April 7, 2006 -- The Sea Otter Classic bike race is taking place this week in Monterey, Calif., and with it a slew of goodies will be debuted by many of the industry heavyweights. Here’s a preview of what we’ll be seeing more of in the coming months.
Progio with Dave Scott Inc. Personal Training
Imagine doing your strength workouts with one of the best coaches in the sport, Dave Scott. Well, now you can. A new company called Progio has created a service that connects athletes with top coaches and personal trainers through PDA devices.
The inventor, triathlete Dirk Bartels, visited the Triathlete offices to show off he program and set us up with Progio XM Player on a Hewlett Packard iPaq PDA.
Scott’s programs include four strength and core-training macrocycles: off-season (or recovery), pre-season, pre-competitive and competitive. Each will have a beginner, fitness enthusiast and competitive level program available, with step-by-step instruction and video. Other fitness programs can be loaded to your PDA from www.progio.com or www.ptonthenet.com.
We’ve been doing the routines and man . . . great stuff from The Man. It’s Dave, and he’s as good as there with his programs. Not sure about your form? Click on the video component and Dave shows you a 20- to 30-second instructional demo as he talks you through it. Timer intervals and a clock keep you on schedule with your day’s circuit. The programs themselves are as challenging as any athlete could need, and, for us, served as a reminder that yes, even if you’re outside swimming, riding and running, you still need to keep your core and strength training up during the season.
Progio plans to take the XM Player to the gym on a broader scale with the Progio Training Companion, hiring on not only Scott but other high-profile personal trainers for their programs, and renting hand-held Training Companions to gymgoers as they check in at the front desk.
Cost is $450, which includes the HP iPAQ hx2495, Progio’s XM Player, flash ROM and a copy of Scott’s off-season conditioning program. As you progress, you can purchase Dave’s other programs online at www.ptonthenet.com for $49 each.
Sampson Stratics s3
Eric Sampson has made a big push in triathlon this year. From what we understand, he’s looking at bringing together a new tri bike and recently picked up top short-course triathlete Carol Montgomery, a longtime acquaintance, for sponsorship.
He’s also launched a new set of pedals, and it’s the Stratics s3 that we were fortunate enough to test. The LOOK-style pedal has no-slip tape strips on the bottom, which Sampson says makes it easier and safer to pedal up to speed. It’s a simple solution to a common problem . . . and it works.
Sampson also includes a red cleat that features a center tab with a tiny 3mm hex key that allows you to increase or decrease friction tension between cleat and pedal, effectively adding microfloat within the adjustable float provided by the rear claw’s spring.
Operationally, it’s as smooth as any similar system we’ve used, has the nice, large platform for even power distribution over the foot, but the light weight with the Ti spindles blew us away, with each pedal weighing in at 118 grams each. The weight savings are thanks to a titanium spindle, which is also fully sealed with cartridge bearings. It prices at $199, and you can get info at www.sampsonsports.com.
BMC Time Machine TT02
We got to ride with Team Phonak pro cyclist Floyd Landis at the Landis Power Camp and had a chance to take away one of the first TT02 bikes to test for a while. For those who don’t have over $12,000 for the TT01, the TT02 brings the technology to the masses. A Dura-Ace and Ultegra-equipped TT02 features an aero aluminum front end mated to a carbon-fiber rear, which has a tight rear wheel cowling. The horizontal dropouts are very cool, with a dial along the side of the dropout that allows microadjustments without tools. The top tube is a very, very slight rise as it extends back to the seat tube.
The aero seatpost is more than impressive; beautifully finished, it height-adjusts at the clamp and has three fore-aft saddle-clamp positions at the top of the mast, including a forward one that triathletes will find more than adequate for perfect positioning.
The TT02 will price at $3,995. See more at www.bmc-cycling.com.
JojoBar
We took the new JojoBar on a five-hour ride with 6,000 feet of climbing this past weekend. Most noticeable thing about the JoJoBar is the wide, flat profile of the bar, almost like a compact disc. These bars are truly different. Consistency is moist with sunflower oil (a healthy fat), sweetened with natural sweeteners (like organic spearmint and peppermint oil in the mint chocolate bar or cranberries in the peanut butter & jelly bar).
But this bar adds one more thing you would never guess: protein. Depending upon the flavor, each bar contains between 11 and 13 grams of whey protein -- a nice feature to supplement the system.
Flavor? It’s what reeled us in. Spot-on with the Mint Chocolate and Chocolate Cashew we tried on the long ride. And of course, the bar is great post-training too, as the protein can help speed recovery.
You can find more at www.jojobars.com
SaltStick
Elite triathlete Jonathan Toker has always been a thinker -- heck, the guy has a Ph.D. -- so we weren’t surprised to see Jonathan cruising the Interbike show floor last fall promoting a new device called SaltStick. We were curious and impressed with the ingenuity: a spring-loaded cylinder that, with the twist of a wrist, dispenses salt capsules. No more taping ’em to your base bar, no more races ruined by tablets disintegrated as a result of a moist race morning.
Our testing shows that while it holds just six tablets, it’s more than enough for any ride, even in Arizona. If your aerobars don’t take the SaltStick, the package includes a rubber bracket to affix to any bar. We’ve found extracting them is much safer when jamming aero at 25 mph than any previous capsule or tablet-holding device like electrical tape or film canisters. A SaltStick will run you $24, while a SaltStick Mini (which holds three capsules and fits in road bar drops or mountain bike bar ends) is $20. Or get a combo SaltStick with 100 salt capsules for $38, with replacement bottles of caps at $18. Find them all at www.saltstick.com.
Tifosi Slip and Gavia
Tifosi is starting to take a foothold in the market with a great-looking line of sunnies that have all the features any triathlete would need, at waaaaay less cost (try about $50) than many other competitors.
Big on both the Slip (left) and Gavia (right) is a replaceable-lens system. Each comes with three sets of lenses: clear, smoke and all-conditions red, plus a case and a myriad of frame-color options.
Our recommendations? Four own own pixie-sized faces, we like the slim, smaller look of the Gavia, while the Slip will fit better on larger mugs. Check out the color options, and other models, at www.tifosioptics.com
Endless Pools Fastlane Pool Package
Last year’s we were impressed when we headed to Philadelphia to check out the debut of the Fastlane by Endless Pools, which allowed pool owners a drop-in Fastlane prop and motor for their pool, essentially make their existing pool an Endless Pool, at less cost.
For some, the cost of digging a pool in their backyard makes that unfeasible. So Endless Pools went one better with the Fastlane Package, which attaches a Fastlane to the new above-ground, soft-sided Tuff Pool and is assembled and ready-to-swim in hours. $8,400 complete. www.endlesspools.com
Muscle Milk n’ Oats Instant Oatmeal
This one has found its way into our finish-the-morning-ride-at-work category. Everyone knows that oatmeal is one of the best breakfasts. It’s not processed, it’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol and fills the belly just right. Cytosport has just launched Muscle Milk n’ Oats, an instant oatmeal with 30 grams of protein.
We’ve been using it as brekkie after heading in from a ride, and while the maple and brown sugar oats flavor has been my draw, it’s the protein, which encourages muscle synthesis right after a hard ride, that provides the big benefit. It’s also available in vanilla bean and breakfast cocoa, with a case of 12 running you $45. Stash them at your desk and eat while you check your e-mail. You can order at www.cytosport.com.