Cycling, like any other established hobby or sport, is a microcosm. There is a specific fashion culture and the quality of goods runs the gamut from homemade products sold on amateur Blogspot sites to full production companies focused on high-end products. Rapha definitely falls into the latter category. If you have ever seen, or better yet, worn a Rapha piece you might be surprised (as I was), that the UK company is only five years old. I am convinced the founders must have had a crystal ball because the market has only recently been receptive to high quality, fashionable cycling clothing.

I look for two things when I ride – performance materials (breathability, moisture-wicking) and looks. Rapha manages to deliver on both fronts, something that has eluded even top names in the industry. Their recently announced AW09 range is a reflection of the intersection of performance, quality, and looks. Their cuts are flattering, but still promote and allow for a full range of movement. Their finish is impeccable, with no irregularities in stitching or construction. I am particularly fond of the Rain Jacket and the Trousers – they are perfect for cold weather riding and include thoughtful features such as packability and reinforced seat panels. Their prices are high but the quality reflects that and I guarantee once you try one of their items, the other stuff in your closet will suddenly seem pale in comparison. When you are done checking out their products, subscribe to their blog. It has wonderful commentary on their various race and ride teams, amazing photography, and though provoking commentary on cycling personalities and culture.

One for my bike obsessed brethren– Brooks Limited Edition Colored Saddles. On sale now!

Birmingham, England – Brooks England, the English purveyor of handmade leather saddles and accessories since 1866, will be releasing Limited Edition Swift saddles in four unique colours and Limited Edition Team Pro saddles in two unique colours. The limited edition colours will be released in July in quantities of 250. The Team Swift saddles are in celebration of one of the fastest growing urban cycling sports: Bike Polo; the Team Pro saddles celebrate Brooks' support of the cycle couriers.

Along with the calm quiet of living in the countryside, suburban life is often accompanied by perks such as a standard issue country club membership and golf courses as far as the eye can see. But what happens when the spawn of suburbia makes their way to the big city. Where will they go to engage in sport and spectacle in a city without rolling green hills that end in putting greens? Fear not, for the hottest urban sport for the fancy set doesn’t need no stinkin’ fairways. Table tennis is all the rage these days, and SpiN New York is about to be the hottest new social spot for the sport. The idea that sprung from Naked Ping Pong’s SOHO loft party is now a fully operational recreational sporting venue complete with a 9,000 square foot room with 15 state-of-the-art tables, locker rooms, a pro shop, not to mention a bar and lounge area for your relaxation needs. Everyone from the celebrity set to those who simply love to play are ponying up for memberships to this club with a ritzy Park Avenue address in NYC’s Flatiron District set to open later in June. While initially only accessible by members, the public will be able to get their ping pong on in virtually no time for a price.

Considering there are only two points of contact between your road bike and the engines (read: legs) that power it, pedals should be high on your priority list. I had a chance to try the KeO Sprint Laneo pedals from Look on a ride this past weekend. I scored a pair of last year’s high-end Shimano carbon shoes, and despite the irony, I decided to pair the two. At first, I was worried about the hole configuration, but here’s a little tip I learned- Look’s spacing is exactly the same as Shimano’s SPD-SL. The pedals also have a patented “memory” function which allows you to reinstall the cleats in the exact same position each time. This is a great idea considering how long it takes to get pedals dialed in.

I was a bit nervous on the ride since I was taking two new pieces of equipment out on the road at the same time, but once I hit my stride, the pedals performed flawlessly. There is a good amount of float which I usually don’t like but there was no slippage or real hesitation in the release. During climbs when I am standing and really powering down, the large surface area and glass fiber polymer body provided the perfect platform for the power transfer. Though it allows you to customize the release tension (9 to 15 Nm), I found that the factory setting was just perfect. I was able to test out durable the Sprints were when I crashed, landing hard on my left side. After dusting myself off, I checked the pedals and there was nothing some soap and water couldn’t have taken off. Weighing in at just 130g per pedal, this is not the lightest offering from Look but unless you are a weight weenie, I am confident these pedals would impress even the most enthusiastic riders. Lastly, as if cycling wasn’t clean enough, Look has been partnering with Laneo since 2007, promoting an environmental project worldwide.

Inquiring Mind (INQMND) Magazine delves into the minds of Richard Clarke, Jesse Leyva, and Jarrett Reynolds, three designers that drive the look of Nike Sportswear. They may not have all come from backgrounds typical to their trade, but whatever they’re doing has yielded some of the illest looks yet. We’re particularly partial to the Obsidian Flywire Cortez’s. These are not your traditional George Costanzas.

Also, be sure to check out INQMND’s new podcast with DJ Mike Danger.

Nike's latest outreach to action sports aficionados comes in the form of take-home video, slow motion shots, and the elements. In conjunction with the marketing agency Nemo Design and director Jared Eberhardt, Slow-Mo spots captured surfers Dusty Payne and Casey Brown's faces at 1,000 frames per second as they were hit with waves. The corresponding Nike 6.0 Facebook app, Splashcast, has just debuted at the AST Dew Tour in Portland. Now snowboarders, BMXers, and wakeboarders alike can upload videos of themselves being hit with slow moving precipitation. Current Slow-Mo booth stops are Orlando and Breckenridge, but the daily footage is wherever you’re at.

If we could change one thing about this Superbowl, it wouldn’t be the logo (how do you go 11-5 with a backup QB and not make the playoffs? How!?). But, we recognize there are creative people out there who just love rebranding tired American institutions. Ranging from the humorous to the minimalist, The New York Times put a few new graphic takes on Superbowl XLL: The Quest for an Audience on their site today. Some of the ideas clearly demonstrate the artists lack of football knowledge, others display time honored traditions like chicken wings. And one has The Simpsons‘ Professor Frink in it.

Popdeck: Buy It ($30 – $40)
A user designed skateboard deck may not be stocking size, but one community member’s design featuring Obama and McCain in KISS makeup is a great ode to ‘08.

Alta Bike (not pictured): Read JS Review | Buy It (â‚665)
The current positive post-election sentiment is further complimented by Alta Bikes’ decision to sell their monochromatic single speed bikes stateside.

ARTSPROJEKT x Zazzle Skateboards: Read JS Review | Buy It ($70)
Why give Lil Jon’s music or Shepard Fairey’s prints when skateboard decks designed by the artists will get more use (and attention)?

Cannondale x G-Star Bike (not pictured): Read JS Review | Buy It
This green machine is a collaboration between Cannondale and G-Star, and has the features to prove it — corked grips, nylon tube covers, and a Brooks saddle make it easy to covet.

Mustache Rides: Read JS Review | Buy It (”S**t ain’t cheap)
Uncle Ira never looked as good as he does with a hand-painted dark ’stache, and your favorite Ernesto will have you to thank for introducing him to Lawrence Melilli’s line of gentlemanly decks.

Grotesk x 5BORO: Read JS Review | Buy It ($50)
5BORO Stakeboards shouldn’t be the only ones to pay tribute to Brooklyn designer Grotesk’s yellow and black “stuck gate” sticker collection — the honorary T-shirt is sure to look good gracing the back of someone on your list.

Monument Snowboards: Read JS Review | Buy It ($300 – $430)
Forget sugarplums — Monument (MNMT) Snowboards’ geometric decks are colorful enough to be dancing through your giftee’s head from now until the first snow day.

Calle Street Soccer: Read JS Review | Buy It ($40)
Calle creator Travis Winn is the one who deserves a gift for reintroducing classic soccer balls and gear inspired by street soccer players worldwide (not to mention for sparing your loved ones Umbra-style eyesores).

The Philadelphia Phillies have not won a world series since Jimmy Carter’s final days in office, but the way their fans whine about it you’d think Ben Franklin had yet to invent bifocals the last time someone with a P on their hat hoisted that Commisioner’s trophy above their head. While the Philly Phanatics have nothing on fans of the 2004 Red Sox, 2005 White Sox or those poor Cubbies when it comes to championship droughts, some of the faithful fans in the City of Brotherly love have figured they’re just about due to drink that sweet, sweet nectar of victory. In honor of the Phillies ascent to the ‘Fall Classic’, Philly based apparel company UBIQ has designed “Reverse The Curse” tees and beanies to bolster fans and finally banish the bogus curse of Billy Penn. The items are available at UBIQ retail locations and their online store. As a Mets fan, I say, “Go Rays!”

[ED NOTE: As a Sox fan, I say go Phillies.]

During the colder months some people take the term “active wear” to mean clothing that you can actively wear while passively keeping warm inside on your couch. Alas, you can be just as active in the autumn as you were in the summer, but you probably just have to wear more layers. Well, that should be no problem now that eco-friendly active wear brand Nau is relaunching with a spanking new website tomorrow, October 21st. You’ll be able hit up their online shop ensuring your ability to suit up for chillier days. Their FA 08 line becomes available to the masses on that very same day and features an impressive array of products from cashmere-angorra dresses to technically-sound ski jackets and pants. And for the first time ever, their products will be available in retail stores such as Paragon Sports in New York, Dan’s in Chicago, and Lizard Lounge in Portland, Oregon. As always, Nau will continue to give proceeds from their sales to organizations working for positive change. Sounds like a win-win situation.

You’re getting a sneak preview at just a small slice of part deux of Nike Sportswear’s winter collection, the first of which they launched on the opening day of the Olympics in August. It continues to feature the eight iconic Nike shoes (Cortez, Air Max, Dunk) and apparel (Windrunner, AW77 Hoody) but in new, snazzy colorways and prints like camouflage and classic plaid. The line debuts Nov. 6 everywhere, and no doubt you’ll be having a few items to put on your Christmas list. To see the entire line, stay tuned to the brand’s site for more.

Brazilian skaters like Bob Burnquist and Sandro Dias have been holding it down for the South American country when it comes to the worldwide skate stage, but unless you’re already deep into the scene or keep up it with here on JoshSpear.com, you wouldn’t know that Brazil has had other veritable contributions to the sport. Graffiti artist Sesper has been getting his hands dirty as producer on an as-yet-unreleased DVD documentary called Re.board on the history of Brazilian skate art which features jacks of the trade Fabio Bitao, Billy Argel and Ragueb Rogerio, who talk about the discipline’s development and shows what all the goodness they’ve done to push it forward. To get a closer look from the trailer, check out the photo album.

There’s no chill in the air just yet, but we can sense it coming. You better face the fact it’s going to be winter soon, and with that comes prime snowboarding weather. Why not celebrate the imminent frosty season by grabbing yourself new deck? The masterminds at Monument Snowboards (or MNMT) have just what you’re looking for with their new line of boss boards for ‘08-’09, featuring some seriously sick designs from a slew of talented artists such as KRINK, Kime Buzzelli, and Todd Tourso. In additon to their top gear, MNMT has also launched a brand new site that allows you to take a gander at both the brand’s hard and soft goods, check out a few blogs, and become part of the Monument consortium by signing up for their newsletter.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt may hold the title of world’s fastest man, but we think you can take him. Even if your leg muscles have atrophied from all of that time you spend seated in front of your computer, you can still defeat this year’s Olympic gold medalist in both the the 100M and 200M dash. All you need is a pair of limber fingers, a computer and a little bit of heart. It also helps if you go to PumaRunning.com and check out the You Vs. Bolt flash game, which challenges users to outrun the irie island nation’s answer to The Flash as you go head to head, flapping your digits as fast as you can to hopefully best Bolt’s world record of 9.69 seconds. If at first you don’t succeed try, try, again…and let us know how you do. We finished in 9.68 seconds.

It’s a scene that has played out many times before: the eyes of world are focused on the opening ceremonies, and the lighting of the Olympic flame effectively announces, “let the games begin.” Ever since the 1936 Games in Berlin, this tradition has enlisted the finest designers around the world to represent the host country in torch form. As the athletes get ready to go for gold in Beijing, The New York Times took a retrospective look at past torches and the newest flame bearer. This year’s torch, formed in the shaped of a traditional Chinese scroll, doesn’t credit one person with its design, but gives the distinction to Lenovo, the company that produces the IBM Thinkpad. Interesting.

via Core77