4 Products That Promise to Save You Wattage
With the championship season in full swing, consider these four products that’ll shave every last possible second.
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With the championship season in full swing, check out four products that’ll shave every last possible second.
Louis Garneau Course LGneer Tri Suit
$380, Swimoutlet.com
Claimed speed savings: ~10-15W
Garneau’s upgrade to its super slick M-2 Tri Skin uses textured fabrics designed alongside Alphamantics Technologies to reduce laminar airflow and deliver surprising watt savings. More than just a speedy suit, the Course LGneer is packed with features like unusually huge back pockets, which remain unattached at the bottom to the back of the suit, a plush pad, and tons of different fabrics across different zones (compression, cooling, aerodynamics, range-of-movement, etc.).
TriRig Alpha One Aerobars
$1,100 with extensions, Tririg.com
Claimed speed savings: ~6W
TriRig’s new addition to its already-speedy Alpha line uses a UCI-legal monopost to lift the cups and extensions above the base bar. This fully integrated stem/aerobar combo boasts super clean lines, design that uses computational fluid dynamics, and monster forearm cups to ensure comfort. With a wide range of adjustability— crucial for a proper fit—the Alpha One’s aluminum monopost also provides increased stiffness.
CeramicSpeed Ceramic-Coated Bottom Bracket
$500, Ceramicspeed.com
Claimed speed savings: ~0.5-1.5W
Though probably one of the highest dollars-per-watt upgrades, you’ll often find ceramic-hybrid bottom brackets like these on pro bikes. With a mixture of ceramic balls and coated steel races, CeramicSpeed’s smooth-as-silk bearings not only save watts, but actually last roughly three times longer than standard setups—if properly maintained. It’s worth noting that there may be slightly more efficient setups available, but this set is made to be fast for a long time.
Pirelli P-Zero Velo TT Clincher Tires
$60 each, Velo.pirelli.com
Claimed speed savings: ~2-5W
It’s been almost 30 years since the traditional auto tire brand has released a bike product, but last year Pirelli re-entered cycling with the P-Zero line. Considered to be one of the lowest rolling- resistance tire setups tested by independent online authority Bicyclerollingresistance.com (and the lightest, at 163g for the 23C version), these are super-thin, race-day-only treads. Though they installed effortlessly and cornered very well, puncture resistance is an obvious trade off.