Last year at Interbike, I picked a company called Broken Bones as my favorite of the show.  It wasn’t because they had the best technology or had the best bike, but because of the very cool attitude they were bringing to the cycling industry.

I  like to call myself a rule-breaker, and I’m definitely far from being normal traditional….so I generally migrate towards companies that do things differently.

Anyway, Josh from Broken Bones bicycles just launched the Broken Bones Garage webcast series.  In it he gives tips on training, diet, strategy and also tells some of his best crazy “racing in other countries” horror stories.

We’re teaming up with Josh and the Broken Bones Garage and will be featuring some of his tips over here at Loving the Bike.  Here’s the first one all about how smiling can help get you through the suffer points of your ride.  Watch for more from Josh in the coming weeks.

Yes, water is still the best source of hydration out there….but we want to hear what you have to say about portable hydration products.  Whether it’s a product like Nuun or any of the others out there…..what do you have to say about them?

In this short video I ask you to leave your comments on everything about hydration tabs and products….do you use them, what flavor is your favorite, when do you take them, etc.

If you’re interested in Kelli’s home remedy for sports drinks, here’s the link to Making Your Own Sports Drinks.

So let’s hear it, leave your comments….Let’s Talk.

It’s another one of our Let’s Talk features, and my good friend Shawn is in to get you talking about mountain bikes.

Shawn runs the website, www.texasmountainbiketrails.com and in this video he poses an interesting question to all of you….especially if you’re primarily a road cyclist. Oh, and Shawn just happens to be a video graphics master and includes some cool stuff in this one.

You definitely have to check this one out, and then please leave your answer/comment before leaving our website.

Let’s Talk.

It seems like forever that I’ve been waiting for this day to come.  It’s been about a year since the good folks over at Kazam sent me a balance bike for my little boy, and we’ve been waiting to ride it ever since.

You see, my youngest Son is vertically challenged like his Parents so ever since we received it he’s been way too short to reach the ground while on the bike.  But he has loved it since that very first day.  If you remember back to a little video I posted when he was one years old, you’ll see just how bicycle obsessed he’s been since he was born.  (Here’s the link to “My Baby Loves the Tour“)

We brought the balance bike with us here to Grenada and as my Son got bigger he started playing around with it more and more.  Sometime over the past couple months, he was finally able to touch the ground and feel comfortable….and he’s been zipping around the living room ever since.  He honestly does not put this bike down.

So we finally decided it was time to take it to the street and let him ride.

Balance bikes are fantastic.  When it comes to learning to ride a bike, the biggest thing is creating balance.  Training wheels are good for letting kids feel comfortable on the bike, but they don’t do anything for balance.  Having this Kazam is going to let my Son become comfortable on the bike while creating balance at the same time.

I haven’t read up on all the statistics, but I’m pretty sure it’s been proven that balance bikes create new cyclists faster and easier than the traditional training wheel method.

I’m sold on what these bikes can do, and I’m glad we had the opportunity to use one for my little cyclist.  He’s going to be ready for a pedal bike in no time, and believe me….this proud cycling Dad is going to be posting those memories on here as well.

This post was inspired by the coolest 13-year-old I know….his name is Logan LaPlante and he’s the creator of what he calls Hackschooling.

If I was still a kid going to school, I would most definitely be asking my Parents if I could follow in Logan’s footsteps and be a Hackschooler just like him.  I’m totally serious that these thoughts did just go through my head, but then it hit me.  I may not be a hackschooler, but I’m someone motivated by lifestyle, and just realized that I’m a Lifestyle Hacker.

Let’s back it up just a little bit.  Logan is a 13-year-old who recently gave a TED Talk called “Hackschooling Makes Me Happy”.  I’m including the video right here for you to watch, it is well deserving of your time to sit down and hear what Logan has to say.

Logan is definitely a Make it Happen kind of guy and his viewpoints on life and learning is what makes me feel so instantly connected to him.  I dig this kid so much that I contacted his parents and arranged for him to have a video Skype conversation with me and my kids.  We had a great time with Logan and really enjoyed getting to know them.  We’ll be having more conversations with them in the future, and hope to meet up with them in real life as well.

Okay, so all of this got me thinking about my life and how I should be considering myself a Lifestyle Hacker (yeah, these thoughts came to me while riding my bike).

I wanted to live in the Caribbean, but I didn’t have a job offer or suitcase of money to get me living there full-time.  Pretty much all the expats that I know of who live in the islands are either extremely wealthy or have a great paying job that took them there.  But I hacked the system and for the second time in my life I’m living in the Caribbean.  No job offer and no money tree to shake (I’m still working at acquiring the money tree).

Between our episodes of living in the Caribbean, we lived in Austin Texas.  Being a Canadian, it’s not all that easy to just pick up and go live in the USA.  But I hacked into it once again and our Family was able to live there for a few years….and most of the time we were there, I didn’t really even have a US based job.  A Lifestyle Hacking success story, indeed.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that me and my Family hack into the Lifestyle we dream to have quite often.  Like I’ve said many times before….I may not be a Millionaire, but I’m living the Million dollar lifestyle.  I’ve done it by hacking the system and finding alternative ways to achieve things.

So here’s to Hackschooling, Lifestyle Hacking, and doing what you need to do in order to Make it Happen and Create Your Own Lifestyle.

I remembered to grab my video camera before taking off for a ride, and this time I stop in at Mocha Spoke for another segment in our “Grenada by Bike” feature.

Please excuse the fact that I cut off the top of my head once again in the video.  I either need to practice centering my face I the shot, or hire a camera person.  Anyone wish to apply?

I was out repping #bikeschool in this video and stopped in to show you the beginning stages of Mocha Spoke.

Here’s a real basic topic for you…..cycling shorts or bibs?  As with all our “Let’s Talk” posts, we ask you to create the content by leaving your comments, opinions, and tips on anything to do with this topic.

Have a quick watch of the video, or just skip on down to the bottom and leave us your remarks.  I’m looking forward to what you all have to say on this one.

I’ve totally had it with drivers and vehicles on the road.  The time is now for something to be done and it’s up to every one of us to make the roads safer.

This is the most important video I’ve ever done, and I invite you to watch and then share my plea to drivers around the world.  Yeah, it’s kind of long at 5:00 but I hope the message being spread is worth the time.

We’re not just people on bikes…we’re Dads, Moms, Daughters, Sons.  We need to get home safely.

Additional Links:

Be Kind to Cyclists

I Won’t Be THAT Sunday Driver

Verter Ginestra: We Lost Another of our Own

Drop the Phone

Invisibility

by www.bikeyface.com

We’ve come to the end of our week of cycling tips here at Loving the Bike.  I hope you’ve enjoyed what our crew has had to say, and be sure to have a look at all our other cycling tip posts as well.

It’s kind of tough to single out a Number 1 Tip for cyclists, so I’m cheating a little and combining a few tips into one.  There are so many important things to consider and ways to improve your cycling, but above it all is just getting out there to ride.

Please have a watch as I go over our final Cycling Tip for the week which talks about enjoying your ride and some tips on how to make sure you keep it that way.

Loving the Bike Cycling Tip #1 – Enjoy Your Ride

So there you have it…our top 5 cycling tips.  Now it’s time for you to let us know some of your favorite tips.

Have a look back at all the tips from this week, plus check out all our other cycling tips posts as well: Cycling Tips and Information.

We continue our week of Cycling Tips, with this fantastic nutrition tip from Kelli.  Each week Kelli brings you a Loving the BITE recipe, but along with that she provides a wealth of nutritional information for you as well.  On top of it all, she always let’s you know how certain foods, herbs, and spices can benefit your cycling.

See what three things Kelli recommends for on the bike fuel for your ride.

Loving the Bike Cycling Tip #2 – On the Bike Fuel and Nutrition

We wrap up our week of cycling tips tomorrow….be sure to drop back and see what our #1 Loving the Bike Cycling Tip is.