outdoor sports For Your Reading Pleasure
Aluminum Tubes In Sports And Recreation

Aluminum Tubes In Sports And Recreation

Pete Sampras, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds are great sportsmen who have one thing in common among themselves. They have excelled in their sport of choice and have achieved greatness. Almost all of the equipment they used at one time or another during their rise to fame and fortune have been made out of or contain aluminum tubes!

Sports and recreation are two areas where the use of aluminum tubes has made great inroads in the manufacturing process of equipment. Baseball bats, frames of bicycle racers, wheel assemblies of skateboards, golf club heads, tennis racquet frames, exhaust headers and manifolds of race cars are just a few of the sports equipment that have been greatly improved and made superior with the use of extruded aluminum tubes.

Both fans and players love to hear the solid sound of a ball being hit squarely by a player?s baseball bat when a ballgame is in progress. Today?s baseball bat is a so much different from the ones used by Babe Ruth, baseball bats then are made of wood whereas today?s modern bats are made of extruded aluminum tubes albeit they still have wood inside. The combination of wood and aluminum made the players hit better and farther than before!

All cyclists in the world?s ultimate bicycle race, the Tour de France, use racers constructed from aluminum tube alloys in order to lower the weights of their bicycles to combat drag and in order to be able to pedal faster with lesser effort on their part.

The transition of tennis players from using wooden tennis racquets to aluminum framed tennis racquets also contributed to tennis advance into being considered a power game as players gained more control over their strokes when they started using racquets made from extruded aluminum tubes in various widths and sizes.

The water sport community also took great advantage of the versatility of aluminum tubes. Windsurfers, Hobie Cat enthusiasts, deep sea fishermen and even weekend water babies all use gadgets, parts and gears for their particular sport manufactured from marine grade aluminum tubes and stock. One important quality of aluminum is that is can be given an anodize coat and painted over to match the color scheme of your rig. From windsurfing beams to oars and deep sea fishing gear, aluminum tubes are in wide use in the marine community.

Take a look at the bottom of your son?s skateboard and chances are you will see that the wheel assemblies of high performance, competition type skateboards are made of aluminum tubes.

On the home front, even your outdoor chaise lounge and patio furniture, outdoor awning and umbrella and the ever present portable barbecue grill all have aluminum tubes as their main components.

Such is the versatility of aluminum that it is used regularly and extensively in more applications than we can imagine. Look at an elderly person?s walking cane and you will surely see a variant of the aluminum tube, anodized and painted, a testimony to the metal?s usefulness in almost all aspects of our daily living.

Recommended outdoor sports Items
Midland GXT800VP4 22-Channel 26-Mile GMRS 2-Way Radio (Pair)

Midland GXT800VP4 22-Channel 26-Mile GMRS 2-Way Radio (Pair)
25 - MILE range, rechargeable, and more! 2 Midland GMRS Radios, SAVE BIG! A huge 25 MILE range! Earbuds and mics for hands-free ease, plus NOAA reception. Range to 25 miles, depending on terrain; 22 channels, 142 privacy codes; 5 call tones, plus silent vibrate alert; 9-level VOX for hands-free "on"; Power settings to conserve energy; NOAA weather / hazard alert; Monitor and scan. Roger beep; Backlit display; Keypad lock; Includes a 6.0v Battery and 9v DC charging adaptor. 7 1/4 x 2 3/4 x 6 1/2"h., 4 lbs. Can also use 4 standard AA batteries (not included) Midland 3-year Limited Warranty. Better get yours pronto... over and out! AVAILABLE SEPARATELY: 2-Pk. 25-mile Midland Waterproof GMRS GXT-850 Radios, Mossy Oak Break-Up - word search in our Store for 'Midland'. 2-Pk. 25-mile Midland Waterproof GMRS GXT-800 Radios, Black

Customer Review: Midland GXT800VP4

I did a lot of research before this purchase. This is a great 2-way radio probably more than what we needed it to do, which is keeping track of friends during camp trips and in a ski parks. My only complaint is that there is no bar indicator of extent of battery life. And the battery charger doesn't tell you if the radios are fully charged. You are either charged, or not. After the first charge and first use, I couldn't tell how long to leave it on for the second charge and consequently had a radio that ran out in the middle of a trip. Just before running completely out, the radio, instead of shutting down, appeared to be working . With two radios we could monitor that the weaker one was sending the message but only the stronger radio was receiving. I suppose to be safe the next time we will be charging it for 12 hours regardless of previous usage.

Customer Review: Best product for the money

I did a lot of research before I bought a pair of radios. I was looking for an affordable, dependable radio with good quality. I always ended up back at this model.

Most radios say they will perform 20+ miles, but from all the research I've done, that's just not true. Not even under perfect conditions will they work over a distance of 20 miles.

I bought these for camping up in canyons around Oak Creek and the surrounding areas of Sedona, AZ. For what I use them for they work great. We are generally never more than 3 miles apart, but even at that distance in the canyons we can still clearly hear each other.

Being able to take out the battery and toss in some "AA" batteries is great since when you are out doors you can't always plug in the charger.

I use them while fishing and they do live up to the claim of being water proof. They've been soaked in the rain, splashed, and everything just short of being dropped in the water and they never failed.

My one wish is that the charging base would have different colored leds to show when it was charging and when it is complete. As it is the red light stays on all the time.

Overall, this is the best radio for the price range.

Schwinn Roadster 12-Inch Trike (Red)

Schwinn Roadster 12-Inch Trike (Red)
Features:

Real air tires roll smooth and fast
Real wood deck with burned in logo
Roadster triple tube lowered stand over
Mustache style cruiser bars with bell
Front wheel drive with rubber inset pedals
Steel chrome 12" front, 8" rear wheels
Chrome fenders, bell, wood deck
Measurements 46" x 23" x 31"
Weight Capacity 60 lbs.

Customer Review: Love it!!!

My Husband and I just bought this for our 2.5 yo daughter. We got the light pink one, we LOVE it. It's sturdy and perfect for her!

Customer Review: Stable and good looking, just a little heavy.

We have the red and the blue for our two two-year olds. One is big for his age and can reach the pedals and the other can just push from the ground.

This is a great trike because it is very stable since it is low to the ground and the rear wheels are far apart. This already came in handy when one son took a turn going down a very slight hill. He stayed upright when I am sure another trike would have tipped. Being low to the ground also makes it easier to push with one's feet (this helps my smaller son).

The trike's stability also helps with mounting and dismounting. We looked at a Radio Flyer trike and found it was easy for a kids foot to get caught on the seat or the tube dismounting the trike, causing a fall. No problem with this trike, getting on and off is very easy.

We also like the pneumatic tires and the retro look. We get lots of compliments from the neighbors. Our friends have the expensive trikes (Kettler?) and we certainly prefer the Schwinn over those which seem to be cheap plastic and are so loud because of the plastic wheels. The push bar and one pedal on their Kettlers broke, indicating to me that they aren't that durable.

The only bad size is that it is heavy. This hasn't come into play, both kids can push the trike around with their feet, even up a slight hill.

The Littlest Leaguers: Learn to Play Baseball

The Littlest Leaguers: Learn to Play Baseball
"The Littlest Leaguers - Learn To Play Baseball" is your up and coming young athletes introduction to the fundamentals of one of America's favorite pastimes packed with cool 3-D Animation, comedy and songs. Join Mitt, BB, Slugger, Stevie and the rest of the Littlest Leaguers as they prepare your future superstar for the big season, with lessons in hitting, throwing and fielding. Everything a beginner and developing ball player needs to know in order to better enjoy the game, perform to the best of their ability and become a good sport through teamwork. Bonus Features: Lesson Selection Menu| Music Videos Selection Menu| Bonus: "Teaches Teamwork & Sportsmanship" Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Stereo; 40 minutes; Color; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 2003; SRP - $9.99.

Customer Review: "Learn to Play Baseball ... The Littlest Leaguers ... VCI Home Video (2003)"

VCI Entertainment presents "THE LITTLEST LEAGUERS: LEARN TO PLAY BASEBALL"--- (40 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered in Stereo) --- Computer animated characters Mitt, BB, Slugger, Stevie, and the rest of the Little Leaguers are here to teach your littlest athletes the basics of America's pastime! --- With songs, comedy, and animation, LEARN TO PLAY BASEBALL makes it fun for kids to learn everything they need to know to play the game --- "The Littlest Leaguers - Learn To Play Baseball" is your up and coming young athletes introduction to the fundamentals of one of America's favorite pastimes packed with cool 3-D Animation, comedy and songs --- Join Mitt, BB, Slugger, Stevie and the rest of the Littlest Leaguers as they prepare your future superstar for the big season, with lessons in hitting, throwing and fielding --- Everything a beginner and developing ball player needs to know in order to better enjoy the game, perform to the best of their ability and become a good sport through teamwork --- this is so cool with LIVE ACTION & COMPUTER ANIMATION

SPECIAL FEATURES: (listed below)

1. LESSON SELECTIONS MENU - 8 BASEBALL LESSONS:

A. Throwing & Catching

B. Catching

C. Hitting

D. Base Running & Outs

E. Field Positions Plays

F. Game Situations

2. MUSIC VIDEOS SELECTIONS MENU:

A. Teach Me How To Play Ball Mitt

B. I've Been Wanting To Play Ball

C. Nine Baseball Players To a Team

D. Gather Round & Play Some Catch

E. If The Ball's Below Your Belly

F. When It's Your Turn Up To Bat

G. Coming Round Third Base

3. BONUS:: "Teaches Teamwork & Sportsmanship Off The Field" and "Bringing The Game Indoors".

This is dedicated to our kids --- wonderful surprise to find a video geared to my young grandchildren (Tommy 8 yrs & Ava 6 yrs) that teaches baseball --- check out all the fundamentals that are covered with zany characters and catchy songs --- can hardly wait for the next titles to be released --- Little Leaguers will certainly be a part of our ever growing video library.

Great job by the people at VCI Entertainment, hats off to Little Stevie Productions, Inc --- order your copy now from Amazon where they have plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing this kind of entertainment.

Total Time: 40 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video ~ (7/29/2003)

Customer Review: Great for starters...

...they'll likely end up being team starters! I first saw this at a friend's house and had to buy it for my son, even though he's almost outgrown it. It's a fun little flick especially for kids just starting out (4-7 age range)...obviously useful for softball or T-ball as well.

Cobra C19DXIV 40-Channel Mobile Compact CB Radio

Cobra C19DXIV 40-Channel Mobile Compact CB Radio
COBRA CB RADIO 40 CH COMPACT MOBILE COBRA 40 Channel Mobile Compact CB Radio New, Compact design RF Gain Instant Channel 9/19 Full function LCD Display

Customer Review: Cobra 19

The Cobra 19 CB radio is perfect for those who have limited space but still want a great radio. Off-road groups that would like to be able to talk to their friends will like the ease of use and it fits most anywhere. Mount it, hook up the power, add an antenna, and your on your way.

Customer Review: Good Product

It's a Cobra what more can be said. It does everthing it is supposed to and does it well

The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams

The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams
It ought to be just a game, but basketball on the playgrounds of Coney Island is much more than that for many young men it represents their only hope of escape from a life of crime, poverty, and despair. In The Last Shot, Darcy Frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the neighborhood's most promising players. What they have going for them is athletic talent, grace, and years of dedication. But working against them are woefully inadequate schooling, family circumstances that are often desperate, and the slick, brutal world of college athletic recruitment. Incisively and compassionately written, The Last Shot introduces us to unforgettable characters and takes us into their world with an intimacy seldom seen in contemporary journalism. The result is a startling and poignant expose of inner-city life and the big business of college basketball.

Customer Review: Hoop Dreams

If you like hoops you would love this story. Darcey frey the author who's also a sports writter follows the life of three young men who's dream is to become professional basketball players.Living in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn these three men are faced with durgs violence, and everything you see on the streets of Brooklyn. A very inspirational story, and a indepth look on the career of Stephon Marbury.This is a book you would want to share with a friend.

Customer Review: Symphony of words

This book should be a classic, if it isn't already. As someone who hasn't a great deal of interest in basketball, I can throughly recommend it simply for the author's style. The man's prose reads like a dream as he brings the characters to life in an inimitable way. He enables you, the reader, to go right into the streets of New York and live the lives of each of his main characters, to get to know them, understand them and - in a sense - to *be* them. A definite must for your library.

The Firm - Tight Buns & Killer Legs

The Firm - Tight Buns & Killer Legs
Tight Buns and Killer Legs is a power-packed hip, thigh and butt FIRMing workout. Each area is specifically targeted with basic weight training with challenging, functional progressions, followed by high intensity plyometrics. The FIRM Master Instructor Kelsie Daniels leads you through this thigh-tightening, super-charged gym workout right in your own home.

DVD Includes:
30-minute Lower Body Workout
Lower Body Sculpting and Toning
Cardio Bursts for Faster Results
Optional Equipment: Dumbbells

Customer Review: Great instructor leads a fun yet intense lower body workout!

This is one of the newest workouts from the Firm, and I like it a lot. It's not quite as tough as Firm Lower Body Sculpt 1 (an older all-standing lower body workout), but it is more aerobic and still quite challenging. Plus, it was nice to see instructor Kelsie Daniels again--she looks just as good as in her old Firm/FitPrime days!

Kelsie moves very quickly through a 5-minute warm-up (I had a little trouble keeping up with her transitions the first time through). She adds interesting twists to basic moves such as bob & weave, knee ups, outer thigh lifts, and inner thigh touches; the warm-up concludes with a moving stretch for the hip flexors, calves, and quads. The main part of the workout is structured so that you do a toning series on one leg, do a short (30-40 seconds) cardio burst, and then repeat the toning series on the other leg. Kelsie cues either heavy or medium weights for each series; since it was my first time through and I was already pre-exhausted from another workout, I just used 10# the whole way through, but you could definitely go heavier.

Kelsie begins with a curtsey dip, upping the intensity by adding a knee lift and then a quad extension. She also performs a single leg squat, again adding the knee lift (which was killer here!). The first cardio blast consists of a back lunge combined with a knees high jog, and then the weight work is repeated with the other leg. In the next series, Kelsie starts with a side squat, first adding abduction, then a repeating abduct lift with balance and final a rear glute lift. A fun cardio blast follows: you begin with a simple hamstring curl but progress to a hopscotch move. The next weighted series starts with a one-legged dead lift, then adds a heel push to the rear. This is followed by a short forward squat adding a rear glute lift. Kelsie calls the next cardio segment jumping jacks, but the are more jumping planks: you jump the feet out to plank position and then jump them in and out. For the final weighted series, you'll do a 4-count plie, adding a leg balance and then also a leg lift. I loved the final cardio sequence of plie squat to side leg kick. With about 7 minutes left to the workout, Kelsi does brief cardio cool-down consisting of a few squats with back rolls and a few more plies. She then transitions to the floor for some short, one-legged bridge work which is nicely interspersed with stretching moves for the hamstrings. Kelsie concludes the workout with some nice seated stretches (forward bend, side stretch), bringing in the total time at 31 minutes.

Overall, a nicely intense, solidly intermediate, fun lower body workout that I know I will enjoy doing again and again: 4 1/2 stars!

Customer Review: killer is proper name

This workout will work you. I tried it for the first time with weights and had to put them down half way through. It's more on the advanced side, but it will give you the results you want.

GreensFirst Travel Pack (12 packages)

GreensFirst Travel Pack (12 packages)
Greens first contains 49 super foods, extract and concentrations including super greens, vegetables, fruits, probiotics, soluble and insoluble fibers, herbs, spices, batural flavonoids, enzymes and lecithin. It aids in increasing your energy, naturally, without stimulants. Reduces your appetite by improving your metabolism in losing weight. GreensFirst relieves stiff and achy joints and muscles while maintaining strong bones, and leaving you with healthier, younger looking hair and skin. This super food greens formula is loaded with natural, organic, whole foods and extracts that we have constantly been told by experts to eat daily. Try it today!

Robby Glantz's Secrets of Hockey Speed Volume 2

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