triathlete wall

As summer is here and the heat is rising many of us battle with staying cool while out on the course. Zoot Sports has something that may help us stay a tad bit cooler while at the same time protecting our skin from the harmful rays of the sun. The Zoot IceFil Arm Coolers beats the heat by using a combination of Xylitol and thermal radiation nano technology to reduce skin temps up to 5.4F/3C. This may not sound much but it is huge when energy is consumed trying to battle the heat.

Every triathlete has gone through this frustration of peeling off a wetsuit that just feels like it’s stuck on you. Your arms are tired, hands are shaking, and you just wish this race had a wetsuit stripper. Next time give Trislide a spray. It not only allows you to slip out of your wetsuit quickly but also prevents those nasty wetsuit burns around the neck and chaffing in some areas that you never knew could chaff. It is safe to use on your neoprene wetsuit and can easily be washed away with some soap and warm water.

Escape from Alcatraz is a race that is on all of triathletes bucket list. Entry is through a lottery system and only 2000 athletes are granted the opportunity to have a lifetime of bragging rights to have said they Escaped from Alcatraz. The race consist of a 1.5 mile swim through the cold, strong, and rough waters of the SF bay. Then off to an 18 mile SF hilly bike ride with a 8 mile run that is part trails, hills, beach, sand, and 400 steps of an exhausting sand ladder. The weather was perfect as can be in the early June race. Andy Potts taking 1st overall making it his 5th win at Escape making it the most wins here for mens. Leanda Cave on the other hand dominated as well taking the women’s title.

Giro has just released yesterday a new helmet to basically a new category in helmets. You can think of the Giro Air Attack a cross between a regular road helmet but with aero features or vice versa. Just like bike manufacturers that have come out with aero road bikes in recent years it appears Giro is creating a new trend in the helmet industry. Giro claims that in wind tunnel testing, the Air Attack was 12 percent faster than its Aeon, and 12 percent slower than its Selector TT helmet. It’s more ventilated then a TT helmet but less ventilated than a road helmet. Sounds like a middle of the line for those who can’t decide but a great move by Giro.

It’s rather rare to have a new shoe company come on the scene. The last company that made a huge imprint was Newtons. This latest company is Hoka One One and this shoe called the Hoka One One Bondi B pronounced Ho-kay Oh-nay Oh-nay which means “Time to Fly” in Maori, “Bondi” pronounced bond-eye is named after Bondi Beach. So what is the selling point? As you can see these are not minimalist shoes and actually are taller and bigger than most running shoes. The Hoka Bondi B are surprisingly light considering how big it looks weighing only 9.8 oz. The structure of these shoes allow for 50% forward rocking profile with an oversized midsole that absorbs heavy impact on hard surfaces. The jury is still out on how these feel and if they will take off. Although if they can do what Netwon did by sponsoring the likes of Crowie there’s not doubt the shoes will sell. On thing is for sure they are just has pricey as Newtons.

Finding the right saddle is often times very difficult especially with the aggressive triathlon angles. The Cobb Max saddle comes in both Black and White, was developed by John Cobb for maximum rider comfort for both Triathlon riding and road riding. The lowered nose section combined with the deep cut pressure trough will relieve pressure in the prostate/perinea area for men and the soft tissue area for women.

These have been out there for some time now but these are so good. The next time you are on your tri bike put some thought in how much effort it takes for you to move that shift lever and then come back to this post. The Zipp Vuka R2C makes it’s easier and more comfortable to shift in the aero postion. The key selling point with this product is the ability for the shifters to return-to-Center which keeps every shift at your fingertips. A click up or a click down the shifters will always return to center. Plus they look great as well. You can order these for Shimano as well as SRAM.

When it comes to the phrase “you get what you pay for” it holds very true when it comes to bikes tires. We have probably all used cheap tires only to encounter flats or a ride that is not comfortable all. The Continental Grand Prix 4000 S is a great all around tire and used by many triathletes as their go to tires for training and race day. The new Black Chili Compound used in these tires allows for rolling resistance to be reduced by 26%, grip increased by 30% and mileage is increased by 5%.

The excitement of getting aero wheels are always sky high. You rush out to your local bike shop to get rim tape, tubes, and tires only to find out when you get home that you can’t pump up your tires. The valve is not long enough for your deep dish rims! Most bike shops will have the standard inner tubes and maybe some will have inner tubes with 60mm and maybe if you are lucky 80mm. Even that is not long enough for 50mm – 80mm rims. So that’s where SRAM Valve Extension comes into play by simply screwing onto the existing valve to allow you to pump up your tires.

If you want a cheap wetsuit without compromising on performance hands down it has to be Xterra wetsuits in general. You wont see a $1,200+ wetsuit coming out of Xterra. Their claim to fame is selling directly to consumers and not having it go through middle men that jack up the prices. Periodically you may find a coupon code or a sale that Xterra has which brings the cost of some suits sub $200. This particular model the Xterra Vortex Sleeveless is perfect for the summer races where the water is 68+ degrees. Gives the proper bouyancy and comfort for a comfortable swim.