MY FAVOURITE THIINGS vol. 1 a
On this blog, I am sometimes prone to fake-philosophy, to pretend journalism, to hyperbole, rhetoric and many other forms of pseudo-literary nonsense. Today, I am not Hunter Thompson in my head, just a guy with a wish to share some practical advice, some no-nonsense information about things that make my life as a triathlete easier.
TASSIMO: Life before Tassimo was not life; owning a Tassimo is like abiogenesis, the process by which primordial elements are formed into life. Imagine, wholly satisfactory espressos, on demand, no noise, no grinding, no boiling. Imagine creating perfect red-eyes in your own kitchen each morning. Owning a Tassimo has rocked my world. It has made every morning better, but specifically it allows for perfect pre-race beverage preparation, at 4 am, with no noise. EVERY triathlete should own a TASSIMO.
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| My new BFF |
CHALLENGE PARIGI-ROUBAIX TIRES: Riding to work this morning on my aluminum cross bike, I floated over street car tracks, I noticed potholes visually, but that was it. I felt as though I was riding on pillows. These tires roll very well, and create a feeling of riding on smooth glass. Plus they handle great. Watching Paris-Roubaix this year, I was struck by how cool race bikes look with fatter tires on them. These tires have me re-thinking the wisdom of running anything skinnier than a 25mm tire for training. The difference is just that huge.
Imagine a tire, that keeps you on even ground with most roadies, has enough grip for most dry-pack trails, cinder path and has enough traction to climb a 1/2 km, 9% loose gravel hill (albeit with some technical challenges).
MY GARMIN EDGE 500: the edge 500 is the single best GPS bike computer ever. As ridiculous as this is, I also own an 800 and a 510. wow, did garmin ever get it wrong with the 510. i mean why would you take the smallest, lightest, coolest GPS device on the market and for an update, make it the size of a laptop???? furthermore, the 500 is actually easier to use, less prone to suddenly reset the values on training pages spontaneously while your bike sits in transition (which has happened more than once with my 800; touchy touch screen) , and it actually makes one think that a touch screen is not always an improvement. the size and weight of the 500 is a huge benefit for anyone trying fit their computer in a tight cockpit. in terms of reliability, size, convenience, weight and performance, there is no other computer I would want on my bike at a race.
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| the size difference is even more pronounced in real life |
DI2: For a long time, I resisted shimano. It just doesn't sound as cool as SRAM or Campagnolo. Furthermore, how can a company who make fishing rods and bike parts and be credible?
Upon reflection, I think that one of the nicest bikes I ever owned was my old, steel Miele, and they also make dishwashers...
DI2 is the bomb. It is the one thing that will most radically change your ride experience forever, and for the better. DI2 provides perfect shifts, back and front, under any load, with tiny movements of your fingers. You know this already, but you have to experience it, and if you do, you will want it.
SHIMANO DURA-ACE CASSETTE: Maybe this should be included with the DI2, but since I didn't get them at the same time, to me, it is a new gadget. It looks unassuming, especially compared to other top end cassettes I've owned. But man, talk about smooth chaining, and shifts that are silent like church mice. At first, I had to check to make sure a shift just happened.
During my last ride, I thought about an analogy between shifting and farting. Campy is that old, European guy, who just matter of factly toots, at a decent volume and doesn't even look at you twice. Not quite shameless, because shame never enters into his mind. A fart is a fart; it makes noise.
SRAM are that loud and proud college kid, who does things to increase his intra-abdominal pressure so that he can fart louder than anyone else; the kid who laughs at his own farts. That is SRAM in a nutshell. Loud, chunky, proud of it. DI2 on the other hand, is a delicate princess, who passes air in silence and without any stink. Hell, she doesn't even eat foods that cause gas, because she so hates to make any noise tooting. This girl is not so much uptight as just perfect. You will almost never hear her fart.
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| the silent princess |
SUNNTO AMBIT: This device deserves its own review, which it might get. Suffice it to say, that since I got one for my birthday, it has not left my wrist except to download workouts or charge (which it does not require often). This most 007ly of watches looks stealth, yet sophisticated, it works as a real, day to day watch and delivers impeccable and fast GPS fixes when you need them. The ambit is equally comfortable and cool at a cocktail party, underneath a martini, on a mountainside in the snow, in Lake Ontario, or running through the Don Valley. Boom!
http://www.desotosport.com/product/HB
NAIR: This summer I took the plunge and went to get my legs waxed. Some weeks later I am no longer debating whether or not this is ridiculous, questionable behavior. I am just wondering how to get that smooth, aeroplane feeling on my legs as often as possible, with the least hassle. Enter Nair. Like so many things in life, not really good for you, but very good. Yes, Nair is made from the same chemical as drano. Yes, it will burn off your skin if you leave it on for too long. But good it is at what it does, and it is most certainly one of my new favourite things.
Like the song says, these are just a few of my favourite things. There are many more, but I think this might become a regular addition to the endurance animal blog, so I might save them for another time.
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