Gear Review - Ceramic Speed OSPW
Long term gear review - warts and all...!
Being a bike, gear and gadget head I was an early adopter to the Ceramic Speed sales pitch and products. The Pro's had them, the claimed drivetrain reduced losses seemed backed up by some reports and hey, they looked sweet too.
So I ordered the Over Sized Pulley Wheel, the Fast Chain and the bottom Bracket bearings.
Allegedly the pulley is worth 2.5 watts or so, the chain around the same and bearings well prob not much at all so possibly a 5 watt saving.
I had them fitted and the OSPW feels like you're in a bigger gear all the time. Obviously more tension on the chain but you certainly don't notice anything else. The chain is perhaps nothing but a nuisance with is white dusty powder rubbing off to the clean bike on first use, and it also is a magnet for any dirt at all especially Irish roads so needs a degrease fairly lively soon after.
I've used these now for nearly a year - I had a new chain at Roth as well as at Texas recently which are more justifiable cost wise as they are not much more over a standard chain which you should be changing regularly enough as it is.
I'm quite good at bike maintenance from the perspective of ensuring my TT bike is clean, chain lubricated, degreased when needed etc. I will admit my roady doesn't get half as much love but then it's not used half as much either.
If anything is needed or nearly needed it's replaced simple.
So back to the Ceramic Speed review.
Well, after nearly a year I can say there are complications that should be considered for the OSPW primarily. With the bigger pulley wheels come compromised shifting as well as a little more awkward rear wheel removing. And also compromised bike packing.
My first experience was on arrival at Lisbon for a half last year, I opened my bike box to find my rear pulley and derailleur completely off the bike - despite me not packing it that way!
Obviously too much stress had occured in transit and the oversized jockey wheels were the first to give way. The screws had loosened themselves and just needed to be refit. Note for future - pack bike with rear pulley wheels removed in future as they are bigger and more awkward.
My main negative is the compromised shifting. Despite having a few different bike setups the biggest gear was either not shifting in correctly or just awkward. This hadn't occurred previously and no doubt the bigger pulley wheels compromise this in my opinion.
A tiny consideration is now when switching between turbo wheel and race wheel I've to remove the skewer as I can't remove the wheel with skewer in as it gets stuck with the over sized pulleys. Again minor as I said but still.
Now the above are certainly not major issues, and whilst you may need to reset the rear gears more frequently can be lived with - but perhaps not 100% as reliable for rear shifting in my experience.
For me, the final nail in the coffin came at a recent race in Texas. My chain came off twice on shifting the front derailleur - despite having a drivetrain check that week after transit so possibly just a mechanic error there. Now that's fine and happens and blame the mechanic, but on deciding to keep in the big ring on climbs the rear would start hopping between gears. Why? Maybe increased tension? Maybe compromised gearing from the pulley wheels? Maybe mechanic error again?
Either way, I've now decided to remove the Ceramic Speed OSPW as a result. I miss my 100% accurate gear shifts and reliability. If there's a chance the OSPW is to blame for a recent mechanical then I'm not willing to take that risk. I know my gear shifts have never been as accurate since fitting despite numerous adjustments. So I'm done. Back to small Jockey Wheels.
If I were looking to purchase now I'd go with the Ceramic Speed standard pulley wheels and fit to existing setup. This should ensure no compromised shifting. You may not gain the claimed 2 watts but personally, I don't think you will notice and if anything will ride better on 100% reliability and accuracy. Is there anything gained from these pulley wheels? Well they certainly look like they move more freely. But then why don't Jan Frodeno, Sebastien Kienle, Starky and others have them? Sponsorship? Possibly. No substantive proof of gains. Possibly. Either way, I'm out.
Being a bike, gear and gadget head I was an early adopter to the Ceramic Speed sales pitch and products. The Pro's had them, the claimed drivetrain reduced losses seemed backed up by some reports and hey, they looked sweet too.
So I ordered the Over Sized Pulley Wheel, the Fast Chain and the bottom Bracket bearings.
Allegedly the pulley is worth 2.5 watts or so, the chain around the same and bearings well prob not much at all so possibly a 5 watt saving.
I had them fitted and the OSPW feels like you're in a bigger gear all the time. Obviously more tension on the chain but you certainly don't notice anything else. The chain is perhaps nothing but a nuisance with is white dusty powder rubbing off to the clean bike on first use, and it also is a magnet for any dirt at all especially Irish roads so needs a degrease fairly lively soon after.
I've used these now for nearly a year - I had a new chain at Roth as well as at Texas recently which are more justifiable cost wise as they are not much more over a standard chain which you should be changing regularly enough as it is.
I'm quite good at bike maintenance from the perspective of ensuring my TT bike is clean, chain lubricated, degreased when needed etc. I will admit my roady doesn't get half as much love but then it's not used half as much either.
If anything is needed or nearly needed it's replaced simple.
So back to the Ceramic Speed review.
Well, after nearly a year I can say there are complications that should be considered for the OSPW primarily. With the bigger pulley wheels come compromised shifting as well as a little more awkward rear wheel removing. And also compromised bike packing.
My first experience was on arrival at Lisbon for a half last year, I opened my bike box to find my rear pulley and derailleur completely off the bike - despite me not packing it that way!
Obviously too much stress had occured in transit and the oversized jockey wheels were the first to give way. The screws had loosened themselves and just needed to be refit. Note for future - pack bike with rear pulley wheels removed in future as they are bigger and more awkward.
My main negative is the compromised shifting. Despite having a few different bike setups the biggest gear was either not shifting in correctly or just awkward. This hadn't occurred previously and no doubt the bigger pulley wheels compromise this in my opinion.
A tiny consideration is now when switching between turbo wheel and race wheel I've to remove the skewer as I can't remove the wheel with skewer in as it gets stuck with the over sized pulleys. Again minor as I said but still.
Now the above are certainly not major issues, and whilst you may need to reset the rear gears more frequently can be lived with - but perhaps not 100% as reliable for rear shifting in my experience.
For me, the final nail in the coffin came at a recent race in Texas. My chain came off twice on shifting the front derailleur - despite having a drivetrain check that week after transit so possibly just a mechanic error there. Now that's fine and happens and blame the mechanic, but on deciding to keep in the big ring on climbs the rear would start hopping between gears. Why? Maybe increased tension? Maybe compromised gearing from the pulley wheels? Maybe mechanic error again?
Either way, I've now decided to remove the Ceramic Speed OSPW as a result. I miss my 100% accurate gear shifts and reliability. If there's a chance the OSPW is to blame for a recent mechanical then I'm not willing to take that risk. I know my gear shifts have never been as accurate since fitting despite numerous adjustments. So I'm done. Back to small Jockey Wheels.
If I were looking to purchase now I'd go with the Ceramic Speed standard pulley wheels and fit to existing setup. This should ensure no compromised shifting. You may not gain the claimed 2 watts but personally, I don't think you will notice and if anything will ride better on 100% reliability and accuracy. Is there anything gained from these pulley wheels? Well they certainly look like they move more freely. But then why don't Jan Frodeno, Sebastien Kienle, Starky and others have them? Sponsorship? Possibly. No substantive proof of gains. Possibly. Either way, I'm out.
2016 Equipment Changes
Some new and exciting equipment changes are in play/in store for 2016.
Swim:
- New Wetsuit
- New Swim Training equipment
- New Speedsuit in case 1/2 races are non wetsuit
Bike:
- New TT Bike - Trek Speed Concept Di2
- New Wheels - Zipp 808/Super 9 Disc Carbon Clincher
- New bike fit - PhysioHaus (John Dennis) was in Base2Race doing a fit for pro's Richie Nicholls and Eimear Mullan and I managed to get a slot whilst he was here doing a few others as well. Big changes and improvements.
- New Bike Shoes - Specialized Trivent SC's - the full shoe ones but with strap. Not as easy to get into but much more shoe for comfort and should help for long course.
Run:
- Picked up a second hand treadmill for the gaff! Sweet!
- Currently looking at trialling New Balance Zante 2's but still training in ON Cloud Surfers and ON Cloud's, as well as Saucony Kinvara 2's.
No Gadget changes as of yet - planned upgrade to Fenix 3 but gonna wait till the HR one comes out as hate wearing a HR Strap.
Still using 910xt but it's missing a button and has a few scratches but does the job, mostly.
Swim:
- New Wetsuit
- New Swim Training equipment
- New Speedsuit in case 1/2 races are non wetsuit
Bike:
- New TT Bike - Trek Speed Concept Di2
- New Wheels - Zipp 808/Super 9 Disc Carbon Clincher
- New bike fit - PhysioHaus (John Dennis) was in Base2Race doing a fit for pro's Richie Nicholls and Eimear Mullan and I managed to get a slot whilst he was here doing a few others as well. Big changes and improvements.
- New Bike Shoes - Specialized Trivent SC's - the full shoe ones but with strap. Not as easy to get into but much more shoe for comfort and should help for long course.
Run:
- Picked up a second hand treadmill for the gaff! Sweet!
- Currently looking at trialling New Balance Zante 2's but still training in ON Cloud Surfers and ON Cloud's, as well as Saucony Kinvara 2's.
No Gadget changes as of yet - planned upgrade to Fenix 3 but gonna wait till the HR one comes out as hate wearing a HR Strap.
Still using 910xt but it's missing a button and has a few scratches but does the job, mostly.
Gear Review - ON Cloudsurfer
We all love new gear right? Heck yeah!
So back at the end of August I popped into Amphibian King to try out these latest ON runners that had been getting all the hype and rage.
I was looking for a new pair and had been using Adidas Tempo's but these were too tight in the forefoot area and resulted in blisters or squashed toes.
I also run in Kinvara's which I have no complaints over bar the odd blister but consider that normal ish. I was a little reluctant to try the ON's but after coming recommended by Kevin and Mark in Amphibian King I tried on a pair and took them for a little dash and they felt good.
So that was back in August. It's now February. I've been using the ON Cloudsurfer's as per above pic for 90% of my running. Maybe more but that's being conservative. I've been up mountains, hills, tarmac, road, trails, torrential rain you name it.
The Cloudsurfers fit my feet fantastically, they have a neutral gait and seem to offer the ideal internal space to ensure no issues for me whatsoever.
I mean I've had zero blisters, zero cuts, zero squashed toes and dare I say it, zero injuries. These runners just seem to suit me perfectly and I wouldn't consider going out for a run in anything else at the moment. I use the Kinvara's for the odd easy treadmill session as they live in my gym bag and it's handy, but anything else see's the Cloudsurfer's on feet!
They are not cheap runners, circa €140 bucks a pop and this seems hard to justify for what seems a novelty set of cushions on the bottom and you'd imagine would lack road feel and response.
Well, they seem to help lesson the impact on my muscles and I've ran more than ever in these and had no issues at all.
I'm due a new set and am awaiting the funky new colours to be stocked up before I'm straight in for a new pair.
Expensive? Ok, but resulted in less massages needed, and I have done the most mileage I've ever had in a pair of runners.
At a rough prudent estimate - I'm somewhere around the 800km and counting in these bad boys.
Current condition? Very good I'd say. They don't appear to have lost any responsiveness but I do have a little wear on the lugs on the bottom obviously.
Unfortunately this is where I see my heel striking in effect with the rear lugs and side lugs being the main worn ones.
I may not win any technique awards, but I am running better than ever, more than ever and with less issues than ever so it's ON Cloudsurfer's for me and 90% of my training.
I hope I am transitioning a little to a midfoot gait, and feel when at reasonable paces I am but I know my running is improving so I won't be focusing too much on gait and want to continue my consistent injury free approach.
For those with a neutral gait, and medium forefoot area I'd highly recommend these.
Pics below after circa 800km in rain, trails, mountains and lots of road. Average Paces have been between 4:30-5:00 min/km for the bulk of this mileage and the runners feel great for this.
So back at the end of August I popped into Amphibian King to try out these latest ON runners that had been getting all the hype and rage.
I was looking for a new pair and had been using Adidas Tempo's but these were too tight in the forefoot area and resulted in blisters or squashed toes.
I also run in Kinvara's which I have no complaints over bar the odd blister but consider that normal ish. I was a little reluctant to try the ON's but after coming recommended by Kevin and Mark in Amphibian King I tried on a pair and took them for a little dash and they felt good.
So that was back in August. It's now February. I've been using the ON Cloudsurfer's as per above pic for 90% of my running. Maybe more but that's being conservative. I've been up mountains, hills, tarmac, road, trails, torrential rain you name it.
The Cloudsurfers fit my feet fantastically, they have a neutral gait and seem to offer the ideal internal space to ensure no issues for me whatsoever.
I mean I've had zero blisters, zero cuts, zero squashed toes and dare I say it, zero injuries. These runners just seem to suit me perfectly and I wouldn't consider going out for a run in anything else at the moment. I use the Kinvara's for the odd easy treadmill session as they live in my gym bag and it's handy, but anything else see's the Cloudsurfer's on feet!
They are not cheap runners, circa €140 bucks a pop and this seems hard to justify for what seems a novelty set of cushions on the bottom and you'd imagine would lack road feel and response.
Well, they seem to help lesson the impact on my muscles and I've ran more than ever in these and had no issues at all.
I'm due a new set and am awaiting the funky new colours to be stocked up before I'm straight in for a new pair.
Expensive? Ok, but resulted in less massages needed, and I have done the most mileage I've ever had in a pair of runners.
At a rough prudent estimate - I'm somewhere around the 800km and counting in these bad boys.
Current condition? Very good I'd say. They don't appear to have lost any responsiveness but I do have a little wear on the lugs on the bottom obviously.
Unfortunately this is where I see my heel striking in effect with the rear lugs and side lugs being the main worn ones.
I may not win any technique awards, but I am running better than ever, more than ever and with less issues than ever so it's ON Cloudsurfer's for me and 90% of my training.
I hope I am transitioning a little to a midfoot gait, and feel when at reasonable paces I am but I know my running is improving so I won't be focusing too much on gait and want to continue my consistent injury free approach.
For those with a neutral gait, and medium forefoot area I'd highly recommend these.
Pics below after circa 800km in rain, trails, mountains and lots of road. Average Paces have been between 4:30-5:00 min/km for the bulk of this mileage and the runners feel great for this.
Gear Review - Specialized S-Works Trivent Tri-Shoes
I've owned these for 4.5 months now, trained in them a lot and also did 1 x race with them.
My previous triathlon bike shoes were Shimano TR31's and then the Shimano TR52's.
I decided to change them after a number of races where my feet ended up with hot spots and cuts on the sides - I tried a few different runners before realizing the cause were due to the slightly tight fitting forefoot area.
I picked these up in Cycleways when they came out, trained with them and then raced a 70.3 in them.
They are extremely comfortable, very light and very nice to use. The sole is the Specialized Carbon Fact and very strong meaning minimal power loss in the pedal stroke. Let's be honest it would be hard to measure any power losses from a slightly weaker carbon sole on your bike shoe so we'll skip past that bit for the purpose of this review.
The Specialized Boa lacing system is in operation which is the white dial above that just needs pressing and winding to tighten to required levels. Too loosen simply pull the dial out and the cabling loosens enabling you to slide your foot out the back.
The Rear heel area is a drawbridge type solution, with a magnet on the black grip that folds down and clicks in to a section on the back of the shoe. This keeps the heel open until foot is slid in and boa system tightening it brings the heel to a close.
My coach actually asked if the heel had any pressure on my achilles area and it doesn't. I can see that it looks like it may do but it really is very comfortable all round.
Racing:
I've only used these shoes in one race - a 70.3 in which I went the usual sockless route.
The shoes were so light and comfortable I had no issues at all and found them very impressive.
There is a hook on the inside of the shoes for elastic bands to attach and keep in place on bike for fast mounts. I used these in the race and had no problems - they keep the shoe more stable than other solutions it seems.
For dismounts, the boa system easily opens fast and foot can be slid out the back of the shoe.
Now, my only slight issue would be on dismount. The boa lacing system is too much in the way to simply take foot out and stand on the shoe. It kinda sticks in to your sole and is unstable when only having one foot to balance on the bike.
For my race, I had one foot out and on dismount had to slide the other foot out the back of the shoe as I was jumping off the bike.
Now clearly the ITU guys have no issue with this so it's just a matter of practice.
I think I'm still hopping off the bike incorrectly also which is not helping - apparently as I mount off the left of the bike my right foot should be in front of the left stabilising foot and hop off the front of the pedals.
Currently, I've been balancing on my left foot with my right hanging behind, and hopping slightly out to the rear of the pedal on dismount. Something else to improve but I digress...
The Trivent's are a superb performance triathlon shoe.
I would give them 10/10 as I can't really see how they could improve on it and the fit and comfort level is perfect for me.
Very light, very strong, very comfortable and easy to use.
I highly recommend them.
My previous triathlon bike shoes were Shimano TR31's and then the Shimano TR52's.
I decided to change them after a number of races where my feet ended up with hot spots and cuts on the sides - I tried a few different runners before realizing the cause were due to the slightly tight fitting forefoot area.
I picked these up in Cycleways when they came out, trained with them and then raced a 70.3 in them.
They are extremely comfortable, very light and very nice to use. The sole is the Specialized Carbon Fact and very strong meaning minimal power loss in the pedal stroke. Let's be honest it would be hard to measure any power losses from a slightly weaker carbon sole on your bike shoe so we'll skip past that bit for the purpose of this review.
The Specialized Boa lacing system is in operation which is the white dial above that just needs pressing and winding to tighten to required levels. Too loosen simply pull the dial out and the cabling loosens enabling you to slide your foot out the back.
The Rear heel area is a drawbridge type solution, with a magnet on the black grip that folds down and clicks in to a section on the back of the shoe. This keeps the heel open until foot is slid in and boa system tightening it brings the heel to a close.
My coach actually asked if the heel had any pressure on my achilles area and it doesn't. I can see that it looks like it may do but it really is very comfortable all round.
Racing:
I've only used these shoes in one race - a 70.3 in which I went the usual sockless route.
The shoes were so light and comfortable I had no issues at all and found them very impressive.
There is a hook on the inside of the shoes for elastic bands to attach and keep in place on bike for fast mounts. I used these in the race and had no problems - they keep the shoe more stable than other solutions it seems.
For dismounts, the boa system easily opens fast and foot can be slid out the back of the shoe.
Now, my only slight issue would be on dismount. The boa lacing system is too much in the way to simply take foot out and stand on the shoe. It kinda sticks in to your sole and is unstable when only having one foot to balance on the bike.
For my race, I had one foot out and on dismount had to slide the other foot out the back of the shoe as I was jumping off the bike.
Now clearly the ITU guys have no issue with this so it's just a matter of practice.
I think I'm still hopping off the bike incorrectly also which is not helping - apparently as I mount off the left of the bike my right foot should be in front of the left stabilising foot and hop off the front of the pedals.
Currently, I've been balancing on my left foot with my right hanging behind, and hopping slightly out to the rear of the pedal on dismount. Something else to improve but I digress...
The Trivent's are a superb performance triathlon shoe.
I would give them 10/10 as I can't really see how they could improve on it and the fit and comfort level is perfect for me.
Very light, very strong, very comfortable and easy to use.
I highly recommend them.
My Equipment
Ok so here's where you'll find the equipment I use in my daily training and that I find most useful/relevant.
I'll add reviews/user guides as I go along.
1 - Garmin Forerunner 310XT
So this is my most valuable training tool that I use on my bike and run sessions to track pace/distance/time/speed/cadence/heart rate and everything in between. I bought the pack on Amazon and added the Heart Rate Strap, Bike Cadence/Speed Sensors, Footpod and Quick Release Kit. All this after reading a number of reviews by far the best from DC Rainmaker who's site I still follow today. This Watch is a superb tool and I'm still learning the benefits as I go along. With the ability to track open water swims, Bike sessions (both turbo and outdoors) and Running (both treadmill and outdoors) this really is the one stop shop for Triathletes.
2 - Kuota Kharma 2010
Having only been introduced to triathlons in Aug'10, I was new to the sport and went about purchasing a bike with the intention to involve road cycling more than just triathlon training. Under the advise of my cousin Barry at Worldwide Cycles I chose the Kuota Kharma both for its spec and looks.
Later I added a set of Tri Bars and this is my only bike having had a mountain bike stolen a couple years ago. I do have plans for a TT Bike, most likely a Cervelo P2/P3 but not until the end of this season at least when I can justify it!
3 - Minoura V150 Turbo Trainer
With Irish weather and darkness being all too frequent, a turbo trainer is essential for the quality workouts in my experience and this purchase has certainly paid off in countless hours and sweat being broken. Nice Resistance adjuster and quiet too for apartment uses.
4 - Swimovate PoolMate Pro
This is a watch that counts your laps in the swimming pool. Now the Garmin 310XT covers off open water swims but is GPS based so cannot track indoor swims unfortunately, so this handy watch replaces this and track my laps/distances/stroke counts etc complete with downloadable report tracking all workouts. It works via sensitive accelerometers inside the phone, you tell it the pool distance and which hand your watch is on. Then it does the rest and knows how many strokes you've made, distance, time, calories, speed, efficiency and laps completed. It really is fantastic and I'm in loving using this both for ease of knowing how many sets/laps I've done and for tracking my speed/progress etc.
5 - Ridley Dean TT Bike
So in Aug'11 I upgraded and picked up a second hand TT bike complete with Zipp 808's.
My personal opinion is this brought around 2-2.5 mins to my bike splits immediately and really made a difference.
Now you have to ask yourself how much you're willing to pay for a few mins, but it also transitions to a better run performance and I do recommend a TT bike when you get serious about triathlons and if you have the disposable income.
As always a bike fit is paramount and Dominic at Base2Race sorted me out after the season ready for winter training.
6 - CompuTrainer Turbo Power Meter
So I recently rented one of these bad boys and am in the middle of reviewing and using it.
Currently I like the training with power effect and it is making me work harder when I look at the numbers etc.
I haven't used my real course video yet, or the coaching software yet so still a lot to experiment with before I decide whether to buy one or not.
Not cheap, but I'm a big fan of the turbo and get a lot of quality workouts on this and want to track my power for improvements and progress so either way I'll be training with a power meter for most of 2012 if I can help it.
Powertaps are the other option, at least until the Garmin Vector comes out but the only bad thing with powertaps is they are fitted to a set rear wheel, so chose your race wheel or your training wheel, or both for double the cost!
7 - TYR Cat 5 Wetsuit
I tested this before buying (again at Base2Race) and found it a really nice suit. I didn't feel restricted in my arms at all and believe this is a top wetsuit for not a bad price at circa €500.
I did try the Cat 1 and Cat 3 at the same time, and honestly found them very good especially for the prices. I was torn for a while but opted to splash out on a good wetsuit and hope it lasts a while.
8 - Aero Bike Helmet
Free time basically is where I'd allocate this bad boy. I don't think they look great but hey they are tried and tested and pretty much accepted as the best bang for your buck in terms of free time.
You do see some at races with their heads down looking at computers a bit too much with the helmet sticking up in the air, but I'm always conscious of this and hopefully don't fall into this category!
I'd wonder though if using a power meter if this could become a bit more common!
I picked up this Spiuk Helmet from Worldwide Cycles courtesy of a nice Birthday Present in advance for Abu Dhabi 100k Bike.
9 - Runners
Ok so I've tried a few, namely as follows:
Nike Lunarglide 2's
Zoot Ultra TT 4.0's
Asics Kayano's - 14/16 I think
Adidas Adizero Boston's
I've a neutral run gait and for this reason the Asics had too much support on my arch's and ended in blisters after 6k each time.
So they were relegated to casual wear, and I bought a pair of the Zoot Ultra TT 4.0's. I had a cycle superstore voucher to use and these were on offer so picked them up.
They are comfy, very fast to use in transition and also worked well sockless. So I was very happy with these, apart from no more being available until next year's models come out. They do not have as much support as others so won't last as long is the only issue.
I actually ordered another pair online for next season and they are boxed away for use then!
So I had heard Adidas were nice and tried a pair of Adidas Boston's from amazon. Man are they nice. One of the lightest runner's I've used and feel plenty of support/wear.
I'm about to buy my second pair but won't need them for a while yet as current ones are doing very well.
I trained for a few weeks before the marathon in them, ran the marathon and all my runs since and haven't had any blisters or issues at all so clearly they suit my feet!
They are normal laced shoes is the only downside, so come race season I'll either get elastic laces put in or else use the Zoots.
