Triathlon Gear Reviews

Vibrams are a niche market, but one I am part of. I love running "barefoot" without actually being barefoot. This particular model is a nice blend of minimalism and rugged design, so I felt confident even on packed gravel.





This review was provided in connection with Run Repeat.

This unit was provided to me by Compex in exchange for an unbiased review.

When I was first approached to do this review, I was more than a little bit skeptical. After I talked to Brandon at Compex, I was even more skeptical. The claims I was hearing didn't seem to pass "the smell test." I'm happy to say I was wrong. The Compex Sport Elite 2.0 is everything the claims say it is and more.

There is no way I can do justice to the Compex Sport Elite in the limited space available here. I strongly encourage anyone interested to visit their website at www.compex.com and read about EMS and TENS.

The short review is Compex just works!

The compression socks are very soft and easy to pull on, but still provide as much compression as the stiffer compression socks I've used before. These were provided by the company in exchange for an unbiased review. Link to Compression Socks)

Who says performance sunglasses have to look hokey? Roka's Halsey sunglasses look great and perform even better. They are incredibly light, do not move at all during activity, and the lenses are excellent. They are quickly becoming my favorite accessory.

I used to only use my Garmin for workouts. The latest generation of the Fenix has everything I need for triathlon and for backpacking, with the added bonus of being a smartwatch. I can receive notifications of texts and calls without pulling out my smartphone in meetings. It's a thing of beauty, and quite functional. I can still create workouts on the web and send them to the watch, like interval runs. The new step counting and sleep analysis features are great. I always felt sad that I had this huge expensive watch, and it couldn't do things a $100 fitbit could do. Now I have the best of both worlds.

I used to only use my Garmin for workouts. The latest generation of the Fenix has everything I need for triathlon and for backpacking, with the added bonus of being a smartwatch. I can receive notifications of texts and calls without pulling out my smartphone in meetings. It's a thing of beauty, and quite functional. I can still create workouts on the web and send them to the watch, like interval runs. The new step counting and sleep analysis features are great. I always felt sad that I had this huge expensive watch, and it couldn't do things a $100 fitbit could do. Now I have the best of both worlds.

I used to only use my Garmin for workouts. The latest generation of the Fenix has everything I need for triathlon and for backpacking, with the added bonus of being a smartwatch. I can receive notifications of texts and calls without pulling out my smartphone in meetings. It's a thing of beauty, and quite functional. I can still create workouts on the web and send them to the watch, like interval runs. The new step counting and sleep analysis features are great. I always felt sad that I had this huge expensive watch, and it couldn't do things a $100 fitbit could do. Now I have the best of both worlds.

When I swim in open water, I often fear boats will not see me, or I will get a cramp and run into trouble and then panic. Having this inflatable buoy along will be a big comfort. I had to test it in the pool because it's not warm enough to swim outside here. I really liked the dry bag feature. This product was provided free of charge in exchange for this review.

Great if you use shoes with shoelaces. Great workaround to run in Zwift. Doesn't work to run with Zwift app while listening to music or audiobook or podcast on the same device that is running Zwift.

This bag is incredibly versatile and clearly designed by people who know what it's like to try to get everything you need for transition from the car or hotel in one trip, while walking a bicycle next to you. A link to the product is here and this review was written about a product that was provided free of charge in exchange for a written evaluation.

I was skeptical about paying so much when I already had a fluid trainer, but using it with Zwift is fun, and seeing the power calculation is great. I've never trained with power before, and this is like getting a power meter, in addition to being able to play on Zwift. With this trainer, the Zwift app will show you going uphill, and the pedaling actually becomes harder!

I purchased a generic replacement strap on eBay, rather than purchase the expensive replacement from Garmin. My sensor is working just fine, but my strap was breaking down after a few years' use, and was no longer transmitting well. Additionally, bits of the strap were peeling off, and when I snapped off the sensor recently, the fabric around the snap began to fray. This replacement was so inexpensive, I purchased a two-pack so I have an extra when I leave one drying in the shower at home by accident.

This is a fun little gadget that can help improve safety when running or riding at night. I've always used small clip-on lights, but they can rotate around to the opposite side of my leg or belt, if I'm wearing a FuelBelt, and then cars on the other side can't see me. This is nice because the lightup area is very wide and goes all the way around my ankle, so it doesn't matter if it spins around. I wore it for a run in a dense urban area while traveling during the day, and it helped with traffic and even pedestrian traffic people it caught people's eyes and they moved to let me through. The multicolor feature is fun. The battery pack looks bulky when you put it on, but I forgot it about after the first two steps of my run, and didn't remember I was wearing it until I saw the reflection in the elevator.

This item was provided to BT free of charge in exchange for this review.
https://www.gearbest.com/sports-protective-gear/pp_320495.html

Good cold-weather gear for a beginner on a budget. Can be used on the bike or run in cold weather. It's bulky and thick, so if it becomes too hot, you have to figure out where to put it or hold it for the rest of the workout. The plastic face part serves to keep it from flying up or bouncing around, which is effective for keeping the warm air in. Because it isn't tight, it doesn't create the sensation of having to fight to suck in a breath.

Item was provided in exchange for a review. https://www.gearbest.com/cycling-clothings/pp_610452.html

The Felt DA 4 is an extremely high quality bike. If you are looking for a top triathlon bike for long course, the B2 is probably a better fit. It is easier for a short-torso person, and is a less aggressive riding position. I ended up with the DA because my B2 was destroyed in an accident and when I went to replace it, the new B2 only came with electronic shifters, raising the price well out of my range. So I moved over to the DA without doing all of my homework. It's a great, fast bike. Just damned uncomfortable. But with a lot of training and miles and strength built up, it's certainly doable. A younger or taller rider may not even notice the challenges I have at 5'3" and 41 years old.

As an entry level helmet, this is a good buy for the price. If you are going to be riding out on roads with traffic or at high speeds, I would really recommend you get a helmet that has a safety certification on it. However seeing the details and construction of this extremely inexpensive helmet, it makes me wonder how much they mark up the ones they sell at high-end bike stores! The snap on/snap off sun shield is a really good feature for people who wear eyeglasses.

Purchase link is: https://www.gearbest.com/bike-helmets/pp_425129.html Gearbest provided this item in exchange for a review.