A few cool things
While summer is great in the Rockies, cold comes quickly at 7,522 ft., or higher!
The air is getting cooler. I’m enjoying my oatmeal with fruit, almond butter and protein powder. Occasionally, motivating to get out and ride can be challenge. I have to really psych up to get out when it’s 40 degrees and raining. Sometimes, a cool new gadget or clothing will do it.
Last July, I swung by an Apple Store in one of the sprawling suburbs between Denver and Boulder and bought a Wahoo Fitness RFLKT, a sort of monitor for my fitness apps on my iPhone.Initially, it was kind of a pain. It has a wonderful display, large at 2.4″x1.6″. It takes a bit to get threw the setup and you need the Wahoo Utility and Wahoo Fitness apps. Even then, you have to be careful to make sure your Bluetooth is on before you turn your RFLKT on or, at least with the original firmware, the device can lock up. I had to have an extra power booster as the Bluetooth and GPS connection sucked down my iPhone battery pretty quickly. When it works, however, it does so beautifully.
The readout seems a bit slower than the old magnet-on-wheel bike computer, as the device depends on the GPS connection on your iPhone. The big numbers and custom screens are very easy to read. I had a gripe about their mounting brackets, but that has been remedied, as well, as Wahoo’s customer service is fantastic.
The first mounting devices required a small metal tool to get the RFLKT out if I wanted to switch from, for example, the handle bar mount on my road bike to the stem mount on my tri bike. I contacted Wahoo fitness to request another little metal tool, as I lost the first one, and to ask about an error message and Megan Powers of Wahoo Fitness Support got back to me via e-mail the same day. After analyzing my issue, Megan sent me the re-designed mounts, which only require that you have thumbs, as well as a new battery, as the error message thought I needed a new one. I can’t say enough about the great customer service of Wahoo. At $99, the reflect is competitive with the more traditional bike computers and a lot less expensive than the Garmin offerings.
Wide screen, big numbers and multiple, thumb-tab mounts makes the Wahoo RFLKT a great product.
I have become enamored by the Castelli Gaba convertible jacket. I saw several during our chilly Ride the Rockies this year. I purchased the NanoFlex knee warmers, made of essentially the same fabric, and they have been pretty great. Well, it seems a lot of people, including several other bike clothing manufacturers, like the Gaba jacket. It is designed to be wind-proof, water-proof and yet breathable, as well as having removable long sleeves. Pactimo, a Colorado company, has their own jacket that I hope to get my hands on at some point this winter. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Have fun, be safe. I’m going riding.
Walt Out West 