Laden with gadgets I trundled round Pru Ride London.
I was quite-to-very pleased with my performance, attributing all my success to gadgetation & supplementation. Nothing to do with training. Here’s how the gadgets/supplements performed:
Garmin Varia RTL 500 – radar/rear light – this worked well. Didn’t pick up millions of cyclists. DID pick up the very occasional car (there were 2 or 3). Yeah, good. Pleasantly surprised
Beet-it – oh yeah baby. living and lovin’ the nitrates. Makes me go faster or sure.
Beet It Sport Nitrate 400
Concentrated beetroot shots that lift blood nitrate for a few hours, so hard efforts feel a touch easier. One or two a day for the two to three days before a race.
curranz – can’t think of anything funny to say but my legs don’t hurt the day after. Makes me go faster I reckon.
Garmin HRM-RUN – flawless
BSX Insight –Â This was the backup for my power track!! as well as SmO2. Lots of interesting Loooooooog ride data to analyse now.
Garmin Edge 820 – Great performance stats and features, several rebooting problems to crate multiple tracks. Combined the resulting data files using the awesome fit file repair tool.
Favero BePro – Flawless. Eased off nicely up the hills watching the power.
ROTOR Inpower 3d – flawless recording backup power.
Qarbon Qring 53T – yeah baby. Power booster (well it is for me)
Precision Hydration H2PRO HYDRATE – I don’t train much for the longer stuff. No cramps today (well a slight twinge). First time I used their stuff for a long race and best almost-cramp-free experience. I was a tad underhydrated but NOT short of salt. Go figure.
Adamo Saddle – What PITA?
Ultremo ZX/R1 tyres – fast and furious, no punctures. Nice ‘n’ comfy.
Lucozade Sport – made my bike a lot heavier and hopefully me a bit faster.
Golden Cheetah – Awesome post race power analysis of my power-duration PBs. Livin’ the dream. (V4 vSoon)
Sporttracks – just awesome.
New discovery: wear one of those baseball cap thingys under your helmet (cycling cap or bandana) , avoid the sweat in your face. Awesome. Thanks Garmin.
Last Updated on 17 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
by baseball cap thingies, do you mean cycling cap?
ah yes. cycling cap thingy