If you’re sick of energy bars and the current selection of granola bars, Kashi has something new for you to try – Kashi TLC Crunchy Granola Bars.

I’ve enjoyed Kashi’s products for a few years now and they continue to impress me. These new granola bars are no exception. They offer great taste and a wide range of nutrients that you wouldn’t expect to find in granola bars.

First, and most important, let’s think about the taste and texture. They are a bit like the Nature Valley crunchy granola bars (which I like, too) but noticeably different. The texture offers more variety; kind of inconsistent and less predictable, but in a good way. That would be due to the multiple types of whole grains and seeds in there. The taste is very robust and spicy, and I like pumpkin so these bars were great for me!

Next let’s look at the ingredients. We have Kashi’s special blend, which includes oats, wheat, rye, triticale, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, and sesame seeds. Then add the whole pumpkin seeds and flax seeds and it results in 4g of fiber, 6g of protein, and 300mg of Omega-3s. All that, plus the fact that Kashi does not use refined sweeteners! We may have a winner!

Basically, we’re looking at a very healthy snack that tastes good.

My final verdict is…

Find some. The taste is great and they are quite healthy. If you don’t like them, give them to some friends.

Learn more at the Kashi website.

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Today’s “Ask Levi” question is about the fading of blue jeans. I’m not sure if the submitter thought it was a good joke or thought that they were emailing Levi Strauss & Company…

Continuous fading of Levi 505 Indigo jeans.

How can this be stopped? They fade on car seats and furniture even though they have been washed time after time. How can you lock in the color? Thank you.

Singing the blues,
Faded Fred

Hi Faded,

Although dealing with blue jeans is not my specialty, I do have some advice for you.

But first, you should know that indigo jeans are prone to fading. See, the indigo dye doesn’t actually “dye” the fabric. It just kind of mixes in with it, which is why it is so easy to rub off. And because it doesn’t dye the fabric, a lot of indigo is used in the coloring process, which is why the jeans may fade for a long, long time.

So I guess the answer to your question is, you can’t lock in the color. As you have found, no matter how many times you wash them, there will still be some indigo in there… and if there is, it will keep fading.

If you’re washing them inside-out in cold water as you should do with all jeans, there’s not much else you can try. You could try soaking them in some clear vinegar before washing, because lots of old wives tales and home remedies say vinegar is the holy grail. Who knows though, I’m just a cyclist.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Now my advice: Get some new jeans, or get some blue chairs!

Hope that helped,
Levi

Although I usually only mention worthwhile, quality products on here, there’s always room for something that just makes you laugh out loud at the concept! And that product is called the PrimeAire Draft Indicator.

It does exactly what you would expect from the name. It indicates when you are in the prime spot for drafting! No longer will you have to pay attention to the wind direction. This product allows you to look at an arrow that will tell you where to ride, allowing you to focus all your energy on drafting your competitors (or training partners.)

They’ve got wheelsucking down to a science! And best of all, this little dial will only set you back $70!

To be honest, I would call it a little bike bell without the functionality.

If you are questioning the price of $65 for nothing more than a winter training plan (on top of $200 for the workout DVDs,) you’re not alone. I was right there with you! Even though I realized the value of Cyclo-Core and the other workouts, I was not even close to picking up a training plan to go along with them.

But then I got to see one of these plans – the Advanced Off-Season 12 Week Plan. And the thing is 73 pages! Yep, 73, that’s not a typo. It’s much more than a “training plan.”

The full title is “The Complete 12 Week Cyclo-CORE & Cyclo-ZEN OFF-SEASON CYCLING Training Plan and Guide.” Along with that, there is a good description of “Everything you need to stay in great shape this off-season and accelerate your fitness and cycling performance for next spring.”

Now that is what I was looking for!

So for this review, I just want to give you a feel for what this plan actually is. Aside from the actual day-to-day plan, you’re getting a list of specific on-bike exercises, a guide to using the plan, an overview of training intensity zones, and a training journal so you can record your progress.

First, it tells you the key elements to a good training plan and keeping a successful training schedule. Then there is some gold old fashioned training advice and then explanations for how to use and understand the training plan. On top of that, there is an explanation of each exercise and drill you’ll encounter, along with why it’s important. This plan is much more than “do some intervals then some push-ups.”

After that comes the advice on training intensity, and finally, after 22 pages of training advice, we come to the actual plan. The plan is nicely laid out and I’ll be using it this off-season. (I can’t just give out the details, but once it’s all said and done, I’ll let you know if I get in shape!)

The great part about the on-bike workouts is that you are always doing something. That’s how indoor training should be – full of variety. If you do the same thing for more than a couple minutes, you get bored. This program keeps you focused, so before you know it, the workout is over.

The second half of the plan consists of the training journal, which is nicely laid out to match the plan. If you’ve read my articles about training plans, you already know how important they are!

My final verdict is…

If you have the money, go for it. If you have a coach, well, you don’t need this plan. But if you are coaching yourself and need some structure, this could be just the ticket.

You also have the option of picking up a training book, like one from Arnie Baker. That will give you some workouts, but you will have to prepare the training plan yourself. If you’re willing to put in the work, it does save you about $50.

In the end, it just comes down to what method will get you in shape!

Official website: www.Cyclo-Core.com