When I got home from work to discover a couple of water bottles on my desk for review, I thought to myself “Water bottles, eh”. I usually get water bottles handed to me at expo’s or triathlons. They are not really something I give much thought. I expected to be carrying around a $2.00 water bottle that I would have nothing to say about. I was wrong. I was carrying around $15 water bottles that I love.
When I removed the lids to wash the bottles, I noticed a clean smell. New water bottles always smell like plastic. After washing, I took my water bottle out for a trial run. The water did not taste like plastic, quite impressive. The flow out of the cap was perfect. Now it was time to take the bottle out for a bike ride. When I go out for long bike rides, I add an extra 50% concentration for my electrolyte drink in both bottles.
I like to drink my fluids warm which really adds to the plastic leaching into the drink. I spent more than 5 hours on my bike with no odd flavors to my drinks. After my bike ride, I threw a half full bottle in my clothes bag, filled up the other bottle then took off for a run. At the run turn-around, I stopped for a gel pack and drink. I noticed that I was not dripping water on my shirt before I started drinking water. The water tends to stick in the bottle before you squeeze. Nice touch. When I got back to my car, I found that I did not push the cap closed on the bottle before I threw it into the car. It did not leak.
The Specialized website for water bottles state that infused silicon dioxide create a barrier to the plastic. If a waiter tries to sell me infused food, I tell him to take a hike. If a water bottle is infused, I say it is cool. I guess there is no way of explaining how I think. Check out their website. It is pretty good. It is not really detailed but I probably would not understand the details anyway.
For some odd reason, this review wound up in the in process queue since last year. After about a year of use, the Purist bottles are still my preferred water bottles. I left a purist bottle and a $20 running bottle in the car overnight. The running bottle had a distinct taste of plastic. It was very sad for me since the running bottle is my second favorite bottle. I plan on replacing my water bottle collection, now that I can taste the plastic. I hope Sports Basement has a sale.
Mike’s Note: Specialized bikes have become even better in recent years, with the company’s accessories also making huge efforts as of late.
An MP3 player that works under water! Finis is not an MP3 player manufacturer. They are a swim equipment manufacturer. That being said, you need to read the instructions to figure out how to work the MP3 player. It is not too hard to operate the MP3 player but it is not intuitive.
I turned on the player, strapped it onto my arm, stuffed the ear buds in and jumped into the pool. I suppose I should have had some faith that it would work. I expected a total failure and I was happily surprised that it worked. It has quality sound under water.
I started swimming laps and immediately noticed a pull on the wires for the ear pieces. I tucked the wires up under the strap for my goggles and that helped for a while. Clips that support the ear piece wires to the goggle strap would be nice.
After a couple of laps, I had to stop and adjust the arm band as it got too tight for an arm that is working. This happened two more times during the swim. A bit of elastic on the arm band could go a long way towards improving the comfort. I am sure that I could figure out a way to attach the player to my goggles but I won’t go through the effort for a loaner.
It is hard to find music to match a swim pace. I swim at about 36 strokes per minute, the music I had was running at about 120 beats per minute. The pace was a bit awkward but it was really nice having music while I swam. After about ¾ of a mile one of the ear buds pulled loose and did not work any more because there was water in my ear. I took the player off and really missed having the music. Something like this MP3 player will be great for long, timed swims and I am not counting laps. The music really helps keep me distracted. I haven’t tried it in the bay yet but I am not too sure about open water swimming with an MP3 player in my ears. I like to be able to hear boats in the water.
This is a demo unit. I wonder if I will buy one when I see it in my local swim shop.
This is a two year old review that wound up in the archives. I don’t know what happened to the review or demo unit and I have never seen the swim MP3 player in a swim shop. I might add that I have a lot of swim stuff so I don’t venture into the swim shops very often.
I am a reluctant cyclist who likes to ride up a big hill every now and then and survive the middle leg of a triathlon. For me, a bike saddle is nothing more than a fancy term for a bike seat. Sella Italia heard about my feelings when we did an interview with them recently so they sent us a couple saddles to review.
I wound up with the Flite as my test saddle. I put it on my titanium frame with semi-stiff Aksium wheels and never looked back.
I understand there are various renditions for the Gel Flite saddle. I have the latest and greatest with titanium rails. There was something about the geometry of the saddle that confused me during the installation. I wound up putting the seat a little bit forward and tilted down slightly. I rode like this for over 100 miles when I decided to try riding without cycle shorts. My old saddle often felt like the seat was loose because of some weird wobbly feel. The Flite never gave me that sensation. I rode with spandex shorts and I was comfortable for an entire 50 or 60 mile ride. With that test out of the way, I decided to put aero bars on my bike and try it like that. I kept the seat on a slight angle and slightly forward. My bike is setup for a single purpose, to survive the Vineman triathlon. The way the saddle is configured, I am up on the nose when I am in the aero position and in the middle when I am on the handle bars while climbing and descending.
The feel is pretty good when I am down in the aero position. After an hour or so of aero, I am ready for a hill so I can get into the middle of the seat. Riding in the middle of the saddle offers a unique feel. It is not a soft ride, it is comfortable. Soft gets squishy while comfortable feels like it is formed to my body and it absorbs a lot of the shock from the road. I could tweak the setup some more but I am not going to mess with something that works until after my triathlon next week.
What I like about the Sella Italia Flite
It is comfortable
It fits my butt when I sit on it
The flex from the carbon fiber base or the gel give it a molded feel when riding
It is the only visible bling on my bike
The long rails give the nose a firm feel
No two seats are exactly the same
The shock absorbing action from the middle of the saddle
I can’t really say what I don’t like about the saddle as it is the only high end saddle that I have ridden but I can say I like it.
Here is a brief on the biggest surprises of the year for me. Most of the time, new companies squeeze into a niche by doing the same thing as the big guys while specializing in one area. Sometimes things can be a lot different. Who would have thought, a company could come out with wool athletic gear? I forgot where I got the photo of the woman wearing the Icebreaker shirt but the poster credited it to Treehugger.com
Icebreaker wear is my winner of the year for performance clothing. I wear the run ace running shirt just about anytime an opportunity presents itself. I love the way it feels. The material and design make the shirt very nice to wear. It is so nice to wear the shirt was promoted (demoted?) to an everyday shirt. The running shorts are nice but they have an oddly shaped pocket that is not convenient for my work access badge so I do no wear them for my lunch time runs. I inadvertently wound up with the shorts for a yoga session one day and they were immediately converted to yoga shorts. Running shorts and gym shorts are pretty much designed for forward motion and do not work very well with the stretching activities. The wool stretches with my activities and does not stick to my legs. Icebreaker is a bit hard to find and a bit expensive but they make some nice stuff. I think you can get it at Fleet feet, out in the valley and REI. If you find it in a store, try it on.
Greenlight Apparel came into view in 2011 by being the official clothing at both the Oakland Marathon and the California International Marathon. They announced their consumer product line to us at the Oakland Marathon expo back in March. Their products are comfortable, affordable and produced responsibly. Because of Greenlight Apparels responsible manufacturing process, I will buy from green light if all things are close.
Injinji toesocks were a pleasant surprise for me this year. I did not expect the socks to be so comfortable. It did feel a bit odd having my toes separated by the cloth but I liked it. It was great running up and down big hills without worrying about getting blisters. The nice fit around the foot keeps the sock from moving around when you run. No motion and no bunching mean no blisters. My favorite socks did wear out rather quickly but that was expected with the way they fit.
Jockey wins the durability contest. I was surprised to realize how much Jockey wear I own. They make good stuff without a lot of fanfare and it lasts a long time. They also know how to make stuff fit.
I have been waiting for the Finis Swimsense to come out since it was announced and I was not disappointed. It is pretty hard to get an accurate distance tracker that straps onto your arm for swimming. I tried a couple of GPS style swim monitors with poor results. The Swimsense works with a better than 98% accuracy rate for me. I usually swim about 2,000 yards and the Swimsense will add or subtract 25 yards to my total distance. I am not too concerned about the difference between 1,950 and 2,000 yards for my morning swim. I just like the idea of only having to watch the clock on the wall and not count laps when I am doing a morning workout. The Swimsense will let me know if I went a different distance for my swim duration.
Options for you guys who like the bling Motion detector – Distinguishes between strokes and senses distance Storage – Records time, distance, pace times, laps, strokes and calories burned Analyze Workouts – Review distance, splits, laps, pace times, stroke count; stroke rate, distance-per-stroke and calories burned. View your current workout and up to 14 past workouts on the monitor. Software Training Log – Upload workouts to the Training Log to review all past performances and track progress at Swimsense.com Swimsense Dock – Connect to your computer and charge the battery Upload workouts – For you Dailymile and Facebook guys out there. You can chat about your workouts and analyze them with the history. PRO’s:
It works
It is easy to use
It is pretty accurate
The battery charges quickly
Light weight
Docking station
CON’s:
The battery dies quickly
I can’t get the software to work on my computer
The swim options are only for pools
Not as accurate as a GPS
Gets flaky when you do IM sets
Back light does odd things (operator error)
The bottom line – I like the Swimsense. A lot of my swims are tempo swims where I get out and swim 1 or 2 miles. These are pretty mindless swims where I just get out and do it. I check the watch at approximately 30 minute intervals to check my distance. If I miss my target of 2 miles by 200 yards either way, it won’t make a difference to me. I can wear my XTREAMP3, turn off my brain and just go. I don’t have to worry about counting laps. The battery life is terrible but I can charge it up enough for a 45 minute swim during my 10 minute commute to the pool with my car charger. I can see the buttons well enough to start the timer in low light conditions. The $200 price tag is a bit steep but it is well worth the $150 you can pick it up for at Amazon.
A couple pairs of injinji toesocks showed up at my door a few weeks ago. I looked at them with some dismay as I knew Mike, the other Alameda runner was in Pennsylvania and it would be up to me to try them out. When a runner sees an odd looking sock, we automatically think blisters. The socks are odd looking because they have finger sleeves or pockets for your toes.
Fearing blisters, I tried the socks on to wear around the house for a few hours. It took me a minute to get my toes into the correct toe slots. It reminded me of putting finger gloves on a 2 year old. After I got the socks on, I had this weird sensation between my toes. It felt odd because I am not used to things between my toes. After a few minutes the sensation went away and the socks became comfortable. I really liked the way they felt.
Okay, I like these socks, time for a run. I tried the socks out on a 4 mile run for my first try. I really liked them. I quickly built them up to 13 miles and picked a moderately hilly half marathon for my first try with the injinji socks on. I do a lot of trail half marathons and always get blisters. I picked a small race with just under 2,000 feet of climbing. I don’t get blisters from going up the hills. I get them from going down the hills. I did not get a blister when running the half marathon! I really like these socks a lot. In fact they are my favorite socks for my long runs.
You may ask why they are my favorite socks for long runs and not my favorite socks. The reason I don’t wear them for my short runs is because I run at lunch. It takes an extra minute to get my toes separated and into the socks. When I am on a tight schedule, every second counts. It is well worth the extra seconds when I am going on a long run. Today I went on a long run of 16+ miles and I started off with wet toes because I stepped into a puddle before I put my shoes on. I ran with no problems.
Sock facts: (New term to be trade marked by alamedarunners) Toe slots – The socks have slots to separate your toes. Not only does this feel good, it has a practical purpose too. The toe slots help prevent chaffing and blisters. Metatarsal stretch bands – The bands go all the way around your foot near the front of the arch. These bands keep the sock snug around the front of the foot to prevent sliding and bunching. Heel box – This is a sneaky stretch material that we I could barely notice. I don’t know how they do it but keeps the sock snug to the heel. Ankle band – The ankle band is snug too. The sock does not move around the top. Snug package – All of the details put together make this a complete sock. Toe slots, snug metatarsal area, form fitted snug heel and snug ankle area keep the sock from moving around under any conditions.
The price may seem to be a little stiff at $10 to $16 per pair, depending on the style you choose. My favorite, the Performance Midweight Mini-crew goes for $16. Good running socks are in this range, mostly at the lower end but the socks do last a long time and they will outlive a few pair of running shoes.
I love my injinji running socks. I wear them for all long runs. I wish I could put them on a bit faster so I could wear them for triathlons. Perhaps I could speed up the process with practice but I have enough to worry about during a triathlon transition. Try these socks out. You will not regret it.
*Ted’s disclaimer – I have no obligation to say anything good or bad about any product on my site. I call it like I see it. If I feel something is worth trying, I will say so. I pay for something that is a dud, I will say so. I do not plan on giving up my career in engineering for one in marketing. My comments about the socks are my observations from wearing the socks and looking at them while writing the article.
The more stuff I get to review, the more niches I find for stuff. I recently received a couple pair of SockGuy socks for review.
The low cut socks with a 3-inch cuff seemed to be best suited for cycling so I took them out for a 60-mile bike ride followed by a 6-mile run and thought they made my feet numb.
Hmmm, blame it on the socks.
I tried the same socks on a 7-mile run with no problems. I then took them out for the ultimate running test: I ran about seven miles in the rain with no slipping or bunching. They are very comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
I have a pair of crew style socks that are so good I wear them with casual clothes, such as jeans and a casual shirt. I love the socks but I am afraid that I have become exercise fashion conscious.
Quality socks usually cost from 5 to 15 dollars. SockGuy socks are usually 5-10 dollars. They are very comfortable and competitively priced. I love my SockGuy socks and would buy them off the rack of my local running store without a second thought.
Buy quality socks and your feet will thank you by not complaining.
The Good:
Comfort, the packaging and the web site give you a lot of technical reasons for comfort but they just feel good on my feet.
They are stylish. Now that I am fashion conscious, I like style.
The price.
The Bad
You have to wash them a few times before they become really comfortable.
They can’t mold my bike shoes to my feet for me.
I like my SockGuy socks for both athletics and casual wear. They are very comfortable and well worth the price.
Mike’s Thoughts: I wear mine for riding and casual wear, as I’ve found I replaced most of my casual regular socks with tech clothing.
I love listening to music while I do my tempo runs. I usually wear Bose ear buds so the bar is set a little high. I was a little apprehensive when Mike handed me a pair of Zippearz for review.
I did not want to try them out. When I did put them in my ears, I liked the way they felt.
The cord is incredibly thin and lightweight, which is something other companies can learn from. When I turned on some techno music for tempo, I found the bass to be incredible. How can these $25 ear buds have so much sound? I liked the sound.
Unfortunately, I live in Alameda (Bay Area city located on the waterfront) , where it is usually windy. The wind goes right through the ear buds. The sound drove me nuts at first but after a few miles, I got used to it.
The ear buds also came with ear clips to help hold them in my ears but I did not need them. After I got sweaty, the wire stuck to my skin and started tugging on the cord. I had to keep reaching back to pull the wire up my shirt. I wish they came with a clip to hold the wire on my shirt. Just like all athletes running with an MP3 player, you’ll find a way to keep the cord out of the way comfortably.
The good:
Zippearz cost $24.95
The sound is incredible
They are nice and light
The around the ear holders are cool
The bad:
The wind going through the ear buds
No clip to hold the wire to my shirt
The bottom line – I really like the Zippearz. They are worth $25. They knocked a pair of $100 Bose out of my gym bag for stationary bike work outs. I got mine as a review pair. I highly recommend them for people who run in areas where it is not windy, at the gym, or as a solid pair of backup earbuds.
Mike’s Note: I know many envious people (or audio snobs) like to bash Bose for being overpriced and overrated, but the Bose products I’ve owned have always been great. Keep in mind I review a lot of different products – if Ted says these make a great backup pair of earbuds following his Bose, then that’s a strong indicator of how solid these earbuds are.
I recently received some Icebreaker running gear for review. I was a bit concerned about wearing wool running stuff, but it was pleasantly comfortable. The run shorts felt a bit odd and scratchy for the first few runs but it is surprising how comfortable wool running clothes can be. I only wore them for short runs at first because of the scratchy feel.
They are not scratchy like the old wool army blankets but scratchy compared to synthetic shorts. After a few washings, the scratchy feel went away and it was just that unique wool feel that I liked.
The Run Ace Crewe running shirt was similar to the shorts with the unique feel but after one run, I converted the shirt to a casual/under shirt. I really like the way the shirt feels. I won’t wear a regular running shirt as an everyday shirt because they are expensive and they don’t wear very well.
I don’t know anything about scientific facts but everyone knows that wool makes the most durable clothes. It is pretty neat that they can make wool T-shirts comfortable. I like the way the wool shirt feels after I sweat a little bit. Synthetic shirts really spread the sweat and make it uncomfortable where it does not seem happen with the wool.
All of the clothes come with an ID code to trace the origin of the wool. It is pretty neat to see how global the economy really is and the web page is top notch. I really like the Icebreaker gear. I have been wearing it for the last couple of weeks and suffered no rashes.
I have a preference for the Clif Mojo peanut butter pretzel bar. I lean towards organic products whenever possible (when exercising or just lounging around). I believe “organic” has become a bit of a buzzword lately and Clif is not bashful about jumping on the band wagon.
That being said, I really like Clif the company and only ask the companies make an honest effort into giving us good calories. I say this because the Clif Peanut butter pretzel bar tastes really good. It is loaded with 200 calories, 80 of which are from fat and the ingredient list is longer than a Twinkies. I trust that Clif is giving me good stuff.
I love the Mojo bar line with no real preference for the different bars. I just saved the peanut butter pretzel wrapper for review. I can easily eat a bar while riding my bike without feeling nauseous. I prefer to eat half of a bar at a time to spread my calorie intake a bit. When you are out on a long training day, all of these calories are good. Give this bar a try; you might be surprised at how good an energy bar can be.
Note: I paid for my last box of bars, after Clif handed me some to try.
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