Speedplay pedals - easy to engage & disengage and gobs of knee-saving float
Any fluid trainer - if you live in a cold climate, nothing works better to make you a stronger rider.
Clif Bars & Shots - potent & yummy
Smith Slider glasses - intechangeable lenses are a god-send when commuting/riding in all weather.
UST mountain bike tires - please let them start mass-marketing UST road versions soon…
EPO Steroids Blood Transfusion Nandrolone Efhedrine (sp?)
Now the things that “it definitely works and are allowed” hehe Hypoxic Tent S720i Bodyboard sleeved shirt (does wonders with cold weather) Shimano TR-01 shoes De Soto Tri-Shorts
.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Polar HRM.
Build a better engine
Build a better engine
Build a better engine
Build a better engine
Build a better engine
Anyone tried the elliptical chainrings that Julich used at the Olympic TT? “Osymetric” is the name.
I wouldn’t mind riding an archaic bike so long as I can be comfortable, so the big ones for me are…
X. Chamois Butt’r
X. Moleskin
X. Bibs, as opposed to shorts that cut into my waist and upset my stomach
X. Lightweight waterproof gear
X. Ditto the bandana mentioned below
My test for great cycling products is if you don’t notice them. As cycling, in terms of physical sensation, is about ignoring pain and irritation and dealing with mechanical failure, if you don’t feel it, it’s good.
So…on that basis.
Dura Ace 10 speed.
My Look KX Light Road bike.
Santini Gel Twist Bib shorts.
T1 SLR Saddle on my Principia tri bike
Bandana I wear under my helmet to keep the sweat out of my eyes/glasses.
All things from before 1975
1 Simplex (PX10e) who needs stinking indexing
2 Brooks pro
3 leather bike shoes
4 wool togs ( that is a sick thought but good in this weather)
5 tubbie glue ( any flavor )and tires (it’s the smell of life)
.
Specialized Body Geometry saddles
Shimano SPD-SL pedal/shoe system
Powertap Pro/SL
Assos chamois creme
Rotor Cranks (of course!)
Bodyboard sleeved shirt (does wonders with cold weather)
Do you mean a thin neoprene shirt? Can you give an example of make and model?
Seven cycles - just got an Alaris. next one’s probably a cross bike, or maybe an Axiom.
Speedplay pedals.
Campagnolo.
Michelin’s Pro Race tires. The Conti GP3k comes very close, but I give the (admittedly very slight) edge to the Pro Races.
Sigma Sport computers. simple, well engineered.
I too recently discovered the bliss of drinking 8th Continent Light Soy Chocolate Milk. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but chocolate milk has been my vice since about the age of 3, and with this stuff, I can drink mass quantities and feel no guilt. Plus, the texture is so smooth and rich, it is definitely better than regular chocolate milk.
Ergopower brake/shift levers
Clipless pedals
ProGold chain lube
Fancy fabrics (N2S, lycra, Fieldsensor, Microspitech, etc)
New lightweight helmets with actual ventilation
“no-tools” chain connector links (SRAM, Wipperman, etc)
Selle Itallia Flite saddle
Aero bars
Cork bar tape
.
Not really a products - perhaps more service oriented. However you categorize them, THEY WORK.
Sitting on the wheel hour after hour, hanging on for dear life, of cyclists way better than you are
Forcing yourself up huge mountain climbs that take an hour to get up and leave your legs like jelly wondering how on earth you are ever going to make it home.
Do both on a regular basis and you WILL ride faster!
Fleck
Assos Bib Shorts & Assos Chamois Cream. Simply the best of both worlds. Stupid expensive, but the comfort for IM training is unmatched.
Time VSRX frame: sorry Cervelo, Colnago, everyone else: you are all playing for second place. Again, stupidly expensive, but so far advanced in terms of lightness, technology & comfort that nothing else really comes close. I’ve ridden everything else, and could ride whatever I want: this isn’t even a contest.
Oakley glasses: I love Rudy Projects style, but I’m still using a 15+ y.o. pair of M Frames due to the durability, ease & flexibility of lens changes & enduring quality of their products. Their warranty program can’t be beat either. A close second, but not for triathlon, are Maui Jim & Serengetti driving glasses—cut glare like nothing else & make our sport sunglasses seem cheap in comparison.
Fizik Aliante Carbon rail road saddle: I thought nothing would ever replace my mid-80’s era Pearl Izumi flolite saddle until I tried this. Ungodly comfortable & strong enough to handle my NFL size mass.
Tie: Vredstein Fortezza tires & Reynolds all-carbon cyclocross wheels (for my size I needed 24+ spokes for training): another oh-my-god experience. Closest feel to tubulars I’ve ever experienced. Ride changing: total confidence in corners as the Vredsteins are beyond sticky. Impossible to chatter these wheels.
Honorable mentions: Sidi shoes, Giro helmets, Pearl Izumi tops, Shimano gel handlebar tape & Shimano 9spd (the 10spd is trick, but a bit more finicky than the old reliable 9).
In no particular order:
Bicycle
Clipless Pedals/Shoes
Helmet
Shorts/Jerseys
CO2
.
If were going by when I first started cycling then,
1 Clipless pedals
2 Suspension forks on mtb
3 STI
4 Aerobars
5 Technical food (gel, drinks, bars)
Styrrell
.
In no particular order of preference:
Deda 215 non-anatomic shallow drop handlebars. Bars shaped like god and eddy intended.
Continental tires.
Sidi shoes
Dura Ace
WTB SST saddles … too bad they haen’t been made in years.
I polished of a whole jug by myself yesterday. =O
It’s worse than heroin. I can’t stop myself everytime I walk by the fridge. The worst part is ther’s no guilt to stop me.
The Wheel
The Lever
The Pneumatic Tire
The Safety Bicycle (ie, gears and a chain)
The Helmet
…everything else is just details.