Tag: Racing

The Numbers Game

Champion-SystemsRacers at all levels tend to have one thing in common – they are forced to wear cheap paper numbers! Champion Systems has introduced fabric race numbers, which are lightweight and have the potential to be more comfortable than traditional paper numbers. These are durable and wrinkle free.

“Any athlete that has worn paper numbers when competing will tell you how uncomfortable they are. While equipment and apparel have continually improved, athlete bib numbers are still in the dark ages,” said Charlie Issendorf, vice-president, Champion System. “We took what we know best, fabric and printing, to create a technologically advanced race number designed for today’s athlete. The result? Say goodbye to having a crinkly piece of paper pinned to your jersey.”

The Custom Fabric Race Numbers are fully sublimated fabric, can provide unlimited colors and are more aerodynamic. While races can only have one winner every competitor can feel a bit more like a champion.

Champion Systems Custom Fabric Race Numbers Official Website

Weekend Reading List (04.27.2013): Move Down, Slow Cycling Start, Block Head

Move Down

MoveDown

From SportTechie: LetsMoveDown: The App That Gets Fans Closer to the Action
We have all been there before. Heading to the game and then making a move towards more promising vacancies in the lower level shortly after tip-off or first pitch. Squatting in empty seats closer to the court or playing field will usually get you thrown out by an usher or embarrassed by the actual ticketholder. Well, now there’s an app for that. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (04.27.2013): Move Down, Slow Cycling Start, Block Head

Made in America: Redfeather Snowshoes

Redfeather Snowshoes - Vapor

This week’s Made in America post appears on a day when the Colorado Front Range is finally getting pounded with its first winter storm of 2012. If the weather forecasters are correct, we may see up to 18-inches of snow by the time the storm is done. What better day to feature a company that has its roots in Colorado and may actually help me get out and around. Redfeather Snowshoes was founded back in 1988 by another Colorado resident who too was snow-bound, but that individual was a triathlete who lived up in Leadville, Colorado at 10,000-feet. His original design utilized an aluminum frame with a ‘V’ shaped tail that reduced the chance of a tail from one shoe from hitting the other shoe, especially while running and overall improved maneuverability while snowshoeing. This simple change to the shape has lead to the modern sport of snowshoeing that we know today as noted by Jim Tucker on the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) website. Continue reading Made in America: Redfeather Snowshoes

Cervélo Offers More Details on the P5

for a larger image click on the photo

Earlier this week we got a few details and video on the Cervélo P5 triathlon/time trial bike. Now the full details are available on the highly-anticipated bike.

As we mentioned, the frameset features a BBright bottom bracket. The frameset also includes skin surfaces tuned for each AeroZone to optimize airflow and make the P5 aerodynamic. Cervélo reports the new P5 frameset shaves up to 30 seconds in a 40-kilometer time trial. A compliment to the BBright bottom bracket, ComfortPly technology removes unnecessary material to reduce vibration and improve ride quality.

Continue reading Cervélo Offers More Details on the P5

Tour de France: Oakley on the Eyes

All eyes are on Oakley, or is that Oakley is on the eyes at this month’s Tour de France? The performance eyewear maker has announced updates to the glasses that will be worn by the competitors, and which will now be available to fans as well.

Lance Armstrong sporting a pair of Oakley Radar glass

Among the racers wearing the new Oakley glasses will be Lance Armstong, and he’ll be sporting LIVESTRONG versions of the Oakley Radar and Jawbone models. Each is available with quick change-out lenses, including the G30 lens that is being used by Armstrong. There will also be new Clear-Black Iridium Photochromic lenses with new technology that automatically adjusts to changing conditions – like those in parts of France where it can go from rain to sunny skies.

Fabian Cancellara will also  be riding in the Tour with Oakleys and while his chances to get back the Yellow jersey maybe off the radar, it will be the Oakley Radar glasses that will let him see the saw. He won’t be alone, as Carlos Sastre will also have his Radar on. Finally, look for Mark Cavendish to sprint to the finish with a pair of BMX Chrome Jawbone. Let’s just see if he actually can earn the green ones!

Oakley Official Site

BehindTheTour.com to check for information on Oakley riders and daily updates on the race.

Phone it in to the Tour with new iPhone App

This week LIVESTRONG.COM and RadioShack have announced the official release of the Team RadioShack free mobile app for the iPhone. This could be the next best thing to heading to France for the Tour next month, as it offers users exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage of Lance Armstrong and the rest of the team as they take part in the greatest race in cycling.

The free app offers instant, on-the-go updates and news, exclusive content and photos, behind-the-scenes Tour de France coverage, and video blogs from Lance himself, as well as expert commentary from the entire team. The updates can be accessed with a tap of an app, and easily shared via Facebook and Twitter.

The Team RadioShack iPhone app is available fro free download from the Apple App Store and from the LIVESTRONG.COM website.

No Flying Scotsman Tricks for the Track

Track bike racing could turn into an off-the-shelf sport soon, as the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced plans to force teams to use equipment that is commercially available. UCI chief Pat McQuaid noted that Britain, Germany and Australia – three track bike powerhouses – have been warned this past weekend that the use of illegal technological advances will not be tolerated, and that he had concerns about the way some teams continued to flout rules while using expensive equipment that is (in his words) “not commercially available.”

This is reminiscent of when Graeme Obree – a.k.a. “The Flying Scotsman – built a homemade bike and broke the one hour distance record on the track. In Obree’s case the bike wasn’t so high-tech as it was just ingenious, utilizing parts of a washing machine for the bottom bracket, but the fallout was a crackdown on equipment that wasn’t standard. McQuaid has not defined what is actually meant by “freely available” nor “reasonable price” when discussing the new rules, so there will no doubt be questions raised.

But as some teams were riding on bicycle prototypes that cost between 50,000 and 100,000 Euros each, we have to agree that while technology should help athletes, the playing field needs to be level. In this case, even if the track the competition takes place on is banked!