After five or six long years with my Giro Boreas, I figured it was time for a new lid. The helmet seemed OK structurally, but pads and straps just don’t last that long!

So I found a good deal on the Giro Eclipse and ordered one, looking forward to the fresh straps and pads! It came with fresh straps and pads, which was mind blowing because I had forgotten just how much padding I was missing in my old helmet!

As usual, the helmet also came with an emergency info sticker, but that was useless. What really mattered was that I had a fresh new helmet, so keep reading for my experience with the Giro Eclipse helmet…

Giro Eclipse - The Initial Test

The first thing I noticed is that this is a very plain helmet. It has a generic design, and I got a white one, so it should blend in anywhere. It doesn’t look like a cheap department store helmet, though.

The Eclipse comes with a Roc Loc 3 adjustment system, which lets you adjust the helmet while wearing it. It requires two hands to operate, although you can make the adjustment while you’re wearing the helmet.

This thing was light, too! Compared to my older Giro Boreas road helmet, this thing is light as a feather! It’s listed at 256g, which is even lighter than the Pneumo, Atmos, and Ionos, Giros high-end helmets! (According to retail catalogs, those expensive helmets range from 260-290g.)

With the Eclipse on my head, it’s like I’m not even wearing a helmet. It’s that light! The only problem is the straps, which cut into the sides of my head and ears. (That’s what makes me remember that the helmet is on.)

The ventilation also works great. The Eclipse has 24 vents plus internal air channels to keep the air flowing all over my head. I did some long, hot rides out on the road and this thing kept my head very cool.

Those 24 vents are a little small though. I can’t stick my fingers in to scratch my head! Some helmets have a few vents wide enough that you can scratch your head without removing the helmet, but this one does not.

Finally, I have not crashed in this helmet (and would prefer to keep it that way,) so I can’t say how strong it is. But it looks pretty solid despite the light weight.

Giro Eclipse - A Few Complaints

I like most aspects of this helmet, but a few things really irritate me. The worst of which is the straps. The straps are extremely stiff and they just won’t lay flat against my head, making it extremely uncomfortable. I was hoping for the straps to get worn in, but they haven’t yet.

Even if they do, I’m not sure if the problem will go away. The straps on my other helmets were attached in such a way they lie flat against my head. The Eclipse has a different strap routing system through the Roc Loc 3 fitting. I was able to adjust it so it isn’t too painful, but it’s still annoying. Argh!

The other annoyance is fitting my sunglasses in the vents. To store my sunglasses on my helmet securely, I have to bend the arms out and stick them into two tiny vents. Not only is it hard to do while riding, the tight fit means my sunglasses leave black streaks along the front of the helmet!

One thing to be careful with is the thin plastic straps that control the Roc Loc 3 system. Sure, the thin plastic is light, but I’m wondering how long it will be before these things break in half if they get brittle from the sun and my sweat.

Finally, while the two handed adjustment is not a problem, some helmets these days come with one hand adjustment systems. (Something to think about before plopping down $230 for an expensive Giro.)

Giro Eclipse vs. Expensive Helmets

How does this budget helmet compare to an expensive helmet like the Giro Atmos? The Atmos looks fancier and costs a lot more, and it might have better ventilation considering it is more vent than helmet!

But as we have seen, the Eclipse is actually listed as the lighter helmet.

The big concern is safety, though. Yes, the Atmos meets the required standards… but it doesn’t look like it! I’m betting the Eclipse would do a better job in an accident.

Even in a minor mishap, you could wreck near rocks or tree branches. If you’re wearing an Atmost, that stuff will poke right through the giant vents without even touching the helmet! So you might not get a concussion, but you could get a stick poking into your skull!

Or, just from riding through thick brush, some could get through the vents. Large bees might find a home in there too!

Or worse, think about a hail storm and the marble size hail that could hit you, unhindered by the helmet!

That’s why I like the Eclipse, because it keeps me safe on numerous levels!

My final verdict is…

The Giro Eclipse helmet is pretty good for $50. I would recommend it to other Giro helmet fans on a budget. (Try PricePoint, Nashbar, or Performance Bike, although this is a 2007 helmet on closeout, so you might not find the right color and size combo.)

Just give it some time to get “broken in” and expect to put up with a few quirks, such as the out of place straps and annoying sunglasses/vent connection. Other than that, it’s light, safe, and pretty comfortable. And at this price, I can’t complain too much.

Official website: www.giro.com

[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

After four years of mediocre to pathetic performance, the Bontrager Select wheels that adorned my Trek 1500 finally gave out. I had put up with the sloppy hubs and flimsy rims for a couple years, but when the rear rim started to crack in multiple locations, I knew it was time for some new hoops!

Time was of the essence though, as I had a race in two weeks! So when I wondered “where can I get a set of quality wheels for a decent price?” I immediately went to the Neuvation Cycling website and browsed the options. (And I ordered a set that night.)

Neuvation Cycling was just ingrained in my mind as the best bang for your buck in wheels, and without time to do more research, I jumped on the deal. I did check a few reviews, just to make sure I wasn’t confusing Neuvation with someone else, but that was it. Most of the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, although quite a few people on RoadBikeReview.com complained about hub flange failures.

But since a lot of the reviews were from 2005, I figured the third revision for 2008 (i.e. Aero3) had that fixed, so I wasn’t worried.

Since I was putting money down for new wheels, I went ahead and upgraded to ceramic bearings, too. At just $20 per wheel, it was the best deal on ceramic bearings I had ever seen, so I couldn’t pass that up.

Out of the box

The wheels came packaged very nicely in separate boxes. Upon lifting these boxes, the UPS man and I both questioned whether or not there was anything within the boxes. They were that light!

Each wheel came with a little bag for the quick release and spare spokes. There were two spares up front and four for the rear (two for each side, as the drive-side and non-drive-side spokes are slightly different.) That was awesome, because searching for replacement spokes can be a royal pain.

All wheels should come with spare spokes, including wheels that come on complete bikes. It would be so much easier and really ease my mind to just have a spare spoke in my toolbox, especially when you have these nice bladed spokes.

As for the graphics, they are big, shiny silver stickers. They might even be brighter than reflectors! I think they look good (especially on my silver bike,) but if you don’t like flashy graphics, just peel them off. They are big, one-piece stickers, so it should be easy. (I ended up peeling one off. It was easy to remove but did leave a sticky residue.)

These wheels were also totally true and round. So far, so good.

Preparing to install and ride

While the wheels are beautiful, the black spokes are very dusty. My hands turned black in no time after carrying these around. So… I took some rubbing alcohol and wiped them down. That took off all the extra black dust, and once the spokes dried, they looked just as good as before.

Spinning the wheels was a new experience. The freehub was nearly silent! You could really sneak up on people with these wheels.

The rim braking surface was definitely high quality - it’s nice and rough for better braking; very well machined for the task at hand. The rim has a center groove as a rim wear indicator, which is easy to read and should be accurate since it spans the entire rim.

A little problem was that the braking surface had very limited space though - the rim wall was very short. My brake pads are much taller than the braking surface, so they end up hanging down and hitting the stickers. (Which isn’t great, but I had to adjust it like that so the pads didn’t rub the tires!) Look for some narrow Dura Ace brake pads if you need new ones, as brake pad overhang is annoying and dangerous.

Before mounting the tires, I had to tape the rim. John Neugent recommends Velox 16mm cloth rim tape. It’s probably a good fit, but I used 17mm Forte cloth rim tape and it fit fine, although it did take up A LOT of space in the rim bed.

Which leads me to…

Mounting the tires was very hard! I tried to mount my tires with my hands only (which I usually do,) but it didn’t work, and my thumbs were sore for days afterwards! It wasn’t that difficult with a tire lever, so you’ll probably want to go ahead and use one and spare your hands the pain.

Or… use the 16mm rim tape, which could make a tiny difference, and give you just enough extra space in the rim bed.

On the bike

My very first thought - get narrower brake pads! There is a very annoying braking sound when the pad hangs over and hits the rim.

Otherwise, these wheels were awesome! For starters, they roll super fast. I always got dropped on descents and I thought it might be my crappy wheels. Thankfully, now I know it was the wheels! With the M28 Aero3 wheels I can’t believe how fast I descend. They are fast on straight descents, but they’re even faster through sharp downhill turns.

I think the great stability stems mainly from the wheel’s stiffness. When I pedal, I can feel the bike go forward with each stroke. It’s way better than my previous Bontrager Select wheels which flopped side to side as I rode!

Another new feeling I had was during a 50 mph descent in heavy crosswinds… these felt a bit different than my previous wheels, as this rim is deeper and has bladed spokes (presenting a greater surface area for the wind to catch,) but it didn’t feel hazardous. Rather, it was just a bit different, and I got used to it after a couple rides.

(With my regular wheels, the wind would blow my body to the side. With these, the wind will start to take my bike out from under me right before it tries to topple me over. That might sound bad, but it’s not a big deal as long as you can handle a bike.)

Durability and Long-term Use

I’ve only been using these for a month, so I can’t be too certain about their long-term durability just yet. They are pretty strong, though.

On my first two rides, I babied these wheels. I avoided rough roads and dodged small cracks - and the wheels stayed true. The third ride, though, I hit a rough patch… This little rough spot caused the rear wheel to go slightly out of true laterally.

I would expect that with cheap machine-built wheels, but after hearing so much praise about these wheels staying true for years without service, I’m disappointed that one patch of rough pavement (not quite a pot hole) did the damage. (On my third ride!)

After that incident, especially when leaning into corners, I could feel the rim hitting the brake pads slightly. And I’m only 165 pounds - surely Neuvation’s strongest wheel can hold up to a 165 pounder!

On a more positive note, there was no serious damage to speak of after a month of use on various road surfaces.

What I hated about these Neuvation Wheels

Just my luck… I bought the M28 Aero3 at full price, passing up a chance to get the Aero2 as a substantial discount. (Like I said, I didn’t want an older version that might have those hub flange failures.) Since the Aero2 was being discounted, I thought the Aero3 wheels were pretty new.

Well, a couple weeks later the Aero4 came out and the Aero3 was on sale for about $250 a pair. That sure beats the $350 I paid!

I could have bought the same wheels at Performance Bike (the Titan) and used them until the Aero3 went on sale, and ended up with two pairs of wheels for about what I paid for one set!

But you can’t change the past, so I’ll just make the most of what I have.

My final verdict is…

For the first two rides, I loved these wheels - great performance for a decent price. Supposedly they are on par with $1000 Mavic wheels, although I can’t verify that as I haven’t used top of the line wheels like that. But the Neuvation’s felt great compared to my old Bontrager Select wheels.

But if I were doing it over again, I might go for the Titan wheels from Performance Bike. They’re the same wheels at like 60% off. The difference is that they are machine-built instead of hand-built, and there is not as much customer support or ’satisfaction guarantee’ service as with Neuvation. But my Neuvation wheels needed trued after three rides, so that’s not saying much for these “hand-built” wheels.

On the other hand, the Aero3’s are now on sale, so this might be a good time to grab a set.*

Official website: www.neuvationcycling.com

(*If you’re reading this after the Aero3 has sold out, you have two options. If you want to spend as little as possible, get a set of Performance Titan wheels. If you value customer service and hand-built wheels, get some Neuvation M28 Aero4 wheels.)

[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

If you’ve ever worked on a farm, you’ll know that keeping a cow’s udder smooth and comfortable is an important part of getting fresh milk. If you’re a cyclist, you’ll know that keeping your backside smooth and comfortable is an important part of finishing a ride without saddle sores.

So it makes perfect sense that products designed for cow udders would work for certain parts of a cyclist’s body, too.

Today we’ll look at the aptly named Udderly Smooth Udder Cream, which could prove to be a low-price substitute for some expensive chamois creams.

What I’ll be looking for in this product is something I can apply to my skin that will lubricate it and eliminate friction between my skin the the chamois in my shorts. I’ll also want it to feel nice, last long, and not leave a greasy residue.

My First Experience with Udderly Smooth

Before I thought of using this stuff as chamois cream, I actually had a container of this to use for hand lotion. It came in one of those pump jars for ease of use, and it seemed like a decent hand lotion, although I couldn’t understand how it would work as chamois cream.

When I used it, it just rubbed right into my skin and didn’t seem to leave any sort of lubrication on my skin. I checked the ingredients and it turned out to be just a water-based moisturizer, so I didn’t consider it a great choice for a chamois cream.

For dry hands, though, it was alright. And possibly for cow udders (although I did not test it on any cow udders as part of this review!)

Get it in the jar!

I was ready to forget about Udderly Smooth, but after some careful thought, I figured the Udder Cream out of a jar might be a little thicker and better for cyclists’ use.

I was right. I actually got the cream in the tube, but by skipping that pump jar I was able to get a somewhat thicker cream. Udder Cream is not thick, though. It’s fairly thin, and it’s not creamy, but it sure is slick!

And that’s what you want - something that reduces friction (which will reduce chafing and keep you more comfortable.)

According to the Udder Cream testimonials, this stuff prevents saddle sores and blisters, so many athletes do agree on this stuff. You could probably lube your butt, feet, legs, and arms with this stuff, depending on where you have chafing problems, because of the texture. It’s thin enough to rub in your thighs or under arms, yet thick enough you can still lather it on your butt for long rides.

However, it won’t last through long, hot rides. It will get washed off by your sweat, and also by rain, so watch out for inclement weather. For longer, harsher rides you might want something thicker. Although if you like this, here’s an idea…

You can get a large jar of Udder Cream for at home, and grab a small 2oz tube that will fit in your jersey pocket. That way you can reapply as necessary at rest stops.

My final verdict is…

I’m now a fan of Udderly Smooth, and I suggest getting a tube for yourself. I like to use it on shorter rides (one hour range,) but I still like my Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme for 3-5 hour rides.

A jar of cocoa butter cream and then a tube of this Udder Cream is a great combo, especially when you can get both of these for less than the price of one jar of name-brand chamois cream.

Official website: www.uddercream.com

Buy online: at Amazon.com

[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

While peanut butter and jelly is everyone’s favorite sandwich, there are quite a few other peanut butter combinations out there. My favorite would have to be the peanut butter and banana sandwich. But most peanut butter banana sandwiches are missing a critical step…

You have to toast the banana! A warm banana on warm bread, plus melting peanut butter, is great. So let’s put an end to warm bread and peanut butter plus cold, raw bananas!

You will need:

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 medium banana
• 1 or 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter

And then follow these instructions:

1. Grab two slices of bread.

Take your two slices of 100% whole wheat bread and lay them out side by side. One will be for the banana, one for the peanut butter.

2. Slice the banana.

Slice the banana into little circles (like you are putting it in a bowl of cereal.) Then spread the slices out on one slice of bread. Cover the entire slice of bread, using half-slices of banana to fill in the gaps.

3. Toast everything.

Put the bread and banana in the toaster oven. (Be careful when putting the banana slice in; you have to support the weight of the banana or the bread will flop over.)

Toast as desired, or until bread is golden brown. (Afterwards, remove bread from toaster.)

4. Spread peanut butter.

Spread peanut butter over the plain piece of toast.

5. Put it all together.

Put the peanut butter slice on top of banana slice. Cut in half and serve.

Mmm mmm, it’s all warm and gooey! Now isn’t that the best peanut butter and banana sandwich?

Are you looking for where you can buy FRS energy drinks? These days you can buy FRS online or in a few select retail locations.

The most popular route is the free trial offer where you can get a 14-day free trial of FRS energy drinks just for paying a small shipping charge. You can get that online at www.healthyenergy.com.

But I can understand if you don’t want to order online. You may prefer to just go to your local store and pay in cash.

If that is how you prefer to buy, then take a look in the following retail stores:

• Albertsons
• Am/Pm
• Smart & Final
• Target Superstores
• GNC
• Save Mart
• Food Max

Those retailers should stock some FRS products. So there you go, that’s where you can buy FRS healthy energy drinks.

P.S. Here are my FRS reviews if you need to know more:

• FRS Liquid Concentrate
• FRS Powder
• FRS Cans
• FRS Health Chews