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Week in Review–June 8th, 2015

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The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered what to do with all of the coolness that people write, and while I share a lot of it on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, this is a better forum for sending it on to y’all. Most times these different streams don’t overlap, so be on the lookout at all these places for good stuff!

So with that, let’s get into the action!

DCRainmaker.com posts in the past week:

Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page of DCRainmaker.com this past week:

Monday: 5 Random Things I Did This Weekend in Côte d’Azur
Monday: GoPro announces new HERO+ LCD camera (oh, and a drone too!)
Tuesday: Tacx Rolls out open ANT+ Trainer Profile support, Zwift/TrainerRoad/Kinomap follow
Thursday:  Hands-on with Polar’s new M450 GPS cycling computer

The DCR Podcast:

Here’s the low-down on what was covered this past week in the DCR podcast:

– My initial thoughts on the Polar M450
– Some thinking on SRAM wireless shifting
– Which activity trackers to get
– Automatic lap by position
– Some opinions on the new GoPro products
– The Girl and my potential appearance on the Amazing Race
– And a whole bunch more…

Thanks for listening! Subscribing and rating in iTunes is much appreciated, and be sure to send in your questions via the voice mail widget at the bottom of the podcast page!

Stuff that I found interesting around the interwebs:

Here’s a not-so-small smattering of all the random things that I stumbled on while doing my civic duty to find the end of the Internet:

1) Jawbone sues Fitbit over stealing data: I find this one funny, because honestly, I’m not really sure why Fitbit would want to steal anything from Jawbone.  Further, I’d certainly not consider Jawbone “Fitbit’s biggest competitor”.  Lastly, in the tech world, competitive companies “contacting” other companies workforce is completely normal.  Which isn’t to say that those employees that switched teams then didn’t violate agreements.  Hopefully Fitbit has such policies in place like most tech companies that are clear about using previously confidential information from competitors.

2) How to get more women’s racing on TV: The challenges and the opportunities: Definitely worth a read on why exactly it’s not quite as easy as it might seem, unfortunately.

3) Understanding the Peak-End rule and remembering painful workouts: A quick but interesting little piece on how the brain might selectively remember certain portions of your workouts. (via Steve Magness)

4) A bit more about my Alpe d’Huez ride from an outsider: While you’ll see my Alpe d’Huez post up tomorrow when I land, in the meantime another European journalist (and DCR reader) discusses (in French) his run-in with me…and a few pics.  You can use Google Translate to easily translate the post (simply paste his link in there)…or just look at the photos.

5) Doping and famous runners: Like the FIFA scandal, I’m pretty sure this is only going to get far more messy before the ball stops rolling. (via Neal Rogers)

6) The Top 20 Cycling Cities Worldwide: Only one US city made the list, but it’s probably worth pointing out that Copenhagen takes the top spot…and the list is from a Copenhagen based firm (though I don’t disagree with that assessment per se).  However, I’m not sure I’d agree with some of the specific ranking of European cities within that Top 20 (having been to and ridden in most of them on the list). (via Martin di Caro)

7) A Garmin ANT+ Stick In-Depth Review (DCR In-Depth Review Parody): Definitely some points to be awarded here.

8) Chinese Bike Racing Film Trailer: Really, you won’t regret this 90 seconds of your Monday (unlike the remaining nearly 24 hours of Monday).  My favorite bit: The sound effects when shifting.

9) Olympic Cyclist vs. Toaster – Can He Power It?  Simple enough titled video I think. (via Ryan)

Crowd Funded Projects of Athletic Note:

I regularly sift through Kickstarter and Indiegogo (plus a few others on occasion) looking for sports projects.  If you’re unfamiliar with projects, read my detailed post on how I decide which projects I personally back.  Note that as always with crowd funded projects, assume the project will be late and will under-deliver on features. Thus far, on the numerous products I’ve helped ‘fund’ (except a leather bike handle), that’s been the case.

(Hmm…I’m going with not much of interest to me here this week, again.  A few semi-bike related things out there, and even a drone that had a fish-finder built in– but nothing core sports tech that I thought was really worthwhile.)

Sports Technology Software/Firmware Updates This Week:

Each week I quickly highlight some of the new firmware, app, software and website service updates that I see go out. If you’re a sports technology company and release an update – shoot me a quick note (just one liners is perfect, or Tweet it at me is even better) and I’ll make mention of it here. If I don’t know about it, I won’t be able to post about it. Sound good?

Polar M400 adds smart notifications: Long awaited, good to see now implemented on iOS (Android soon)
Garmin VIRB Edit update: This adds yet another crapton of new features, including support for the VIRB X/XE (though, lots not impacting).  I’m still waiting for the day it’ll support multiple camera videos (i.e. 2-4 cams at once). Oh, and higher resolution outputs.
TrainerRoad adds new plans, filters: Plus the Tacx support I noted in my other main post.

Thanks for reading!

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32 Comments

  1. Struan Lownie

    This is also fascinating on the subject of doping link to bbc.co.uk

  2. Wow, thanks for linking my post on your website! Again, it was a real pleasure to meet you there. Have a safe flight!

    Cheers,

    Greg

  3. AndiT

    Great podcast yet again!

    Couple of typos:
    My initial thoughts on the M400 > M450?

    Some opinions on he new GoPro products > on THE new GoPro

  4. Paul S

    I’ve never understood Copenhagen’s reputation, although it was over 30 years ago that I was last there. Do cyclists still have to make left turns by riding to the corner and then waiting? Didn’t seem very cycling friendly to me then.

    • barrie gibson

      Yes, to make a left turn at lights they still have to cross to the opposite side and then wait for the lights to go green.
      But I am guessing that if all the cycles (and there are a lot of them and, of those, a lot of them are utilitarian cycles with children strapped to the forks and crossbars) waited in the middle of the crossing looking for a gap in the oncoming traffic then it would be chaos. They would still be there when the lights went red. And likewise the cars behind would still be there. I am guessing that these rules have evolved to allow cars and the enormous numbers of cycles to live ‘side by side’.
      But I am not Danish, just some tourist.

    • Paul S

      It all gave off a European “aristocrats and peasants” kind of vibe to this American, as did a lot of the facilities I saw in Germany about 5 years ago. There were a lot more cyclists than motorists back then in Copenhagen, but they were the ones who had to wait. If they were cycling friendly, they’d move the cycling lanes to the center of the road, put the car lanes on the side, and forbid cars from making left turns except in special circumstances with special, very short signals. (Obviously something would have to be done about the shorefront and cars.) Situations such as you describe can be met with protected left turns like they are here.

    • And thus forcing cyclists to cross the car lanes whenever they needed to frequent a store, brilliant idea that is!

      While I do agree that Copenhagen can do more for cyclists, I’m pretty sure that’s not it.

  5. Tim

    Hey Minneapolis, woohoo!

    …and it seems like it’s < 40 F with snow covered roads half of the year :)

  6. Kyle

    Good podcast Ray. I had to listen to episode 6 today also because ive been busy. One thing I disagree is Garmin not going to Android. I just feel like they will have to. Connect IQ will not grow like they want it to, you would think the biggest amount of apps would come in the first couple months and its now been a couple months and its at a ghost town pretty much. With the Sony smartwatch 3 already with GPS and Runtastic and Runkeeper already having their apps on Android wear that use the GPS, its closer and closer to what Garmin, Suunto, Polar offer. The main problem right now is battery life. If Suunto and Garmin could get the same or better battery with the current watches while running a form of Android it would be a great competitor to Apple which will be defiantly a competitor to Garmin and Suunto in a couple years. If they dont see that already then they are already dead.

  7. slartiblartfast

    It isn’t a true DCR style review unless there is a rolling pin in there somewhere.

    • Scott E

      Or having a DCR reference to “a crap ton” of something or other.

      Still, the author would make a great backfill for Ray when he is off on the upcoming summer sailing trip with friends…while being stalked by Ben in the zodiac raft. (Inside joke from the podcast if you haven’t tuned in)

  8. David

    I’m really curious how long it took the cyclist to toast the bread. Eventually anyone can hit 0.021 kWh. In the video, it shows him doing it in just over a minute. But that would be an average of about 1200 Watts for that minute, which seems a bit high. (Although I honestly have no idea how powerful an Olympic cyclist really is.)

  9. Josh Parks

    Oh the spoof. The side by side with the stick was great. As well as the taped to the arm bit…solid work

  10. Fab

    Hi DC:
    Any chance of catching up with Stan Wawrinka while Roland Garros? Great champ!!!

  11. Grega Juvancic

    WOW! I thought doping only existed in the sport of cycling. At least according to world media. Now you’re telling me they use drugs in running and soccer? :P ;)

  12. Fab

    Wow. you’ve got your own parody! this means being seriously famous.
    Btw, I haven’t watched the stick review so far: how does he manage to send back the stick to the original tree and get a new random one?

    Every time this blog gives a new reason to be read. thanks a lot

  13. Nate

    Ray,

    Kinda off topic but I figure this is where you might see this comment…Im looking at buying a power meter that I can swap between my road and tri bike, I think the best/easiest way to do this is go with pedal based (you clearly like the Garmin Vector since it is a staple piece of kit for you). My question is with the release of the powertap P1 expected in the next month or so and its advantages (no torque, easier calibration ect) Do you think its worth waiting, or go with the tried and true Garmin Vector?

  14. That parody is brilliant – had me in stitches!

  15. I’m still waiting for the day it’ll support multiple camera videos (i.e. 2-4 cams at once).

    It does now, but not in a split screen.

    You can switch now from camera 1 to camera 2.

    I’m working on a how to for multicam support.

    regards,

    Guido

  16. Drew W

    The spoof was excellent, but the comments are what puts it over the top!

  17. Claus Jacobsen

    Not sure if it was deployed late to me, but i just received 3.20 firmware for the 910xt. Garmin didn’t really help in the release notes about what has changed.

  18. Ben Dobson

    I thought this was an interesting bike related Kickstarter, Neat idea for a different way of lighting a bike in the dark.

    link to kickstarter.com