triathlete wall

Curious to know what it would be like to cycle the 112 miles in Kona? Thanks to Spinervals’ latest On the Road 7.0 – Kona, HI DVD set, you can preview the course from home. Coach Troy takes you on the famous Iron distance race course on Hawaii’s big island, totaling six hours of workout footage. Training tips and strategies are provided to help you prepare for the race and riding long distances in general. Boost your performance and endurance with this three DVD set.

Clip into your pedals regardless if it is up or down. Speedplay’s unique and popular lollipop design allows riders to snap in on either side, and their Zero stainless steel pedals are no different. Weighing in at 206g per pair of pedals (105g for cleats), the Zero allows for a fixed position or up to 15 degrees of float. They’re lightweight, easy engagement, easy disengagement, have a low stack height of 11.5mm and great cornering clearance of 37 degrees. Available in a large variety of colors and compatible with nearly every road shoe in the market.

Be aggressive on Selle San Macro’s Time Trial Saddle, the Aspide. It was designed specifically for you to be fast in time trials and triathlons with comfort for your private parts in mind. The nose has additional biofoam padding for support during the race with a “microfeel” cover to keep it soft, light and breathable. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Shell will keep its shape over time. Carbon rails are lightweight and strong. The saddle weighs 150 grams, 283mm in length and 130mm in width.

If you’re looking for the most stability available in a tri bike, check out Argon’s 18 E-116. Their 18 series are known for balance and stability. The E-116 has the same mold and benefits as the E-118, which is a racing frameset that can help you optimize performance. Its aero frame features 6105 High Modulus Carbon Fiber layup, monocoque carbon fork, carbon seatpost, integrated aero brakes, bottom bracket and fork crown race and HM Carbon composite to maximize stiffness. Its powerful TRP’s Advanced Braking System creates negligible drag to keep you moving fast.

If keeping cool in time trial helmets has been an issue, then the Lazer Tardiz may be the right aero helmet for you. Their innovative Aquavent is a ventilation port on the top surface of the helmet where you can use your bottle to deliver water into the port to reduce overheating, which then is filtered down along perforated EVA padding around the head. Front vents helps keep the rider cool while rear vents allow for heated air to escape. It’s also the first time trial helmet with multiple surface treatments. Smooth front glass meets the least amount of resistance for optimal airflow and their Rollsys fit system provides a comfortable 360 degree fit.

Fly past the competition in Pearl Izumi’s latest Tri Fly IV Carbon Cycling Shoe. The lightest and most efficient cycling shoe from Pearl Izumi features a new P.R.O. 1:1 Power Plate, which is a pro grade uni-directional carbon for lightweight stiffness. A fully lined mesh upper and direct-vent technology provides comfort, cooling and drainage and anatomic support is provided by concave shaping with longitudinal arch support and dual density EVA insoles. Weighs 270g (size 43).

The hardest part for all triathletes when it comes to the bike portion of the race is trying to stay comfortable in the aero position for as long as possible. One of the largest factor to this equation is your arm positioning. Here comes Zipp Vuka Alumina to the rescue. The bars and shifters are key but for many triathletes getting your shoulders and arms in a comfortable position is very limited to many of the aero bars in the market out there. The Zipp Vuka Alumina solves this issue with the Vuka Alumina Clip and the Vuka Alumina Risers that allows you to adjust the hight and width for a customized fit. The whole rig comes complete at around $275(w/o extenders, shifters, & brakes), or individually with the Vuka Alumina base bar ($80) and Vuka Alumina Clip ($120). The Vuka Alumina Clip Risers are available for $25 per set.

Prologo Nago Evo Tri40 saddle is built for triathlon (and time trials, too). Its gaining popularity in the sport due to its Slide Control design, which holds you in place and allows the legs to have a free-swinging feel when you run your nose saddle down. The frame is made of specifically molded injected carbon to be more flexible in the mid-section of the nose and is backed by multi-density foam to be firmer at the rear. The frame is also stiffer in the back and tips up slightly at the tail to offer more efficient power transfer from the glutes and better support to the hips. Uses titanium rails, 280mm in length, 42mm nose width, 135mm back end width and weighs 222 grams.

XLab makes one of the lightest rear hydration systems available, and they are offering a Carbon Wing 70.3 kit so you don’t have to deal with getting all needed components. Package comes with two gorilla cages, XNut, two CO2, nano inflator and two XSW straps. Buy it from trisports.com and you’ll get a couple of their water bottles.

Giro’s successor to the Advantage is their Selector aero helmet. It features a built-in visor and an interchangeable lower section so that low drag is offered to all riders based on their riding position by minimizing the gap between the bottom of the helmet and the top of the rider’s back. The company also integrated a form fitted visor to maintain an aerodynamic shape and upper vents for breathability and to minimize fogging. Results from wind tunnel testing produced the Selector’s enclosed tail, which has shown to be faster than an open tail. Weight is approximately 385g for the S/M size.