Everyone loves Gadgets and Gear

Here are some items I have had personal experience with.

Gadget Tech, January 29, 2007, from burnettfitness.com

Serious Monitor for Biking, Running and More!

A Quick Look at the Polar Model s725x

For a serious athlete knowing your heart rate and tracking your performance is a must and to do this effectively you need a capable tool. I have been using the Polar s725x now for about a month and I have to say that it is one of my favorite training. The 725 is able to track your heart rate, record speed, distance, pace, lap time, altitude, temperature and more. The best part of this is when you combine these features with the Polar Precision Performance software. The watch downloads your information to the software which can record and display the data in various graphs and scales.

software graph example

The watch comes with a wireless sensor for your bike and a handlebar mount to monitor speed and distance. The unit is compatible with the polar Foot Pod which allows you to record and monitor your runs with great accuracy.

Foot Pod

I can't wait for the weather to get better so I can put the cycling features to the test.

July 23, 2006, Bike Review, from Burnettfitness.com

Raleigh M 80

Raleigh is known for making bikes loaded with good options at a reasonable prices. The model M 80 was the first mountain bike I purchased and after some looking I found it on sale at a bike shop for $375.00, it retails for $500.00. Compare the level of trim, meaning the main components that you should be most concerned with like derailers, crank, shifters, brakes and tires and you can't find another bike in that price range. I won't get into the details about these parts, but you can check them out on their web page www.raleighusa.com.

What I do with it: It was the first bike I bought, and I quickly became a weekend warrior. I ride on light off road dirt track trails with some light technical obstacles (roots, rocks, limbs). Also, I participate in group urban rides with a mixture of terrain and hazards. The bike has handled everything that I have thrown at it. The frame is ridged and strong and I am always amazed at what you can ride through if you just hold on and let the bike handle it. After a year of learning and learning some more, I am ready to try some racing and I am going to use the M-80 for training rides and a back-up.

Strengths: The disc brakes, although lower end models from Hayes, are great and impossible to find on a bike at this price. Great WTB tires, they perform good on and off the road and look great with a dramatic tread pattern. The bike feels stable on the trail and handles urban punishment as well. Curbs and ditches might challenge you, but the bike can handle it. The LX shifters work good and after a year I am upgrading to XTR parts which should be offer an improvement. The bike looks great in all black with gray accents and a good finish.

Weaknesses: The bike is a bit heavy and it seems a little harder to get up to speed on the road or trail. The Manitou SIX 80mm fork is not really a weakness, but it is not really a strength either. It fits the mold for a beginner bike, but for a more serious rider, it falls a bit short. The fork is a bit soft and rebound is slow, but it is nothing that I really notice until I compared it to my Marin, a bike costing over twice as much. Pedals (often added by the dealer) were my first upgrade.

Overall: For the price, I think the Raleigh M 80 is hard to beat. It is a great starter bike and has more to offer than some higher priced brands. After riding it for a year I am slowly replacing and upgrading some of its' components and I plan on keeping for years to come.

Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs)

Comparing the Polar Model 32 with the MioZone

Being able to tell what your heart rate is during cardiovascular exercise very important. Exercising within your heart rate "zone" is the secret to getting all you can out of your training. There are a lot of products from numerous manufactures that promise to help you with this task, but which ones work and which ones don't. Here I am going to tell you about two products that I own and that I have used during my training in and out of the gym.

Polar model 32 and coded chest strap.

Info and Specs:

This HRM is comprised of three parts, the watch itself, the chest strap witch contains the sensors and the transmitter. The chest strap is worn just below the pectorals with the transmitter positioned in the center of your lower chest. The watch has several features geared toward the serious recreational runner including total calories burned, total time logged, calories burned during exercise session, percentage of fat calories burned, average heart rate during session, total time "in zone" and execution time for the session. All this information is stored until the next exercise session is started. The watch also has the time and date, backlight, but no lap timer or stop watch. Polar also has developed a feature called "OwnZone" which can guide you through a warm-up and automatically determine the safe limits for you to exercise in. According to Polar it uses several different types of information to make this determination and I can see how it could be helpful to beginners or those not familiar with incorporating their heart rate into an exercise routine. Overall the appearance of the watch is basic and it looks like most any runner's digital. The chest strap may take some getting use to, it can feel tight and a bit constricting at first and the sensors must be thoroughly wet to pick up a signal from your body. Once the sensors are in place it does provide accurate and continuous information with no further effort from the user. The transmitter is coded so that a neighboring transmitter running on the treadmill next to you will not interfere with your signal. One interesting note: the transmitter works with several brands of cardio gym equipment found in gyms, meaning that the treadmill or exercise bike you are using will display your HR on its' screen without you placing your hands on the machine's sensor. Polar is a large company and carries many watches, some sport specific, and are priced from around $49.99 to over $300.00. The M32 is listed at $109.95 and the internet is the best place to shop for them with competitive prices.

MioZone

Info and Specs:

The Miozone watch uses a different setup to detect HR. The metal face of the watch is divided into two sensors, by pressing down on the sensors with your middle and ring fingers the watch is able to detect your pulse. This system allows you to determine your HR without having to use a chest strap. The watch includes more traditional features like a stop watch with lap timer, alarm and can calculate and record your average heart rate during a session. You can manually enter HR limits and it will track these as well. Like the polar you can look back on your last workout before you start your next. At a resting HR it takes the watch only about 4 seconds to detect and display your HR and it does seem accurate. Now the bad news. I found that while exercising at a high intensity level it can take over 10-15 seconds to get your HR and sometimes it may "timeout" causing you to release the watch and try again. While a 10 second wait may not seem like a longtime, when you are working at 85% of your maximum HR on a speeding treadmill, it seems much longer. The MIO is new on the seen and the MIOZONE has already been replaced with the MIOZONE Plus, it seems to have a few more features, but no word on if the sensor's short comings are still a problem. The company has several modesl to choose from and the MioZone retails for about $99.99 online.

Polar Strong Points:

Dependable and continuous HR readings.
Useful information for beginners with "OwnZone".
Transmitter works with some popular brands of cardio gym equipment.
Established company with many accessories and models to choose from.

Polar Weak Points:

Some may find chest strap uncomfortable
No traditional stopwatch or lap timer

Mio Strong Points:

No chest strap needed so the unit can be use throughout the day to track HR.
More watch like features with alarm, stopwatch and lap timer.

Mio Weak Points:

HR reading is not continuous, only when fingers are pressing on sensor pads.
When cardio intensity is high the watch seems to have trouble detecting HR.
No Calories/Fat used feature.
No comparable OwnZone feature

In summary I would recommend the Polar M32 to just about anyone interested in using your HR to increase your workout intensity. I use it when running outside, doing cardio at the gym or riding my mountain bike with the optional Polar handle bar mount. The Mio might be useful to older individuals that wish to track their HR throughout the day without a strap, but my experience with it leaves it at home during training days.

B.Burnett, May 07,2006, burnettfitness.com

Shoe Review

The North Face Ultra XCR

Gore-Tex Trail Running Shoe

Have you been looking for a rugged pair multi-purpose shoes? The North Ultra XCR could fill the bill.

First, I should say that I am a fan of most products from The North Face name and these shoes are no exception. The North Face makes a large variety of items from windbreakers to tents and they seem to be respected for most of the items they put out. Known for using quality materials and good R&D, the brand is popular with mountaineers, hikers, campers and adventure racers. The North Face Ultra XCR Gore-tex is marketed as a trail running shoe and oddly enough, I am not a trail runner by any definition. I purchased them after reading several positive reviews for the shoes and seeing them featured in a couple of magazines. I guess, marketing works on the best of us.

I was looking for a general hiking shoe for a trip to Colorado and I was wanting something that I could wear both while touring Denver and Colorado Springs and while doing some light trekking through the mountains. I found the Ultras, after some searching, on sale for around $84.99 online and decided to give them a try.

During my vacation in Colorado they preformed well as a light weight hiker and their looks and general comfort worked well while touring the city. Once back from my vacation I found myself wearing them instead of my regular trainers. The shoe is supportive and has a firm solid rubber sole that provides stability which helps you deliver more power during exercises like squats or pedaling hard on a mountain bike. The Gore-tex outer material is waterproof and I have rinsed the shoe off several times with a pressure hose with no problems. The insole has plenty of cushion for off road adventuring, and the shoe features a large rubber toe cap for added protection.

I have had the shoes for over a year and I am impressed with how rugged the Gore-tex outer shell is and how well the shoe has stayed together and continues to look new. The shoe is available without Gore-tex for a few dollars less, but, the extra seems worth it for the added durability. A few minutes of shopping online and you can easily find a good deal, it has been out since 2004 so it goes on sale from time to time and look for free shipping.

PROS:

Works well as a light hiker or off road runner
Waterproof
Durable construction
Solid rubber sole, makes for good stable power transfer for biking, weight lifting, etc.

Cons:

Sizing can be a bit risky ordering online, look for good return policy.
Bit on the stiff side for a daily road runner.

I don't think this is the last pair of The North Face shoes that I will own. Defiantly recommended!

B.Burnett, May 26, 2006