Garmin has been the leader in GPS watches but now they have taken it up a notch with the Garmin Fenix. Built in GPS with Altimeter, Barometer, and Compass. It will connect to Tempe, Hear Rate, Smartphone, and Bike Speed/Cadence sensors. It’s being marketed as an outdoor adventure watch that you can throw yourself into the wilderness and walk back out by marking waypoints. Yes for the triathletes there is the run pace, distance, hr, and bike feature but what is nice about this watch is it is waterproof up to 50 meters. The battery life is suppose to be great compared to previous Garmin watches with up to 50 hours of battery life in GPS mode or 6 weeks in watch mode. This watch has me really excited and looking forward to when it goes on sale in the fall. You have to admit it’s also a great looking watch.
Say hello to a sleeker GPS and heart rate monitor watch, the Polar RCX3. Its low profile makes for a better fit on wrists while keeping track of your heart rate, pace, distance and more. GPS should last up to 20 hours and after training, upload your data via DataLink USB transfer to Polar’s online site to analyze your workouts. Also compatible with optional cycling and running sensors.
There will be many times a triathlete will be out on the road cycling or running where there’s no signal or simply a loved one that wants to track your progress to see that you are ok. SPOT Connect is now bridging the gap between your cellphone when you go off the grid, need help, check-in, track progress, send messeges, even connect to twitter and facebook! Most athletes would rarely purchase this for themselves as we don’t ever think anything can go wrong. The love ones on the other hand would find comfort in being able to track you on those winding back roads that you are cycling on. Safety is always on high alert and this is a perfect gift for any athlete. The unit sells for $135.00 and simply download the app to your phone and it connects via bluetooth. There is though a subcription fee of $99.99 a year.
Kestel has been on the triathlon seen for many many years already and you may find it odd to see something missing from this bike. No we did not photoshop the seat tube out but this is the signature design from Kestrel. This brand defiently has been building a brand for itself especially with triathletes such as Andy Potts and Cameron Dye riding for them. The Kestrel Airfoil Pro SL may not be as stiff as some other bikes out there especially when it comes to climbing hills but in the aero position you can see how one less seat tube would reduce drag. Theres’s also a unique smootheness in this bike that comes from the reduce vibrations from the seat as the seat tube is not existent. What we like about this bike is that it’s in an affordable range.
Tri gear and add up so quickly especially when you are new to the sport and just trying to get off the ground. It’s a bit sad when I see many age groupers enter a tri still riding with flat pedals. Maybe it’s fear of being locked in or it could be the sticker shock of buying a bike and now having to fork over another $200+ for pedals? The Mavic Sprint I beleive is a great product for rookies who don’t want to spend a great deal of money while at the same time reap the benefits of being clipped in. They are a heavier set compared to most pedals out there but they offer a wide platform for beginners to feel comfortable stepping in. The pedals you can adjust the tension and the bearings are sealed. Did I also mention they are only $99?
The first time I looked at the packaging and name that was on this product I automatically assummed it was tailored for women. Boy was I wrong! It wasn’t until I was out of gels, blocks, and powder, that I noticed I had this sample of Larabar from a previous event. 40 miles into my bike ride I decided to give this a taste and instantly fell in love with these bars. Larabar has a tasty blend of unsweetned fruit, nuts and spices that make this product yummy but also easy to swallow and digest. I highly suggest you trying these out as a part of your fueling.
You have a fancy $3000 bike and you are still doing the pinch test on your tires. Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with the pinch test but you need to invest in a pump that will give you the exact tire pressure reading. The Topeak JoeBlow Pro takes the guess work out of inflating your tires so that every time you take that rig out that it’s going to be consistent and possibly prevent a flat from over or under inflating.
The PureConnect was named “Best Debut” in Runner’s World’s Winter 2012 Shoe Guide. These shoes offer a balance of minimalism and cushioning that is required for those intense tempo runs. They are extremley light at 7.2 oz and expect these shoes to last approx 250-300 miles . Some feedback about these shoes are that they have a high arch and they do run more narrow. so for anyone that does not have high arches are wide feet these may not be the best fit for you. Give them a shot though and try them on to see for yourself.
So many triathletes these days are traveling to far out destinations in search of their next exotic tri event. Although one of the main concerns for many of us is how do we travel with our bike and have it arrive safely. The Thule 699 Round Trip Bike Case does the trick and far safer then putting your bike into a cardbord box. This case is a hard shell case with foam padding on the inside that can take the abuse of the airlines. It’ll be a roadie or a tri bike and enough room for you to throw in your tools, clothes,and accessories. The Round Trip is worth the investment for your bike for all you traveling triathletes.
Day in and day out hitting the open pavement can get a bit boring unless, you have some music to power you through. What bugs most of us when trying to run with music are the earphone/earbuds. They always fall out at the wrong time especially when you are in a groove. Yurbuds Ironman Inspire Pro claims it will never fall out and never hurt. It is a rather bold claim as no one ear is the same but it seems to work. They have a patented Ear-Lock technology that keeps these in on those intense workouts.
