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Newton Motion Stability Performance Trainer–Initial Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:16:56 +0000

It’s been a little over a month since we received a sample pair of these shoes from the folks at Newton. The Motion Stability Performance Trainer is new for 2012 and is designed to provide a flexible shoe with the support necessary for those needing a little more support.

The shoe features breathable and fast drying open mesh, minimal support strapping, the Action/Reaction Technology forefoot and rearfoot, and, most importantly for this tester, accommodates orthodics.

Initial Impressions:

As you’ve probably read in previous review, this tester uses stability or motion control shoes and SuperFeet insoles, so moving to a minimal shoe was a bit of a jump. When these shoes arrive, let’s be honest, the first thing we noticed was the color. They’re…bright. We continue to get numerous comments on the shoes, mostly positive.

Compared to our normal running shoes, these are unbelievably light. Almost not there. A significant change for us. The shoes are breathable and cool.

We followed Newton’s recommendations and started very slow with the shoes. Initially, we’d only use the shoes for quick 2-3 mile runs as our gait and form changed based on the shoe design. After two weeks of testing, we decided to move to longer runs, getting to the 6-7 mile range currently. When you run in these shoes, the design forces you to alter your gait and form, striking midfoot, taking shorter strides, leaning forward a few degrees. These are essential components to using these shoes comfortably. If you fight your body’s response to the shoes and try to toe strike or heel strike, you’re going to be quite uncomfortable.

Running in the Stability Trainers:

HOLY HELL, these are fast shoes. We’re not prone to exaggeration, so trust us on this one, they’re fast shoes. A rough estimate: Our normal first mile time at RPE 7 is about 8:30. After getting used to the feel of these shoes, our new first mile at RPE 7 is about 7:17. Two miles in less than 15:20. We haven’t run that fast since college, and just barely. We’re not saying that the shoes are going to make you faster, but changing our gait and form has certainly sped up our times. And the effect is not just there when wearing the Newtons; when we use our regular shoes, we’re 20 seconds faster than previously.

The minimal running style is a change for us, so we’ve been progressing slowly. We did experience a little tension and slight pain around our plantar fascia during our first week. That pain only occurred twice and was slight both times. Since that week, we haven’t experienced any pain.

You can also expect to feel the changes in your calves. Changing your running form uses different muscles, so don’t be surprised to see and feel changes in your body’s response to this new form.

What’s Next:

As a triathlete and an over-pronator, the real test of these shoes will be the long term results. We will provide additional reviews as we continue to extend our runs in these shoes. Expect to see side by side comparisons to other shoes, possibly with video, in the near future. We will conclude this review with a final evaluation, including notes about durability, wear, and long-term comfort.

Again, we don’t guarantee results; we just report our own experience, but these shoes have drastically increased our pace and have a very natural feel. As the weather here heats up, we’re also excited about the breathability

Remember: Before you make significant changes in your running style, do your research. What works for us might not work for you. Be careful, listen to your body, and don’t make dramatic changes quickly.

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Petzl Tikka Headlamp-Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:31:38 +0000

The Petzl Tikka Headlamp is a great solution if you’re running in challenging light conditions. For many of us, our days are too full of work and other distractions from our running passion, so we must change our schedules a bit. Running at night can be quite challenging in the best of conditions, but the last thing you want is to be without a good view of your surroundings.

The Petzl Tikka, and it’s replacement the Tikka2, are compact, lightweight LED powered headlamps.

We purchased this product at retail price about four years ago and have used it since.

The average lifespan of batteries is around 100 hours in our observations.

Likes: The strap is quite flexible and fits over a visor or hat, if you desire. We highly recommend purchasing the additional over the top head strap. There are a number of settings on this lamp that allow you to save battery time. Some of our longer races in very deep forest don’t require a lot of light, so the adjustments keep us from overkilling the light and draining the battery.

If you want to be seen, this lamp is great for running in high traffic areas due to the strobe light feature. You are also able to attach the lamp to your belt or shorts if you prefer. The headlamp can be articulated to point directly down at your feet or further in front of you, a very helpful feature in poor terrain.

Dislikes: You will look like a dork if you run in urban areas…Wait, there is plenty of light in urban areas, so just do’t use the light…

Purchase Again?: Absolutely.

KnuckleLights Running Lights-Review

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Leatherman Skeletool CX-Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:50:12 +0000

The Leatherman Skeletool CX features Needlenose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, hard wire cutters, a knife blade, carabinter clip, bottle opener and a large bit driver.

This tool is made form 100% stainless steel with a carbon fiber handle insert. The Skeletool CX features a 25-year warranty.

Usage: 4+ years

Likes: Lightweight, carry on ultra events. Does not cut into your hand like some of the older leatherman products. The clip on the one handle is strong and can grasp onto tether cords, backpacks, and vests. Lanyard (not supplied) can be fashioned the tool so you can have a safety cord. The serrated blade has stayed sharp for 4 years and I generally am pretty rough on knives during camping / hiking. The wire cutter is strong enough for what most will need. Don’t get crazy though as you can dent the teeth while trying to cut something larger / harder than you probably should.. The pliers grip well with their two teeth styles. The bits are really helpful for repairs and durable.

Dislikes: Be careful about the screw driver bits – you can easily lose these..
Bottom line: Good all around cutting, grasping tool but not a full service multi-tool.
Buy it again: Yes

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Saucony ProGrid Guide TR2–Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:14:55 +0000

Duration: Two Sets – one is 3 months, older pair is 9 months
Usage: Trail Running and occasionally on pavement
Price Paid: $90
Comments:
Traditional shoe lace style, very roomy toe box. I purchased these when my typical Brooks Trail Adrenaline were not available. I had never owned a pair of Saucony so I was skeptical. With a fast approaching ultra looming I took the attitude of “whatever” and gave it a shot.

Like: the sole is durable. The ride and transition from foot strike is stiffer than my salomons, but reminds me of a road shoe. I have had one pair for 9 months and the sole is not wearing out at all. Very soft inner shoe is comfortable for longer runs. I can wear thin or thick socks and the shoes gives to the sock i’m wearing.

Dislike: the upper (ON BOTH SETS) near the crease point where the toe box meets the rest of the upper is tearing apart at the stitches. I thought this was just a problem with the first set because I run often when the shoes are wet (streams, snow, etc) but it happened on the second set of shoes as well.

Will I buy them again? Only if they fix the issue with the tearing at the meeting point of these two materials.

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Salomon SpeedCross–Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:34:15 +0000

Duration: 8 months
Usage: Trail Running and occasionally on pavement…although I wouldn’t
Price Paid: $110
Comments:
Lacing system is awesome, it has a draw string that you simply pull and tuck into the tongue and it tightens down properly across the top of the foot. Comfortable when wearing thinner socks. When wearing my injinji socks it was sustainable for a recent 21 mile trail run with multiple stream crossings. Soles are a gummy sort of rubber with “hooks” that dig into softer dirt and surfaces…I like! The show is not intended for running on pavement because from my experience it wears too quickly. Some weeks I am running 20 miles, some 60…it depends upon training. I would state that rotating them into your schedule will prolong the life, as with and shoe.
there are some comments on the web about the lacing breaking…this has not been a problem for me.
Negative: there are not a lot of local retailers that carry this brand…so I had to gamble and purchase them on the internet. My first shot at it yielded a pair that I had to return because I purchased my typical size 9 and the toe box was too tight. Possible suggestion is that the shoe be purchase a size larger…or perhaps my toes are just gaining weight.

Saucony ProGrid Guide TR2–Review

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RUEZ Performance Underwear Review-Slightly NSFW

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:12:30 +0000

Ok folks, this might be one of the more unique reviews we’ve ever done. Today we’re going to take a look at the RUEZ Performance Underwear. These unique underwear provide a ‘performance pouch’ to store your “man parts” during exercise.

We received two samples, one boxer and one brief. We have tested these underwear in the pool and during runs.

Overview of RUEZ Performance Underwear:

RUEZ is the produce of years of development and fitting to solve the problem of certain body parts sticking to other body parts during athletic training and competition. Actually, let’s dispense with the silly allusions to body parts: these underwear are designed to keep your penis and balls from sticking to your legs when you’re running or swimming.

The underwear are available in boxers or briefs and both versions feature a personal pocket to hold your ID or your key.

Testing RUEZ Performance Underwear:

We tested these underwear during short to medium distance runs and also in the pool.

During the runs, we noticed that the underwear performed as designed, providing a physical separation between our body and our wedding tackle. Of course, the weather is quite nice for running this time of the year, so excessive sweating and stickyness isn’t a huge problem, but it’s clear that these underwear provide a nice solution to the problem.

We did notice that occasionally the seams in the boxers can cause a little discomfort on longer runs. We noticed this most on the first run with these and in successive runs the seams were not a problem, but some people that are susceptible to chafing might want to look at the briefs versus the boxers. At the end of the day, these underwear performed quite well and did exactly what they advertised, that is, kept a physical separation between our body parts.

We tested the boxers a few times in the pool. This did require that we wore a different pair of swim trunks that we weren’t used to, so that threw us off a little. But, as with the run, the underwear performed as designed. They stayed in place and maintained a separation between our parts and the rest of the body. Even during long swims and hard swims, the boys stayed in the pouch and didn’t stick to our legs.

Finally, the personal pocket also worked reasonably well. We only tested it in our runs. We carried a standard drivers license and also a single key. Both stayed in place and didn’t cause discomfort or rubbing.

RUEZ Underwear Final Thoughts:

We believe the RUEZ underwear are a elegant and simple solution to a common problem. Unlike sprays and other topical solutions, the underwear provide a physical separation for your penis and scrotum. Unlike these other options, the RUEZ underwear won’t wear off after time. The pouch is comfortable and doesn’t pull or stretch your man-parts, so there is almost no sensation to using these underwear.

Once the weather warms up here, we’ll provide an update on performance in high heat and humidity, but we expect our final thoughts to be similar. The physical separation either works or it doesn’t and our experience has been that it works.

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NeverReach Go! Hydration System–Final Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:49:14 +0000

You’ve seen a few reviews recently on NeverReach products. We did a final review on the NeverReach Pro Rear Mounted Hydration System. Our final opinion on the Pro was that it’s a great product and very useful for Ironmen and distance riders. The NeverReach Go! is a smaller version for sprint or Oly distance tris or for your average recreational rider. We did an initial review in July and have completed the final review.

About the NeverReach Go! Hydration System:

The NeverReach Go! system is the little brother of the Pro System. The Go holds 38 oz. of liquids compared to 64 oz. for the Pro System. The Go! is a basic sphere shape, not as aerodynamic as the teardrop of the Pro. Both NeverReach systems feature the same tubing and ‘Easy Flow’ mouthpiece. The Go! releases easily from the mount for cleaning.

Mounting the NeverReach Go! Hydration System:

Please check out our initial review of the NeverReach Go! for details of mounting or head over to the NeverReach site.

Final Thoughts on NeverReach Go!:

As we mentioned, we used our standard test bike for this test. We mounted the Go! on an old saddle because it didn’t fit our Adamo seat. The mounting was simple. We removed our aerobars to simulate a recreational or short tri bike setup.

We didn’t have any trouble adjusting the mouthpiece to work without our aerobars. We have ridden numerous times including hills, flat stretches, and other various environments. We didn’t know what to expect on hilly rides, both uphill and downhill, but we never experienced a problem accessing the water or with the water leaking.

The entire system is well made, feels good when mounted on your bike, and seems to be without design flaw. There are no leaks, not gaps, no problems at all with the mounting and usage of the Go!.

We have ridden about 150 miles with the Go! mounted on a test bike. This represents a few months of recreational riding for most people, so we feel we can speak well of the durability of this product.

We believe NeverReach has created a well made and usable product and recommend you consider the NeverReach Go! if you’re in the market for a hydration system that’s more glamorous than your standard bottle cages. The Go! costs about the same as two cages, two bottles, and the cost of mounting the cages, so price-wise, it’s a wash.

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Nathan Quickdraw Plus-Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:50:33 +0000

Here’s a quick review on from our newest writer.

We’ve been using the Nathan Quickdraw Plus handheld water bottle for about three years. We purchased the product for about 15 bucks.

The Quickdraw Plus features a moisture wicking hand strap with a 22 oz. hydration bottle. The Quickdraw Plus features a zippered pocket and has a waterproof card holder.

What we like about the Quickdraw Plus:

The Quickdraw allows you to carry a gel or two, S-caps if desired, and a key in the small pouch on the side. There is a small clasp that will clip onto your key…just in case you worry it might fall out. We like this because we have lost our solo key while on a run…no more tying it onto our shoelaces.

You can go for 1-2 hours with the liquid contained in the 22 oz. bottle depending upon your consumption rate/sweat rate. The adjustable strap fits over the rear of your hand and has a nice foam filled pad. Reflective portions of the system keep you visible when out for a late run. The bottle has a screw top and a nice “nipple” on the top that allows you to bite and pull open to get at the liquid. Some other manufacturers use a hard nipple (think your average bike water bottle) and that can suck. The bottle breaks down into three pieces for cleaning. You can wash the holder with regulate clothes, but I suggest air drying.

What we don’t like about the Quickdraw Plus:

The Quickdraw Elite (for me) was a better product. Of course, it costs a few bucks more, but it’s worth considering.

The adjustment strap will slip to a less tight position if you get it wet. Sometimes it rains, sometimes you are splashing through crossings, and sometimes you get the liquid from the bottle all over, so you have to be careful about keeping the strap tight.

Buy it Again?

Absolutely. Great value and very functional. We prefer the Quickdraw Elite, but wouldn’t hesitate to purchase the Plus again.

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NeverReach Pro-Rear Mounted Hydration System–Final Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:22:26 +0000

It’s been quite a while since we’ve discussed the NeverReach Pro hydration system. We wish we had a good excuse, but we’ve honestly been busy with marathon training and not spent much time on the old bike. The good news is that in the past month or so we’ve had more time on the bike and have now wrapped up our final review. Our apologies for the delay.

If you haven’t seen the previous review, take a moment to check this out.

As we mentioned in the first review, we had a few struggles mounting the system to our Adamo seat. We’re happy to report that Linda at NeverReach is very responsive and soon got back to us with updated mounting instructions. After reviewing these, they seem to be much more useful. You have to love a small company that responds quickly to customer feedback.

Our final thoughts:

Since our initial review, we’ve used the NeverReach Pro on every ride we’ve taken. Most of them have been in the 30 to 40 mile range, but a few have been north of 50 miles. Nothing approaching a full IM course, but decent distances here. During these rides, we spent some time in aero position and some time in a regular riding position. In both cases we could adjust the mouthpiece of the NeverReach Pro to allow easy access to our water, but it was certainly easier in the aero position.

We didn’t have a chance to test the Ironman splash guard, at least not in a real competition setting. We did practice refilling while riding and the splash guard seems to work quite well. It did prevent our liquids from spilling or splashing.

One tip that we discovered to help keep your NeverReach Pro clean and in good shape is to disconnect the feed tube from the tank after your ride. We didn’t do this the first few times we rode and the water left in the system had a off taste to it after a few days. Nothing serious, but not a great first sip. So, we decided to start disconnecting the tube from the tank and letting them drip dry. Excellent idea on our part. We haven’t had any problems with mold or off flavor water and we haven’t noticed the tube stretching or any leaks due to the frequent removal.

There’s also not much else to wear out on this system, so we don’t have anything groundbreaking to report in that sense. The mouthpiece has obviously been used and there are some stains on the neoprene mouthpiece wrapper, but nothing that we consider real wear and tear. Based on our experience, if you keep this system clean, you’re going to have it for as long as you want.

The bottom line is that this is an interesting hydration system that works. The design and construction are solid. It’s nice to get those bottles out of the way and have easy access to your hydration, even when you’re in the aero position. Installation is reasonably simple and once you’ve got all the settings tweaked, there’s not much for you to worry about: just fill it up, clean it up, and you’re going to be in good shape. We recommend, without reservation, the NeverReach Pro Hydration System.

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NeverReach Go! Hydration System-Initial Review

FitEgg Tri Gear Review — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:40:39 +0000

At the beginning of June, we reviewed the NeverReach Pro Hydration System, a sizable hydration tank that mounts on the rear of your bike and holds 64 oz. of liquids.

Today, we’re looking at the NeverReach Go! a smaller and simpler version designed for regular cycling and off-roading. Thanks to NeverReach for the sample. The Go! retails for $49.99

About the NeverReach Go! Hydration System:

Mounting the NeverReach Go! Hydration System:

Since our first review, the folks at NeverReach have updated their installation instructions. We are going to update the previous review to reflect this new mounting process, which we found to be much easier.

The NeverReach Go! is quite easy to mount. You can check out the instructions in a separate PDF. We mounted the NeverReach, without any instructions, in less than 4 minutes. First, open the bracket and attach to your seat rails. We decided to use a different seat for the Go! since our ISM Adamo was currently fitted with the NeverReach Pro System. We attached the mount to the seat before putting it on the bike, so it was even easier for us. Once the bracket is on the seat, all you have to do is slide the Go! into the bracket and slide the rubber band around the mounting area to secure the bottle. After getting the bracket and tank mounted, we connected the tubing used for the NeverReach Pro system, since it’s exactly the same equipment.

For users that don’t already have a NeverReach system mounted, which is most of you, your next step is to attach the tube holder to the handlebars. Then run the tubing down your frame to the seat and Go! nipple. Cut the tube to fit, making sure you’ve measured twice or three times. It’s impossible to ‘un-cut’ the tube, so make sure you’ve got the length exactly right.

After cutting the tubing, you can use the included straps to secure the tubing to your frame.

Testing the NeverReach Go! Hydration System:

After the easy mounting operation, we filled up the tank and headed out for some quick tests. We removed the aerobars from our test bike for this review, so we had some adjusting to do to the mouthpiece. As we mentioned in the Pro review, make sure you give yourself time to adjust the mouthpiece. It took us much less time to get the mouthpiece set this time, we’ll chalk that up to experience.

After getting the mouthpiece set, we cruised around our neighborhood for about 7 miles to get the feel of things. We hit some hills, but most of our testing was on flat ground.

As with the Pro, we didn’t have any problems with the bite valve leaking or the tank nipple leaking. The Go! has a cap that covers the fill opening, so you don’t have to worry about sloshing or splashing.

We did not test the tank off-road, but have arranged for a MTB friend to take the Go! out for a few miles of trail riding. We’ll bring you those results in the final review, next month.

Initial Impression of NeverReach Go! Hydration System:

As with the NeverReach Pro, this is a well made product. The mounting equipment, tubing, bite valves and tank are all sturdy and fit together well.

The Go! system is easy to mount and doesn’t leak. They system seems expensive, but if you add up the cost of two bottle brackets and two bottle brackets, you’re in the same ballpark.

The Go! delivers a good flow of liquids without much effort and the mouthpiece can be moved out of the way after use.

We continue to test the Go! on surface roads, riding paths, and will soon have some off-road experience to add to the final review.

Stay tuned for our final review.

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