Need an excuse to get out for a weekend of riding bikes, trying out cycling gear and entering to win rad prizes? We didn’t think so. Hence, our announcing that the second annual Southeast Bike Expo is right around the corner! For the second year in a row, the SE Bike Expo will head to Conyers, GA for a three days of cycling festivities; the weekend will kick off with a free dealer-only day on Friday, February 22, followed by open public access on the 23rd and 24th.

Here’s some background from last year’s event, as well as what to expect this year, via Cycling News:

In 2012, there were over 600 bikes of all types for demo by attendees. With the addition of other major bike brands, up to 1,000 demo bikes are expected to be available for the weekend.

The expo will again include not only mountain bike and road manufacturers, but also other cycling industry vendors.

“Our goal is to put on a fun event in a great location for very low cost to manufacturers, retailers, and consumers,” said Brian Molloy.

Part of the excitement of the SE Bike Expo is that it allows consumers to see the newest and most exciting gear out there. There will be a ton of new product there, including Osprey Raptor/Raven and Viper/Verve packs available for demos. What’s more, if you join IMBA at the Osprey booth, you’ll be immediately entered in a raffle to win a brand-new pack. And even if you don’t win the raffle, there will be plenty of take-away schwag (think: stickers and tire levers) to take home with you.

There will be tons of vendors and fantastic bike companies to check out at the Expo, including Vee Rubber, Felt Bicycles, Rocky Mountain Bicycles, and Skanunu Lubricants. Add to that companies such as Tifosi Optics, Light & Motion, Camelbak, Shimano, Kenda and Thomson — and you’ve got the world of bike gear and garb nearly at your fingertips. We’ll see you there, rain or shine!

Events, Lane Love, Osprey Life bike, gear, Georgia, raffle, Southeast bike expo

Mountain 2 Mountain’s Shannon Galpin has spent the past several years pedaling in Afghanistan, and in the midst of her journeys, she’s observed the following: “… usually the only bikes I see are simple Pakistani made commuters bikes, ridden around the country on dirt roads and highways by men and boys of all ages.” But last November, Shannon met the Men’s National Cycling Team, which made a huge impression. As Shannon put it, “They have a real love of the sport, racing in Kabul and in Pakistan.  Several mentioned their hope to compete one day in the Olympics.” What’s more, even though it is culturally unacceptable for women to ride in Afghanistan, Shannon found out that there happen to be 10-12 women on the Cycling Team with the support of the coach.

While the cycling community in Afghanistan is there (and slowly gaining ground), it remains fact that those riding are doing so with virtually no support, on bikes that don’t always suit their needs and with gear that’s less than ideal. That’s why Mountain 2 Mountain is organizing a month-long bicycle gear drive that will begin on Friday, February 15th. Here’s the full run-down of details:

The most-needed items (i.e. suggested donations) are, for both women and men, both road and mountain bike: “helmets, pedals, shoes, cleats, seats, chammies, long pants, jerseys, gloves, jackets, windbreakers, sunglasses, socks, tools, tubes (no 29′ers please), tires, lube, air pumps.  Lightly used old gear and new gear is welcomed!!” Cash donations to help with transport costs will also be accepted. There will be four drop-off locations in Colorado (Denver – Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop, Boulder – Boulder Cycle Sport, Golden - Rise Above Cycles, Frisco – Podium Sports). Additionally, individuals are welcome to send a box of their gear donations directly to Mountain 2 Mountain (PO Box 7399, Breckenridge, CO 80424). All gear will be picked up on March 15th, so gather your goods and get them out the door ASAP!

You can follow what’s happening with the drive and check for updates on Mountain 2 Mountain’s Facebook page.

If you want to make an online donation to support the teams or our upcoming Strength in Numbers program you can do that here!

Active Lifestyle, Adventure, Bikes Around the World, Events, International, Non-profits, Osprey Athletes, Osprey Life Afghanistan, bike, cycle, gear, Gear Drive, mountain 2 mountain, National Cycling Team, shannon galpin

We just had to post this photo, taken by Shannon Galpin of Mountain 2 Mountain.

Founded in 2006 by Shannon, M2M is a non-profit that creates education and opportunity for women and girls in conflict regions. Today, M2M is a burgeoning nonprofit that has touched the lives of hundreds of men, women and children in Afghanistan. Not only has Shannon managed to launch projects across the war-torn country, but in 2009, she also became the first woman to ride a mountain bike in Afghanistan.

According to her, “apparently even dodgy Afghan boiled water tastes better coming through your hydration packs!” Thanks Shannon!

Bikes Around the World Afghanistan, gear, hydration packs, hydraulics, mountain bike

Recently, I read an article that stated “the number of bikes one should own can be expressed using the formula:

N+1 where N= the number of bikes currently owned

This equation can also be expressed as:

S-1, where S= the number of bikes you can own without your spouse leaving you

As a first time exhibitor at the Outdoor Demo segment of Interbike, these equations have taken on a whole new meaning. My shed is already jam packed with more bikes than I could ever ride (I think it is 12 or 13), however this show has made me realize how many gaps there are in my riding arsenal. The primary purpose for my attendance at the Outdoor Demo was to staff the Osprey Packs booth and demo the new Raptor hydration packs to parched riders who braved the 100+ degree temps to hop on the latest in mountain and road bikes for a ride in the desert of Bootleg Canyon. As these thirsty riders hung out at the Osprey booth and maybe even took advantage of the awesome deals we offered as a fundraiser for the 88bikes Foundation, it gave me time to drool over the coolest innovations the bicycle industry had to offer.

Fortunately, I have not found the exact number equal to S (where your spouse leaves you) but may push the envelope in the near future. Surely my wife will understand that I absolutely need a carbon fiber, geared, 29 inch hardtail for racing 24 Hours in the Sage next year as my current carbon fiber singlespeed will no longer suffice. With Cyclocross season upon us, there is no way I can survive without one of the wicked fast 2011 model upgrades. And then there were all of the super cool cruisers that would make my evening pub commute so much better than my red steel townie that is a dozen years old. The myriad of new road bikes was so overwhelming that I could not possibly limit my purchase to just one.

Read more…

Osprey Life gear, Interbike, mountain, Raptor, road

“Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world.” – Grant Petersen

There are a lot of excellent bike quotes out there and in conjunction with this week’s official Osprey Bike Blog launch we want to know your favorites!

Submit your favorite bike quote via Twitter, Facebook or leave a comment right here on the blog for chance to win! We’ll be choose two winners who will get their choice of one our new bike bags: the Momentum and the Metron.

We’ll be taking submissions until Wednesday September 29.

Image: meaduva

Contest, Osprey Life bike quotes, free, gear, quotes, win

Thanks to Bike Radar for their awesome review of the Talon 22! They even went as far to say this popular Osprey favorite is an “incredibly comfortable larger capacity pack for epic adventures.”

Here’s the full review:

The Talon’s well designed harness system gives a truly comfortable feel out on the trail. The deep hip belt sits snugly in position and it’s easy to fix the weight to your shoulders with the looped adjusters.

The Ripstop fabric used for most of the body means that you’re not carrying extra weight before you pack up, and once you do fill your pack, the profile is still sleek.

The overall effect is that the pack feels like it’s wrapped round your core, so that it not only seems like you’re carrying less, but the load remains supple and moves with you.

The well thought out pockets include zipped numbers on each side that you can access without removing the pack, and a stretchy helmet/wet weather compartment.

This is the pack we’d choose for epic days, and it’s also available in a 20L size to fit narrower or shorter backs. It has a hydration slot, but no bladder.

Remember that even though the Talon doesn’t come with a bladder, you can purchase one of our HydraForm reservoirs as an add-on!

Gear Review gear, product review, review, Talon, Talon 22