New sponsors

This year Santa came later, but he brought me 2 new sponsors: NOVATEC and ZAKUDO.

Zakudo is a bike wear manufacturer, which is looking to have all the products based on quality, comfort and modern design. They are locate in Norwich, England and they are focused on the British and European market.

Zakudo is trying to offer a real good product for a competitive price for the costumers. They are probably not such a known company but they are trying to get on the market and show everyone that not only an expensive brand can have quality products. In Romania, Zakudo is brought by All4Sports through www.cycling.ro.

The brand Novatec is represented as the high end product of company Joy In

dustrial Co., LTD. Novatec was established during Year 1989 with outstanding performance and efforts in bicycle hubs and supply to well-known companies all over the world.

Every product in Novatec Brand is all made in Taiwan and through out the world. Novatec is constantly investing and researching the perfect products for the market needs and also focusing on the perfection in every detail of our products. And during 2000, 2004 and 2005, Novatec hub and carbon fiber wheel sets were awarded with SOE (the symbol of excellence honors products from Taiwan that are world-class in excellence and quality) award winning product prize.

Unlike other hub manufacturers, Novatec do not offer an “OK” quality hub to customer, but they take care of the quality as our major target and most important job through out 365 days everyday! And that is who Novatec is!

New helmets - Cratoni

CRATONI Helmets GmbH is one of the most innovative and biggest safety-helmet manufacturers in the World.

HISTORY

In 1985 the company was established as a noble forge for bicycles.

Since 1990, CRATONI concentrates on the manufacturing and distribution of bicycle
helmets and was the first company in the world to develop the revolutionary HEAD-RING-SYSTEM back in the year 1991, for one helmet size to fit all heads! lt is a little known fact that CRATONI originated the helmet retention craze which set a new standard in helmet performance.

The know-how of many internationally successful pro-athletes flows into our product
development. In close cooperation with professional athletes CRATONI creates top class safety helmets regarding design, fit and safety. This close cooperation with active sportsmen makes revolutionary innovations possible.

The CRATONI headquarter in Rudersberg-Steinenberg, a town close to Baden-Württemberg’s capital Stuttgart in south Germany, from where all the actions are coordinated.

Determined to supply the market with quality products, CRATONI reached exclusive
distribution agreements with partners in more than 70 countries worldwide.

MISSION

CRATONI helmets is your professional partner for 100 % HEAD PROTECTION in the field of sports.

As a specialist with years of experience, they are aware of our responsibility.

Their deeply rooted enthusiasm for sport forms the basis for a philosophy which focuses on passion, adventure and having fun on the way. As a leading cycling helmet manufacturer, our mission is to assist outdoor sport enthusiasts to achieve their goals.

We look for new challenges every day in order to raise our sport to a new level together with professional athletes, experts and motivated sportspeople.

MY POINT OF VIEW

From the next season I will use the Achillon, one of the best helmets available on the market, a really nice helmet for road and off road use, wish a awesome finish and colors. The Achillon has Carbon Wings reinforcements, dual compound visor, a awesome venting system and the evolution size adjustment.

I'll also use the helmet for the CLUJ WINTER RACE. Soon I will come back with a review, but on the first sight the helmets are great.

Features of Achillon

• Weight: 260 g
• EVOLUTION FIT Size Adjustment System
• 28 Air Vents
• SOFT SHOCK
• Inmold
• CARBOWING Carbon Reinforcement
• IMPACT CARCASS
• Removable dual compound visor
• Reflectors
• Sparepads included
• REARLIGHT compatible

Most of the information founded on this post is from the CRATONI web site.

The photos are made by me. The rest of the gallery can be seen HERE

See you at Cluj Winter Race
Vlad

Thule - my new partner

Rooted in Sweden. Dedicated to the world.

In 1942, Thule was founded by the Thulin family, when Erik Thulin, a true lover of the outdoors, put the Thule name on a Pike Trap that he designed and began to sell to the fisherman of Scandinavia. It wasn’t long before they added belt buckles and other things to his manufacture. Business boomed, gaining profitably year after year — a not so unusual thing for the typical Swedish entrepreneurial company of that era, but there was something special about Thule.

By the 1960s, the family whose work in metal for years began to concentrate its business on car-related products, and before long the first roof rack was born. Ever since, Thule has been in a growth mode. We’ve added new products like rooftop boxes to the offering and opened new markets such as the UK; Japan and North America. The rest is indeed history, and Thule is today the most respected brand globally in the industry.

The Thulin family sold Thule to the publicly listed company Eldon in 1979, and it continued to grow both organically and through acquisitions (trailers and rooftop box manufacturing). By 1999 the private equity firm EQT acquired the company and developed it further with increased focus on growth and profitability. UK-based private equity firm Candover took over the company in 2004 to initiate a stronger growth through acquisitions. Eleven new companies joined Thule in the years between 2004 and 2007 strengthening the position as world leader in sports and utility transportation. In 2007 Thule changed hands one last time, and was acquired by Nordic Capital.

You will notice that the word Sweden is still as important a component of the logo today as it has been for the past several decades. Though always a nod to the company’s origin, today it stands for the inherent values of a Scandinavian-based company — namely solid quality, timeless design, continuous innovation, empowered and cherished co-workers, and an undying respect for nature and the environment.

Thule is supporting my, thanks to the Romanian importer AutoNet. I'll use the roofrack and the Thule ProRide 591 bike carrier. It looks really good and I really like it.

I'll use it a.s.a.p. and I will tell you all my opinion, but because in the last two year my and my team mates used the Thule products on our cars, we were really happpy with them so this one can't offer me another opinion, right?

Almost all the information, including the photos are from the Thule web site. There are their property !

Thanks,

Vlad

Buff - the original multifunctional headwear

As a lot of you know that Buff is supporting me since this year, I didn't had the opportunity to make them a short presentation.

Buff S.A. is a company established in Igualada, a small city 60km from Barcelona. Its headquarters and production plant occupy facilities of around 8,000m2. Design, production, printing, publicity campaigns and packaging are all carried out on the same site. To achieve this we employ over 50 staff.

In 1992, Original Buff, S.A. (previously Caviro S.L.) created the first multi-functional, seamless, tubular headgear in the Buff® brand. In 1995, it began to export to diverse European destinations. Currently, 80% of sales are in exports to over 45 countries through exclusive distributors.

What is Buff?

Buff® is the brand of an innovative, useful, comfortable, fun, multi-functional garment that will keep off the sun, wind or cold.. The brand’s success consists of having created a product that didn’t exist before 1992, which meets a significant need among sportspeople and outdoor activity practitioners who are seeking functionality, quality and design.

Our best known piece is the original, multi-functional, seamless, tubular headgear that, because of its high quality, means you can perform any activity in total freedom and comfort.

Original because it was and continues to be the first worldwide brand to create the first seamless, multi-purpose, tubular headgear.

Functional because it can be worn in loads of different ways: as a scarf, cap, headscarf, facemask, balaclava, headband, wristband... and as many other ways as you can think up. A versatile article that can be worn more than twelve different ways, used to practice any sport including cycling, skiing, playing tennis, running, going by motorbike, even as a daily clothing accessory.

Seamless, which gives it elasticity, allowing you to adapt it to many uses while avoiding rubbing or skin irritation.

Our customers’ satisfaction encourages us to keep improving, innovating daily.

Buff® products currently represent an accessory line that is available in hundreds of colours and designs. You can also personalise it and create your own Buff® headgear. Even though it started as a single range, Buff® continues to incorporate new fabrics by the best manufacturers, like Windstopper®, Coolmax® and Polartec®. Currently our catalogue includes a wide product range under a single concept, products such as: Polar Buff®, Baby Buff®, Buff® Innova, Reflective Buff® and Visor Buff® Evo_2.

And like a little story...

Joan Rojas is a textile manufacturer who, faced with the crisis in the sector, chose to reinvent his business. He seems to have achieved his objective.

An avid biker from way back, Rojas began riding trail bike in the early 70s. Nowadays, every Sunday he and his friends cover kilometres on those lonesome Catalan highways. It all began back in 1991 when biking around northern Spain. “I was wearing some military briefs around my neck to protect me from the wind and the cold and I got the idea to improve them

because they were itchy and looked pretty ugly”, he remembers. Rojas began working on drawings and carrying out tests in the family’s textile factory until he found a way of manufacturing a seamless, tubular garment out of micro-fibre. “At first I just gave them to my kids and to my friends”, Rojas explained. He also promoted them among ski instructors and in shops. In 1992 he launched the first collection. Three years later, he began to market them abroad, mainly in France, Switzerland and Germany.

As a novelty for Buff, I had the chance to test the new bike and running equipment. I admit that here too they are making a really nice job and they are producing the same high end quality products as the original Buff.

I recommend all of you at least a Buff, you don't know when you'll need it and must of all you can use it an a lot of ways. I am prepared with a Buff for any weather and for any other situations.

Keep it up guys,

Vlad

PS: 95% of the information founded in this post is from the Buff web site

KMC Chain - new sponsor

From the next season I'll start to ride with KMC chains, because it's one of my new sponsors.

KMC was established in 1977, and now is producing 150,000,000 meters of chain per year and the sales has reached over 130 countries in the world with its strong marketing network in more than 10 languages.

For the past 30 years, KMC Group has set up a total of 11 plants and 16 sales companies in the world, located in Taiwan , China , Holland , USA , Indonesia , Thailand , and Vietnam , to meet the great demand in the global market. The total footage of the plants is 573,304m 2 , with nearly 4500 employees. Automatic production and state-of-the-art manufacturing technical production chain provide customers with the fastest and the most convenient services. All the plants passed ISO9002 and ISO9001 and the Shenzhen Factory also obtained its TSI6949 accreditation in 2004 for better professionalism to meet the high quality demand of the auto mo bile industry. Since 2003, all the plants have started to adopt the Toyota Production System, which represents higher standards and regulations to enhance quality control. It is our creed “to provide the optimal service at the mo st appropriate time” and meet all demands from customers.

Right now KMC is producing the lightest and the strongest chains on the planet ! KMC is sponsoring a lot of talented and famous riders, so I must confess that I very honored to be in the same group with them. I'll use the X9SL and the X10SL for training and racing.

With this I would like to thank to the guys from KMC for trusting me and for suporting me.

I'll keep you updated and I will come back with a review soon, so stay tuned.

Cheers,
Vlad

Rockin' on nails !

From this season one of my new sponsors is Joe's No Flats.

Joe's No Flats is producing the best tire sealant available right now on the market. But is also producing tubeless products, self sealing tubes, lubricants and cleaners. So with this I've decided to run tubeless, using a tubeless kit for my non tubeless rims.


Now with tubeless tires I feel a bit more safe, I feel faster and I feel that I can control the bike a bit better.


Why Tubeless?
* PREVENTS PUNCTURES:
- No more flats- Joe’s sealant will seal your tires and offers total puncture protection.
- Prevents snake bite, pinch flats.
- No need for an innertube

* INCREASE YOUR RIDING SPEED:
- Reduce the weight of the wheels.
- Decrease rolling resistance.
- Ride faster with less effort.

* INCREASE TRACTION:
- Possible to ride with reduced air pressure in the tires.
- Increase traction in technical terrain.
- Increased shock absorption for a smoother ride.

Why Joe's No-Flats?

NO MORE FLATS - Joe's Super Sealant will prevent and seal 99% of all punctures.
Joe's No-Flats products are by far the most affordable, most effective anti-puncture products available.

No-Flats Joe's Super Sealant is nothing like the puncture sealant sold by other manufacturers. It plugs up to 1/4 inch punctures and seals small slits faster and more permanently than any other sealant on the market.

Joe's Super Sealant is scientifically formulated to prevent punctures in tubeless tires and innertubes, as proven by world class racers.

Joe's Tubeless System is the most important upgrade available for a dedicated cyclist.
Nothing is more flat resistant than a Joe's No-Flats converted tubeless tire or an innertube with Joe's No-Flats Super Sealant.

Joe’s Tubeless Rim Strips are specially designed to secure the tire inside the rim, with no loss of air. When ridden with low air pressure in the tire, there will be no loss of air when cornering or riding through technical terrain.

Bellow you have a short movie to prove you the quality of this products. You should try it too. It's quite amazing and you'll like from the first time.






See you at Maros MTB Marathon.

Cheers,
Vlad