Giro is ready for spring with its additions to the New Road clothing line that features its first ever women’s offerings. The Giro New Road for Spring 2014 includes base layers, tops, bottoms and outerwear. New Road apparel coordinates with other Giro cycling products including helmets, gloves and shoes.
The company promises to offer the same freedom to mix and match for women that it has long offered for male riders. We hope to have more details soon.
This month it was announced that Easton-Bell Sports will sell its Easton baseball and softball business to Bauer Sports for $330 million. In addition Easton will sell its hockey business to a “third party,” which appears not to be Bauer – an odd decision given that Bauer has been mostly known for its hockey equipment.
Easton-Bell Sports will retain its Bell, Riddell, Giro, Blackburn and Easton Cycling, and will rename itself BRG Sports. Bauer will be acquiring the Easton brand name and will license it back to BRG Sports for use on its cycling and hockey products.
[Via Bicycle Retailer: Easton-Bell Sports sells baseball/softball business to Bauer]
Fall is in the air and that means you’re likely going to need another layer or two if you’re planning on putting in any miles on the bike. Giro has expanded its range for those looking to stay on the bike and warm at the same time. This includes new seasonal updates with tops, bottoms and even accessories.
Giro’s Fall 2013 collection is designed for cool as well as wet conditions and includes new ¾ Bib Undershorts that will have the knees covered; a Neo Rain Jacket the promises to the be the “ONE” with its proprietary Stowback pocket system; and the Softsheel Jacket that is made for fall and even winter riding. Details after the jump
Roland Reagan dubbed the Soviet Union (rightly we think) the “Evil Empire,” and of course the Star Wars gave the idea of “empire” a bad name as well. But cycling shoe maker Giro sees the moniker a bit differently and has introduced the Empire MTB shoe, which features a camouflage color scheme.
The shoes are designed for off-road but do seem inspired by road shoes, and thus are according to the company a perfect match for fall riding, and could be great for gravel rides, cyclocross and commuting. Only 50 pairs of the these are being sold through Facebook page, but another 350 pairs will be offered to Giro athletes and at retail worldwide.
Don’t underestimate the power of Empire!
From USA Today/AP: Lance Armstrong: ‘Impossible’ to win Tour de France without doping
The dirty past of the Tour de France came back Friday to haunt the 100th edition of cycling’s showcase race, with Lance Armstrong telling a newspaper he couldn’t have won without doping. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (06.29.2013): Lance Comes Clean (Again), Popular Cycling, Summer Food, Helmet History
Last year during the Tour de France we saw Giro’s new Air Attack helmet and it has flown into retail for this season. The helmet is now available in two models, including the Air Attack and the Air Attack Shield. This stealth-worthy brain bucket provides a unique design that can cut through the wind and according to the company has the lowest air drag of any road helmet on the market.
It features size vents with internal channeling, offers the Roc Loc air fit system and is constructed of an In-Mold polycarbonate shell with EPS liner so it can take a beating when you really need it. Video after the jump
Cycling attire looks great when you’re riding a bike. However, as we’ve long noted what might look good on the bike looks anything but good off the bike, and utterly inappropriate at work. While cycling shorts have really no place at the office, neither does a team jersey.
We’ve seen some efforts to make office friendly shoes and now Giro’s New Road Apparel is a line of commuter garb that will be fine for the work place beyond casual Friday. This line features Merino wool, which is breathable and stretchy, and a design that will be good on the bike and good on the office. The lineup includes different layers as well so you can be sure to dress appropriately as you ride to work.
While it is doubtful that Robin Hood – if such a character really existed – would have worn green tights, he might still have appreciated the Sherwood Camouflage cycling gloves from Giro. According to the company:
Nothing matches the superb fit and feel of a tailored leather cycling glove. While the rich leather used in the LX LF glove is timeless in classic black and white tones, we wanted to see what we could do with color.
We decided to bring a timeless “Sherwood Camouflage” pattern to the LX LF by using a process that enables a design to be permanently applied to leathers. Sherwood Camouflage is a subtle variation of Woodland Camo, which was designed at the end of World War II by the US Army Engineer Research and Development Lab.
In addition to the LX LF’s durable tanned leather and Merino wool Flex Zones, this Sherwood Camo edition features our Super Fit Engineered 3-panel palm and Technogel padding in the heel for cushioning. With 6 sizes to choose from, the LX LF fits like a second skin, so no matter where the ride takes you from road to mountain, this glove has you covered.
But these are limited edition so act fast, or else you’ll have to make with Robin Hood to get a pair – just without the robbing from the rich and giving to the poor thing.
Giro has built a not so small empire with its line of helmets and shoes, and at Interbike last week the company unveiled the Empire, a new custom shoe developed specifically for Taylor Phinney to use in the 2012 Giro d’Italia and Olympic Games. Video after the jump
Aerodynamic helmet design has reached a new standard with Giro’s introduction of the Air Attack. Unlike anything resembling current TT designs, Giro’s new lid has a mostly solid outer shell with only six vents. Yet despite its oven-like appearance, the Air Attack makes good use of its internal channel design while the rider is moving. That said, some have questioned its ability to vent well in slow, high-intensity efforts such as prolonged climbs. Conversely, Giro claims that the Air Attack’s smooth shell is key to its slippery profile. Continue reading Giro Introduces New Aero Helmet Design
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
For years batters have walked up to the plate whilst wearing protective headgear. Now soon pitchers may be required to take the mount with helmets on as well. This wee Easton-Bell Sports announced the development of new headgear at the Helmet Technology Center, internally known as “The Dome.”
Easton-Bell Sports CEO Paul Harrington, along with Little League International President Stephen Keener, California Interscholastic Federation Executive Director Marie Ishida and Marin County high school baseball player Gunnar Sandberg in Scotts Valley, introduced a new helmet prototype. The Easton-Bell Sports pitching helmet prototype uses lightweight energy managing materials to provide protection to the most vulnerable areas of the head, without compromising comfort or performance. The helmet is made of expanded polystyrene polycarbonate, which is attached to a comfortable liner and elastic strap. Continue reading New Brain Bucket Developed for Little League, Introduced at “The Dome”
After winning the Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara came under the spotlight. Not for doping, but rather for using a motor hidden within the bicycle frame. Cancellara has since laughed off the allegations, but apparently not everyone is laughing.
Cycling has taken some bad hits as many high profile riders have been accused of using – and unfortunately even caught using – performance enhancing drugs. But this latest twist is probably one no one saw coming. This week the International Cycling Union, the sports governing body, announced that “a scanner will be used from the time of the Tour de France.” Such a scanner would further bolster “measures that have already been put in place, in particular the visual inspection of bicycles.”
The UCI it has been reported has been in contact with former racers, including Davide Cassani and Chris Boardman. The formers claims that a bike equipped with a concealed motor could help a ride cheat, and that if he were using such a device at 49-years old he’d be able to finish a classic or a Giro stage. We are a bit dubious to say the least. The latter even wrote an editorial for The Telegraph, explaining how the technology could work.
While there have been endless technological upgrades to bicycles in the 100+ years since the founding of the UCI, the idea of a hidden motor to aid a racer seems to be more trouble than it would be worth. Such a motor would need a large power source – one that would add weight to the bike, although Boardman says it is a moot point since bikes come in under weight anyway – and it would need to be reliable. Boardman again offers the opinion that the energy source would be enough to power a motor that in turn could help provide riders with a way to “take a break.” But is this really enough? Riders are pretty much on camera from beginning to end, and sitting on a bike and “faking” the pedaling is a lot of work.
The proper gearing, drafting from other riders and various riding techniques are what already give riders that little bit of edge. Would a mini-motor – something else that could break down – really be worth it? That’s not to say that we encourage anyone to try, so let’s hope that the sport stays clean. And that is with both the riders and the bikes.