I am an age group good swimmer and want to purchase a swimskin but cant afford $$$. I was looking at the ROKA comp for $150. Is that a good option and if not why a more expensive one?
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Re: $150 verses $200+ swimskin [Konajack]
[ In reply to ]
Konajack wrote:
I am an age group good swimmer and want to purchase a swimskin but cant afford $$$. I was looking at the ROKA comp for $150. Is that a good option and if not why a more expensive one?I was briefly investigating this too. For me, the anecdotes ended up being not convincing enough to spend more than $150. I justified it as: the performance boost from no swimskin to any swimskin is likely much greater than the performance boost from an entry-level swimskin to an elite level swimskin. Kind of the same way I look at most equipment: e.g., I have no business considering a new bike purchase until my FTP is ~4.2 watts/kg.
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Re: $150 verses $200+ swimskin [Konajack]
[ In reply to ]
For what it's worth, I went with Synergy SynSkin2 for $130. I'll be using it this weekend, but don't have anything to compare it to. So it will be the best swimskin I've ever used :-)
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https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm
Re: $150 verses $200+ swimskin [Konajack]
[ In reply to ]
Konajack wrote:
I am an age group good swimmer and want to purchase a swimskin but cant afford $$$. I was looking at the ROKA comp for $150. Is that a good option and if not why a more expensive one?Just be first out of the water for your age group at any IM event and get the $100 Roka FOTW Award.
I swim fast because I'm afraid of sharks.
Re: $150 verses $200+ swimskin [Konajack]
[ In reply to ]
Find a sale or gently used Viper Pro for ~$150-staying within budget and still fulfilling the need we all have to assume we are missing out on some speed gains if we don’t have the high(ER)(est) end product by each manufacturer.
Re: $150 verses $200+ swimskin [Mike200fly]
[ In reply to ]
Mike200fly wrote:
Konajack wrote:
I am an age group good swimmer and want to purchase a swimskin but cant afford $$$. I was looking at the ROKA comp for $150. Is that a good option and if not why a more expensive one?Just be first out of the water for your age group at any IM event and get the $100 Roka FOTW Award.
I was second out of the water in my AG at Muncie. Dammit.... :-(
Swimming Workout of the Day:
Favourite Swim Sets:
2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
Re: $150 verses $200+ swimskin [domingjm]
[ In reply to ]
domingjm wrote:
Konajack wrote:
I am an age group good swimmer and want to purchase a swimskin but cant afford $$$. I was looking at the ROKA comp for $150. Is that a good option and if not why a more expensive one?I was briefly investigating this too. For me, the anecdotes ended up being not convincing enough to spend more than $150. I justified it as: the performance boost from no swimskin to any swimskin is likely much greater than the performance boost from an entry-level swimskin to an elite level swimskin. Kind of the same way I look at most equipment: e.g., I have no business considering a new bike purchase until my FTP is ~4.2 watts/kg.
Yup spot on. I think some of the data on performance improvements with a swimskin are a little bit questionable. 4s/100m? Perhaps it's not a real world test i.e elite swimmer in a pool vs AGer in the ocean, mass start with drafting. I'm about 2s/100m quicker with my Xterra, in a pool. And I reckon the difference between a bottom vs top of the range swimskin would be negligible. Plus if you're a good swimmer, you're probably going to be drafting effectively, so almost a moot point. Get one that's a good price and more importantly looks good.
zedzded wrote:
domingjm wrote:
Konajack wrote:
I am an age group good swimmer and want to purchase a swimskin but cant afford $$$. I was looking at the ROKA comp for $150. Is that a good option and if not why a more expensive one?I was briefly investigating this too. For me, the anecdotes ended up being not convincing enough to spend more than $150. I justified it as: the performance boost from no swimskin to any swimskin is likely much greater than the performance boost from an entry-level swimskin to an elite level swimskin. Kind of the same way I look at most equipment: e.g., I have no business considering a new bike purchase until my FTP is ~4.2 watts/kg.
Yup spot on. I think some of the data on performance improvements with a swimskin are a little bit questionable. 4s/100m? Perhaps it's not a real world test i.e elite swimmer in a pool vs AGer in the ocean, mass start with drafting. I'm about 2s/100m quicker with my Xterra, in a pool. And I reckon the difference between a bottom vs top of the range swimskin would be negligible. Plus if you're a good swimmer, you're probably going to be drafting effectively, so almost a moot point. Get one that's a good price and more importantly looks good.
i have roka viper pro and it is indeed about 2,3sec faster / 100m in the pool. didnt try it in a race yet