Gear Envy: Bontrager, HED, Tanita

Bontrager R4 Aero Tires

Labeled, “The World’s Fastest Tire” on the Bontrager website, the R4 Aero brings ultra-low rolling resistance and their “aero wing” technology to a clincher. The price is pretty much on par with most higher end tires, and they’re far cheaper than any tubulars out there. With a claimed 37 second advantage over their closest rival in a 40K time trial, I cannot help but drool a little and really want to get my hands on some of these beauties.

HED Black Dog Drop Aerobar

A lot of aerobars offer adjustment only in the way of moving the actual extensions in and out if they offer any adjustment at all. With the Black Dog, HED brings a ton of adjustment to the table with 3 different base bars, 3 extension bars and 3 way axis adjustment just to name a few . I find this important because of the changes we may go through as athletes in terms of finding the most accurate fit. On top of that, these carbon beauties have fully integrated brake levers and internal cable routing. While they are a bit pricey, if you’re going for weight and customizable fit(and have an extra roll of cash laying around), these are where it’s at.

Tanita BC-1000

I’ve been eying Tanita’s scales for longer than I’d like to admit. These aesthetically fantastic scales not only do the usual weight thing, they give you an insight into your body’s intricate details that often go overlooked. The BC-1000 monitors weight, body fat percentage, and hydration levels but it goes a step further and provides measurements on muscle mass, overall physique rating, daily caloric intake, metabolic age rating, bone mass, and visceral fat!  The BC-1000 can also wirelessly link up with your Garmin 310XT and your computer for tangible data. I REALLY want one of these…just saying.