Category: Apparel

Denim As Accessory to Your Single Speed

Hipsters, we know you love your single speeds. But we don’t love it when your bare your butts in your skinny heans while riding. Since you won’t wear spandex with all its beneficial properties like wicking, cooling and padding in strategic areas, it’s time to invest in skinny jeans made for cycling.

Levi has a version of its 511 jeans just for you. The Levi 511 Skinny Commuter is just for you. It even has a jacket companion, the Trucker Jacket Commuter. The denim outfit is packed with safety and convenience features while keeping in style.

Continue reading Denim As Accessory to Your Single Speed

SpeedSuit Up From Castelli

This past weekend Johan Van Summeren won the famous Paris-Roubaix road race. No doubt he won it with his legs and his absolute effort, but as our friends at BikeRadar.com noted this week the suit may have made the man in the famous race on French cobblestones.

And obviously this wasn’t a suit and tie, but rather a SpeedsSuit from Castelli, which is the uniform material of choice for the Garmin-Cervelo riders, who first wore it in last month’s Milan-San Remo. As BikeRadar noted, “Castelli claim the suit can save 10-15 watts at 40 km/h, and it seemed to do the trick for Van Summeren. It’ll be used exclusively by the peloton this season, but is set to be made available to the masses in 2012.”

So in other words most of us will have to settle to seeing others wear it this season, but next see it will time to SpeedSuit up!

[Via BikeRadar.com: Did Castelli SpeedSuit help Van Summeren win Paris-Roubaix?]

Cool It Down in Hotter Weather

As warmer temperatures replace cooler ones, you have different reasons to cover up. In between seasons like spring and fall call for transitional layers. Arm warmers and leg warmers are good options since you can peel off the layers when you warm up.

In the summer heat, there’s no option to add or remove layers to beat the heat. That is unless you pull on one of Craft Apparel’s Body Control Coolers. While they have other garments, the arm coolers and leg coolers are a good choice. The Body Control Coolers feature a compression fit, super-cooling fabrics, silver ion technology and sun protection. Continue reading Cool It Down in Hotter Weather

Giro Makes Us All Lightheaded

If a helmet’s aim is to protect your head in a crash, it’s goal is to provide ventilation and be lightweight. Following the introduction of the Specialized Prevail at Interbike last fall, Giro just announced its Aeon performance road helmet. This one was introduced over the weekend at the Tour of Flanders. The Aeon weighs in at 222 grams (size medium), 28 percent lighter than comparable helmets such as the lonos and close in weight to the Prolight. Continue reading Giro Makes Us All Lightheaded

DannyShane Takes it in Trade

It may be a crash, or just seasons of wear, but at some point, every jersey has to be retired. And sometimes you buy a jersey that just doesn’t fit and you start eyeing newer, shapelier jerseys out there. If the latter is the case, DannyShane has a deal for you. Between now and June 15 of this year, DannyShane will take any brand new or gently used cycling jersey as a trade-in when you upgrade to any of the cycling wear company’s jerseys or bibs. For the trade, you’ll receive a $22 trade-in rebate. Continue reading DannyShane Takes it in Trade

Adidas ClimaCool Ride, Light on Your Feet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vACznSF9Nq8&feature=player_embedded

The shoe of 2011 is lightweight. You’ll see entries from several manufacturers. Adidas brought out its ClimaCool Ride, an 8.9 ounce running shoe. While the loss of a few ounces is something to talk about, the all-around, 360 degree venting is another star feature of the shoe. Continue reading Adidas ClimaCool Ride, Light on Your Feet

Hiplok Not Just for Hipsters

Anyone who has spent any time in a large city has probably seen riders “wearing” their bicycle chain and lock. This “fashion statement” was popularized by bike messengers since the early 1980s. Unlike most U-locks or other cable locks that can be defeated with relative ease, a sturdy lock and tough chain are actually serious deterrents.

Now with more urban commuters, it is no surprise that some companies have taken the simple concept and turned it into true fashion statement. This includes Hiplok, which does sound like something hipsters would either embrace or shun for the name alone. Continue reading Hiplok Not Just for Hipsters

Sensors Watch Your Every Move

Post-game for many pro and collegiate teams often involve watching video and analyzing every move. But what if coaches and players could analyze more specific moves. Did an athlete’s foot falter? Did the player put enough force behind a throw? What about follow-through? That’s not always evident on video, but with sensors in clothing video could be supplemented or even replaced with data and possibly even 3D modeling of each play. A company called 24eight, Advanced Technology Innovation, is creating clothing with sensors for just that purpose. Continue reading Sensors Watch Your Every Move

Hands On: Injinji Performance Midweight Toesock

We should call this one a Feet On review. Injinji makes socks with five toes. It’s a little strange at first to have each toe wrapped in sock, but it feels good. I put them on when I had a day of outdoor activity planned and wanted to test them out. It worked out quite well.

The socks are made with a flat-knit weave that eliminates bunching and sagging. The weave, or knit, has loft and stretch so the socks feel almost padded, though not to the point where they’d cause any problems with your feet in their shoes. Each toe is knit seamlessly to eliminate skin-on-skin friction. Lycra in the fabric helps each sock retain its shape and mold to the contours of your foot. Continue reading Hands On: Injinji Performance Midweight Toesock

When There’s a Chill in the Air, Hot Pack

Team Saxo Bank-SunGard just approved a wind shell from Sportful that many cyclists can appreciate. The jacket is lightweight and compresses into a pack that fits in the palm of your hand so you can easily tote it along on your ride in case of rain, wind, or chill. The jacket is designed to provide front wind protection, breathability, and a moderate degree of water protection, but in the absolute minimal package. Continue reading When There’s a Chill in the Air, Hot Pack

Oh Danny(Shane) Boy Membership Program Launched

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought it would be worth noting that if absolutely, positivity feel the need to wear green today, at least do it with some style. And if you’re going to wear green while riding, you can put on the green and do so by being a bit green in the process too.

DannyShane, the maker of eco-conscious cycling apparel, announced this week the launch of Club DannyShane, an exclusive membership program for cycling enthusiasts. Club DannyShane founding members receive a DannyShane Targa Limited Edition Jersey (available only to Club DannyShane members), a Club DannyShane bracelet, exclusive discounts, new product previews and invitations to special events and a member ride in Austin, Texas later this year. The cost for Club DannyShane membership for 2011 is $125.

“We are excited to launch this new program, offering our clients exclusive founding membership into Club DannyShane,” said Shane Hunt, president of DannyShane. “We know that cycling goes far beyond the gear and apparel. It’s part of a lifestyle, and we look forward to connecting and riding with our members.”

We should mention that all DannyShane cycling jerseys are infused with bamboo white ash (44 to 50 percent bamboo white ash)  in every weave of the fabric, and this natural fiber provides natural moisture-wicking capabilities that promise not to irritate skin or rinse out like chemicals. The bamboo further captures odor naturally, provides natural UV protection, and even offers ultra soft comfort that dries quickly.

DannyShane Official Website

Sketchers Enlists After-School All-Stars for Design

Students participating in the national After-School All-Stars after-school program will learn shoe design from Sketchers. The athletic footwear brand will teach classes about the creative process and mechanics of footwear design in a curriculum developed by the Sketchers fitness Group design team. Continue reading Sketchers Enlists After-School All-Stars for Design

Craft’s New Bib Shorts use 3D Construction

Bike shorts are a very sensitive issue. They need to conform to the body and allow for a wide range of flexibility. They also need ample yet not bulky padding in the saddle area. For its Elite Bib Short, Craft used 3D construction and compression fabrics to make an even better short.

Compression fabrics apply pressure to muscles to keep them from fatiguing as you hammer your ride. 3D construction means the fabric panels designed specifically for the forward-leaning position on the bike. Yes, you can still stand up straight comfortably, but the shorts are somewhat molded to their purpose of time on the saddle.

Continue reading Craft’s New Bib Shorts use 3D Construction