What? You didn’t know there was such a thing as the May 20th sales? Well, neither did I. But apparently this year there is. Everyone must have gone out one night at some industry event or something and decided to put everything on sale starting…today. For realz.
To keep things quick and tidy, here’s a table of what’s on sale from each company. Note that most of these deals last till May 30th, but some of them go a bit longer. Totally depends on the company. Also, all of these start today, May 20th, except for the Pebble & TomTom ones, which start Monday, May 23rd & May 29th. They’re just keepin’ ya on your toes.
Here’s the run-down:
Wahoo Fitness – KICKR:
This is technically REI, and not Wahoo. But in this case that doesn’t matter – because the only thing you’ll care about is the KICKR & KICKR SNAP that are on sale here.
Wahoo KICKR Trainer – $959 (normally $1,199): With member coupon code REIMEMBER2016. Ends May 30th.
Wahoo KICKR SNAP Trainer – $560 (normally $700): With member coupon code REIMEMBER2016. Ends May 30th.
For both of the above, you’ll need to be an REI member (if not, it’s $20 more). You can get free shipping on the KICKR by simply selecting to do a pickup at your REI store a few days later (option on checkout).
If you can’t quite decide – hit up my trainer recommendations guide here.
Garmin FR230/FR235 & Vector2:
Garmin has on sale the FR230 & 235 series watches. These are the latest generation running-specific GPS watches that came out last fall from the company. This sale is really only these two models in this sale. Likely because over the last 45 days Garmin has put pretty much every other fitness device on sale. Plus, I suspect they knew about the TomTom sales and this is an aim to preempt that. Now you can decide for yourself which company/model makes the most sense.
Garmin Forerunner 230: $199 (was $249) – also on Amazon.
Garmin Forerunner 230 with HR strap: $229 (was $299) – also on Amazon.
Garmin Forerunner 235 with Optical HR sensor: $249 (was $329) – also on Amazon.
My in-depth review of these units can be found here. Note that there have been some firmware improvements to the optical HR sensor since that review. I’d say it’s more on par with the Vivoactive HR (see my review from earlier today).
Next, just like the REI KICKR deals, you can also pickup the Vector2 units for 20% off from REI too. Same deal as above in terms of being an REI member, but $200 off is pretty solid.
Garmin Vector2 pedals (dual sided): $800 (was $1,000)
Garmin Vector2 pedals (single sided): $480 (was $600)
Garmin Vector2 upgrade pedal (single to dual upgrade): $400 (was $500)
Again, all three of these Vector deals these require REI member code REIMEMBER2016. Note that REI excludes GPS watches from their deals, hence why these sort of sales are kinda unique.
This sale runs through May 30th.
Pebble Watches:
Pebble joined this sale round with a bunch of units on sale. Note that these sales don’t begin till after the weekend, but it seemed silly not to include them here. The Pebble Time round (seen above) has quickly become The Girl’s favorite activity tracker. I’m not certain if that’s because it’s rose gold, or because of the functionality though. Either way, as long as she’s happy – I’m happy.
*These sales start on Monday, May 23rd*
Pebble Classic: $79 (was $99) – also on Amazon.
Pebble Time Round: $179 (was $199) – also on Amazon.
Pebble Time Steel: $199 (Was $249) – also on Amazon.
These Pebble deals run until May 30th, but they don’t start until May 23rd.
Suunto Watches:
Suunto has a huge sale on basically everything. There’s an army’s worth of units on sale here, with all sorts of variations. So just to keep things simple I’m not going to show all 98 color flavors. Instead, I’ll just cover the main units. All of these are also available on Amazon (links of all Ambit3 watches).
Suunto Ambit3 Run: $199 (was $249)
Suunto Ambit3 Run with HR Strap: $249 (was $299)
Suunto Ambit3 Sport: $249 (was $329)
Suunto Ambit3 Sport with HR Strap: $279 (was $379)
Suunto Ambit3 Sport Sapphire: $309 (was $429)
Suunto Ambit3 Sport Sapphire with HR Strap: $339 (was $479)
Suunto Ambit3 Peak: $299 (was $399)
Suunto Ambit3 Peak with HR Strap: $329 (was $449)
Suunto Ambit3 Peak Sapphire: $359 (was $499)
Suunto Ambit3 Peak Sapphire with HR Strap: $389 (was $549)
Suunto Traverse: $329 (was $469)
My Ambit3 Sport/Peak review is here, my Ambit3 Run post is here, and my Suunto Traverse post is here. Go forth and read! This sale runs through June 16th.
PowerTap P1 Pedals:
This deal is very similar to the REI deal for the KICKR. Backcountry is running a 20% off coupon, and that coupon just happens to apply to the PowerTap P1 pedals. So it ends up being the perfect way to get the pedals at a solid deal.
PowerTap P1 Pedals: $959 (was $1,199)
It should automatically add the coupon code, but if not, it’s simply MAY20. Also gets you free shipping. Using the link above helps support the site too! The coupon code only goes through May 30th. So act quick! Note that like REI, Backcountry tends to do this about twice a year or so (the last time being around November).
TomTom Watches:
*This sale starts May 29th, so next weekend*
All TomTom Spark watches are up to $50 off, plus, the DCR coupon code (DCR10BTF) applies and you’ll save another 10%. Your choices are:
TomTom Spark GPS (base): $99 (was $149)
TomTom Spark GPS with Music: $149 (was $199)
TomTom Spark GPS with Optical HR sensor: $149 (was $199)
TomTom Spark GPS with Optical HR & Music: $199 (was $249)
Again, these start on May 29th, not today (apparently TomTom wasn’t invited to the super-secret-squirrel May 20th meeting). No worries, you can read my TomTom Spark/Runner2 In-Depth Review in the meantime.
Pioneer Power Meters:
Pioneer has a deal running right now where if you pickup a dual leg power meter, you’ll get their head unit (CA500) for free. That’s worth about $300, and includes GPS as well as advanced pedaling metrics.
Deal details landing page here
My in-depth review of the power meter is here. Note this sale doesn’t include their single leg systems, though, those are a pretty good deal by themselves these days. This sale runs through June 13th.
CycleOps Trainers & Saris Racks:
Finally, both Saris and CycleOps (same company) have everything 20% off until June 6th. And by everything, I mean everything except the new Hammer trainer. But all the past PowerBeam/PowerSync trainers, along with any car bike racks (mostly Saris products).
Saris products link
CycleOps products link
Note that this sale does not include PowerTap products, which is considered a separate brand. The sale runs until June 6th, and isn’t compatible with the DCR coupon code. But you do still get free US shipping on items over $75.
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With that – thanks for reading, and have a great weekend all!
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Only through clevertraining? As you are living in Paris, you would know how crappy this is for us EU-guys…
Ray,
Please arrange some European discounts for us!
eh, nope
link to clevertraining.co.uk
there might be a clevertraining uk website but they don’t seem to have any deals. here is their offer for the suunto peak:
£399.99 instead of £405.00 (Save: 1%)
Yup – I do indeed have an EU/UK partnership: Clever Training in Europe: link to dcrainmaker.com
The above explains the details a bit. But in short there’s a flat 10% discount across the board, plus free Europe shipping for most of the tech items I review (basically over 100EUR). No VIP membership or any other stuff needed. Plus, no dealing with taxes/VAT.
Everything is still a bit beta, hence why I haven’t made a big announcement yet. But plenty of DCR readers are already using it.
Wow. Polar isn’t even showing up eh? My long in the tooth M400 is looking veeerrrryyyy long in the tooth now and no updates in sight. Time to take advantage of the sale and jump ship to Garmin??
The V650 just received a chunk of updates. inc. direct import of gpx files for routing and BT sync to (some) mobile phones via the Flow app.
Maybe the M400 is coming too.. We’ve been waiting a very long time for these updates.
Yes there have been firware updates but I was referring to the hardware itself.
When I bought the watch the Garmin equivalent was the Forerunner 220. Since that time Garmin has released the 225, 230 and 235. Not to mention updates to the Fenix, 600 series, Vivos etc.
Where are Polar’s new offerings?
I was also thinking about jumping ship to the Garmin 235 from my Polar M400. I do like my M400 and the Polar Flow website a bit more than Garmin’s website. I hope they stick to the 2 year cycle and come out with a hardware update in August. Only a few months away. Otherwise I’m moving over to the 235.
Problem is this Garmin sale ends at the end of May. Polar needs to make an announcement toot sweet.
At the time the Forerunner 220 was out, the Polar M400 was nearly on par featurewise and cheaper. That is no longer the case. Mind you the M400 can be had for $115 nowadays.
True but Polar isn’t going to announce before the end of the month. Maybe I’ll try out the Garmin 235.
I’m itching for Polar to release something new too, saying that I won’t jump ship, reading here and elsewhere garmins advanced dynamics might be interesting to see for a while but I’ve yet to see anybody say it’s improved their form or even suggest how to other than say there off
If you get the Garmin, make sure you get a screen protector! Mine is broken, no big impact. Their position is if it’s broken, it’s assumed to be accidental damage, and you have to pay £85. Personally I think the screen is not strong enough considering its size and intended usage.
Just taken a look at the euro clevertraining.co.uk site and was a touch surprised at the pricing….. am looking at getting Vector 2 and its listed at £1100. Even with a 10% discount taking it down to £990 it’s £90 more than expensive than the official Garmin price and thats before you look at proper discounters. Other Garmin items show similar pricing discrepancies. Is this because the sites still in Beta?
As an aside I think its going to be interesting to see how Clever navigate the substantially different retailing environment here in the UK. I still find it amazing that Garmin can legally dictate to US retailers the selling price of its products. Garmin lists the FR630 with HRM @ £339 but with a bit of digging its possible to get it on a web price match with a bricks and mortar national retailer for £260.
Maybe Polar is trying to compete with Garmin. The M400 is still much newer then the Garmin Edge 810 and the Edge 1000
I’ll have CT check on the Vector pricing. It shouldn’t ever be higher than suggested, so that’s likely just a listing/beta error.
The Vector 2 pedal set is now showing at £1200 for me on CT.co.uk. That’s €1550 or €1395 after discount. I’ve just checked a few European stores, and there’s much better deals around.
I’ll admit… reading your post and looking at that price, I might have lost my mind and bought myself a pair.
Actually, the Riken AL seemingly has gone up in price (I seem to recall, last time I checked it was cheaper than an equivalent Power2Max), so the difference between the Vector 2 and the Riken now isn’t so great to keep me from getting the Vector 2, if I went crazy.
Would be nice if there some kind of a retailer for EMEA.
Yup, check out my comment here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Only for US-citizens. That;s a pity. A lot of your readers are European. i would love to buy the fr 235
Yup, check out details here: link to dcrainmaker.com
Also, the FR235 is available on CT UK here: link to clevertraining.co.uk and then you can add the DCR Coupon Code to save 10% – DCR10BTF. Free shipping in Europe, no extra taxes/duties.
SUPER excited for this post. THANK YOU so much. Happy to get a discount and happy to support you in all your awesome efforts.
Can you please clarify… this DCR10MHD coupon code is only good in Europe? Does not work on US purchases for the Garmin?
Thank you!
The DCR10BTF Coupon code is actually good in the US for everything except Garmin stuff (and most on-sale stuff). In the US up until a few weeks ago you had to use the VIP program to save 10% on Garmin. Then Garmin broke that.
However, that program returns this week in the form of a rebate of sorts, that complies with Garmin’s newest price policies.
(For those Europeans discussing discounting, welcome to the US side of things….)
Ah, so there is a rebate too? If we are in the market for a Garmin should we wait for the rebate since the sale goes on until the end of the month??? Appreciate all your info.
In this case, the rebate/program won’t apply to these Garmin sale items. Sometimes the discount does apply to sale items (i.e. the TomTom ones).
So it’d either be the sale items as above, or the VIP program for the non-sale items.
Hope this helps!
Just got the 230 through CT And rhythm plus with coupon code sco30 thanks to one your great readers.
THANKS for the awesome blog New to running and getting great information from your site.
FYI, REI Sale is 20% Off. Kicker Snap is $560+ Tax
Thanks!
Does that put it in ‘solid deal’ territory for you? I’m looking to upgrade and hand my old Fluid2 down to the wife. I remember in the Trainer Roundup you thought it was a smidge too high for a solid recommendation.
Worth mentioning that the only way to do a firmware update on Pioneer power meters is with their CA500 head unit.
True, though, now you get a free one. 😉
For European readers I woud like to offer a 10% discount on the offered products which are also in my shop. These would be the WAHOO trainers and the Pioneer powermeters.
Coupon code: dcrainmaker_may2016 , which wil be active until 31. may.
link to vermogensmetershop.nl
Re the REI sale, the coupon is only good on 1 item. You can’t get 20% off the Kickr AND the Vectors.
However, they will give you the 20% on the most expensive item in your cart.
If you wanted both, you could buy a second membership in a family/friend’s name and still save $180 on the second item (assuming a kickr/vector purchase)
The Vector pedals will ship to your house for free if you pick the slow option. The Kickr will not – that has to go to a store if you want free shipping.
(I ordered the vectors today, the Kickr a few months ago at their last sale)
Ray:
Would you recommend the Kickr Snap over the Tacx Vortex now that the price between them is around $30 USD with the REI sale?
Thanks
I think Wahoo’s addition of FE-C makes it much more appealing. I don’t tend to find the SNAP as accurate as the Vortex (when both are calibrated), but, they aren’t horrible either. The SNAP has a bit wider (a lot) 3rd party support over Bluetooth Smart though. It doesn’t impact the major apps (Zwift, TrainerRoad, etc…), but for some niche apps it may be a factor.
Hi Ray,
Have trainer road app and will use power 2 max for power.
Looking to try Zwift app as well . You think I’ll be OK with Wahoo Snap and just use power2max as the power, since Snap power is very inconsistent. ?
I have the Tacx vortex, but I have not been 100% satisfied with it. My primary complaint is that I find the documentation and support are somewhat lacking. I’ve eventually gotten it mostly working through a few hiccups. If I had to do it again, I think I would have went with the snap. YMMV.
I run the Snap into Zwift or other program and send my PT P1s into my Garmin Fenix. The power numbers while riding can sometime look completely different but in the end they usually read within 4% of each other (8 or 9 watt difference max – sometimes the same – at 200 watts). They track well but the PTs get quicker feedback when standing or “sprinting” as you have to go against the flywheel on the Snap. For my purposes, I find it a wash.
Thanks for the heads up on the sales! I’ve been saving my pennies for a new running watch. With the sale prices, I was able to make the purchase today.
I’m just curious. What did you end up getting and why
I find it interesting that the FR235 did not go on sale on the Garmin US website or Best Buy. Wish I could buy right now, but I am going to have to wait until around July. Do you think they will go back on sale or remain on sale by any chance. I’d be okay with getting a vivosmart HR+ or maybe a vivoactive HR (depending how big it is in person) but I would rather get the 235
You said back in April at the last Vector price cut that you’d still rather spend the extra $200 for the Powertap P1’s ease of install and dual ANT/BLE. At $400 difference what do you think now? Think the P1s might go on sale anytime soon?
Thanks for the heads up on these sales and price cut, it helps!
It’s tough. I don’t expect the P1’s to go on sale, since they really can’t keep up with demand very well. So no reason to discount.
I’d say if you weren’t going to be switching bikes often, and if you’re pretty set on Garmin head units (bike or tri), then you’re likely good with an ANT+ only solution long term.
With the change in price of the FR 235($249) and the Tomtom Spark cardio +music($200) which do you think is the better buy?
Music is a nice touch however it isn’t totally necessary for me
I really like what garmin connect has to offer but it seems like these days I would be able to import my tomtom data into strava and nike easily so Im really torn on what to get!
It’s tough. I’d say if music matters to you, then go TomTom. But if you don’t care about that – then go FR235 for runners.
Clevertraining.co.uk not so Clever! Price for Forerunner 235 in £ higher than their US price in $! Also £75 more than best UK online price. 10% discount will help, but still way over the odds. Shame as I’d love to support the site.
The way pricing works in Europe for Garmin products is that companies have to move up tiers, and they start at zero. So there will likely be some shifting of prices over the near term as sales begin and things settle.
The idea is that the 10% discount should make them competitive, but there’s definitely some work to do. They’re still working on tackling prices as part of the beta process.
It won’t ever be the same as the US, but that’s not a bad thing per se. The US is MAP controlled (Europe is not), but on the flip side, there’s no import taxes in the US nor the higher tax implications of Europe. So as much as we consumers want to compare (trust me, I’m in that boat too), there is a reality to them being different.
There’s also the challenge of being a more global company and staying within the rules of companies like Garmin, GoPro, and others. So they can’t flout the Garmin EU rules ala Wiggle (i.e. shipping products outside of Europe), as Garmin could stop giving them products in the US. And vice versa. It’s messy.
I suspect one of the reasons the Americans do it the way they do is to protect business interests, it’ll also help keep people in jobs. Here UK it’s perfectly fine for a company to sell at cost and live on the rebate, by doing so they can crush the competition out of business. Very cut throat but great for consumers. As for CT Europe give them a chance to get properly started. I’m sure they’ll pick up what’s required in the eurozone pretty quickly
Robert, I know its a much more complex subject that there’s space for here but to say that manufacturers are enforcing RRP’s to protect Mom & Pop stores is just jaw-droppingly disingenuous. If anything it’s the strait jacket of RRP’s that killing the independents. I can name 10 places I can buy a Garmin FR630 ranging in price from £260 to £340 here in the UK and nobody as far as I can see has cornered the market to crush the competition. Also how many extra sales has Garmin taken from Polar/Suunto et. al at a £260 price rather than £340.
Anyway that’s my tuppence worth…. back to bread making.
I worked for a car parts distributor in Birmingham, A well respected company from London, Jaystock opened a new depot in B’ham. My employers response was to cut every product line that they also sold from 22-45% gross profit to putting 50p on cost, BMW back box cost £90 we’d sell it for £90.50. We were crazy busy and I hated not having a lunch break because of how busy we were. They hung on for 9 months before deciding to leave town. Ok there I agree that there is not the same demand for Sport products as car parts but this type of thing does go on.
Today the UK price for the Vector 2 at CleverTrading is 1199 pounds, even with a DCR special discount of 10% it is still more than 1000 pounds. Today on Wiggle with Platinum discount (17%) 753 pounds. Can’t see Clever staying for long if they keep their prices so high.
Yup, someone else noted the Vector differences above – checking on that today.
Just as a quick update, the Vector2 UK prices were merely a listing error. The correct Vector2 prices on CT UK show as 899GBP pre-discount, or 809GBP post DCR discount. I suspect over time the remaining gap will close between them and Wiggle with your Platnium discount.
Thanks for the heads up!
Forerunner 630 bundle £221. Only have midnight blue though 🙁
link to hotukdeals.com
Suunto deals just because the new Suunto Ultra Spartan? or regular discount?
Ray please post a first hands on on the new Spartan special compared to the Fenix 3 (non HR) / Epix asap.
Special interested in difference in screen quality difference between the two.
(the hands-on will reveal the other details (pay attention to barometric quality please and usability of touch screen together with buttons))
Suunto has done a May deal pretty much every year for the last few years. So it’s not too much of a surprise there really.
As for any other products, they haven’t announced anything yet. A single retailer appears to have leaked something, but nothing has otherwise been announced.
FYI Suunto placed an advertorial announcing the availability in june 2015.
So it may not be “the” official announcement they did announce it.
That and at least 2 or 3 shops have them listed for purchase.
I’m also in for a fast hands on and face to face with the Fenix3.
announcing the availability from June 2016 that would be.
Hmm, where’s that advertorial?
Advertorial was the one in the Gigathlon magazine.
Later i discovered it could be downloaded so i don’t know if the “hardcopy” i looked into was a self printed version or one printed by the organisation.
Seem the PDF has been deleted by now from the Gigathlon site (only google cache) the ad itself can easy be found as jpeg.
It indeed seems it was a fault and not a teaser or announcement.
On the official Suunto Facebook page yesterday they said that they would be making an announcement about the Spartan Ultra on June the 7th… so it’s pretty much confirmed 🙂
Straight off of Suunto’s servers 🙂
link to ns.suunto.com
Having skimmed the manual I don’t think it’s what I’m looking for in a watch
Hi, that link is to the manual for the old Spartan model, not the new Spartan Ultra
link to gpsrumors.com
Doh, forgot about recycling the name, my bad
Such a great site you have! Have you ever done an in depth review of car racks/bike transportation? Getting our expensive equipment from one location to another is such a big part of our day and I’m always worried if I’m making the right choices. Thanks for the great information.
No, nothing in that area.
On my previous car I bought Yakima racks. But that was mostly just because growing up in Washington State folks had an affinity to what was originally started as a Washington State company.
Just ordered the Garmin 230 from amazon using my Amazon points. Can’t wait to try it out in next weekend’s pirogi run (with pirogis and smokies and beer at the end)!! It will be replacing my Garmin 610, which I do like, but for the price of the 230, I couldn’t resist.
Hi,
Does anyone know what happens to the Clever training website? I select the $190 TomTom Spark Music Cardio GPS Watch but when I go to the details the price jumps to $246 even with the most basic option (Music Watch w/ HRM) !!!
Well that’s odd. Is it still doing it?
I just tried it and it seemed to work. Any chance that you selected the one with headphones? That jumps it up to roughly the price you noted. Also, don’t forget to add the DCR coupon code to save another 10% (DCR10BTF).
Now it shows $199.99 in the basic option (Music Watch w/ HRM, w/o headphones). 9 bucks more but better than than the $246 it showed before. Thanks a lot !
I was looking to buy a Suunto Ambit3 Sport from clevertraining.com but when I select the color I want (black) it shows the original price of $329. Can you look into this?
Weird, will ask them today to dig into it.
Any update on this price discrepancy?
I asked, but the holiday is slowing things down. I’ve got your e-mail though, and I’m sure they’ll make it good to you if they can’t sort it out today.
Though, Amazon also has the same deal (links above).
Sorry!
Looks like the P1s are backordered at backcountry. Anyone have any experience with them? Ready to bite, but want to make sure it comes through. Would rather have these, but could live with the Vector2 from REI.
The Vector2 in the regular (smaller) size is backordered from REI as well. I pulled the trigger on it since the $400 price difference was enough to pull me off the P1s.
Not sure if I missed it or if the sale just came in, but I didn’t see the lower P1 price. For a $160 difference now, are the P1s a better buy?
Backcountry is pretty big, no issues there. The last time they had a big sale like this (November), they were pretty heavily backordered (and it took quite a while to clear, though that was applicable to all retailers). But everyone got them and folks were happy. These days, the backorders will likely be cleared pretty quickly.
Personally, I’d go with the P1’s over Vector2.
(Opps, and sorry, yeah, I just added the P1 deal last night, which just ends tonight. I hadn’t noticed it till yesterday. Sorry!)
Do you happen to know when the TomTom sale is going to end? I am strongly considering picking up a Spark + Music or a Spark Cardio + music to replace my aging MotoActv. I haven’t found the time to do a long workout to test how long the battery will last on the MotoActv with the Bluetooth headset and the Bluetooth heart strap I picked up recently (previously wore the MotoActv with the arm strap and headphones with a short wire and did not bother with heart rate data). If my MotoActv battery doesn’t last at least 2 hours with both the headphones and heart strap connected, I need something new. I also like the idea of my workouts automatically going to Runkeeper, rather than opening up my laptop and working with the fussy (and no longer officially supported) MotoActv website at the end of every run. I don’t want to miss the sale and have to pay $50 more for the Spark.
Whoa, so happy I resisted the call of the Vectors. Just now I casually opened a newsletter, only to find them close to €800, almost €100 less than the previous low I had observed. At this price point, the Garmin 2 is over 30% cheaper than the PowerTap pedals!
What gives, Vector 3(?) on the horizon?
If it’s a Euro sale, then it’s just a case of retailers changing prices (vs in the US, the prices are controlled by Garmin). Alternatively, it could be a case of the cost the retailer decreasing (though, I don’t believe that has changed), unless they fell into a new price bucket.