Hawk: RIDE for X-Box 360 – contest ends 02/23/10! Check it out here.

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21^st Winter Olympics, kicked off this morning in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The games run from February 12–28, 2010, and more than 80 nations are competing in 15 winter sports events. At least 10 of these sports require participants to wear helmets, including ski jumping, snowboarding, speed skating, luge, and bobsled. Canadians, Olympics groupies and winter sports enthusiasts alike have been anticipating today and the next two weeks since 2003 – when Vancouver was announced as the host city. If you are unable to make the trek to the Pacific Northwest to cheer on your country’s athletes, we’ve assembled a few facts and resources to help you stay up to date on the games from the comfort of your home.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bicycle riders are a dedicated bunch. They ride to work and school in the rain and cold – over bridges, through tunnels and down freeways (where legal). Some choose to ride for the health benefit, while other’s ride for the environment’s benefit. Many ride for the sheer pleasure, and others ride out of necessity. At Bell Sports, we are inspired by those who bike long distances to get where they need (or want) to go. Today’s Fast Facts Friday is in honor of those who take their bikes on busses, trains and other transit options. So without further adieu, here are some transit-related bicycle facts from around North America:

1) Bike riders in New Jersey are thankful there is no extra charge for bicycles brought aboard NJ Transit vehicles, and no permit is required. NJ TRANSIT provides free parking capacity for about 2,300 bicycles at stations and park/rides, and bikes are allowed on NJ Transit trains, busses and light rail. Be sure to check the schedule though, because bicycles like BART, bicycles are not allowed at all times. (NJTransit.com)

2) The Seattle and Tacoma, Washington area is conveniently bike friendly, and bicycles and transit are highly encouraged. Bicycles are welcome on all Sound Transit Express buses, Sounder commuter rail, Central Link light rail and Tacoma Link light rail vehicles and stations. Each Central Link Light Rail car has mounting hooks for two bicycles, and the Sounder commuter rail has bike storage areas where riders are encouraged to secure their bikes using tie-downs in the bicycle priority storage area. (SoundTransit.org)

(IndependentStitch.typepad.com)

3) In Washington D.C. the Union Station Bike Transit Station is the first secure bike parking facility of its kind on the East Coast. The station, which  opened on October 2, 2009, was built by Mobis/Bikestation with funding from DDOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation, but local bicycle rental company Bike and Roll is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the transit center. Bike and Roll employees staff the parking area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, providing rentals, repairs, and retail assistance in addition to the daily parking area. Staffers can also help potential members sign-up online in person at the station. Memberships currently cost $96 for a full year, or $12 per month. Membership cards allow users 24/7 access to the parking area. (DCist.com)

4) Regional Transit of Sacramento, California offers bike racks on buses, bikes on trains and bike lockers at 15 light rail stations. This is similar to BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit, which offers a dedicated “bike space” to riders … but remember bikes are never allowed on the first train and are not allowed during peak commute times. Folding bikes are welcome at all times, though! (BikesOnBart)

5) The City of Chicago and the Active Transportation Alliance sponsor numerous bicycle related events throughout the year including Bike the Drive, Boulevard Lakefront Tour, Veggie Bike and Dine, Bike to Work Week, Bike Town Bash, and Chicagoland Car-Free Day. Visit  ActiveTrans,org for a full calendar of events. The CTA, or Chicago Transit Authority has indoor, sheltered bike parking at 83 stations providing security and weather protection. The CTA also has options for travelling to O’Hare and Midway airports with your bicycle. (CityOfChicago.org)

6) And for those who drive, but need  a convenient way to transport your bike(s), Bell offers bike racks for your car! The locking, three-bike rack makes it a cinch for three friends (or family) to drive to their favorite biking destination. (Target.com)

Are there any interesting transit-related bike options in your area? If so, tell us about it with a comment below!

On a seemingly regular, recent Tuesday afternoon the small island country of Haiti was shocked and devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

In the days following the news of the massive quake, stories, images and videos of unimaginable destruction and unbelievable carnage swept across the newswires.

What accompanied these horrific developments was an immediate and unprecedented outpouring of relief aid, money, support and prayer.

Today’s Fast Facts Friday is meant to shine a light on only a few of the many good Samaritans and caring people across the world who have stepped up to help the people of Haiti cope with the devastation and rebuild their lives.

1) One electronic form of support brought $30 million in relief funds in a matter of days: text messaging.  Right after the quake, the Red Cross and mobile phone companies announced that they would take donations by cell phone. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and other major carriers all quickly jumped on the bandwagon, allowing donations over their text messaging network … with no hidden fees! Texting the word HAITI to 20222 will give a $10 donation to the Clinton Foundation. You can give $10 to the International Medical Corps (85944), the Salvation Army (52000), and the American Red Cross (90999) by simply texting the word “HAITI”. (ThePilot.com)

2) While people and communities across the US and the world are mobilizing and giving all they can to aid in the relief effort, governments have also been quickly prompted to action. The Obama administration has pledged $100 million in aid and the deployment of 10,000 troops. (NYTimes.com)

3) Canada’s military has deployed the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to provide “eyes-on” feedback and assistance to the catastrophic situation. The Canadian Forces has named this mission “Operation Helmet” and foresees it as an ongoing mission that will focus on supplying search and rescue teams as well as medical supplies to victims of this devastating earthquake. (MigrationExpert.com)

4) The Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans helped raise more than $34,000 for earthquake relief in Haiti prior to Thursday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. Fans donated more than $17,309, and the organization matched that bringing the grand total of money raised to $34,600. Overall, the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and other professional sports have stepped up in a major way donating millions of dollars, hosting relief drives, and sending countless aid care packages. (ThePittsburghChannel.com and BusinessWeek.com)

5) Finally, after nearly two weeks of sadness, an image of hope has emerged: One of a smiling young boy named Kiki being lifted from the rubble by American rescuers:

 

(DailyMail.co.uk)

Like riding a bicycle, snowboarding, or golfing, skateboarding is a one-(wo)man sport. Sure you can go on a bike ride with friends or hit up the skate park with fellow skaters, but when the wheels hit the ground, you and only you are in complete control. Progressing in a singular sport such as skateboarding may not historically be as monetarily rewarding as golf, but for many there is something fulfilling about learning and mastering a new trick on a skateboard. Today’s Fast Facts Friday will take a look at some of the most daring feats, displays of athleticism, downright crazy stunts, and interesting personalities surrounding the sport of skateboarding.

1) Thrasher Magazine Skater Of The Year for 1991 and 2004 Danny Way made skateboarding history on July 9, 2005, when he jumped over the Great Wall of China on his skateboard. The skateboarding daredevil became the first person to clear the massive wall without motorized aid. (KidzWorld.com)

2) Rodney Mullen, born in 1966, is one of the oldest professional skateboarders and is considered by many to be the most influential skater in the history of the sport. He is credited with inventing at least 39 distinct skateboarding tricks including the Ollie, the Kickflip, the Heelflip, and the 360 Flip. (Wikipedia.org)

3) The youngest person to ever compete in a professional skateboarding event is Davis, California native Nyjah Huston. Now 15 years old, Huston was only 11 when he took second place in the (skate) park competition at the 2006 Dew Tour. (NYTimes.com)

4) Shanghai is the most populous city in China. Fittingly, Shanghai is home to the world’s largest skatepark. SMP Skatepark has an incredible 13,700 m² of skateable space, much of it incorporating local stone and granite. The park has two street skating areas, multiple bowls, a full pipe (video), a 52 m long wooden vert ramp, and a 2000 m² competition area. (GoogleSightSeeing.com)

5) Like baseball rookie cards, vintage skateboards (maintained in mint condition of course) are a hot commodity. Tony Hawk’s first skateboard model on Powell-Peralta from 1982 sold for $6,000 on eBay in 2002. Since that time a few other unskated “rookie” boards for Natas Kaupas (1985), Steve Caballero (1981) and Ray “Bones” Rodriquez (1979) have sold for $7,250, $8000, and $10,000 respectively. (Blogs.WSJ.com)

Skateboarding has become a popular sport and a lucrative business. According to a Wikipedia entry on Skateboarding video games there are at least 33 games about skateboarding! The latest and most interactive skateboarding video game is Tony Hawk: RIDE, which came out in November 2009. In the game, the player uses a skateboard peripheral to simulate the riding of an actual skateboard in the game. And, there are actually a few scenes in the game where the Bell logo pops up!

And in case you didn’t know, Bell offers a helmet specifically designed for skateboarding: the Faction.

Bell Sports manufactures bicycle helmets designed and adapted specifically to your riding style. Whether it’s mountain biking, racing, road biking or BMX, Bell offers up head safety with some technologically advanced helmets that exceed standards.

But did you know that Bell also makes helmets for skateboarding, auto racing, snowmobiling, off-road motor sports and motorcycle riding?

Well, now you do!

Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about each of these respective sports.

1) Approximately 100,000 people require some sort of medical treatment for skateboard-related injuries, every year. A majority of these injuries are a result of people not wearing or not using proper safety equipment like helmets and pads. (EZineArticles.com)

2) Richard Petty, who won 200 NASCAR races in his career, including seven stock car championships and seven Daytona wins, is credited with inventing the window net to help keep drivers arms inside the car to avoid injuries during a crash. (HubPages.com)

3) There are approximately 1.69 million registered snowmobiles in the US and 601,000 in Canada. Out of all those snowmobiles, more than 85,000 people have full-time jobs generated by the snowmobile industry in North America. (SnowMobile.com)

4) In the 1960s the first All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV ) made came to production. They had six wheels and were amphibious – meaning they could float! These first ATVs were capable of traversing swamps, ponds and streams as well as dry land (ATV.info)

5) At the 2000 Gravity Games in Providence, RI, professional freestyle motocross racer Carey Hart became the first rider to land a back flip on a motorcycle during a competition. (Wikipedia)

Today is New Year’s Day, and while that means it is the first day of 2010, there are many other firsts taking place today as well. At Bell, for instance, this is our very first post of the New Year! In order to celebrate this special day, we’ve pulled together some New Year’s Day facts and firsts for your reading pleasure.

1. On New Year’s Day, people in certain countries gather on beaches and run into the water to celebrate the New Year (sometimes known as polar bear plunges). Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States and Australia are the most popular countries for this. (Wikipedia)

2. On January 1, 1968, Evel Knievel crashed his bike while attempting to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for the first time. When he awakens from a 28-day coma, he credits his Bell helmet with helping to save his life. (Bell Sports)

3. In 1908, for the first time, a ball was dropped in New York City’s Times Square to signify the start of the New Year at midnight. (AllExperts)

4. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) based in Portland, Oregon, hosts an annual New Year’s Day bike ride that has been going on for more than 50 years!

5. The song typically heard streaming through television sets as soon as the ball drops at the stroke of midnight on January 1 is called Auld Lang Syne and originated as a Scottish poem. The title of the song translates into English as “old long since” (Wikipedia)

Another mainstream notion synonymous with New Years is making a resolution. What’s your resolution this New Years? Perhaps it’s getting out on your bicycle more often? Whatever promise it is that you’ve made for yourself in 2010, let us know below! Oh, by the way….Happy New Year!!