BADIG - Endurance Training: Swim, Bike, Run » Product Review

Product Review: Nike tri shorts

tjfry — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:12:30 +0000

It seemed to me that this should have been an obvious fit for at least 2 decades now, but until recently, Nike has not had any apparel for the sport of triathlon. Swimming, yes. Cycling, pretty much (mostly to support Lance), and running, of course. But for some reason, triathlon focused apparel was absent from the mix. Until now. This past summer, Nike entered the triathlon market. If you ask me they made just the right variety for a market entry. A tri-top , a tri-short, and a one piece, all in a few colors for both men and women. Knowing Nike’s history for performance wear I was eager to test ‘em out. Especially the shorts. The tri short is made of their Swift performance fabric. The same fabric Nike uses in their performance swimsuits and track and field competition products. Based on sizing recommendations, the fit is snug, which is how a good pair of shorts should fit. I’ve tried on a number of leading brands over the years, and am often surprised at how loose their size recommendations are. Compression should compress, so when I put on lycra or (other stretch fabric) and it doesn’t stretch once it’s on, then I know that it’s been sized wrong. For the men and women, the shorts are 9 inches in length, providing good coverage and nice compression. For the guys shorts, the pad was the biggest seller for me (no, I didn’t try on the girls shorts so don’t ask). The Nike tri shorts come with a brushed microfiber, dual density pad that is perforated to dry quickly once you get out of the water. As I’ve mentioned before, most tri pads are slim and narrow as they should be, but sometimes so narrow that the stitching ends up on the pressure points of the saddle. So the balance can be a bit of a trick. Too wide or thick and you feel it running, too narrow and the pad sets wrong on the saddle. Well, Nike nailed it. The guy’s pad is wide enough that even the ISM Adamo saddle riders will feel very comfortable (and as an ISM user, that’s a huge plus). Get off the bike and run and you don’t even know it’s there.

Additionally, the shorts have 2 small, well designed pockets that are big enough to fit a gel or two, and sleek enough that you forget they’re there if you don’t need em. All in all, a great pair of shorts. So great, in fact, that I wore them for Ironman Hawaii with great success. Not a single rub or problem (which may be a first for me in an Ironman distance race).

With this being Nike’s first attempt at a tri short in over 20 years, I’m excited to see what year 2 will bring from them. Welcome to the triathlon party, Nike. Glad you’re finally here.

Product Review: Speedo Polarized Goggles

tjfry — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:29:33 +0000

Recently Speedo announced the release of a new goggle this fall. They have created what I would consider the first true open water goggle. A fully polarized, mirrored, Speed Socket. (There’s a bunch of people who claim to have an open water specific goggle. I will tell you that until now, the best open water goggle is the one that fits well and doesn’t leak.) Using their most popular elite racing goggle, Speedo took 2 lenses and sandwiched a polarization in between. This way a little bump or drop won’t scrape off the polarization like that of the $5 sunglasses you get at the gas station. They are finished with a super slick looking gold mirror. They look flat out fast, but I questioned whether they would make that much difference. Now, keep in mind these goggles weren’t made specifically for lakes and oceans. They’re designed for outdoor swimming in general. Looking back, I’m surprised this wasn’t done a long time ago. Just this past August, the National Championships were held in an outdoor pool in California, and I remember all those summer practices squinting while I swam in the afternoon sun. So there has definitely been a need for this.

As promised, on first inspection they are a Speed Socket top to bottom, so if you’re curious about fit, swing by your local swim store (tri shops and general sporting goods stores won’t carry these. They are elite level racing goggles) and try a pair on. If you’re used to Vanquishers, then this won’t be much different. Might even be a little more comfortable. If however, the larger sized goggles or swim masks are more your bag, then they might take a little getting used to. Being a swedish goggle man myself, this was more goggle than I’m used to, but for me they are considerably more comfortable than the Vanquisher.

The real beauty is what you see. Everything. It surprised me at first. I didn’t realize how much glare in a goggle messes with you. Now there’s something to compare it to. The vision is crystal clear and it cuts the glare wonderfully. I almost felt like I was on one of those Blu-Blocker commercials while I swapped back and forth. Now, admittedly I haven’t used them in open water just yet so I can’t give you a play by play on swimming into the sun and how they cut that reflection off the water. What I do know is that they are going to be 100 times better than my smoke goggles I’ve been using.

So who needs these goggles? Someone who trains outdoors and those who swim in open water, whether it be triathlons or open water races. If you have sun hitting your face, you are going to want these goggles. If you train indoors and compete in indoor pools, then skip it. I don’t see any advantage to swimming under fluorescent lights with these things. With a glowing review like this, there’s got to be a downside right? Well, there is the price. The Speed Socket Polarized sell for $65. That’s quite a leap from what we come to expect from goggle pricing. Then again, this is quite a leap from what we come to expect from goggle vision too. If you find yourself squinting during a swim, it’ll be worth every penny.

Product Review: Speedo IM Tech Paddles

tjfry — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:06:38 +0000

Like most people I’m a creature of habit, so trying a new hand paddle was a bit odd to me since I have been loyal to Strokemakers for so many years. But when Speedo came out with their IM Tech Paddle designed to be used on all four strokes, I had to give em a try. One of the big problems with hand paddles is that they’re effective for freestyle and rather awkward when you try and use them for the other strokes, and figured the same would be true with these.

The first thing that catches your attention with the IM Tech Paddle is it’s shape. the shape is a little different than other paddles as it has a curved kidney been look to them, rather than the typical mishapen oval of other paddles. The purpose of the shape is so that each stroke will benefit from the paddle. During freestyle you wear the paddle as shown in the picture and breaststroke you would switch hands. Initially I tried the paddles using freestyle and noticed immediately the difference between my Strokemakers and the IM Paddle. Swimming freestyle with these paddles was odd initally because of the way the paddles directed my hand through the water. it took 100 or so of getting used to before I started getting comfortable swimming freestyle. Once I adjusted it was very comfortable. I also noticed that my pace was not quite as brisk with these paddles, but I must admit that I use a pretty large hand paddle (Strokemaker Blue) so I was expecting a difference. The gold in these paddles though are in the ability to swim other three strokes. when I reversed the paddles and swam breaststroke and backstroke I immediately saw what they were intended for. Typically in breaststroke for someone to train with paddles they have to use a traditional paddle and size down a couple sizes so that they can control their stroke more effectively, but with these paddles I found that my stroke was very natural right from the start. So I was able to get up and work the stroke right away. No adjustments, no awkwardness, no nothing. I put them on and starting working. Same with back and fly. It was a very natural feel and I could work the pull right away.

After a few hundred yards of swimming with these paddles I found them really enjoyable during all four strokes. The downside? Not much. The way you fasten your hand to the paddle is similar to most all other hand paddles using rubber tubing to strap your wrists and fingers to the paddle, but one thing different with this paddle is that the rubber tubing doubles back on itself. This created a minor problem for me as it forced my fingers to separate in order to accomodate the extra tubing and started to irritate by the end of my swim. This is not a big deal though as you as you can cut down and adjust the rubber tubing to fit your personal preferences (something I didn’t do), and you shouldn’t be wearing them for an entire workout anyway. Overall I found these paddles to be an asset to my equipment bag and have left them there (something I don’t normally do). I’ve also added them to my regular workout rotation. If you are looking for something different to train all four of your strokes or are needing to focus some attention on your pull, I would highly recommend these. Enjoy your workout.

Product Review: Netathlon 2.0

tjfry — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:44:43 +0000

In an earlier post I discussed my purchase and thoughts on my bike trainer, the Kettler Ergo Racer (link here). I mentioned in that post that purchased some training software along with the trainer called Netathlon 2.0 (NA). This software connects up with a number of trainers and stationary bikes and essentially takes control over the trainer’s settings, allowing you to have an interactive ride. There are a number of computer animated courses to pick from (you must purchase each course, but can preview the course before you buy) and NA will give you gobs of feedback. It shows you speed, power, cadence, heart rate, calories burned, elevation, distance, etc. It will will also save any of your rides so that you can race yourself in future rides. I have loaded 5 previous rides at once to race and had no problems. I have heard that you can load over a dozen, but have never tried it. Another great feature of NA is that is also allows for drafting, and it actually feels like drafting. I have sat in on a pack ride and actually soft pedaled to stay on the wheel of the person in front of me.

The courses offered are impressive. The Kona bike course is right on the money. The turns and hills are all where they should be and the scenery is accurate as well (you can pan your view and check out the mountains and the ocean on each side of you). I can actually see the hotel I stayed in when was there when I’m riding the course. Same goes for some of the other courses. They have an Alp’d Huez course complete with cheering fans that I’m actually a little scared to ride.

One thing that I have found particulary interesting is that you can connect to the internet and race/train with others. Want to ride the Kona course with your buddy who lives 2000 miles away? Hook up the headset (if you want to talk) and meet him online for a ride up the Queen K. This feature seems to be quite a hit as there are groups online that have regularly scheduled rides in which dozens of people meet up to churn it out. I’ve even seen links to racing leagues.

Having said all that, Netathlon 2.0 is not without it’s flaws. First of all, installing it was more of a challenge than I bargained for. It was a bit buggy, and I needed the folks at NA to reset me and help me a couple of times to get me up and running. It also (initially anyway) was buggy with the upgrades. Running Vista, I downloaded the latest patch and lost the graphics to the courses. After many attempts they got me fixed and it seems they have stablized their product.

The other issue I have with Netathlon 2.0 are the number of courses that are offered. I love the ones that they currently offer, but I haven’t seen a new course in at least 2 years. If the folks at NA were wise, they would create and sell an application that allows us the user to create courses and share them. If they did that you would see virtually every bike event in the world become available overnight. This thing could become a massive hit if they would just let it.

At the end of the day, I would recommend Netathlon 2.0 to anyone who has a trainer and can’t stand riding indoors. I would rather do anything than ride indoors and with NA I’ve had an hour ride just fly by. And who knows, maybe I’ll see you out on a cyber ride one day. I’ll be the guy sitting on your wheel.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, for you loyal Computrainer users, it’s fully compatible.