While waiting wetsuitless in the shallow water for the start of the 2016 Xterra SA champs in Grabouw, I realized once more, if you’re built like a freshly plucked chicken, you should not swim. Everything is the wrong way round. I know that, because I am built like a chicken: no chest and massive thighs. Lots of drag. And ...

Back in the day a sports watch measured heart rate and time. Fast forward a few technological light years, and the Fenix 3, together with Vector 2 power pedals and a tri or swim heart rate monitor, logs more than 100 statistical variables in a triathlon. Right away the question arises: do all those stats have any real value? Some ...

The Fenix 3 really revels in sophistication when you connect it with power pedals. Garmin Vector 2 power pedals are the flagship in the industry, and the information it relates will take your cycling to new levels. Once the pedals are installed on your bike, the connection with your Fenix 3 happens flawlessly.  As you know, power reflects real effort ...

  The Garmin Vector 2 power pedals are packaged as stylish as a priceless samurai sword. Even in the box it is a thing of beauty. Rather than installing it myself, I opted for the professional treatment. For reviewing purposes I wanted to avoid schoolboy errors during installation. Freewheel Cycology, experts at installing Vector 2 pedals, was the go-to bike shop. ...

Any cyclist that has been at it for longer than 4 weeks can stop reading now. You know everything that will follow. This article is for the rest of the cycling fraternity that thinks “power meters” tell how strong Marvel superheroes are. The first thing any budding athlete buys is a sports watch with a heart rate monitor. The idea ...

Being able to log your swim heart is a great advantage for swimmers and triathletes. The latest Garmin technology has now made that possible. Today I had the privilege of using the swim heart rate monitor for the first time in the pool. It tells an interesting story. There are 2 straps, and to clarify the difference, herewith an extract ...

Previously we looked at the specs of the Casco Speedairo RS helmet, but on Saturday I took it for an 80 Km/800m elevation TT ride in the sublime West Coast Nature Reserve near Langebaan. Other than safety, factors like comfort, noise, temperature and stability would be a concern. Also, regarding the visor, my main issue was the sweat factor. Putting ...

Getting to some internal setting on your sports watch, like switching bluetooth on and off, can be very cumbersome. The Fenix 3’s Hot Keys give you a shortcut to certain functions you might want to use or change regularly. It eliminates the necessity of negotiating through menus. Switching bluetooth on and off, normally takes 22 button presses on the Fenix 3 (Starting from ...

Riding or running a new trail with a friend that shows you the way, has one problem: if you go back to do it on your own, taking a wrong turn can happen that much easier, because you were simply following a lead, and memorizing the course was not much of a priority at the time. Taking a wrong turn at ...

For your triathlon swim, locking the buttons is very sensible and safe if you want reliable stats. Locking the buttons of your Fenix 3 when the start gun goes, might just determine the outcome of your triathlon result. A sure way to perform optimally is to manage your race according to your best possible pre-determined times or averages for each ...