Huge Holiday Sales Deals List (Upwards of 100 items)!
Deals include $250+ off the Garmin Fenix 6 Series ($399 for the Pro models!). Plus deals on tons more including the GoPro Hero 10 Black, Apple Watch, Beats Buds, Suunto, smart indoor bikes, drones, and plenty more. Updated constantly, full details over here!
![WeekInReview_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb[1]](https://media.dcrainmaker.com/images/2017/02/WeekInReview_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb11.jpg "WeekInReview_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb[1]")
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 and Facebook, 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!
Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page of DCRainmaker.com this past week:
Sunday: Week in Review–February 12th, 2017
Tuesday: Apple Watch Series 2 and Nike+ Edition: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
Friday: 4iiii Precision Pro Dual Left/Right Power Meter In-Depth Review
Here’s a handful of the topics discussed in this past week’s podcast:
– It’s a 43-minute long episode!
– Posting schedules and posting regularity
– Upcoming products I’m unboxing and how I do photos/videos of them
– Fashion models mid-podcast
– The whole (business) world of unboxing videos online
– The Apple Watch Review
– Getting back someone’s stolen HR strap
– Power meters for single chainrings
– The DCR Analyzer is out!
– We end with about 10 minutes of hilarity from a conversation of ours recorded pre-podcast
Listen to the full podcast here on the Podcast player, or just download the audio file from the same spot.
In case ya missed it a week or so ago (details here), here’s the list of active sports tech deals going on over the next week or so. One new one found this week is the Polar M450 GPS cycling unit for $129. That’s a sweet deal! Apparently, it had flirted sub-$110 a bit over the last few days too. Just some random Amazon.com thing.
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Other site | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4iiii Precision Ride-Ready Power Meters - 14% off | $258 | Competitive Cyclist | This includes the Shimano DuraAce, Ultegra, and 105 units, at between 11-14% off depending on which exact model you select. | |
 | Amazon Halo View - 38% off | $49 | Amazon | Look, this thing isn't even shipping yet and it's already 38% off. But hey, if you want a good deal on a pre-order product that we don't know much about yet, then here ya go! I have ordered one, and will review it once it comes in. | |
 | Apple Airpods (2nd Gen) - $44 off $159 | $114 | Amazon | These aren't quite the newest generation (those came out a month or so ago), but they are $44 off, and the one I personally use myself. | |
 | Apple Airpods Pro - $53 off $249 | $197 | Amazon | Though, this price fluctuates as low as $159, so double-check the latest price to be sure it's now ower right now. | |
| Apple Airpods Pro - $60 off $249 | $159 | Amazon | ⚡ By far the lowest price to date for this unit. Previously hovered around $179-$199 | |
 | Apple Watch SE - $40 off $279 | $239 | Amazon | This isn't quite the lowest price, but is close for the Apple Watch SE. And perhaps more interestingly, my testing over the last year (I continue to use it, including much of the late summer/early fall timeframe), shows that Apple has clearly worked on improving accuracy of it, with it being far more accurate in GPS than a year ago (HR continues to be very good as it was a year ago). | |
 | Beats PowerBeats Pro Wireless Sport Headphones - $70 off $249 | $179 | Amazon | ⚡ I like the PowerBeats Pro with the over-the-ear design, for more security in workouts. I use these as well as my Beats Studio Buds (and have used the PowerBeats Pro ones longer). $70 off is a solid deal. | |
 | DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo Kit - 24% off | $399 | Amazon | ||
 | Elite Direto XR Smart Trainer- $140 off! (In Stock) $1,000 | $849 | N/A | Competitive Cyclist | |
 | Elite Suito-T Smart Trainer - 10% off! $799 (incl cassette) | $722 | N/A | Competitive Cyclist | Note: The Suito-T is the same exact trainer as the Suito, except without the cassette pre-installed. |
 | Elite Tuo Smart Trainer - 7% off $529 | $492 | N/A | Competitive Cyclist | |
 | Fitbit Charge 5 - $50 off $179 | $129 | Amazon | This is the first time we've seen the newly released Charge 5 on sale. Also of note is that just this week it got ECG support via a firmware update, and Fitbit Daily Readiness score via firmware update. | |
 | Fitbit Sense - $100 off! $329 | $199 | Amazon | REI | This is the lowest price to date for the Fitbit Sense, and makes it a deal you should definitely consider versus the Fitbit Versa 3 for the same price (no, really, there's no reason to get the Versa 3 at the same price). |
 | Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Series - $250+ off $549-$1,149 | $399 | Amazon | ⚡⚡ This is the biggest deal we've seen on the Fenix 6 Series to date, making it an incredible deal for a watch this full-featured. the base units start at $349, and the Pro units start at $399 (seriously). Pro models have maps/music/wifi, while the base doesn't. | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 745 - $100 off $499/499EUR | $399 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is a solid deal on a very capable watch. More notably, it's also the watch I primarily use as my daily sports tracking watch. While it doesn't have the onboard maps of the FR945, since I'm not traveling as much, it doesn't bother me. Of course, keep in mind that with all the Garmin units on sale, the price differences to map-inclusive units aren't very much. |
 | Garmin HRM-DUAL (ANT+/Bluetooth Smart Strap) - $15 off $69 | $56 | Amazon | ⚡ This is one of my go-to straps these days (ANT+ & two concurrent BLE connections). It's floated on and off being on sale, but this is about the lowest we've seen it. | |
 | Garmin HRM-SWIM Strap - $45 off! | $54 | Amazon | This is the slightly older pool-focused HRM-SWIM strap. It's really just designed for the pool and to get accurate HR data. These days it's been replaced by the HRM-PRO, though even that doesn't quite have the same stickiness level as the HRM-SWIM did. | |
 | Garmin Instinct - $85 off $299 | $165 | Amazon | ⚡While this isn't quite as good as the $149 prices we saw a week or so ago, it's still pretty solid. Note that different colors vary slightly in prices. | |
 | Garmin Instinct Solar - $87 off $399/$449 | $312 | Amazon | There's also the non-solar version for $169, but keep in mind that's got significantly different features. In many ways, the Garmin Instinct Solar is kinda like a Garmin Instinct 2.0. | |
 | Garmin RD Pod (Running Dynamics) - 11% off $69 | $62 | Amazon | Ok, this is a pretty minor deal, but I noticed it so...figured I'd pass it along. Allows you to get not just Running Dynamics metrics, but also running power, on Garmin devices (not all devices, but most devices). | |
 | Garmin Varia RVR315 Radar - $25 off | $125 | Amazon | This variant doesn't have a taillight, so it's a bit smaller as a result. Same radar tech though, and compatible with Garmin/Stages/Hammerhead/Wahoo bike computers. | |
 | Garmin Venu 2S - $50 off | $349 | Amazon | REI | This is the first time the Venu 2 has been on sale since its announcement this past spring. It's not a huge deal, but hey, $50 is $50. |
 | Garmin Venu SQ - $30 off! $199/$249 with Music | $169 | Amazon | ||
| Garmin Venu SQ - $70 off $199/$249 with Music | $129 | Amazon | REI | This is by far the lowest price we've seen, at $129USD, or $179 for the music version. |
 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 - $70 off $299 | $229 | Amazon | ||
 | Garmin Vivoactive 4S - $80 off | $219 | Amazon | ||
 | GoPro Hero 10 Black - $50 off $449 | $449 | Amazon | REI | Amazon now has the Hero 10 Black for $50 off the retail price of $499. This does *NOT* require the GoPro subscription (previously called GoPro Plus). However, if you want to subscribe to that, then you can get the camera for $399 instead. Food for thought. Either way, the Hero 10 has become my daily action cam (well, actually, I bought two of them). |
 | GoPro Hero 9 Black - $50 off $399 | $349 | Amazon | REI | This price makes it a reasonably good deal, and about $100 cheaper than the lowest GoPro Hero 10 price (if you're not a GoPro subscriber). The changes between the Hero 9 and Hero 10 for most people are fairly minor. Whereas if you're pushing the limits (either spec-wise or sport-wise), then the Hero 10 can be worth it. |
 | Google Nest Mesh WiFi Router - 30% two-pack | $200 | Amazon | These are the WiFi mesh access points I use both at home and the DCR Cave. Love them - I don't need to dork with them, they just work. Ironically enough, I literally just installed another one at home tonight (Nov 20th, 2021) to provide better coverage in a dead spot in our 100 year-old home, for realz. | |
 | Insta360 GO2 Action Cam - 13% off | $269 | Amazon | Both the 32GB and newer 64GB versions are on sale, with the 32GB version being $269 as opposed to the usual $299 | |
 | Insta360 One R Action Cam - 15% off | $467 | Amazon | The entire lineup of Insta360 One R action cams are 15% off, including the 1" and 360 variants. Overall it's a good cam with good picture clarity (I've mainly used the 1" 5.3K variant), but I find the software really lets it down. | |
 | Little Tikes Pelican Explore & Fit Cycle - 15% off | $134 | Amazon | So, the Three Peanuts (girls ages 2/4/5) have been testing this the last week, and so far, they love it. It's silly simple (there's no real connectivity here), and the videos they ride with are also absurdly laughable. Yet, they love it. Seriously, they fight over it. In-Depth review coming very very shortly. Until then, it's on sale. | |
 | NordicTrack S22i Indoor Cycle Bike - $700 off | $1,499 | Amazon | This is considered the primary competitor to Peloton, and is generally rated/reviewed very highly. Note that I have not reviewed this bike, or ridden it. But I figured I'd mention it here in case folks are looking for a deal on it. With Peloton's new pricing, the base prices are basically the same - $1,495 for the Peloton Bike. Sorta like politics, people prefer one brand or the other. Also like Peloton - it DOES NOT support any open standards for apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad, etc... Do NOT buy it (or Peloton) for that purpose. | |
 | NormaTec Pulse 2.0 Leg Recovery System - $100 off! | $799 | Amazon | While this isn't something I've personally used, I know a ton of you do very much love it. Go forth! | |
 | Ooni Fyra 12 Wood Fired Outdoor Portable Pizza Oven - 20% off | $279 | Amazon | ⚡ I love this thing. We use it for more than pizza too, notably steaks (to get a really crispy sear). But a lot of pizza. It's completely portable, even easily fitting on our cargo bike. Note that I went with this model, the cheapest one they make, as I realized that buying the higher-end models that that support gas didn't make much sense for me. I have a gas grill already (and could easily just put a stone on it). Similarly, while a large 16" is appealing, realistically I've found this 12" more than enough for pretty substantial personal pizzas (and it makes it easier to handle). Full in-depth review pretty soon. | |
 | Peloton Bike+ is $200 off | $2,295 | This is a solid deal for the Bike+, following a $350 off deal over Black Friday. Both my wife and I use both the Peloton Bike+ and the regular Bike (one at home, one at office) on a weekly basis. We like both. The Bike+ is more accurate than the regular bike, and also has a bigger screen and automatic resistance control. That said, the core Peloton experience isn't any different between the two - it's the same platform there. | ||
 | Polar Grit X - $110 off $429 | $340 | Amazon | This is for certain editions (namey the white ones at the moment). Keep in mind the Grit X Pro came out a month or so ago, so that may limit new features for the Grit X going forward. | |
 | Polar H10 Chest Strap (Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart) - 11% off $89 | $78 | Amazon | This is one of my main chest straps I use as a reference device in testing. Works great! | |
 | Rode Microphones Wireless GO II Mics - 20% off | $279 | Amazon | These are the mics that I use day in and day out for virtually everything, but most notably, when out running/riding (and all my crazy drone wind tests). I used to use the Wireless Go (original) system, but this is great because it has memory in it. So I can record audio on this, and then match it up with the footage later - ideal if I've got GoPro's or drones or such that may not have great on-board audio by themselves. Note that Amazon says this is 20% off, but I think it's more like $20-$30 off the regular price, unless the price has gone up substantially. Either way, I love them. | |
 | Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus Wireless Earbuds - 33% off | $99 | Amazon | ||
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic - $50 off | $299 | Amazon | This is the latest edition that came out this past summer/fall, now on Wear OS, and the first time we've seen a notable sale on it. While the Watch 4 Classic has a few quirks, I'd argue it's the best wearable Samsung has made to date. | |
 | Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1-2TB - 24% off | $129 | Amazon | I use a small fleet of these T7 SSD's for various video projects, alongside the Sandisk SSD's. I literally have one of each color, just to keep things simple. They work great for quick storage. | |
 | SanDisk 1-2TB Extreme PRO Portable External SSD - 50% off | $129 | Amazon | ⚡This is one of the two the high speed drives I use to store the footage I'm actively video editing so that I can edit it on both my iMac at the office, and then my MacBook when traveling or at home. The 2TB version is $229 (50% off). | |
 | SanDisk Extreme Pro 256GB MicroSD Card - 39% off! | $43 | Amazon | ⚡I use this card in both 128GB and 256GB variety (but mostly 256GB nowadays), and it's perfect for all my drones and action cams, easily recording 4K/60 and 5K/30, as well as 5.7K without trouble. I often pick up these cards when on sale like this, so I have them for later in the year when not on sale. // Update: Since this sale has begun, I've bought 6 of these cards to stockpile for future action cam/drone testing. | |
 | Saris H3 (Hammer 3) Smart Trainer - $240 off! $1,099 | $860 | Amazon | ⚡⚡ One of the top three trainers, but by far the top trainer on the market for ERG mode (so if you're a TrainerRoad user - this be the one!). | |
 | Skydio 2 - $400 off $999/$1349 | $949 | Skydio Site | ⚡⚡ This is a pretty incredible deal. First, because it's really the first time it's been on sale. Second, because it's $400 off. And third, because it's actually in stock. It's by far the best drone for sports action footage, as it's fully autonomous. It's less ideal for general drone cinematography, however. So you kinda have to decide what you want out of a drone. But for sports, this is the one. | |
 | Suunto 5 GPS Multisport Watch - 40% off! $329 | $179 | Amazon | ⚡ A very strong deal for this complete multisport watch that I really like. Well nailed on price here. | |
 | Suunto 7 Wear OS Watch - 42% off $399 | $229 | Amazon | Backcountry | ⚡ This is basically the lowest sale price we see for the Suunto 7 Wear OS powered watch. At this price, I'd say it's worth picking up, assuming you know the battery limitations and Wear OS version end of life limitations (meaning, this unit won't see any new versions of Wear OS). |
 | Suunto 9 Baro Series - 40% off $599 (non-baro is $499) | $369 | Amazon | At this point the Suunto 9 Baro has been surpassed by the Suunto 9 Peak. Still, if you prefer a bigger watch, it got most of the firmware updates of the Suunto 9 Peak anyway. | |
 | Tacx NEO 2T Smart Trainer - $150 off! (In Stock) $1,399 | $1,249 | Amazon | ⚡ This is a very rare sale for this trainer, if you're in the market, I wouldn't wait around for these units to disappear. Note it was slightly less on Black Friday at $200 off, but hey, a deal is a deal at this point. | |
 | Wiral LITE Cable Cam with Remote - $100 off | $299 | Amazon | I've been using this nifty cable cam system for years with various action cameras, phones and small mirrorless cameras. It's not an everyday use item, but I do pull it out a handful of times per year for very specific/special shots through the trees (or the studio) where drones can't easily go. Defnitely more in the photo-geeky camp, but that's the camp I live in. | |
 | Withings Body WiFi Scale - 12% off $59 | $52 | Amazon | I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Withings WiFi Scale, they were the first in this category a gazillion years ago, and frankly, they're still basically the best in terms of partnerships and simplicity. It just works. |
And of course, using any of the links above helps support the site. Enjoy!
Here’s some YouTube goodness that I published this past week:
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) How Science Works – Techniques and Challenges of Doping Control: An interesting look behind the data and science of how dopers get caught, and how labs go about testing.
2) Outdoor Retailer set to leave Salt Lake City: While OR has historically flirted with such temptations in order to get better deals, this seems like a much more permanent thing – in large part because it’s more the key exhibitors rather than the organizer itself.
3) Bike computer meets action cam meets lights: Basically, everything but the kitchen sink. DCR reader Gunnar asks ‘What do you think?’: So…while their main site is a dearth of information, I did find one YouTube video they shot which actually shows some promise in terms of being more functional than their site lets on. So that’s good. It’s an interesting concept for city bikes, though would be too beastly for most race/road bikes. However, their use of Indiegogo instead of Kickstarter is a huge red flag.
4) The SHEcret Pro: On Australia’s Summer of Cycling. For those not familiar, this is the women’s version of the famed ‘The Secret Pro’ series. Always interesting.
5) Sports Tech Jobs: Notable this week is Saris (of PowerTap/CycleOps) is looking for a few different folks.
6) Garmin Connect ‘Import’ Option Missing? At first, you might think so. But in reality it was just moved to the big “+” icon in the upper right corner. Hard to know if it was UI cleanup, or designed to break 3rd party apps leveraging it for various uploads. Either way…at least it’s still there thankfully. Almost had to pull out my ‘Watch what happens when DCR gets really pissed off!’ card late last week over it. It’s a feature I often use, because I don’t necessarily link all of my Garmin devices to Garmin Connect automatically (mostly because I hit the max allowable), so this allows me to manually upload files to share on occasion.
7) I’ve got no more items. My ‘Notepad’ list of items for the week was wiped out last night when my computer decided to restart. And no, I didn’t press save. Sorry!
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 are 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? Oh – and if you want to get a head start on things, this page is a great resource for watching Garmin firmware updates.
CycleOps Magnus Trainer Firmware: This came out a week or two ago, but I forgot about it.
CycleOps Hammer Trainer Firmware: Same as Magnus – definitely worthwhile if you’ve got either
CycleOps/PowerTap Virtual Training App: While I don’t normally include apps here, this is specifically notable because of the changes to displaying PowerTap P1 advanced metrics.
Garmin Fenix Chronos BETA firmware update: This continues to include updates for the Fenix5 series into the Garmin Chronos series. Again, this is a BETA firmware.
Polar Loop 2 Firmware Update: Minor bug fixes and phone compatibility fixes.
Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT Firmware Update: Increase in data fields per page, change in fonts, few other items.
—
Thanks for reading!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? Use Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
In the UK/EU/Australia/New Zealand? Then hit up Wiggle at the link below!
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
Check out my weekly podcast - with GPLAMA, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2021 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Still using windows I see 😉
Yup. Though, I blend. I use a Mac for video editing, but a Windows box for everything else. And an iPhone.
Ray, use Notepad++, you won’t have problems like this.
> when my computer decided to restart.
Sounds like the lovely new Windows update policies. ?
I noticed on the bike computer video they never showed the screen other than a lock bike screen. So I would say its safe to assume at this point all they have is a box with two lights and a horn.
I was going crazy trying to figure out how to manually upload a file… I was checking the GC Status page, forums, etc… Took a while but eventually found it in the giant “+” button.
Also, where’s the gimbal review?
Google Sheets/Docs/Slides/Keep!
Never click save again!
WRT Garmin, the most frustrating thing is trying to load a course onto a device. The only way I’ve found is to import this as an activity, then save as a course (and then delete the activity, hopefully before it syncs to Strava).
They could’ve added intention actions on Android/iOS to open them in Garmin Connect and then sync to a device, instead – a huge mess.
Yup, 110% agree.
It’s funny that when the Fenix series first came out (what, like 4+ years ago?), I noted at the time that the whole route/course creation process was far too dependent on a desktop computer, you couldn’t just create a Garmin Connect route on the mobile app and push it to the watch.
Ironically, then they had/released a standalone app to do roughly just that, except…not in Garmin Connect. That app eventually died as opposed to integrating it in.
And now here we are in 2017 with the new Fenix5 and mind-bogglingly still no way to quickly create a route via mobile phone in Garmin Connect and then transfer it easily to the watch.
You could use dwatch, – though it’s 3rd party
When making a course I usually create it on an iPad using the Garmin connect webpage (saving often), then go to the garmin connect app on my phone just to send it to my phone.
It’s not hard but a little weird. Also that there is no garmin app for the iPad.
I had an update come through on Saturday for my Wahoo Elemnt. From what I can see the fonts have changed on the screen with the addition of a symbol above the speed indicating whether the current speed is above or below the average for the ride (not that useful really). Not sure if much else has changed.
Ahh, good catch. Looks like the update notification went into my ‘Clutter’ folder. Grrr…
Details here: link to support.wahoofitness.com
The triangle symbol used to act as a decimal point in the speed field, as part of the data itself. Take a look at some of the marketing screenshots, and you’ll see it in the data field itself. Now it’s moved to the label. IMO, it’s less useful there, I look at data when I’m riding, not labels.
Also, the full width 4th data field is now gone, with the addition of the 11th data field. Some liked the full width 4th data field, some didn’t. I guess the “didn’t” were more vocal to Wahoo. I think that it was something that made the ELEMNT distinctive, at least visually. Now, it looks more like the others.
If you want to be different, you have to be different.
I honestly just wish I could have a static layout, period.
Is Garmin’s import of Fitbit data working for anyone? It accepts my files (after some editing, ie removing the “body” or “activity” line from the CSV), but the data does not show in the Connect dashboard.
Hi Ray, there’s also a Bepro firmware update:
link to bepro-favero.com
Nice catch – I’ll roll a note into next week’s update!
Adidas killing miCoach to focus on Runtastic?
With Tapiriik I’m not able to synch activities anymore from strava to Garmin Connect… in tapiriik dashboard it says is synched but it’s not in my GC activity page.
is it so also for someone else? 🙁
thanks
Same here. Stuck on TrainerRoad workout, and now the server is offline. Just reupped my yearly subscription. Bummer
Yeah, it’s likely due to the Garmin re-positioning of that button that’s killing those apps. They’re likely using that behind the scenes up fake an upload of data to your account. Garmin *really* hates it, but I have zero sympathy for them there. They’ve had years to implement an API for uploading files from other platforms, and keep stalling at every turn for reasons that defy any logic. It’s all about the platform.
What’s funny about it is that someone thinks it’s bad to allow other devices to upload to their platform. In reality, it’s the best marketing thing ever. Just think about it: What company wouldn’t love to have a ready-made database of all of their competitors customers? In this scenario, when a Wahoo customer (for example) uploads an ELEMNT file to Garmin Connect, it’s telling Garmin that the customer is on the ELEMNT. So why not display subtlety targeted ads about how your product is better than the competition (if it is)? It may also tell Garmin that the customer is on the ELEMTN for cycling, but uses three other Garmin products for running, action cams, and hiking. Maybe there’s a reason for that? Maybe they’d trend the data and see that the customer is spending more or less time with the Garmin product vs their competitor, and maybe they’d proactively try to understand if it’s a meaningful trend.
The ‘cost’ of hosting those files is laughable, because the numbers are just so small. It’s likely a few bucks in storage costs at most at the end of the month (in total). But heck, let’s for fun pretend it was something totally fake and unreal like $30K a month for all customers (it’s not, really, it’s not). That’s nothing for a company of Garmin’s size to spend on marketing or an ad buy. By enabling data uploads for competitors, they not only get to ensure the right audience sees the ‘ads’ (or promos or whatever you want to call them), but heck, they know all sorts of useful information about that customer.
Sigh…it’s an argument I have every time I chat with them in person.
Seems like there isn’t much effort in general to use the data or everyone uploading to figure things out besides some of the stuff strava does.
Thinking the algorithms that golden cheetah, training peaks, etc use the figure out fatigue from wattage
I am curious why you think that the use of indiegogo is a red flag?
Kickstarter requires the company to have an actual functioning product of some form, whereas indiegogo happily accepts vapourwear.
I see…and you WOULD get money even if its total bogus and fails to meet its goal.
Exactly as Ian noted.
There’s zero checks and balances – and overwhelmingly the sketchier projects end up these days on Indiegogo. Not to say everything is perfect on KS (at all), but it’s getting better.
Just in case people would think only scammers would use indigogo it does have the advantage that they take less of a cut.
I also noticed that the Garmin Import had moved.
Is there somewhere that Garmin announces these kinds of changes, or do they just leave us to figure it out? It is interesting how much new information I get about exercise tech from DCR rather than the companies that produce the product.
No announcement method I’m aware of. They have a Garmin blog, but it’s rarely used for stuff like this. More just random PR announcements and occasional Garmin Connect IQ stuff.
I found out the hard way when it disappeared. Then I got increda-angry. Then I did some digging on the Garmin Forums and found said solution. Then I was happy again.
I wasn’t angry, just confused. I found it by accident before reading your blog, but find it interesting how much better you are at distribution of news of their changes than they are.
Big thanks for the hint…. I nearly got crazy finding the Upload-Button !!!
Hi ray. When is the definitive review of the tom tom runner 3 coming out. Waiting on your review befor I take the plunge and buy one
Working on it!
Overall, it’s a nice little unit. Though basically it’s just a Spark 1 with a few minor tweaks, so if you generally like the look of that review, then this will likely check the boxes. Since that initial review though there has been changes/adds like the daily RHR readings.
There was a firmware update for the KICKR released on 3rd Feb 2017 which I can’t see listed anywhere in your week in review posts.
I applied it to my Gen 1 KICKR and found that it no longer broadcast power/cadence information on ANT+ or BLE. I had to roll the firmware back to 1.4.26 to get it working again. Not sure if you know anything about what happened there? Should this only be applied to Gen 2?
This one? link to support.wahoofitness.com
It should definitely be Gen1. I haven’t heard anyone else note that issue. Maybe try applying it again – and then fully restart the unit if you didn’t (power off)?
Good catch on missing that one. I had some of the Wahoo firmware alerts end up in the wrong e-mail folder, so missed them unfortunately.
Yes. That’s the one.
Interesting. I certainly did restart it (pulled power out). And then tried to find it again using the Wahoo utility app on my phone and then ANT+ on my laptop with TrainerRoad.
I guess I’ll try it again at some point and see if I have better luck!
As for deals, I’m seeing the Powertap GS hub at $299 on their site. Is that a fire sale or what? Being discontinued, or nobody wants straight pull spokes?
It’s been that way quite some time.
Basically there’s a few reasons:
A) You’ve got the cost to thread it onto a wheel, which will cost you at least $100-$150 at most LBS
B) It doesn’t support the new G3 BLE or dual ANT+/BLE caps, so also a bit limiting there.
Still, ignoring those issues – if you can get it threaded cheaply, it’s a fantastic deal if you’re on ANT+ (i.e. Garmin).
yeah, I seen now that it’s been a few months. The specs say it is dual ANT+ & BT smart and I figured it would be good-to-go for connecting w/ my Polar V800, so I assumed it would work. Am I wrong/ in for a nasty surprise?
no better way to pass the time when the snow flies than to lace up some wheels!
Huh. Weird, I wasn’t aware of them making a dual capable GS. I’d want to double-check that with them.
New trainer on kickstart? link to kickstarter.com
(or maybe I missed your post)
But something seems wrong with the design as the flywheel is tiny and other things seem off
Yeah. Looks to be a classic case of mismatching target market demographic with their product.
You should give Onenote a try for your notepad docs. It syncs to OneDrive and can be used across all your devices (Windows/Android/Apple), so that no matter where you are you can add something to it.
Oh – I love Onenote (after all I worked for Microsoft for more than a dozen years). For me, I like Notepad as it’s the great equalizer of things like fonts/text size/etc… It’s also instant.