Summer is definitely here in South Florida. At lunchtime it’s 90° F with humidity over 50%. What’s that mean? It’s our favorite time of the year for aero helmet, speedsuit, and road kit testing. This week we shared our thoughts on the Lazer Wasp Air and right now we have the Catlike Rapid, Catlike Chrono WT, and the Specialized S-Works TT all in the AG garage ready for testing (and a Giro Aerohead in the mail). We also have the LG Course Skin Suit, Pearl Izumi Mach 5, and Bontrager Ballista to spend time with. Stay tuned as we see how all of these stand up to the heat.
For those just visiting AeroGeeks.com for the first time, one of our favorite ways to showcase our readers is our Readers’ Rides album on Facebook. You can check out our entire collection 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, get us on Instagram, or email us at info@AeroGeeks.com. Don’t forget to also follow #agreadersrides on Instagram as well!
Last Week
Tuesday – Lazer Wasp Air – Review
Thursday – Zipp 808 NSW – Review
KickStarters of Note
Bikase SuperBand
Bikase sent us their new SuperBand a few weeks ago. The SuperBand is what they call a “stuff management system” for the bike. It’s designed to be a multi-use holder for various items such as a phone, light jacket, sunglasses, Bluetooth speaker, pump, energy bar and a whole lot more. The SuperBand makes it easy to attach and access different sized items. It’s simple to mount without tools by using the two different sized bands that will mount to any type of bike, or virtually anything else for that matter. In addition, the SuperBand has two mounting holes to attach to existing water bottle mounts, which are already incorporated into your frame. It’s up to you. The SuperBand can attach anywhere, on virtually anything.
It’s perfect for those days we’re out training in tri and speed suits with no extra pockets. The SuperBand gives us the ability to carry our cellphone and an extra tube just in case. Because it doesn’t take up an extra bottle boss, we can strap an extra item to the seat tube or top tube. Aero it’s not, but that really doesn’t bother us when we’re training.
You can check out their Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1049870600/superband-a-stuff-management-system-for-your-ride. They are already funded but still have 18 days to go, and they’ve been adding new rewards as the current ones are filled.
Solos Smart Cycling Glasses
We first checked out the Solos smart cycling glasses at Interbike last fall. At the time, we said that while the system is still in prototype testing, we walked away impressed. We called it our Biggest Surprise of Interbike.
The Solos pairs with your iOS or Android device to present the information you need when you need it, right in front of your eyes. Solos has demonstrated heart rate, cadence, speed, and power data being shown on their product. The Solos glasses also include dual microphones and microspeakers for taking calls on your rides. Battery life is expected to be six hours (so even your longest training rides should be covered). The one thing to note before jumping in is that the Solos do require you to have a cell phone paired with the glasses, so they will not be USAT legal come race day.
This week they launched their Kickstarter campaign to share Solos with the world, with the goal for an October ship date. The estimated MSRP will be $500, but as of publishing, they are available for $350. You can check out their page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1101608300/solos-smart-cycling-glasses-with-heads-up-micro-di. And like the SuperBand, they are already funded. Although you still have plenty of time to jump on their campaign.
Current Reviews
Bontrager Classique Jersey
What better weekend to wear the pink Classique jersey then on the last day in the mountains for the Giro. Plus, with temperatures soring, it gave us a chance to see how a Merino wool jersey deals with the Florida heat. After three hours on the bike, we can tell you that the Classique fit just right and it didn’t bake us in the sun.
Catlike Chrono WT
The Chrono WT is Catlike’s long tail helmet – one we know plenty of triathletes are using across the world. And while it didn’t look all that ventilated, (sporting a single air port at the front) it did more than enough to stand up to the heat. Our classic test takes place after a long ride… Do we rip it off as soon as we can, or do we take our time and start thinking about breakfast and our first shot of espresso? Needless to say, breakfast and caffeine won out. It’s looking good for the Chrono WT.
Tacx NEO
The Tacx NEO Smart is far and away the quietest trainer we have ever used. In fact, we found we could actually have a conversation at a normal volume while doing intervals. The drivetrain was louder. That’s impressive.
Giant Rivet
The Rivet (the aero road, not full aero TT) is going through its paces here. While it looks very skateboard helmet-like, its actually quite cool. Good ventilation all around the head.
