Most people don’t consider a bike a high-tech product, but bike technology is essential gear for performance enhancement and the triathlete who races with swimming and cycling. The products on this list focus on cycling performance, but they have different functions and different prices.
Swim skins
These are the soft, gel-infused strips of neoprene that protect you from the wetness of the pool and provide an excellent surface to grip your swimsuit and goggles. High-Performance swim skins fit most men’s suits. There’s a wide range of sizes, colors, and patterns available from Transamerican. They are unique and very comfortable. These removable foam inserts help relieve the underwater drag in triathlon swimming (compared to swimsuits with built-in flotation devices like those worn by Olympic swimmers).
Bluetooth bike trainer
It’s a sleek-looking Bluetooth bike trainer with two-speed settings. The Smart Flyer uses your computer’s Bluetooth chip to help record your performance during an indoor ride and track your heart rate and cadence. The device features a stable stand, so you can put it on the floor for indoor training or put it on a table for outdoor rides. It will also display your speed, cadence, and battery life on a small LCD screen and allow you to measure your cycling power output.
Disk race wheel
Track cycling wheels, racing flats, and running shoes and cleats are compatible with the wheels. The price is much more competitive than alternatives such as ratchet-drive. Although the bearings and hub design may be controversial, high-tech bikes can be more forgiving and resilient than any other alternative wheel system. Most triathletes rely heavily on their bike in triathlon competitions. An easy-to-read display shows a telemetry page, GPS map, weather data, and your average speed and power.
Electronic Shifting – Di2
Electronic shifting is the first truly affordable electronic shifting system for a road bike. Easier to use than mechanical shifting but equally as fast, Di2 gives you instant, subtle shifts with every pedal stroke without the hassle of cogs and derailleurs. It’s a real game-changer in the world of road racing and is now a must-have for serious cyclists and triathletes. Fractions Di2 is our favorite electronic shifting system for cycling and triathlon. The newest version comes with impressive multi-dimensional precision that makes shifting effortless and real-time fuel and wind speed a part of your cycling experience.
Power meter pedals
If you’re serious about improving your bike performance this year, then you’ll want to get yourself a power meter pedal. Unlike speed/cadence sensors that rely on a thin crank arm to measure speed, this cheap and straightforward power meter (from $40) is connected to your pedals and can be used for all bike activities, not just cycling. The pedal measures the force of your leg power over time, helping you understand and improve your form.
Garmin Forerunner 945XT
For the workout enthusiast, the Forerunner 945XT is an excellent tool for improving training accuracy. As well as being very accurate, it can track your VO2Max, average power, and other metrics that give insight into how much training you’re doing, how hard you’re training, and your optimal racing speed. The 945XT is worn as a watch during workouts or on the go as a pedometer.
AfterShokz Xtrainerz
If you’re waiting for the transition from the swim to the bike, you need a set of high-tech triathlon sport headphones. The AfterShokz Xtrainerz Triathlon Sport Headphones are our current pick of the best high-tech triathlon sport headphones. They’re super comfortable, can keep up with the beat of the music, and can take almost any audio level. The high-quality earbuds ensure that the audio level remains strong and clear even in the choppiest conditions. Sometimes you need your music on your run.