+1 for the HRM1G HR monitor. Reliable, durable, cheap; you're usually lucky to get 1 of the 3 out of an electronic device at this price, but the old "hard strap HRM" gives you all the above for ~$20.
Another +1 for Shimano 105. It just gets the job done. If you're really concerned about the 1.2 watts of jockey wheel bearing friction, is there any reason you can't upgrade those to Dura Ace and save yourself a watt for ~$25? [EDIT] Timtek beat me to it ;) [/EDIT]
One deviation from 105 I endorse is the SRAM Rival 11-28 cassette. Not only is it essentially as light as an Ultegra cassette for 105 money, it includes a 16T cog, just as God intended. The 8 smallest cogs mirror the close-ratio Shimano 11-25, yet it still has that 28T bailout gear to get you over those pesky inclines. I generally like Shimano, but can't figure out why they let the Devil talk them into putting a gap between the 15T and 17T on their 11-28.
Other Nominations:
-WheelBuilders AeroJacket. Anytime you can get into the ballbark, aero-wise, of a $2000 disc wheel for $100, that's "Cheapskate Triathletes' Hall-Of-Fame" worthy.
-Bontrager Aeolus 5 Pro front wheel. Not quite "Hed Jet 5 fast", but can you really tell the difference? If you sniff around a bit, you can often find a set of new take offs for ~$500. Sell the rear for $300, spend a hundred on the the AeroJacket for your existing rear wheel, and have a pretty damn aero wheelset for the kind of money an Enve buyer might find between their couch cushions. Worst case scenario, you can buy a front Aeolus 5 Pro brand new for $319 (full retail) online or from your local Trek dealer.
-SportCount Finger Stopwatch. If you're serious about accurately timing your intervals in the pool, this $25 device does it better than any multi-sport or even swim-specific $500 smartwatch will. If you really want to get better, people, you'll mind those fractions of second on those 50, 75, or 100 yard repeats! https://www.sportcount.com/...portcount-stopwatch/
"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"
Another +1 for Shimano 105. It just gets the job done. If you're really concerned about the 1.2 watts of jockey wheel bearing friction, is there any reason you can't upgrade those to Dura Ace and save yourself a watt for ~$25? [EDIT] Timtek beat me to it ;) [/EDIT]
One deviation from 105 I endorse is the SRAM Rival 11-28 cassette. Not only is it essentially as light as an Ultegra cassette for 105 money, it includes a 16T cog, just as God intended. The 8 smallest cogs mirror the close-ratio Shimano 11-25, yet it still has that 28T bailout gear to get you over those pesky inclines. I generally like Shimano, but can't figure out why they let the Devil talk them into putting a gap between the 15T and 17T on their 11-28.
Other Nominations:
-WheelBuilders AeroJacket. Anytime you can get into the ballbark, aero-wise, of a $2000 disc wheel for $100, that's "Cheapskate Triathletes' Hall-Of-Fame" worthy.
-Bontrager Aeolus 5 Pro front wheel. Not quite "Hed Jet 5 fast", but can you really tell the difference? If you sniff around a bit, you can often find a set of new take offs for ~$500. Sell the rear for $300, spend a hundred on the the AeroJacket for your existing rear wheel, and have a pretty damn aero wheelset for the kind of money an Enve buyer might find between their couch cushions. Worst case scenario, you can buy a front Aeolus 5 Pro brand new for $319 (full retail) online or from your local Trek dealer.
-SportCount Finger Stopwatch. If you're serious about accurately timing your intervals in the pool, this $25 device does it better than any multi-sport or even swim-specific $500 smartwatch will. If you really want to get better, people, you'll mind those fractions of second on those 50, 75, or 100 yard repeats! https://www.sportcount.com/...portcount-stopwatch/
"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"