Wow. We can’t believe the first month of 2015 is already almost over. The spring season is fast approaching, and we don’t know about you, but right now the only thing we want to do is celebrate all the PRs we hit in 2014! But our coaches will hear none of that, so we dove back into training this week. We spent plenty of time on the Wahoo KICKR and back out on the roads.
We only posted one article this week – our first look at the Hexo+ – but we have to tell you, we cannot wait for a chance to do an in-depth review on it. Every race we attended in 2014 had at least one drone shooting footage, and we expect more of the same for 2015. But with the Hexo+, we get the chance to have our own drone following us around – very cool!
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 – Hexo+ – First Look
Videos that Caught our Eye
Two videos caught our eye this week. First up was footage from a crash at the Tour Down Under. For those that often think they have the skills to ride in the pro peloton, you have to ask yourself if you could have stayed off the pavement like Roy did.
Dave Mirra also showed off this week. Not many of us are willing to (or able to) attempt a bunny hop on our tri bike with (or even without) our race wheels. Mirra upped all of us by doing one on his rollers. The video is only a few seconds long, but it certainly gets its point across.
http://instagram.com/p/yAiaUgvYyJ/
Wahoo TICKR X Rep Counting
We got our first look at Wahoo’s TICKR X at Interbike and came away intrigued. Way more than a dual band heart rate monitor, the TICKR X allows you to track heart rate, calorie burn, duration, and even indoor cycling cadence without a smartphone, watch, or computer – up to 16 hours’ worth. Rapid double-tap controls allow you to double tap the Ticker X to drop markers to review once you sync your data, which is a great feature for those doing interval type workouts. We actually got our first workout in with a TICKR X this past week (more on that below), yet Wahoo is continuing to innovate with the device. Wahoo recently added rep counting to the TICKR X. It can now track your reps in the gym including push-ups, squats, lunges, sit-ups, and more.
Along with the new rep counting abilities, Wahoo is launching their new 7-Minute Workout app. The workout consists of 12 body weight exercises, each performed for 30 seconds with a 10-second interval in-between. The only equipment required is a chair and a wall. The TICKR X pairs with the app and prompts the user for each exercise, timing the effort and counting the reps before moving on to the next. The workout includes:
- Jumping Jacks
- Wall Sits
- Push-us
- Crunches
- Step-up (on chair)
- Squats
- Triceps dips (on chair)
- Planks
- High knees/running in place
- Lunges
- Push-ups and rotations
- Side planks
All too often we forget that training for three sports is more than training for each individual sport. Proper training also includes core competencies. We are excited to see how the TICKR X’s new abilities can help build up these strengths.
Current Reviews
- Wahoo KICKR – The KICKR is getting a lot of use this off season. It’s helping build up our base skills while allowing us to get our first power workouts of the year in. One small thing we already noticed is that Wahoo recommends you do a simple recalibration exercise after you move the KICKR. It takes less than a minute to complete and we immediately noticed the effect on power settings.
- Trek Speed Concept 7 Series – After 9 months we are ready to share our time with the Speed Concept. Keep an eye on Aerogeeks this week for our longest review ever!
- Specialized Evade – The biggest concern of any aero helmet is how big a tradeoff was made in the name of speed when it comes to ventilation. We are happy to report that the seven vents on the Evade do a remarkable job of ensuring that heat buildup is kept to a minimum.