Many recent threads about aeroframes, aerowheels, powercranks, rotorcranks, etc have really deteriated into arguements about the studies etc.
So what I would like is users of equipment to give their experiences with equiptment. Give as much detail as you can about how/why it was used and any results you have, but Please, No Vendors, Inventors, Retailers, Sponsered Athletes, etc, need apply.
Also no criticism, if Tibbs thinks his P3 increased his speed by 10 mph, fine. Its not that I don’t value a dissenting opinion, I just dont want the thread to be hijacked.
I petition you to change your requirements to have an opinion. I’ll argue my opinion is good even though I am retailer since: Anything I sell I have to buy first. Anything I sell I try first. I have an ecclectic background in trying new stuff. I race myself with well over 200 triathlon finishes.
So, I might respectfully suggest that you allow retailers who are and have been active triathletes competeing in the sport to comment.
Just being a retailer does not automatically create a bias. If we have something in our store that sucks, I am very candid about it.
Actually, I don’t really mind retailers or even say Herbert from Litespeed, as long as he sticks to other companies non-competitve products.
I’ll even start
T1 wetsuit. Love it, saved me about 5 sec/100m in a pool and I suspect more in a tri due to poorer stroke in a group scrum. I can get out quick, but the zippered version would mean no practice required.
Santa Cruz Blur Mtb - firsty dual suspension bike, but wow, makes me much faster in rough fast sections.
Powertap. Love it, helps teach pacing and makes indoor training more palatable.
Asics shoes. I have had less bio-mechanical issues and my shoes fit and last better than ever. Asics shoes enable me to run more frequently and longer with less problems.
They’re good.
The Garmin Forerunner GPS unit keeps running interesting, especially when combined with the free motionbased.com website utility.
For a training log I use the Ahlete’s Diary for PC. Works good.
And for off-season cycling, Computrainer is invaluable. There, I don’t sell any of that stuff.
I will respond, and leave out companies that have sponsored/do sponsor me as an athlete/educator:
Power tap/SRM/Polar Power/etc. - HR training is obsolete on the bike
Cycling Peaks. - Makes wattage training much easier and effective.
Coaching Peaks/Training Peaks.com. - As a communication tool, it makes coaching easier and much more fun. The automatic Friel-based coaching utility is quite good as well, and I often recommend it to self coached/broke athletes.
Stop Motion Gait (sorry - spell check error changed this to “gate” earlier…) Analysis - My bio-mechanical issues with running are finally, after lots of work, gone - and now I know it. Followed by…
Women’s running shoes - I’m I guy, and I don’t believe in gender-specific shoes, but damn, isn’t it cool that some marketing guy out there does, and that my foot shape fits the gender sterotype “chick shoe” last?
Sidi shoes - I have been sponsored by another company for years, but I broke my last pair of free shoes, and bought a pair of Sidis in a pinch. They feel like slippers. The best uppers on the market. So comfy, and the last doesn’t even fit my foot. These things must just kill if they fit you.
You can get them at Excelsports. They are designed for a box rim. I use a Mavic GL330 tubular 32 sp with dura-ace hub, but any box rim will do. It’s the most aero speed for the buck that I’m aware of.
Kraig Willet wind tunnel tested one against a Zipp disc. Results are available on his pay site. They are not ICU legal, but for triathlon who cares?
The Garmin Forerunner GPS unit keeps running interesting, especially when combined with the free motionbased.com website utility.
I second the Garmin Forerunner GPS – While not super accurate it is close enough and it makes running interesting and motivational.
I want to add my Oakley Sunglasses. They may not have made me any faster but Damn did I look good in my finisher photo – and after all – It is more important to look good than to be good.
I’m selling just about everything these days, so my list of stuff is pretty short.
Rocket7 shoes; Getting a stiff light pair of size 48 shoes is tough. Plus I have a “B” width foot. honestly I was born with skis on my ankles. These shoes are awesome.
Speedplay pedals; I sell Campagnolo Pro-Fit pedals as well as a host of pedals from Ritchey, they are free to me, and work well for those that have bought them from my vendors. I BUY Speedplays and really hate that I like them so much.
Chamois Butt’r; This cream allows me to ride the day after soaking my shorts in blood due to abrasion from 175 rpm speed work behind the motor on the track. Lather, Bleed, Repeat.
Fi:Zik saddles; I sell Selle Italia, Selle San Marco, and RavX branded saddles through various sources. They are quite nice and have a loyal following. Again, I buy the Fi:zik because they fit my enormous ass.
Mavic iO wheel; I’ll save my exagerrated claims about my performance gains with this wheel until I can get a set of 999s on my bike.
AAVC; local cycling club that offered many services and benefits to me when I first started riding a bike. I’ve whored myself to a few other teams and clubs since and have never been as fast/successful/welcomed as when I paid my $25 annual dues with the Ann Arbor Velo Club.
2002 Ford Focus Station Wagon; 4 people 4 bikes, 4000 miles 32.4 mpg with 90,000 miles.
I’ll start off be saying that I was faster on my old Dave Scott bike back in college when I rode more before all the extra stuff (heart rate monitors, PC’s, computrainer, Zipps, expensive bikes). That being said:
Yaqui Carbo - fits well - I’m much more comfortable and a tad faster (can stay aero longer) - run better as my back/hamstrings are more comfortable. Bike was built for me. Very comfy.
Compact Cranks - I like these a lot - tighter gearing - simpler gear changes with minimal overlap between big and little ring.
Zipps - my half IM 7 weeks after another half IM. 1st half without Zipps - 2nd half with 909’s. I thought courses were relatively similar in difficulty (Big Kahuna vs. SOMA). My bike wasn’t much faster in the 2nd (only a couple minutes) but I ran much faster - like 9 minutes! Therefore I conclude that race wheels help the run. Interestingly - my heart rate was higher on the bike in #2 but lower on the run…
Computrainer - at least its more interesting to ride indoors but I’m not sure it has made me any faster…
Heart rate monitor - good for pacing for long races.
I don’t think anything (equipment wise) makes more than a tiny difference - but its all fun. A little more training makes a much bigger difference than anything else. I used to be much faster on the bike as I rode more…go figure.
Note: I have bought shoes from these folks, and have been on their treadmill, but this isn’t where I had my gait analyzed, so I can’t vouch for this service - but these guys have a website…
I’ve seen people who bought shoes from places that did that treadmill analysis and got horrible fits. A knowledge saleperson goes leaps and bounds above high technology. I fit shoes simply by eyeing their gait and I have yet to find a bad fit.
“I’ve seen people who bought shoes from places that did that treadmill analysis and got horrible fits. A knowledge saleperson goes leaps and bounds above high technology. I fit shoes simply by eyeing their gait and I have yet to find a bad fit.”
Good for you.
Fortunately, with video analysis, I don’t need to trust salespeople luddites with my fitting - I can watch myself run, and make decisions based on my own knowledge. That is a pretty tremendous advance, in my eyes - but hey, I am an inveterate DIYer.
Technology is never a substitute for knowledge, but an adjunct to it, and method for gaining it. If you don’t see any advantage to slow/capture motion from 4 angles for gait analysis, and think that you are able to get just as much information from “eyeing their gait,” Great. I think you’re kidding yourself.
Maybe you do a great job fitting running shoes. I would agree that “A knowledge saleperson goes leaps and bounds above high technology” to this extent: If you limit yourself in terms of the tools you use to do your job, you aren’t doing the job as well as you can.
Two final comments:
-I never said anything about buying shoes based on Gait analysis - I said it allowed me to see for myself that my work to resolve my biomechanical issues had paid off. Short of crawling into your skull, and watching myself through the misty orbs of your soul, I fail to see how your response is in any way germane to that conversation.
The lead post on this thread asked us to not argue with the posters. I’m going to respect that, from this point on.
