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Warm For Winter
You won't be dissapointed with the new Women's P.R.O InsulaTour Jacket from Pearl. The stylish baffling and details ensure you will look good in this Woman's specific fit and be warm this winter.
P.R.O Thermal fabric provides optimal insulation. Strategically combined fabrics ensure optimal movement, temperature regulation and moisture management.
Available in three great colours - Black, Chili Pepper/Cardinal, Sea Blue/Pacific.
Also check out the W's P.R.O InsulaTour Vest.
Women's Gel Lite Tour Glove was $59.99 Now $24.99 Today Only!
Check out the Pearl Izumi Women's Gel lite Tour Glove on special TODAY Only!
The Gel-Lite Tour glove provides the perfect balance between comfort, protection and ventilation- great for road cycling and mountain biking.
Features:
* Direct Vent construction for superior ventilation
* Perforated shock absorbing gel inserts
* Stretch nylon/spandex back fabric
* Soft microfleece thumb wiping surface
* Quick-pull tab on wrist
* Women’s specific fit and sizing
* Material: Palm: 90% Polyurethane/10% Gel Back: 80% Nylon/20% Spandex, Wiping Surface: 100% Polyester
Women's Gel Lite Tour Glove was $59.99 Now $24.99 Today Only!
Check out the Pearl Izumi Women's Gel lite Tour Glove on special TODAY only!
The Gel-Lite Tour glove provides the perfect balance between comfort, protection and ventilation- great for road cycling and mountain biking.
Features:
* Direct Vent construction for superior ventilation
* Perforated shock absorbing gel inserts
* Stretch nylon/spandex back fabric
* Soft microfleece thumb wiping surface
* Quick-pull tab on wrist
* Women’s specific fit and sizing
* Material: Palm: 90% Polyurethane/10% Gel Back: 80% Nylon/20% Spandex, Wiping Surface: 100% Polyester
Women's Gel Lite Tour Glove was $59.99 Now $24.99 Today Only!
Check out the Pearl Izumi Women's Gel lite Tour Glove on special TODAY only!
The Gel-Lite Tour glove provides the perfect balance between comfort, protection and ventilation- great for road cycling and mountain biking.
Features:
* Direct Vent construction for superior ventilation
* Perforated shock absorbing gel inserts
* Stretch nylon/spandex back fabric
* Soft microfleece thumb wiping surface
* Quick-pull tab on wrist
* Women’s specific fit and sizing
* Material: Palm: 90% Polyurethane/10% Gel Back: 80% Nylon/20% Spandex, Wiping Surface: 100% Polyester
Avanti 100k Flyer
Saturday 27 March
100k, what a fantastic milestone! The ride starts in Rotorua and heads toward Taupo through magnificent countryside. Riders get to experience one world famous tourist destination to another via private sealed forestry roads, SH5, peaceful country roads and even parts of the famous Ironman course before finishing at the Taupo Events Centre.
The event hosted close to 3800 competitors in 2009 and event organisers are expecting to exceed 4,000 riders in 2010.
Prizegiving will take place at 3pm inside the Taupo Events Centre. There are over $100,000 worth of spot prizes and giveaways. These include sponsors products, with over 600 minor spot prizes. The major spot prizes include: Five Avanti bikes, a Suzuki SJ50 scooter, an Escapade Q-Kayak, Ezi-Grip bike racks, Phillips hometrainers, Timex watches, Kingsgate Hotel accommodation packages and loads of cool Pearl Izumi gear. Make sure you’re there!
If you are looking for some great deals on Pearl gear check out the Pearl Izumi tent, inside the Taupo Events Centre, after you’ve finished your ride. There’s everything from cycling jersey’s, shorts, jackets, cycle shoes, run shoes and accessories at fantastic prices!
Come and see us on the day!
Good luck from the Pearl Team!
Pearl Athlete Takes Out Pearl Izumi Taupo Half Ironman
Pearl sponsored athlete Duncan Milne took out the 2009 Pearl Izumi Taupo Half Ironman in style over the weekend in a time of 4.09.22.
Duncan put to rest his bad luck from last year’s event, where he suffered technical problems out on the bike leg. This year there were no such problems producing a well planned race to win the Individual Male and Overall event categories.
Coming out of the water in 8th place (Individual Male Category), Duncan jostled with Patrick Bevin (2.09.56 Bike Split-TNT Elite Team) on the cycle leg, coming home second in 2.21.23. On the run he clawed back the advantage from the Taupo Nui A Tia College Elite Team to finish ahead and overall winner.
It was challenging day out on the course with a mixture of showers and a strong winds developing as the day wore on, but that did not stop over 800 participants showing courage and determination to finish.
The Pearl Team was at the event supporting athletes, shouting encouragement from the ‘Pearl Corner’ on the run leg. It was inspiring to see so many people of all ages and abilities giving it their all during the day. Well done and congratulations to everyone who took part!
Pearl Izumi - proud to support the Pearl Izumi Taupo Half Ironman and Duncan Milne.
Check out Duncan's Blog for a full review on his the race.
Full Race Results
Gear Reviews
Pearl Izumi Boulder short
The Boulder short from Pearl Izumi combines a lightweight stretch nylon/spandex shell with a floating polyester/spandex liner and minimalist chamois. Two front zippered pockets are complimented by two rear vented pockets. The waist is elasticised and the liner is removable via two simple clips. They’re designed as lightweight casual riding shorts with the ability to be worn off the bike as well.
These shorts hit the target squarely when it comes to doing what they’re designed to. The soft-touch shell feels comfortable against the skin and the shorts fit well. In hot weather they feel airy and there is little chance of overheating. The material dries fast and the quality in construction is evident in the nicely finished seams.
The minimalist chamois makes rides of two hours plus a little uncomfortable, but for short rides, coffee runs and regular commuting they’re spot on. In those roles they also have reflective strips for night time safety and plenty of handy pockets for keys, money and the cellphone.
Review by New Zealand Mountain Biker magazine (Aug/Sep ’07) www.nzmtbr.co.nz
Pearl Izumi Zephrr vest
Made from polyester Zephrr® fabric the Pearl Izumi Zephrr vest has a soft Ultrasensor® collar and vented upper back. A small internal pocket is large enough for keys or money and the single rear pocket also turns inside out to allow the jacket to be stuffed into it. A full length front zip and elasticised hem make for a form fit. The material is windproof and water-repellent (rather than resistant).
When it comes to getting your mountain bike wardrobe sorted a vest is usually pretty far down the list, unless you are a cross country rider that spends a lot of time on the bike. These riders get to experience all kinds of conditions, often training early in the morning or in the cool of the night when temperatures fluctuate and an extra layer is required. For them having a lightweight easy to stow vest is ideal. So using the PI Zephrr for the last 3-4 months has added another ‘must-have’ to my wardrobe. With the full length zip and high collar that wraps around the neck it does a great job of warding off chilling winds, yet doesn’t restrict the body or drown you in your own sweat. In light showers it keeps the upper body dry, but having also been caught in torrential rain I can say the mesh upper back and lightweight material will let heavy rain through. At 160 grams (large size) it packs down small and is easily carried on those rides where you need an extra layer to keep warm, but it’s not worth carrying a heavier, bulkier jacket.
Review by New Zealand Mountain Biker magazine (Aug/Sep ’07) www.www.nzmtbr.co.nz
Pearl Izumi Vagabond M4 Shoes
The Vagabond M4 is Pearl Izumi’s entry level shoe for men. The nylon I-Beam sole features aggressive rubber lugs for traction and the leather/mesh upper is secured via three velcro straps.
We liked the subtle black colour with silver detailing preferring it over the bright silver ‘disco slipper’ look of many high end shoes. The aggressive tread looks great for off the bike antics and certainly helped when scrambling up slippery slopes, but the lack of toe studs (or the threads to fit them) meant we had to adopt a crab walk to get grip.
The uppers are soft and comfortable from the get-go with the straps holding the foot securely, but the foot bed is flat and soon had us thinking about slipping in running shoe inner soles to maintain comfort over longer (1.5 hours plus) rides.
The Vagabond M4 achieves a good balance between comfort and performance at an entry level price. The sole is stiff enough to provide good pedaling performance yet not so stiff as to make walking uncomfortable.
Review by New Zealand Mountain Biker magazine (Jun/Jul ’07) www.nzmtbr.co.nz
Pearl Izumi Vagabond Jacket
Pearl Izumi uses their own Zephrr® fabric in creating the Vagabond jacket. The semi-form fit water-resistant shell features zip-off sleeves, a vented back and hand, chest and back pockets.
Manufacturing standards at Pearl Izumi are obviously high as the quality in construction is evident throughout the seams of the Vagabond. Nowhere along the seams is there any bit of thread sticking out or undoing itself and it stayed that way despite multiple trips through the washing machine. The semi-form fit feels great on the bike and restricts any flapping of material at speed however the waist of our XL jacket could have been tighter (when worn as a vest it was slightly baggy) But we should qualify that by saying our 6’4” tester could use some beefing up!
In everyday use the Vagabond is very light and highly crushable – easily stuffed in a bag when not required. Transforming the jacket into a vest is done via two hidden zips at the shoulders which worked flawlessly, even when wearing a hydration pack we could remove them in under 30 seconds and there was never the worry of snagging the material in the zip.
Protection from wind and cold air is excellent and was well proven during daily work commutes. It is also quite water-resistant withstanding light drizzle, but on several occasions in heavy downpours it demonstrated its lack of waterproofing. Luckily the light material does dry quickly. The fabric proved robust after a crash on loose dirt and through a gorse bush. Despite landing on the elbow it showed no signs of damage. And yes that was on a single-track work commute! While the logos are reflective, no other part of the jacket is – important if you’re spending time in traffic after dark.
The Vagabond proved to be a quality jacket with versatility as a vest or lightweight wind and shower proof jacket. Being easily packable also means we’re more likely to take it on those ‘iffy’ days when the weather doesn’t know what it’s doing.
Review by New Zealand Mountain Biker magazine (Jun/Jul ’07) www.nzmtbr.co.nz

