We make lights. In NJ. Here is a rapid run down of how we do that. Phew… we really do a lot.
April 22, 2012
Running the Sahara
In 2006 Charlie Engle (USA), Ray Zahab (Canada) and Kevin Lin (Taiwan) made an attempt at running across the Sahara Desert. Through Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and Egypt, the plan is relatively simple: run two marathons per day for a few months. Simple, definitely not easy!
Running the Sahara is the documentary of their run.
No spoilers here, if you don’t know the outcome you’ll have to watch to hear Matt Damon’s narration and find out if they make it.
Epic Route
City Running
It’s so hot during the day (140 F) that they run early in the morning, take a siesta, then run some more in the evening. Naturally this means that some of the running is in the dark. And that’s Princeton Tec’s time to shine! If the EOS Headlamp is good enough for crossing the Sahara on foot … I’ll take two!
Here are some photos of night running and tea time.
April 19, 2012
Spectrum Discount – Get it Before it’s Gone!
As you may have noticed in the last blog post, we offered a nice discount on our Spectrum custom headlamps during the event at Appalachian Outdoors in State College, PA last weekend. If you couldn’t be there, we don’t want you to feel left out. Until Sunday, use promo code “StateCollege” at checkout to get 25% off Spectrum FUEL. Be sure to get your order in by midnight on 4/22/12. Check it out here:http://spectrum.princetontec.com.
April 17, 2012
Spectrum Road Show – State College, PA
It’s warm out, which means the PTEC Crew is getting out of the office and sharing our latest designs with the world. Or, to be more specific, we’re letting the world unleash their designs on us. As promised last week: some views from the Spectrum Road Show!
Last weekend, we packed up part of the Headlamp Factory into our van and drove it from PTEC HQ in New Jersey to the Appalachian Outdoors “Outdoor Expo” in State College, PA.
For the uninitiated, the Spectrum program allows you to customize a one of a kind Fuel headlamp. Not only can you match it to your other favorite gear, but you’ll always be able to tell which of your buddies swiped your headlamp as well.
Spectrum Road Show packs up the whole headlamp building operation and gets it out to you! Pick the parts to create your design and we build your light right on the spot.
The PTEC Spectrum booth, as seen last weekend in State College, PA.
Tools of the headlamp building trade.
Justin, hard at work. Who’s that FUEL for?
The weekend’s event was a great success with some new friends met, many custom headlamps built, and plenty of eyes watching and learning about PTec and US headlamp production.
As you may have noticed on the sign in the first booth photo, we offered a nice discount on custom lights for the weekend. If you couldn’t be there, we don’t want you to feel left out. From now until Sunday, use promo code “StateCollege” at checkout to get 25% off Spectrum FUEL. Be sure to get your order in by midnight on 4/22/12. Check it out here: http://spectrum.princetontec.com.
April 13, 2012
Live Headlamp Customization
I was planning a post about our awesome Apex Rechargeable Headlamp and how a few of us have been using / enjoying that light.
However, the past couple weeks have kept us busy getting ready for a series of upcoming events. Because that is more timely and because we want to see as many of you as possible out there, this post is about the preparations that have taken place for the first stop of the Spectrum Road Show!
You may have heard by now about Princeton Tec’s Spectrum Custom Headamp Program. If not, then click the link and get educated!
We introduced Spectrum at the last Summer Outdoor Retailer show and kicked the whole thing off by accepting orders for custom versions of our popular FUEL headlamp.
Since then, the consumer orders have been rolling in and we’ve even gotten a bunch of orders from retailers who want to stock a special headlamp that nobody else has. We also started to get some interesting requests: “Hey would you guys come out to our shop and build custom headlamps live on site?”
Two of these will be filled with parts so you can mix and match to your heart's content.
Ask and you shall receive! The mobile Spectrum FUEL production line is currently en route to State College, PA for Appalachian Outdoors’ Outdoor Expo this weekend. Come out and see what App Outdoors has in store, and visit the PTEC tent for an extra bonus discount on Spectrum FUEL headlamps: $25 at the event only – normally $35.
Saturday, April 14, 10am-6pm
Appalachian Outdoors
123 South Allen St.
State College, PA
[map]
See you there!
March 29, 2012
Meet Joe – Princeton Tec
We may have mentioned this before, but it’s worth mentioning again – Princeton Tec is a manufacturer. What that means is that we are also a full on, old school, USA factory. We have machines for injection molding, and an extensive tool/metal shop, and a lot of other machines that I have no idea what they are for – but most importantly, we have PEOPLE who work and operate those tools and machines. This is no automated robot like facility – this is down and dirty, hands on production. There is soul in what we do here. Classic Made in the USA stuff with made in New Jersey freshness.
We are proud of our ability to design and make stuff in house. We are also proud of the people who allow us to execute on this.
With that said, please meet Joe. He is an industrious fellow, and when challenged, he made one rad Propeller Bike. Here at PTEC, we value creativity, ingenuity and DIY attitudes.
Propeller Bike from Princeton Tec on Vimeo.
March 1, 2012
JayP’s 2012 Arrowhead 135
Yes, JayP sent this to me right after the race and I screwed up and didn’t post it right away. In any case, Arrowhead is a truly epic race, and I think you’ll enjoy reading about this year’s race as seen through the eyes of one of PTec’s great friends. Thanks, Jay!
-George
Rolling into International Falls, Minnesota two days early was a great way to become familiar with a place that we had never been before. Tracey and I were fortunate enough to have a multiple generation, passionate, Arrowhead Trail outdoors man not only host us but give us some great history of the whole area and a step by step description of the trail, wild rice, and home comfort.
These 2 days were filled with coffee, trail scouting/riding, going through gear check, our own pre-race fiddling, meeting others, and just absorbing the little border towns essence.
Before we know it were off peddling the start of the Arrowhead 135 with a 120 other like minded challengers. My patience to let someone else set the pace is not there, so I take off, and I immediately pinned it like it was a x-country race. Trying to shake things out early I find myself leading it out the whole way just short of the first aid station, 35 miles. With just one in tow for awhile there was this sudden surge of riders that passed us just before the aid, weird enough. Mind you I did not stop and my hydration valve was still frozen from the start as I have not drank yet, 3+ hours into the race. Within a few minutes after the aid station I passed that group that came by earlier and re-set the pace. After things got sorted out and people settled into their own ride it basically came down to 3 of us, 2 riders from AK and myself, leading the race on our way through the forest lined alley way to aid station 2. The riding continued to stay strong, my hydration hose has finally defrosted, and the silent tension of riding with other competitors you don’t know was in the air. I finally cracked the ice at one point and yelled something to the effect of “yee-haw, the Arrowhead Trail how exciting” in a sarcastic voice as the flat light, gray sky, constant grind, and tunnel vision made it very tranquil.
Relived to see the lake, the sign of the second aid station, mile 70, the 3 of us walk into the cabin at the same time. If you wanted to send a drop bag of your own this is where you send it. In an event like this I generally just consume and use what the event supplies, so no drop bag for me. It was clock work. Walk in straight to the kitchen, gaze at everything along the way, chug several cups of pop, while spooning down a bowl of soup and eating a piece of bread, asking someone to put handfuls of peanut m&m’s into my back pocket. I hear one of the AK guys ask for their drop bag and I immediately respond with “I am checking out”. I might have spent 2-3 minutes here and maybe took the others by surprise with the minimal approach, which actually bit me back later.
Out of aid station 2 I rode till the other 2 caught up. We pretty much worked this whole section of trail swapping leads pushing each other. It was rolling terrain in the sense that it only took a couple of seconds to get up one side before you rolled down the other side but this was constant and the effort to get over the hump might have been of less effort pushing the ten last steps, but I hate to walk. This seems to have lasted forever and into night fall we went.
I have been feeling pretty good the whole day but my water intake from the start was a bit behind and the 70 oz. reservoir I brought and did not fill at aid 2 had now run out! I kept it silent for a long time to the others but finally I mentioned something to the effect “glad we are almost at aid 3, cause I been out of water for hours”. And just as we pulled to the tent of aid 3 I began to feel delirious, dehydrated. Acting like it was going to be fill up and get out, that was not what it turned out to be. Fiddling with filling my hydration bladder and trying to drink cups of water and coco/coffee I hear one of the other guys say “if Jay is going to have one I will” but little did he know I needed to get my head together. Not being the first one to leave, I stay an extra couple minutes mainly because I was confused, but eventually scurried out. I find myself up the trail just a few minutes later weaving from side to side and just out of it. I stop and take some trail time to stuff my face and chug liquids. At this time another rider comes spinning by me and I remember it clearly as a blur, if that makes sense. Finally things start to come around I grind out the last 20 miles to the finish to come in 4th place in 16 hours 45 minutes.
Notes and tid-bits:
- I was reminded of so many things and have ignored others as my brain has been affixed on multi-day/week expedition type riding this past year. It comes down to just getting back to the basics and doing them, like hydrating.
- My knee started talking to me at mile 80 and after mile 110, last aid, I could not stand up while peddling and bear weight on it. It was swollen for days and is still talking to me 2 weeks later. Reality is a bummer, is it age, is it all the miles, is it an actual injury??? I think it is all…
- The 20+ degree day made it a very wet and sweaty day.
- Fresh snow and warm temps made the trail conditions softer then it was when pre-riding and got worse as the day went on.
Gear
- My new 9:Zero:7 bike rides like an x-country bike and I love it!
- Geeked out and ran my “race” wheels; Surly Marge Lite’s w/ 45North Husker Du tires. Good choice even though the snow was a little mushy, soft.
- Lighting; Princeton Tec Eos on the bars, Swerve front and back for safety, and an Apex on my head. The spotlight of the Apex was key for all the rolling downhills!
Thanks again Princeton Tec for lighting our way and your continued support of what we do. It is great to build relationships and sponsors but when you become friends, respect each other for what each does, feel confident in there doings, push the limits, and be honest with each other, that is how we grow. Again, Thank You! Time flies, it’s been 5 years…
February 24, 2012
Fresh Meat
To everyone who eats only meat: this is not what you think.
To everyone who eats only vegetables: this is also not what you think.
The Inaugural 2012 PTEC Bike Polo Invitational, which you may not have heard about since it was publicly announced two minutes prior to the start of the match, took place promptly at 1pm yesterday. The royal hunting grounds grounds are in fine shape due to the early arrival of spring at PTEC HQ.
The veterans of the team were excited to ride into battle with the newest members. It was a fine start to the season.
The plays (seen below) were executed flawlessly in almost all cases.
Kevin showed his prowess as on-field bike mechanic, fixing dropped chains and even overhauling his bottom bracket once while in the midst of the match.
My graceful dismounts from my steed included forward flips and ninja style jumps with solid landings.
One of the team members did lose a hand in this epic match but it should grow back soon, as with any appendage that gets cut off.
We are on the look out for members to expand our womens’ polo team; please bring bikes as we found that horses don’t like sleeping in our cafeteria.
February 20, 2012
Grab Your APEX, We’re Headed Underground
En esta fotos, estoy casi seguro de que no hay ninguna lámpara que no sea Princeton Tec.
Some great photos from PTec friends based in Costa Rica.
Place: Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Fila de Cal
Cavern: Banano Quemado
Participants: espeleólogos del Grupo Espeleológico Anthros
Photos by Scott Trescott from Grupo Espeleologico Anthros
Thanks, Gustavo!
