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Week in Review–May 28th, 2017

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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 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!

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:

Sunday: Week in Review–May 22nd, 2017
Wednesday: Garmin VIRB 360 5.7K Action Cam In-Depth Review
Sunday: The Day in May DCR $500 Gadget Giveaway Winner!

Kinda a quiet week. Putting together that VIRB 360 review took quite a bit of processing time (video is my slow spot).

Sports Tech Deals This Week:

We’re into the final push of solid May sales – with many wrapping up tomorrow (Monday).  As I’ve noted in more detail on my sales landing page, May sales are very common.  One of the best deals here is the Garmin FR735 for $315 (normally $450).  It’s still receiving Connect IQ and feature updates and is just barely one year old.  Great little lightweight tri/running watch.

Oh – and for some weird reason an entry in the table for ‘All Suunto gear is 25% off’ isn’t showing up.  I’ve got some techies trying to figure it out, but FYI.  Note that the only watch excluded is the Wrist HR model on that one.  Many of the trainers listed below have sold out, but if you really want one of these I highly recommend checking frequently.  I keep seeing inventory pop in for a few hours here and there, even as recently as a few hours ago for most models.  So…FYI.

ProductSale PriceAmazonSale Notes
AmazFit T-Rex 3 - $80 off$199This is a solid deal, especially for a watch that has offline mapping.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen with USB-C) - $100 off$149⚡ Both myself and my wife have been using these since last fall, after years of using the Beats Studio Buds...man, these things rock. Sure, they're good for sports, but frankly, I use them on planes, editing, and such more than anything else. In fact, I've been listening to them now for 8 hours as I type away on my flight across the ocean. Only briefly putting them in the case to top-up.
Apple AirTags (4-Pack) - 33% off!$64⚡I make no secret how much I utilize AirTags, mainly, cause they've saved my butt numerous times already. We have them in every suitcase, and every backpack, and every bike bag. They're also hidden in most of our bikes (sometimes two of them). We were able to get our cargo bike back when it disappeared, as well as figure out when all our suitcases went missing during an annual family vacation where they were (for 5 days!), and plan appropriately. Seriously, just get them.
Apple Watch Series 10 - $120 off
$399/$499 (cellular)
$279⚡ This is by far the lowest price we've seen to date for the Apple Watch Series 10. Of course, we're probably only 60 days away from an Apple Watch Series 11, but Apple has alreay announced WatchOS 26 last month, which the Series 10 gets all the new features from.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium - $150 off$649⚡ This is the lowest price on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 we've seen to date. It's likely we'll see an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this September, but like the Apple Watch Series 10 above, WatchOS26 has already been announced and all the new features there go to the Ultra 2.
DJI Action 4 - $90 off$209While prior gen unit (and probably, 2 generations behind in a few weeks), it's still a very strong contender at this price point especially.
DJI Mini 4K Drone - $60 off$239If you're looking to get into flying with a DJI drone, this is a solid place to start. Of course, moreso than that, the days are very limited for how much longer you can actually buy at DJI drone in the US. So, grab them while you can.
DJI NEO - $30 off!$159This is the lowest price on this drone, and is a great option if you want a follow-me drone that's pretty hard to kill, at a price point that's still super reasonable.
Elite Riser - $250 off!$749This appears to basically just be an Uncle Amazon sale, but hey, if you've got an Elite trainer and wanted Rizer, this is a super good deal for US folks!
Fitbit Ace LTE Kids Activity Smartwatch - $100 off$129This is (by far) the lowest price we've seen on this watch to date. This is their first full smartwatch focused on kids activity tracking and gamification.
Fitbit Charge 6 - 38% off!
$159
$99⚡ This is the go-to sale price for the Fitbit Charge 6. It happens often, but it still doesn't take away from the fast that it's argueably the best bang for your buck fitness tracker out there.
Garmin Edge 1040 Cycling GPS - $150 off!$399⚡⚡ This is a very solid deal, and the lowest price we've seen to date on it.
Garmin Edge 540 Solar - $150 off$299⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 540 Solar to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well.
Garmin Edge Explore 2 - $60 off
$299
$237
Garmin Epix Pro Series - $200 off!
$899/$999
$609I believe this is the lowest price we've seen for the Epix Pro series (which has an ECG-capable HR sensor). Note that while some sites might tout $500+ off, in reality, this watch has been floating around $800 recently.
Garmin Epix Sapphire/Titanium (Gen 2) - $400+ off!$469⚡ This continues to be one of the best deals out there. While this watch won't be getting much in the way of big ticket new features, it does continue to get minor software updates - and for the money, has far more software features than any of Garmin's competitors (or for that matter, products like the Instinct 3 AMOLED lineup).
Garmin Fenix 7X Pro Solar - $100-$200 off
$799+
$499
Garmin Fenix 8 Series - $100 Off!
$999-$1,199
$899While not as good as last month's $200 off, that annual spring sale price won't likely be seen again till Black Friday-ish type sales. Thus, if you want a Fenix 8 for the summer, might as well take the $100 off and put it towards ice cream.
Garmin Forerunner 165 (Base) - $75 off!
$249/$299
$219
Garmin Forerunner 255/255S - $100 off$199This is the lowest price we've ever seen the Forerunner 255 at.
Garmin Forerunner 255/255S Music - $100 off!
$349/$399
$249This is the lowest price on this watch to date (previous low was $299).
Garmin Forerunner 265 Series - $50 off!
$449
$399
Garmin Forerunner 55 - A Few Dollars Off
$199
$169Honestly, I just put this one in there, merely to point out you shoudn't buy it at this price. Buy the FR255 at $30 more, far better watch. This thing should be priced at $129 or something to move units.
Garmin Forerunner 955 - $150 off!$349⚡ This has been one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and it's down to a very strong price. I often use this in my accuracy testing comparisons when validating other watches, due to it's very strong GPS performance. Note this is the base edition without solar. It'd be hard to find any better deal in sports watches today, from any company (given this has full mapping, tons of new features even this week, etc...). I say '$100ish', because it's usually been on forever sale at $499.
Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar: $150 off!
$499/$599
$399See everything I said above on the Forerunner 955 base, except this one also has solar.
Garmin Forerunner 965 - $50 off
$599
$549This had been $499 for much of the spring, so $549 isn't that great of a deal.
Garmin Instinct 2 Series - $75 Off$169⚡I believe $169 is the lowest price we've ever seen for the Instinct 2. Or at least, I have no record of it being sub-$199. Very solid deal for a solid little watch.
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar$266
Garmin Instinct 2S & 2S Solar$217
Garmin Lily 2 - 20% off
$249
$199The leather version is also on sale as well.
Garmin Venu 3 - $50 off!
$449
$399
Garmin Venu 3S - $50 off$399
Garmin Vivoactive 5 - $110 off!
$299
$189This is a great deal for Garmin's little-sibling to the Venu series. It has almost all the same features as the Venu 3, except the voice calling related bits.
Garmin inReach 2 Mini Satellite Communicator (2-way) - $20 off$379This is a pretty small deal for this product. This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness.
GoPro Hero 12 Black - $100 off!$279This is the older gen model, and to me, $279 seems a bit high. Get the Hero 13 Black for $50 more and have access to all the new accessories. Or, save yourself $50 and get either the DJI Action 4 (prior gen) or Insta360 Ace Pro 1 (prior gen) models.
GoPro Hero 13 Black - $70 off$329
Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm) - $100 OFF$299
Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm) - $100 OFF$249
HoverAir X1 Drone Combo - $100 off!$279This has become one of my favorite drones, given it's tiny size (fits in my running shorts pockets) and ease of use. Plus, you can crash the crap out of it (hundreds of times for me and my wife) without any issues. This combo includes an extra battery and fast charger.
HoverAir X1 Pro Drone Combo Kit - $155 off$599This is a solid deal on a solid drone, and one of the two main ones I use when taking videos of myself hiking or running. This includes the two extra batteries as well as the fast charger (so 3 batteries total).
Hyperice Normatec Elite Leg Recovery System - $100 off$999
Insta360 Ace Pro Action Cam - $50 off$239This is the previous edition, as the Ace Pro 2 just came out last fall. But for this price, it's hard to beat.
Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi Delux Kit - 30% off!$149⚡ Let's be honest: This place runs on Nespresso (or, well, the knock-off pods we buy). But, the machine is Nespresso. Without it, reviews most definitely would not get done (and certainly not on time). This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!
Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven - $80 off$319I use the Fyra 12 (with wood pellets), and love it. The Karu 12 is essentialyl the newer version of that, and there's both a gas-only version, and a multi-fuel option (gas or wood). Love it!
Oura Ring 4 - $50 off!$299This is the first time we've seen a deal on the Oura Ring V4.
Peloton Bike - $300 off!$1,144This is still a solid bike, and actually one that I use at home (I have the newer Peloton Bike+ at the office). Both my wife and I use these bikes interchangeably, and while the Bike+ has a bigger screen and better accuracy, there's very little difference in the core Peloton experience. I'd still recommend this model to most people.
Peloton Bike+ is $500 off$1,995This is a solid deal for the Bike+, albeit largely the normal sale/deal price. 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.
Peloton Row - $330 off!$2,964
Peloton Tread - $300 off$2,694This is my main treadmill at home, and I really like it. I've got no complaints about it, and am happy I went with the smaller Peloton Tread versus the bigger unit.
Polar Verity Sense - 15% off
$99
$84I use this as one of my reference devices for heart rate accuracy testing.
SHOKZ OpenRun Headphones - 31% off$89
SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 - 31% off!$124
SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 Mini - 31% off!$124
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (40 & 44mm) - 50% off$159As with the Samsung Watch Ultra, Samsung is less than 24hrs away from announcing a new version of the Samsung Watch series.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra - 50% off$325Look, Samsung is less than a day away from likely announcing a new version (on July 9th), so if you buy now, you might want to wait a few extra hours after delivery to decide if you want to return it. Otherwise, this is Samsung's best watch to date.
SanDisk 1-4TB Extreme PRO Portable External SSD - 30% off$128-$279⚡This is one of the two the high speed drives types I use to store the footage I'm actively video editing. I typically buy the 2TB and 4TB ones, and then eventually offload the footage onto a NAS array when I'm done.
Wahoo BOLT V2 - $30 off
$279
$279
Wahoo KICKR Bike V2
$3,999
$2,974⚡ This is one of the lowest prices we've seen the Wahoo KICKR Bike at (ever).
Wahoo KICKR CORE with Zwift Cog+Click ($75 off)
$499
$424
Wahoo KICKR MOVE - $190 off
$1,599
$1,104⚡ This is a very solid deal.
Wahoo KICKR ROLLR - $90 off
$599
$509

All of the above links help support the blog!

YouTube Videos I Published!

Here’s some YouTube goodness that I published this past week, don’t forget to subscribe!

Pro Tip: This very first video I just published three minutes ago, based on popular request from all of you!

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) Apple’s Needleless Blood Glucose Monitor’s Challenging Road Ahead: A good write-up of the challenges faced.  Obviously I really hope Apple can crack this nut, but it’s a hard road.  A really hard road, even more so than Apple Watch in so many ways – most notably FDA approval.  That requires far more accuracy than Apple Watch comes anywhere near today with more simplistic HR measurements.

2) Concept 2 Adds Strava Support: If you’ve got a supported Concept2 rower, you can actually now sync your workouts to Strava. Nifty…and thanks to Richard for sending this in!

3) What it costs to bike sponsor a WorldTour Team: In case you have some spare cash lying around.  On the bright side, smaller sponsorships are far far cheaper.  For example, a company with a trainer might pay $100-125K for a major/well known team, or they might pay only $10-15K for a ‘lesser known’ team (talking WorldTour teams only here).  And some power meter sponsors for major teams might pay nothing at all, but are selected for technical reasons too.  While others are again up in the $50-$100K range.  But my name isn’t Paolo.

4) DJI announces their new DJI Spark: This is definitely an interesting one. With the size of the body the same as a cell phone, it makes it even better for sports (taking cycling, hiking, xc-skiing, even trail running).  I did a lot of that with my DJI Mavic before, which is still really small.  But…umm…size matters…more?  Either way, review coming sometime in June.  Oh, and purchasing pro tip: Don’t order the white version if you plan to use in the snow…I’d argue red is easiest to find if SNAFU occurs.

5) A study on wearables was released: Until I get around to writing a post on it tomorrow, my tweet will suffice.

6) Runners get married half-way through half-marathon: Well then, that’s an entirely different setup than your average water station. (via Casey Neistat)

7) Did the Tesla make or break the Nike marathon record attempt? Pretty cool and detailed aerodynamic analysis of it all. (via Sweat Science)

8) In unrelated Nike news: More doping details/revelations from the Nike Oregon Project.  Not surprising of course.  (via TRS Triathlon)

9) GoPro open-sources their metadata video format: I missed this a few weeks ago, but stumbled on it today while looking for something totally unrelated.  It’s good to see this spec out there now.  Previously only certain partners got access to it.  This should help more 3rd party companies start to use GoPro’s GPS and ancillary data streams within their Hero5 generated videos.

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 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.

Garmin Fenix 5/5S/5X/Chronos BETA firmware update: Small bug fixes.

Garmin FR735XT BETA firmware update: New Connect IQ update, swim fixes/tweaks, other bug fixes.

Polar M430 Production Firmware release: Yes, I’m actively testing this, and yup, a review should be out in 7-10 days.

Stryd running power meter firmware update: Improvements to downhill running.

Endless pool .FIT file app adds Strava integration: Remember that endless pool app/site I mentioned last week? They’ve added Strava integration. Nifty.

Thanks all!  Have a good week ahead!

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26 Comments

  1. John L

    Any news on the lezyne bike computer firmware updates mentioned a few weeks ago?

  2. Louis Matherne

    And it appears that Concept2 is also supporting Training Peaks.

  3. Bikeman

    “Don’t order the white version if you plan to use in the snow…I’d argue red is easiest to find if SNAFU occurs.”
    Exactly my reasoning for ordering the red. Probably won’t help much if it plays submarine while I’m out kayaking. My biggest peave is DJI charges my credit card for the full amount even though I’ll be lucky to see the Spark sometime this summer. DJI & customer care are rarely put in the same sentence so I knew going in that how the game is played.

    • Yeah, I’m not sure how they manage to screw up the whole shipping/pre-order thing so badly each time. I’m interested to see if Spark will be better and/or if they learned any lessons from Mavic.

      I fully understand they can’t solve the issue of 3rd party retailers promising unrealistic dates. Totally get that. But I feel like since DJI gave me a specific date when I ordered a product directly from them, they should be able to deliver upon that based on their projections. Those projections (like any proper project) should have padding and such built into them. We’ll see.

      And as for support – I totally agree with you there. The DJI Care Refresh that I paid extra for seems questionable at best on speed. It took two weeks turnaround for a facility that was within a few hours driving time. Never mind that folks now are saying 4-8 weeks is the norm for a Care Refresh turnaround, which is nuts.

      Of course, outside of those two items – they’re doing everything else right.

    • Mike Richie

      I’d be careful using the Spark while kayaking, not at all waterproof. They recommend against using it rain, fog or snow – and to avoid landing in puddles.

    • Yeah. It’s pretty good in rain (snow is more problematic because of signal blockage) in terms of electronics. Your phone is likely the weak point there.

      It’s one of the few areas that Airdog has an advantage in that it’s fully waterproof (minus the camera you attach to it of course). The early beta unit I used had completed 2-3 landings in the ocean (salt water no less) without issue. For the record, those landings occurred pre-me.

  4. Eli

    You forgot the Pioneer bike computer deal.

    As to the concept2 news, there is also the connect IQ app to record from the rower: link to apps.garmin.com

  5. Eirik

    Could also be worth mentioning polar’s release of the A370. Which seems to be the A360 with a software update and new colors. Really, really let down by Polar. They seem to be so far behind the competition at this point.

    Same dimension, resolution, poor batterylife, and using the same bands as the a360, and about the same retail price as the a360 upon release.

    Would be interesting to see if they actually did anything worth while “under the hood”, or simply re-priced the a360 with a slight software update.

    • Yeah, I’ve got one arriving any minute now…assuming UPS likes me. I’m doing a separate post on it – so I skipped it above.

      The main thing is the new sleep algorithms (software), the 24×7 HR (software with potentially a battery update), and then the ‘connected GPS’, which means it’ll use your phone for GPS while outdoors.

  6. Paulo Menezes

    Hi Ray,

    The link to the DJI announcement is for an Amanzon.es page.

    link to amazon.es

    Can you check it, please?

    Thanks,
    Paulo

    • Hi Paulo – I just linked to the generic Amazon page for the Spark, and then from there based on your country it’ll autodirect to the local Amazon country page. In your case in Portugal it looks like it believes it’s Amazon Spain.

      If you’re looking for DJI’s home page, it’s here: http://www.dji.com

      Enjoy!

    • Paulo Menezes

      Ok, but still no DJI Spark available in Amazon Spain. :-(
      Already checked the DJI webpage. Thanks

  7. Long Run Nick

    As you have mentioned, you are not a car guy. You drive a Fiat 124 Abarth Spider and we hear no exhaust, we see no heel toe rev matching downshifts, no redline through the 6 gears, or maybe you ended up with an auto:(
    My passion for running( closing in on 87,000 miles run) is followed closely by my passion for cars.
    Stay healthy my friend. Nick

    • True.

      Though, I did post a secondary (non-360) video on YouTube which does include the exhaust. :)

      I did indeed end up with an auto, which is mainly why I got the car. I had simply ordered a cheap auto, the cheapest they had. And they gave mine away on accident. Thus, this was all that was left.

      As for red-lining, I generally try to avoid posting things that might get oneself in trouble. :)

  8. Thomas Wylie

    Any update on the progress of the Stryd review Ray?

  9. Joeri Nysen

    Someone might have already asked, but is there a race report coming from the race you did 1.5 weeks ago that we saw on Strava? :)

    • Tomorrow, sorry!

      I used mostly the 360 cam for taking photos, which has taken a boatload more work to get pictures to a non-360 state. :-/

    • Joeri Nysen

      No worries, I just really like to read them and it’s been a while ;)

    • Mike Richie

      Be interested in what it took to do that.

    • I’m using the photo button within VIRB Edit to give me a 360 (but flat) shot from the video. The downside is that it looks funky, so I then trim and process in Lightroom.

      But I still have to find the exact shot/frame that I need for my ‘story’. On the flip-side, at least on the bike I shot with 2xVIRB 30’s (front/back) running the whole time to capture stuff there. However one of them had an SD-card error oddly enough. Sigh.

  10. HUber

    Will you test the Polar A370 ?