I don’t hide the fact that I’m a Rasta Man wanna-be, so when I can combine cycling with my love for that culture….it’s a total Win-Win.  A few weeks ago I came across a company called Knights of Mo’ Bay that sells jerseys, shorts, and bibs with a sweet IRIE Caribbean theme so I just had to hit them up.

The company is owned by Royston Taylor who’s originally from Jamaica but now lives in California.  The themes of his cycling clothing reflect his life and have a focus on Caribbean Reggae and culture.  His designs are manufactured by Primal Wear, a Denver based company that makes cycling apparel.

Even if you’re not a Caribbean lover like I am, I think you’ll like the simple design of the Irie line of jerseys and the island flavor of the other designs they have to offer.  If you didn’t already know, Irie is a Caribbean term used to describe when you are at total peace with your current state of being.  It’s the way you feel when you have no worries.  A perfect fit for the state you’re in while out cycling, right?  Another thing to point out is the use of Reds, Golds, and Greens in the designs…..the colors of the Rasta culture.

Anyway, I immediately contacted Royston when I saw his designs and told him I needed to have one.  He kindly sent one over for me to check out and now we’re offering one to you as well.  These are quality 3/4 zip jerseys that fit nice and look cool.  See below for your chance to win one, or head over to www.knightsofmobay.com to do some shopping.

Win a Knights of Mo’ Bay Jersey

The contest is now closed.  Congratulations to @sthig who wins a sweet Knights of Mo’Bay jersey.  Now he can be a Rasta Man wannabe like me.

Enter to win a Knights of Mo’ Bay jersey by leaving a comment below with how cycling makes you feel IRIE and why you’d like to have one of these to add to your collection.

Contest closes Noon Monday, May 28th.

My cycling librarian friend, Krissy is here today to talk about a cycling movie called Ride the Divide.  This is the first one she’s reviewing for us and Krissy will be back again in the future to let us know her opinion on other cycling movies as well.  Krissy is a Library Director who has a strong passion for cycling, and is pretty much an all-around super nice person.  Check out what she has to say about Ride the Divide.

Oh, and also ENTER TO WIN your own copy of Ride the Divide….See bottom of post.

Ride the Divide Movie Review

By Krissy Nelson

Ernest Hemingway once said, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.”  There is nothing like watching a quote come to life the way this one does in the documentary, Ride the Divide.  Ride the Divide sheds light on a race that many people know little or nothing about.  Considered to be an “underground race,” the Tour Divide begins in Banff, AB, Canada and spans 2,700 miles crossing the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains down to Antelope Wells, NM, USA at the Mexican border.  It is a completely self-supported race.

Ride the Divide begins with some introductions to the cast of “everyday people” who have signed up to race the epic route and right away I was sucked into the personal stories of each.  Mike Dion, a husband and father of two, seems to be on a quest to find himself, Mary Metcalf-Collier is the first woman to attempt to complete the entire race, and Matthew Lee, a five time veteran to the race, has a baby on the way.  The three along with many others are tested with over 200,000 feet of total climbing, the harsh elements of snow and insane terrain, physical injuries, grizzly bears, and the true meaning of being alone.

In all honesty, I first wanted to see this film because I am a cyclist and my interest in the sport always compels me to want to see movies and documentaries about something I am passionate about.  That being said, within the first half hour of the film, I didn’t care much about the riding aspect anymore; I was lost in the stories and courage of each of these riders, and I think that is exactly what the makers of Ride the Divide wanted to depict.  The scenery is beautiful, and the small towns that the route passes through are full of their own characters too, but it was the experience of each of the individuals that pulled me into the documentary.

Ride the Divide is a film that has something for everyone.  It will pull at your heart strings, make you laugh, inspire you, and keep you on the edge of your seat as you get a roadside view of what it takes to be part of the most challenging race anyone could ever put themselves through.  This is a film that you will want to watch again and again…..and you’ll want to tell everyone you know to see it too!

I give this cycling movie 4.5 wheels:

*Special thanks need to go out to Mike Dion, Executive Producer of Ride the Divide as well as participant in the Tour Divide.  Mike was kind enough to send me the movie to watch and several other Ride the Divide goodies.  Thank you for creating this film and for being an inspiration to me.  Looking forward to seeing more from you in the future…

Ride the Divide Movie Website: http://www.ridethedividemovie.com

Twitter: @RidetheDivide

For more information on the Tour Divide: http://tourdivide.org

Enter to WIN:

The good folks at Ride the Divide are giving away 3 copies of their DVD to our readers.  Please leave a comment telling us why you should be the one who gets a copy.  Entries accepted until Thursday at Noon EST.

The Contest is now Closed.  Congratulations to JDKIMPLE, STACYBEARD, and REDDDESIGN who each receive a copy of the Ride the Divide DVD. Enjoy.

You’ve all likely seen the beautiful custom bikes that Lance had created for the 2009 race season and the “It’s about the Bike Auction“, but have you seen these? A few of my friends have their very own custom Livestrong bikes that are just as unique, and wicked cool.

Jon Binsted (aka @LIVESTRONGTEXAS)

Bike: 2011 Trek Madone 6.9 SSL

And if that isn’t enough, Jon’s actually got a second custom Livestrong bike. This one he has retired and has hanging on his wall.

Bike: Centurion Steel frame painted by www.semcustompaint.com

Chris Gomez (aka @scratchex)

Austin photographer, Chris Gomez, has an awesome custom made Livestrong bike as well. His MashSTRONG bike has got to be the coolest Fixie that you’ve ever seen, right? This thing is absolutely beautiful and has pretty much become more of a piece of art than a means of transportation for Chris.

Bike: 2009 53 cm Cinelli frame and fork

Chris’ bike was even signed by the man, himself….and Lance told him “it’s a cool bike”.

You can read about how this bike came together….Chris explains it all right here.

Matt McGinty (aka @gint32)

Bike: 2009 Trek Madone 6.9 Pro

Not to be outdone by Jon, Matt’s also got two custom Livestrong Bikes. This one is his Livestrong Unity Bike. Sweet.

Bike: 2011 Trek Madone 6.9 SSL

Okay, your turn. Do any of you have, or know of, a custom Livestrong bike? We’d love to see it. Provide a link to the pictures in the comments section below or E-mail us the photos.

If you like what these guys have put together, let them hear about it. Please leave your comments below.

So far we’ve had 11 brave souls send in their video submission as entry into our wicked Sweet Leaf Tea contest.  With a prize pack that includes:

• Cycling Jersey
• 2 cases of Sweet Leaf Tea
• A bunch of other Sweet Leaf Tea Schwag (I’ve honestly never used that word before)

…..we had to push it on you just one more time.

This is one hot contest, my friends and if you really can’t muster up what it takes to put a little video together…we’ll take a “Sweet” written submission as well. Send us a video (or story) describing your sweet bike, ride, event…whatever.  For more information, check out the Sweet Leaf Tea Contest Details.

Have a look at what Ken from Bike View put together for his submission:

Submit your video link or story in the comments section below, or e-mail it to darryl@lovingthebike.com.  Contest closes on Friday at 5:00PM EST with the “Sweet” winner being announced next week.  Good Luck.

Tune in to the video below and catch all the sweet details in our latest contest.  I’m really loving this one because it’s going to allow me to interact with my readers a whole lot more.  Check out the video, submit your entry, and you’re in to win……….. Huge thanks to the great people over at Sweet Leaf Tea for supplying us with such a fantastic prize.  You’re going to love this one.

1. Post your video to www.youtube.com or any other video site (or e-mail the video directly from your flip).

2. E-mail the link to darryl@lovingthebike.com, or provide the video link in the comments section below.

3. Check out www.sweetleaftea.com for more information on this sweet company.

4.  If you don’t own a video camera…or are just too shy to submit your video entry.  Feel free to comment below or e-mail me with your “Sweet” cycling story.

Contest closes February 4th, 2011 – But don’t procrastinate…..Enter Now.

Sweet Leaf Prize Pack includes: Cycling Jersey, 2 Cases of Sweet Leaf Tea and a whole whack of Sweet Leaf Promotional Items.