Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2013 is rapidly approaching folks! Get ready for some fun in the sun, and one of the largest bicycle expos around. With over 1,400 brands, free giveaways, workshops and gear testing events, this Expo is pretty much the high water mark for people who like to geek out on new gear!
This year, Green Guru will be debuting several new #eco-friendly, #upcycled products, including its new Bike Tube Tablet Sling, the newly redesigned Commuter backpack and many more options. In addition to Green Guru’s new offerings, our custom fulfillment company Ecologic Designs will be showcasing options for customizable gear for your company or event!
Come say hello at booth #34, and take advantage of the many offers and giveaways we will have over the week. We’ve been coming here for YEARS and have had a blast every time!
So come check it out! Summer OR is July 31-August 3, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
We can all agree that large fleet bike-share programs are long overdue! ZipCar, GoCar and other automotive share companies have thrived in the US (how American) over the past decade, and have given birth to a far cooler movement, bike share!
While the concept of Bike Share programs has been around for a long time, and has even been implemented on college campuses as early as the late ’90s; bike share programs like the ones we are seeing in large cities such as Denver, New York, and Philadelphia are unlike anything we have ever experienced before.
The convenience of being able to walk up to any of the 330 docking stations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn and ride that bike to any other docking station for a fee less than a taxi cab will surely revolutionize transportation in NY.
Prices are set at $9.95 for a day or $25 for a week of unlimited trips up to 30 minutes, with the option of an annual membership. The program will start with a fleet of 6,000 bikes, with plans to expand docking stations and bike fleets to over 10,000 bikes in the next year!
This all sounds great, but there are a few concerns surrounding the new Citi Bike Share Program. New York City is known for its congested city blocks, and erratic taxi cab drivers. Add up to 6,000 bikers into the mix, and we could have some problems. Many cities have implemented dedicated bike lanes to keep traffic patterns separate, and bikers safe.
Additionally, at the start of the city bike program in May, 2013, the City Bike fleet experienced several technical issues including inoperable credit card machines, and pedals that would fall off mid ride.
We can’t help but think that with an undertaking this large, there were bound to be some minor problems. These are sure to be resolved in the coming weeks, and in the meantime, New Yorkers have flocked in droves to test out the new system. We hope Citi Bike will be a huge success, and will inspire other cities to implement similar programs. In the name of biking and being eco-friendly, go out and ride!
It’s that time of year….to get on your bike and ride to work folks! Not that this time is better than any other, as we would recommend that we ALL ride our bikes to work, rain or shine….but hey, this community event is a great place to start if your thinking about joining the movement!
If you don’t already, biking to work is a great way to help make our air cleaner, de-congest our roads and improve our mental and physical health! This is a movement that takes place one commuter at a time and offers people with little experience riding a bicycle a way to embrace the idea of biking to work!
Biking to work is a great way to get your juices flowing, and your mind working after you wake up in the morning! Not to mention, Bike to Work Day offers a FREE BREAKFAST for all participants!
Register Online at http://biketowork2013.org/, and be instantly entered to win cool prizes! Follow the link for more details!
Stay tuned for our next blog!
(Source: The New York Times)
There is nothing more exciting for us then seeing all the prices for our unique and versatile products in Yen! This year we are thrilled to have our own spread in our Japanese Distributor, Bigwings’ Outdoor Product Catalog. We dig the layout and are glad to see that our sweet, up-cycled bike products are loved all the way across the world. Our feature in the catalog offers everything you can get from our website, greengurugear.com, including new products to our catalog for 2013.
Kickstand Magazine features up-and-coming new manufacturers, feature reviews on editor’s favorite products and goofy stories and articles for every kind of bicycle fanatic. Wouldn’t you know it, our name was featured in the “What We’re Wearing- Fashion” section of their catalog. Our Tube Card Wallet, at only $9.95, available at greengurugear.com is the perfect low-profile wallet to fit in your front pocket for a cruiser ride. Made out of up-cycled bicycle tubes, with a clear vinyl patch for flashing your id, this wallet is perfect for every occasion. Thanks Kickstand!
“Something that’s a little different with our material is that it’s dirty,” Daugherty says. “There is a process to get it to a state to where a normal fabric on a roll would be. If you saw the process and how dirty it is, it’s pretty intense.”
Like most reclaimed materials that come into the hands of upcycled sellers, the old athletic equipment Green Guru Gear uses for its products must first be washed, spruced up and sewn together before it can be made into new products. Needless to say, the process takes a great deal of time and - you guessed it - money.
“The cost of our materials, when you really get down to it, is higher than you’d think,” Daugherty explains. “Like a bike tube, if it’s sewn together for a backpack, probably costs about $4 to $5 a yard.”
“If you pulled off just regular nylon like most backpacks are made of on a roll, it’s an average of maybe $1.20 per yard.”
Read the full article here:
http://earth911.com/news/2013/04/10/recycled-products-expensive/
This blog gives you an awesome idea of what went on this past weekend in New York City at one of the largest, most exciting bike expos in the states!
Green Guru was featured alongside @vayabags on this blog for having cool bags of all sizes-accomodating any need you may have on your biking journey! 
Check out that bag at the bottom!!
Read the full article here:
http://www.diybiking.com/2013/05/bike-expo-new-york-2013-is-on.html
Green Guru was featured in this Colorado Biz April issue that highlights 250 “Made in Colorado” products and the companies responsible for them.
Ecologic Designs
Upcycled bags
Ecologic Designs President and Founder Davidson Lewis practically grew up in a bike shop. He was always tinkering, finding thrifty ways to use old parts. Lewis’ knack for repurposing is the backbone of his company, a business that helps other businesses – names like AT&T, Nike and WhiteWave – repurpose event banners, signage and billboards into reusable bags.
Ecologic Designs practices what it preaches, addressing common pitfalls with DIY solutions. At its Boulder headquarters, you’ll find on-site recycling, composting and an employee garden, and there’s also a bike-to-work initiative. Six full-time employees and a few dozen independent contractors eagerly bolster the evolution of business practices by raising awareness about sustainability.
In 2007, Lewis launched Green Guru Gear, a division of the company dedicated to upcycling gear. Tents, wetsuits, bike tubes and climbing rope are given new life as outdoor accessories. “Most outdoor stuff is made overseas and most big Colorado brands moved to Vietnam eight or 12 years ago,” says Lewis. “The domestic part – creating jobs through local production – that’s really important to all of us.”
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Boulder, Colo.-based Green Guru Gear is the brainchild of best friends Davidson Lewis and Justin Daugherty, two outdoor enthusiasts who were sick of tossing their old athletic gear in the trash. Entering its sixth year, the brand now includes outdoor sports equipment and accessories made from old bike tires, climbing rope and wet suits. Earth911 sat down with Daugherty to learn more about how the two friends turned a passion for reducing waste into their dream green jobs.
Read the full article here:
http://earth911.com/news/2013/03/06/green-guru-gear-upcycled-sporting-goods/
Hey folks,
Check out our latest feature in Momentum Magazine. Our Dutchy Recycled Pannier, made of up-cycled banners from all over the United States is perfect for anyone with an environmentally conscious mindset and a the need for a functional, stylish Pannier. For more information on our Dutchy Panniers, visit our website, greengurugear.com. Also, be sure to check out Momentum Magazine!
What an awesome photo of the Spinner backpack in the European magazine, Salt! This is a lifestyle magazine, about active, sustainable culture. Green Guru is shown in the magazine along with great brands like Patagonia, Eagle Creek, Deuter, and others. We’re really excited to be getting our products in the hands of those across the pond! With such a huge cycling culture over there, we are honored to be a part!
What makes Colorado, Colorado? Along with the beautiful scenery, great food, and culture, Colorado is also a place of successful businesses. In this short video, straight from Governor Hickenlooper’s office, you will get a sense of the exciting endeavors happening around the state.
Watch the video here:
http://makingcolorado.gov/#timeline/introduction
We are so excited to be featured in this video and here’s some of the other great partners featured: Mosaic Cycles, New Belgium Brewery, SparkFun, and Pearl Velo. Check out the video website link listed here for a complete list of partners.
The Making Colorado project is seeking out a new feel and approach to businesses, community, and their continued growth.
“What if, together, we generated incredible things, made by Coloradans, for Coloradans..”
You too can participate in the new branding of Colorado businesses! Sign up to be notified about upcoming Making Colorado events and milestones and thanks for the continued support as we keep growing as a successful small Colorado business!
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