It may have been a holiday week here in the States, but that didn’t stop us from sharing three new reviews, plus quite possibly the most patriotic bike we have ever seen.
We also had our eyes glued to the TV this week while keeping up with the Tour. The big news obviously was with Sagan. We are sure if you follow the tour at all you have a pretty definite opinion on his punishment (trust us, we know that we do). It has made for some interesting conversations at our local bike shop.
As always, thanks for reading AeroGeeks. And if you want to see us check out something and we haven’t yet, make sure to let us know in the comments below.
This Week
Monday – Castelli Free Tri ITU Suit – Review
Wednesday – The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion – Review
Friday – Scott Plasma 5 – Review
Readers’ Rides
This week’s readers’ ride comes from Chris – and as we said above, this has to be one of the most patriotic bikes we have ever seen. Chris started with a 2016 Quintana Roo PRsix USA edition, then he got to making it his own. Check out the full breakdown below!
- Handlebar: Zipp Vuka Aero in Hydrographic LIBERTY EAGLE
- Extensions: TriRig Gamma
- Shifters/Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra
- Brakes: TriRig Omega in Hydrographic LIBERTY EAGLE (have painted entire chassis white and removed brake housing and routed through stem)
- Crankset: FSA SL-K Light 52-36 (Alden Carbon crank covers)
- Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 11-28
- Chain: Shimano Ultegra
- Pedals: Shimano Ultegra
- Tires: Continental GP4000 S II 25c
- Wheels: Reynolds Strike SLG
- Skewers: View-Speed Aero skewers
- QBox: Hydrographic LIBERTY EAGLE (Quintana Roo did not make enough white boxes for this limited edition. Chris couldn’t have a black box sitting off the rear of the bike.
- PowerTap G3 Hub
- Stem painted white to match
- Torhans Bento: modified for a tight fit and to hide cables more and then covered in some flag duct tape.
- Pedals: Shimano Ultegra
- Saddle: ISM PN 2.1
- Grip Tape: SRAM on extension and ESI Racers Edge on base bar
- Hydration: Torhans Aero-Z or Aero 30
- CHRIS KING X SPURCYCLE BELL
- SRAM TT Garmin mount
If this is your first time following AeroGeeks, one of our favorite things to do is share our readers’ bikes with the world. 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!
GU Toasted Marshmallow
GU partnered with HOKA ONE ONE to create a new Energy Gel flavor to help launch their new Clifton 4 running shoe. Their goal was to create a deliciously sweet and smooth marshmallow flavor that delivers the ingredients runners and triathletes need to get to the finish line faster. The result? Well they say it’s a flavor so yummy you’ll want to eat it during every run and ride – but until we try some we’ll say the jury is still out. Luckily, we have a box on order and we will be sure to let you know!
SRAM S-900 Aero HRD Disc Brake
This week SRAM announced their new S-900 Aero HRD Disc Brake for TT and triathlon applications. In their words “Less time slowing down is more time going fast. Better brakes mean faster splits, thanks to confidence-inspiring brake performance. Hydraulic road disc brakes (HRD) also allow for more aerodynamic frame designs, lower hand effort, shorter braking distances, and easier changes between wheelsets.”
The new aero-specific hydraulic brake platform, HydroT, offers superior control, feel, and heat management. The brakes feature a textured carbon lever for better finger grip and Reach Adjust allows for custom brake lever fit.
The new brake is flat mount only and SRAM recommends either 160mm or 140mm CenterLineX rotors for triathlon and time trial.
They will be available in September with the brakes running you $249, while the rotors will be $72.
Giro Prolight Techlace
This week Giro also has an announcement with the official release of their Prolight Techlace shoe. First teased at the Eurobike tradeshow, this shoe utilizes a 3-strap Techlace Pro closure system and Technical Mesh upper material to enhance comfort and breathability, together with a TeXtreme carbon fiber outsole to deliver a sub-150g shoe in size 42.5.
Giro designed the Prolight Techlace with three key features in mind. The Techlace Pro closure system combines the custom comfort and multiple contact points of laces with the ease and on-the-fly adjustability of hook and loop straps. The Technical Mesh upper is built from a custom monofilament fiber. This reinforced mesh fabric is welded to Teijin TPU film to give structure, support, and durability. And the TeXtreme carbon fiber outsole uses a unique, flat weave that require less resin, allowing Giro to reduce the weight of their outsole by 22% while maintaining the same stiffness.
We think this might be a shoe that long course triathletes will really embrace. Those going 56 or 112 miles might find its lack of triathlon-specific features are easily overcome with its light weight, extreme breathability, and the adjustability of the Techlace system. The Prolight Techlace is available now from www.giro.com and authorized Giro dealers for $400/ €399/ £349.
