Assos ClimaJet Breaker

I recently received the Assos ClimaJet Breaker as a gift. I had a chance to test out the jacket/breaker for about a month now. At first I wasn't too impressed. The jacket wouldn't breath and it was really difficult to get on. The cuffs are really tight. If you're wearing gloves it becomes a struggle to get the sleeves over the gloves, and especially the cuffs of the sleeves. This makes it difficult to get the jacket on, or off, while riding. It takes a while to get used to the process of putting the jacket on and taking it off while riding. It helps to have a thin, to no, gloves while putting the jacket on or off.
Now back to my other gripe. I would start to sweat a lot whenever I put wear this jacket. At first I thought this jacket was made of some super material that kept wind and water out while allowing it to breath. Well that's not the case. Yes, the jacket is made of a "highspeed, low drag" material, and it does an excellent job of blocking the wind and keeping you dry in light rain. However, protecting you from the elements has it trade-offs. It loses it ability to breath. Here is what the Assos website says:
"Attention however! The climaJet protects from the outside, but this also means that the moisture transfer from the inside towards the outside is slowed down; this regardless from how breathable the wind and/or rain breaker material is. Consequently, we recommend not using shells (regardless of brand and make) when riding hard for a longer amount of time because the body will sweat more, dehydrate and in the process loose essential minerals. This will cause cramps and loss of power. To reduce and minimize this effect, we have incorporated lateral air vents for efficient cooling and evaporation."
After reading this I realized what the jacket is designed for. It's a great jacket to wear at the start of the ride, while you're still warming up. It's even better to wear on long cold descents. The jacket is NOT good for hard rides or interval workouts.
I wore my jacket the other night on a nice easy recovery ride. I wore over my longsleeve jersey and it kept me comfortably warm in 50 degree weather.
In conclusion, I recommend this jacket as an additional fall (or winter if you're on the West Coast) layer. It does a great job of protecting from the wind and light rain. However, it's not designed to worn on long hard rides; it will cause you to sweat - a lot. It can be difficult to put on and take off while riding. Overall, it's a great jacket. That is, if you can afford the $240 price tag. Like I said, I received mine as a gift.

Positively False (a review)

I'm just finishing up Floyd Landis' book Positively False. The first 3/4 of the book is really good. It has the usual biographical format: the early years, the struggle, the victory/triumph. This book add an additional element - the excuses. The last part of the book is about how WADA/USADA are evil anti-athlete organizations who are only interested in unfairly prosecuting accused athletes.
One of the on-going messages throughout the book is how Floyd has irritated the different cycling organizations; leaving the reader to believe they may have it out for him. For the most part you believe what Floyd has to say. It sounds like WADA/USADA is only out to crucify Floyd.However, already knowing the outcome of his case makes it hard to fully get behind the Floyd cause.
Overall the book is a decent read. If you're a cyclist you'll like a majority of this book. It kept me interested for most of the book. It was written really well, and felt as if Floyd was dictating his story to me. After reading this book I found new motivation to get out on my bike and train harder.

Trainer Life

Well, I'm on day three of my trainer hell. Last night's workout wasn't too bad. I actually had a prescribed workout to do. After a 10 minute warm-up I did 15sec zone 7 sprints every five minutes. I was a little disappointed I didn't break 1000watts. I probably could have gone harder, but I was afraid of jolting the bike from the trainer.
Today I got together with some of the guys from the 1/2 team and we all suffered on our trainers together. It made the time a lot more bearable. I also got a chance to ride rollers for the first time. They took a little while to get used to, but once I got going it was pretty fun. It's a lot of easier to spin at higher RPM's on the rollers.
After the class I went straight to the bike shop and bought myself a pair. I went with the SportCrafter ZRO rollers. I originally wanted the Kreitler rollers, but they didn't have them. These looked pretty good and at a great price. I will write a review after I've used them for a while.

Integrate Performance Fitness

I'm happy to see Al excited about his new business. He recently took over the lease at the location he where he was a trainer. Now the place is looking better than ever. He's painted the walls, had a new logo designed, and launched a new website: http://www.integratefitness.com/.

I really want to see him succeed. I think he does a great job of putting us through "muscular discomfort". My body has adapted to most of the workouts. However, I still get sore, but just not as long. I highly recommend checking out one of his Functional Strength classes. The classes are one hour long, with about eight people per class. It's a great workout that will challenge your body and make you sore for a couple of days(But in a good way).
His classes changed the way I look at training in a gym. We use weights with some exercises. The weights are usually integrated into movements are bodies would make if we were cycling or running, so there's none of this bench press or leg curls type workouts.
I've been going twice a week now for three months and I'm noticing some results. I'm feeling more powerful and more flexible. My girlfriend has noticed I've become more a little more muscular. I guess I've gone from a skinny dork to a skinny dork with some muscle definition.
Definitely check out one of his classes. Here's the website again:
www.integratefitness.com
and the address:
2624 Faytette Drive
Suite D
Mountain View, CA
94040

(The location is set back off the street inside this little commercial business park. Don't look for some fancy looking gym. The quality is with the talent on the inside.)

A Wet & Cold Weekend

I guess I get to look forward to riding my trainer this weekend :( I might venture out in the rain, but I'm busting beating a cold and don't want to make things worse. Plus there was recently a memorial ride for someone who had died on New Year's day. It was two years ago and we were experiencing another bad storm, similar to the one we're in now, and the high winds broke a branch which landed on the rider. There's no reason to risk death or injury just to get in my prescribed workout. I'd rather suffer on the trainer. It may time to invest in some rollers to help break things up. Do one hour on the trainer, then .5hr on the rollers, and repeat. It will also help to get a good movie, maybe Eastern Promises.