Today I'm joined by pro long distance triathlete,
Marko Albert.
- Hello, good to be on the show.
- Thank you for joining us.
Now, Marko has an Ironman win, or an Ironman 70.3 win,
and an ITU World Cup podium to his name.
And you're currently out here on a training camp,
hence the training wheel set up.
So we're gonna take a look
at his Trek Speed Concept, and some of his kit.
Alright, first of all let's take a look at the bike.
It's the Trek Speed Concept, and this is the Project One.
So, there's a few customizations with Project One.
Run us through it, Marko.
- Sure, well the first thing
that comes to mind is the colour.
It's the most visible thing.
It was chosen not by me.
It was chosen by the representative of Trek in Estonia.
When I first got on Trek, it was Spring 2013.
I was weighed and I was measured,
and the first frame I got was by those measurements.
And since I haven't grown an inch,
nor have I grown wider, therefore,
the frames produced later on were used with the same stats.
- Okay, so in that you mean certain parts of the frame are,
the sizes are changed in relation
to those geometries, the stats you've given Trek.
- Yes, exactly.
About the length of my upper body and the length of my legs.
- Okay, so, really, you're optimising your position,
making sure you get
into a comfortable and aerodynamic position.
- Absolutely.
Well, I've been working on that position
for ages, and for different, with different people.
Two of the last seasons I've been working with
a wind tunnel in Arizona called Faster,
and Aaron Ross has been sort of with me,
getting me towards the position he thinks
I'm the most aerodynamical.
So that means also working on different areas,
not just screwing around, screwing about on the bike
or lowering the front end or raising my seat.
- Super.
Well, let's take a look at some of the specifics.
So, first of all, the front end of the cockpit.
Okay, so the face bar is a fully integrated
Bontrager system with the them and then
into the aero poles.
It's got a nice sort of wide and thin aerodynamic
basebar here.
I understand you've change one or two parts on
the aerobar setup.
- Yes, because the normal aerobar that comes with
the set didn't allow me to extend the position far enough.
Therefore, Bontrager actually has a little piece
that you can replace and you can sue your own bars.
And with this also came the possibility for me to,
for races, I put a 12 ounce bottle right here
and put everything I need and tuck it away nicely.
So I'll take away the computer for racing
and I'll put it here so everything is between--
- Would you use that Garmin or a slightly smaller one
for a race day.
- I use a slightly smaller one, the 510, for racing.
But I use this one for training just because
it looks big.
(laughs)
- So you can see where you're going and get the map up.
Okay, and then, obviously, on the end of your poles
you've got the Shimano Dura-Ace 9150 Groupset on the back.
So you've got the electronic gears on the end
of the poles and also on the basebar.
So, obviously, quite handy for technical courses
or when you're climbing out of the saddle.
And I've also noticed you've got some
little red things sticking out here.
So these are salt sticks, I believe.
- Yes, and a turbo button so I can switch it down...
(laughs)
- If only.
For some of our viewers that maybe aren't fully aware
of what salt sticks are, how do they work?
What are they?
- Well, a salt stick is, basically, salt capsules
in the same amount of ratio that you're sweating out.
So it works, you put the six capsules in
on the race morning.
And then, you just need to twist it, basically,
in order for the capsule to pop out.
And to have 12, I can always lose one or two
and I'll still survive.
Because this, at high speed, you need to be aware
when you take them out that you've got to take the capsule
and put it in your mouth.
- Okay.
So there is a little bit of training that's needed
to go into this.
- Absolutely.
Don't try this first thing in the race.
- Alright.
Well, moving on from that and onto the brakes.
So these are Bontrager integrated brakes.
It's probably worth noting Bontrager
is Trek's in-house brand.
So you've got a lot of Bontrager components on here.
You've got an integrated brake at the front here,
and also under the bottom bracket.
And I understand you're a big fan of these brakes.
- Yes, of course I'm a fan of brakes
that actually brakes.
So TT bikes are notorious of not having
a very good rear brake.
But Trek works really well in that department.
- Alright, moving through the bike and onto the cranks here.
As I've already mentioned, you've got a Dura-Ace cassette
on the bike.
So you've got cranks and this is a 53/39T setup.
But you've mentioned to me that...
Obviously, we're here on the training camp.
But for a race, you actually change this.
- Yes, I change about three weeks before the race
and I change the Osymetric chainrings.
54/42 is my preferred combo and since, I think it's 2016,
I've been using it for all the races.
- Is there any reason why you train on
a standard setup and switch to race?
- Yes.
The thing is, with Osymetric chainrings,
you don't work so hard on your hamstrings
because it's shorter.
So you work more on the quads and less on the hamstrings.
Therefore, hamstrings get less developed.
And if I am on the O chainring for the whole year,
the hamstring gets weaker and weaker.
- Okay.
- But come race day, I still need that hamstring
to engage and be strong.
Therefore, for training camps, I'll start out
with normal chain rings and then switch over.
Sometimes sooner, sometimes later.
It just depends on the race and the travel
and how I go.
- That's really interesting.
Okay.
And the crank arm, you're running 170mm length.
And then, on the end of those, we've got
the Garmin Vector pedals and power metre.
- Yes, they're original Vectors which are upgraded
two times with new better bodies because they
just wear out after--
- That's just comes with doing a lot of miles.
- Absolutely.
When you cycle about 17-20,000 kilometres a year,
they do tend to wear out.
But they've been working really well.
I've had no issues with the data.
- Super.
You've got the 9150 front mech
and rear mech from Shimano Dura-Ace.
And I've noticed here you've got some white residue
on the chain, and I have noticed these CeramicSpeed logos.
So this is, obviously, the CeramicSpeed coating.
- Yes, yes, I do switch almost everything over
for racing.
I do bottom bracket bearings.
They go ceramic in...
Then, the derailleur, I switch it over
to oversized wheels.
And, yes, this chain is still white.
Like Starky said, it's a cocaine chain.
So it's a cocaine chain from Ironman in Hawaii.
I actually started riding the TT bike this week.
I've been enjoying it and my crotch has been enjoying
the road bike so far.
- Okay.
And then the cassette, you're running an 11/28T.
Again, you're here on a training camp.
Would you switch that out for race day?
- Yes.
I think I mainly carry 11/25.
- As we've mentioned a few times already,
you're here on a training camp.
You haven't got your race wheels on.
These are the Bontrager race training wheels.
What would you be riding on for race day?
- For Ironman in Hawaii, I was riding Aeolus,
Bontrager Aeolus wheels.
Seven in the front, nine in the back.
And, for European racing, I just use a disc in the back
and I keep the seven in the front.
- Okay, and they're a clincher wheel set?
- Yeah, I like clinchers.
And now that tyres have been improving,
their technology has been improving so much,
clinchers are actually faster now.
Therefore, clincher wheels.
- Yeah, makes a lot of sense.
And then, tyre choice for race day?
- I've had two different choices for the past year.
In Kona, I was riding Continental GP 4000 Limited Edition.
And the other races last year, I was riding Bontrager,
I believe all nine.
And I decided to go on a Conti more on the basic
that Conti is more puncture-proof.
But they're quite the same.
I don't get my hands on those limited edition tyres
that world champions get their hands on.
Like somebody hands you from TT world championships...
The same tyres that were on a world champion,
they get brought to you and you can put on your bike.
That doesn't happen to me.
I have to settle with stuff I can buy.
- Nothing wrong with that.
Do you have a preferred width for the tyre?
- Either 23/25C.
- With Kona, what did you ride there?
- I believe I was riding 23.
- Okay, let's move on to some of the, sort of,
finishing touches.
We've got the Bontrager storage box behind.
I assume that's just for spares on race day
and whilst you're training.
In terms of the bottle setup, obviously,
you've got just standard bottle cages for training.
What would you change for the race day?
- I'll move the front one here and put another bottle there
for gels, generally.
But I keep this bottle cage just in case.
Because I've experienced that, sometimes,
aid stations aren't too long.
And when you need to go add water and something else,
you need to be quick and you need to be able
to put it somewhere.
And it's really hard to put it behind the seat.
- Okay, so do you actually get rid of this for a race
or will you leave it there.
- I'll leave it there.
I have this one as--
- So it's not quite as aerodynamic but, I guess,
the time lost there can actually
be outweighed by, maybe, missing a bottle
and costing you going to miss an aid station.
- It's especially costly in Hawaii,
because the last aid station is 20K out of T2,
and it's really, really hot at midday.
So, I personally made sure that I get two waters
that I can pour myself in the next 20K.
And, for that reason, this is a golden solution.
- Great.
Well, on the subject of nutrition,
where do you store your gels on the bike
for race day?
- Well, gels go to the lower bottle and all the solids
go here.
There's a gel box that I--
- [Mark] Okay, so like a silicon or flexible plastic.
- Yeah, yeah.
Flexible plastic.
Sort of hard on the bottom,
and silicon on the top so you can get everything out.
- Brilliant.
And the final thing on the bike, your saddle.
So you've got the ISM PS1.0.
This is split-nosed design so you can get yourself nicely
forwards and tilt your hips around.
Is this something you've played around with,
trying different saddles?
- No.
Once, I switched on ISM saddles,
this is my preference.
- No turning back.
- No, absolutely not.
Because I'm sort of struggling, really struggling,
to find a good TT position.
I was out on the left side, or the ride side,
or somewhere there.
Once my first fitter gave me a possibility
to try this ISM saddle, I'm a firm believer in this.
I believe my crotch lives a better life since 2012.
- Well, Marko, let's move onto some of your kit.
So you've got your helmet here and your bike shoes.
So this is the helmet that you used for Kona.
It's the Bontrager Ballista.
Take me through it?
- Well, it's a road helmet which is two good things.
It's good, well-ventlated,
which is important for Hawaii.
Because I really can't stand when my head gets boring.
Like, you really need, somewhat, work with your brain,
as well, when you're racing.
Hence, that chase.
- Well, let's move on to your bike shoes.
These are actually standard road shoes from Bontrager,
and you're using these for a triathlon.
So you're not using triathlon-specific shoes.
- Yes, about two years ago, I wanted to try them on.
It's, like, just how they feel.
And I tried them on and they were a bit better
than Bontrager triathlon shoes.
And then. I tried out how it is to put them on
on a wet feet transition.
You're fiddling around here.
And it worked out quite well.
- Okay, so, potentially, a few seconds lost
but you've found a good knack to it and, actually,
then you're foot's nicely secure in the shoe.
And on a 180K, that makes a big difference.
- It does.
Plus, these shoes are quite a lot stiffer.
But, for 40K, for Olympic distances,
I would go with tri shoes.
But for 180K, really, the comfort, the stiffness
of the shoe matters a little bit more.
- Super.
Well, it's really interesting.
Thanks so much for joining us today, Marko.
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