Best Tri Products Ever – Thoughts
Here are a few thoughts on products that stood out to me as offering tech innovation for a sensible price.
Really the post is a call to action for you to shout out your favourite. Don’t be shy.
2022 – Best Tri-sports related products so far
For me, this had to be the Wahoo Kickr ROLLR – as reviewed here. It re-imagines a traditional bike roller, adds a smidgen of power tech wizardry, and comprehensively breaks the easy-to-use scale.
On the downside, I’d rather it were a bit cheaper and I would like it to better control the feel of resistance. There could also be a better way to precisely re-attach the two parts together following disassembly.
Pro’s
- Rollr uses your bike’s power meter to determine the resistance levels it manages. So your power stats are consistent between all your rides.
- Ease-of-use: On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 is easy to use, the Rollr scores about 12.5
- Removes the rigid hips of indoor dread. Yes, it’s comfortable to ride for extended periods as it allows lateral movement.
2021 Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2
These are the best shoes I’ve run in. I have easily completed 500-miles with the Airfly, Strava keeps telling me to change them.
They REALLY do make you quite a bit faster (4-10secs/km) and that’s why top athletes use these or similar ones. I do have the Nike AirFly and adidas alternatives but haven’t really got around to using them enough to write a review.
I’m pretty sure VaporFly has helped me steer clear of injury and I’m also pretty sure that it’s the foam rather than the carbon that has made me faster in these. I don’t think they are as fast now as when they were new and if I had a race next weekend I wouldn’t use them as the speed in the foam probably has degraded. But they are super-fine as trainers.
Vaporfly has transformed itself into my daily trainer.
AirFly will probably be my next race-day shoe
2020 – It always had to be NPE RUNN
NPE RUNN makes your treadmill accurate. Yes, even the cheap ones. Plus it gives the added bonus of incline stats. It’s a mild faff to setup but that’s a one-off task.
Pro’s
- Cheaply adds a degree of smart connectivity (Zwift) to most old treadmills- but not a controllable one
- Gives reassuring accuracy.
the NPE Runn Review 2024 Update & Discount | Zwift Treadmill Sensor + Garmin
2020 PowerDot
I credit PowerDot with keeping me injury-free last year (2021). Well, PowerDot combined with some more sensible training and nice bouncy shoes.
Powerdot uses electrodes to electrically stimulate muscles. There’s nothing new in that at all. However, it is as smart as a TENS/NMES machine can get. The app gives lots of control, various stimulations options and even kinda predicts when you need to use it by linking to your Garmin Connect account to check for those hard workouts you’ve just completed.
It’s expensive but it’s WAY cheaper than a physio.
2019 Garmin Varia Radar – Rear Light
I still see relatively few of the Garmin Varia radar rear lights. I just don’t understand why. At over £100 they are very expensive but I’m not dead. So it’s a win for me and it’s a win for Garmin.
Even the people I cycle with don’t have them despite me occasionally pestering them.
There are 3 reasons to get one
- smart, variable light pattern changes as vehicles approach you from the rear to make them aware of your position
- most bike computers support them (plus apps like RwGPS) and accurately show the rearward position of all cars that are bearing down on you. If the Varia says there’s a car behind you don’t try to overtake and save the rearward glance beforehand.
- Stop you from dying.
The newer RTL515 version adds Bluetooth.
2018 Stryd
The 3rd generation Stryd pod was the first version of Stryd as a footpod. This kickstarted a whole mini-industry of running with power. I was initially most excited by the accuracy of the instant pace it gave me but as time progressed I switched more and more to using power as a training and racing metrics. Just like most of us do every ride with our bike power meters.
Stryd’s current 4th generation product accounts for wind and now is part of a complete training platform that Stryd has developed. I’m looking forward (no intel) to dual-sided power later this year and perhaps also a longer-lasting battery.
2015 adidas miCoach Smart Run
Perhaps the greatest running watch that nobody ever bought. Back in the day, it did everything that technology would allow apart from jumping onto runners’ wrists in the sports shop and refusing to budge.
2015 Garmin HRM-TRI
At the time, Garmin’s HRM-TRI seemed to solve all my heart rate monitor requirements issues. It seemed to do it all for me and met every Tri-related need I had. Those needs included; RR beats/HRV, cacheable swim HR, Running Dynamics. In hindsight, it could be improved and the addition of multiple BLE transmission channels to the successor HRM-PRO demonstrated how the needs of indoor training have mandated ANT+ and BLE support.
Even now, 7 years on, if you are a Garmin-only triathlete then the HRM-TRI is as perfect as it needs to be.
Also Ran
These are great too
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love which is this site and I appreciate everyone who follows, subscribes or Buys Me A Coffee ❤️ Alternatively please buy the reviewed product from my partners. Thank you! FTC: Affiliate Disclosure: Links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hands down my best tri product this year is Muc-off Anti-Fog goggle spray, it actually works!
this one? I might try it
for cycling or swimming (or both)
I never thought about using it on my cycling glasses, I use it on my swimming goggles.
https://amzn.to/39SCD9i