Internal Mono(b)log

This in my mailbox this morning. Congrats to the folks at 4iiii.com

4iiii INNOVATIONS FINALISTS IN MOBILE APP SHOWDOWN AT CES

LAUNCHING NEW TECHNOLOGY AND MODULES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COCHRANE, AB (January 3, 2014) — Cliiiimb by 4iiii Innovations, the latest technology success story coming out of Cochrane, AB is a finalist in the Mobile App Showdown at CES in Las Vegas, January 7-14, 2014.

Cliiiimb is one of 10 apps competing for the top prize on a global stage with only one other Canadian company.

According to CES, the annual International electronics and technology consumer tradeshow is where those who shape the future gather.

“We are excited to contribute to the future of technology,” said 4iiii CEO Kip Fyfe.  “Cliiiimb is a unique combination of a wearable hardware sensor and a smartphone app that engages riders and runners during their segments by giving them real time audio and visual feedback on where they are relative to their training partner.”

4iiii Innovations will present Cliiiimb at CES in the Mobile App Showdown.  The company will also take the opportunity while at CES to launch their latest technology that has been developed on an open API so any developer can build upon it.

The founders of 4iiii continue to assert their engineering and technology expertise in the realm of wearable sensors.  4iiiii is founded and run by the same team who started Dynastream Innovations Inc., a company that pioneered the development of new monitoring platforms including the ANT+ ultra-low power protocol which enables a majority of sport monitoring devices on the market today.

“You won’t want to miss where we take this next!” said Fyfe.

4iiii Innovations is a leader in the design and manufacturing of wearable technology. The Company’s products include Cliimb, the Sportiiiis heads-up audio visual data display and Viiiiva, a heart rate monitor that connects a full suite of sensors to a Smartphone; providing serious athletes with real-time and precise measurement of personal performance parameters. 

 

For more information about the CES Mobile Apps Showdown please visit:  http://mobileappsshowdown.com/vote/

 

So I look at my blog this morning and the styling is all screwed up… dunno what’s going on and the content is all there so please ignore the mess while I figure out what’s up 🙁

This landed in my inbox the other day.  It looks pretty cool, especially for folks without crank based power meters.

 

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Wahoo Fitness Expands Line of Bluetooth Bike Accessories with the RPM Cadence Sensor

Wireless, magnet-less and lightweight sensor seamlessly integrates cadence data to the cycling app of your choice

Atlanta, GA—December 26, 2013 – Wahoo Fitness, the leader in iPhone™ powered cycling, introduces the RPM Cadence Sensor. RPM is a lightweight and hassle-free way to track cycling cadence. With a convenient magnet-less installation and feather light weight of only seven grams, RPM can attach to any bike instantly displaying cadence data via popular cycling apps. RPM is available now for $49.99 or bundled with the RFLKT Smart Bike Computer for $149.99.

The RPM Cadence Sensor connects wirelessly to the user’s iOS device through Bluetooth 4.0 technology sending cadence data to top cycling apps like Wahoo Fitness, Strava and MayMyRide. Unlike most speed and cadence sensors, RPM is magnet-less making setup an ease. LED lights flash when connected signaling wireless connection is active; eliminating the chance of logging a long ride just to find out no data was captured. The sensor does not need to be charged and will run on one coin cell battery for up to two years, allowing the sensor to remain on the user’s bike between rides.

“RPM is a great option because it’s hassle-free, lightweight and doesn’t require any additional hardware to connect to the user’s phone or bike,” said Chip Hawkins, CEO of Wahoo Fitness. “The sleek design, magnet-less install and long battery life provide a simple and efficient way to add cadence data to all the other metrics you monitor like heart rate, speed, distance, power and time.”

Wahoo Fitness RPM Cadence Sensor features include:
•    Pairs with the Wahoo Fitness app, or popular cycling apps Strava and MapMyRide, to track and display cadence data
•    Compatible with iPhone 4s, 5, 5s, 5c, iPod Touch (5th generation), and iPad (3rd and 4th generation)
•    LED lights flash when sensor is connected to the iOS app and ready to go
•    Two magnet-free mounting options are included for an easy installation (3M tape or mounting sleeve)
•    Replaceable battery does not need to be charged between rides and runs for up to 2 years

The RPM Cadence Monitor is available now at WahooFitness.com for $49.99 per unit.

I recently had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the new Rudy Project Wing57 aero helmet.

The Wing57 is RudyProject’s newest and most advanced player in the aero ft-helmet category and I have to say it’s pretty amazing.  The first thing you’ll notice about the Wing57 when you lift it up is how crazy light it is.  It weighs in at just 300g that’s a full 50g lighter than the wingspan TT helmet.  It feels so light that I found myself amazed that it’d actually protect the noodle, but it’s passed the european safety standards and is in process for the US certification, so concerns assuaged 🙂

The Wing57 comes in a robust and nicely designed storage case.

The helmet comes with the usual Rudy Project vent inserts so you can run with the vent plugged, filtered or wide open

One of the visible ways that the Wing57 has made great improvements is with the internal air channels off the venting.  The pictures here don’t really do it justice, but there are deep channels running from the front vent, to the rear vents that would move cool air over the rider’s head helping to reduce overheating on the bike.  Many pros were wearing the Wing57 at Kona in 2013 and they all reported that these channels definitely helped keep their heads cool in the Kona heat and humidity.  Good stuff!

The Wing57 was born and bred in the wind tunnel in a partnership with aerodynamics Guru John Cobb.

The tuning done in the tunnel was done to optimize the helmet’s performance, not just straight into the wind but at yaw angles more realistic to real world racing.  The helmet has a detachable magnetically-mounted rear fin to better direct air-flow depending on the rider’s body shape and riding geometry.

Now all this probably sounds great, and in fact it is pretty amazing stuff, but the real question outstanding is: How does it ride and how does it perform?   Well, unfortunately, as I’m writing this it’s December (nearly January) and Toronto has already had one of our worst winters in decades.  Given the conditions outside, the idea of taking my TT-bike out for a time-trial is really a non-starter.

I did, however, have a metabolic testing session recently and… well…

Yea, ok… totally tongue in cheek but had to have at least one image on a bike with it… suppose I could have taken a pick in the snow on a fat bike… 🙂

If things go according to schedule, I’ll have one of these beauties in my hands for IM70.3 New Orleans in April and I’ll be able to give you some 1st hand data on how it handles in a hot and humid race.

Have to admit it, I’m a fan of Ogio bags.  I’ve previously have the Flex Form L bag, which is a massive bag that is awesome for my big weekend brick sessions: I can store food, shoes, cycling shoes, helmet, clothes, towels, electronics and still have room in that beast.  I’ve also previously reviewed the bags that Ogio debuted at Le Tour de France last year.  The Flex Form F3 is like the little brother of the Flex Form L.

 This time of the year, the biggest need I have for a gym bag is carrying swim gear to and from the pool.  Here’s a pic of my current (sad) bag.

 

It’s a big bag… to big to fit in a YMCA locker well and it has no shape.  It holds a lot (perhaps too much) but has certainly seen better days 🙂

Here’s the bag unpacked.  Yea… lots of stuff…

My 1st attempt to load all this stuff into the F3 was almost successful, but not totally.

So I did a little bag “spring cleaning”.  Do I really need to carry 3 spare pairs of goggles?!  2 different sets of fins?  So stripping down the load a bit it all fit!

And best of all – it comfortably fits in a YMCA locker:

The F3’s design is very much like the Flex Form L bag, just scaled down: it has 2 end compartments that in the L are big enough for a pair of shoes each, in the F3 each would hold a shoe well; it has an internal electronics pocket, a large thin external side pocket and an expansion panel on the other side that probably adds another 40% capacity to the main storage compartment.

Ogio uses a strong rip-stop nylon in these bags and good heavy zips on their bags.  I’ve truly abused my Flex Form L bag and it still looks new.  The F3 having withstood 2 weeks (that’s 10 mornings) of swim workouts looks exactly the same as it did when it arrived.  I’d be really surprised if you managed to damage one of these bags without going out of your way to do so.  The bags carry a lifetime manufacturer’s defect warrantee and I’m not surprised they can offer this because these bags are pretty bombproof.

Have to say I’m generally pretty happy with the F3.  My only wish (and yea it’s minor) is that the bag is missing an external water bottle holder.  (Told you it was minor).  If you’re in the market for a new bag, or looking for a last minute gift for someone, I’d say you can’t go wrong with an Ogio bag.  Check them out: www.ogio.com

Mad Fiber files for bankruptcy | Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.

 

So sad 🙁

SRAM recalls all hydraulic road disc and rim brakes – VeloNews.com.

Spread the word!

That’s pretty classy.  Well done Specialized.

Specialized founder Sinyard visits Cafe Roubaix, apologizes for trademark controversy – VeloNews.com.

GU Charity Campaign Passes $50,000 – Aims for $100K – Endurance Sportswire.

So easy to help this one along.  Something to keep in mind.

This constant marketing barrage about how chocolate milk is a “great recovery drink”™ is really starting to make me kinda crazy.

Screw Sports Drinks, Chocolate Milk Is the Best Post-Workout Drink | Greatist.

I dunno about you, but I don’t drink milk.. pretty much at all.  I’ll occasionally have dairy for a treat ice-cream or little bit of cheese but generally I avoid it.  I once made the mistake of succumbing to the marketing hype and tried chocolate milk post a big workout: I got so sick.  I thought I was going to vomit, then thought I was going to pass out.  It was horrible and an experience I wouldn’t ever want to repeat.

But lets go beyond that.  And lets go beyond the speculation/rumors/stories that chocolate milk is made from 2nd grade milk products that they can hide the impurities with the additives (oh yes the list is stupid: INGREDIENTS: LOWFAT MILK WITH VITAMIN A PALMITATE AND VITAMIN D3 ADDED, SUGAR, LESS THAN 2% OF COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CELLULOSE GEL, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SALT, CARRAGEENAN, CELLULOSE GUM. CONTAINS: MILK INGREDIENT. ) . We’ll even go beyond the crazy high insulin response that goes along with drinking milk which forces consumed calories into stored fat.

The studies themselves don’t PROVE chocolate milk is better.  They compare chocolate milk to pure carbohydrate and to placebo.  In some tests the pure carb actually is better (like muscle glycogen resynthesis – recall the insulin response comment from above, so this isn’t a surprise.. yes carbs go to where you want them: muscle glycogen).  In some tests the chocolate milk is better, but there aren’t tests comparing 4:1 carb/protein with a little fat tests that I can find.  I.e. refuelling with more than straight carbohydrate is well known to be beneficial. And low-fat chocolate milk can provide a source for that, but it isn’t better than other nutrition choices.

In fact, with all the mysterious crap, processing, handling, anti-biotics, growth hormones, filth and disease that go with today’s factory milk farming, I’d be hard pressed to recommend milk at the most desperate of times.

Sheesh!