cycling

As is the case with everything from seat post to spokes, a helmet is never just a helmet in cycling. While football, baseball and hockey focus on comfort and protection, aerodynamic performance is paramount on the bike. High tech helmets promising to cut through the wind a millisecond faster are launched throughout a year, but the best is saved for the Tour de France. Say hello to the Rudy Project Wingspan Time Trial Helmet.
 

When Lance Armstrong broke his collarbone a few weeks ago, the sporting world gasped: Superman appeared to be breakable. Sure, he survived testicular cancer and broke up with Sheryl Crow, but, generally speaking, the guy has been infallible since winning his first Tour de France. But is it possible that the collarbone fracture wasn’t an anomaly, but the revealing of Lance’s kryptonite: weak bones?

What do you buy for an avid cyclist that's already spent a fortune on the latest weightless bike, wireless cycling speaker, and a lifetime supply of yellow Livestrong bracelets? How about a shirt full of water? Camelbak's wearable hydration system is a sleeveless skintight shirt with a 2.1-liter (72-ounce) jug of water secured on your upper back (it should work for running as well).

Blasting some music while riding a bike isn’t a terribly exciting or technologically novel concept. In the mid 80’s grown men would hoist a boombox pumping Run-D.M.C with one arm while controlling their beach cruiser with the other. The Cy-Fi wireless speaker ($199.95) is a long overdue evolution in cycle speakers and it's a bit easier on the back. While it offers no singular technology worth noting, the finished product is as simple as it should be, a feat rare in modern electronics. We tested the iPod speaker (there’s a Bluetooth model as well) on the local boardwalk in San Francisco.

You may never forget how to ride a bike, but remembering how it should fit is another story. For competitive cyclists, even minute adjustments to the frame can have a major impact on comfort and performance. Despite this, bike fitting has long been a black art with each technician employing her own method and metrics (plumb bob, video, rulers, etc.). Most methods have been inaccurate, tough to reproduce and based on the static position of the rider (not pedaling). Meanwhile, opposing views on the right fit have been difficult to reconcile without a standardized measurement method. Now Retul has introduced a motion-tracking system that may put those issues to rest.