Abstract: A bicycle rim includes a tire attachment portion a spoke attachment portion and a plurality of reinforcement members fixedly coupled to the spoke attachment portion at attachment openings to effectively increase the thickness of the spoke attachment portion at the attachment openings. Each reinforcement member includes a rim facing surface that contacts the rim, an exterior facing surface facing and a through opening extending between the rim facing surface and the exterior facing surface that is aligned with one of the attachment openings. Each of the reinforcement members is preferably welded to the spoke attachment portion. Each of the reinforcement members preferably has a maximum overlapping dimension overlapping the spoke attachment portion as measured from an outer peripheral edge to a respective one of the attachment openings with the maximum overlapping dimension being at least half as large as a maximum transverse dimension of the attachment openings.

Abstract: A bicycle rim is provided that includes a tire attachment portion, a spoke attachment portion and a plurality of reinforcement members. The spoke attachment portion is fixedly coupled with the tire attachment portion. The spoke attachment portion includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced attachment openings. The reinforcement members are fixedly coupled to the spoke attachment portion at the attachment openings to effectively increase the thickness of the spoke attachment portion of the rim at the attachment openings. Each of the reinforcement members is bonded to the spoke attachment portion. The through openings are aligned with the attachment openings.

Abstract: A snowboard binding comprises a base, a front binding arrangement and a rear binding arrangement. One of the front and rear binding arrangements is a binding member and the other is a binding mechanism, which includes a catch, a latch and a stationary guide. The catch moves between release and latched positions. The latch selectively holds the catch in at least one latched position. The stationary guide is fixed to the base to form a cleat insertion opening between the catch and the stationary guide. Preferably, the binding member is a front binding member and the binding mechanism is a rear binding mechanism. The catch preferably pivots about a pivot axis that is spaced rearwardly on the base from a pivot axis of the latch. In an alternate embodiment, the front and rear binding arrangements are reversed on the base.

Abstract: A snowboard boot includes a sole, an upper and a coupling member coupled to the sole. The sole has a longitudinal axis and a support projection extending downwardly from the sole. The upper includes a foot section fixedly coupled to the sole and an upwardly extending leg section. The support projection is arranged and configured to secure the coupling member against forward and rearward longitudinal movement. Preferably, the sole includes an outer sole and a mid sole constructed of a more rigid material than the outer sole. Preferably, a front coupling member is fixedly coupled to a toe section of the mid sole and a rear coupling member is fixedly coupled to a heel section of the mid sole. Preferably, the heel section has the support projection to secure the rear coupling member against forward and rearward longitudinal movement.

Abstract: A snowboard binding includes a base member, a front binding member, a rear binding member, a front abutment section and a rear abutment section. The front binding member is coupled to the front portion of the base member. The rear binding member is coupled to the rear portion of the base member. The front and rear binding members are arranged and configured to selectively engage a front and rear cleats of a snowboard boot. The front abutment section extends upwardly from the front portion of the base member to laterally support the front binding member. The rear abutment section extends upwardly from the rear portion of the base member to laterally support the rear binding member.

Abstract: A snowboard binding system is provided that is relatively easy to step-in and step-out of. The snowboard binding has a base member, a front binding member movably coupled the base member between a release position and a latched position, and a pair of rear binding members coupled to lateral sides of the base member. The rear binding members have latch members movable relative to the base member to selectively hold the rear catch portions of a snowboard boot. The latch members are arranged to move laterally apart relative to each other upon application of a force direction substantially towards the base member. The first and second latch members are arranged to selectively hold the catch members in a plurality of engagement positions having different heights above the base member.

Abstract: A hollow bicycle rim a plurality of tubular reinforcement members coupled to the inner and outer openings. Each of the reinforcement members has an internal abutment surface within an internal passageway designed to engage an enlarged head of a spoke to couple spokes to the rim. The inner and outer ends of the reinforcement members are secured to the inner and outer openings to prevent inner and outward movement of the reinforcement members, respectively. Each reinforcement member preferably has a pre-formed retaining surface and one or more deformed retaining surface to prevent inner and outer movement. Optionally, each reinforcement member can include a threaded connection instead of one or more the deformed retaining surfaces. Seal members are optionally mounted in the reinforcement members so that a tubeless tire can be used.

Abstract: A snowboard binding system includes a boot and a binding configured to be releasably coupled together. The snowboard binding includes a base member, a rear binding arrangement, and a front binding arrangement. The snowboard boot includes an upper portion, a sole portion, at least one rear catch and a front catch. The sole portion has a forward to rearward longitudinal axis extending between a toe section and a heel section. The rear catch is located at the heel section of the sole portion. The front catch is coupled to the toe section. The front catch has a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from the toe section and a tongue portion extending laterally between the leg portions. The tongue portion has a forward to rearward dimension that is larger than forward to rearward dimensions of the leg portions to longitudinally secure the boot relative to the binding.

Abstract: A snowboard binding system has a boot and a binding configured to be releasably coupled together. The boot has an upper potion, a sole portion, a front catch and at least one rear catch. The binding includes a base member, a rear binding arrangement and a front binding member. The base member has a front portion and a rear portion. The rear binding arrangement is coupled to the rear portion to selectively engage the rear catch. The front binding member includes a front claw and a release lever. The front claw is movably coupled to the front portion of the base member. The release lever is coupled to the front claw to move therewith between a release position and a latched position. An indexing mechanism is arranged to selectively retain the front claw and the release lever in the release position and the latched position.

Abstract: A snowboard binding system has a boot and a binding configured to be releasably coupled together. The boot has an upper potion, a sole portion, a front catch and at least one rear catch. The binding includes a base member, a rear binding arrangement and a front binding member. The base member has a front portion and a rear portion. The rear binding arrangement is coupled to the rear portion to selectively engage at least one rear catch. The rear catch has a concave abutment surface. The rear binding arrangement has a movable tooth portion with a convexly shaped latching surface designed to selectively engage the abutment surface to couple the boot to the binding. The abutment surface and the latching surface are configured to reduce flexing of the binding when the boot is deflected relative to the binding.

Abstract: A snowboard boot has a sole portion and an upper portion. The sole portion includes a mid sole having a base portion with a front catch coupled to a toe section of the base portion. The first and second rear catches are located at first and second lateral sides of a heel section of the base portion, and first and second strap attachment members extending from the heel section of the base portion. The upper portion includes a foot section fixedly coupled to the sole portion and a leg section extending upwardly from the foot section. The first and second strap attachment members are integrally formed with the base portion of said mid sole as a one-piece, unitary member.

Abstract: A bicycle wheel basically has a hub, a plurality of spokes extending outwardly from the hub and an annular rim coupled to the outer ends of the spokes for supporting a tire. The annular rim has a spoke attachment portion with a plurality of spoke openings for receiving the outer ends of the spokes therein. The spoke openings of the annular rim have reinforcement members located between the spokes and annular rim. The outer ends of the spokes have bent sections located within the spoke holes of the reinforcement members or washers and head section that engage the inner surface of the reinforcement members. The rim is free of access apertures or holes in the outer annular portion adjacent a majority of the spoke holes. The reinforcement member has a transverse dimension allowing the outer end of the spoke and the reinforcement member to pass through the openings in a first orientation and be retained in the openings in a second orientation.

Abstract: A spoked rim assembly includes an annular rim and a plurality of spokes. Each of the spokes is provided with a seal structure so that a tubeless tire can be used with the rim. The rim preferably has an annular recess with a plurality of spoke attachment openings. Each of the spokes has an outer end portion coupled to one of the spoke attachment openings. Each of the outer end portions of the spokes includes a support member and a resilient seal member that form the seal structure for the spoke. The support members and the seal members are arranged and configured such that the support members selectively contact the spoke attachment portion to prevent full compression of the seal members when a radial force is applied to the support members. The support members can be separate or integrally formed with the spokes.

Abstract: A spoked rim assembly includes an annular rim and a plurality of spokes. Each of the spokes is provided with a seal structure so that a tubeless tire can be used with the rim. The rim preferably has an annular recess with a plurality of spoke attachment openings. Each of the spokes has an outer end portion coupled to one of the spoke attachment openings. Each of the outer end portions of the spokes includes a support member and a resilient seal member that form the seal structure for the spoke. The support members and the seal members are arranged and configured such that the support members selectively contact the spoke attachment portion to prevent full compression of the seal members when a radial force is applied to the support members. The support members can be separate or integrally formed with the spokes.

Abstract: The bicycle pedal includes a pedal shaft, a pedal body and an abrasive sheet coupled to a shoe engagement surface to enhance engagement of the pedal with a shoe. The pedal body is rotatably coupled to the second end of the pedal shaft. The shoe engagement surface preferably includes a recess with first and second curvatures. The first curvature has a first radius and the second curvature has a second radius larger than the first radius. The abrasive sheet is preferably coupled within the recess. Frictional characteristics are improved by a method including the steps of forming a pedal body with a recess and coupling an abrasive sheet in the recess of the pedal body. The abrasive sheet is positioned to resist peeling of the abrasive sheet from the pedal body. The pedal body can be formed of one or more pieces.

Abstract: A snowboard binding system has a boot and a binding configured to be releasably coupled together. The boot has an upper potion, a sole portion, a front catch and at least one rear catch. The binding includes a base member, a rear binding arrangement and a front binding arrangement. The rear binding arrangement selectively engages at least one rear catch of the heel of the boot. The front binding arrangement selectively engages the front catch that extends downwardly from of the sole portion of the boot. The front binding arrangement and the front catch are arranged to limit forward and rearward movement of the boot relative to the binding and prevent premature release of the front catch from the front binding arrangement.

Abstract: A snowboard binding system includes a binding and a boot configured to be releasably coupled together. The snowboard binding includes a base member, a rear binding arrangement, and a front binding arrangement. The snowboard boot includes an upper portion, a sole portion, at least one rear catch and a front catch. The sole portion has a toe section, a mid section and a heel section. The rear catch is located at the heel section of the sole portion. The front catch is coupled to the toe section and has a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from the toe section of the sole portion, and a tongue portion extending laterally between the leg portions. The toe section has a pair of front catch guide surfaces located forwardly and laterally of the front catch to guide the front catch toward the front binding arrangement.

Abstract: A snowboard boot includes a heel member and a leg member positioned above the heel member. The heel member and the leg member are secured to the boot so that the leg member is capable of movement relative to the heel member about an axis of rotation that is vertically inclined no more than ±45° and that lies within a plane that is inclined relative to a longitudinal plane which divides left and right sections of the boot.

Abstract: A snowboard binding system has a snowboard boot configured to be releasable coupled to a snowboard binding. The snowboard boot has a sole portion with a front catch and a pair of rear catches located at the lateral sides of the sole portion. The snowboard binding includes a base member, a pair of rear binding members and a front binding member. The front binding member includes a front pawl movably coupled to the front portion of the base member between a release position and a latched position and a front stop member fixedly coupled to the front portion of the base member adjacent the front pawl. The front stop member has a stop surface spaced from a latching surface of the front pawl to form a front cleat receiving area therebetween.

Abstract: A bicycle rim includes side portions with an outer portion extending between the side portions to form a pair of outer corners, and a spoke attachment portion. The outer portion includes a pair of ridges spaced from the outer corners. The ridges preferably divide a pair of inclined surfaces. The side portions preferably include a pair of ground braking surfaces with a pair of sloping surfaces extending from the braking surfaces to a pair of outer side surfaces.