"Disclaimer: I received an Sterling helmet from Rudy Project NA  to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

Sometimes, when one door closes, another one opens.  I was recently diagnosed with a torn meniscus and am awaiting surgery to repair it.  When the opportunity to review this helmet came up, a light bulb went off and said “Cross-Training! Yay!”

When I received the Sterling helmet, I was struck by two things. 1) the gorgeous bright color and 2) the quality and care of how this was packaged. According to Rudy Project, The Sterling helmet was designed with the aid of an Italian hat craftsman to provide the utmost in comfort & safety. Um yes, you can totally tell!

I couldn’t wait to get suited up and head out for a ride. The helmet fit fantastic. It came in two sizes and has a 3 position head ring for the perfect fit in the back.  It was so lightweight that I forgot I was wearing it. I did struggle with getting the chin strap just right, that was the only hangup.

I got out for a few rides before my fellow BibravePro Jeremy suggested meeting up for a mountain bike ride.  I am a road biker, I have NEVER been mountain biking. It was too good to pass up, since we have such amazing scenery here in AZ, literally only 20 minutes from home. The day we chose was 105 degrees. Despite the intense sun, our heads stayed well ventilated (there are 18 vents!!). I was pretty skittish of falling, but knew I was well protected in this amazing helmet.

Key features:

• RSR7 retention system provides on-the-fly, single-handed adjustment. 
• The Sterling is available in number of bright Fluo colors- pink, orange, blue and green and comes with a removable bug net and visor.
• The most comfortable & bestselling helmet from Rudy Project
• Very lightweight at only 310 g
• Well ventilated with 18 flow through vents
• Easily adjustable via the RSR7 point retention system & 3 position Head Ring
• Eyewear Dock to hold your sunglasses when you’re not wearing them
• Comes with snap visor, additional padding & Bug Stop net padding. Some people prefer the pads to the net padding. I was fine with the net.
  
• Safety Certified: CE 89 686 EEC, EN 1078, CPSC 12.03, AS NZS 2063

 
The Sterling helmet retails for $274.99

Summary:
Pros –

• Bright colors for added safety
• Lightweight
• Adjustable fit - there is a cool dial in the back to conform perfectly to your head!
• Great ventilation with 18 vents

Cons –

• May be too pricey for the average casual rider

 
I can’t recommend this more. I’ve worn helmets from discount chains and there is no comparison in the fit or quality.  Whether you are a casual rider like myself, or a competitive cyclist, this helmet can provide all you need and more.
 
If you want to try this yourself and save 25%, just sign up at bit.ly/2cpPwo8. You can add your email & receive 25% off + exclusive holiday deals in the near future!

Visit e-rudy.com for more info and to purchase.

Join us for #bibchat this Tuesday, October 4  at 6pm Central.

If you’re one of the millions of people who use wearable technology, listen up!  There’s a new state of the art wearable technology product that could prove just as valuable to your health as your fitness tracker.

BSX Technologies created a new product - LVL (pronounced “Level”) - the first ever hydration monitor! BSX is a wearable sensor company with an integrated optical sensor that simultaneously measures the body’s most critical information - including hydration, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen and more. It tracks the data in real time, and is the first product of it's kind to do so.

As you may recall, The human body is made up of 70% water  Studies show that approximately 75% of the American population is chronically dehydrated (I’m sure I am one of them!). Dehydration has a multitude of side effects including a decline in sports performance, poor sleep quality, mood swings, weight management, and much more!
 
LVL can replace your fitness tracker because not only does it measure hydration, but it also measures heart rate (with industry-leading heart rate technology!), sleep quality, activity (steps), and calories burned!

This product uses something called "red light technology" to sense the data. Most wearables use green light, which have many limitations. Red light looks 10 times deeper into the body and it is the same technology as what is used in the hospital setting.

BSX Technologies was strated in 2012 by Dustin Freckleton, MD and Nithin Rajan. Dustin suffered a stroke due to dehydration and put his efforts into making people more aware of their levels. BSX and the company’s team of medical doctors, sports scientists and medical device engineers has spent more than four years studying hydration while developing and perfecting the technology that became LVL.

In 2014, BSX developed and shipped the first ever wearable lactate threshold sensor - BSXinsight, which is now used by professional and Olympic athletes around the world, as well as tens of thousands of everyday athletes who want to train with professional grade data.  BSXinsight uses the same red light technology as the LVL band.

One of the reasons this interests me as a runner is that while I know that drinking water is important (especially where I live in AZ!), I'm not aware of how it is most likely dragging down my sports performance. What if I was able to measure my levels accurately, drink accordingly, and could actually improve my finish times just by taking that one simple step?

Intrigued? Me too! Visit their kickstarter page for more information and to pre-order this cutting edge wearable technology that can really improve your health! Ordering just opened up and the product is scheduled to ship in the summer of 2017.