I received a sizable gift certificate as a gift from a group of friends at my local bike shop. They of course have certain bikes they carry and can order most anything else in terms of accessories like power meters, wheels, Computrainers, etc…
I am a FOP trying to qualify for Kona at a summer Ironman in the US, and have a decent shot but it would need to be a near perfect race. I have a road bike I love, a tri bike thats aero and that fits me really well with race wheels and an SRM amateur power meter with old SRM cranks that aren’t super heavy, but aren’t light like todays carbon cranks.
I’m focused, have a coach but the real limiter is recovery (and time) as I’m in my early 40’s - and sometimes I just can’t recover in order to put in the key workouts. (Kids, job, etc… add to the equation)
I’ve been waiting for the new PowerControl 7 to come out and basically get a new, lighter SRM. I’ve read all the posts comparing power meters, but really love the SRM.
That being said, its expensive like we all know but is the gift certificated better spent for a RECOVERY TOOL like the Normatech booties?
I’ve never used them but believe in compression as a recovery tool.
So, if you could get a break on price on the Normatech compression recovery boots for lets say $4000 OR if you payed for an SRM Powermeter in the same range (probably cheaper but not by much), what would make you faster in the long run?
Any thoughts? Again, I wouldn’t spend the money outright but due to the gift am considering all options.
If it were me, I would go with a 30 minute massage at a chiropractor’s office once a week ($20 copay depending on insurance) totalling $500 for 6 months and spend the other $3500 on making your bike as aero as humanly possible. Best of both worlds.
Tri frame now is P3C and the suggestion of massages (although i cant use the gift certificate) and using the money towards this and that over the years may be a great suggestion.
Its just those booties look so comfortable - but true - ive never tried them or anything…
well if it were me id probably get a P4 frame if the shop sells em, or just never pay for maintenance, tires, tubes, etc again!
Tri frame now is P3C and the suggestion of massages (although i cant use the gift certificate) and using the money towards this and that over the years may be a great suggestion.
Its just those booties look so comfortable - but true - ive never tried them or anything…
You’ve pretty much got all your bases covered in terms of race & training gear, but the main area where you could stand to see improvement is recovery.
I’ve got a few buddies who really love the NORMAtech, and I trust their word that it’s awesome. However, is it the best use of $4-6k? That I have no idea. What other stressors do you have in your life? Might it make more sense to use an equivalent amount of funding to pay someone to:
cut the grass/maintain the yard
do the shopping
cook meals
clean the house
service the wife
run errands (drop off/pick up dry cleaning)
do your taxes
…
Maybe you could “buy” some extra vacation time and either hit a camp, or spread out the time into 1/2 days throughout the season where you can cut out of work early and grab a nap after a killer AM session?
You seem to have identified that recovery is a limiter. What would allow you to recover better - a recovery device, or more time?
I heard from the Normatec rep this weekend that they’re going to introduce an “enthusiast” model this spring for about 1500. It won’t have all the bells and whistles of the 5000 dollar pro model, of course. You might want to contact them to see if you can buy one of the early models…
Sounds like you are pretty tricked out. Can you put the money towards a well timed training camp? Maybe cut back on some of the regular weekly commitments and put in a 5-7 volume camp prior to your event? That has served me well every year, and allows me to keep the weekly hours down so as to not crush the family. Just a thought.
The NormaTec standard model is coming out this summer for $1300. It is a less programmable version of the $4800 NormaTec MVP aimed specifically at cyclists. I highly recommend that. I also highly recommend buying ceramic bearing from SuperFly for the bottom bracket, rear dérailleur pulleys, and spend the balance on new Zipp wheels, ideally with ceramic bearings from wheelbuilder.com. Other options include buying private swimming lessons, CompuTrainer, Trek Speed Concept when it comes out in the third or fourth quarter this year, or Shimano Di2.
