Category: Product Reviews

Review: Vanilla Bean Gu Gel

Vanilla Gu energy gel

I’m a pretty big fan of Hammer Nutrition products, and I like their fruit flavored gels. But really, I often prefer solid food like a bar or a Honey Stinger Waffle on a ride, because it seems more like really eating something.

I had never tried any GU energy gels or other GU products until last summer at a Carmichael Training Systems Leadville camp. GU products were offered at the camp, and it turned out that Brian Vaughn himself from Gu Energy was also there. He spoke about nutrition in general, and was extremely knowledgeable. I was totally impressed and felt like I learned a lot when it came to developing a nutrition plan. So I starting buying GU gels now and then.

Here’s where you can read about Brian Vaughn’s nutrition plan for Leadville, where he was aiming for 350 calories per hour.

The Vanilla Bean flavor of GU has 20 mg of caffeine added to it. Some flavors do not have caffeine, if you want to avoid that.

The taste is pretty good, and it does not upset my stomach even under harder efforts. Each gel contains 100 calories, which is enough to get you some quick energy, but not so much that it upsets your stomach and makes you sick.

The packet is easy to open with your teeth, so you can pull it out of your jersey pocket and eat it with just one hand. Compared to a PowerBar, which I find almost impossible to open and also difficult to chew, it’s an incredibly quick and easy way to get some calories. It has 25 grams of carbohydrate per gel.

As with any kind of drink, gel or food that you are going to use while cycling, it’s always better to test it during some unimportant rides before you use it during a major race where stomach upset or an unexpected bonk could ruin your results. But if you are considering trying GU, I say go ahead with it, and you probably won’t be disappointed.

           

Review: Giordana Silverline Cycling Shorts

Giordana Silverline Shorts review 2012

I rode more than 10,000 miles in 2012. Most of my shorts were Pearl Izumi, which has been my favorite brand for years. As they started to wear out, I needed to replace several pair. I bought more Pearl, but even the high end Pearl Shorts were not very comfortable to me anymore.

I’m not sure if they changed something, or if it’s just me. But either way, I bought cycling shorts from at least four or five different manufacturers over the past six or eight months to figure out which shorts are the best for me.

In a way, cycling shorts are a little bit like bike seats, where a lot of the difference between between shorts comes down to a highly subjective and personal opinion based on what is the most comfortable for you. Not to mention what looks good to you, which is even more subjective.

I’ve had good luck with Giordana jerseys, so I picked up a new pair of Giordana Silverline shorts on Ebay to see if they were comfortable.

I was just checking online, and it looks like it’s hard to find the Silverline in shorts only (not in the bibs form) in the men’s version right now in early spring 2013. I don’t know if they are in between year models, or if they are discontinuing the shorts for Silverline, or what.

But if you can find a pair of these shorts, they are good.

I wear medium shorts in Pearl Izumi, and also medium in Giordana. I have a 30 waist, and weigh in the low 150s, to give you an idea. The manufacturer says M is for 28 to 32 waist, L is for 32 to 36, and XL is for 36 to 40.

These shorts have a “compression” kind of fit around my thighs, which is just a little bit tighter than some of my other shorts. But they are not too tight, and I like the compression feature.

Giordana Silverline shorts chamois review

The chamois on these shorts is a very high quality one, and I find it very comfortable. The shorts are long enough on the thigh where they come down close enough to the knee that they look like pro cycling shorts, and not too short. They have held up well in the wash, and they are comfortable on long, 50 mile plus rides. As you can sort of see from the main photo, these shorts pull up pretty high. It’s a little bit too high for my personal preference. They tend to roll down a little bit in the front when I first start riding. Although after that happens I never notice them again during the ride, which tells me that they aren’t really bunching up.

I picked my pair up for around $6o including shipping on Ebay, and I think these shorts are a terrific value in that price range. I really prefer to spend in the $50 to $79 range for shorts, and when the price starts to get over $99, it is rare that I will be willing to spend that much.

The full retail on these is over $100, and I would say that the quality and fit lives up to that range for people who usually spend that much on shorts.

Here are some more manufacturer details about the shorts:

  • Anatomically shaped to conform to the movements of a cyclist on a bike
  • Moxie, a certified power lycra provides a high rate of compression that can create a massaging effect, delaying the onset of muscle fatigue
  • Supplex has cottony hand and exceptional fit due to its 500% stretch rate.
  • Feature Giordana’s new MC-3 OF insert, a seamless one-piece insert that stretches with body movement and returns to its original form at rest
  • Reflective Giordana logo on front and back for added visibility

Got any questions or have an opinion about these shorts? Be sure to leave a comment.

Review: Topeak D-Torq DX Bicycle Digital Torque Wrench

Topeak D-Torq Wrench DX

If you have a carbon fiber bicycle, or any carbon fiber parts on your bike like a seatpost, handlebar, stem or anything else, you’re going to need a torque wrench.

And the frustrating part is that you’re going to need to either buy an expensive adjustable torque wrench, or you’re going to have to scout out a bunch of different torque specific wrenches, because your seatpost might need to be tightened to one specification, and your handlebars to another.

It is extremely important to use a torque wrench because with carbon fiber components, if you overtighten, you can ruin the component (or your whole bike!) or put your life in danger where a component fails while you are riding.

I started out by buying a couple of simple torque allen wrenches that were specific to my seatpost tightening needs for my carbon fiber road bike. But when I bought a carbon fiber cyclocross bike and eventually a carbon fiber 29er mountain bike, I ended up needed wrenches in a whole range of Nm (Newton Meters of torque, or how tight something is).

I finally broke down and bought this rather expensive Topeak set because it is digital and easy to read, and because it is also really simple to adjust, simple to use, and includes a gigantic range of attachments so that you can use it on just about anything that requires a torque wrench. (Although the low Nm limits don’t make it suitable for something like automotive repair, from what I understand. It ranges from 4-80 Nm.)

You can set the wrench for different units of measurement, including N•m, in•lb,ft•lb, or kg•cm. It is a ratchet style of wrench that you can set for tighten or loosen.

When you have it turned on and you have the wrench set to a certain unit of measurement like 8 Nm, you will hear the wrench make a BEEEP! noise when you hit that level of force, and you know to stop tightening. You can also see on the digital readout how much force you are applying as you get close to the limit you have set. It’s pretty cool.

As you can see from my set, here’s what it comes with:

Allen bits that include 3/4/5/6/8/10 mm.

Torx bits that include T25/T30/T40.

Standard and Phillips screwdriver bits.

Sockets that include 8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15 mm.

A 3/8” Square Drive Adapter that lets you attach all the bits.

It runs off of easily obtainable AAA batteries. I’m still using my first set of batteries after more than a year, although I don’t use the wrench very often.

When it comes to bike repair, this is the best torque wrench out there that I have found. Park Tools also makes a torque wrench for bicycle repair, but it is also expensive and doesn’t come with the same kind of cool kit that zips up and keeps everything together in one spot.

If you want to save a little money, Topeak makes a version that doesn’t have DX on the end that does not include the sockets and costs less. But you don’t get the sockets.

            

Road Tubeless Tires: the available options for 2013

I’m about to purchase a new set of Dura Ace wheels that are road tubeless compatible, which gives me the option of riding with standard road clinchers and tubes, or riding with road tubeless tires and sealant.

I am a latecomer to tubeless in general, just having discovered it in 2012 and using it on my 29er mountain bike, and on my cyclocross bike. I haven’t suffered a single flat with either bike, although I did suffer through a little bit of burping air loss with the cyclocross bike when I was trying to determine how low of a pressure that I could run. Once I stopped going too low on the pressure, it has worked flawlessly for me.

One of the first things I have noticed with tubeless tires in general is that your choices get pretty limited. With mountain bikes, you have a lot of options, because that’s where tubeless got big first. With cyclocross, the number of options starts to narrow. And with road tubeless, you are SERIOUSLY limited in choices for tires.

The worst part, to me, is that most of the road tubeless tires only come as a 700 x 23 option, while I greatly prefer a 700 x 25 tire. I understand that you can run road tubeless at 85 to 95 pounds and get a fairly comfortable ride that way. But I really like having the extra little bit of rubber on the road. Only a few manufacturers currently offer 700 x 25 options that I could find, and I have heard complaints that the Hutchinson “25” actually just measures 23.5.

As long as I did all the research, I figured I might as well share it with everyone else who is looking into tire options for road tubeless.

If I have left anything out, or if you have opinions and feedback about any of these tires, please leave a comment and share!

Hutchinson Road Tubeless Tires

Hutchinson is the current leader in road tubeless, with more experience and more models than anyone else. They currently make three different road tubeless tires. The Atom, the Fusion 3, and the Intensive.

hutchinson atom road tubeless tire review

The Hutchinson Atom tire is the racing road tubeless model. It is the lightest tire that they make, at 270 grams. It only comes in 700 x 23.

  • Single compound for lightweight performance
  • Slick type competition profile delivers a very fast tire
  • Slick competition tread
  • Performance 127 tpi casing
  • Carbon beads provide ride flat safety

hutchinson fusion 3 road tubeless tire review

The Hutchinson Fusion 3 is slightly heavier, at 290 grams. It also only comes in a 700 x 23 option. It is designed to wear a little better than the “competition only” Atom tire, so it should theoretically last longer.

  • Competition slick profile
  • Triple Compound: Excellent compromise between output/grip/longevity
  • 127 TPI
  • Carbon beads for maximum safety

hutchinson intensive road tubeless tire review

The Hutchinson Intensive is the “heavy duty” tire of the three road tubeless options, and the only one that comes with a choice of 700 x 23 or a wider 700 x 25. It weighs 320 grams in the 700 x 25 option.

  • Thermoplastic Reinforced compound for maxiumum wear
  • Slick competition tread
  • Performance 127 tpi casing
  • Carbon beads for ride flat safety

Bontrager Road Tubeless

bontrager TLR road tubeless tire review

New to the road tubeless tire market in 2012 or 2013 is Bontrager, with the introduction of their TLR tire, which stands for Tubeless Ready Road. It is available in a 700 x 23, and also a 700 x 25. I found a review of the tire on the Slow Twitch site, which was positive. I could not find the weight on it.

  • TubeLess Ready (TLR) Road tires increase ride comfort and reduce fatigue
  • TLR Road tires improve cornering traction
  • TLR Road tires remove the fear of pinch flats due to the lack of tubes
  • Integrated sub-tread puncture protection (Hard-Case Lite)
  • Light and supple casing provides low rolling resistance
  • Optimized for use with Bontrager TLR Sealant
  • Covered by Bontrager’s Unconditional Performance Guarantee

 

Schwalbe Road Tubeless

schwalbe ultremo road tubeless tire review

 

New for 2013 is Schwalbe’s first tire in the road tubeless category. It’s a tubeless version of their Ultremo tire. It comes in one size, 700 x 23. But it comes in several color options, if colors are important to you. This is the tire that I would have loved to go with in a 700 x 25, but alas, not this year. Weight is reported as 295 grams, with a pressure range of 85 to 130 psi.

Maxxis Road Tubeless

Maxxis Padrone Road Tubeless tire review

This is one that I had never heard of, although it has been around for a while. The Maxxis Padrone road tubeless tire comes in 700 x 23 only, at 295 grams.

  • I-MAX
  • Silkworm Puncture Protection
  • High-strength carbon fiber bead
  • Dual Compound Tubeless Technology

IRC Tires Road Tubeless

IRC Tires is a brand that I was not familiar with, and they have just come out with four different new road tubeless tire models for 2013. These tires are made in Japan.

IRC Tires Road Tubeless tire reviewThe Roadlite model is the heaviest model, with the thickest tread. It comes in both a 700 x 23 and a 700 x 25 size. They weigh 310 and 345 grams, respectively. The 700 x 23 model comes in red, white, and black. The larger one in black only.

Formula Pro X Guard road tubeless tire review

The Formula Pro with X-Guard belt is the puncture resistant racing tire. It comes in a 310 grams, and only comes in 700 x 23.

IRC road tubeless RBCC tires

The Formula Pro Tubeless RBCC  tire tries to find a balance between light weight, grip, and wearability. It weighs 290 grams, and comes in 700 x 23 only. It comes in gray and red options.

IRC Tires Formula Tubeless Pro tire review

The Formula Pro Tubeless Light is the lightest tire in their lineup, and one of the lightest road tubeless tires on the market, at 240 grams. Save it for race day!

Specialized Road Tubeless Tires

specialized road tubeless roubaix endurance tire review

Specialized only makes one road tubeless tire, and it’s a 700 x 23 or 700 x 25 “endurance” road tire called the Roubaix Road Tubeless. It’s in the normal range of road tubeless tire weights at 295 grams, so I’m not sure why they call it endurance. This is a tire I will consider training on, if I can find it available anywhere.

In the end, I’m probably going to choose between the Bontrager and the Specialized tire, and go with a 700 x 25.

Did I miss anything? Have you ridden any of these tires? Leave a comment!

           

Review: Spiz Energy Drink

Chocolate SPIZ energy drink review

SPIZ is the ultra endurance energy drink mix that you’ve probably never seen at your local bike shop, or maybe never even heard of at all.

I discovered it a year or so ago when I was doing some online searching about avoiding cramps during cycling. In a list of tips, someone mentioned the product SPIZ, and it made me curious. So I ordered a canister of it.

One thing that you might not be able to tell from this photo is that a can of Spiz is easily twice as big as a typical can of energy drink. It’s enormous! A can of SPIZ has a net weight of just under 3 pounds, where a can of HEED by Hammer Nutrition has a net weight of just over 2 pounds. You’ll get 32 scoops out of a can of HEED, and 40 scoops out of a can of SPIZ. SPIZ is not cheap though. It costs $42 per can.

Let me start out by telling what Spiz is not. It’s not a typical kind of carbohydrate-only energy drink. So if you’re looking for something that’s just a sweet drink with electrolytes to get you through a shorter ride, then a chocolatey tasting drink like Spiz might not be your thing. Although I can say that I’ve used it in those circumstances, and it works just fine, I prefer the taste of something like HEED for shorter rides.

If you order a can of Spiz directly from the manufacturer, they send you a bunch of printed material with the can with a huge list of people who have used Spiz for major ultra endurance events, and more technical information about the drink. One Race Across America finisher used Spiz as the vast majority of his caloric intake for the entire race, just eating a small amount of solid food at some point during the race.

They also have a fairly substantial testimonials section on their web site, with emails from all kinds of different ultra endurance athletes. From Ironman competitors to ultra distance runners to a guy who won a 24 hour treadmill race, running 152 miles while using it. It mentions on the can that you can use it as a meal replacement, and there’s even a testimonial from someone who lived on it when they had their jaw wired shut.

What I like most about Spiz is that it also works great as a recovery drink. If you look at many of the recovery drink options like those from Gu or Hammer Nutrition, you’ll notice that they typically have a profile with a combination of protein and carbohydrate. Spiz has a similar profile, because it uses a high quality whey protein. I will typically just use a single scoop as a recovery drink for most longer rides that are not incredibly difficult, because that gives you about 125 calories, and I don’t want to consume too many calories. After a major ride or race, I will consume two scoops.

I’ve reviewed Hammer Nutrition’s Perpetuem, an energy drink designed for long events. It also has a combination of protein and carbohydrates that will keep you going when you are doing an event that lasts many hours. Some research indicates that this combination of protein and carbohydrates lets you more effectively use the calories that you consume.

As I mentioned earlier, the taste of the chocolate flavored Spiz is very chocolatey. In fact, I just switched to vanilla with a recent reorder, because I’m not a huge chocolate fan to begin with. I saw on the Spiz site that some people like to mix the chocolate and vanilla into a single flavor, so I might try that.

Here’s how the manufacturer describes the ingredient list of Spiz, in an abbreviated form.

1. Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Concentrate

2. Chelated Minerals
The chelated minerals used in Spiz are the most bioavailable form of minerals currently available as well as being the most expensive. SPIZ contains only the highest quality chelated minerals from the most well respected name in mineral manufacturers, Albion Laboratories.

3. 100% US Daily Values for vitamins per serving (except for vitamin D)

4. Short, and long-chain glucose polymers, along with smaller amounts of sugars.
This helps to energize the exercising individual with a supply of both long and short-acting carbohydrates.

5. Covalent Bonded L-Glutamine has been added to the formula for the following reasons:
Helps maintain blood sugar levels which can be very important in maintaining energy levels during exercise.

6. High sodium/potassium concentration
Sodium and potassium losses lead to Hyponatremia (low sodium levels) and less frequently in long-distance athletes, Hypokalemia (low potassium levels). High intakes of sodium and potassium prevent these electrolyte disturbances and will prevent muscle cramping.

I’m going to try Spiz as my primary energy source on my next two long races, the Austin Rattler and the Dirty Kanza 200. I’ll report back after those!

Anyone else using SPIZ? What have your experiences with it been? Leave a comment!