The New Rig..........

The good news after running the marathon a couple of weeks ago was that on the way home I swung by Silver Cycles, to pick up the new Kestrel Airfoil Pro SL triathlon bike. Being on Team Kestrel for 2010 means that I get one sweet triathlon bike to race on.......

The last week or so I have been tweaking the position and by now have about 200miles on it. I can tell you that first impressions are great, it's stiff, fast and really responds when you lay the power down.

Fortunately I also have some great sponsors in FFWD Wheels, ISM Saddles and Beaker Concepts that make the race rig a complete bad ass. For 2010 I'm rocking the FFWD carbon disc wheel and a set of F9R's......these things are NICE! I rode the F9R's for the first time last night and was rolling along like a rockstar, I can't wait to race on them.

From ISM I have the Adamo Road, , which has gained a massive following in the triathlon world and is hitting the road racing scene. Due to the frame of the Airfoil Pro, I have the carbon Hydrotail from Beaker Concepts, which is one of the most aero hydration systems on the market.

So here are the pic's........I'll post ones out in the sunshine after this weekend!....the background of the garage door doesn't do the bike justice :-)

Time For a New Saddle....or Should I Say Seat?

The saddle on my tri bike has been in need of replacement and I had just been waiting till after Ironman to start looking around for a new one. There are lots of different brands and styles out there but one that has been catching on like wild-fire in the triathlon ranks is the Adamo seat from ISM (Ideal Saddle Modification). A few team-mates have been using this seat during the season and have nothing but good things to say about it. Other triathletes have also stated how comfortable it is for long-distance races (the pro's that use are from the pointy-end of the field).....everyone has agreed though, that it takes a while to get used to and that period may last anywhere from two weeks to two months.

I approached ISM and they were great in being able to support me for the 2010 season with the Adamo Road seat coming in the post a few days later. This weekend will be the first time out on the new seat (not saddle!). Although it will probably be on the trainer based on the current weather forecasts! The first few rides will no doubt be a series of stop and starts as I try to adjust the seat to get it located correctly.

One of the major plus point to the Adamo seat is the potential health benefits, especially if you are spending the majority of your time in the aero position (like 112 miles at IM). There have been a number of studies regarding perineal blood flow and bicycle saddles, and ISM have tried to address this with the Adamo. Back in September 2006 ISM traveled to the University of Hamburg to have the Adamo Road saddle and the Adamo Racing saddle tested by noted German urologist Dr. Frank Sommer. At the conclusion of the testing Dr. Sommer was pleased with the results and congratulated ISM on their design and achievements. Dr. Sommer stated, "A saddle where there is hardly any blood loss. Which is excellent to preserve sexuality and for preventing erectile dysfunction." Excellent!

So over the next few weeks I will be tinkering with the new seat and getting used to the different dynamics and making sure that the blood flow isn't restricted :-) I'll let you know how it goes, the cycling that is!