Best Gifts for Fitness Lovers 2015

Ah, the holidays. While the holiday season is the time to relax and enjoy your friends and family, more often than not it turns into quite the opposite – a hectic time, with piling bills and too many friends to shop for!

If you have a health or fitness fanatic in your life, we have some solutions to end your present panic (pun most certainly intended).

FOR THE RUNNER

The snow may not have come quite yet, but it will. Do you think that will stop the runners in your life? No. Way. To prepare them for the long winter runs, give New Balance Long Sleeved Tops ($75). Long lasting, comfortable and extremely warm, these shirts are worth every penny.

Shop New Balance here.

FOR THE HEALTH FOODIE

If your friend or family member talks constantly about how they’re going paleo or their weekly visits to the farmers market, consider giving them a CSA membership. CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) memberships can be paid up front and your foodie friend can enjoy a seasons’ worth of organic food on you!

Learn more about CSA memberships here.

FOR THE HIKER

The hardcore hiker, like the runner, will not be taking off the winter. In fact, they’ll be looking for slicker, steeper mountains to climb! Make sure they can take on any terrain with these Kahtoola Microspike Traction shoes.

Find these amazing kicks here.

FOR THE CYCLIST

Now to OUR area of expertise! For your intense cyclist, a pair of eyes on the back of their bike is exactly what they need to keep safe. Invest in a Cycliq Fly6 Tail Light, found here, to keep them safe as it gets darker more quickly.

For the cyclist who had to retire their cycle for whatever reason – fitness level, back problems, other injuries or illness – consider giving them the gift of cycling again.

How? With an American Eagle Cycle tricycle. Our revolutionary, customized adult tricycle will give your friend of family member the thrill and exercise that they once got from their bike, while keeping them safe and comfortable.

Shop American Eagle Cycles models here.

No matter what your fitness fiend loves to do, make sure to keep them safe and healthy in 2016 with one of these dependable fitness gifts!

Interested in an American Eagle Cycles tricycle? Feel free to call 1-877-629-2537 or email tessa@aecycles.com to learn more about giving the gift of excitement, safety and freedom to your loved one this holiday season.

What We’re Thankful For

The time for giving and thanking is upon us…more commonly known as Thanksgiving.

This holiday season, American Eagle Cycles, Inc. wants to give thanks to a few things.

Our veterans, and all those who protect our country by putting their life on the line every day.

Our medical advances in the U.S. which help ease pain and save lives on a regular basis.

All supporters of American Eagle Cycles! There are so many people that have given us so much encouragement and resources that the list is too long to write out!

And, of course, our friends and family and their good health.

We are thankful for everyone who strives to stay active and most of ALL we are thankful that at American Eagle Cycles we have the ability to help those people achieve the active lifestyle they are working towards.

Gratitude – that’s what we were thinking this month.

As always, we want to hear from you, too! What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving season?

 

The Weight of the Situation: The Trick to Getting Your Daily Exercise

With the holiday season right around the corner, we all know the concept of weight gain all too well – leftover Halloween candy turns into Thanksgiving pie which turns into holiday baked goods and some New Years champagne.

We’ve all been through those three months of food temptation.

Americans, in particular, are especially familiar with this weight conundrum – the U.S. is currently the most obese country, with over 1/3 of our population living with obesity.

The reason we’re the frontrunners of the worldwide weight issues is easy to see when our lifestyle is compared to, let’s say, a European lifestyle.

Europeans do not rely so much on the fast-food diet that so many Americans rely upon. Their food is unprocessed, immediately making it 100 times better than your average fast food meal.

More importantly, the activity level of America is lower than some of our foreign counterparts. In 2013, the U.S. reached more than 40% of our population being active – a fantastic statistic!

However, when such a large amount of our population is obese, the number of active individuals needs to be much higher to combat the weight of the country’s obesity problem.

The solution seems easy enough: more Americans need to get out and get their daily exercise. But this is not a simple answer for all Americans.

Weight, injury, illness and a variety of other reasons prevent many individuals from getting on a treadmill or bicycle, going for a run, or playing sports. With so many methods of exercise unavailable to some people, it’s not surprising that they simply do not exercise.

This is an increasingly dangerous problem – and American Eagle Cycles has a great solution.

Our Freedom Cycle is designed to provide safe, low-impact exercise for those who cannot participate in traditional forms of exercise. The sturdy bucket seat allows riders to cycle in comfort without any fear of falling and our easy steering and shifting functions make your ride a breeze.

Without the hassles and discomforts of a traditional bicycle, our Freedom Cycle helps you get your recommended exercise and all the benefits that come with it. The cardiovascular exercise of cycling is proven to reduce cholesterol, strengthen your heart and reduce blood pressure, all of which greatly lower your risk for complications like diabetes and stroke.

To accommodate for all riders, American Eagle Cycles even provides custom models. We make these customized cycles especially for you, so your tricycle can adjust to your unique body type and you can ride in the most ideal comfort.

A healthy lifestyle isn’t a “One Size Fits All” deal.

At American Eagle Cycles, we understand that traditional exercise is not for everyone – but we think that health and happiness should be for everyone.

If the thought of balancing on a painful bicycle seat or running miles on a treadmill makes you shiver, stop torturing yourself with exercise that isn’t for you. Exercise should be fun, safe and comfortable – and that’s what we were thinking when we made our Freedom Cycle just for you.

Visit www.aecycles.com to learn more about all our tricycle models and email sales@aecycles.com or call 1-877-629-2537 with any questions, comments or concerns.

A Tricky Balancing Act

We all remember getting the training wheels off our bikes for the first time. You’d glide a little across the pavement, pedal as fast as you could – but even the most confident kid would take a few tumbles and suffer some scraped knees from falling off a wobbly bike.

Unfortunately, this problem of balancing on a bike is not just an issue of the past. The struggle to balance while bicycling – although it may become easier in adulthood – has caused a number of accidents from scrapes, fractures or worse in the U.S.

Annually in America, there are 500,000 emergency room visits from bicycle falls and many deaths.

These numbers can be scary, especially for those of us who don’t have the strongest sense of balance.

What causes these balance problems? Well, it can’t just be pinned down to one answer. Many things affect our balance, including:

• Inner ear problems, including vertigo
• Normal aging and muscle weakness
• Various eye problems
• Numbness in feet and legs (neuropathy)
• Arthritis
• Heart or blood circulation problems
• Long-term diseases of the nervous system (MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s)

Do these issues sound familiar? If so, you may be at an increased risk for dangerous balance problems which, when combined with a balance-critical activity like biking, can have disastrous consequences.

So what exactly were we thinking about these risky balance issues here at American Eagle Cycles?

We were thinking we would eliminate the problem at its source.

The joys of biking shouldn’t have to vanish because of problems that are out of a riders’ control. It would be difficult to eliminate the balancing issue of every individual – so why not create a cycle where balance isn’t an issue?

At American Eagle Cycles, that’s exactly what we did.

Our Freedom Cycle requires no balancing and no fear of taking a life-threatening fall. How did we do it? A few ways:

Our stable bucket seat; with lumbar support, you’ll feel entirely safe with no need to balance on an uncomfortable little bike seat. It’s the best of both worlds: feeling like you’re sitting in your living room chair while actually getting exercise.

Our sturdy armrests: These armrests aren’t going anywhere. Use them to lounge while you cycle or use them to assist with getting in and out of our bucket seat.

Three Points of Contact: Better known as? Three wheels. Our tricycle has three points of contact to the ground, creating stable support.

Robust Engineering: And most of all, our cycle has been designed and built by an engineer. This means that, rest assured, this is one sturdy cycle. Our cycle has held riders over 250 lbs. comfortably and with full balance.

American Eagle Cycles wants all riders – of all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities – to feel stable and secure when cycling. No worries about balance required.

Life is a tricky balance acting…but cycling shouldn’t be.

We’ve Got Baby Boomers on the Brain

What constitutes a Baby Boomer? Anyone might have their own definition, but generally Baby Boomers are thought to be people born between the years 1946 and 1963.

Baby Boomers are the people who lived through the Cold War, who remember the day JFK was assassinated, who heard the Beatles and Elvis on the radio – extraordinary times for an extraordinary generation of people.

Now, many Boomers are growing older and facing both the joys and difficulties of age – but things aren’t the same now as they always were.

Phones are attached to everyone’s hand; gasoline sure isn’t less than a dollar per gallon; and for Baby Boomers, maybe going for a run or bike ride isn’t as easy now as it was at 20 years old.

Having the freedom to be mobile and to exercise is a gift that not every Baby Boomer (or every person of any generation) has.

At American Eagle Cycles, our purpose is to provide that freedom to individuals who cannot easily be mobile. And now, we truly want to hear about issues with freedom or mobility from you.

Do you wish you could ride along with your granddaughter as she learns to ride her first bike? Maybe you want to stay social and go cycling with a group of friends who still bike together every Sunday morning. Or maybe you just miss getting out and getting your exercise comfortably, without having to worry about injury.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you are a Baby Boomer, or even if you know and love a Baby Boomer, we want you to jump in on the discussion! Any stories, thoughts, or feelings you may have on the topic, we want to hear.

Please comment below with any thoughts you may have about freedom and mobility! We would love to speak with the very individuals that inspired our cycle to discuss your wants and needs. If you would like to give a more detailed account or give personal feedback PLEASE EMAIL ME AT tessa@aecycles.com.

That’s what we were thinking…Now let us know what you’re thinking.

How to Reduce Back Pain (And Stay in Shape)

Welcome to our first post of “What Were They Thinking?”. Today, we were thinking about what’s a pain in the back for you…literally.

Back experts from the American Chiropractic Association have said that 80% of Americans will experience back problems at some point in their lives.

Ouch.

To clarify, that isn’t “you might have back pain maybe in your life”, that is a hard and fast guarantee that the majority of our population will experience back pain.

They’re not sugar coating it, folks.

Maybe there are a small percentage of people seeing that stat and not breaking a sweat, because the most exercise they do is reach for the remote. But for the rest of us, the people who love to be active, enjoy the outdoors, or just enjoy the independence of moving around freely – that statistic is not a fun one to read.                                                                

And it wasn’t a fun statistic to experience when Gary Webster, President of American Eagle Cycles, Inc., injured his back in 1982, limiting him from his favorite hobby: cycling.

Since he was young, cycling was a source of freedom for Gary. Although he had been battling off his back injury for decades, Gary continued to cycle. It wasn’t until one particular incident in 2010 that finally made Gary too nervous to ride.

It was then that Gary decided to build his new breed of bike, one that wouldn’t instigate his acute back pain.

Since 2006, Gary had been playing with the idea of a cycle that could function as an alternative vehicle; an eco-friendly means of transportation that didn’t require expensive gas but was also comfortable for active, older adults – especially adults with back problems.

And so, the Freedom Classic was born. AE Cycle’s Freedom Classic is the most back-friendly cycle on the market today, with features that help, not hurt, your back.

Bucket Seat

AE Cycle’s Freedom Classic comes with a cushioned bucket seat, allowing you to ride for miles in comfort without feeling any strain in your back. The bucket seat provide excellent lumbar support as well as full spinal support – no more hunching over your handlebars or back-breaking pain from the waist down.

No On/Off Strain

Straining yourself to get on or off a high bicycle seat? No more.

The Freedom Classic’s bucket seat is set at a comfortable sitting level, removing any possibility of strain and making for an easy on and off.

The Freedom Classic is the ultimate means of staying active in comfort, style and safety. If you want to experience independence from your back pain, visit our website at www.aecycles.com for more information on the Freedom Classic and other available models.

Living with back injuries can be a bumpy ride – but not with the Freedom Cycle. Full back support, comfortable seat cushions, easy on and off, and enjoyable exercise?

Sounds like you’re in for one smooth ride.

Blog Series Intro: What Were They Thinking?

Curious about American Eagle Cycles, Inc. or our Freedom Classic cycle?

We don’t blame you! Our custom cycle is unlike any other and there are plenty of questions to ask, such as:

What is an adult tricycle, anyways? What makes the Freedom Classic any different? How in the world could this cycle help me? What makes it more comfortable or safer than a regular old bike? How did American Eagle Cycles, Inc. get started?

What excellent questions! Never fear, equally as excellent answers will be coming to you shortly in the form of…a blog series.

That’s right, right here on the American Eagle Cycologist we will be publishing our first blog series titled, “What Were They Thinking?” The series will take our readers through all the amazing features of the Freedom Cycle, the background of American Eagle Cycles, Inc., and more!

So make sure to follow our blog at https://aecycles.wordpress.com/ and keep up with our monthly posts!

Otherwise, you’ll still have a lot of excellent questions and no excellent answers, and that’s not very helpful, is it?

Cape Cod Cycle Tour

American Eagle Cycles will be hitting the road on June 9th for a tour around Cape Cod! AE Cycles will be going to several different bicycle rental shops along Cape Cod to showcase the Freedom Classic.

Among these popular rental shops are Arnold’s Bike Shop, PTown Bikes, and Mike’s Rental Bike Shop.

The first stop will be PTown Bikes, located at 42 Bradford St in Provincetown, at 11 a.m. Around 12:30 p.m., our second stop will be Arnold’s Bike Shop, located at 329 Commercial St. Provincetown, to let patrons take a ride on our one-of-a-kind cycle! At 3 p.m., we will visit Mike’s Bike Rental Shop located at 8 Canal Rd in Orleans, Mass.

If you live up by the Cape, come by these shops at those times to take the ride of your life on our cycle! And if you were just looking for a day to escape to the Cape? Make it next Tuesday, June 9th and include a fun, free spin around sunny Provincetown in your vacation day!

Mass Innovation Nights

The Freedom Cycle was one of eleven featured products at Mass Innovation Nights (MIN) this past Tuesday, November 12. MIN is a monthly event designed to help local innovators increase the buzz around new products and companies. This month’s event was at GameOn in Boston, MA (right next to Fenway) and it featured companies that are all about fun and games. It was the 56th event for MIN but was our first time attending. The turn out was great and we were thrilled with the experience.

We showed up to the event early to get a prime location to setup the Freedom Cycle. Never having attended one of these events, we were unsure what to expect. The results were fantastic with a great turnout and lots of folks interested in the Freedom Cycle and what we are doing. We had all different types of people with varying interests; some were entrepreneurs, some were angel investors, designers, and potential customers. Overall, we walked away with new contacts that want to provide more exposure for FREE, a couple interested investors (which was not at all expected), great input from younger bike riders intrigued by our new design,  and a potential sale. Needless to say, this was one of the most successful events we’ve attended thus far.

We’d like to extend a personal thank you to Bobbie Carlton and her team for making this event possible and inviting us to participate!

Slim Your Waistline, Not Your Wallet

I recently heard a simple argument for trading your car in for a cycle. It was short and to the point, but made the point better than any other I had heard. Cars run on money and make you fat, while bikes run on fat and save you money. Who can argue with that?

Biking has many obvious health benefits and is much better for the environment than the one billion cars that are on the road today. With the push to have fewer cars on the road, people often overlook one of the biggest persuading factors of all, money.

Trading in your car for a cycle or e-cycle will drastically cut your expenses and save you a great deal of money in the long run. Driving off the lot in your shiny new car is a great feeling… until you receive your first car payment and continue to spend a large portion of your income on it for years to come. Aside from the initial cost of the vehicle, there are insurance costs, car maintenance, and for those working and living in the city, high parking costs. Not to mention after several years the vehicle is worth no where near what you paid for it. Add to that high gas prices, and you realize your car is a money pit!

Even hybrid models like the Toyota Prius cost on average $5,000 per year for ownership (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/12/what-that-car-really-costs-to-own/index.htm). The Freedom Cycle starts at $2,499.00, saving you $2,500 right off the bat without ever having to worry about gas or insurance. Instead of burning through your paycheck, you will be burning calories and well on your way to a healthier you. Cycling will also save you money in long term healthcare costs by keeping you in shape and out of the doctor’s office.

If you prefer to keep your waist line slim and not your wallet, it’s time to start your daily commute on a cycle.