gear

Smith Optics Sunglasses
Any sunglasses may be fine for an hour or two, but after 6, 12 or 24 hours differences become increasingly apparent. Smith Optics sunglasses are the most comfortable I’ve worn. My current favorites are the Redline Max and Pivlock V90. They’re both light and comfortable on my ears and lens changes are easy. My first pair of Redline Max came with lenses darker than I’d used in the past and it surprised me how much relief that gave my eyes.

Kreitler Rollers
Rollers are my choice for indoors riding. In late 2009 and early 2010, I did at least 95% of my on-bike training for Hill Country 600k on Kreitler’s 2.25″ Kompact Rollers. Admittedly, I haven’t spent much time on other brands. I’ve had a chance to try a few with plastic drums and various modes of resistance. None were as smooth as my Kreitlers and I didn’t last more than a few minutes. The 2.25″ Kreitler drum provides plenty of resistance for me without any add-ons. That makes them quieter and easier to travel with. If you need more resistance you can add the Killer Headwind attachment to any model or the Flywheel to any standard frame (non-Kompact) model. I’ve used both the Alloy and Challenger model drums and don’t notice a difference in those. Kreitler models with larger drums seem a little smoother, but don’t provide as much resistance.

Hammer Nutrition
When the company selling me calories tells me to eat less during training rides and races I tend to pay attention. Since changing my nutrition strategy from the most-I-can-process-in-an-hour to the least-I-can-get-by-with-in-an-hour I’ve felt that I’ve had more energy during long events. My primary source of calories is Perpetuem, with a little Hammer Gel and occasional bites of solid food like boiled potatoes, peanut butter sandwiches and Clif bars. Over the summer of 2010 I also gradually adopted Steve Born’s Epic Race Supplement Suggestions. Combined with eating less, taking supplements during training and racing has helped me feel stronger while riding and greatly improved my recovery.

Dinotte Lighting
Dinotte Lighting is a small company with great customer service. I love my Dinotte Lights. They’re bright and lightweight and have always worked well on road and trail. For MTB races I use an 800L-Li on my bars with a helmet-mounted 400L-Li. On the road I usually use just the 800L-Li on my bars, with a 400L-Li or 200L-AA taillight. When I need less light or as a backup for brevets I use a 200L-AA.