Author Archives:

OGIO Rides Deeper Into the Professional Cycling Circuit

The following is a press release from OGIO. They make my favorite bags and I recently bought the Ogio Endurance 9.0 bag. I’ll be reviewing it soon. I think it is cool they are venturing more into endurance athletes, as early on they were huge into extreme athletes (motocross and the like)…but we all know the real “extreme” athletes are those who aspire for Ironman glory, century rides and marathons.

OGIO Rides Deeper Into the Professional Cycling Circuit

Designer of golf bags, apparel, and accessories reports their newest sponsorship with the Jamis Hagens Bermen Professional Cycling Team

SALT LAKE CITY (June 5, 2013) – OGIO International, innovator of uniquely intelligent bags for endurance athletes, is pleased to announce its new sponsorship agreement with the Jamis Hagens Bermen US Professional Cycling Team for 2013. Active as of May 12, 2013—the commencement of the 2013 Amgen Tour of California—the agreement precedes overwhelming performance success for the team. Thanks to the likes of Colombian rider, Janier Acevedo, the team captured a stage 2 victory and a 2nd place finish on stage 7.

“We initially built relations with the Jamis Hagens Bermen Team through Laura Moen, OGIO’s Northwest Sales Representative,” said Mark Talarico, OGIO’s Global Vice President for Endurance Sports.

Continuous communication allowed OGIO to ensure the team received product prior to the start of the Tour.

“The guys love the Endurance 9.0 bags,” said Jamis Hagen Berman’s Director Sportif, Sebastian Alexandre. “We are always searching for the best equipment for our athletes and OGIO products fit that criterion.”
New Jersey-based Jamis Hagens Berman joins Netherland-based Argos-Shimano Race Team in OGIO’s cycling portfolio of brand ambassadors with OGIO indicating intent for further expansion.

“Other team interest and inquires have ensued since receiving positive exposure through our partnership with Argos-Shimano,” said Talarico. “In fact, we have recently been approached by 6 other major international race teams and are currently evaluating those opportunities. We love being a part of the professional cycling circuit and view the engagement as a cornerstone to our endurance division.”

Both parties (OGIO and the Jamis Hagens Berman Cycling Team) look forward to continuing their partnership in the coming years.

About OGIO
OGIO International was born 25 years ago with the invention of the Locker Bag, the first innovative “fit to gym locker bag” designed to keep fitness enthusiasts on the go and organized. That heritage evolved over the years as OGIO continued to design uniquely styled sports performance bags. OGIO’s current Endurance collection was specifically designed for triathletes, runners, cyclist and fitness enthusiasts and combines the ultimate in light weight yet durable materials with intelligent designs that offer the perfect combination of protection, comfort and organization. As a result of the innovative designs of the Endurance collection, OGIO is the official bag of choice for professional cycling team, Team Argos Shimano, and is the official bag of Iron Man, the highly acclaimed organizer of events for triathletes.

###

Predator Goggles Review

Quite Nice!

If you are into endurance swimming, you should really look into the over-sized goggle market. I am not talking about huge masks, but goggles that don’t sit inside your eye sockets. I have previously written about the Speedo Baja and how it is a great pair. I have now been swimming with the Barracuda Predator goggle for over a month, and it is also a great option.

Barracuda goggle frames are built to follow the bone contour around your eye socket. The company states that this design creates a “positive pressure that seals out water without suction.” I have worn many goggles and a good majority of them, especially the cheaper models, will suck your eyes out with the suction that they create. Swimmers should avoid this at all costs, especially for endurance events or extended training sessions in the pool. The Predator hits the mark with its design and promises when concerned with comfort. The Predator provides a soft and comfortable fit and feel when you first place them on your face just as as they do an hour later as you exit the pool. The goggles have also performed leak-free.

The Predator is built as a hybrid goggle/mask design. My understanding of this is that the goggles are larger that the standard designs and more importantly, it allows for a greater visual field. The goggles have a hard angle toward the outside of the lenses, which a majority of goggles do, which allows your peripheral vision to be more expansive. This is a critical aspect for any open water swims with all your fellow triathletes. I personally like the lenses of the Speedo Baja better because they don’t have the hard angle, but I have become accustomed to the Predator and any visual distortion at the angle is hardly noticeable.

The Predator is built with fog resistant coating. After a month of use they still are performing as new. It is so nice to be able to see my watch or pace clock on the wall without having to rapidly remove them from my eyes as I complete an interval. With my substandard eyesight, I am amazed at the clarity that the Predator offers.

The other aspects of the Predator seem to be pretty standard. The nose bridge is not adjustable, but uses multiplex material to stretch and conform to the standard face. If this type of nose bridge has been a problem for you in the past you may want to think twice before your purchase. The straps are standard and latex free.

The Bottom Line ~

I really like these goggles and believe that they would be worth your time and money to try them out. The goggles retail for around $18 which is a standard price for this class. World class triathletes wear these, so if that matters to you, take note.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.

Finis Swimsense Watch Review

It Makes Total Sense!

Finis SwimsenseTechnology is so awesome, especially when it has so seamlessly integrated into something I have been doing for decades. As a high school swimmer I had a certain coach who would sit on the starting block and count every lap I swam to make sure I didn’t cut the workout short; I hated it. Today, I have a watch that counts every lap I swim; I absolutely love it! The Swimsense is a star.

The Swimsense watch is actually called the Swimming Performance Monitor. The Swimsense is designed to track your entire swim workout, providing you all the information you need. Your distance, intervals, strokes, splits , time rested,  total time in pool and more is all at your fingertips.

The watch set-up is quite simple as you enter in your basic information, with the most critical aspects being the distance of the pool you will be swimming in (yards or meters) and which wrist you will be wearing the watch (left or right). As you get into the pool, all you need to do is press the “swim” button to get it ready for your workout, and then press the “start” button as you take off.

The Swimsense uses accelerometers and magnetometers to track your workout. The watch knows whether you are swimming freestyle, butterfly, backstroke or breaststroke. I have tested the watch multiple times and it never fails at identifying the stroke. I have seen some talk about the watch not being able to identify poor stroke technique, but some training buddies have also tested it without fail (and believe me, they have poor technique).

The user can utilize different screens during the workout that will let them know distance, time, stroke count and more. Some swimmers try to take a peek while in stroke but I don’t believe that makes sense as it alters your stroke technique and cadence. I believe it is best to hit the pause button as you finish an interval and look at the information while catching your breath. When paused, the background of the watch screen will go dark and the numbers will go white, making it easy to identify what mode the watch is in. When you finish the workout you press the stop button and then reset. You can review your workout right there on the watch. My favorite part is that the watch will let you know your total time in the pool and how much rest time.

The watch uses a lithium-ion rechargeable battery which Finis states it will last 12+ hours in swim mode. You need to be aware what mode the watch is in because the battery will continue to drain unless in sleep mode. If you leave it in your bag in the wrong mode, you may not have enough power for your next workout.

Finish SwimsenseThe Swimsense will store up to 14 workouts, but when you are done with a workout, you just need to place it in the Swimsense dock, which also charges the watch. When you open up the Swimsense bridge the workouts will download. You will then need to open up an internet browser to access your dashboard, where you will be able to really start analyzing the data. At first glance the web-based dashboard looks dated, but as you work with it and it becomes more familiar you will recognize the valuable information it provides. Along with your personal workout information, you can also compare yourself to averages of all other Swimsense users. Your workout information can also be synched with Training Peaks and other programs.

One of the few problems I had, was the Swimsense loading my workouts onto the wrong day. After a tiny bit of research I found out that to fix the problem I needed to upload the beta version updates. I do like the fact that Finis does update enhancements to the Swimsense. It will be interesting to see if there are legitimate updates to the system before the development of an entirely new watch. It should also be noted that the watch does not utilize GPS, therefore it would be useless in open water swims, but Finis has a different solution for that, which I hope to get my hands on when it warms up at the lake.

The Bottom Line ~

Finis has created an incredible training partner in the Swimsense Performance Monitor. For all those swimmers who have lost count of how many laps they have completed, or ever wanted a rundown of their entire workout, the Swimsense is your answer. It is a great training tool and met all my expectations. The watch costs $199, but with a little bit of research you can find it for cheaper. I think it is worth the price.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.

Garmin Forerunner 405 Review

Knowledge is Power!

It is hard to believe that I have been running with my Garmin Forerunner 405 for over four years now. I had been running seriously for a couple of years and thankfully the city I live in spaces out major blocks at exactly one-mile increments. I wore a watch that had a stopwatch and would run the city blocks and try to figure out my pace as each mile went by. I then purchased a Polar Heart Rate Monitor so I could keep track of my effort. As 2007 was coming to an end, I started to research what sort of running tool I wanted for Christmas. I stumbled on to an article about the new Forerunner 405 which was to be released in January. I was excited to try it out and started making daily phone calls to multiple REI stores to make sure I could get it on the day it was released. In January of 2008 I hurried home after my purchase excited to try it out…unfortunately I had to wait for it to charge before I could enter into the world of instantaneous feedback while running.

The Forerunner 405 was Garmin’s first successful attempt at providing athletes with a GPS watch that didn’t look like a giant piece of equipment attached to the wrist. It’s predecessor, the Forerunner 305, is considerably larger than the 405, and so the more watch-like design for the 405 makes it more appealing. The 405 only has 2 buttons but uses what they call a touch bezel, the silver ring around the face of the watch, to access most of the functions. With a little bit of effort it is easy to get used to the bezel functions to scroll through the menus.

I would encourage you to take the time to become familiar with the watch before you venture out on the trails. There are multiple screens and options that the 405 offers. As you start out, you will need to allow the watch to connect with the satellites. I have rarely ran into problems with the connections. The directions suggest that you attempt to connect outdoors, but I haven’t found that necessary. There have been a few times where I have needed to exit the connection screen, and then go back in for it to access, but a few times is nothing over a four-year period of time.

Once connected to the satellites all you need to do is push the start button and your instant feedback is in the palm of your hand, or at least on your wrist. You will need to decide which screens are most valuable for you and how much information you want on each screen. The user can choose from one to three different sets of information on each screen. I believe that since you bought a GPS watch, you would want the distance traveled. When I run, I typically choose to have the average pace, time elapsed, and distance traveled on my primary screen. On my secondary screens I will choose current speed, current heart rate, average heart rate and many others. There are numerous choices that the user can elect. One of my favorite functions is the virtual pace partner. The user can enter in the pace that they would like to run and the watch will keep track of how much time and distance the user is ahead or behind the elected pace. This is a great feature when trying to beat a P.R.

Having the immediate feedback while out running or cycling is great but it is only half of what Garmin has to offer. When you are finished with your training and head toward your computer, the watch will sync up with your computer using an Ant+ stick. Your entire workout will be downloaded into the Garmin training center. Make sure to set the lap function on your watch. This will help you as you analyze your training session. I set my laps to one mile and can easily analyze my training session. The program also provides you with a map of where you traveled. The map in the training center is somewhat limited but it allows you to open your training session in Google Earth. You can also sync your training center to Garmin’s web-based training center where all the information is available in an even better format with better maps. There is even a player where you can watch yourself, in the form of a pin, move through your training session and compare your speeds, elevation and other information.

I loved the watch so much that I forced my wife and neighbors to try it. A week later my wife had ordered her own and soon thereafter my neighbors had also bought one. My wife loves the interval function the watch offers. She sets her interval to distance or time and the watch will audibly alert her to when she either needs to step it up or enter into her recovery period. The ANT+ and the computer program easily pair up with both my watch and my wife’s, without any issues

I have found that the watch is extremely accurate. I have tested it against the speedometer in my car and a few different bike computers and it has always been right on. The battery is also solid. The watch comes with a plug where you can recharge the battery whenever you need to. The only time I have run out of battery power after a full charge was during my Ironman event when I was out on the road for an extended amount of time (8+ hours).

Although I love the watch, it isn’t perfect. The back-light on my watch has never worked. It seems to only be a glitch with my watch as it has worked on my wife’s and other friends. I attribute this to wanting to be an early adopter and buying one of the first watches off the production line. I am convinced that Garmin would have exchanged it but I didn’t want to give it up for any amount of time. The only other problems I have had is when running when it is wet outside. There are times when the bezel does not react to the touch of wet fingers. Also, if wearing a long-sleeved shirt and it is wet, it has at times activated the bezel and changed the screen. These issues have been rare and can easily be avoided by using the locking function on the bezel.

The Bottom Line ~

The Forerunner 405 is an incredible piece of equipment and continues to be one of my favorite training tools even though it is four years old. I do need to note that the heart rate strap is an add on. You can purchase the watch with or without the heart rate strap. The suggested retail price for the 405 is around $250, but you can easily find the watch for under $200. I paid $350 when it was new and have never regretted my purchase.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.

Honey Stinger Waffle Review

Oh, the goodness!

Honey Stinger WaffleDo you remember the first time you ever tried an energy bar and thought, “that is truly disgusting”? How about trying to consume one at mile 23 of a marathon, or hour 11 of an Ironman…you know it is virtually impossible. Well, there is hope, as Honey Stinger has created quite possibly the most perfect food in the history of mankind, the Honey Stinger Waffle.

The Honey Stinger Waffle was inspired by Lance Armstrong who suggested making an energy food similar to waffles sold throughout Europe. The product is basically two thin waffles with honey in the middle and it is certified organic. The waffle comes individually packed and provides you with 160 calories, 7 fat grams and 21 grams of carbs. It is a great solution to get your energy during your long training rides and competitions.

I want to emphasize how great the Stinger Waffle tastes. It is a delicious treat, and yes, it tastes like a treat. I let my kids try it (big mistake) and now they always ask me for the honey cookie. The Stinger Waffle is a round flat piece of goodness which is great for stuffing into your cycling jersey pockets. Because they are flat, you can easily stuff a six to eight in each pocket and not feel as if you are stuffing your pockets so full it will drag you down. I am not sure you would want to eat that many during a training session, but the goodness may tempt you to.

The honey does a good job of keeping the waffle from completely crumbling apart. I have kept a few loosely in my training bag and they have mostly kept their shape despite being knocked around by my other gear. The waffles broke into a few bite-size pieces, but not into tiny crumbs. The packaging is a little difficult to get into while flying down the road on your bike, but it shouldn’t be too much of an issue with most people.

The Bottom Line ~

Honey Stinger has created an incredible product that stands alone in the nutrition category with no other items like this. The Stinger Waffle provides a great alternative to other energy products on the market, but I would suggest that you combine the waffle with your current nutrition regimen. If you try this product you will love it and it will provide you with an additional and completely different item in your arsenal.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.