JUMP TO:

Adidas Bluetooth Smart miCoach (Mini) Footpod In-Depth Review

IMG_6423

It’s been about 8 months since the first Bluetooth Smart footpod popped out into the market, introduced by Polar shortly after the release of their Polar Beat app.  However, while it technically worked just fine, it lacked one thing: Elegance. Or more specifically, it’s was flippin’ huge.  Like Polar’s past footpods, it is approximately the size of a Twinkie on your shoe – a rarity in the days of penny sized footpods.

So when Adidas quietly listed for sale their new Adidas miCoach SPEED_CELL Bluetooth Smart footpod, I ordered one up and decided to give it a shot.  The initial goal was for use within my Adidas Smart Run GPS review, but I quickly realized the appeal would actually be much larger than that.  After all, since it complied with Bluetooth Smart device profiles for footpods, it’d really work with any app that supports Bluetooth Smart footpods – even Polar’s app.

With that, let’s dive into my thoughts on it.  While this will be an in-depth review, at the same time I’m trying to keep in mind that it’s just a footpod, so I’ll keep things as brief as possible while still covering all the details.

Unboxing:

IMG_6417

When it comes to getting things unboxed, you won’t have to worry about the footpod being damaged in transit.  Trust me, the massively oversized box certainly takes care of that.

IMG_6418

It does have a peekaboo window though, so you can at least validate someone didn’t steal your candy:

IMG_6420

Inside, you’ll find precisely one item: The footpod.  You’ll also find three pieces of paper, describing the one item you received.  One tells you how to use it (quick start guide), one tells you how not to use it (legal thingy), and one tells you what to do if you screw up using it (warranty guide).

IMG_6421

The footpod technically has two pieces, the first is the pod itself, that’s the green part.  This is where all magic happens from a technology standpoint.  The second piece is the plastic clip – that’s the piece that holds it onto your shoe lace.

IMG_6422

You can see this below, where you simply pop it out to add/remove from shoe.  You’ll also notice the battery compartment on the back.  The unit takes a standard CR2032 battery like most Bluetooth Smart & ANT+ devices on the market today.  These are easily found coin cell batteries that normally run for $2-3 each.  On average, this battery should last you about a year or so.

IMG_6425

Here’s what it looks like on both sides:

IMG_7680

Now, it’s important to note that Adidas actually has two near-identical footpods: One ANT+, one Bluetooth Smart.  Above, you can see them both.  Yes, they’re identical.  The only way to tell the difference is to look at the tiny logo on them.  Below, you can see the ANT+ logo on the left one, and the Bluetooth Smart logo on the right one.

IMG_7667

In fact, you’ll notice that the footpod pretty much looks exactly like the other mini-footpods on the market.  The reason for that is simple: They’re all made by Dynastream.  Dynastream is more commonly known as ANT+, and…owned by Garmin.  In the case of the Adidas footpod, they first made an ANT+ variant a couple years ago, and since then they swapped out the communications chip and made the Bluetooth Smart version for Adidas.

IMG_7686

There’s some significant irony in that ANT+ is now making what I’d argue is the best Bluetooth Smart footpod on the market.  Small world sometimes…

Indoor Use:

DSC_0452

Ultimately, for most folks the footpod is likely to be used on a treadmill.  Because of the Bluetooth Smart nature of the footpod, it means that you can easily just place your phone on the treadmill without any special adapters and dongles and get accurate pace and distance information while indoors.

Of course, before you do that you’ll need to ensure you’ve calibrated it.  You have two options here, one is to manually calibrate it by doing some math.  In that case you run a set distance (such as half a mile) and compare the distance it thinks you ran (pretend .58 miles), and then manually determine the calibration value.  The problem with that…is that I’m lazy.

So instead, I just went outside with the Wahoo Fitness app and ran there.  As long as you run outside with GPS enabled, it’ll automatically calibrate the footpod for you each time you run.  Which, is kinda handy.

20140113_185845000_iOS 20140113_185848000_iOS

So, now I bring myself back inside, and prepare to go on the treadmill.  In this case, I’m making two key changes.  First, I’m setting the speed to be calculated by ‘Stride Sensor’, and second, I’m setting the cadence to be calculated by the footpod.

20140113_185854000_iOS 20140113_185842000_iOS

The reason I do that is that I need to ensure that it doesn’t try and use GPS for both of those, as that would mean that it wouldn’t show me going anywhere (since I’m on a treadmill).

Further, I’m turning GPS off.  I did this by creating a new sport profile.  You can call it anything you’d like, from ‘Indoor Treadmill’ to ‘Place with Sweaty People’.  But the benefit to it is that you can quickly switch between your settings for indoors versus outdoor.

20140113_191401000_iOS 20140113_190032000_iOS

With that, I can go ahead and start the workout.  The unit will automatically show your pace and distance as you run.  And, it’ll track just fine across a wide ranges of paces:

20140113_200547000_iOS 20140113_200609000_iOS

In watching it during a recent treadmill run, I found that the distance was almost spot on with the treadmill.  When running at my steady-state pace in the 7:30/mile range, it was about 1.5% off.  Whereas, when running at faster speeds (about 5:54/mile), it was about 2% off – both, slightly slower than I was running.  When walking during my rest breaks, it was actually reading about 3% faster.  Which, oddly made things kinda even out.

However, there are two things to note.  First, is that I hadn’t re-calibrated it after a bunch of travel.  As such, the footpod may have moved around on my shoes in some 14,000 miles of flights in my luggage.  And second, we actually don’t know that the treadmill is 100% correct.  What’s interesting, as I noted above, is that it all evened out to be exactly the same distance at the end.

DSC_0457

In any event, I’m more than happy with 1.5-2% for treadmill usage across a broad range of paces.

Note that in addition to pace/distance, it also gives me cadence information as well – both on the screen (you can see it in some of the screenshots above), as well as afterwards in workout information – like below:

image

One item I did see which was strange was that the instant-pace data was a bit noisy.  Meaning, it fluctuated a bunch.  I hadn’t seen this before, nor on other footpods.  It’s interesting because despite the noise, the end-distance was still good.

image

I poked at it again outside, to ensure it wasn’t an interference there.  I also looked at data from both Polar and Adidas, and didn’t see it there.  Which made me suspect that it could actually be a battery thing.  I’ve found historically that when there’re issues like this, it tends to be battery driven.  So I swapped out the battery.  No luck.

So then I started pondering – what if it was a Wahoo Fitness app thing and not a footpod thing?  So I went and connected it to the Adidas app – which happened to add support for it that same day.  Instantly, beautifully smooth pace lines:

image

If using the Adidas miCoach app, you can calibrate the footpod based on a known distance.  The one thing to be aware of though is that you have to do that post-activity, but not totally-post-activity.  Sorta in the no-mans land between when you finish and activity and when you finish looking at the summary information.  I really wish the app would allow me to set it later in history.  In any case, you simply just enter the actual distance in.

I did this on a treadmill to make it quick and easy.  The first screenshot shows what the footpod ‘thought’ was the distance.  The second screenshot shows me clicking the distance and editing the actual distance.  And then the third screenshot is the confirmation.

20140120_183224000_iOS 20140120_183238000_iOS 20140120_183243000_iOS

But, you can also do an outdoor run and then tweak based on that.

Circling back to the noisiness issue.  I tested it out on Polar’s Beat app, also, clean lines.  No problems.  Which, then took me back to Wahoo.  In talking with them, they confirmed there’s an issue with the noisiness, and are going to address it in an upcoming app update.

So why not use Polar or Adidas?  Well, while Adidas did just add export capability yesterday (to GPX), that actually doesn’t cover indoor activities, which is what footpods are sorta all (mostly) about.  Further, on the Polar side, there’s no export at all.

Finally, with the Wahoo app I can export straight to Training Peaks, as well as other platforms like Strava and Garmin Connect.   I like data portability.

Outdoor Use:

IMG_8719

In addition to hanging out on a treadmill, the unit will record information outdoors in exactly the same manner as indoors.  I did a bunch of outdoor runs using the footpod in a few different ways:

1) To provide just cadence, while still using GPS for distance/pace
2) To provide cadence and distance/pace as if I were indoors – ignoring the GPS (off)

I did this on the Wahoo Fitness app, Adidas app, and the Polar Beat app.  No problems there.  Here’s a few screenshots, starting with the Wahoo app outdoors.

20140102_150223000_iOS 20140102_145426000_iOS

Here’s an example of post-run doing the calibration with the app on the stride sensor with the Polar app.  On the left side, is my initial distance from the unit.  I went ahead and tapped the distance icon and put in the corrected distance based on a separate GPS that I was using.  After that, the sensor was calibrated for future use.

20140105_165110000_iOS 20140105_165219000_iOS 20140105_165224000_iOS

Looking at the results on the Adidas miCoach app, I did this run where I used GPS as the speed source, but went ahead and pulled stride data from the cadence sensor:

image

Now, remember when using the Wahoo Fitness app you’ll want to select the correct data source for speed/distance and set it for either the footpod or GPS.

20140102_134933000_iOS 20140102_134913000_iOS

For me, I went ahead and created customized profiles in the Wahoo app to specify different configurations so I can quickly switch to whatever I’d like.

A note about indoor cycling mode:

One slightly interesting mode that the Adidas miCoach app has added is the ability to use the footpod while on a bike – such as a gym spin or exercise bike.  In doing so, it’ll record your cadence information for you, which is (in theory) pretty darn cool.  It’s very similar to what you can do in my post last week with the Wahoo RPM.  Except, unlike the Wahoo RPM, this works in running.

Now, my repeated attempts at getting on multiple gym bikes this week at a hotel I was staying at was thwarted by the same gentleman each time slowly plodding along reading the newspaper.  His estimated cadence: 30RPM.

So, instead, I just did it on my own bike on a trainer.  Now ironically enough, what I found was that I probably could have stuck the cadence sensor on that man instead.  As the cadence values given to me were definitely not accurate.  While about half my actual cadence value, though it didn’t seem to increase/decrease too much with my change in pedaling cadence more dramatically than recorded below in the charts (if you had just doubled it).

photo 1 photo 2

Just to be sure, I uploaded it as well – and found the same thing:

image

It’d be interesting to see Adidas tweak this a bit more in software to correctly understand it.  I suspect this would probably be an easy change for them to make (or at least, in theory it should be).

Compatibility with Watches:

IMG_8121

The Adidas Bluetooth Smart footpod is compatible with any unit that supports the Bluetooth Smart footpod device profile.  The trick is, at this point, that’s almost no units.  In fact, the only unit on the market today is the Adidas Smart Run GPS.

This though is mostly a result of the fact that there are only two units on the market that support Bluetooth Smart accessories at all: TomTom and Adidas.   Everything else is ANT+ today (or, legacy Polar WIND).

Upcoming though for the April 2014 is Polar’s V800 triathlon-focused watch, which does support Bluetooth Smart accessories.  They’ve stated that they will support Bluetooth Smart footpods, which will include both their own footpod (the big one), as well as the Adidas one.  And of course any other footpods that adhere to the specification.

Over time, I’m sure we’ll see other Bluetooth Smart compatible watches, but right now the pickings are pretty slim and mostly focused on the app side (iOS/Android/Windows Phone).

Preemptive FAQ: Does it work with Garmin watches? No, it does not.  Garmin watches communicate with ANT+ to sensors, and do not at this time connect to Bluetooth Smart sensors (even units like the FR220/FR620 that have Bluetooth in them do not communicate with Bluetooth Smart sensors).  For Polar devices pre-V800, those devices don’t have Bluetooth capabilities in them – and thus, cannot connect to Bluetooth Smart devices.

Ability to Record Data without a Watch/Phone

Now originally, back in the day the first generation ANT+ Adidas footpod wasn’t actually designed to capture running metrics.  Instead, it was designed to fit in your cleats and track soccer (football) distances.  The idea was that you’d have no other device on your person (no watch/phone) and the footpod would automatically record the activity in a smart manner (figuring out start/end) and then give you stats such as speed, distance and things like ‘bursts’ (basically sprints).  You’d then manually supplement that with information such as game score and you’d have a neat little log of the game – charts and all.

IMG_4801 IMG_4800 IMG_4802

That same concept has carried through to the Bluetooth version of the footpod.  The only catch is that right now while the footpod does work for soccer (and others), it doesn’t understand just straight running.  See, you use a separate app – the Adidas miCoach Multisport app to access and download these metrics.  And that app is really more focused on other sports, specifically: American Football, Basketball, Soccer, Handball, Rugby, and Tennis.

So what happens if you head out for a run?  Well, it will actually capture that run, and in my experience the total distance is nearly spot on.  I’m seeing it be off by only about 1/10th of a kilometer on runs of 6-10 miles.  So basically, close enough.  However, you can’t actually specify a run.  So instead, you have to pick your favorite sport:

IMG_4808 IMG_4809 IMG_4806

I chatted with Adidas about this, and they definitely understand the potential here for making the experience the same for running and giving a running-focused sport option.  So you’ll see that later this spring added to the app.  Thus allowing you to ‘run naked’ without anything more than a footpod on (or in) your shoe.

Pros/Cons:

While pretty straight-forward, it’s probably worthwhile looking at some of the pros and cons of the device:

Pros:

– Works with compatible phone apps (and a lot more coming)
– Works with Adidas Smart Run GPS, Polar V800 down the road
– Tiny, small form factor
– Accurate when calibrated
– Great battery life – 1yr+
– Can download activities post-workout without bringing phone/watch (running set for later spring)

Cons:

– Doesn’t work with most watches on market today
– Only Bluetooth Smart, not dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart

Summary:

DSC_0466

Overall, the Adidas footpod certainly works well. It fits the bill nicely right now where the other options on the market aren’t terribly ideal.  It accurately gets pace and distance (and cadence) information into your app or Bluetooth Smart enabled watch with minimal fuss.  And does so in the tiniest possible footprint.

The singular item that gives me pause however is that it’s only single channel – Bluetooth Smart.  As we saw a couple weeks ago at CES, there’s now a slew of devices coming out that are dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart.  This means that in many ways it’s a bit of a bad time to buy sensors, since many of those sensors are being re-released in the near future with dual-capable versions.

In the case of the footpod, nobody has specifically announced a timeframe for a dual-capable unit.  A few companies have talked around the bush a bit on potentially releasing one, including both Wahoo and 4iiii’s.  Wahoo has been a bit more clear they they will release dual-versions of all their current accessory products this year.  But that could be next month or next October.  I reached out to Dynastream as well (ultimate designer of both Adidas units), but they didn’t have anything to comment on at this time.

So, my advice is this: If you have a specific need that is Bluetooth Smart focused today, and you don’t anticipate needing ANT+ compatibility (read: you don’t have a Garmin/Timex/etc unit), then go forth and look at the Adidas unit – it sure as heck beats the massive Polar Bluetooth Smart unit.  But, if you don’t have an immediate need for one, I’d wait out a bit longer and see what floats down the product river.

With that – thanks for reading!

FOUND THIS POST USEFUL? SUPPORT THE SITE!

Hopefully, you found this post useful. The website is really a labor of love, so please consider becoming a DC RAINMAKER Supporter. This gets you an ad-free experience, and access to our (mostly) bi-monthly behind-the-scenes video series of “Shed Talkin’”.

Support DCRainMaker - Shop on Amazon

Otherwise, perhaps consider using the below link if shopping on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. It could simply be buying toilet paper, or this pizza oven we use and love.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked.
If you would like a profile picture, simply register at Gravatar, which works here on DCR and across the web.

Click here to Subscribe without commenting

Add a picture

*

180 Comments

  1. Jared

    Do you know if the calibration is stored on the footpod or in the app? If I use the auto-calibrate feature in the Wahoo app, for example, will that calibration be applied to any other run with a different app, or does Wahoo store the calibration and uses it when it reads from the footpod?

    • Wawan

      Within the app, not the pod. You could see in one of the screenshot

    • Yup, correct, it’s stored by an individual app.

    • Stevie

      Hi there, had one of these a couple of months back. A major Con missing from your Cons summary, is that it will only talk to a iPhone 4 and above. No androids phone and really annoying lying not an iPad either. I have an iPad3 which is Bluetooth smart enabled, and thus though I would be ok.

      They bury this information in a blog, but write on the packaging compatible with Bluetooth smart devices, androids phones, etc. annoying.

    • If you bought it a few months ago when it first came out, the reason it didn’t work on your iPad was simply that the app to use it wasn’t released until last Monday (more specifically, the app wasn’t updated to use the BT Smart version till last Monday). Prior to that, it was only for the Smart Run GPS to use (or 3rd party apps).

    • Stevie

      Well that is good to know – though I sent the unit back as it was of no use to me at that point, Don’t suppose you know if it works with other Bluetooth smart phones and tablets?

      It was just annoying that adidas advertised in their own store as compatible when it wasn’t (UK store).

      Great site by the way – new to it – but your reviews are great. If you fancy doing an austerity article, I am still using an old Nokia 500 (93 g) as my bike and run computer with Sports Tracker App. It has an accelerometer which does a decent step count (and cadence if you have it in your jersey pocket) and the normal GPS stuff. It also can play music or podcasts, and has hrm capabilities with the right Bluetooth strap.

      Looking to upgrade to a watch and/or dedicated bike computer but struggling to find anything that does as much especially when the nokia is about £30-£40 on ebay.

      Keep up the good work.

    • Stevie

      The obvious limitations being that whilst running I keep it a spi-belt so you don’t get to see the screen and then is no audio feedback – so only good for post run analysis.

      On the bike you can mount it on the handlebars and then it has a very comprehensive set of possible display, but you do lose the pseudo cadence measure by doing this.

      Hence my wish to get a watch type solution. you can pop it into one of those arm wallet things, but I personnly never found one that didn’t annoy me.

    • You can use it with the Adidas Smart Run GPS, as well as the Magellan Echo (a much cheaper/smaller watch). The Echo still requires pairing it to your phone however (iOS device with BLE support), but that can be in your spibelt. I have a review on the Echo up there as well.

    • Stevie

      Sorry for the double post. The Speed cell was bought for use in my rugby boots, hence annoyed when it didn’t link up with any of my smart bt devices.

    • Earwiggle

      works fine with my IPad 3 and IPhone 5s ( reason why I needed the update from ANT+) Am delighted, will be happy when also a Running app as the Multisport, could do with a landscape view as I use my IPad in that format on my treadmill). Third Party apps coming along, Polar and Wahoo, plus hopefully digifit soon.

  2. Wawan

    I’ll just wait for the dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart version then for my backup (I have +ANT version) and for my wife’s workout (she’s using dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart 4iiiiiiiiiii HR strap, which I’m using too if I misplaced my garmin HR strap).

    -wawan-

  3. Daniel

    Does this have the built in memory for data logging like the Ant+ one? You can put it in your soccer shoe sole and then download the data after the game. Also good for a Tough mudder event where you don’t want to take your phone, and are wearing running shoes with the cavity in the sole.

    • Yup, it does. And good point, I just added a section on that. The only catch is that it doesn’t yet ‘understand’ running activities. In talking with Adidas though, that’s on the way this spring.

    • hollyoak

      Very interesting, hopefully that’s the type of app that 4iiii have in mind for their devices. How do you start/stop an activity with the Adidas device?

    • It just does it based on movement detection, so there isn’t a ‘start/stop’ per se.

    • Daniel

      Good to see they’ve kept that capability. Adidas changed from having individual apps for soccer, tennis, running etc, to the Multisport app, which as you say, dosn’t have running. I still used the Running single sport app with the Ant+ version. Looks like they abandoned this app and never added Bluetooth support (link to itunes.apple.com)

  4. hollyoak

    Thanks for the review. Would this work with a Garmin watch if paired to a Viiiiva HRM first or does the Viiiiva HRM (and future Viva devices) only work as an ANT+ to BTLE bridge ?

  5. Maarten

    i use the ANT+ version in my rugby shoes, the only issue i have with them is the slightly different shape adidas used opposed to all the other small sized footpods. i once tried to fit the ANT+ version in the cavity of a nike running shoe and it didn`t fit as the curvature is not equal on both ends.
    hopefully it was a single occurence on my side, but maybe something to take note of if once is to place the footpod in the cavity of a non-adidas shoe.

  6. Craig

    I’m confused – where would you put this if you were using it to track soccer? In the sole? Does that mean that addidas makes soccer shoes with a cavity there?

  7. Steve Knapp

    How much variance in accuracy do you see treadmill to treadmill?

    I’ve calibrated my footpod to the GPS using the offline tool you posted some time ago. Depending on the treadmill I see 0-10% delta between the treadmill and watch. And that error seems consistent to each treadmill.

    Does this seem normal to you?

    • KenZ

      That seems normal to me. I have used a footpod religiously for like 5 years (no GPS, although I used a Garmin eTrex to calibrate it on a few runs). My treadmill speed with a footpod is definitely off from the outside. Might be the bounce in the treadmill surface? Remember, the footpod is a three axis accelerometer, and is very sensitive. For instance, when running try kicking your heel up JUST A TINY BIT on each step and the speed goes all over the place. Could be the built in ‘bounce’ of a treadmill surface is throwing it off, or something of the like.

    • Definitely not 10% for me. Assuming correct calibration, I generally see about 1-2%. Perhaps I’m a bit more focused on ensuring it’s right (it annoys me when it’s off a lot). In many cases I’ll see it within a few seconds/mile.

    • Steve Knapp

      For me it’s specific to the treadmill, three I run on frequently. One is extreme, ~10% slower/shorter on the tread than watch. The other two less so. But these errors are consistent to each tread. As if I’d need to recalibrate the pod for each belt if I wanted them to match.

      It does drive me a bit crazy.

  8. Mark

    That packaging is awful! There is so much wrong with it! If you disregard the wanton waste of materials to make a unnecessarily huge box, it still makes shipping and storage more expensive than needed.

    If they made the box proper sized, say a 2″/50cm cube, it would cost less to store – more number per m^3/ft^3 = less cost of storage per unit. And it would cost less to transit, especially by water, as shipping via ship is dictated more by volume than mass. If it costs, say, $500 to ship 1 cubic meter from China to LA, and you fit 50 per meter, that’s $10 in shipping per unit. If instead you fit 100 per meter, you halve your shipping costs.
    And retailers would be happier, as they could fit more stock or variety on shelves.

    Looking at all these unboxing pictures makes me sad usually, but this adidas box takes the cake! If I were in the market for a BTLE footpod, I’d avoid the adidas one specifically for this reason.

    On a nicer note – nice DS trainers! Mine, unfortunately, are much cleaner.

  9. Tommy

    You mention TomTom as being one of the only watches out there supporting the BT sensors, any idea of they are planning on adding footpod support to the watch? Right now they use an accelerometer, which is problematic to say the least and a footpod would be a great improvement to the watch. Have you had any discussions with them regarding this?

    • I don’t know, I’ll poke and ask.

    • Tommy

      Thanks for that. Looking forward to hearing what they have to say. The subject has come up on their forums and they seem pretty set on the accelerometer but that was also before there were really any variety of options for BT footpods. As more come out it seems like this would be an easy decision for them as it would attract a lot of people who don’t trust the accelerometer readings.

    • Tommy

      Did you ever hear anything from TomTom on this one? It has been a fairly common request on the forums and was curious to know if there are any plans to implement BT footpods (no response from TT on their forums, unfortunately).

  10. Rok

    It’s time to change your shoes Ray!!!! How many miles in them? Love your site btw…

  11. Sara

    And from out of left field… Lol
    Well Ray, you know I’m still passionate about my Garmin 610. But when not out to run (or cycle) I like knowing how much I’m moving, so a pedometer is great. (It’s the sitting at a desk that’ll kill yah). So I try to ‘see’ I have BALANCE throughout my day. Not a light switch -all on or all off.

    Since this pod has a ‘memory’ capability to it, why not have it also track steps? Just a thought…

    (I am however anxiously awaiting the new vivofit, but a pod on the foot for true step accuracy would be awesome and could gravitate me to use that instead).

  12. Justin F.

    It looks like there’s a version of this on Amazon that has both bluetooth and ant+. Is that the same unit? It seems a bit dubious that a retailer on Amazon would carry it but not Adidas.

    • There’s an ANT+ version, and there’s a Bluetooth Smart version. There is no combo version. It looks like the retailer likely just has it listed wrong.

      In general, the easy way to tell them apart packaging-wise is that the ANT+ version has a small iPhone 30-pin adapter that allows the iPhone to connect to ANT+.

  13. pepe

    Does Adidas have a miCoach Multisport app for Android?

  14. Fabio

    This review came in perfect timing!
    Yesterday I was showing my mom how much data I can get with my Edge 500 and how this help me with my training program. She was amazed! Then, she moaned: “I wish I could get data running on my treadmill, but without this fancy and complicated computer thing….”
    Her birthday is coming, I was thinking about getting her a forerunner, but then again I would fall in the “computer thing” to analyse data. Her knowledge in computers are somewhat inexistent but she can do great in her smart-phone. She is also a enthusiast runner, she doesn’t need loads of data, fancy graphics and so on. She just needs something that she can look after gym and tell: “Today I run x km, a gazzilion steps,and hey, look, my heart is beating a lot!”
    Today the very first thing in the morning I see is this post. Something popped in my mind instantly.. “That’s what a perfect match. She doesn’t need a forerunner! She just needs this and a HR strap.” I just ordered the footpod and the HR sensor (both micoach). I think she’ll enjoy this very much.
    Thanks again Ray for your influence in my gadget buying process!
    Much appreciated.

  15. KenZ

    Thanks for the review. You stated “Ultimately, for most folks the footpod is likely to be used on a treadmill.”

    While I don’t have the data or insight to disagree with what most folks do, that’s pretty sad if that’s what most folks do with one. I’ll be buying a GPS watch this spring, but bet your butt I’ll still be using a footpod.

    I use it every run, and refer to it all the time. Not for pace, but cadence, ESPECIALLY on long runs and races. After a few hours, you can really catch your cadence dropping off and starting to overstride; the footpod is friggin’ brilliant for helping keep that under control. It’s an amazing training tool.

    I do find it interesting that on the same flat run, my cadence is truly just a bit faster with lighter shoes (e.g. Kinvara) than heavier shoes (Mountain Massochist). Likely just me, but it’s interesting.

    The fact that Adidas can use the footpod for bike cadence is brilliant. Why don’t other companies do that?

  16. Ray

    Hi, will it count and measure pull- ups, muscle-ups, leg raises, giant swings etc.?

  17. Chris

    The BLE Polar Stride Sensor has the same issue with the noiseiness in the instantaneous pace data in Wahoo’s app. I’ve been running with it quite a bit this winter.

    Looking at it live on the treadmill, it bounces quite a bit. If you run a constant pace, the cadence is stable and the Wahoo app integrates distance perfectly. Hopefully they can figure a way to filter it.

    When you upload to Strava, they filter the pace data heavily so it displays well, but then when you have an isntantaneous change it’ll ramp down.

    Ray – do you know how the auto calibrate works? Does it calibrate only when you run w/ GPS enabled and lock in that calibration for the treadmill runs if you turn off GPS? Also, do you know what the record zeros options does?

    Thanks for the review, glad to see there is another, smaller option out there and that my Polar Stride Sensor isn’t defective!

    • Yeah, it’s a BLE noiseness thing across the board that’s broken (from Wahoo). It is funny/interesting that despite the noisiness, I see very solid end-state accuracy of distance (either interval or whole-run), and cadence is very clean. Go figure.

      For auto-calibrate, it’s only with GPS enabled. So yup, calibrate outside and then create a profile with just the GPS off. It’ll pull the calibration value in for you. I’m not 100% sure on record zeros in a footpod environment. In a cycling environment it means to record the zero value (such as 0 cadence or 0 wattage), rather than null (no value).

  18. Nicola

    The Wahoo cadence graph looks very similar to the graph I get with my Forerunner 620 on the Garmin Connect website. If I use the Garmin footpad with any of my older Forerunners the graph is very smooth.

  19. Randy

    What’s the street price of this thing? It’s on Adidas’ site for $70, which seems quite high for a footpod. (Or is it? I don’t know…)

    • Christian

      It goes on sale sometimes for less. I picked up two of them for 38-ish bucks each when it dropped down to around 42-45 dollars and I had a 10% off code for signing up for the adidas email list. That puts it inline with most of the ANT+ footpads, I usually see them on sale for around 40-45 bucks.

  20. Jirka

    Are there any applications for INDOOR CYCLING MODE on Android?

    • None yet, but I’m sure we’ll see some soon.

    • Arthur

      I use the elasticated belt with the Adidas HRM on my chest for my spin class.the gym i attend has “pulse” system throughout where i get a calories burned and heart rate zones shown on screen. I then got the Mi coach “connect” plug for my iPhone 4s and it works a treat for indoor stuff.

  21. Thibaut

    Hello Ray!
    Amazing Website!

    Hello Everybody!
    How is it possible to download data after a session with an iPhone 5, and import them into Sporttracks for coupling with a GPS / HRM recording recording with my sports watch?

  22. Thibaut

    Hello!
    Is it possible to have an example of exporting file .FIT or .GPX from micoach about a running session as you did for the FR620?
    For those developers in the house, here’s a zip file with a handful of FR620 .FIT files for your development pleasure. All of these files were done on the final firmware.
    If I run with only the SPEED_CELL, without iPhone App, will it be possible to export a GPX containing only the stride (without GPS data) so that I can integrate them Sporttracks?

    Thank you!

  23. pepe

    Sorry for the typo error above,
    If I run with only the SPEED_CELL, without iPhone App, will it be possible to export a GPX containing only the stride (without GPS data) so that I can integrate them Sporttracks?
    It’s possible :
    1 sync speed cell workout with adidas site.
    2 use http://www.runningfreeonline.com to fetch that workout.
    3 export to tcx(not gpx)
    4 in sporttracks import the tcx file, select ‘Update existing activity’ instead of create and select the metric you want to merge into the existing activity, in this case cadence’.

    Keep time in your sport watch and in your speed_cell updated, so the merged file is consistent.

  24. philipp

    hi,

    is the cadence issue for rpm meassurement fixed or does it still show strange values?

    many thanks
    Philipp

  25. JB

    Have you found that the instantaneous pace is off but the distance is fine? For instance, I’ve calibrated it with a treadmill with the Polar and Adidas apps by walking at 6km/h. After going for another walk (at 6km/h), the pace is pretty consistent at 9:20min/km but I’m expecting 10min/km. The overall distance is fine though (e.g. if I walked 20 minutes, the final distance was 2km). It’s pretty odd.

    • No, when I’ve seen the distance even out, it’s been because I was doing intervals and it would be slightly slow during run, but slightly faster during walk – so it kinda evened out by luck.

  26. Frank

    I’m a little confused about the whole idea of using a footpod/stride sensor for speed and distance if there is just one calibration. I’ve not had one of these things but presume that they only record foot strikes. When I jog (I’m an old man and not so fast) my cadence changes very little (from150 to 160 steps per minute as I move from 5 mph to 7) with my step length accounting for most of the change (increasing from 35″ to 46″.) I don’t think I’m unique in this respect. Seems like this would only work accurately if speed changes were accomplished 100% with frequency and 0% with stride length. Am I missing something?

    • There’s a bit more that goes into it than straight cadence though. It’s surprisingly accurate across a broad range of paces – and something I’ve been using for years (along with many others, just the ANT+ version).

      It’s actually looking at the foot stride, and the accelerometer within it is monitoring that. Thus it’s able to predict based on not just foot strikes but also how far forward/back each leg goes and then base distance estimates on that. I’ve always been blown away how I’ve gone out for 10-mile interval runs in the snow, with one watch just on footpod and another on GPS, and have them spot-on the same. Pretty cool.

  27. TM220

    I’m looking for something that will send live pace info to iPhone 5 MapMyFitness during treadmill runs. I think this fits the bill, but before I go that way, I would prefer to have an activity tracker that would dual purpose in this role during treadmill runs, but still give me (if even through a different app) a regular summary of activity. Is there anything that does that? It seems so simple, but I do t find any examples.

  28. Chris

    Have you seen Dreamsport’s Bluetooth foot pod sensor?

  29. Kurt Owens

    Does this work with iSmartRun?

  30. David

    Looks like Adidas will be rolling out Android compatibility soon: link to community-micoach.adidas.com

    I’ve ordered one in anticipation, hopefully with the adidas app gaining support for Bluetooth 4.0 footpods, Runtastic and other android running apps will follow suit, I mean they already have BTLE HRM support can’t be that hard to implement if you’ve already got the framwork and basis.

    I’ve only started recently running and will be doing my first 5km fun run soon. But I’m a bit of a tech geek and these fitness gadgets seem to motivate me in running, I’m like “you’ve bought this 60$ HRM, you have to use it now by running” 😛 Does anyone preform any other analysis other the basic graphs shown in apps? I’m interested in what people do with the data! Can’t find much googling though.

  31. AAG

    Ray, thank you for the very helpful review, which like so many others is helping me feed the athletic technology industry. I had a couple of questions in follow-up that do not appear to be covered in the prior comments.

    1. You mentioned the immanent launch of dual band stride sensors. Which manufacturers do you expect to first launch with this, and around what time do you expect the retail availability. Basically, is it worth waiting or should I just strap BTLE to one shoe and my legacy ANT+ to my second shoe?

    2. Does Adidas have any plans to fix the accuracy of the stationary / exercise bike functionality? This is an area where I have a lot of interest in a dual band options (or, even just an ANT+ option) as I find a small watch such as the FR70 to be less obtrusive than carrying an iPhone on my body (and I inevitably forget it in the classroom if I place it on the bike).

    3. Regarding bridging a legacy Garmin ANT+ stride sensor to Wahoo Fitness using Viiiiva HRM, for some reason I always find this process to be unnecessarily complex and therefore do not end up getting cadence data into my Wahoo Fitness workouts. Am I missing something?

  32. SuzyTwo

    This seems like the best running foot pod. I’m in the UK and can only seem to get one of these by importing via Ebay, which means no returns. (Actually, there seem to be ZERO options for bluetooth stride sensors at the moment in the UK except for a brand called Jump i-gotU – what’s happened?! They’ve all disappeared!!).

    Can I upload to Strava and see running data or will it just export basic time, calories, HR?

    • It doesn’t directly upload to Strava. But if paired with another app (like the Wahoo App), then yup, absolutely).

    • Raymond B

      I have the Adidas BLE SpeedCell and use Wahoo to upload to Strava, Runkeeper, Garmin etc. You can use Strava directly as you can have it link with the Speed Cell.

      After using Wahoo, iSmoothRun, Strava (all supporting the BLE FootPod directly), I like Wahoo the best only because I find the screen more readable.

      My problem with Wahoo, that I have opened a support ticket with them about, if you set your distance to measure from GPS and cadence/stride to come from FootPod… for some reason although the Wahoo App shows the stride data, it won’t export to Strava or other sources that recognize the running cadence/stride data.

      Now if I set Wahoo to get its distance from the stride sensor and cadence also from the Stride sensor… for some reason it WILL export the stride/cadence data properly.

      Not sure whats going on there… but if they would export the run cadence properly when tracking GPS, I would be 100% happy. Also note, I am just using the phone while I wait for either the Bia or V800 as I sold my Garmin 610 late last year. Now I wish I would have held onto it longer.

    • Paul Allen

      Hi, I believe in the Polar Footpod review, it was established that it worked just fine with Strava,Wahoo Fitness etc – would that not be the case here also?

    • Noting that the comment was from 3-4 months ago – you may want to double-check on the stride, I’m reasonably certain I saw that fixed in the Wahoo App in release notes some time back.

  33. Tyrell

    Hey Ray, What would you say were the pros and cons of a cellphone (iphone) with heart rate strap and the speedcell vs a traditional watch like garmin 220?

    • In general, it’s portability and ease of seeing the screen, and durability of a watch vs a phone.

      That said, as of yesterday, the Speedcell can now be used in full running mode by itself, and then downloaded post-run. This is ideal for places you don’t want to take anything with you running, or in sports where you can’t (i.e. soccer).

  34. Harald

    I am using the new Wahoo Fitness app 4.0.1 and I cant find a possibility to autocalibrate the sensor. the micoach sensor has been found and labeled automatically speed_cell, however there is nowhere a screen, where I could check the autocalibrate function. I can only choose the various options for data sources, whether distance is coming from GPS or from the sensor – but that is it. Help is highly appreciated.

  35. Harald

    addendum to my previous post: Just received the following reply from Wahoo support: “Sorry about this! This feature is currently missing from the app, but the developers will add it back in an update.”

    • AAG

      Harald, did you get any update around timing? I too am using the latest Wahoo app and find that it is missing a way to autocalibrate my Speed_Cell.

    • Harald

      Hi AAG,

      Yes, i am currently testing the 4.2 Beta and it has the auto calibrate feature again build in and seems to be functional

  36. JEsc

    Just making sure I’m not doing something wrong… Wahoo Fitness and MapMyRun apps for Android do not have access to the Adidas BLE footpod, correct? Just the iOS apps on newer iPhones and iPads. The only app that I found that recognized the footpod on Android was the MiCoach app.

    • Harald

      I was using in fact iOS/Iphone 5s. And the apps I was using together with the pod were Wahoo and miCoach. It worked flawless on both, though the current Wahoo version 4.1 is lacking the calibration feature, which was added again in the soon to be release version 4.2. (which I tested as a beta).

  37. JEsc

    Has anyone been able to use the Adidas MiCoach BLE foot pod with an Android smartphone that is version 4.3 or higher? I am using a Galaxy S4 with 4.4 KitKat and neither Wahoo or MapMyFitness work for me. I only seem to have luck with the Adidas MiCoach app itself. I am able to connect 2 devices: the Mio Link Optical Heart Rate wristband and the MiCoach BLE Foot pod. Frustrating!

  38. Stephane

    Hi Ray,
    Since that review, is they any new foot pod released with both ant+ and bluetooth?
    If not, which one do you suggest to connect on V800?
    Thx,
    Stephane

  39. Matt

    Do you know whether this foot pod can connect to an iPhone while a set of Bluetooth headphones are *simultaneously* connected?

  40. Tyrell

    Is there a way to calibrate the SpeedCell besides the android MiCoach app? I posted my distance comparing the FR15 with footpod to it and its off by quite a bit. I don’t think the App is doing it properly.

    • Just as a minor note, note that while the unit may retain a calibration value for the Bluetooth side (I don’t know), on the ANT+ side the calibration value is stored on the display/head unit.

    • Tyrell

      I guess it sucks that you can’t tell MiCoach to only use the footpod for cadence/pace instead of distance. It seems it doesn’t use the GPS at all for distance once the footpod is active (MiCoach).

  41. Simon

    Just stumbled across this, so much info! Going to give it a read over tonight but can I ask if any of this is relevant in any way to the ANT+ version? That’s the one I’ve got. If not, any other review out there like this for that version?

    Thanks.

  42. robert black

    I’ve got a dreamsport pod from a seller on alliexpress, well under half the price of the Adidas unit. I’m running Android and can confirm the only app that can support it at the moment is Adidas micoach. Hopefully that will change in time.

  43. Shane

    Is it possible to place the speed cell device on your upper body ie upper arm or chest or back area

  44. Dennis Quiambao

    Will this bluetooth smart footpod work with the Suunto Ambit3?

  45. nick

    does it work with the suunto ambit 3?

  46. nick

    forget it just read the post thanks

  47. Steve

    Hi Ray

    Am I correct in thinking that there are three bluetooth foot pods out on the market at the moment

    1. Adidas micoach
    2. Polar footpod
    3. Igotu jump/fit leap

    And the only one worth considering regardless of what app/os I intend using is the Adidas micoach?

  48. anders

    So is anyone using the adidas micoach speed_cell with the V800?
    Is the data from the adidas footpod exactly the same as from the polar stride sensor? (i.e. jump-tests etc. on the V800 work?)

    thanks!

  49. Jerry Harrison

    Has anyone used this with the new Suunto Ambit 3?

  50. brian

    Not having any luck getting the speed cell to work with ios 8 and iPhone6. I have two speed cells neither is detected by the phone or the mi coaching app. Everything worked fine on ios7 but ios 8 is pretty much a disaster.
    I have got each sensor to pair once with the mi coaching app but after a couple of minutes the signal is lost and they never come back. These results are the same for the wahoo app. connect twice then within a few minutes the connection is lost and they can’t find the sensor. Tried changing batteries that didn’t help either…

    wish i could downgrade to ios 7…. so be warned before you upgrade!!

    • Anand

      Did you get this resolved? I have the same issue with iPhone6 and ios8. Not working with both wahoo app and mi coaching app.

  51. Justin Fabian

    I’ve been having an issue with getting usable data from the footpod on my 4.4.2 Galaxy S4. In the miCoach app, and on the miCoach platform, the data display wonderfully. However, as soon as I export to a tcx file to share the love with all of my other sites (and since the miCoach app is the only thing on Android to support a BLE footpod – c’mon Wahoo!), I get an essentially unusable file.

    I’ve dug into the .tcx (and .gpx, and .csv) and found the culprit, which is that it rounds the data point to the nearest 10M (which is ridiculous – Wahoo takes it out to six decimal places), so it makes it appear as if I’m standing still for several seconds at a time before instantly teleporting myself 10 meters. This makes for some very odd metrics on Garmin Connect (e.g., it will make my average pace 2:46/mile).

    I can’t tell if this is an issue with the footpod, the app, or the website. GC also doubles my cadence, which again, I don’t know if is an issue with the footpod, the app, or the miCoach export functionality.

    Regardless, it’s extremely frustrating that I essentially can’t use this because I run Android, because I assume you would have mentioned if you were running into any similar issues on iOS.

    • Justin Fabian

      Sorry, that should read “it rounds the ‘distancemeters’ data point […]”.

      I guess the post didn’t like the xml tag.

  52. Dirk Schindler

    Thanks for the interesting review!
    I was wondering if there is any benefit in both using a (Polar H7) heart rate strap and a foot pod? My assumption would be that accuracy on stride length and pace would go up. But not sure if that is true.

    • They serve totally different purposes. So the HR will give you heart rate, while the footpod is there for cadence and indoor speed/pace. No overlap.

    • Dirk Schindler

      Thanks for your reply!

      I should have been more specific: if I run with my HR and my iPhone, iSmoothrun already gives me cadence and speed/pace info.

      Does adding a footpod add anthing to the accuracy? Or does it add anything in any other sense?

    • It generally is more accurate than non-footpod based platforms. But it tends to vary from person to person. If you’ve had a chance to test/validate on a treadmill that iSmoothrun matches the speeds on the treadmill, then you’re good to go. If it’s off, then a footpod should fix that pretty easily.

    • Dirk

      Good advice! Wiil do so.

      Thanks

  53. John Lambert

    Hi! I wonder if you can use your influence on wahoo to get them to fix two major pain bugs – one you identify in this review – massive noise on pace displays/ graphs despite perfectly acceptable cadence displays/ graphs, the other being the audio announcement of cadence does not work at all – both of these bugs have been in Wahoo for over 6 months – they have upgraded the pretty graphics twice in that time but haven’t fixed these core functionalities – really disappointing!

  54. John Lambert

    Hi! I wonder if you can use your influence on wahoo to get them to fix two major pain bugs – one you identify in this review – massive noise on pace displays and graphs despite perfectly acceptable cadence displays and graphs, the other being the audio announcement of cadence does not work at all – both of these bugs have been in the Wahoo app for over 6 months – they have upgraded the pretty graphics twice in that time but haven’t fixed these core functionalities – really disappointing!

  55. Markus Lang

    Hi Ray,

    could you please inform, whether the Micoach ant+ sensor is working properly with my Garmin 910XT. I’ve heard there were some issues with connection and to establish a continuous connection. I’ve the possibility to purchase a much cheaper Micoach Ant+ sensor instead of an Garmin SDM4.

    Thanks a lot in advance, Markus

  56. Tim Munto

    Looking for a foot pod that will work with Strava on an IPhone 6, any suggestions? Will the Adidas device work? Thank, Tim

  57. Elcap

    Anyone has an issue of the bluetooth version recognize as an ANT+ with Garmin 910XT? I run with a ANT+ on one shoe and the bluetooth on the other and my Garmin 910XT prompted that multiple foot pod detected.

  58. Manoj

    Does Adidas footpod work with Suunto Ambit 2S Thanks, M

  59. Jeffrey

    Now that Polar just updated the M400 with footpod support, is there anyone that has tried using this BTLE Adidas miCoach Speed Cell with the M400 and can verify that it works?

  60. Jonathan

    I may be missing something here but in the miCoach adidas app, I couldn’t find a way to adjust the mileage to adjust the calibration – which adidas app where you using where you could select “free running”? Also, for those of you that want to use this for soccer but don’t have adidas cleats, you can also cut out a section of the padding in your shin guards and place it there – works great

  61. Sunny

    Is there a way to display pace/distance info from a bluetooth SPEED CELL on the Apple Watch?
    I tried pairing to an Apple Watch using its bluetooth settings but it searches forever. However, I was able to pair the SPEED CELL to an iPhone via Wahoo Fitness app and also mi-coach app so I know the SPEED CELL works.

    Or perhaps I could settle for an iphone app that displays and records SPEED CELL pace/distance along with heart rate info from an apple watch. But can’t seem to find one that does this.

    BTW, I have used a mio link on several long runs over the past year paired to a 910XT and I end up having to fiddle with the strap one too many times towards the second half to prevent gross errors (178 bpm when standing still?). I think the salty sweat coats the optical sensor and/or the strap starts rotating heavier parts towards the bottom of the arm even when it is tight. I am hoping the apple watch with two sensors would do better if I can only find a way to record all data not just a summary. The apple watch is sooo light compared to the 910xt. FYI, at the Boston Marathon expo, I asked a Garmin spokesperson about an integrated HR on their watch. They said they are working on one but have not reached their quality target yet.

  62. Josh

    is this the best footpod to use with my new Suunto Ambit 3 Sport? Was able to pick one up on amazon brand new for $267, insane price drop.

    • Joshua

      Clarifying the price was for the ambit 3 bundle, not the footpod. However any feedback from anyone on a footpod that works with this device would be great thanks!

  63. JJ Lee

    It’s been more than a year since this review came out. Will there finally be a dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart footpod coming out in the near future?

  64. Ray, do you know any other working bluetooth-smart footpods? Speed_cell bluetooth seems to have been discontinued. I’m an owner of V800, I like it some, but as there are so many things unfinished and buggy, I don’t feel like putting any more money in Polar’s pockets….
    Also it seems speed_cell was not fully compatible, not sure if the issue was on speed_cell’s side or Polar’s side…

    • Not much. There’s one other company whose name escapes me at the moment, basically some no-name brand that I remember the Polar folks saying is horribly non-compliant from a spec-standpoint. 🙁

  65. Paul

    I’m using one of these with my Ambit 3 quite successfully with auto-calibration turned on. A lot of my urban training runs have tunnels and go under bridges and raised freeways. I find that the GPS + FusedSpeed (ie, the accelerometer in the watch) jump around when GPS reception is poor which is annoying when you’re trying to hold a specific pace (eg, snowball run).

  66. Tiago Almeida

    Hi, it’s possible to connect adidas speed sell with garmin 920xt? this is the only option to track tennis and soccer distance right?

    Thanks

  67. Robert Gama

    Hi Ray,

    Its been almost a couple years since this post (i didn’t read the comments) and I’m wondering if there are any footpads that are both Bluetooth and Ant+ yet? I need one for my iPhone and would like one to use with my Ant+ devices also.

    Thanks,

    Rob

  68. SnailVille

    Is there such a thing as a ‘dumb’ watch/activity tracker that can simply act as a display readout and/or logger for these bluetooth footpod/stride sensors?

    I don’t care about having my outdoor walks/runs satellite mapped, so there’s no reason for an advanced watch to be beaming signals into space and back when all I want are pace, speed, cadence, distance. Which as far as I know, a footpod can give within 5% or so, at least after being calibrated?

    And footpods just generally seem like they’re the most consistent and reliable run tracking devices for all scenarios, including indoor treadmill, loss of GPS signal for any reason, and the ability to do stuff with your hands while moving without affecting the data.

    So I’ve ordered a bluetooth Speed Cell to start with (have not owned/tried any GPS watches yet due to cost for my usage scenario), and I like that it has onboard ROM so I can do an activity without needing to bring my huge Galaxy Note 4, and sync when I get back (with limitations AKA the 80/60 rule**). But it would be nice to have some sort of cheap portable bluetooth companion device that can give me basic metrics at a glance like pace and distance, and vibrate to alert me when I’ve hit my target mark, or when it’s time to turn around and head back.

    But a $150-$200 GPS watch with advanced accelerometers and altimeters and a compass and a hundred other things I don’t actually need because it’s all being handled by the footpod is complete overkill. Yet it seems these are the only devices that will read from and output to display my footpod data in real-time. I feel like there are a lot of simpler wrist worn devices that have bluetooth and an LCD necessary to do what I’m asking, I’m just not sure if any of them have the software enablement, probably not.

    I guess what I’m looking for is something that’s the opposite of a Magellan Echo, which is dumb/slave hardware that replaces smartphone connectivity, rather than relies on it.

    A $30 wrist strap with an LCD, bluetooth, onboard memory, and a battery that keeps time and reads from my footpod is the bare minimum that I would really need. Something that adds in 24/7 activity tracking for the casual mass market at $50 would also work. Or at most, $100 with an optical HR sensor thrown in.

    Sounds a lot like I’m describing a FitBit HR or an Adidas Fit Smart. All these devices need to go from activity trackers only, to quality running watches, is the ability to pair with a calibrated footpod.

    **Regarding the “80/60 rule”, I’ve read that in order to wake the Speed Cell up so it knows to start logging an activity into memory, you have to move at least 80 meters over a period of 60 seconds. While this is better than nothing, I wish there were a firmware update to give the option of simply logging all step data, so you can be away from your phone for up to 7-8 hours and still get “total distance I’ve moved today” including casual walking with periods of standing/sitting between. Also, a hardware revision with LED indicators for power/battery status would be nice.

  69. SnailVille

    Is calibration only an option in the ios version of Wahoo? Unless I’m blind I’m just not seeing an option anywhere to calibrate this on Android.

    I also can’t find the standard Micoach app on Android, only the multisport app (which doesn’t have the running mode update you mentioned in April, is that ios exclusive too??). There’s a Run and Train Adidas app that doesn’t seem to have calibration settings, or sync post workout data either like multisport does.

    Can anyone recommend an app for this on the Android side that can calibrate, and also has social sharing/challenge friends features? Also, are there any other apps besides multisport that can download post workout data so I can run without my phone?

    • SnailVille

      I also can’t even get Polar Beat to connect to the Speed Cell, for some reason I only get a heart rate sensor option when I go to device settings in Polar Beat… Really frustrating, I can’t seem to find a single app that will do anything I need. I’m still having to run around with my phone so the footpod has only been useful for cadence readings so far.

  70. Joost hamming

    I want to use the pod to link to my Ambit3. During my fieldhockey games and practices, I can not wear a watch. For this, I want to wear the pod and Suunto smart band. Can I use them both together and put the final info on my movescount after a training?

  71. Hugh

    Hi,
    Just wondering on compatibility with M400. In understand that, at least in the past, there have been issues with connection. Do these still apply, and if so what are the problems? I’d just rather not have to strap an egg to my shoe.

    • Ian

      I’m wondering the same thing re: working with the M400. I have an M400 and would prefer the smaller foot pod if it’s supported. Any idea if they will work together?

    • Elcap

      It works for Polar M400, V800 and Suunto Ambit 3 Peak. But not as accurate as Polar footpod

  72. Xylene718

    Anyone looking to use the Speedcell (btle or ant) with their Android phone and also display live stats on their Pebble Time watch should try the “a training Tracker” cycling/running apps on both the Android and pebble app stores link to play.google.com , after over a year of searching its the only app I found that works and it also supports Ant/btle HRM and cycling sensors.

  73. Andy

    It is look like adidas closed support for Speed Cell Ant+
    link to help.micoach.adidas.com
    The question: When it will be closed for Speed Cell Bluetooth

  74. RunninMatt

    Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a dual Bluetooth ANT+ foot pod. Now that Zwift running is in Beta I want to have a bluetooth foot pod but also want to record the metrics on to my Fenix 3. I do not really want to have 2 foot pods if I can avoid it!

    • Stephane L.

      Take a look at Stryd !

    • RunninMatt

      That’s great if a little more expensive than I planned. Thanks for the suggestion.

    • Andrew

      It’s possible to use an ANT+ footpod with Zwift running. Once it hits PC it’ll be simple in the current iOS hidden beta there are work arounds. Check the piece Ray did on Zwift running. link to dcrainmaker.com

      He mentions the blast cable link to store.npe-inc.com
      Although at $60 for the adapter plus $79 for the Garmin footpod you might as well just buy the Stryd.

      The Stryd is expensive but I’ve been using if for about about a month at this point and if you’re looking to buy a foot pod anyway it’s worth spending the extra to buy the Stryd.

    • Sebastián Marchant

      Hi RunninMatt.
      My adidas miCoach footpod Bluetooth now supports dual connection. You can see it on my posts below.
      If you can get one, it should too. But it will be a little hard because it has been discontinued some years ago.

  75. Richard Tickner

    Hi there,
    Does this footpod work with the Suunto Spartan Ultra?

    Cheers,

    Richard

    • It should, however, that’s been discontinued quite some time. Also, if you do find it you want to be triple-sure it’s not the even older ANT+ version, which won’t work with the Suunto.

  76. Sebastián Marchant

    Hi Ray.
    I have both sensors, the ANT+ and the Bluetooth. I didn’t use them for a long time because I started using only GPS some years ago. In January I got a Forerunner 235 and I tried to connect both sensors but could only pair the one with ANT+. Now I tried to connect the one with Bluetooth, and it IS POSSIBLE!
    Also, in the ANT+ Apps for Android, I can connect it to my phone. Do you know if the Bluetooth sensor now supports dual connection or if the Forerunner now supports Bluetooth sensors? I couldn’t find any info because the miCoach products have no longer support since 2018. I leave a picture where you can see the serial number on the sensor, and that connected to my watch and phone. (Sorry cause my English is not perfect)
    Thanks!

    • Sebastián Marchant

      Hi again. I think I will reply to myself.
      After some tests I did on my sensor, Garmin Forerunner 235 and some Android Apps, now I know this:
      – The footpod now DOES support ANT+. As you can see in the picture I posted earlier, it can be connected to my Garmin Forerunner 235, Android ANT+ Apps (ANT+ Demo, ANT+ Plugin Sampler and ANT+ Plugin Manager Launcher), and other Apps like Strava.
      – The footpod supports Bluetooth, obviously. It can be conneccted to Apps like Strava.
      – The footpod can connect to 2 devices simultaneously (1 via ANT+ and 1 via Bluetooth). I went for a walk to see if this was possible and connected the footpod via ANT+ to my Garmin Forerunner 235 and via Bluetooth to Strava on my phone. I was amazed when I saw it did connect to both devices. Another proof of this is that when I scan for devices on the Strava App, the footpod is shown 2 times: ANT+ and Bluetooth.
      – The Garmin Forerunner 235 still doesn’t support Bluetooth sensors.

      I dusted off the footpod’s manual trying to find any info about ANT+ support. The last page is about Dynastream Declaration of Conformity. It shows the ANT+ logo at the end. Maybe the footpod was always able to connect via ANT+ and Bluetooth, or maybe it had some firmware upgrade and I didn’t realize about it because I haven’t used ANT+ sensors for a long time and only connected it to my iPhone via Bluetooth.

    • omar

      hello Sebastián Marchant,
      I consider your comments about micoach speed_cell and i looking forward to purchase one but i wonder if it will be dual (ant+,bluetooth) or not
      so i want to know if you upgrade the firmware comming with this ffotpod or this the stock installed, thank you

    • Sebastián Marchant

      Hi omar.
      I don’t remember to have updated the firmware. If it was updated, the old app “adidas Train & Run” did it automatically. The speed_cell is not longer for sale, so I think that if you get a used one, it will have the latest firmware launched by adidas when it still had support.
      I had the Garmin Forerunner 235 and I used it via ANT+ many times and did some tests via Bluetooth connected to my phone (even simultaneously), but sometimes it was impossible to connect via ANT+ to my Garmin (via Bluetooth to my phone with no problems at all).
      Now I have the Garmin Forerunner 245, which has Bluetooth Sensors support, and it doesn’t give me any problems. In fact, it is VERY precise.
      I think it is a very good choice.

  77. Lukasz

    Will it work with Garmin 935 which support BTLE sensors? I know I can purchase ANT+ version but prefere BTLE as I may switch to Polar and also connect it with phone.

  78. Fer

    Hello! works with zwift run? The official Zwift page dont show this hardware as compatible with that program….

    • In theory either the ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart versions are actually 100% according to spec. In theory.

      I think above someone tried it and seems to hint that it worked. If you’ve got one, go forth! Otherwise, they’re virtually impossible to find.

  79. Agnes Harkai

    hey 🙂
    since today most watches support BLE smart connection, can this be a cheap option to get the accurate speed and distance data? For example with a Polar watch? I have a Grit X so I am interested if these devices are compatible. Thanks!

  80. madmalkav

    Just bought the ANT+ version, it is dirty cheap in eBay and comes with an USB ANT+ dongle, so even if you only want the dongle it is already a good purchase.

  81. SPR

    I managed to find one of these on ebay to use with my 255 when playing basketball indoors (watch on sidelines with HR via Polar Verity).

    But given this has been discontinued for a while, what do people generally use for sports tracking when wearing a watch isn’t an option? I see the HRM Pro has Footpod capabilities and can store data but I’d rather not wear a chest strap. Are there any reasonable cheap options out there for tracking?