2011 Racing and Training Gear - Some Old and Some New

In 2011 I got a couple of new things, mostly I used the same old stuff.  I will start with the two new things for 2011.
The newest thing for 2011 was my Blue Seventy Axis wetsuit.  Purchased at Gear West, as are all of my triathlon related purchased.  This wetsuit is tighter, in a good way, I think, than my old QR.  This wetstuit fits better in my shoulders and arms than my QR.  It is tighter across my chest than the QR.  The Axis fits better in the neck, about the same as the QR below the waist.  I used a wetsuit less in 2011 than in previous years, partly due to the water temperatures and partly due to the distances I raced.  So, I didn't get the use out it that I was looking forward to.  The Axis does not have a "break away" zipper like the QR, so I had to get used to that.  The zipper on the QR is one feature I really did like, but I think that a wetsuit that fits and feels better is more important than the zipper.  The Axis does have the "swim panels" in the forearms, not sure how much of an advantage it provides.  Based on articles I have read, the manufacturers do not know either, and just put them on because everyone is doing it.   
The Axis does feel faster, this might be due to the better fit.  Hopefully, I get to use it more in 2012.

I do continue to swim with Speedo Active Goggles - Air Seal Tri Mirror.  I have been swimming with these goggles for a couple of years and I think they are the best goggles I have ever worn.  They don't leak, they have a good amount of tint, and they fit my head right.
The other new purchase is Saucony Kinvara shoes.  I have run on Asics for the last 6+ years and I decided to try something different.  I went into Gear West Ski and Run, where I have been buying shoes for the last 4 years or so, and they took a look at the wear on my old Asics, I told them I was looking for something I could race and train in, and they recommended the Kinvara.  I really like the shoe.  It is light, but not as light as a pure racing shoe, and they are still supportive, also they are relatively inexpensive.  I think the pair was about 90 bucks.  In 2012 I will probably go with another pair.  Apparently, there is now a Kinvara, hopefully they are the same, or better than the Kinvara.

So, those are my two new purchases for 2011.  Now to the old stuff.  Same QR Seduza I have had since October 2006.  Same bike I will ride in 2012.  I would LOVE a QR Illicito, but that is not going to happen.  Maybe 2013?  Before 2007 season I upgraded drive train with Ultegra front derailleur, brakes, and crank and it came with Dura-Ace rear derailleur.  Before the 2007 I also bought a Zipp Z6 wheelset (404 front and 808 rear) and replaced the stock seat with a Serfas Tri Seat.  I really like the Serfas seat and will replace it with another in 2012, since my current seat feels like it is done (Ouch).  I am going with the another Serfas because the seat works for me and it is less than a hundred bucks.  I see everyone riding those ISM split saddles, they are expensive and I don't feel like experimenting with a new seat.  Maybe in the future.
I think it was 2009 that I got the Easton Attack TT bars, which I will stick with.  Eventhough they are not adjustable and have an aggressive position, I am used to the feel and they make the cockpit look cool.  I think in 2009, I bought my Lazer Tardis aero helmet, which was another great purchase.
In 2010 I purchased new Bontrager brake levers and the Zipp Sub-9 disc. The brake lever purchase was mainly to improve the look of the bike, the clunky aluminum brake levers looked terrible.
The wheel purchases are the best money I have ever spent.  Those Zipp wheels are AWESOME.  I love racing on those wheels, I never ride on them, only race on them.  Race wheels are one of the best purchases you can make if you are doing triathlons and duathlons, and/or bike racing.

I think it was 2009 that I got a pair of SLS3 Compressions socks through the Gear West Test Team.  At the time I was injured with a stress fracture and it seemed they did not feel right.  In late 2009/early 2010 I got a new pair.  During the season I wear the socks the day(s) leading up to the race, the day of the race, sometimes the day after the race, during hard training days, and during the offseason I wear them whenever I work at OHP or on hard work out days.  I really like the socks, and I think they do help recovery, hence why I wear them when I wear them.  At some point, I would like to purchase compression socks from another manufacturer to see if there is a difference, but for the moment I will stick with what I got.

6th Product Review - Zipp Z6 Wheels

This is a review of the Zipp 606 wheelset, with ceramic bearings, the 2009 606 has new toroidal wheel design, new dimpling, and new hubs. The 2006 and 2009 are still a mixed set of a 404 front wheel and an 808 rear wheel. The Zipp website is http://www.zipp.com/.

A disclaimer, I have never ridden another set of race wheels, either by a different manufacturer or a different Zipp model, and would like to try something else to see if they make a difference. I will also admit that after riding on one set of Zipp wheels it would be hard to imagine racing on something else.

When I bought my first tri bike, it was 7 short months after I bought my first new bike, road bike (LeMond Sarthe), in about 12 years. After spending the summer doing duathlons on the road bike, I decided that the next year I was going to add triathlons, and to do that I should get a new bike. When I went in and bought my bike, a Quintana Roo Seduza, I asked what upgrade(s) would have the most impact. The answer was race wheels. I did one race on the Seduza before the end of the year and it was on stock wheels, I was impressed with my new tri bike. Over the winter I bought the Zipp 606 wheelset, with Continental Competition tubular tires, Zipp Titanium skewers, and an Ultegra cassette. At the time, the wheel set was approximately $2400. I bought them on sale for about $2000, this does not include the cost of the tires, skewers, and cassette. I believe the 2009 set is going to be about $2400. I anxiously awaited the start of the 2007 season and I was not disappointed. I have only ridden on stock wheelsets my whole life and all those were clinchers, going to carbon fiber race wheels with tubulars is a huge difference. Over the last two seasons, plus one race, I have amassed 850+ miles on these wheels, 33 triathlons and duathlons, plus 14 time trials, and some extra mileage for riding on the wheels during warm-up. I have never put any training miles on the Zipps, they are only used for racing. The wheels have been ridden on the city and county roads of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. They have also seen the streets of San Francisco, St. Petersburg, FL, and the county roads around Austin, TX.

The hubs with the ceramic bearings are amazing, they are incredibly smooth. I have demonstrated the smoothness of the hubs by either holding the bike up and spinning the wheel freely or I have a person hold the wheel and spin it. People who aren’t familiar with racing wheels want to know what makes wheels like this so great, at such a high price. By doing this you can feel, and see, the difference between these hubs and other hubs. When you ride the bike the feeling is dramatic, the smoothness is apparent, especially on flat sections of road where you are really cranking away and you can feel the road, the wheels, and the bike. It is difficult for me to describe how these wheels feel. I don’t have technical cycling racing background, so I don’t know how to couch it in the proper language. They definitely feel stiffer, some might say harsher, than non-dished wheels. They feel faster, but they are also faster. You can feel it and see it in the times. Not just my times, but other people who ride these wheels, from amateur to pro. I have no complaints about the way these wheels climb, accelerate, or corner. It would be hard for me to imagine anything better. If you are serious about racing, purchasing a set of race wheels like this is a necessity.
The 404 front wheel and 808 rear wheel give you the aero advantage at the rear with the deeper dish and the handling advantage at the front with the smaller dish. The 404 front weighs approximately 560 grams and the 808 rear 780 grams, for the tubular. The front has 18 bladed spokes and the rear has 24 bladed spokes. Zipp has done a tremendous amount of engineering both in and out of the wind tunnel to come out with a wheel design that is both strong and aero. You can tell the amount of work that went into these wheels when you ride on them.

Another great thing about this wheelset is how they look on a bike. I have gotten a lot of compliments from strangers on how good they look on my bike. As we all know, there is a lot to be said for curb appeal.