Internal Mono(b)log

In my lead-up to Ironman Mont Tremblant I was given the opportunity to do an extended test of the Kickr bike trainer from Wahoo Fitness.  Given that I’d just popped an innertube on my trainer wheel while doing an important intervals workout, the timing was perfect and I jumped at the chance.

 

2 very obvious differentiators exist for the Kickr: other than the power cable, it’s wireless; and, the bike chain attaches directly to the trainer (rather than a friction fit of a trainer wheel against a spindle).  Both of these are major differentiators from, say, the computrainer.

“Wireless?!” you ask. Yup, the Kickr is controlled with either Bluetooth or ANT+.  You can control it via software on a smartphone (apple or android) or software on a PC (and maybe a Mac, though I haven’t looked).

Unlike other computerized trainers that come with mandatory, bundled software, the Kickr has an open API that allows any software developer to build software for the Kickr.   There is a free ipad/iphone app from Wahoo that provides pretty basic controls of the Kickr, but there are seemingly new releases from various developers weekly.  In some ways this is a curse and a blessing: choice is good, but it can make getting started challenging.  I historically was using PerfPro for my workouts with the computrainer and was very happy that it continued to work with the Kickr.

Also a big deal for me is that the Kickr works with my mountain bike.  The trainer is adjustable in height to match various wheel sizes 29″, 26″, 650’s, 700’s, etc. this means you don’t need a front wheel riser to use the trainer AND you can simulate climbs/descents by changing the trainer height (not the front wheel height).

Here you can see my bike mounted to the Kickr as well as the tyre shreds left behind from my training tyre on the computrainer.  Please ignore the sweat stains on the floor 🙂

 

Pro’s

• wireless (and somewhat portable if you’re strong – it’s pretty heavy)
• no trainer tyre (rubber mess, flatting tubes, etc)
• no loss of power due to tyre slipping on the trainer
• no calibration required for tyre pressure on the trainer
• open API for developers to build software

Con’s

• more vibration when riding
• limited bundled software
• occasional (though rare) power dropouts (probably due to reception issues)

All in all, I have to say that the Kickr is exactly what this industry has needed for a long time: a strong competitor for Racermate and the Computrainer.  At this point, I’d have to say that the Kickr is definitely just that.  At a better price point, with wireless integration using proven standards in the fitness space (ANT+, Bluetooth) and with the open API so that many can release control and training software, the Kickr is now my absolute recommendation for someone looking for a computer controlled bike trainer.

Move over Computrainer, there’s a new top dog in town and it’s called KICKR!

 

Like most triathletes, I’m always on the lookout for ways to improve my cockpit design: aero advantage, easier hydration and/or fuelling, fool-proof, etc.  Speedfil has always been in the forefront of my mind when it comes to these products.  I’ve used the original speedfil hydration system and currently use the Speedfil A2.  I’d always struggled a bit with the configuration of the A2 because of my basebar/aerobar configuration and desire to have either my Garmin 910xt or Garmin Edge 810 visible when training and/or racing.

Once again, Speedfil to the rescue!  Their new Z4 cage with integrated Garmin computer mount is exactly what I’ve been looking for all along!  It snuggles my A2 nicely between my arms and puts the computer display where my view of it is totally unobstructed.  The Z4 mounts to your bike in a huge variety of ways that pretty much guarantees you can find a good way to secure it to your particular cockpit design.

  (There are many better pictures of the Z4 out on the net, please excuse my poor quality images, I just wanted to snap a few shots of the Z4 on my bike.)

Speedfil has been getting a lot of accolades for the Z4 and rightly so: they’ve made the product that so many of us have been trying to piece together with tape and elastic bands and done a really solid job of it.  Well done Speedfil!

I always wear sunglasses when I’m training, racing or just generally doing “stuff” outside, so when Running and Cycling Enterprises offered me the chance to try out and review a set of Runnng and Cycling Enterprises’ new, affordable, in-house XX2i line of shades, I absolutely jumped at the opportunity.

Affordable is an appropriate adjective for these shades: discount, entry-level, etc. all imply a poor quality product and these sunglasses are definitely not inferior quality or limited in terms of buyer options.  Besides a large variety of frame styles and colours, you can get lenses that are polarized and/or have reading diopters built in and of course different lens colours and coatings.  I haven’t done the math, but I expect that with all the permutations there are hundreds or maybe even thousands of sunglass combinations that could be built.

So let’s unpack them and checkout the kit.

The 1st thing I noticed was the exterior packaging: a zippered hardcase with LIFETIME GUARANTEE emblazoned in the forefront.  This gives a hint at what’s within: you can’t offer a lifetime guarantee on something that’s going to fall apart if you look at it wrong.

Opening the case, I was shocked at how PACKED the case is.  All the components are packed in dense foam to stop things from bouncing around.

In the case we find:

•  the sunglasses
• 2 sets of extra lenses
• extra arms and nose pieces and a screwdriver to aide with the part swap
• cloth cases for the lenses and for the sunglasses
• a safety strap/neck strap
• some XX2I decals

Wow!

These sunglasses fit my face very well right out of the case, and even if they didn’t they are pretty adjustable and have the (very important) adjustable nose so that you can have them sit well when you’re down on the aerobars.

One problem I’ve had with (other) sunglasses that have exchangeable lenses is that the retention system is flimsy and the lenses aren’t held in place well.  I can’t say I have a huge amount of experience with these, but in my limited experience this doesn’t appear that it will be an issue here.  The lenses are held very snugly into the frame and take a fair bit of strength to swap out.

Finally a word about the optics, the true indicator of value of a sunglass: “el cheapo” sunglasses have poor lens quality that distort and in the worst cases cause headaches.  Not so here, these optics are pretty incredible: no headaches, no distortion, no fogging.  Further, I’m pretty hard on sunglasses and frequently end up with scratches on the lenses pretty quickly: these lenses seem pretty “Rick Proof” at least so far and, of course, if you did manage to scratch them, you could just replace the lens and not the whole set of sunglasses.

The XX2I offerings have been winning awards all over the place like Gear Institute’s “Best Value” award and Outside Magazine’s “Killer Value Award” and it’s not surprise to me.  These sunglasses are pretty amazing!  If you have a late season race, maybe you’re getting to Kona, and you want to treat yourself to some nice optics without breaking the bank, definitely try out the XX2I Optics.  You won’t be disappointed!

GU’s Chief Endurance Officer (CEO), Brian Vaughan, has embarked on the 485 mile, self-supported Colorado Trail Race, which travels from Durango to Denver, CO.

This is the next frontier, if you will, in his racing/riding career, and is an adventure that he has been training for all year. Beyond his goal of hoping to finish in 6 days, he hopes to bring awareness to an epidemic that is sweeping our country: childhood inactivity. One of the organizations that he wants to help raise funds for is the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) , a high school mountain bike organization that IS getting more kids throughout the country to move and make healthier choices.

Way to go Brian!  You can track his progress here and here.  If you want to help with his fundraising goals you can go to NICA’s home page which asks people to donate to become part of their Booster Club. All donations will receive a special gift from GU: http://www.nationalmtb.org/boosterclub/.

Here’s a link to the home page of the Colorado Trail Race in case you want more information: http://www.climbingdreams.net/ctr/

Slightly off topic, but recently I had the opportunity to trial a set of Wicked Reverb Headphones.  For those of you who haven’t known me for a long time, I used to be a DJ.  I played out occasionally at clubs and spun electronic music: psytrance for the most part.  I don’t DJ more, but still love music and quality sound, so I decided I’d take up the offer for the trial.

 

When the headphones arrived and I unboxed them, I have to admit I was pretty dubious.  Understand, mind you, that headphones I’ve used in the past while DJing where designed to be very sound insulating (so you didn’t have to blow your eardrums out trying to cue, mix, etc.) and as a result were pretty heavy.  The Reverbs are, in contrast, very light.  No, you wouldn’t use these in a club as a DJ: they don’t have the sound insulation required for that, but they aren’t built for that task.

The Reverb is, however, a very solid contender in the consumer headphone space and at a price that’s extremely attractive (quick google searches show prices in the $20 area).  For $20 you may not expect much, but the Reverb may surprise you there. In terms of sound quality and reproduction, they easily compare with $200-$300 headphones that I own, and their weight means  you won’t get fatigued just holding them on your head.    As a kid, the bullies always made fun of my ears.. perhaps they’re a little large, I dunno.. but the ear cups built into these headphones was certainly comfortable for me.

In Summary

So wrapping it up, I have to say I was pretty surprised by these headphones: they produce really quality sound even at high volumes with little to no distortion and are still capable of reproducing quiet and subtle nuances, they’re lightweight and comfortable and seem to be pretty well constructed.  At the price point, I think these headphones would be hard to beat!

Now for the Giveaway

While these headphones are pretty sweet, I have so many headphones and earbuds and wireless, bluetooth, etc. etc.. headphones that another pair are just going to gather dust.  Wicked has given me permission to raffle them off rather than return them.  So here we go: I’m going to try a rafflecopter giveaway for these as a new mechanism, rather than my historic labor intensive “names in a hat” method.  Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

FINIS Neptune MP3 Player Receives 2013 red dot Award for High-Quality Product Design.

Livermore, CA – (July 10, 2013) The innovative swim company, FINIS, impressed a 37-member jury of design experts with their newest product, the Neptune MP3 Player, to receive the “red dot award: product design 2013”. The international jury only awards this sought-after seal of quality to products that set themselves apart significantly from comparable products because of excellent design. The jury members received 4,662 entries in 19 different categories in this year’s competition, and the Neptune came out an award winner.

Well done Finis.  I’m not surprised.  Definitely deserved!

What do I have in common with Marcel Kittel, Argos-Shimano and Jamis Hagens Berman at Le Tour De France?  Watts/Kg?  Heh, yea right 🙂 Peak power? 2s maybe on a good day, but no..  Bike selection?  Nope, no Storcks at LeTour.

Give up?

Ok, ok.. it’s not that big of a deal.  We all use Ogio bags.  Yea ok, it’s kinda lame, but kinda fun too and probably the closest I’ll get to LeTour.

Last year I bought myself the Ogio Flex Form L bag.  They don’t sell this bag anymore, but it’s my goto:  It’s a really well thought out bag that I use frequently when I’m setting up for a big training day.

It’s built like a tank, has shoe compartments on either end (one for running, the other for cycling in my case), the main compartment is massive with plenty of room for helmets, nutrition, and has an expanding side compartment for those days when you need to pack the kitchen sink.

But like I said, you can’t buy this bag anymore… well maybe on ebay or retailers that still have stock, but Ogio no longer lists it on their site.  The bag they’re using on LeTour is the Endurance9.0.  The Endurance9 is definitely well thought out (again) and purpose built with the endurance athlete (us) in mind.

The Endurance9 is just a bit larger than the  Flex L (78.6L vs 70L for the flex), but more importantly, the Endurance9 makes better use of that space.  Here are some highlights:

• Molded EVA “Tech Vault” protective electronics interior pocket

• H2O resistant wet/dry clothes storage compartment
• 360 degree air flow ventilation gusset in wet/dry compartment

• Fully adjustable ventilated pack style shoulder straps with ventilated back panel padding
• Ventilated shoe compartment (holds two pairs)

• Expanded Lycra helmet storage interior pocket (this is just brilliant!)

• Changing mat storage compartment
• Nutrition specific organization panel (I especially love this – keeps things separated rather than just a big jumble.  I was just using a big freezer zip-lock bag, but this is much more elegant.)

• Large main compartment with additional end storage pocket
• Two insulated hydration bottle pockets

• Transparent race day/work out check list sleeve
• Staging area hanger clip
• Hide away interior zippered pockets for valuables

This bag is a really solid performer for any athlete, but especially for triathletes setting up for a big training day, or for prepping your transition area for race-day.

Well done Ogio!

.. that I never train without, ever, is my RoadID.

I have 3 of them: dog-tags, elite and slim. In fact, my 3 dogs each have one with their names and our contact info on them.

I’ve never needed my RoadID but knowing I have it with me and that it can speak for me if I cannot gives me great peace of mind, especially because so much of my training is done in remote areas and solo.

I want to share the love. Like this post on Facebook, Retweet it, and/or comment below for 1 entry each. Email me at “rick -at- internalmonoblog.com” and let me know how many entries you’ve earned. I’ll pick 3 winners from all the entries on July 1 and send you a coupon code for a RoadID of your very own.

Good luck!

I’ve had some time to gather some initial thoughts on the new Finis Neptune mp3 player.

A few things are obvious upon unboxing and a quick visual inspection:

• The waterproof cover on the usb charger has been replaced with a removable cable and surface contact mount on the display unit.  The original swimp3 had a little removable plastic cap over the usb port, the Swimp3.2 the usb cover was made of rubber and connected to the cable with a little tether.  The solution on the Neptune is, by far, the best to date: No extra bits that shouldn’t be exposed to water, no caps to lose.
• The previous Finis mp3 players had very simple user interfaces which were functional but limited: no play lists, no track selection.  With the display on the Neptune the UI has evolved to something more in line with what people expect of MP3 players today.   Most of the controls are on the display unit but Finis has also added a play/pause button on the left speaker.  The left speaker play/pause is very easily landmarked the tactile push provides great feedback.
• Stylistically the speakers look different and the cable interfaces look a little beefier than in previous player iterations.  I’ve always been a little nervous of the cable connections as they seem like a design weak-point to me.  (That said, I’ve never had a problem with a loose or broken wire, so maybe I’m just paranoid).

Loading music onto the Neptune was straightforward and easily accomplished, just as with the swimp3’s.   I put my long-time swimming tracklist onto the Neptune: This is a track list that I’ve had on successive swimp3’s for 3 years (yea I’m getting a little tired of it, but it’s comfortable like an old friend).

Taking the Neptune to the pool some additional 1st impressions:

• I thought the display unit may be heavy, clunky, or cumbersome in the water, but because of it’s placement it was really not noticeable at all.  Furthermore, with the swimp3’s there was the question of what to do with all the extra wire and charging plug.  The Neptune’s placement of the display unit (and I think shorter cables) cleans up this problem.
• The clips on the old SwiMP3s were always an issue for me: my fat thumbs just have a hard time hooking the little plastic tabs to get them on my goggle straps.  I was always concerned that I was going to over-stress them and break them off.  The Neptune fixed this peeve for me: the clips are now hinged like clothespins and are SO much easier to use.
• Last, but hardly least, the sound quality of the revised speakers is substantially improved!  I listen to trance when I swim.  Trance music generally has a pretty solid bass-line and I’d become accustomed to not having that bass response when I was in the pool.  When I started swimming with the Neptune the bass was back!  It was great to have the full depth of the tracks back playing in my head.

I’ve only had the Neptune in the water for about 3 hrs, but so far I’m really enjoying the Neptune.  I’ve always said that the SwiMP3s were the only real choices for underwater music players. The Neptune has definitely raised the bar!

I’m getting pretty excited about the next 6 days! Tomorrow morning I leave for our annual spring Ironman (and 70.3) Mont Tremblant Training Camp!  2 of the 6 days are pretty much travel days with light training to workout the car-time if scheduling allows, but the 4 interceding days are gonna be all about pushing the body hard and taking full advantage of the following super-compensation training effect 🙂

Last year the water was warm enough to swim, but we won’t be so lucky this year, so we’ll be taking 5 days off swimming and just focusing on bike and run.

Unlike last year, this year we “splurged” on a chalet: yes!  Showers… real beds.. a real kitchen… internet… LUXURY 🙂  There are also more of us this year, which makes the chalet much more affordable.  Along with the dozen of us crazy triathletes who are going to put our bodies through the ringer, we’ll have 3 or 4 mountain bikers who are in Tremblant for a weekend race.

Like last year, we’re very well supplied.  Socks from TrainingPeaks, swim caps from Finis, water bottles, fuel and recovery drink from FirstEndurance, gels, energy and recovery drink from GU, bars from PureProtein and from Pickybars and lactic buffer from ExtremeEndurance.   Our athletes will definitely have no excuse when it comes to fueling their workouts and recovery!

Big thanks to all our generous sponsors!  You all are amazing!

More blog-entries and photos coming from the camp (hopefully nightly).  BOOM!