Zipp ZedTech: Addressing Freud’s Model of the Psyche

Well, race season has begun, Fabian Cancellara took the prologue at the Tour of California (and summarily bowed out), and heading into today’s time trial, Levi Leipheimer has the lead as the sun is finally making a showing in California. Was it just me who found it intriguing that longtime Cerveloite Cancellara won aboard a Specialized? I loved the California bear motif on Levi Leipheimer’s TTX, and the understated matte black Lance had going on his rig. And we saw a bike with triathlon heritage, the Kuota Kueen K, cutting its teeth in UCI road racing on Team OUCH.
And of course, we saw an idiot steal the equivalent of a cycling Mona Lisa (aka Lance Armstrong’s TT bike), then return it on the sly. To quote Ricky Bobby said in Talladega Nights: "That's just dumb." I thought they would have to pull out this test bike, from when I was at the tunnel last fall during his fit and product testing session. We'll see what he rides today at high noon.

Yeah, it’s that season, to start seeing who’s on what, what prototypes are going on, which is why I’m in Solvang today; to not only watch the TT, but also see what everyone has on their bikes. The Tour of California is a bellwether to what we’ll see the top pros in triathlon upon. It’s my favorite time of the year. I got a look at Cervelo TestTeam on last Tuesday at the San Diego Wind Tunnel and saw some pretty wicked stuff, and I’m quite certain I’ll see some things that will be of keen interest and utility to triathletes. I’ve already been asked to a few team and camps, with the promise of seeing some special stuff.I spoke to the folks at Zipp Speed Weaponry, who pointed me in the direction of some athletes’ bikes to see some special stuff when in Solvang. While there’s a lot of sex factor to their goods (and rightly so), Zipp has been delivering wheels that are so well engineered, studied, tested, it’s no wonder the Indiana-based company is one of the leaders. I was reminded of that when Zipp’s Andy Paskins reminded me that there will be heaps of athletes this weekend running Zipp wheels unbranded, wheels that the teams pay for of their own impetus.

OK, why the leading headline? That’s quite a statement, eh?

Freud came up with three facets of the human psyche: the id, the ego and super-ego. The id is impulsive action, satisfying for the now. The ego reasons for long-term benefit. And the super-ego keeps it all in check, with reason that serves as a conscience.

Maybe Zipp has a psychoanalyst on staff; ZedTech creates the watering mouth effect for the id (can you say custom color decals and hubsets?); the desire for something for substantial drag numbers that the ego will require; and takes care of that nagging super-ego with the consideration that if you don’t have these wheels, you’ll be slower. And your mind finally gives, saying, I gotta have these.”

While on its face they look the same, The 2009 iteration of the Zipp line, including the ZedTech configuration, have undergone massive changes, that will improve us both fashionally and functionally.

ZedTech is all about, well, me. Well, I mean you. “Me” in terms of being able to show your style. While the ZedTech consumer gets the dimpled hubs (the rest of the Zipp consumer base does not have access to this option), it’s about the color and flash.

So like Burger King thing, Zipp says you can have it your way. To illustrate it, visit zipp.com/zedtech. Here, you can visually build your wheels graphically. You can choose pre-created decal designs, or do it all on your own.

Zipp invited me to experience the ZedTech customer’s experience, and the fun part is picking the look of your wheels. At the website, you can select every aspect of the wheel; decal color, hub external cap colors, bearings (steel or ceramic) and spoke nipple color.

Designing your decal design is all you. You can use a full color palate to determine the colors of the individual Z-I-P-P lettering, background and Advanced Technology Group lettering underneath. Zipp marketing manager Andy Paskins tells me he’s seen some “interesting” designs so far. Very political of him not to make any judgements. I hoped the crew at Zipp didn’t laugh at my design idea, whatever I came up with.

I have bikes of mostly a red or blue motif, so I wanted something that would work on either bike. I also went to the University of Arizona, so I thought, why not an Arizona Wildcats color concept? I chose a red inner lettering with blue trim and white ATG lettering. The hubs would be red, spoke nipples a simple grey, and went with a simple standard bearing setup. The wheels? It would be the Craig Alexander Special, the same wheelset he ran to take his Hawaii Ironman title last fall: a 404 front and an 808 rear.

As cool as they look, the true advancement in the new wheels (not just ZedTech but all wheels) comes in the details. First, Zipp re-designed the rim shape, with a slightly more blunt and rounded apex to the rim. The brake track has been angled a bit more as well, Zipp says.

The biggest advance from a functional standpoint comes in the new 88 front hub and 188 rear hub, which are 276 grams a pair. Gone is the somewhat flimsy carbon fiber dust cap on the non-drive side. In comes a bearing shield, and a clinch nut on the non-drive side of the rear hub.

The bearings are now a fair bit more protected from the elements with that dustcap replaced by the bearing shield. But more importantly you and I now have the ability to set the pre-load on the bearings. There is a factory setting of .08 Nm, but if you feel like you want it a bit looser for a more free run when it’s set and secured into your dropouts wih your quick releasen, you can do it with a 2mm hex key. Of course, it’s your onus to be sure they’re not too loose, so as not to allow too much play that can damage your bearings.

The big, stiff 17mm axle is larger than that found in cross-country mountain bike version, and you have the choice of either ceramic bearings, or Swiss-made steel bearings that Zipp says are rounder than many other subpar ceramic bearing offerings on the market— 10 millionths of an inch of tolerance, which is 2.5 times tighter a tolerance than the other guys. So, the wheel will roll better and faster with less friction and drag with such a smooth bearing.

Hub manufacturing has other proprietaries that make the flanges more crack-resistant. And, each front and rear hub has its spoke holes cut specific to a rim, for the most direct, optimal travel of spoke from hub to rim—reducing stress risers. Boring stuff on its face, but when your high-strung wheel has a weak hub and it fails, it’ll matter. Especially on race day.

About two weeks later, the box showed up at our office, and for your spend, they deliver with a showroom-floor perfect polish. The hubs are gorgeous and with the color option really set off the complete complimentary look of your bike. They’re also a fair bit more silent than their predecessor.

Complete with a set of Zipp Tangente Tubulars to complete the I got to take a maiden test voyage up the Coast Highway from Encinitas to Carlsbad. Are they fast? Does a bear…. ok, I’ll just say they are hella fast, unreal light. Braking was great, but no better than it was ever before; maybe I need a screaming descent to test that re-design. Nothing quantative here, but I’ve been on lots of wheels, and the sturdy build, the engineering, the testing I’ve seen them do, lead me to have a hell of a lot of faith in them that they have proven the wheels as fast. So it’s the wheelset I often default to when I am packing my bike away for a race.As a tinkerer, I love, love, love the ability to adjust my own preload. For those who like to know every facet of the bike, you can really tailor your bike for race day, making sure that you are getting as much resistance-free play with the wheel in the dropouts as you want—the wheels will be fast, and you have the ability to ensure that’s so.
My test set will make their true race debut at Ironman 70.3 New Orleans, which I will be covering and racing in early April. Meantime, I’ll watch the pros roadies put this new gear through its paces. It’s a wonder if any of the guys know just how much work went into these new 2009 wheels. Fortunately, I get to hang out with engineers like Josh Poertner and talk about this stuff for an hour or so in the Sands Convention Center halls in Vegas during Interbike.

See, the things you learn when you stay out of the strip clubs. It's enough to... uh... placate your ego.

Off to Solvang to see these wheels put to work…

It was the talk of the office, that ad. You know which one I ‘m talking about; the thing ran in VeloNews and drew some readers letters. Of course, it delivered on drawing attention to the new iteration of the Octane line of apparel.

It’s one thing to sensationalize for the sake of it. Of course, Pearl Izumi didn’t build it’s legacy on slick ads and weak product. I remember wearing the ubiquitous Pearl Izumi socks on a daily basis when working at REI in Seattle many moons ago, and a bunch of us floor monkeys used to have a shop thing; wear the socks mismatch. One black, one white with blue trim. It was a dumb thing, but it was our thing, and it was only in those “IP” logoed socks.

Back to today. I spent a long time with Cache Mundy from Pearl Izumi while at the Tour de France last year, since I was around the Garmin team hotel most of my time before the race kicked off in Brest. So I got to see all the cool stuff that they co-developed with Allen Lim, like seamless aero gloves (shown in the new issue of Inside Tri), and the aero skinsuits that I wish I could race in out of the water. Of course, their design would prevent me from standing upright after the race, the stitch optimized exclusively for being in the aerobars.

Suddenly, Cache and PI marketing man Geoff Shaffer made me a testing guinea pig for a couple of pieces. I was one of the first to get to run in the newly revamped Peak shoes, supplying me with enough prototype pairs of the shoe to get through my first ultramarathon last spring.

Recently, I got a chance to test their hottest new offering, the Octane. Italian-made. Ultra expensive, and totally different to anything I’d ever been in, from any brand.

Now to be fair, I know what you’re saying: “Assos is the best.” And to be fair, I’ve ridden in the Swiss-made Assos bibshorts just once. I had a those of shorts that were summarily sent back to the retailer after one ride. They were very nice, nicer than most other shorts I’d worn….a great cut and a natural feel. But they were a bit small, and they didn’t have my size. Oh well c’est la vie. I opted instead for shorts that didn’t require a week of Ramen to financially recover from, some basic Pearl Izumi Microsensor shorts, which did the trick.

Such luck, I get a job where I get to test these shi-shi goods, irrespective of the cost. That totally aside, I can firmly say that this new Octane, is the Assos-killer—or at least a major rival to the brand. The Swiss do things nicely, but the Italians do it with more style, and in this case, a level of comfort than I’ve ever experienced. And with a few four- and five-hour rides under my belt in them, I have to say they are the best bib-jersey combo I’ve ever worn. Period. Some things are worth spending on. For comfort in saddle, the Octane can go toe-to-toe with Assos.

Tangibles? The ad spells out that the outfit is like a second skin. Most every brand makes a kit form-fitting, but this is in another realm altogether. The cut of the full-zip is very, very athletic—tight around the ribs, flaring at the lats, with a long back. So there was very little excess material flapping. At the same time, it didn’t bind, the materials moving seamlessly with me. It was like a tailor-cut suit. There’s mesh across the black back for cooling, anti-microbial underarms, all the basics. And all with a styling that doesn’t scream “dork” like so many ride outfits do.

But it was the bib shorts that were so damn nice that I am hand-washing them after every ride, hanging them in the shade to dry, because I want them to last forever.

Where do I begin? I guess in the chamois, where comfort originates. Pearl Izumi has several chamois’ through their line, but they use a brand-new PRO 4D chamois, its new best. It’s pre-formed, super breathable and thermal-regulated (so it stays dry). I’ve been riding my road bike all winter, and the upright position hits a raised section at the chamois aft that has a different density. Waaaay comfortable.

It also has four-way stretch for more comfort. When you build in a seamless, anatomically-designed short with just the right seam angles, the ride will be great. Add a stretchable chamois, and the comfort level just goes off the scales. There hasn’t been a short that moves as well in the saddle as this one, by miles, without a bit of exaggeration. Early or late in the ride, and of late, in the aerobars on my tri bike, it feels like you are in a custom-built kit.

So, it made sense that they did an ad with a chick in a fairly sheer kit. No, the kit’s not sheer (thank God) but like the ad purports, it fits like it’s that dialed. The bibs are $275 or $250 for a short, and $225 for the jersey. When paired together, you look so pro, it’s sick, as the alabaster whites, brilliant reds and glossy blacks that bring the outfit together are the epitome of Italian style. That is what set this apart visually from the rest of the chartruse-mottled or USPS team-outfitted yahoos out on the weekend ride.

But it’s what’s inside on the design that makes it better than any outfit I’ve ever ridden in. I commute during the week in whatever I have, but this kit I save for my epic weekend rides. And if I need to do a mechanical on my bike mid-ride, you better believe I’m packing a hand wipe, coz chain grease fingers ain’t touchin this kit.

Larsen goes Online with WorldTri.com

When it comes to pro athletes, there are egotists (just a few), but mostly there are a ton of cool cats. And then there is Steve Larsen.

First, he’s a legend on two wheels. If it consists of racing, he has won a national pro title at it. NORBA mountain biking, junior road racing, cyclo-cross, whatever. Then he delved into triathlon, finished fourth at his first big race at Wildflower, and won his first Ironman at Lake Placid in 2001, blazing the bike on that hilly course in 4:33.

That year, Larsen opened Steve Larsen’s Wheelworks in Davis, Calif. and learned something I learned before my magazine days; retail bike storefronts are hard, hard work, especially when you’re training full-time and raising five kids. (OK, I didn’t have the kids or wife, but hey, I can sympathize that fitting athletes, installing bike racks, changing flat tires and explaining the merits between chamois A and chamois B is taxing. Remains involved in commercial real estate as well.
So he stands as a rare, rare bird—I mean, can you name another athlete who has represented America in world championship events in five disciplines: road, mountain biking, cyclo-cross, track and, of course, triathlon? Didn’t think so.

The guy has done so much, his brain is a fountain of knowledge, and he more than happy to share it. He’s always been approachable by age groupers (even when he was retired for a brief respite and participated an age grouper) who wanted his opinion on the best wheel setup for Lake Placid, or advice on bike position. Even my wife, who very rarely seeks advice, has taken some good advice from Larsen.

Now he puts that experience to work with his new online retail portal, WorldTri.com. All the good things about selling bike stuff, absent the storefront, staffing and other encumberances. Certainly he wouldn’t sell anything that he wouldn’t realistically use on his own, so that’s a level of endorsement in its own right. At the same time, Steve is available to customers to help them with their purchase, whether its his opinion about an aerobar, tire pressure. It’s like getting cooking advice directly from Bobby Flay.

I had a chance to ask Steve a few questions, simply because I wanted to know what his plans are for this year, how his new online site affected things, and hoped to be present for any of his races. For as much as I’m impressed when Normann or Torbjorn put the wood down on the bike, I get a special kick when I see Larsen—as he did at Oceanside last year—ride through a bunch of pro men like they are standing still. I hope to see him get back on the podium again in Kona—a sure thrill for fathers of five everywhere.

How much fun was it delving back into the race scene after five years away from it and how jazzed was your family seeing you racing again?
It was a lot of fun. We travelled a lot with my two oldest kids when I was racing professionally and I always imagined what great experiences those would be for them. As it turns out they remember very little of those trips so I thought it would be fun to get out and compete and share with them the good I think comes from sport and a healthy lifestyle. And although I still have high expectations, it was important to show them that winning was not what was most important, but instead embracing the opportunity to compete and challenging yourself to be your best regardless of your ability or time available to train.

How would you rate your season? You had a tough run in Kona, but short of that, you had what I would think to be a successful campaign; a nice podium against a solid field at Vineman 70.3, a solid qualifier at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, and a good swim/bike in Kona... before that run grabbed you.
Performance-wise, Kona was a disappointment as I know I was trained to go much faster. But aside from that, that race and this season were very gratifying. As a father of five kids running two different businesses I was very proud of what I was able to accomplish in those races against the world’s best endurance athletes. Without a doubt my result at Vineman, finishing behind Bozzone and Alexander was the most gratifying. It showed me that when it all comes together I still have the ability to compete amongst the best, which was something I wasn’t totally sure of until that point.

What spurred you to start a new online retail storefront? I'm sure it will be much easier than doing the true storefront thing.
I have been looking for a way to stay involved in the sport of triathlon for the long term. I enjoy what I have created with Steve Larsen Properties on the real estate brokerage side, but I am much more excited about the opportunity to educate consumers and share my passion for triathlon and its healthy lifestyle. We ran a successful brick and mortar store and were well aware of what that entails on a daily basis. Through online sales we can reach a much broader audience while maintaining a more flexible schedule than a retail storefront would allow.

How involved will you be with dialogue with customers? No doubt, your personal experience and insights is worth a lot for the guy who is considering Wheelset A versus Wheelset B.
I will be very involved, specifically in selection of the products we sell and doing my best to be available to answer customer questions. We are taking our time in building our product line and are committed to only selling products we have used and believe in. No matter your ability, we hope to offer good insight and recommendations that will allow you to perform at your best without breaking the bank. Over time, we will have very specific choices to help guide your buying depending on where you are currently in the sport. The newbie triathlete does not need a $6,000 dollar bike and $600 dollar wetsuit to enjoy our sport. It may not be what the manufacturers want to hear, but I know if we give people sound and honest feedback they will be customers of ours for the long haul. And if there is one thing I have it is endurance, so I am looking to help customers from their introduction to the sport to their eventual Kona qualification, not just one sale and done.

How will this new venture, along with your real estate workload and being dad adjust your race sked for ‘09?
As with everything, things can change, but what is in your crystal ball for races? For my own motivation (like many others) it is important to commit to racing each season. It is a different challenge for me now but one I look forward to nonetheless. My hope is to compete in three or four 70.3 races, perhaps one Ironman (I am thinking Canada), and a trip back to Kona. Best case, I would add two Xterras as they are still some of the best events around.

Guess the Part; Solved!

Folks, we have a winner! Matthew Shapiro did it piecemeal; he figured out it was a CO2 mount... that was half the battle. Then he needed to sort out who made it.

I had a lot of great guesses (and I bet some engineers can use those stabs as ideas for bike solutions... like an aero cable router). The maker: Profile Design. I saw this in a new 2009 catalog (though it's not on the website... your best bet is to ask your local retailer to stock 'em) and I asked to see one. I was thoroughly impressed. But like I said, it lacked the sex appeal of all the carbon stuff that goes into the mags.


It mounts vertically between your hydration system and bottle cage (the square nut serves as a spacer for your other bottle bolt, so the cage is flush.

Once the thing is on, you can screw a CO2 vertically into the threaded hollow, on either end, holding two. The package comes with two mounts, so you can mount as many as four CO2s to a rear hydration system. Mark Vandermolen from Profile Design says you can mount them under your downtube bottle cage as well.

What does it mean? It means for my wife, as you can see in the picture of her bike, she can save space in her tool bag (which she puts in her rear cage on her HydroTail). For race day, she has them at hand, and now wrapped with electrical tape to a tubular tire, or a seatpost.

Erika Csomor, whom is staying here in San Diego and I passed one to, is jazzed, as she said she has typically put CO2s in her Bento Box on race day. Now she has more room for more important stuff in there, like food.

They're easy to access, easy to know how many you have for race day, and you don't need to wrap them to your frame with electrical tape.

Maybe some of you are rolling your eyes: "That's it?" If you race and see stuff littered across the race course, one of those things that causes massive fear of riding over is a CO2 cartridge. The more you can affix stuff to your bike without rudimentary methods, the better off we all are. And you look just a little more pro.

So there it is. It ain't a solution to our economic plunge, but it will make your training and racing a bit more organized. The less electrical tape on a bike, the better.

Thanks for all the great guesses, and thanks to Profile Design for sending me a prize for the giveaway. Maybe I'll do some more of these giveaways again.

Guess the Part, Win a Prize, Part 2, and a fun bet

OK, I've had a few stabs, but no hits. Jordan Rapp excluded himself and gave up, asking to know what it was. He now knows, but is thus eliminated from grand prize contention.

So I'm sending another shot at a cocked angle. It's a bit soft... sorry, my iPhone sucks for macro shots.Other hints: It is comprised of aluminum, for what it's worth. The hardware with it are what is included in the package, if that gives you any leads.

It is a product in the line of a major aerobar manufacturer. American company. But the product, being as small as it is, is not on their website.... at least I can't find it there.

Before I sign off for now and await some more guesses, I gotta put out there a bet my esteemed colleague Brad Culp and I threw together. We're both racing the first week of April; he at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, and I at Ironman 70.3 New Orleans. From what I see, Nawlins will be an easier, flatter course. But heat could be a factor, I don't know. Or cold and rain could be a factor in Oceanside. Could go either way.

But none of that matters to Brad, for his ego is larger than the Obama Fan Club. No, he said he will slay my time by more than 45 minutes. He may be faster than I am, but hell, gimme some credit. I figure I will come withing 30 minutes.

So we have a bet: regardless of condition at either race, I come within 45 minutes of Brad's time, and I get a case of beer of my choice. I fall outside it, I owe him a case.

Of course, if you've seen his blog, you know he like to fancy himself some sort of alcohol connoisseur. Of course, I've seen him drink Zima and say "man, this stuff is awesome, bro, especially when you mix it with Red Bull, gimme a glow stick so I can get loose on the dance floor" so I don't give his brew opinion much credence. Zima? Sad.

I'll take his 45 minutes. He may give me a case of beer, but I'm not all taking. I'll buy him a box of cookies to bury his sorrows in.

Interoffice smacktalk prattle off. Let's have some guesses.

Guess the Part, Win a Prize!!!

Seldom does a bit part wow me. But this one, which I received a couple weeks ago, did. It’s metal, it’s simple, and it will change your life. And there’s a little drawing for this existence-altering piece of technology that ranks up there with the door knob and the round wheel. (You know, after square wheels were just not cutting it).

O.K. I’m exaggerating. But it makes your riding experience, on a smaller scale, more enjoyable. It’s also the kind of thing that I want to put in the magazine, but most will look right past it, as it lacks sex appeal. It’s not carbon, it’s not gloss, and it’s not aero tested. But when I put one on my wife’s Cervelo P3, people were asking “where’d you get that? She’s had to refer all questions to me.But it has utility for triathletes in a big way. It’s good for races, and good for training. Good on road bikes, and good on tri bikes. I visited Dan Empfield and showed it to him, and managed to elicit a “cool.” From him. If ever there was a vote of confidence, that was it.

I spoke to the head engineer for the American-based triathlon-specific company about the design of this little widget, who said “It was a team effort all around.”

What is it? That’s my question to you. A tab to tape gels onto? A surface for installing race numbers? Hmmmmm…. what could it be?

The first person (aside from those few who know me and have seen it) to sort out what it is and who makes it, I will send you a pair, compliments of the company, and announce the winner at this very globally-read blog. And it will change your life forever. I shot it under studio lighting (flourescent lights) against a contrasting background (my laptop) to give it scale, with one of my best cameras (my iPhone). This is as good as it gets, folks.

No more hints…. Time to give me your best guess!

Press Releases Galore, and some editorial: Macca to SRAM, TBB to Avia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


AVIA SELECTED AS OFFICIAL FOOTWEAR PARTNER OF TEAMTBB

Aliso Viejo, Calif. (December 18, 2008) – AVIA, the leader in endurance sports racing footwear, is proud to announce its partnership with teamTBB. As of January ’09, all teamTBB athletes will train and race in AVIA footwear. TeamTBB’s coaching staff and athletes will also work directly with AVIA’s footwear engineering team on innovative new product designs.

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with the best multi-sport teams in the world,” said Ed Goldman, Vice President of Marketing for AVIA. “Our decision to partner with teamTBB is not simply a one dimensional sponsorship; their athlete assets are unmatched and their commitment to improving the lives of young people through sports is honorable. We are looking forward to a record breaking season in 2009.”

Teamtbb is a development squad that provides hope and opportunity to many young athletes and struggling pro’s that would have had no opportunity or pathway to being able to become an earning professional athlete. Teamtbb provides physical, psychological and mechanical information to all of its athletes and more important its current leading athletes are the role models to the rookie and development athletes.

In addition to its professional and amateur athlete programs, teamTBB also works to ensure that youth around the globe can participate in multi-sport events through its social development projects and its franchise, The Bike Boutique. The Bike Boutique provides unique lifestyle services through its bike lifestyle stores and encourages cycling as a means of transportation supported by its bikeLodging™ services.

Alex Bok, Managing Director of The Bike Boutique Holding and teamTBB says about this new partnership “We have completed a long selection process to finally team up with one of leading endurance footwear companies. Avia became our absolute preferred choice as a result of their shoe technology. Avia’s shoe technology is totally aligned with our coaching staff’s vision of what requirement the ultimate endurance shoe should meet. Secondly, Avia is a company with a unique brand image that is not afraid of taking a fresh and innovative approach to the footwear market.”

Starting in January, AVIA running shoes will be sold in all Bike Boutique locations world-wide. For more information on The Bike Boutique and teamTBB please visit www.teamtbb.com.

About American Sporting Goods
American Sporting Goods is a manufacturer of performance athletic footwear and apparel based in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Brands under the ASG umbrella include AVIA, And 1, rykä, Nevados, Yukon, NSS, APEX, Turntec and Triple Five Soul.

About teamTBB
teamTBB is a professional organisation for triathlon and bike related sports and nurtures a unique culture by providing hope and opportunity for young athletes. teamTBB is committed to building a better world for youth and has started various social projects around the world.

TEAMTBB CONTACT:
Alex Bok
+65-9752-8080
alexbok@thebikeboutique.com

***

We thought Macca to SRAM was inevitable, considering his switch to Zipp a few months ago. And TeamTBB's move with Avia is a smart move; Brett Sutton doesn't pick up a brand without a hands-on look at the product. And after I saw the new AviBolt 2 and the new AviStoltz trail shoe for '09, I thought those two shoes were a massive surge for the brand; the trail shoe (which has no bearing on the tri team, save for co-designer Conrad Stoltz and new Avia signee Melanie McQuaid) is kick ass, with a low heel to prevent ankle rolls and an aggressive, grabby tread) is one I look forward to trying on the trails.

But the AviBolt 2 is gonna shake things up, as it's the shoe that, like the Pearl Izumi Peak, is an underground star. Superlight, low heel, ultra flexible for unimpeded gait, and with a touch of stability, to keep your form together late in the marathon. All these Nike, Asics and with big, cushy heels (especially when worn by middle-aged trophy wives at the gym) are a joke; you shorten the achilles tendon and are effectively running in stilletos, heel striking by default. A shoe with a low heel promotes a midfoot strike and better run form. It ain't for everyone, but for fast runners—or a fast pro tri team—a low, light, racer with a touch of posting is the ticket. Newton has that in the extreme, Pearl Izumi has it in the Peak, Nike has it in the Luna Racer, and now Avia has it in their new '09 shoes. It seems some brands are learning that "gee, big cloud-like heels are the opposite of what real runners need, and that we can run fast like Abebe Bikila did back in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games."

Well, maybe not that fast, or that cool... I'm keeping my Pearls on my feet for now. Anyway, interesting pickups for both SRAM and Avia.