By brian | February 28, 2007 - 8:51 pm - Posted in Dirty talk, Press releases
ACCESSORIES MARKETING, INC. OFFERS MOST FLAT-PROOF MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRE

Expensive Custom Rims no Longer Necessary for Tubeless Tires

Slime SRT Tires Fit Any Standard Rim, Saving Riders Hassles, Money and Boosting Performance

GROVER BEACH, Calif.—Accessories Marketing, Inc. (AMI), creator and manufacturer of Slime® tire sealant products, offers a significant breakthrough for bike enthusiasts—they have perfected the first-ever pre-Slimed tubeless tire for standard rims. The Slime SRT (Standard Rim Tubeless) tires enable riders to convert any standard, aluminum, or composite rim to tubeless, eliminating expensive rims and conversion kits, and they even work on UST rims. Slime Tubeless tires provide exceptional performance versus tires with tubes, and they include built-in flat protection.

The company worked for four years with Innova Rubber Co., LTD to develop the patented tires, which come ‘pre-Slimed’ and work without tubes on any standard rim. Equipped with Beefeater™ Technology, the tires feature reinforced sidewalls which prevent pinch flats. Specific tread and rubber compounds were developed – each customized with cross-country, free-ride and downhill performance characteristics.

The downhill tires feature 2-ply casings and wire beads for optimum durability where it’s needed most. The tires provide the means for bicyclists, both avid and recreational, to gain access to the latest tire technology for a fraction of what it would have cost in the past.

“This tire brings elite tubeless performance to everyone who rides a bike,” said Jim Cegelski, CEO of AMI. “The tubed-tire is going to go the way of the dinosaur. Our SRT tires with Slime tire sealant pre-installed are ideal for both street and off-road application with various tread options for cross-country, free-ride and downhill.”

Cegelski reinforced that this product is a huge hit with cyclists and the industry. “This is a reliable, puncture-resistant tubeless tire that fits standard rims with various tread options. It mounts easily and quickly, prevents pinch-flats, and stops 95 percent of flats from punctures because it is pre-filled with Slime.”

The advantage of a tubeless tire is that it allows users to run lower air pressure without worrying about pinch flatting a tube. Riding at a lower tire pressure provides maximum traction due to increased surface area contact with the ground, improving grip and control. The product is easy to install and requires no special tools. It is currently available for 26-inch and 24-inch rims in cross country, free-ride and downhill designs. The product category is being expanded to include road and trekking tires. The MSRP falls in the $59 to $69 range, depending on the tire specs— a significant cost savings compared to conventional tubeless wheel and tire systems.

Slime Tire Sealant with Fibro-Seal™ Technology guarantees it can seal punctures up to 1/8” and can seal multiple punctures concurrently. The Fibro-Seal intertwining and clotting lattice, together with the viscous transportation system, seeks out and tightly packs itself into any puncture area, preventing and repairing flat tires with a flexible, long-lasting plug.

Accessories Marketing Inc. is the leader in flat tire prevention and repair. The Slime brand sealant is the most widely distributed liquid sealant in the world. The company’s products are distributed in more than 36 countries. Slime is sold at more than 50,000 retail distribution points worldwide and is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company. With distribution facilities in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia, major OEMs in the automotive, motorcycle and bicycle markets have come to rely on Slime sealant to prevent and repair flat tires. The Slime formula is manufactured in-house using automated technology and undergoes regular product testing to ensure reliability.

Visit www.slime.com/buyslime to locate a nearby Slime vendor. Additional information on the full line of Slime tire repair and inflation products is available online at www.slime.com.

By brian | February 27, 2007 - 11:31 pm - Posted in Random acts of typing

Matt Akins, a senior at Texas State University, just sent over an email about the bike co-op he helped start at his school.

Matt writes:

“We have created an on-campus bicycle co-op for students at Texas State and members of the San Marcos community. The goals of the co-op include promoting bicycles as an alternate and primary form of transportation and recreation, to educate bicyclists about bike safety and bike mechanics, and work with university and city leaders in making Texas State and San Marcos more bicycle-friendly.

We will train volunteers about basic and advanced bike mechanics, and in turn, the volunteers will teach students and community members how to fix their own bike. Our shop will be open to anyone who wants to use the tools and parts. The program is entirely volunteer-based. Members are broken down into committees that include repair, inventory, marketing, acquisitions & donations, and rentals.

We have a temporary-permanent bike shop located at North & Vista streets, behind the Supple Science building.

After spring break, the shop will have regular hours, and once a week, we will set up in the Quad a portable work station to make basic repairs and promote the co-op.”

Cheers to Matt for not only promoting cycling, but for involving his community as well. If anyone wants to drop him a line, or has tools, bikes or time to donate, his email is bicycle@txstate.edu

By brian | February 26, 2007 - 10:08 pm - Posted in Random acts of typing

Every day, I troll the web looking for interesting bike-related news. Some days I come across stuff I just can’t even believe. For instance, a ninth grade class decided that for their science fair project, they would develop an air bag for cyclists.

No joke.

Apparently, the rider straps it around their waist, and if they fall off their bike, it will inflate, saving them from injury. And the lead in was that this was good news for anyone who rides a bike. To think that they could have spent their time working on a worm farm, or maybe building a compost bin. You know, something useful.

This seemed to me to be more of an April first kind of article, but it was legit. So I did a little research, and realized that good old Sheldon Brown has already touched on the subject some time ago…

By brian | February 25, 2007 - 10:33 pm - Posted in Random acts of typing

Stan’s NoTubes is located in Big Flats, New York. That’s all I’ve got today folks.

By brian | February 24, 2007 - 3:04 pm - Posted in Random acts of typing

Man, this thing still shows up in the news. And they’ve sold 30 of them? It looks like a freakin’ deathtrap. I mentioned it here the last time I read an article on it. This thing is supposed to be better for your back, but it looks like a great way to blow out your knees. If you want comfort, buy a bike that fits you, and get it adjusted properly, then go ride.

You’ll have to Google it, since I’m not helping them out by linking.