Surely you are a bicycle junkie and that is why you are visiting Total Bike. I am too, and one of the disciplines that I admire most is Triathlon.

First I must confess that I swim like a piece of lead, got tired of running some years ago when my ankles could not cope anymore, and have never tried to compete in a triathlon race, but I do like to watch as athletes glide on water, then run hard, and finally push their bikes hard. This sport shows how far the human being can go, especially in competitions like the IronMan.

Cycling is an integral part of triathlon so we have reviewed some swimming products form the German dealer of Aqua Sphere, Thorsten Frahm Sporting.

We hope this review can be useful for both triathletes and also for the rest of us bicycle riders. One of the best ways to stay fit during the long winter months is to take up the sport of swimming.

Thorsten Frahm Sporting sent us a a collection of products that came packed in a nylon rucksack. The highlight was the Aqua Sphere goggles.

Aqua Sphere is a recognized brand in the swimming world, and just taking a glimpse at these glasses is easy to understand why. First of all, what we liked was to see such well made products. Joints between the glass and the frame are perfect, the lenses are very well engaged, and the silicon used is very elastic and strong. But, the most outstanding thing in these goggles is their design that allow them to offer performances that no other product gives.

We were sent two different models: Kaiman and Seal.

The Kaiman is made with lenses that are very wide and curved on the sides. This allows swimmers to have a full 180 degrees underwater view. This is very useful when swimming in public pools, where you share a lane with more people. With the Kaimans, you will always see if you are approaching someone else, or which way is the best way to go.

For the review, we had the kind help of two local triathletes from Cantabria, Carlos Pereda and Mikel Cadiñanos. They found this goggles also very helpful in races, where at the start you find yourself swimming among a lot of  people. The Kaimans allow once more you to see where the others are.

After using these goggles, you find the rest somehow "claustrophobic feeling ", because of the limited view field. The Kaimans also seem more comfortable and is easier to forget you are using them because of this. They are also very resistant to leaks, and although they are not a diving product, we made the test and get down about 5 meters in the sea without any problem.

The Seal is a combination of swimming goggles and diving masks that are for outdoor extreme use.

Three different types of lenses available: one of them neutral, and two tinted. I found this mask a very good when swimming in the ocean. Even with when swimming through the waves, the mask kept the water out.

The triathletes that tested the goggles avoid the pool and train in the sea, so these masks were liked very much. They also told us that they could be very useful in some races where the first and the last meters are in the sea among waves. Both them have already bought a pair of them.

The availability of tinted anti-UV lenses is something really important. I like to surf and am aware that being out in the bright sun and surrounded by such a reflective surface as water can result in eye injuries. These glasses and the new Oakleys are the first ones available for extreme water sports that address this. If you spend some time in the sea you should use these kind of masks.

The lenses are made of Plexisol, that is 10 times lighter than glass, more transparent, and 20 times more resilient.

They are extremely leak proof. I have tested them surfing and bodyboarding for a long time, and I have never had problems with water entrances or fog. The lenses come with an anti-fog treatment that showed to be very effective. No matter what water sport you do they should work well.

The only downside we could see with the mask was their size. They are quite bulky, but that is the price of a bombproof sealing. They are reasonably comfortable, and after a time wearing them, I forget they are there. What happened the first day is that I tried to take them off my face just by pulling, and I felt as if they sucked my eyes. It is better to use the quick releases they have to slack the strap.

The folks at Thorsten Frahm Sporting also sent us some more Aquasphere products: a pair of 100% silicone made swimming caps (really thick and strong), two pairs of sandals (with a very comfortable sole that makes also difficult to slip), an anti fog product that was not needed for Aquasphere goggles because they already have an anti-fog treatment. We used them on our cycling glasses and they were very effective.

The nylon bag was very useful and it worked well in carrying all the things you would need to go swimming. It has several compartments that are specific for such things as a pair of sandals (with a special, independent bag that is impermeable, so you don’t need to wait until they are dry), the goggles, etc.

All these products are being used this season by athletes like Ute Mückel, Lothar and Nicole Leder, and some others in such important competitions as the various IronMan around the world. Surely, they will also fit you if have the multi-sport bug.

And remember swimming is one of the best ways to train when cycling is not possible!