Online shopping for bike accessories

by: Andrew Caxton
At one time you could only buy cycling equipment at your local cycle shop, if they had what you wanted or you had to hope they could order it and then you would have to wait for it to come and hope it was the right size, colour or price. Then cycling magazines started to have adverts for the bigger stores and you could post off a cheque and wait for your prized article to arrive. Now things could not be easier, your at home watching the Tour de France on television, you see you hero attack on the mountainous slopes of Alpe-d’Huez, what are those sexy carbon cranks he’s using? They look like FSA or are they Campagnolo, they could be Stella Azurra, which are they? How much will they cost? Where can I get them? Well, get on the Web, put the name of that most wanted item into your search engine and see what it comes up with. The next move can be nearly as exciting as riding your bike up the mountains, that’s making comparisons of all the equipment, something you probably wont be able to do at your local cycle shop and then ordering it online, the worst bit is waiting for it to arrive.All the top cycle components, clothing, frames and cycle manufacturers have their own web-sites, once you’ve found what you really want for your bike, most sites can link you to a retail out let, from there, with the use of your credit card you can order the goods on-line, or check out a store near to where you live and if they stock what you are looking for. This is best for items of clothing, shorts and jersey sizes vary from one maker to another and there is nothing worse than receiving your new professional look a like kit and it is too big or small, so get down to your local cycle shop or sports store, try on your choice for size and if all is OK, you can buy it there and then or if you don’t mind waiting and it’s at a better price, order and pay for it online and wait for it to arrive in the post to your house.How To Buy Cycling Shoes On Line…There are many cycling shoes on the market, and finding the right ones for you can be hard. Look them up on the web, go through the search engine or if you have a particular make in mind, find them online and if you can’t try some in a shop, this is best, because size can be a problem, one manufacturer size 9 could be a half size bigger or smaller than another company, and most of the best cycling shoes are Italian, so remember that European sizes are very different from American or English sizes, and German shoes are wider and Italian shoes are narrower and you may be looking for a size 44 or 45, so try as many different shoes you can and then make your decision. Very importantly with shoes is which pedal system you are using, Look, Shimano, Campagnolo, Time and all the other systems have different fittings on the sole of the shoe, check up which they have on the shoe manufacturers web-site and then it should then be safe to order them online.….And HelmetsAn other good and very important item you could look for online is a cycle helmet, as with most cycling goods there are many different helmets on the market, some times the helmets you see on the heads of the professionals are difficult to find, but anything is possible on the net, just type it in and away you go, it may be that just the helmet you are looking for is available in Holland, get it ordered, it may take some time to come but if its what you want it’ll be worth it. Sizes of helmets, like shoes can vary, so if it is possible to try before you buy, then make sure it’s a comfortable fit, the big difference between cycle shoes and helmets is that helmets come with different pads to go inside so you can make the helmet fit exactly, which could help if you’ve ordered the wrong size, this is not something you can do with cycling shoes.The net is a great way to find the frame size you want for your new bike, with the new sloping frame designs it can be tricky to know which size to order, all frame designers have their own ideas for what is best, so if you know the top tube length of your present bike then you can compare online with the design dimensions on the manufacturers web-site and then you will know what size to order either at you local bike shop or from your internet supplier. As this is probably the most important and expensive thing you’ll buy for your cycling, and so with online shopping you can make sure you make the right decision.

Offensive Decline of the 2005 MLB Baseball Season

by: Proloy Bhattacharyya As of today, total runs scored per game are down 0.52 runs a game. Most people attribute this considerable drop in offensive production to the new steroids policies. We are entering a new era where pitching dominates and this will have a serious impact on baseball betting for the next couple of years. Relying too much on past trends and systems of even a year ago will hurt even the astute bettor unless they take into account some of the new trends and angles that we have seen this season.The most striking statistic is that a larger number of games are resulting in shutouts. 11.1% of the games played to date have resulted in a shutout as opposed to an average of 9.68% over the past several years. This means that pitchers are more dominant than ever before. We can no longer “expect” those miraculous 3 run HRs to help our game easily sail over the total. In fact, we would expect a larger number of unders now. Historically, over/unders rarely dip below 7. They would be 6.5 only when two potential National League CY Young award winners are facing off. If two great pitchers were facing off in an American League stadium then the over/under would rarely dip below 7.5. Therefore, any bet on the over deserves a second look.Another item to note is a team’s performance after a shutout loss. These teams are 128-104 +24 units this season. We have all heard the saying “save some offense for tomorrow”, well, going against teams off an outing where they scored greater than 10 runs is 117-95 +27 units this season.Going for teams off a bad hitting performance or against a team off a good hitting performance has proven to be extremely profitable this season!Although these could be aberrations, it is important to note current trends in the MLB when analyzing a game that one wants to bet on.

Golf Nutrition Is Not An Oxymoron…Listen Up

by: Mike Pedersen
Golf nutrition is still a relatively new concept. However, everybody knows that leading athletes in the NBA and NFL quite often have special diets and specific nutrition programs to help them perform at their peak. The reasons who golf nutrition is still in it’s’ infancy in the golf game is easy to see. To start with nutrition in sports goes hand in hand with the training and physical exercise program for the particular sport. In golf, exercises are still a very new concept although many professionals have already embraced it as an important part of their golf game. For years golf has had the image of being a leisure sport to be played by the rich and the sort of people who do not just carelessly break into a sweat. Then came golfers of the likes of the legendary Tiger Woods. For the first time in the sport, leading golfers were very young and extremely physically fit. Since then, the game has never been the same again and as exercise continues to take center stage golf nutrition has to grow alongside it. Golf nutrition is usually part and parcel of a golf exercise program and is really designed to enhance energy and strength even as the exercise program works to build up the golfer. The sort of golf nutrition that will become common will not be very different from what we see in other sports. The idea will be to have a diet of energy foods and foods that will help in building up strength and endurance for a better golf game. So the typical nutrition recommendations that go with weight training for strength will be found in the special golf nutrition that leading experts are recommending to golfers. This is the direction that the wonderful game of golf has taken and it seems that there is no turning back for any golfer who wants to improve their game. You just have to consider golf nutrition alongside your current golf exercise program.

White Water Rafting - A Very Sociable Adrenaline

by: Blair Thorne
One of the main reasons that White Water Rafting is such a popular adventure sport is because it is a highly exhilarating experience that can be shared with friends and colleagues alike.Up to eight people can be crammed like sardines into a single raft, making it an ideal way to for groups of friends to share an adventure together. The social aspect of White Water Rafting lends itself perfectly well to stag and hen parties that flock to locations all over the UK, with the rugged landscapes of Scotland and Wales providing particularly hair-raising rides.This gregarious nature of the sport also makes it a big draw for companies seeking to get their staff working together as a cohesive team unit. Indeed providers such as www.adrenalinepass.com state that around half their entire white water rafting clientele are corporate organisations seeking effective team building activities.Scotland offers the full spectrum of white water rafting experiences ranging from the tame to the extremely dangerous! Depending on the time a year, the same stretch of river can be classed anywhere within six categories from Grade I smooth flowing water, to Grade VI - impassable with likelihood of injury or death!The River Tummel for example is dam-release, guaranteeing water levels every weekend from June to September. It is a narrow, technical and exciting river, offering almost continuous rapids to Grade IV, culminating in the descent of a double-drop waterfall!So what are you waiting for, organise a group of friends or colleagues and experience a thrilling ride together - one you'll all be talking about for a very long time to come.

Cold Nights and Hot Games: Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney

by: Ron Richards
Each year, colleges and universities from all over the nation send their men's basketball teams to the "Last Frontier State" to the Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney. The competition heats up the cold winter days and nights, as teams meet head on to battle for buckets. Colleges and universities get the opportunity to play against their top rivals and powerhouses of the game. These games draw in record crowds each year, as any basketball fan should not miss the chance to attend this fast paced pre season classic.The main question on any sports fan's mind is, why Alaska? The reason is simple, former University of Alaska Anchorage head coach, Bob Rachal found a loophole in the NCAA rules determining pre season play. In an effort to draw more attention to the state, the University of Alaska Anchorage, and the Seawolves athletic program, Rachal became the mastermind of what began as the Sea Wolf Classic. The NCAA rules stated any games played outside the contagious 48 states did not count towards a program's pre determined allotment. For this reason, participants of the Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney can get an early gauge of their teams prowess against national talent. The first Sea Wolf Classic was held in 1978 for the '78-'79 basketball season and saw the Wolfpack of North Carolina State University crush the University of Louisville's Cardinals. The tournament ended in 1978, leaving many wondering if it would become an annual event. Much to everyone's relief, the Sea Wolf Classic became a Thanksgiving tradition in 1979, but under a new name.Broadcaster Billy Packer is credited with changing the name from the Sea Wolf Classic to the Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney back in 1979. In this stunning tournament, the title game came down to the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the Iona College Gaels. The Wildcats proved too powerful for the tiny New York school, and emerged victorious as the second champion of this fantastic new basketball challenge. A list of past champions reads like a who's who of College basketball, including NC State, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, and UCLA to name a few.The attendance may have been meager in the early days, but soon the action caught on, and now college basketball fans of all ages flock to the state for the Thanksgiving weekend Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney. What better way to celebrate our national day of thanks than by cheering on teams from all across the country? Many hotels, cruises, and lodges have special packages designed with the college basketball fan in mind.If you find you cannot wait until December to enjoy hot hoops action, head to Anchorage and watch the action melt away the snow! Plan a trip for the family and bring budding sports fans to experience the thrilling display of skill and sportsmanship, or make it a raucous occasion for celebration with your best hoops loving buds. Whoever you bring, just make sure you bring yourself to this annual college basketball showdown!

2005 NFC East Football preview

by: James Campbell
OVERVIEW: NFC EASTThe Eagles once again appear to be the top team in the NFC for 2005, however, I wouldn’t look for them to win 13 games this season due to the fact that each of the other teams in the NFC East should improve this year. A look at the Eagles schedule for 2005 reveals the fact that Philly will face the league’s third easiest schedule when considering the Eagles 2005 opponents combined for a 118-146 straight up record last season.One would expect that with the Eagles posting a straight up record of 54-20 over the past four seasons that they would eventually have a bad draft due to having to choose from the draft leftovers, however, that has not been the case as the Eagles once again had a pretty good draft which is a testament to just how good HC Andy Reid is with regard to being able to wheel and deal in the draft as well as his ability to pick talent.The Eagles weren’t all that active in the free agent market but were able to snag a quality backup QB in Mike McMahon from Detroit who became expendable when the Lions picked up QB Jeff Garcia. It should be no surprise that the Lions picked up Garcia when considering that Garcia was Detroit HC Steve Mariucci’s QB when both were in San Francisco.Cowboy HC Bill Parcells used free agency to bring in RB Anthony Thomas to backup Julius Jones and also snagged QB Drew Bledsoe to run his offense for 2005, however, Parcells main focus during the off season was to fix what ailed his defense which allowed 406 points in 2004. Parcells appears to have been successful with a quality draft head lined by picking up DE Demarcus Ware, DE Marcus Spears and LB Kevin Burnett with his top three selections in the draft.Overall Parcells had an excellent draft and used six of his eight draft selections on defensive players which should serve to shore up a shaky pass rush which allowed opposing QB’s time to toss 31 TD’s last year. The Giants threw last season away by using QB Eli Manning under center earlier than they probably should have, however, the playing experience gained in 2004 should serve Manning well this season and especially since QB Kurt Warner is now in Arizona which means that Manning will not be looking over this shoulder.The Giants only had four draft choices which was the fewest amount in franchise history, however, they were able to pick up CB Corey Webster out of LSU in the second round, Webster should have been a top 10 or top 15 pick but fell to the Giants with the overall 43rd pick in the draft due to injuries sustained in College, the G-Men used free agency to bring in QB Tim Hasselbeck to back up Manning and signed a go-to WR in former Steeler Plaxico Burress for Manning to play catch with.By not addressing glaring needs on offense Washington appears set to bring up the rear in the NFC East for 2005, last year Skin HC Joe Gibbs brought in former Jag QB Mark Brunell to run his offense, however in the nine games Brunell started last year he only completed 49.79% of his passes and at seasons end finished with a QB rating of 63.90.In contrast QB Patrick Ramsey started seven games in 2004 and completed 62.13% of his tosses which was good enough to post a QB rating of 74.8, the Skins used their second draft selection on QB Jason Campbell out of Auburn which was probably a bit of a reach as Campbell will need lots of work, however, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Patrick Ramsey will be the starting QB for 2005.Regardless of whether the Skins decide to go with either Mark Brunell or Patrick Ramsey at QB for 2005, Washington still needs to fix their offensive line play which was atrocious to say the least and was the main reason for the Skins averaging a meager 15 points scored per contest last year.The Skin defense appeared set to be the bright spot for this team once again in 2005, however, the arrest of safety Sean Taylor on gun charges, the free agent loss of CB Fred Smoot and the off season ankle injury/stress fracture to top draft choice CB Carlos Rogers leaves that open to debate.In closing the Eagles posted an overall mark of 15-4 straight up and 12-7 ATS last year, I fully expect to see the public back these Eagles in most outings in 2005, however, a check of last season shows that 3 of the Eagles 4 straight up losses occurred against AFC teams and 4 of the Eagles 7 spread losses came against the AFC.A check of the past three seasons reveals the fact that Philly has only lost a total of 14 games in this time frame, however, 7 of those 14 losses came at the hands of AFC teams, and to think that in the past three years these Eagles only played AFC teams a total of 13 times!!This of course leads me to believe that 2005 road games at Kansas City and at Denver might very well be prime spots to go against Philly and especially if the Eagles are installed as road favorites when considering that the Eagles have gone 4-9 ATS overall against AFC teams over the past three seasons, in road games (not counting the SB) against AFC teams during this same time span Philly posted a mark of 2-4 ATS.I would be careful in picking my spots with regard to Dallas, New York, and Washington this season until after the fourth game of the year because of the QB situation at each location, with that being said keep an eye on the Cowboys who could very well end up being the surprise team in this division as well as in the NFC this year if QB Drew Bledsoe can remain healthy and the Dallas defense shapes up like I think they will.Jim Campbell is one of the nations most respected Sports Handicappers, he specializes in College and Pro Football, you can visit Jim at his website located at footballforecastor.com for all of your handicapping needs including free play selections, College and NFL stats, trends and award winning analysis on upcoming games.With over 30 plus years experience in the handicapping profession Jim has built a solid reputation, his web based handicapping service at footballforecastor.com as been in existence since 1997 and year after year proves to be one of the very best handicapping services in America.

Latest Extreme Sport, Kitesurfing

by: Ispas Marin
Looked at many extreme sports but just can't find the right thrills? It's time to take a look at the ocean, you might just find some inspiration.The latest craze in extreme sports is kitesurfing, it only started out in 1990 but there are tens of thousands of enthusiasts around the world. You can go to any ocean side on a Sunday and you'll see that kitesurfing has a strong following and has expanded quickly.The kitesurfing board is a surfboard but shorter and the kitesurfer is attached to it with foot straps or bindings. You have the board attached to a kite, that looks more like a parachute, by a series of lines of various lengths. The board is propelled by the kite across the water at quite great speeds.The challenge in kitesurfing is that your body is the only connection between the kite and the board and mastering the control of both the kite in the air and the board on the water is a key point.If you're asking yourself how it's possible for a kite to stay in the air while holding the weight of the board and your weight at the same time the explanation is this: while flying, a kite is creating it's own wind and the wind it creates is faster than the wind powering it producing more power than the actual wind.The Kitesurfing GearYou might think that kitesurfing is not an expensive sport but that's not entirely true, the board and kite aren't the only equipment you need. Other equipment components are a kite pump(inflatable kite), bar, lines, board harness, life jacket and helmet. If you'll add the starting lessons you'll get a good amount that you'll have to spend.Taking Kitesurfing LessonsThe theory behind kitesurfing is simple enough, the practice is another story. Because of that you need a little while to master. Kitesurfing enthusiasts should take lessons from an experienced kitesurfing instructor before practicing this sport, no matter how much experience you have with surfing or windsurfing.