Beyond Clothing Press Release at SNEWSnet.com

Beyond Clothing teams up with Vassago's Namrita O'Dea

Posted: 02/29/2008 In Category: Outdoor Manufacturer
Posted By: Dan Kouba

Beyond Clothing has entered into the world of competitive cycling with its sponsorship of Vassago Cycle endurance racer Namrita O’Dea.

Beyond Clothing will provide the Georgia-based O'Dea with its Cold Fusion Women's jacket and soft shell pants and the Steel Action top. As is typical for every product in the Seattle company’s lineup, each of O'Dea's pieces will be fully customized, from fabric choice, body measurements, color and enhancements.

Beyond founder Scott Jones says that while the clothing is not cycling-specific, he feels that sponsoring O'Dea – and other accomplished outdoor women athletes - was a good fit for the Seattle, Washington based apparel maker who plans to use O'Dea's feedback for future product design and development.

“Namrita is a svelte powerhouse with a slender upper body and a cyclist’s muscular legs. Obviously not all women are created equal; Namrita is not going to fit into the traditional extra-small or small sizing shortcomings most women accept. Her Vassago mountain bike is customized specifically for her, why shouldn’t her clothing be, too.”

Having worked hard to achieve her racing palmares, Jones says O’Dea’s energy and enthusiasm away from the course is equally as impressive.

“She's a fantastic ambassador for both the sport and all of her sponsors. With her very busy schedule of grad school, training and family life, we wanted to make sure Namrita had the best off-bike apparel for wherever the next adventure destination took her.

“As in cycling, where a rider or product's strengths and weaknesses come to the surface under intense and often times harsh conditions, Beyond wants to continually put our products to the ultimate test. We know Namrita won't be taking it easy with anything she heads out the door with!"


About Beyond Clothing: Founded in 1996, Beyond is the only outdoor apparel manufacturer to offer a modular cold weather layering system and customized jackets and pants made entirely in the USA. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Beyond utilizes durable and versatile fabrics from Schoeller, Polartec, EPIC by Nextec, Primaloft and W.L. Gore.

In addition to partnerships with the likes of Namrita O’Dea, Beyond is also the official manufacturer and supplier of U.S. Special Operations Command Custom PCU Cold Weather Layering system. The system is based on the fabrics and experience of the larger Protective Combat Uniform program, yet is enhanced and fully integrated with Beyond technologies that include dynamic patterning for a custom fit, advanced designs, integrated layering, computerized cutting systems and use of lamination for decreased weight and increased durability.

For more information visit www.beyondclothing.com

Cool, huh. By the way, my Cold Fusion Shell Jacket is by far the best jacket I've ever owned. I've been living in it, and also have had tons of compliments on it!

so this is it.

5 weeks of interning at Grady Hospital will be over tomorrow. I am very happy to have my life back so I can get on with training, obsessing over races, and spending time with Eddie and my two 4-legged creatures. This has been such a great experience and while I have not been riding much at all, it was important for me to do this rotation and it was totally worth it. I'm not sure what people think of when I say I'm in the field of nutrition..I know some people think that means I serve people food in a hospital. Um, no. I've spent the last 5 weeks thrown in the fire of medical nutrition therapy--i.e. figuring out the needs of trauma patients and of those with multiple diseases (liver, pancreas, kidney, heart, lung, cancer, AIDS, you name it). Hours and hours of calculations, follow ups, research, tube feedings, charting, running up and down stairs, washing my hands, and of course laughing. I think that if you didn't laugh at things and yourself that working in health care would be very very depressing. While I knew my competitors have been training and racing their asses off already, I knew the bike would be there when I finished. And, it is. I am really looking forward to some good weather this weekend and some QT with the family and the bikes.

In other exciting news, I was the lead author of an abstract submitted to the American College of Sports Medicine, and it was accepted for publication..and presentation! So, that means I have to find a way to get myself to the ACSM Annual Conference in Indianapolis to do the presentation at the end of May. It is highly unusual for a graduate student to be in this situation so I will consider myself lucky as this will be a great opportunity for me.

5:30 am, dark, and snow

I really did get up at 5:15 am today and was out the door for a run at 5:30. Yes, I did this. Not really by choice, though. Eddie's out of town so I had to get the dogs some exercise before work. It was 20 some degrees and snowing! OK, gotta go to work. 3 more days!

big plans

1) Starting this Saturday will be two full weeks of serious training. Enough hours to make up for my last 4 weeks of pathetic training time. If I have to, I will travel south to ensure I get all the hours in.

2) Those two weeks will finish up at the 6 hour Dirty Spokes race..so if you want a chance to beat me this year, this will be it. I will not, I repeat NOT, be trying to win this one..just survive :) Even if I was trying to win, it would be hard as two of the best racers in the country will be there to contest it.

3) After that, I have one or maybe two races before the first big one of the year: Granny Gear's 24 hours of Vail Lake. I may race Bakers Dozen and I plan to race the Cohutta 35 before then.

4) I'm getting a new road bike, but not until April. I will be selling my 2006 Ti Litespeed Ghisallo (size M/L) frame + fork sometime in April for a good deal..it is in excellent condition so if you are interested in it, stay tuned over the next couple months. I'm not saying yet what I'm getting until it's finalized, but let's just say it's soooooper sexy.

wow again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8 hours of learning and doing today. wobble-naught tom had me on and off the bike all day with Dartfish video analysis. He and Eddie made some big changes to my road bike..which explains why I have hated riding it lately. I had made some changes to my own fit for the worse (like changing my saddle out from a road to a MTB saddle) and also I learned that I address my road bike like a mountain biker. We worked on my pedaling technique, aero positions, and much more. It's totally different when you can see yourself on the video..suddenly everything is so clear. No wonder I couldn't hang on the WBL. I can't even explain how much I've learned just today and how much better I feel on the bike. Truly amazing. I am not going to write off road riding just yet ;)

Oh, and there might just be another new bike in my future....I have to figure out a few things first. More later..

Rathbuns...wow

Wobble-naught Tom is here in Atlanta visiting and he took 55nine Performance out to dinner last night. We chose Rathbun's since I've heard nothing but great things about it. Wow, did it live up to the hype. I've never had such good food anywhere...the atmosphere was really sweet, the wine was incredible, and the whole experience was perfect. You have to go there!!!

Today is some bike fitting training for Eddie and some Dartfish video analysis and EMG for both of us! I can't wait.

Enough already!

I've been sick for two weeks now. I finally thought I was getting better because I had one whole day with no congestion, nose blowing, or coughing. I went for a run that day and immediately felt pretty worn out afterwards. Since then I've developed another cough, this time really annoying!! I'm sick of being sick. I might just have to give in and take a few extra days off from training because the first two weeks of March will be big huge training weeks and I can't mess that up!

Wobble-naught Tom Coleman is coming to town today and he and Eddie are going to fit the A&F Inferno team again. I think while he's here I will get to do some pedaling with the EMG and see how my form has improved (hopefully).

OK, off to study.

thanks

Thanks to Mallie for the update to my blog design!

Thanks also to PowerBar for sending me a huge box of goodies. I got some new shorts for riding and I'm glad to see the chamois in them is really nice..and of course a whole lot of bars! Mmmmmmm.

eclipse

Lunar eclipse and my first night ride of the year. It was pretty cool in an eerie way. Eddie and I packed up and headed to Dauset Nature Trails after work..and as soon as the sun set everyone else was outta there and we had the place to ourselves. I really wish our camera worked in the dark but it doesn't. Let's just say that it was a perfect night to be out.

Only 6 more days of the hospital!!!!!!!!! I am real anxious to begin feeling good again on the bike and in general. I've pretty much been going through life in a daze lately. Anyway, gotta get some sleep.

dirty?

Then you need some of this.

Hopefully she will be out at the Fool's Gold festival with her stuff....it's just delicious.

today's weapon of choice

Nice socks, eh?



After the hours and hours of cramming for today's quiz at school, I needed something to clear my head. Drugs and alcohol were out of the question on a Monday afternoon :) I didn't have enough time to hit the trail on my bike so I tried the trainer and lasted about 20 minutes. Even though it was chilly outside, the sun was shining so I bailed on the trainer and donned the running gear.

I had a running & hiking spazz about a month ago, but I started getting really bad pain in my big toe..I've never had that in all my years of running..so I quit. It sounded like the perfect thing to do today, though, so I tried out a set of the custom SOLEs in my Montrails.

Today was a great day to try out my Steel Action Shirt and it felt great! I could move freely and it was really comfortable for running. I don't know what the fabric is but I liked it. Not to mention, I think I look pretty good in it, that is of course the most important thing :) I wanted to wear it to class after my run, but I thought that might be kind of gross.



I got to run the new trails in my neighborhood. Tight, twisty, rough, 100% hand-built singletrack..nice! I can't wait to go out and ride them with the dogs, too.

So, the good news is the custom SOLEs seemed to do their job..no toe pain whatsoever! And, I am pretty sure I did well on my quiz, so that is a relief. Phew, is it only Monday?!

thank you mr. weatherman

Even though we didn't go to FL for the 12 hours of Santos, we got in some solid ride time. Yesterday was great and today's forecast was for heavy rain after 1pm. Knowing that my weekday riding hours will again be limited this week, Eddie and I did the unheard of today...we got up early and rode in the AM! That's right you non-believers, we were actually on the trail and rolling by 9:45 am. We were able to get in 3 hours and the sun was still shining when we finished. Of course it is pouring outside now, but I don't care. I got to ride today, woohoo! My legs were feeling rather slow and heavy after yesterday's Fool's Gold singletrack torture. I am actually building up a geared bike (my Ernie Orange Vassago) to replace my road bike which I need to sell. Someday I'll have a CX fixie in my training stable too for even more variety...someday soon hopefully....

Congrats to Harvey for winning the overall at Santos this weekend!! Harvey proudly sports a 55nine Performance bike fit, so I am allowed to brag about him :)

My first big race is just over 8 weeks away....I'm glad my clinical rotations end in 2 weeks because I have a lot of catching up to do!

yay

I have been hating my bike lately because riding has felt like a chore. I've been exhausted from work and class, and haven't had much time or energy to ride. I've been stressed about my lack of hours on the bike, and that has made riding even worse. I've been training mostly alone, also, which I am not used to. My normal riding partner is busy with his schedule and has been putting in serious saddle time. I was basically kicked out the door Friday afternoon so I could go ride. I meant to go to Fort Yargo but I missed the exit so I headed to Chicopee instead. It was quiet. The air was crisp. The trail was smooth and flowed perfectly. Riding solo was a good decision, it turned my attitude back around.

Today, Eddie, Marc and I rode at Bull Mt. I had my way-too-big-for-the-mountains gearing still on so I definitely worked hard. We rode the Fool's Gold singletrack, that is some tough tough singlespeeding. Anyway, it was an awesome day 65 and sunny. Hopefully tomorrow's forecast for rain changes...but if it doesn't then I still have plenty of studying to do.

BTW, I heard that there was SNOW at the start of the 24 Hours of Old Pueblo in Tucson, AZ. SNOW! Is that for real?

This is the only pic I have of all three of us today..no idea what I'm doing in the back? BTW, notice Eddie is sportin' the SIX up front.

Ken Gehle photo

Cycling Tattoo Gallery

Just stumbled upon it, check out the slideshow

Hodge, you should submit yours!

Sad but true

Well, I've decided to not race this weekend at Santos. Why? Simply because I don't have the money. Yes, being a full time student is great for training time...but it really sucks when you don't have the money to race. It's really frustrating..and I cannot wait to get out of school so I can do what I want when I want. I know, I know, the grass is always greener. Anyway, everyone who is lucky enough to go race this weekend have fun for me.

lookie what i got!

I have been anxiously awaiting my Beyond Clothing wear and I finally got it today! Sorry about the poor quality pictures, but I had just gotten in from my ride and I couldn't wait to try the stuff on.

Jackson thinks it is for him..well he thinks everything is for him. He loves the UPS guy. See Jackson's little head in the background?

Womens Cold Fusion Jacket:

Soft shell pants...

...and the Steel Action Shirt!

Everything fits really well...like it was designed especially for me, how about that ;) The material is obviously really high quality and the details are accounted for. Stay tuned for my full review once I actually get outdoors in it!

This was in Cyclingnews last week:

Beyond Clothing to offer custom-fit adventure cycling apparel
Custom outerwear manufacturer Beyond Photo ©: Beyond

Custom performance outerwear manufacturer Beyond Clothing has announced that it has entered into the world of competitive cycling with its sponsorship of Vassago Cycle endurance racer Namrita O'Dea. Beyond Clothing will provide O'Dea with its Cold Fusion Women's jacket and soft shell pants and the Steel Action top. As is typical for nearly all items in the company catalog, each of O'Dea's pieces will be fully custom colored and fitted based on her preferences and body measurements.
Beyond spokesman Dan Kouba admits that the clothing is not exactly cycling-specific. However, he still feels that sponsoring O'Dea was a good fit for the Seattle, Washington based apparel maker who plans to use O'Dea's feedback for future product design and development.
"Namrita's energy and enthusiasm for everything she does is unmatched," he said. "It's evident in her cyclingnews.com entries, her personal blog, and at the races. She's a fantastic ambassador for both the sport and all of her sponsors and with her very busy schedule we wanted to make sure she had the best off-bike apparel for wherever the next adventure destination took her. As in cycling, where a rider or product's strengths and weaknesses come to the surface under intense and often times harsh conditions, Beyond wants to continually put our jackets and pants to the ultimate test. We know Namrita won't be taking it easy with anything she heads out the door with!"

and so it begins

The race season, that is. Well, some people have been racing since early January...not me! I cannot believe that others are doing a 24 hour race next weekend...it just seems so early for that. That being said, I would love to check it out sometime..maybe next year? Or better yet, maybe after I move to AZ. Then, there is another big race in TX which sounds really fun, but it's too far. And, then there's another 12 hour which is closer to us..12 hours of Santos. I still cannot decide if I am racing or not! I can get off work early on Friday so I really want to go...but the problem is the money. I calculated that it would be a $400 weekend at the very least if Eddie and I both race. Hmmm........................decisions decisions. I am already itching to race! We'll see.

in a nutshell

wow did the weekend fly by! our weekend was full of modeling, tough work....it's rough being a supermodel ;) just kidding. anyway, saturday was spent in Ellijay, GA all day with mr. outdoor adventure photo man Andrew Kornylak and sunday was spent outside of ATL with Ken Gehle. The only problem was that all shots were taken with short sleeves & shorts..and it was not warm outside! Now I know how those swimsuit models must feel when they have to act warm while playing around in the water in February. Thankfully we had an easier time than that! We also got to do some wine tasting with Andrew at the Frogtown Wine Tasting room in Ellijay and I had my first visit to Poole's BBQ..it was not as bad as I had expected.

Other than that, we got a little riding in (I am trying out some of these), and wasted a lot of time at the Dekalb Farmers Market. We FINALLY decided to go to the farmers market that we always hear people talk about...it was huge and it had everything i could ever think of! we spent over an hour collecting a whole cart full of goodies before we realized they don't accept credit cards..d'oh! Unfortunately we didn't have cash, check, or ATM so we spent another 30 minutes putting everything back to where it came from. I felt like a total loser! Not to mention Eddie and I were both completely starving the entire time. To make matters worse, we had to stop at a regular grocery store on the way home to get food...and pay 3x as much as we would have at the farmers market!

Well, that's about it...the only other thing I have to say is that this guy is not human. I can't believe he did 23 laps at Conyers on a rigid SS. I rode 2 laps out there today on mine and I think this has to be the hardest race course out there for a solo 24.

Less than one month...

...and counting!

I cannot wait for the end of Feb. to come. Why? Because then I am on SPRING BREAK!!! I am not going to some cheezy beach to party all week (been there, done that) but instead I am going to ride my bike all day and all night for a week! Not really, but I will finally get to ride more than I am now. And, to top it all off...I will get to spend the week after spring break with some friends riding our asses off some more and sharing some (ok, many) good brews!

Oh, we also have some good plans this weekend...but I am going to wait to share.

a brief respite from winter

what an awesome weekend....sun, high 70*s, shorts and short sleeves! saturday was the croom 50 ride and it was a ton of fun! eddie and i rode together mostly and stopped for awhile to play in the pits with lots of options for some crazy drops. today we stopped at santos to ride with mr. bent cyclery and tracey w. some of the trails we rode are going to be in this year's 12 hour race..it will be interesting for sure! i haven't decided yet if i am racing or not. it depends on 1) how tired and stressed i am from work and 2) the weather in georgia that weekend. there are some pics from our weekend posted here.

And a little video from Croom:


Sorry about the next two..I have to remember not to turn the camera sideways :(