Lifesport Ltd. » Blog http://www.lifesportshops.com Specializing in lightweight bicycle and cross-country skis Mon, 20 May 2013 23:51:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 The Grand Tourshttp://www.lifesportshops.com/the-grand-tours/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/the-grand-tours/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 18:24:55 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6619 A lot of people have been seeing me watch the Giro this week, and most don’t even know what is! For most, cycling is the Tour de France, and that’s it. This is a misconception. There are, in fact, three grand tours:

- Giro d’Italia

- Tour de France

- Vuelta a Espana

The Tour de France is the most recognizable and highly publicized of all races. Everybody knows it simply by ‘the tour’ and was made very notable in North America courtesy of Lance Armstrong et. all. However, just because the Tour de France is the biggest, that does not necessarily mean that it is the “best”. The tour is commonly considered the ‘best’ for the following reasons:

  1. More hype and media coverage in mainstream media compared to the other two grand tours.
  2. Features the best riders in the world; every notable rider wants to race/win the Tour de France.
  3. Has a lot of classic, world-recognizable climbs (Ventoux, etc.)

These are pretty good reasons. And the tour is, of course, always an excellent race to watch. But what of the humble Giro?

Well, the Giro offers the following:

  1. Excellent, and more frequent climbing stages. Riders occasionally use the Giro as a warm-up for the Tour, and as such are sometimes more likely to take chances. This makes for more interesting races, as teams want to test themselves before the Tour.
  2. Top level riders. While it doesn’t attract ALL the A-seed riders the Tour does, most make an appearance at the Giro, as it’s an excellent preparation event.
  3. Great coverage in North America. With cycling becoming more popular, english-speaking options are available online and on some TV stations. No longer do you have to listen to italian/spanish/etc. videos!

All in all, the Giro is an excellent race and one that should be followed and respected equally to the Tour de France!

 

Enjoy the Giro this year!

 

 

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/the-grand-tours/feed/ 0 What should you be spending your money on?http://www.lifesportshops.com/what-should-you-be-spending-your-money-on/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/what-should-you-be-spending-your-money-on/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:47:55 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6493 The folks at TrainingPeaks.com published a rather interesting article asking what a competitive racer should be spending their hard-earned money on.

Aero helmet or bike fit? Power wheelset or fancy carbon wheels?

Turns out that while it’s close to being a split decision on the power wheelset argument, those interviewed favored a bike fit over the aero helmet! While they were quick to not understate the importance of the aero helmet (a savings of almost a minute over a standard 40km time trial), the argument that a proper bike fit allowed the rider to be more comfortable and produce more power over an un-professionally fitted bike.

 

These questions are more are answered by following the link here to trainingpeaks.com

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/what-should-you-be-spending-your-money-on/feed/ 0 Cycling Weekly takes the Look 675 for a spin!http://www.lifesportshops.com/cycling-weekly-takes-the-look-675-for-a-spin/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/cycling-weekly-takes-the-look-675-for-a-spin/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:18:22 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6488 4.5/5 stars

The Verdict:

One thing everyone will agree on after riding it is its ease of use: it’s a bike for anyone and everyone. Although the 675 may not herald another industry landmark like the clipless pedal, this is another brilliant bike and is certain to become another brand-defining moment for Look.

Available now at Lifesport! Come by and see it today!

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/cycling-weekly-takes-the-look-675-for-a-spin/feed/ 0 Looking for new cycling lenses? Check out Tifosi!http://www.lifesportshops.com/looking-for-new-cycling-lenses-check-out-tifosi/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/looking-for-new-cycling-lenses-check-out-tifosi/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:49:19 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6337 Tifosi cycling glasses are cost effective, comfortable to wear, and offer many of the technical features offered in a lens double or triple the price.

Lifesport has offered a wide selection of Tifosi, and continues to support this value-yet-performance line.

Read the review by Road Bike Action magazine here, then come by the store to try a pair yourself!

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/looking-for-new-cycling-lenses-check-out-tifosi/feed/ 0 Michelin Pro 4 Tire Reviewhttp://www.lifesportshops.com/michelin-pro-4-tire-review/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/michelin-pro-4-tire-review/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:45:46 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6334 We’ve been long time supporters of Michelin’s Pro 4 tire, and it’s no surprise that the Pro 4 continues to impress.
Peloton magazine ran an article here showing various technical aspects of the Pro 4, and includes the announcement that the Pro 4 will be available in both tubular and clincher versions in 2013. A welcome addition for those who choose to glue!

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/michelin-pro-4-tire-review/feed/ 0 Zipp Wheels Featured on Peloton Mag.http://www.lifesportshops.com/zipp-wheels-featured-on-peloton-mag/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/zipp-wheels-featured-on-peloton-mag/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:42:10 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6331 You can read all about new Zipp wheel technology, including the Zipp 30 as well as the Vuka stealth TT bar on Peloton Magazine’s website.

Other mentions include the new “Vuka Fit” online tool available from Zipp, coming soon.

 

 

 

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/zipp-wheels-featured-on-peloton-mag/feed/ 0 Paris-Nice 2013 Starts Today!http://www.lifesportshops.com/paris-nice-2013-starts-today/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/paris-nice-2013-starts-today/#comments Sun, 03 Mar 2013 23:28:46 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6320 Sure, the 3km TT to open this 7-stage event doesn’t seem like much, but it does serve as a reminder that for the next 7 days we’ll be able to see some great racing! You can check out live video feeds, replays, interviews, and much more at steephill.tv

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/paris-nice-2013-starts-today/feed/ 0 New websitehttp://www.lifesportshops.com/new-website/ http://www.lifesportshops.com/new-website/#comments Sun, 03 Mar 2013 22:39:48 +0000 admin http://www.lifesportshops.com/?p=6298 Just launched a refresh of the Lifesport website! Look forward to more content, updates, and sales announcements.

 

 

]]> http://www.lifesportshops.com/new-website/feed/ 0