Olympic Technology Spotlight: Cycling Hot Pants

Hot pants – as in short shorts – are really not something that comes to mind for cycling. But the “hot pants” developed byAdidas with help from British Cycling and Loughborough University could be the next big thing for track bike racers. These track suit bottoms are actually warm up pants that can help heat up the rider’s muscles prior to competition.

The ADIPOWER are reportedly similar to the tire warmers used in Formula 1 racing, and pre-heat the muscles. These hot pants feature battery-powered heat filaments that are strategically placed on core muscle groups and maintain the temperature between warm-up and the start. The pants even feature a quick release so the garments can be stripped off at the last second – much like stripper pants in a way, but if they make the difference on the track who is going to complain. Video and additional images after the jump