What gadgets/products are underrated/overrated?

I love my new bike. I'm a slow rider and it cost a rediculous amount of money (well for me anyway), but it is a delight to ride.

HRM - use it all the time , I wouldn't be without it. I am totally useless at using RPE.

I love my Garmin 405.  It helps me train at the pace I want to, and to race at the pace I want to (without going off too fast).

Bodyglide saves my skin from being sore.

I like my bike Garmin Edge too - but that's more for the fun of seeing how fast I've gone down the big hill, and looking at a map of where I've been.

Has anyone tried a finis tempo trainer for swimming? I'd like to get one but £35 for something to beep every certain number of seconds seems a bit much.

My neck cuts up a bit without bodyglide so i usually use that. 

The 910XT is basically like a coach for me so I think that is def worth the bucks.

I'm sold on the turbo trainer. I think you can get the equivalent of a 2 hour bike ride in 45 minutes. Great time saver!

I love my iPod Shuffle

I dont know what I would do without my Poolmate to be honest. I love not having to count my laps in the pool when training, was so mind numbingly boring beforehand!

Most under-rated: earplugs to prevent ice-cream head when swimming, nose clip which minimises the snot waterfall my nose turns into after contact with chlorine.

Over-rated: somewhere in a drawer I have a power-breathe, never really gave it a proper go, difficult to clean.

I love my Garmin 410. I can tell how fast i`m running (to a point) but no chance on the bike. Be lost without it.  Also underated are my homemade flapjacks. Got fed up buying expensive, sugary, rubish containing bars. So I made my own:-

1000g oats

100g protein powder

Rub in 454g jar of quality (not tesco/sunpat etc) peanut butter (smooth)

Mix in 300g of chopped dates

Stir in (not easy) 1000g of clear honey

Put in baking dish (or many) and bake for 60 mins at 100 degrees C.

This make freaking loads. High in calories, but high in nutrients. 

Enjoy 

Forgot to add, I sometimes take 10% of the mixture, put in small baking dish and when it`s done put loads of chocolate on top and put back in oven for a few mins, then spread over with back of spoon and leave to set. Sweet mary mother of jesus!!!  

Now this stuff is the biz:

250g flour

1tsp bicarb

pinch salt,

115g butter

115g dark brown sugar

2 beaten eggs

500g mashed banana

In one bowl mix flour, bicarb and salt. In a separate bowl cream butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and bananas until well blended. Fold in flour.

bung in oven for 1 hour in a loaf tin (180c)

Fabulous thread idea KK - you're a star.

My favourite piece of kit is my Garmin 910XT paired with the HRM.  I dont leave home without it - cant trust myself to maintain pace if I go off perceived effort.

The most overrated piece of kit I see going is the super expensive bikes - particularly when I plod past going around Richmond Park on my (relatively) cheapo one.

Agree with the really expensive bike thing. On my first tri last week, when i overtook someone on an expensive TT bike, it did make me smile and felt like saying "YEAH, STICK THAT UP YA JUMPER". 

Under-rated - Training

Over-rated - Everything else

m..eface wrote (see)

Under-rated - Training

Over-rated - Everything else

Over-rated - sitting on sofa reading about 'training' and dreaming of cake and flapjacks

I like my compression socks. And cake.

When I remember to use it my foam roller and massage ball work a treat.

Underated:
Garmin 305 with HRM
Wireless cadence sensor - hate the faff of having wires strapped all along the bike frame.
Garmin Edge - I can plan out decent routes without worry and don't have to just do the same routes over.
Poolmate - love not having to worry about counting laps in my head and being able to time sets.

Overated:
Foam rollers - mine fits nicely between the wardrobes in the bedroom.