This past weekend our chief editor, Mike, had to say goodbye to a dear old training partner. Many of you have a buddy like this—always there on a long training ride, slogging through the rain right there with you, or on race day reminding you of your inner mantra as you sprinted out of T2. But like all things that must end, so did this partnership. Somewhere on the side of the road Mike’s RoadID is sitting there, wondering how it could have possibly been forgotten on the roof of the car as Mike drove off. The good news is that a replacement is already in the mail, because if there’s one thing the AG team knows, it’s that you never get on the road without an ID at your side.

For those visiting for the first time—welcome! One of our favorite ways to showcase our readers is our Readers’ Rides album on Facebook. You can check it out at http://on.fb.me/12jEqE3. If you would like to have your bike featured in our album just tweet us at @AeroGeeks, Facebook message us, or email us at info@AeroGeeks.com.

This Week’s Posts

                Tuesday – FLO Disc – Review

Wednesday – Oakley Jawbreaker – First Look, April Fools 2015 – Our Top Five

Power Meters Dropping in Price

Last week we got word that not one, but two companies were dropping the price on crank-based power meters. First up is Pioneer who dropped the price of their power meter kit from $1,299 to $999. Compatible with Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 and Ultegra 6800 cranks, this kit gives power data for both legs. Unfortunately, you will have to ship your crank to Pioneer so they can install and calibrate the power meter (which is included in the $999 price).  And for those looking to buy a complete system pre-installed, you can still order a DA 9000 for $1,850 or Ultegra for $1,550.

Not to be out done, SRAM’s Quarq dropped prices across its entire power meter lineup. A Quarq Riken 10R now goes for $1,099 (including arms and spider). The Elsa 10R with SRAM Red 22 cranks will now go for $1,299 (from $1,600).

The Mailroom

The mailroom was busy last week with new items from Kinetic, Pearl Izumi, and Injinji. Kinetic sent us their new Twenty20 cages that allow both straight-on mounting as well as 20 degree offset. We already have it mounted to the Quintana Roo PR6 in the AG garage for long-term testing.

Pearl Izumi sent us the Tri Fly Octane 2 – their lightest triathlon shoe ever. The Octane 2 features an ultra-low 6.5mm stack height, and we have been excited to check them out since we first saw them at Interbike.

Injinji sent us a number of their performance toe socks to try (including a set of compression toe socks). We are excited to see how these compare against their traditional sock brethren.

Current Reviews

Zipp 808

You don’t realize how nice it is to have a wheel that allows for a quick tube change until you are in the middle of a hard brick workout and need to stop and deal with a flat. The 808’s (combined with Zipp’s Tangente Course tires) made for one of the easiest tire changes in recent memory.

XLAB Tire Mate

Speaking of flat tires, once the new tube was mounted, we got a chance to test out XLAB’s Tire Mate. Luckily we were packing CO2, so we didn’t have to hand pump it, but the Tire Mate was easy to use and truly no fuss.

Suunto Ambit3 Sport

Our time with the Ambit3 is ending but we still have one more workout planned for it. We are just coming off our offseason, so our first swim workout of the year is planned for later this week. We will be sure to let you know how it goes.

Giro Synthe

The more you wear the Synthe, the less you realize it’s there. The Synthe is near weightless and is extremely comfortable even in the heat.

Louis Garneau M-2 Tri Suit

We had our first chance to wear the M-2 this past week for a long course brick workout. The M-2 was extremely comfortable on the bike. The chamois is thick enough to provide adequate support in the saddle, but once you get on the run it was hardly noticeable.