Enhance 'Footnotes'

Our FOOTNOTES page not only showcases the latest news from Enhance Sports in our Hot Sheet section, but also will allow us to share racing and training insight, words of wisdom, and some good old battle stories from an ever growing list of contributors. We will also use this page to post product reviews on some of the coolest products offered by our sport.

The Enhance Sports 'Hot Sheet'

Product Reviews

New Suunto Quest is here!
http://suunto.com/en/products/Heart-Rate-Monitors/suunto-quest/suunto-quest-black/

K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light
www.kswiss.com/content/store_home/

 Believe all of the great press on this new entry from K-Swiss - it is one impressive shoe! Light enough to be a racing flat, yet enough support and cushioning to your everyday trainer - I am in love with this shoe. The "ion-mask" upper helps repeal water making it an ideal shoe for the triathlete, but its appeal should be much more broad than that. Comfortable,yet secure fit in the heel and a slighter wider toe box ideal for those dog days of summer (but perhaps not for the narrow footed Nike crowd) make this my new shoe of choice - and it now comes in 3 different colors! Check them out!

Zoot Ultra Speed Racing shoe - light, almost non-exisitent, and easy on/off!
www.zootsports.com 

The popular read duing 2010 was 'Born to Run' which suddenly gave a new life to those mininalist type of running shoes boasting that less is more (and painting Nike the evil empire that not only created the running craze - but at the same time running injuries). Zoot's quasi entry into this genre of shoe is the ULTRA SPEED - but it was designed with a true purpose. Boasting a seemless sock-like upper (typical on all of the Zoot shoes) and ultra soft Dri-Lex fabric (almost lycra-like), the ULTRA SPEED fits like a glove and allows comfortable running with a wet sockless foot - ala right from the water's edge to your foot! Combine this with a high heel and gripping hole up front, this shoe literally flies on and off during transition, yet still offers enough support and stability while running to make this shoe something to ponder for those short to middle distance pure running races.

Suunto t6 Wristop Computer - High tech training made easy (very easy!)
www.suunto.com

For a guy who has a hard time remembering how to simply clear the memory on this Polar 720, using the Suunto t6 was a breeze. This 'wristop computer' not only looks sleek, it takes heart rate training to a whole new level with its 'training manager' software (meaning my Polar is now gathering dust in a drawer somewhere). The 'training manager' that accompanies the Suunto t6 allows one to graphically display many aspects of their training on a unique software program. Chart your heart rate, respiration, ventilation, VO2, altitude, and a very interesting measure refered to as 'Excess Post-Exercise Consumption (EPOC for short). Like their moto says, the Suunto t6 'takes the guesswork out of training'!  

The upgraded T6c series now allows for cadence to be added to the list of options the rider has at his or her disposal!

Read the full review on the Suunto t6 here or see it in FULL COLOR on the Suunto website (here)!
 


All of our athletes use Suunto!

ASK US ABOUT DISCOUNTED RATES
ON SUUNTO HRMS!

Rudy Project Wingspan TT helmet - Improved airflow and lighter weight!
www.e-rudy.com/index_inner.php?group_id=3&cat_id=87


Rudy Project put a great deal of thought and effort into their new Wingspan aero helmet and in doing so, created a super light weight aero helmet that appeals to both cyclists doing a TT or Triathletes looking for aerodynamics and air flow. How - by allowing the user to either fill in the air vents with covers (for a cyclist not having to run after their TT) or leaving them out for cooler airflow! Rudy also dramatically dropped the weight on this aero helmet (my one knock on its Rudy Project Carbon TT helmet - besides the steep price tag). From RUDY PROJECT:

The new Wingspan from Rudy Project is the latest aero helmet from a manufacturer that has been a pioneer in time-trial helmet designs. Available in matte colors Black/Silver, White/Silver and Red/Blue/White, the Wingspan has received notice for its unique shape and striking looks. Weighing in at 349g, the Wingspan exceeds CPSC requirements and is lighter than Rudy Project's previous model, the Syton. It includes Rudy Project's R.S.R. 7 Disc retention system for single-handed on-the-fly adjustments and has ear covers incorporated into the helmet's shell for maximum aerodynamics. Designed with the aide of legendary aerodynamics guru John Cobb, the Wingspan has undergone extensive wind tunnel testing to become the best TT helmet on the market. Through this testing, Rudy Project and Cobb developed the Wingspan's unique tail design that works best for all TT positions and back profiles, specifically the "flat" and "U" shapes most people display.

Best of all, the helmet retails for about $300 or about 50% cheaper than their former Carbon TT helmet, comes in a wide variety of colors (including some new NEON ones for a bit more coin) and can even be customized if you so desire. And, based on some of the independant aerodynamic drag reports I have seen, it is one of the most aero helmets on the market (ironically the Giro aero helmet ranks near the bottom of these reports)



Rudy Project Syton Open aero helmet - Being aero never looked so cool!
www.rudyprojectusa.com/products/helmets/syton.htm

I must preface thie review by telling all that I have a special fondness for aero time trail helmets. Like some women and shoes, I collect sleek looking aero helmets, even though until recently most were illegal for use in the USA (but that did not stop the myriad of helmet manufacturers from turning out countless versiono for the Professional peleton). Who can forget Cinelli's solid white mini aero sheel made popular by Bernard Hinault in the 1980s (I did get away with using this lid in a few collegiate TT's), or Linmar's eggshell thin helmet worn by Jan Ullrich in his gold medal TT ride at the 2000 Olympics, or the storm-trooperish MET aero job made famous by the Gerolsteiner team in 2003. Simply put, the problem with all of these aero helmets was that they offered no protection and subsequently were illiegal for bike racing and triathlons in the USA. But the aero helmet landscape has changed in 2005, as UCI-approved helmets are the norm and companies like Rudy Project are filling the aero helmet void!

Last year, one of the only UCI approved (and therefore legal) aero helmets for use in the USA was Louis Garneau's (LG) Prologue helmet, which in my opinion was a tad on the obtrusive side (meaning I really did not care for its aesthestics). Several companies added legal sero helmets to their line up this year, but the one that truly caught my eye was an offering from Rudy Project - the Rudy Project Syton Open.
(read the full review here)




2010 Easton Attack TT bars - Improving on the best aero bar on the market
www.easton.com

The one knock I had on the 2008/2009 aero bars (the ultra light TT bars that came in 2 sizes) was the inability to adjust the center extensions. You had to buy the right length and then be satisfied with the bend/angle/etc. Sure the older version was light and very simple - something I love in an aero bar - but they also were a tad narrow at only 38mm wide (meaning they would not be the most comfortable option for a fair amount of the triathletes). The new 2010 model addressed all of these concerns. The 2010 version comes in a wider 40cm width, offers telescoping center extensions (much like we saw introduced by Zipp on their Vuka bars), and they even altered the shape of the center extensions to the much more popular S bend (with a bit more S than other popular brands), while keeping the rest of the base bar and pad system the same - and the weight ultra low! My bar of choice in 2010!



Easton Attack Tri bars - A Carbon Masterpiece!
www.easton.com

When I removed the Easton Attack bars from the packaging, it was clear I was in the presence of a piece of bike equipment that could easily find a home in the Museum of Modern Art. The Attack bars possessed finely polished one-piece carbon arms and extensions, gentle angles and slopes, rubberized grips already fitted positioned in place, and the weight - my god, I have never held something so light!
(read the full review here)

Kestel Talon - Carbon at a resonable price (A Muzi)
(review brought to us by our friend Andy Muzi at Yellow Jersey in Madison, Wisconsin)

Kestrel, in Southern California, developed an original process for forming bicycle frames in one piece from a carbon-spectra matrix. Their bikes have won countless traithlons (and quite a few road races as well) and set the standard for carbon construction in our industry. Their process patent keeps Kestrel unmatched for strength and light weight with excellent handling and durability in spite of several attempts to copy their work. Other frames that look something like Kestrel are actually glued together from separate tubes and bondo-filled to look as if they are all one piece. Kestrels are wonderful bikes - ask any Kestrel rider - but just a bit expensive, especially for weekend triathletes who don't have a rich sponsor to buy their equipment. Kestrel's answer is the Talon.
(read the full review and see all of Andy's Talon links here)