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What not to buy

I fear I may have reached a critical point on my path thru triathlon. I embrace swim paddles, turbo trainers, locklaces and foam rollers but I've seen something recommended in 220 and my instant thought was "What a waste of money."

Check out page 79 on the bottom of Joe Friel's article. buh-bump heart rate monitor electrode cream. It's £3.99. So far so reasonable. But it comes in a pack similar to a gel i.e. tear, squirt and discard. So 4 quid on average 6 times a week. "Infinitely better than spit" apparently...hmmm.

Am I alone in thinking this? Have I come to the tipping point where Wiggle remove my platinum customer status?

Or is there a bigger waste of money in tri?

Comments

  • Haven't looked at the mag yet, but WTF? Spit for me I'm afraid, my HRM always seems to read OK, so can't really see how this would improve it.
  • .. but what if the electrode cream came in a carbon fibre pot?

    I tend to find my body produces a conductive saline solution when I start exercising. Maybe I should collect it in little jars and sell it on t'internet for £5 a go. If yesterday's spin session is anything to go by, I'd probably have a couple of grands worth of product to sell already.

    Matt.
  • I dont even spit & it still works ok!
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    Presumably this is for people who have some sort of OCD like aversion to germs of any kind?
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Or fat wallets. Stick triathlon on it and it will sell.


    My HRM actual says wet strap before use for a better signal. It works!!!
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    http://www.tri-clips.com/

    the elastic band is dead,
    all hail the mighty tri clip.
  • I like those ... Great sound
  • OranjOranj Posts: 45
    My GF finds that spit doesn't work for her (maybe she doesn't have very conductive spit ;-) ?), but a tube of ECG gel from Boots is about 3.99 works a treat and lasts ages.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Bigger waste of money you say? Hmmm now let me see, how about the gloves for fist drills in the pool..longer to put on than your drill will last & how hard is it to hold a fist? Ditto the little paddles for the same effect...if you need something to 'hold onto' try a pebble, pound coin, bouncy ball, hair out of the grilles on the pool floor.. anything..
  • Those tri-clips are a perfect example of a good idea made as badly as possible. The bit that clips on the shoe will catch your foot, the dangly bit will hit the frame/ wheel/ spokes, and worst of all it's not aero....no wait worst of all it's not carbon or red!

    Now some sort of stretchy clipping thing would be good...avoid the elastic ping hitting my heel, bits of the band getting trapped/ wrapped around gears/ pedal, or the band snapping too early.

    Any 220 inventors out there?
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    Those tri - clips truly are a pointless product!

    They don't do anything that a laccy band won't (and if you actually tie the band onto your shoe, it won't ping into your cogs anyway, and how often does that happen?), plus they add weight, disrupt airflow and if you're really unlucky the clip will chip your paintwork or break when it pings against your frame!
    It's a great example of a pointless triathlon product.
    I'm also amused by the fact that the big image on the homepage shows somebody running through transition with their shoes on, avoiding which is the whole point of the product!

    If you need conductive gel, you can get it in large squeezy containers that will last for ages. Personally, I just put my HRM under a tap.
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