One thing that was clear during the Solvang time trial warmups is that the riders like their iPods (see photos below). Cycling accessory companies certainly have a market for blending tunes and riding. Oakley took the tunes craze to the next level by releasing the Thump glasses with integrated mp3 player. Pearl Izumi wanted to get in the game but their product line was less conducive: mp3 bike gloves? mp3 arm warmers? mp3 shoes?
Their choice: mp3 bib shorts. The shorts feature integrated touch controls on your leg to switch tracks and adjust volume. Somehow, somewhere (insert joke), the shorts store 16-hours of mp3 playback and bluetooth connectivity. Not everything about these shorts is ridiculous: $100 from each pair does go to help the Davis Phinney Foundation.
