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Tri Suits and Other Tri Gear

Information on triathlon suits, shorts, and other essential tri gear.

Pearl iZUMI In-R-Cool Tri Shorts Review

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In Tokyo over 50 years ago, a proud father produced Japan’s first bicycle racing apparel for his son, a promising racer. Today, Pearl Izumi USA, Inc. has involved into a multi-national company with a cult-like following. The name Pearl Izumi USA, Inc. is derived the gem “pearl” and an area of Japan known for its clear water “Izumi.” Literally translated, Pearl Izumi means “fountain of pearls.” One of their most popular products is their In-R-Cool cycling short. The Pearl Izumi In-R-Cool comes in two different series—the P.R.O. and the Elite. The Pearl Izumi P.R.O. In-R-Cool retails at around $140-160 (but we can help you get them for $100) while the Elite In-R-Cool retails at around $100-$120 (but we found them for as low as $60). The In-R-Cool technology was originally introduced in their P.R.O. Series, but after its initial popularity, they incorporated the technology into their top-selling Elite short as well.  This technology, used in other garments too, such as cycling bibs, is designed to help regulate the body temperate in a variety of outdoor climates.  The nylon-based fabric is highly breathable and moisture-wicking. We tested both the P.R.O. and Elite shorts during summer months to see if they kept us as cool as the product’s name implies. Here’s what we found: Performance: A few cyclists reported that these shorts were great for the first 3000 miles. After that, padding near the edges at the rear started to wrinkle and cause chafing. However, many other triathletes and cyclists alike disagreed and claimed that they never experienced chaffing in these shorts. We’d have to agree—although we didn’t ride in them for over 3000 miles this summer, we were rather impressed by how comfortable and cool they kept us. We really liked the leg cuffs and the grippers. They’re the best we’ve ever seen. Users reported that they were fast drying, had good padding, were a good fit, and had excellent breathability. Most triathletes felt these shorts were great for long rides and warm-hot weather. Pearl Izumi’s In-R-Cool fabric is powered by coldblack. This special fabric provides superior cooling and reflective sun protection. It reflects UV light and reduces the fabric’s surface temperature to the same temperature as the white fabric anatomic multi-panel design for a streamlined, high-compression fit. Their Direct-Vent Panels provided optimal ventilation—while we rode, we were impressed at how cool these shorts kept us. Riding is just part of the equation, though, and you can forget about the run leg of a triathlon.  The Elite In-R-Cool shorts have a bike pad that is barely noticeable during a run.  That is important, because one of the biggest complaints we write about when doing tri shorts reviews is that the seat pad is uncomfortable during a long run.  Pearl Izumi, as expected, got it right, with a pad that is good for cycling but then is not a factor during the run. Comfort: Pearl Izumi’s folded transfer fabric at the leg opening provides a soft, comfortable stretch. The Pearl Izumi In-R-Cools feature a 3D Chamois with 3 layers. Users reported that they couldn’t really feel the 3rd layer. However, despite the thin 3rd layer, we really thought that these shorts were comfortable. The short’s fabric is made with UPF 50 + and utilizes a special perspiration-activated technology that cools your body’s surface temperature by 5%. The shorts also include “Pressure Relief Technology” and active carbon yarns that improve thermoregulation and eliminate static-induced fatigue. If you are going to be doing ultra-long distance riding as part of your tri training or racing, we recommend simply wearing bike shorts for that leg.  We would probably but the cutoff at anything over about 60 miles.  For less than that, however, the comfort level was high in these PI shorts. Features: Both the Elite and P.R.O. series feature reflective elements for low-light visibility. In our opinion, the Castelli shorts had better reflectors. However, most athletes that buy the In-R-Cools are after the cooling-technology. If you’re looking for “cool,” then these shorts are probably for you. Recommendation: If you live and/or practice somewhere that’s hot year-round, these shorts are worth the splurge. Pearl Izumi makes quality products and we doubt you’ll be disappointed with these shorts. They come in a variety of different colors, they’re appealing, and they’re very comfortable. If these shorts are still too expensive for your budget, and/or you don’t plan on riding as much, we recommend downgrading to the Pearl Izumi Elite In-R-Cool Tri short. These Tri shorts retail at around $60-$80. However, if you’re going on 50-60 plus mile bike rides, spending the few extra dollars for the P.R.O. or the Elite cycling short is worth it. We DON’T recommend using these shorts in a chlorinated pool. Many users made the mistake of swimming in these shorts and discovered that their hundred dollar shorts started falling apart after a month or two. If you are training for a triathlon, we highly recommend investing in a pair of jammers. Do you own a pair of Pearl Izumi’s? We’d love to hear what you think about them!

Comparing the Best Stationary and Spinner Bikes

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 Stationary bikes, or spinning bikes, can be an excellent alternative to road or trail riding for exercise enthusiasts or competitive athletes.  While there is no substitute for going for a hard, heart rate-raising ride outside, there are times when a more controlled ride indoors is called for.  For those of us in Northern climates, winter weather can push you indoors for weeks or months at a time, as you move to more of a cold weather cycling routine.  Sometimes a few days of thunderstorms can cause even the most well-intentioned road ride plan to be postponed.  And there are times when road construction or traffic patterns make it unsafe enough to ride outside that an indoor ride is best. Riding on a spinning or stationary bike also has a benefit that many athletes value:  It gives you complete control over the intensity, duration, and environment surrounding your ride.  No stoplights, no wind, no hills.  No need to carry a computer, fiddle with a bike lock, you aren’t going to have to have a bike tire pump nearby before each ride, and you don’t even need to wear a helmet!  Just a completely controlled environment for you to do precise interval work or to work at your desired heart rate. What to Look For in your Stationary Bike Buying a stationary bike can be a large investment, so be sure you are looking at the features that will actually help you.  A few things to look for include: Positioning.  Perhaps the first choice to make is if you want a recumbent or upright bike.  Recumbent bikes are lower and have you seated with your legs and feet in front of you.  Upright bikes are just that – upright – and resemble an actual bike posture.  Unless you ride a recumbent-style bike when outside, we suggest you train on an upright.   Technology.  You can get some incredible technology on bikes today, it is actually mind-boggling.  The most basic options include pacing and heart rate monitoring.  Spend more, and you can actually link your workout to the screen in front of you, and do full downloads of your training versus your training plan.  If you want to get precise about your training, consider higher tech.  If you just want to ride in front of a TV, don’t spend as much.  Nowadays, you should also expect to be able to run your phone or Ipod on your bike. Seat Comfort.  As we say with road bikes and triathlon bikes, the seat is the primary point of contact with your body when cycling, so choose wisely.  Some seats are more firm and stiff, others are quite soft and meant for longer-term comfort.  The key is to match the seat with what you are used to, and how you want to train — for high-intensity performance, or longer-term distance and fat-burning. Accessories.  From cup holders to phone clips to ventilated seatbacks (on the recumbents), you can get quite an array of accessories.  Just figure out what you will actually use, and don’t spend money on things you don’t need. If you want to add stationary or spin workouts into your repertoire, here are a few of the more popular gear choices to help you do that. LifeCore Stationary Bikes.  Lifecore has been making good upright and recumbent stationary bikes for years.  Their current lineup includes three recumbents and two upright bikes.  The recumbent bikes, the 850RBs, 950RBs, and 1050RBs, are similar in style and frame but with each step up in cost, you will get more adjustability and console features.  Testing tells us that these bikes are highly comfortable – featuring a mesh seat back for air flow – and provide many workout options whether you are looking for a preset program or simply want to do a good, manual workout.  Only one Livestrong model offers the same type of mesh, which is often cited as a key comfort factor for those preferring a recumbent.  For hardcore cyclist and triathletes, the upright spinner bikes might be more your style.  The 1050UBs is a good bike that shares many of the features of the recumbent bikes, but puts the rider in more of a traditional cycling position.  It can handle riders up to 300 lbs.  They also offer an upright air bike, the LS-XT, which is very compact but not geared for hardcore cycling workouts.  It is a better fit for those who are doing rehab.  Our Favorite: The Fitness Assult is a good all-around bike that gets good reviews from users. Sole Spin Bikes.  Sole produces a line of high-quality spin bikes that will rival what you use at the health club.  While the Lifecore might be geared more toward general fitness enthusiasts and recreational riders, Sole tends to take their bikes to the next level and make spinner bikes that are higher performance.  What does that mean?  Better adjustability and a smoother (and if you want it, more challenging) ride.  While the LifeCore upright bikes will weigh around 80 lbs, the Sole will be nearly double that at about 150 lbs.  That tells you a little about the difference in build of the bikes, but it also makes the Sole a bit of a bear if you have it in a space that needs to be moved around a lot.  The Sole lineup includes both recumbent and upright bikes.  The uprights are the SB700, B94, and LCB Commercial.  The recumbent bike lineup features the R92 and LCR Commercial.  The LCD display is good, and the programs are adequate but very much on par with the other brands.  What you get when you buy the Sole is a high-quality, heavy construction capable of hard workouts.  Our Favorite:  If you can afford the Commercial lineup, do that.  Otherwise, the B94 upright bike is a great all-around bike that will fit well with your training plans. Livestrong Spinner Bikes.  If the purpose of your bike will be to train and train hard, you might be swayed … Read more

Pearl Izumi Select Jersey Review

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Pearl Izumi (technically spelled iZUMi) has been cranking out some of the best triathlon clothing – and overall workout gear in recent years. While we often write about Pearl Izumi’s triathlon suits or tri shorts, which we are fans of, we also wanted to spread the word about one of our favorite all-purpose workout and tri tops – the Pearl Izumi Select jersey (from $65 to $75). We recognize that we might be biased toward the Pearl Izumi Select Jersey because it tends to fit us perfectly. As with anything triathlon related, people should always try to settle in on brands that fit their particular body type well. But we credit Pearl Izumi at least partially with building a garment in the jersey that tends to fit a typical weekend athlete pretty well – cut well through the shoulder, arms and back so you have little excess fabric hanging in the wind, but loose enough in key areas, such as under the armpit and in the lower back, so it doesn’t ride up when in various positions on the bike. The fabric on the Pearl Izumi Select Jersey is very soft, soft enough so there is relatively little risk of chafing or rubbing. It is made of Pearl Izumi’s sensor poly fabric, which we have found to be excellent in terms of both breathability and moisture-wicking. In fact, it is comfortable enough so we consider much more than a cycling jersey – we routinely use it for other workouts and for triathlons where we may be choosing to not go in a full triathlon suit or tri top. For cyclists, we like the reflective trim (which blends in great with the color scheme) that provides a little extra safety in low light. The colors of the Select Jersey vary by year, but we have always found the colors to be attractive. We personally aren’t fans of the black and dark blue color schemes as we prefer brighter tones for cycling safety, but that is a relatively minor nit. The Pearl Izumi Select Jersey is topped off with a long zipper on the front to control the level of ventilation in any conditions, and a triple pocket across the outside of the lower back that is designed in a way that is barely noticeable if you are not using it. Road tests indicate a high level of satisfaction with this jersey. The consensus is that it runs small to size, so when combined with its natural athletic cut, you will probably be getting a snug fit by ordering your normal size. Snug is not bad, however, and Pearl Izumi has done a great job of making this jersey comfortable even if it happens to be form-fitting on your build. The smallish fit was perhaps the only real critique we heard in our road tests, so if you are concerned you may want to order up a size to be on the safe side. Other road test reports were that the Select Jersey was very comfortable on rides, the color scheme provided excellent choice, and the breathability exceeded expectations. The garment also appears to be highly durable, something we also encourage people to consider so as to not consume more shirts and shorts than they have to. We hate to get in a position where we write gushing reviews of products, but this is probably as close as it gets. Pearl Izumi has a great product in their Select Jersey, consistent with their other Select line of products which includes running tights and triathlon suits. Products: Pearl Izumi Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey:  (Mens) – $65(Womens) – $75 Pearl Izumi Womens Short Sleeve Triathlon Singlet (very similar to the cycling jersey):  $85

Shimano RS80 Wheelset Review

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Shimano’s RS80 line of carbon wheel is part of its Road Sport category, and represents Shimano’s Ultegra componentry.  The RS80 with the C24 profile can usually be found for around $800, and a set of RS80’s with the more aerodynamic C50 profile retails for $1,300 but can commonly be found for closer to $1,000.  As for Shimano’s lineup. The RS80 fits neatly in between the base, entry-level aluminum RS30 and the Dura Ace lineup (WH 7850 and 7900 series) which cost about $500 – $700 more than the RS80. The RS80 generally puts itself in a class with such wheels as the Mavic Ksyrium, another carbon fiber wheelset that weighs about the same as the Shimano.  While Mavic has some very loyal users who insist it is the most durable wheel on the market with the smoothest hub, riders of the RS80 have the advantage of being able to get a wheel with very similar specs for less.  True, the list prices between the Ksyrium and the RS80 are close to the same, but you will tend to find the Shimano line on sale more often, with savings sometimes being substantial.  Mavics don’t often go on sale, and when they do our observation is that the savings are more modest, something that can also be said for the other major RS80 competitor, the Fulcrom 3. Like most wheelsets in its class, the Shimano RS80 comes with an aluminum hub and steel freehub that can handle 8, 9, or 10 speeds.  Being the innovator of today’s freehub technology, the Shimanos are always reliable and relatively durable.  Any hub is subject to corrosion, the Shimano included, so even with this high quality hub you will want to protect your investment by cleaning it periodically.  Also like most wheelsets in its class, you can expect stainless steel, bladed spokes on the RS80.  The spokes on current models are silver, a look that compliments a lot of road bikes when the standard spoke color for this class seems to be black.  The extra finish on black spokes, however, might be useful to riders who will often be in salt or other rough conditions.  The overall output of this combo is a smooth ride, albeit a little rough on some surfaces.  The ride isn’t quite as smooth as the Shimano Dura Ace WH 7850 or 7900, but that is likely due to the increased hub engineering and slightly better bearings on the DA.  Given that the DA costs a bit more, riders will need to evaluate if a little extra smoothness in ride is worth the cost.  A nice thing about both the 7900 and RS80 is that they don’t have a rider weight limit, so can accommodate Clydesdales as well as lighter riders. We like the overall shape of the RS80s sections, and it seems to do a good job of giving riders a cross between an aerodynamic ride and a deeper profile for more grinding and hilly rides.  You may not get the aero profile you would with a Zipp or Hed wheel, but for many riders that is a good thing. The result is a wheelset that may outperform more expensive wheels on hills and in cross winds. Road Test Road tests validate the good performance in crosswinds and on hills, and depending on what you were riding previously, you should notice a nice aero pickup.  The RS 80 isn’t going to give you a pillow-soft ride, nor are they intended do.  Plenty of road energy will be telegraphed to your body, but that is to be expected for wheels of this class and composite.  The wheels are responsive, and that is what most riders who spend this money on want.  If you are doing ultra-long rides regularly and value a silky smooth ride, you may want to consider some other wheels such as Shimano’s own Dura Ace, although the RS80s have been known to do just fine on some very long rides.  We think your computer will show you that your overall performance is right up there with other wheels, unless you are a 1,000-watt-output pro.  What offsets any perceived roughness is the durability – we have seen several RS80 models with many miles on them, and they seem to hold up great over time. Alternatives As mentioned above, there are a few alternatives to the RS 80 that exist in the market, although the RS80 occupies a nice niche of all-around functionality with a price that is lower than some other options.  Namely, key competition includes: Shimano’s own Dura-Ace 7850 or 7900 model.  At about $1,300 and up, you’ll pay more for the DAs, but you will also get the coveted DA hub and a consensus smoother overall ride Mavic Ksyrium.  You’ll start to get into the Ksyriums at about $1,o00, and those who have used Mavics rave about their ride and weight.  Bike mechanics like them, as well, as the construction is simple and clean. Fulcrom 3.  While you will find these wheels for $700 and up at some outlets, we’ve heard of enough durability concerns to be wary, especially for heavier riders.  For those who have not had trouble with them, they report back that the wheels have great stiffness and quickness. Summary If you are looking for a good overall carbon wheel for the money, one that will be fast and versatile, and one that will prove to be durable over time, you should give the Shimano RS80 serious consideration.  We think that comparing the Ksyrium and RS 80, and buying the one that has the componentry you want for the best price might be the way to go.   Coupled with the fact that this wheelset can often be found for nice discounts (for example, through our partner, here), the RS80 might be the combo of performance and value you are looking for.