The TriSports Shoe Wall

I headed to the TriSports shoe wall and consulted with one of our expert shoe fitters. I wanted a light weight shoe with good drainage, enough cushion to run an Ironman marathon, and a lower heel-to-toe drop (around 4-6mm). I tried on the Brooks T7, the K-Swiss Blade Light, and the Saucony Kinvara. Right away the Saucony’s were noticeably different. The shoe’s upper was soft and flexible, free of unnecessary decorations, and allowed for good ventilation. The heel cup was also very pliable and securely wrapped around my narrow heel. With 4 mm of drop between the heel and toe it was the perfect shoe for transitioning to a more minimalist style of shoe.

Saucony Kinvara

Fast forward 5 months and I still love my Kinvaras. I am well over the “300 mile limit” and the shoes still feel like they did when they came out of the box.  If you are in the market for a light weight trainer/racer with a low profile, try out the Saucony Kinvaras, and if you need a stability shoe, try the Fastwitch. Happy running!

Learn more about Saucony shoes at TriSports University!

Quintana Roo 2012 Illicito

Quintana Roo has always been a leader in the design of tri bikes and the Illicito takes their proven shift technology – when riding a surge of air is created from behind the front wheel and the unprecedented aerodynamics of the CDO.01 frame style enables suction to draw the wind off to the ‘clean’ side (non-drive side) of the bike – and ups the ante by removing the left seat stay and creating an even more ‘clean’ side.  QR constructed a Leading Edge Absent (LEA) surface on the non drive chain-stay which results in a ‘sail’ effect.  This ‘sail’ effect creates less resistance and makes for a sleeker and faster frame.

TriSports.com president Seton Claggett clocks the fastest bike split at the 2011 Tinfoilman Triathlon in Tucson, AZ.

The Illicito offers more high modulus carbon fiber than any previous QR frame.  A newly redesign rear brake improves braking performance plus offers increased clearance for the latest generation of wider race wheels.

The QR Illicito comes with a fork, headset, seat post and brakes.

Illicito:  TriSports.com’s definition of joy!

The Hurricane Freak of Nature is made of 100% Yamamoto 40 Cell Neoprene. 7x Static Stretch: Defying comparison to any other wetsuit material, 40 Cell Nano SCS Yamamoto stretches to over 7x its static state.

ROM Zones: The gold bands on the back and shoulders of the Hurricane Freak of Nature delineate the expanded Range-of-Motion zones, calculated, calibrated, and repeatedly revised until we reached the absolute limit of positive range of motion.

V-GCP: The Hurricane Freak of Nature is armed with our new V-GCP (V-Shaped Graded Force Catch Panel), which flattens the forearm for the most advantageous engagement, maximizing your effort.

7x Static Stretch: Defying comparison to any other wetsuit material, 40 Cell Nano SCS Yamamoto stretches to over 7x its static state.

Elevation Panels: The Elevation Panels on the Hurricane Freak of Nature are a game-changer. They instantly help the athlete establish perfect body position relative to the surface of the water.

Speed Wrap Paneling: Deploys the lightest Yamamoto Nano SCS coated 5mm neoprene panels throughout the entire leg, chest and core to raise the swimmer in the water to reduce form drag. Extraordinarily buoyant Nano SCS coated rubber confers an exceptional friction coefficient of 0.026 – far lower than any other wetsuit rubber.

360 Degree Core Stabilization: Five precision-targeted performance muscle groups, oriented to sustain core strength for long swims.

The specific gravity of the Hurricane Freak of Nature is a staggering 0.17 (over 5x lighter than the specific gravity of the average human - .974).

Stay tuned to TriSports University for an in depth review!

The lenses are larger and distortion free which allow for a better field of view and the dark tint will help with sunny days and glare.  The gasket is soft and very comfortable to wear.

Pick up your TYR Orion Triathlon Goggles today!

At the center of the rear Enve Carbon wheel is the all new PowerTap Gs Powermeter hub.  This is one of the lightest power meters available and features the highest grade bearings for the price.  Featuring a smaller overall hub profile with wider flanges provide for a stiffer wheel.  ANT + compatible and weighs a scantly 325grams.

The all new PowerTap G3 Enve Carbon Wheelset is now available at TriSports.com.

The modern bicycle chain is a marvel of technology.  Each link is comprised of two outer plates, two inner plates, two rollers and two pins.  Each plate is chamfered and beveled to optimize shifting.  The forces exerted on a chain during hard efforts are enormous and yet they last for thousands of miles IF properly maintained.  Here are some basics principles of chain wear and maintenance.

A chain is designed to roll precisely between the teeth of the chainrings and sprockets.  In order for this to happen, the distance between each link must be exact.  When a chain comes out of the box, the distance between each pin is ½”.  As the chain wears or “stretches”, the distance between the links increases and shifting deteriorates.

In this first picture we see a partially extracted pin in pristine condition.  The mirror polish is what makes a new chain feel so smooth.  (You can also see the specially shaped edges that improve shifting.)

This is the chain pin of a worn chain.   Many things cause chain wear.  As the chain pivots at every link, the metal erodes a tiny bit.  Metal upon metal friction causes faster wear.  A good chain lube will get in between the different chain parts and act as a friction barrier.  Less friction = less chain wear.  This chain was poorly maintained and there was no lube on the inside of the links.

Dust and dirt will also increase friction in a chain and rapidly accelerate chain wear.  The problem many people have is that too much chain lube will attract dust and dirt.  So the benefits of the chain lube are offset by the increased crud on their chain.

Some points about chain maintenance:

1)  Some people will use a degreaser to remove the factory lubrication from a new chain and replace it with what they think is a “better” lube.  What they don’t realize is that these chain parts are actually coated in a special grease before being assembled into a chain.  Here is a picture of the guts of a new chain.  You can see that there is grease even in the innermost parts of the chain.  This original lubricant is the best for breaking in a new chain.  If you want to take the excess grease off the outside of the chain, just take a rag soaked in degreaser and run the chain through it.  But there is no need to degrease a brand new chain.

2)  We often see bikes come in with black chain lube specks all over the rear of the bike.  The chain is wet to the touch and jet black.  If you run your fingers through the sludge on the chain it will be slippery but it will also feel gritty.  Too much lube!  The oil slick on the chain attracts dirt and the dirt gets sucked into the chain parts and your chain wears out much sooner than it should.  Its like pouring sand into your car engine.

3)  We are often asked, “How many miles should I go before I lube my chain?”  Well, that’s an impossible question to answer.  Different riding styles, riding conditions, types of lube, and cleaning are all factors in how long a chain lube will last before needing to be refreshed.  The best solution is to listen to your chain as you’re pedaling.  A new chain or newly lubed chain should be fairly silent.  As soon as chain noise becomes apparent its time for some lube.

4)  The other most often asked question regarding chains is “What is the best chain lube?”  The short answer is that which lube you use isn’t as important as how you use it.  At the moment, our service shop is using Dumande Original, Dumande Bio, and I’ve just begun testing Dumande Lite.  My previous favorite was TriFlow, another good all around lube.  There are many more out there and each particular lube has pluses and minuses based on the  type of use, climate, and degree of maintenance you are willing to put up with.  We may consider a review of different chain lubes in the future but for this article we’ll focus on maintenance.

How to lube a chain:

So you’ve had a new chain installed by the professionals at TriSports.com and you’ve put some miles on it.  Things don’t seem as smooth and quiet as when it was new.  Its time for some lube.

1)  The first step is to clean your chain of the old lube(Remember, this is not a “new” chain but one that has been broken in already).  Lubes work best when they are not mixed with different formulas.  Pick one and stick with it for the life of the chain.  You can either remove your chain and clean it in degreaser (Citrus based or something like Clean Streak) or use an on-the-bike cleaning tool like the Finish Line or Park Tool offerings.  Be sure the chain has had a chance to dry off before going to step 2.  Wipe the chain through a dry rag until the residual degreaser is gone.

2) With the chain on the bike, apply ONE drop of lube on each roller of the chain.  I like to do this on the lower section of the chain as it sits on the bike.  This way, the lube is already where it needs to go and won’t get flung off the outside of the chain as it spins around the first time.

3)  Turn the cranks for a minute or so (or ride the bike).  Is the chain quiet now?  Can you hear yourself think again?  Now run your finger along the top edge of the chain.  You should see a slight wetting from the fresh lube working its way through the chain parts.  If its still totally dry, repeat step 2.

4)  Take a rag and wipe off the excess lube from the length of the chain.  This is VERY important!  Repeat this until a clean rag comes away mostly clean.

5) Go ride!

So how about you?  How do you clean or lube your chain?  Any chain lubes that you think we should try?  What problems do you have with chain maintenance?

The all new MiNewt 600 Cordless is compact and produces 600 lumens with a full hour and a half run time at max lumens or up to 10 hours in the new ‘Walk’ mode!

MiNewt 600

The MiNewt 350 Cordless replaces the previous year models with an additional 100 lumens and reduces the price tag by twenty bucks!

Need more compactness and power?  NiteRider redesigned MiNewt Pro 750 is the first compact LED lighting system to produce 750 lumens of night piercing light.  Featuring a completely redesigned headlamp, the Pro 750 comes in at 230g and has all the controls on the headlamp instead of on the battery.

MiNewt Pro 750

]]> http://blog.tri-sports.com/2011/09/30/niterider-2012-lineup/feed/ 0 http://blog.tri-sports.com/2011/09/23/new-product-friday-on-running-shoes/ http://blog.tri-sports.com/2011/09/23/new-product-friday-on-running-shoes/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:13:36 +0000 Mike O. http://blog.tri-sports.com/?p=5007 TriSports.com now sells On Running Shoes! Triathletes and runners who are seeking a light weight, neutral high mileage training or racing shoes now have On Running and their Cloudtech 3D Cushioning System.

On Running Shoes

On Running shoes have 13 Cloudtech 3D cushions on the bottom of the shoe to absorb both vertical and horizontal forces and helps to transfer heavy impact into a light and natural motion. On Running Shoes have been proven to lower heart rate by 2 beats per minute and reduce lactic acid on average of 5.4%!

Cloudtech 3D Cushioning System

The On Running Cloudrunner shoe is a neutral high mileage trainer that weighs in at 11.11 oz. The On Running Cloudsurfer is a neutral light weight training/racing shoe that weights 10.4 oz. The Cloudsurfer is available in both men’s and women’s models.

Check out TriSports University for an in-depth review!

The Story from On running on Vimeo.

What made this project a challenge is the fact that the stock Plasma Premium frame is not set up for internally wired Di2.  For this build we didn’t want exposed wires running along the outside of the frame.  Everything would have to be routed internally, which meant heavy modifications both to the inside and outside of the frame.

There is a saying in the medical field, “Do No Harm”.  That applies just as much when modifying a $4000 carbon fiber frame.   Literally hours were spent drilling, grinding, sanding, and soldering in order to make this frame a reality.  Great care went in to keeping the structural integrity intact and untouched.

The result is one of the most satisfying bike builds to come out of TriSports.com.  Since there is no manual for this type of build, everything was planned and executed by us.  We are not afraid to brag that it came out beautifully.  The Di2 is integrated seamlessly inside and outside of the frame.  The bike is as clean as anything you’d see in the pro field and is a perfect example of what Di2 is capable of.  We look forward to doing more cutting edge builds for you in the near future.

Abdi Abdirahman

I know a shoe won’t make an 8:00 minute miler a 4:30 miler but I wondered if something about Abdi’s running style might benefit me.

A key thing that makes Abdi so fast is his weight. Abdi is 72 inches tall and weighs between 138 and 141 pounds or about 1.9 pounds per inch of height. I weigh 2.5 pounds per inch of height or about 24% heavier per inch.

Abdi hits the ground with less force and for a shorter period of time. At my weight and height, not much I can do about that except eat less and train more. And, while those two things are 95% of what would make me faster, there may be one additional thing that could potentially help a little…

Newton introduced a new shoe that combines a series of current trends in footwear design: low drop, ultra-light weight and the new MV2 Action/Reaction Technology tuned for minimal shoe running on hard surfaces.

Newton has done in a shoe what Abdi has done with his entire body: Lighter, more efficient, less impact, less time on the ground  and higher cadence.

Newton MV2

Will Newton’s new MV2 make me run like Abdi Abdirahman? Nope. Will it help? I’ll let you know tomorrow on TriSports University when we dissect the new Newton MV2 lightweight, natural running shoe.