Kona 2015: Queen K ride with SRAM and Quarq
Early this morning, I experienced the triple treat of riding on the Queen K highway, on the soon to be released wireless SRAM Red eTAP, along with a Quarq Powermeter and Qollector box.
SRAM’s eTAP will be available for purchase in the Spring of 2016, and it is well worth saving up for. The shifting is crisp, and as simple as can be. Click on the right side shifters or blips to move the chain down the rear cassette and the left side shifters or blips, moves the chain up the cassette. Tapping on both sides at the same time shifts the front derailleur between the big or small chainring. Shifting is super intuitive and it takes at most a few minutes of riding to get the hang of the whole system.
The blips (circular buttons) can be placed anywhere on the handlebars, for the ultimate in customization for those wanting additional shifting positions. For a Tri Bike setup with SRAM eTAP, the blips are used to allow of shifting at the ends of the aerobars, and at the brake levers. Once again, the positioning of the blips is customized to wherever you’d like them.
The riders today also got to experience Quarq’s Qollector. This device will be utilized by all the professionals racing at the 2015 Ironman World Championship. It will track the athlete’s position on the course via GPS, and if the athletes are using the appropriate devices, it will also track power and heart rate. The Qollector will provide tracking for the bike and run, and updates approximately every minute. The tracking interface was impressive and will be a welcome addition to the live race coverage.
SRAM Red eTAP shifters on a road bike.
SRAM Red eTAP Rear derailleur.
SRAM Red eTAP Front derailleur.
Quarq Powermeter
The Blips on the aerobars.
A blip at the aero brake lever.
A BlipBox is needed for a Tri Bike set up. It allows for wireless communication from the blips to the derailleurs.
Quarq's Qollector - used to track the pros at #kona2015
