We’re one week in to 2016, and so far everything feels pretty awesome. The weather finally cooled off a touch here in South Florida, and the team was able to kick off their January training blocks. We also began AeroGeeks.com’s 2016 year with four new features!
We started off the week by sharing our time with the KMC X10SL Gold chain. Then we checked out Garmin’s new Varia Vision, which is coming this Spring. On Thursday, we thought you might be interested in some new kicks, so it was time to review the Pearl Izumi Tri Fly Octane II. And finally on Friday came Bontrager’s Fall & Winter collection. An awesome start if we do say so ourselves.
Speaking of 2016, have you checked out our new Awesome AeroGeeks gallery on Facebook? For those who are new to AeroGeeks.com, one of our favorite ways to showcase our readers has always been our Readers’ Rides album on Facebook. You can check out our entire Readers’ Rides collection at http://on.fb.me/12jEqE3. Awesome AeroGeeks is for you to share the most important piece of equipment you have – you! We’d love to see you being awesome in the pool, on the bike, and on the run. To share a picture, just tweet us at @AeroGeeks, Facebook message us, get us on Instagram, or email us at info@AeroGeeks.com.
This Week’s Posts
Monday – KMC X10SL Gold Chain – Review
Tuesday – Garmin Varia Vision – First Look
Thursday – Pearl Izumi Tri Fly Octane II – First Look
Friday – Bontrager Fall & Winter Collection – Review
Andy Potts Signs with Cannondale
When we thought of the name Kestrel, we thought of Andy Potts—at least up until last Tuesday. Those two names had been interlinked in the sport for the last few years. But Andy will be aboard a new ride for 2016 – the Cannondale Slice.
“I am very excited to be signing with Cannondale, a brand that is so passionate about performance,” says Andy Potts. “From my first visit to the Cannondale headquarters, to my first ride on a Slice and all of the follow up meetings discussing aerodynamics and speed, I knew this was the perfect match for me. Cannondale is giving me the dedicated resources and phenomenal product I need to have a fantastic season.”
Interestingly, as you can see from the image above, Andy has chosen to stick with his TriRig Omega brakes. And based on our experience with the Omega, we’re not surprised at all.
USAT Quintana Roo PR6
If you’re on the USAT email list, you probably caught sight of the USAT edition Quintana Roo PR6. If not, check it out below.
USAT members can purchase the bike in one of three configurations: Ultegra Di2 with Reynolds Strike Wheels for $8,650, Ultegra Mechanical with Reynolds Strike Wheels for $6,150, or the frameset for $4,500.
Personally, we are big fans of the paint job. There is something about it that just really works for us. If you’re interested, be sure to inquire soon since they say supplies are limited.
Mineral Designs Mini Bar Bike Tool
Mineral Designs reached out to us this week about their new Mini Bar bike tool they recently launched on Kickstarter. The Mini Bar is a high quality, portable, and customizable mini tool for your bikes, boards, or house projects. Using standard ¼” hex bits, the Mini Bar allows you to only carry the bits you need. The bit rack stores up to six bits and attaches to the tool with two powerful neodymium magnets for a secure hold. There are three driver locations on the tool; two for high torque applications and one to quickly spin bolts in. All driver locations retain the bits with neodymium magnets. The tool itself is made of strong, lightweight welded steel tubing, so we think this compact tool will last a long time.
We’re suckers for a great mini tool – anything that helps keep us out riding longer. The Mini Bar is designed to be compact, yet strong. Plus, as it turns out, the Mini Bar can also double as a beer opener.
Current Reviews
POC Octal Aero
With the temperatures finally cooling off a bit, the Octal Aero has been in its element. With its fully closed design, it tends to retain heat. And while your head doesn’t necessarily cook, cool weather is appreciated. Looking for a classics helmet that’s designed to make you faster? The Octal Aero is worth considering.
Bontrager Ion 700 R
The Ion 700 is becoming our favorite companion on early morning rides. For its size, the amount of light it produces is simply awesome.
Recon Jet
We took out the Jet in some pretty nasty fog this week. We simply cannot get over how much we love being able to see our data without taking our eyes off the road. Although we did find the fog caused a little more condensation on the Jet lenses than they could handle, so we had to wipe them down a few times throughout the ride.
Zipp 808 Firecrest
We are finishing up our time with what can easily be called the gold standard of aero wheels. Now is your last chance to ask any questions you may have been holding on to.
Garmin Varia Vision
While not technically a review, we did reach out to Garmin concerning a question we had about the new vision. Because it does not include a camera and does not require a cellular device, we wanted to determine if it would be USAT legal. We reached out to the USAT, and according to the Commissioner of Officials: “By itself, it’s legal. However, it cannot be paired with a cell phone, which is one of its abilities.”
Shimano SH-TR9 Tri Shoe
This week was our first week breaking in the TR9 and after just 30 minutes of ride time we already cannot believe how comfortable this shoe is. We are really looking forward to getting some real rides in.
