Gear Review: A Rubber Alternative
The Gear Junkie
Harvesting rubber is no easy task. Much of the world’s natural rubber still derives from the Hevea brasiliensis, a tree that grows exclusively in the eponymous “rubber belt” at the Earth’s equator.
This drives up rubber’s cost and environmental impact. That’s why German manufacturer Continental Tires has been researching sustainable and cheaper alternatives to natural rubber.
This summer at the Tour de France, the brand will formally unveil its first bicycle tire with rubber derived from dandelions.
Dubbed “Urban Taraxagum,” the rubber tire will see a limited run this year. But it marks a big step toward Continental’s goal of launching dandelion rubber tires for consumer bicycles and vehicles within a decade.
The first run will be 700-by-35-centimeter tires serving as an “all-rounder for sporty bikes and racing bikes,” as the brand puts it.
Mountain Mayhem: Tennis anyone?
Birthday girl Jodi Jacobsen hit the Smuggler Racquet Club tennis courts to ring in the start to her next decade with a party for friends and family on Sunday, May 21. Jodi’s mom, Ruth Jacobson, and sister, Jamie Cygeilman, came to town to help her celebrate and honor her dad who slipped away 30 years prior, and would have loved the tradition.
