Triathlon gear manufacturer De Soto has craftily devised a way to ensure that cyclists and triathletes training and racing in hot conditions need not suffer the sun’s brutal rays on their arms and legs. De Soto’s latest attempt to tackle the summer heat takes form in their newly revised Arm and Leg Coolers, which aim to block the sun’s rays while simultaneously wicking sweat away from the skin and allowing wind to cool it. For most cyclists who are used to the wintertime’s ubiquitous arm and knee warmers, coverage beyond the simple bib and jersey in the summer might sound a bit contradictory, but one test ride in these, and it is clear the De Soto is on to something. 

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Last week I found myself sitting at the local roadie hangout (yes, a café) after a group ride debating my friend Cedric about what qualities make a great cyclist. Power, tactical awareness, steely nerves under pressure. Then, almost embarrassed to have forgotten it, we blurted out: ‘Style! Image!’ It’s one of the nasty truths of the cycling underworld. Any good roadie will tell you, ‘image above everything else.’

Wearing dull, mismatched clothing is a near—well, no it is—sacrilege. Here at BikeMatters.com we take cycling style pretty seriously (ok, maybe too seriously). When it comes to professional, euro style clothing we reach for trusted brands like Assos, Giordana, Rapha, and Capo. Of, course with these brands you are going to pay a premium for quality, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Right?

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The Genuine Innovations Second Wind solves a common problem- you just got your second flat of the day, and you’re out of CO2 cartridges. Now what? For riders who want the convenience of a CO2 inflator with the reliability of a hand-pump without carrying both, the Second Wind is a must-have.

There really isn’t much to explain about this pump. The CO2 inflator and hand pump share a common head, with a one-way valve that allows either device to inflate a tire. Using the CO2 inflator end works just like a regular inflator, and using the pump works just like a regular pump. Simply put, the system just works. A nice feature is the threaded socket on the pump handle end, which lets you store an extra CO2 cartridge and use it as an extension to the handle, making pumping a little bit easier.

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Do you ever find your legs feeling fatigued after a week of training? Often, one day off from training each week is not enough for our leg muscles to fully recover. As a result, you aren't able to get the full benefit out of the next week because you are just plain burnt out. Experts recommend elevating your legs, but unless you are a professional athlete, there is little time for this in everyday life. The next best thing to elevation is compression clothing. We at BikeMatters.com were able to test the Zoot CompressRx recovery tight and see if it really helped in recovery.

Let us begin by saying that for tights, these things look cool! The dark grey material with different patches looks like body armor. Yet, I do not recommend wearing them out around normal people (non-endurance athletes) unless covered by pants, otherwise you will get some odd looks.
As far as functionality, the Zoot CompressRx Tight blows its competitors out of the water. It does this because of its MMHG (compression) rating of 18-30 (current sports compression apparel has only 8-16). This is easily noticeable the moment you get the tights on. You can feel the pressure acting on the main muscle groups in your legs, forcing blood flow and speeding up recovery. But, feeling does not always mean results so; we did a few self study tests to see if they really did increase recovery.

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While many racers use the software bundled with their power meter, an increasing number are looking to third-party options for more advanced features. The leader in power meter software is undoubtedly TrainingPeaks’ WKO+. While the developers tout its advanced file-management features, most riders simply want to know if and how the software will make them faster. This review will answer that question. 

At its core, a power meter is simply a device that records data points (torque) at predetermined time intervals (usually one second). In fact, WKO+ lets you view your data in its raw form as a chart, with time in one column and torque in the other. Every other feature in WKO+ utilizes this basic data to create graphs that display various aspects of your training.  

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Here at BikeMatters.com we drink a lot of endurance and energy drinks touted as performance and recovery enhancing. 

The truth is, nothing beats hard work and a carefully planned out training regimen. But if you’re going to subject your body to the rigors of a Cipollini-inspired motor pacing session or a routine six hour base training ride, then the quality of your nutrition becomes even more critical to your late season success. Gimmicks abound in this industry, especially in the field of nutrition, but we can patently state that newcomer XOOD’s Healthy Endurance Drink is a legitimate competitor on two key levels: taste and quality.

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There are floor pumps that simply inflate tires, and there are those that do it with flair. Genuine Innovations’ Campione Floor pump is the latter. It combines a sleek profile with fine touches of craftsmanship evoking elements of vintage Italian heritage. 

The pump is finished in a unique two-tone maroon and cream painted steel barrel with a custom aluminum base that gives the pump a solid foundation and is wide enough to accommodate its user comfortably. The pump’s handle is also a unique aspect, setting it apart in a class of its own. Rather than using a standard aluminum or steel handle, each Campione handle is custom carved from wood to re-create that retro Italian styling. One downside to the pump that our testers noted was the inability of the pump, due to its slender body, to inflate a tire as quickly as other similar quality pumps, such as the JoeBlow Pro series. 

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RL: Ridiculously good Looking. The Bontrager RL road shoe is just that, and more: comfortable, economical, high-performing. Its an excellent mid-entry level shoe even for the discerning rider used to paying stratospheric price tags for something we all need—shoes—but don’t necessarily want to break the bank with. Sure, you won’t find Lance Armstrong wearing this at Le Tour (then again, what does he own that isn’t a one-off, custom job?), but its sure to be tested just as rigorously on the Saturday group ride, the Tuesday hammer fest and willing and ready to perform at your key races for the upcoming season.

Every now and then, we simply take a step back and marvel at how often in today’s market the ‘high-end’ quickly makes its way down the ranks. These boys wouldn’t have been mistaken for PRO too long ago, because they would have been just that—what you found the best continental and pro tour riders putting their trust into when it came time to earn the pay check. Let’s take a look at the sole. It’s Bontrager’s Silver-series—read: lightweight, efficient, and comfortable carbon, very similar to Bontrager’s pricier premium road shoes, the RXL. Enlarged mesh windows for ventilation and an intuitive two strap plus buckle design are again the very same features found on the RXL, but often missing on other mid-entry level shoes today. 

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