Head designer Mike Pfotenhauer has led Osprey in designing packs for the outdoors for 35 years. The company of ‘Osprey-ites’ has roots in Santa Cruz, California, is based in Cortez, Colorado, and has your back for camping, backpacking, biking, running and beyond. Osprey designs packs for men, women, and unisex and strive to make it easier and more efficient to carry your gear and enjoy the journey.

Osprey packs are designed to prevent back and shoulder fatigue and incorporate a variety of pockets to stash all your gear while keeping everything accessible. These packs are built to stay comfortable through a long day of backpacking. They’re designed to distribute the weight of your gear and prevent the pack from sagging or your equipment from digging into your back. Check out the latest backpacking options from Osprey, get inspired, and get out there.

Osprey Kestrel 58 Pack

Osprey Women's Ariel 65 Pack

OSPREY ATMOS 65 PACK

Why do you enjoy riding a bike? For the exercise and endorphins? To avoid traffic and save gas? May is National Bike Month, encouraging Americans to pull out their bicycles and go for a ride. Fifty-five years strong, Bike Month is about promoting safe cycling and enjoying the ride.

There are twice as many bicycles in the world than there are motorcars. There are 400 million bicycles in China alone. It makes you wonder why you don’t see more people cycling. Maybe they just forgot the simple joy of riding a bicycle.

Albert Einstein said that riding a bicycle helped his mind work, and it was while he was riding his bicycle that he first thought of the Theory of Relativity. Ernest Hemmingway believed that riding a bicycle was a wonderful way to travel and enjoy the country. He said it better connected him to the land, and he loved to climb hills and coast down them.

Whatever your reason is for riding, get out there this May 2012. Look for National Bike Month events in your community, or participate in Bike to School Day and Bike to Work Day this week. Visit May is Bike Month on Facebook

Wednesday May 9, 2012: Bike to School Day
Thursday May 10, 2012: Bike to Work Day

Don’t forget to enter to win a 2012 Specialized Allez Road Bike from Wear On Earth. Submit your email address for a chance to win, and mention the giveaway on Facebook and Twitter to be counted as multiple entries.

Start Slow:

• Give yourself a few weeks to get back in shape
• Pedal with low resistance and a cadence of 80-90 rpm
• Keep any hard riding or big hills to a minimum
• If you notice that your knees are swelling, you’re pushing too hard. Slowly build up your strength.
•  Shifting regularly can prevent cramping and soreness
•  Remember to stretch! Stretching prevents lactic acid from building up and causing stiffness

Upper Body:

• Keep your upper body relaxed
•  Don’t hunch your shoulders
•  Your upper body should remain fairly still while you are riding.
• Try not to sway side to side with each pedal stroke. This will also impair your tracking, or ability to ride in a straight line.

 Grip:

•  Your grip should be firm but relaxed
•  Keep your wrists straight
•  Change your hand positions frequently, especially if you feel your arms or neck cramp up
•  If the vibration is too much, try wearing a pair of gloves or wrapping handle bars with tape. See WearOnEarth.com for bike accessories & apparel

Elbows:

• Keep your elbows slightly flexed to absorb shock
• Resist from straightening your arms, this can cause you to take a spill if you were to hit a bump

Neck:

• If your neck gets sore during your ride, try repositioning your hands

Back:

• Keep your back flat to prevent lower back pain
• While standing on your bike, keep your back straight

Seat Position:

• If your knees swell, adjust your seat height.  This can help relieve knees of added pressure and stress
• Most cyclists recommend a height where your legs are completely extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke

Knees:

• Keep your knees tucked in, not sticking out
• Imagine your knees in a straight line, coming all the way up to your chest and almost touching your elbows

Feet:

• If your toes are numb or your feet feel over-heated, your shoes might be too tight
•  Keep in mind that feet swell later in the day- make sure your shoe size accommodates this extra swelling

Need a road bike to get you going?

Enter Wear On Earth's 2012 Specialized Allez Road Bike Giveaway. Submit your email address for a chance to win, and mention the giveaway on Facebook and Twitter to be counted as multiple entries.

Enter the 2012 Specialized Allez Road Bike Giveaway at WearOnEarth.com

MENS SUNGLASSES

Tifosi Ventoux - These sunglasses are ideal if you’re looking for one perfect pair. Wear the same frames all day with the option of three lenses. Switch out the lens to best fit the time of day and light conditions, knowing you’ll always have 100% UVA and UVB protection. Hydrophilic rubber at the temples and nose provide grip to hold sunglasses in place while you’re on the go. Frames are made with a Grilamid TR-90 Open Frame Design and are so durable they come with a lifetime warranty. For optical clarity, sunglasses are designed with Enhanced Visual System (EVS) Polycarbonate Decentered Lens, and Glare Guard reducing technology to prevent eye fatigue. The Tifosi Ventoux will be your go-to sunglasses for spring and beyond. 

Brewsees 12 OZer - Beer cans have been found in even the most remote places. After a long day in the wilderness, there’s just no denying a man his beer. Brewsees understands this, and that’s why they designed this signature pair of ‘Real Men Pry’ Brewsees Eyewear, the 12 oz-er. These sunglasses not only protect your eyes with a polarized lens, they assist you in opening your beer. The Polycarbonate frame with a black finish is super durable in a wrap around style. Behind the ear, the frame is shaped with 6061 Airplane Grade Anodized Aluminum, designed specifically to pop open your beer. They offer 100% UV protection with polarized lenses and even come in a beer bottle coozie. Cheers to spring.

WOMENS SUNGLASSES

Tifosi Lust - These sunglasses combine sport with fashion, so you can hit the trail and the town without packing an extra pair. Sweat and moisture won’t cause these sunglasses to slip. They stay in place with hydrophilic rubber at the temples and nose, which are adjustable for a custom fit. Frames are designed with low-density Grilamid TR-90 technology for bending flexibility, durability, and fit small to medium faces. You can have fun in the sun knowing you’re 100% protected from harmful UVA and UVB rays wearing the Tifosi Lust.

Oakley Radar Path - If you’re training this spring and need high performance eyewear that won’t let you down, put on a pair of Oakley Radar Path sunglasses. These shades are worn by Ironman competitors like Chrissie Wellington and Samantha McGlone. Designed for performance, the frame is durable and meets all ANSI Z87.1 standards for high-mass and high-velocity impact. Surge ports allow airflow and Oakley’s Three-Point Fit will keep these sunglasses comfortably in place. The lenses are coated with Oakley HRDROPHOBIC/Oleophobic anti-smudge and can be switched out to best accomodate light conditions. The PLUTONITE lenses offer 100% UVA, UVB and UVC protection, much needed if you’re running under the hot sun. If you train like an Ironwoman you’ll want to try these on for size.

KIDS SUNGLASSES

Tifosi Scout - Many little dudes and dudettes charge twice as hard as the rest of us, with that fresh no-fear mindset. Keep their vision protected with Tifosi Scout sunglasses, made to fit extra small faces. The frame will stay in place with hydrophilic rubber grip at the temple and on the nose. It’s also designed to withstand a little rough use, made with Tifosi’s durable Grilamid TR-90 technology. The lens is made with shatterproof Polycarbonate for optical clarity, and is ventilated to increase airflow and prevent fogging. Tifosi Scout sunglasses decrease eye fatigue with Glare Guard Glare Reducer and offer 100% UVA and UVB protection, because little athletes need it too.

Me and Michael Franti after the show. He put on a show that even got my dad "jumpin". 

Hey all.  Sorry for such a delay in putting up an update however the last 4 weeks have definitely been a whirl wind.  I have stopped in no less than 9 states in this time.  Taken 9 commercial flight (of which only about 1/2 were on schedule).  Flown a private aircraft from Lubbock, TX back to Potsdam, NY and in this time I managed to spend only 2 nights (of the last 30) in my own bed.

This trip was both business and pleasure in nature. Naturally Goose was brought as he excels in both areas.  We started in Salt Lake with a few hard days at the Outdoor Retailer trade show.  We lined a bunch of new brands which will start rolling in over the next weeks and months. Quick OR highlight list.

1. Wolverine hosts Michael Franti for a private show at the Depot.
2. Michael Franti pulls Goose on stage and hands him a guitar (see video).
3. BeardBeanie

As far as skiing goes everyone knows Utah is home of the "best snow on earth".  Historically we have been very lucky with our dates in Salt lake.   This year proved again to have Ulr's blessing and opened the skis with 7 feet of snow.  I had just grabbed a new set of Black Diamond Amperages and some Fritchi Diamirs specifically for this mission.

We hit up Alta, Solitude,  Brighton, and our favorite Powder Mountain.  We skied until our legs could turn no more, then did an extra run just to make sure we had not forgotten any turns.  See attached video for a sample of what Utah has to offer.  There is a reason people quit their jobs and move to Utah, it's not the beer (which is improving).  It's all about the POW.  This year the snow was so deep that one of our party had to be rescued by ski patrol after getting stuck in a snow hole that was 7 feet deep.  Ski patrol spent almost 3 hours getting him and "Craig" (a random passerby who foolishly tried to help and consequently got stuck) out of their hole.

After a solid few days in Utah it was time to spit ways.  My dad and brother headed home.  Goose and his daughter Beth were going to stay in SLC and have their fill of face-shots. I was going to go visit my buddy Dave down in Grand Junction right as the San Juan's started going off.

However that's going to get it's own blog and video for next week.

Sasha is always dressed perfectly for the weather so she waits impatiently at the door while I fumble with absurd contraptions like shoelaces and gloves. She has no idea how lucky she is to have a mom that works at Wear On Earth. I, however, never forget how lucky I am to be able to get my hands on the best apparel and equipment.  It allow me to keep pace with Sasha no matter what the weather because I am dressed right. Sasha requires me to venture outdoors every day so the way I see it I might as well enjoy it!

The next morning we were out the door by 5:30AM.  We had to drop off Ben (Dave's infant) at day care across town then we were on the way for our first day at Telluride.  They had just had 23" of snow in the last 48 hours so we were pumped.  Driving into Telluride is impressive.  The scene there is very much what you'd expect of a big Colorado resort.  $106 lift tickets are hard to swallow but the views make it worth it.  We quickly shot for the highest altitude we could get.  Lifts top out at 12,570', so we took a quick hike from there and made it just short of 13,000' for some nice steep shots.  We made some great tree runs.   There is a lot of terrain.  Our longest run was an easy 25 minutes of skiing top to bottom.

The next day was our "Big Day".  Out the door at 4:30 AM to drop Ben off, then hustle down to Silverton to make our 8:30 check in deadline.  Upon arrival we pulled into what isn't you traditional ski resort.  Parking for about 50 cars, surrounded the single lift.  Only 80 skiers are allowed on the mountain a day.  Upon further investigation we found the "lodge" a tent crammed with skier stacked 20 deep trying to check in and get there lift passes.  We were extremely excited  as it was 2-for-1 day for helicopter runs.  Well that was just too good to pass up so we grabbed two heli-runs a piece.

The quickly sorted us into smaller groups and assigned us our guide.  We took our first ride up and did the days "long hike".  This was advertised as a 20 minute hike. 45 minute late I was a sweaty mess on top of the world near 13,000' feet.  I realized that 13,000 ft MSL is really fricken high.  I was definitely barely functioning and the hike was pretty miserable.  We climbed a measly 400' feet in the 45 minute period.  When we stopped to put our skis on some lady asked how high we were and asked if we had just climbed 2000'.  I laughed at her assertion, partially because of it's absurdness, but mostly because I could understand where she was coming from.  That 400' hike was hell!  I am definitely scared for the Leadville 100.

From there I think my video best covers what happened.  Check out the sweet views, fresh shots, and the much anticipated helicopter.

Overall this was one of my best ski experiences.   Silverton was so much fun that I didn't even bother putting Telluride footage in the video!  Enjoy and we'll see you around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up7u_aValwM

                             New Race Bike

It only took about 2 minutes to carry on with the new tradition I had started a couple of weeks ago when my last bike arrived: to crash my new bike on it's inaugural ride. I went into the ride really believing that the brand new tires would carry though the icy roads. But just when I thought I was in the clear I found myself in the precarious position of uncontrolled human flight. This resulted in a sharp deceleration as my body dragged across the rocks that protruded through the ice.  As if this was not enough to send me back home I continued up to the trails managing to repeat the feat again before heading home to ride the trainer. Winter 1, Mike 0.

With this reality becoming apparent I figure it's time to step back and plan for 2012.  I have a few big goals this year that I have listed here in no specific order.

Goals:
1. Get married to the love of my life in August (where, when or how TBD)
2. Have another strong racing season leading up to my pinnacle event: the Leadville 100
3. Get wearonearth.com off the ground
4. Earn both my commercial and certified flight instructor ratings

Goal 1: It is definitely more challenging than it needs to be because well... weddings are a pain in the *%##.  How is it that it's harder to plan a wedding than it is to race a mountain bike 100 miles at 10,000' to 12,000' elevation?  I am not sure but it is.  As Ned Flanders would probably say, that is a "humdinger".

Oooh pretty golden belt buckle

Goal 2: Is going to be a challenge itself.  To this ends I have hired a coach.  I really like working with a coach as it gives me some accountability.  The coach I am using just left a very high end coaching firm where he was the Leadville 100 expert.  I think with his expertise I should have some realistic expectations about what is necessary to complete the race.  Now the hard decision 9, 12, or 13 hours? These are the cutoff points for the race.  If I make it to 13 hours I'll be pulled off the course. But make it in 12 hours and I'll get a custom sweatshirt with my name and the highly coveted Leadville "belt buckle" as a trophy. Then there is 9 hours which requires an average of 11.1 mph for the whole race. Manage to make it and you get an even bigger, gold belt buckle!  For my first race I am leaning toward that 12 hours mark, but that gold belt buckle would really look good on me.

Goal 3: Well I'm going to leave all the details out here, but our secret plan to take over the world of outdoor goods will be revealed in 2012.  I am very happy with the progress we have made up to this point.  The system works, and the site is getting better every day and hopefully by this point next year I will be writing this blog from my second home in Vail...

Goal 4: Part of my aviation philosophy is "you're either training to get better or you are loosing skills."  So I am going to bite the bullet and appear before an FAA examiner to try to get one of the hardest ratings: certified flight instructor. If you couldn't guess the FAA is kinda strict on who they allow to teach new pilots. It should be fun... yeah, fun.

Well that's it for 2012, I wouldn't want to bite off too much.  Stay tuned to The Earth Goes Round saga to see if I accomplish all (or any) of my goals this year!

To be honest, after about 5minutes of riding I wasn't even thinking "hrmmmm…this is different".  In fact, it felt so natural that it really wasn't a "transition" at all.  This was simply my new bike, nothing more.  But with this bike…ooooh my.  I could roll over just about anything.  I have to try and find things to 'test' what I can and cannot get over.  So far…I haven't found much.

In terms of agility, I did not notice any loss of agility at all.  I have been riding some fairly "tight" single-track with muddy clay soil, so I did notice the stock tires aren't gripping much at all.  I find this to be an acceptable "set-back", because on the dry/sandy wide open double-track, this bike hauls buttocks.  I like a pretty aggressive position, so I enjoyed that I could take out some headset spacers and reverse the stem to get a little lower, and it just feels fast.  With that said, Epic's are supposed to be fast, and I don't think you can really go wrong with the 26" or the 29'er, but based on my impressions, I would most assuredly opt for the 29'er again, and I guess that would be my advice to anyone shopping for a new rig.

Going for the win at NYS Criterium Championships Saranac Lake, NY

Editors Note: Bruce Beauharnois is a teacher out of Plattsburgh, NY.  He also is one of the senior racers on Team Wear On Earth.  This year Bruce had a great 2011 season highlighted by winning the New York State Criterium Championship.  In 2012 Bruce aims to complete the Lake Placid Ironman, in addition to a full season of road racing.  Bruce will be a guest contributor throughout the 2012 season so you can follow along with his adventures.

Expensive Bikes....Inexpensive Car 

Winter had been holding off here in Potsdam with no snow, trails were actually pretty dry until... our new 2012's shipped.  Of course the day they arrive we get our first snow.  Well I wasn't going to let a little snow get between me and all that new shiny carbon fiber.  Even with the snow we had a great ride. What an amazing bike. You don't even notice the bigger wheel except for the fact that everything's going faster! After only 1 ride I realized this 29er thing is definitely the future of MTB.

This also was the first ride since I decided to throw my name in the lottery for the Leadville 100 (Race Across The Sky).  A race in Colorado that meanders between 10,000 and 12,000 ft for 100 miles or so.  Ooh yah and there's a 12 hour cutoff. The cherry on top, it's a week after my wedding (try explaining that to the future Mrs. Klein).

That is going to be the goal of my 2012 season.  Simply make it to the finish of the Leadville 100 course.  Since this is an August race it means I will really have to commit to having a big and long season. This will be very interesting for me as I have never been a "endurance racer". It's going to take a lot of commitment to get through a grueling race like Leadville. To be honest only about half of me believes I can do it, but heck I really like a challenge.

Stay tuned for updates on training, planning, and see all the other stupid ideas i come up with as I venture on the quest to complete the Race Across The Sky. It's going to be a long road to Leadville but with the support of Team Wear On Earth, friends, and family I'm sure we'll get there.