Shiny Expensive Toys

Here are some awesome training gear/gadgets that I can probably not afford and will probably never get.

1) The CycleOps PowerTap SL 2.4 Wireless
The PowerTap SL 2.4 is CycleOps's (Saris') top of the line Power Meter. With a hub weighing a light 416 grams (the same as the SL), it features a 2.4 Ghz transmission system to remove all the wires!

In any case, this piece of machine is dead sexy. It has +/- 1.5% accuracy (amazing! Compare to Polar's +/- 10% accuracy), unlimited interval storage, coded heart rate, 300 hour battery life for the hub, 400 hour battery life for the computer, calorie burn (based on power delivered and an efficiency approximation), speed, distance, all the works. It will measure accurately from 0-1999 Watts! Really, it is only a step up from the SL because it is wireless. Wiring, done incorrectly, can turn your beautiful ride into a mess of string. Done right however, the SL 2.4 might just be sort of excessive. But it's wireless, so it's still super hot. At a retail price of$1499.00, I can't afford this.


2) Newton Running Shoes
When I first heard of these shoes, I thought "Nike Free." Supposedly they are supposed to simulate "barefoot running," as the Nike Free advertised years earlier. These shoes remind me a lot of the POSE method (the clear instructions of which I'm not totally sure). They also remind me of Ian Shapiro. Basically they encourage a forefoot plant, which is supposedly "better" because it reduces stress on your knees (but we know the stress ends up in your achilles and calves). Like the frees, you are supposed to ease into them to prevent injury. Essentially you are told you might have to relearn how to run a bit (sounds like POSE to me!)

The shoes themselves are designed specifically to increase energy return (no springs). They have what are known as "actuator lugs" on the sole of the shoe, that are vertically positioned to correspond to the areas between your metatarsals. These actuator lugs supposedly create better cushioning than EVA foam. They call it "Newton Active Membrane Technology." The way it works is, as your foot strikes, a membrane is stretched and as you begin to toe-off the membrane returns to its normal shape, returning the stored energy. These shoes have been primarily marketed towards triathletes, perhaps because of the incredibly steep price of $175.00 for the trainers and $155.00 for the racing flats.

3) BC558 Segmental Body Composition Monitor
The key word for this body fat scale is segmental. That's right, as in segments. It gives you individual body fat readings for each arm, each leg, and your torso. Why would you want this? Apparently this is particularly useful if you are attempting to even out muscular imbalances in your body. But really I think it's just excessively cool information to know ("Hey! My arm is 5% body fat which is why they looked so ripped! But my legs are 8% which is why they don't look as good...)

It uses rectractable hand-grip electrodes, and also the standard electrodes for your feet. A simple process that takes seconds will display for you your weight, total and segemental body fat, your hydration %, muscles mass, bone mass, give you a basal metabolic rate reading, your "metabolic age" and "physique rating", along with measure how much visceral fat you have. It gives data in 0.2lb weight increments and 0.1% body fat increments. Additionally it features graph functions, recall functions, clock, and calendar. It goes for $269.99.