Heads up – Massive Cyber Monday Deals List is Live!!! The Garmin Fenix 8 is $250 off (even the Fenix 8 Pro is $100 off!), the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on sale, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is $249, the GoPro Hero 13 Black, DJI NEO, and a ton of other brands/deals, including Wahoo, Oura, Whoop, Polar, Samsung, Google, and more than 100 sports tech deals here!
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:
We’re into the final push of solid May sales – with many new ones this week returning. 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.
Product
Sale Price
Amazon
Other site
Sale Notes
Adobe Creative Cloud Pro (12 Months) - $389 off (50% off!)
As a side note, you can cancel and take advantage of this. Which, is precisely what I did when I realized my existing plan was gonna be stupid expensive. In any case, I use the Adobe Creative Cloud Pro suite for a lot of what I do.
We did see lower just back in July, at $199. So I'd probably hold out a bit more here. Assuming that happens, you can't beat this watch at this price point (heck,not even at $226 either).
Perhaps this deal will get better, but right now at $20 off...nah. Given the price of the Garmin Epix Pro has flirted into the $429 range a bit over the past few days (and is a vastly better watch), this needs to drop down closer to $299 to be worth picking up during Black Friday pricing.
Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these two years ago for them in their rooms, to play music. They do lots of other things, but our kids mostly just use it to play music (from Spotify and Apple Music too), and occasionally they ask it questions. It has all the parental controls I want, so it locks it down from bedtime/etc...For $31? Solid deal (The coolest 'nice touch' feature is that if you whisper to it, it'll whisper back...in the owl kids voice it has.)
⚡ This is an awesome deal. I use my iPad primarily for TrainerRoad as well as Zwift when not with a larger display. I also occasionally use it for other apps, namely Indievelo, Kinomap, Rouvy, and Peloton. But I pretty much test every smart trainer app on it. For all these cycling apps, the graphics capabilities is really pretty irrelevant, so having the absolute top-end/latest model won't make any difference. I prefer the budget options.
Apple 2025 14" MacBook Air Laptop with M4 - $250 off
See my other note about the MacBook Pro. While I'd love the MacBook Air instead, the singular reason I use the MacBook Pro is the added USB-C port (2 vs 3 on MacBook Pro). Otherwise, this spec-wise woudl do the trick.
Apple 2025 14" MacBook Pro Laptop with M5 - $250 off
This is the updated/newer model of the MacBook M1 Pro that I use for all my video editing. In my case, I still use a 2021 14" MBP, with relatively modest specs (32GB RAM). And I've been super happy with it, even while editing complex drone/action cam videos with 4 concurrently 4K streams in a multicam configuration, it has zero issues rendering or anything else.
These are the just-released AirPod Pro 3, with optical heart rate sensors in them. These are my daily-driver headphones these days, and even more notably, the heart rate accuracy is incredibly good in these.
This is the first major sale for the Apple Watch SE 3, which came out just 2 months ago. It's essentially Apple's 'budget' offering, yet it still has all the same software features as a higher-end Apple Watch Series 11, as long as the hardware permits.
This is the first time we've seen the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on sale, and given it's $100 off, that tends to be the typical sale price for the holidays/Black Friday for the current/just-released version.
This is the singular piece of apparel that's lasted the longest in my collection - some 15-16 years of buying the same socks. Heck, some of them are probably half that old. EIther way, this be the ones I use. Love them (well, except for hiking and trail running, then I use other stuff that goes higher). I'm wearring them as I wrote this post too.
This is a great price for this watch. Note though that technically speaking, this is a price reduction (took effect Nov 14th following the launch of the Pace 4). Most companies would first call it a sale, then make that sale price the new price as a price reduction. But COROS often beats to a different drum. Kudos on being upfront about the reduction though!
This is a great price for this watch. Note though that technically speaking, this is a price reduction (took effect Nov 14th following the launch of the Pace 4). Most companies would first call it a sale, then make that sale price the new price as a price reduction. But COROS often beats to a different drum. Kudos on being upfront about the reduction though!
This is last year's model. And sure, the Action 6 came out 48 hours ago, but honestly, the initial rection hasn't been kind there. I just started testing it, so more to come very shortly.
Look, don't buy this drone. This is the drone that never should have left the napkin at the lunch table at DJI's HQ. The unit breaks easily (as I, and many others found out), and doesn't really do anything super well. Literally, buy any other DJI drone except htis one...you're welcome.
⚡ This is a great little drone as your first drone, especially for sports usage, where it'll do an astonishing job following you (running, cycling, etc...). And, you can crash it a gazillion times without any problem.
NOTE: This is not sold by DJI directly via Amazon. DJI itself is NOT selling the OSMO 360 in the US, and WILL NOT support/repair it in the US. That said, it's a solid deal if you're ok with those risks.
This is Elite's previous-gen trainer, but it's still a reliable workhorse. This bundle is paired with the Zwift Cog/Click, though, you can also buy it without a cassette for the same price.
These is the new model just released this past summer with stronger anti-scratch resistance (I even dragged it down a textured concrete pool desk, lens-down, to show this).
⚡The Favero Assioma Pro MX dual-sided power meter pedals deal is a no brainer. I use them in my testing constantly along with the PRO RS pedals. Note for US folks: Favero does include all taxes and tarrifs in the price.
⚡The Favero Assioma Pro RS dual-sided power meter pedals having their first sale yet. This deal is a no brainer. I use them in my testing, and will likely pick up another set in this sale. Note for US folks: Favero does include all taxes and tarrifs in the price.
FeedBack Sports Pro Mechanic Bike Repair Stand - $50 Off
We use this stand for both any of the work we do on any of our bikes (well, except the cargo bike). Super quick and easy to take out when we need it. Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner
FeedBack Sports Pro Mechanic HD Bike Repair Stand - $55 Off
I've got this setup, andit's basically got almost everything I need for regular/daily bike maintenance across virtually all of my bikes. Plus, in theory I can keep things tidy in that carrying case....I mean, if I were to actually put all the tools back in it. Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner
⚡ This 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.
⚡ 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.
If you're looking for a simple and inexpensive activity tracker, you won't go wrong with a Fitbit (or this Inspire 3). It's got literally all the same software features in the Fitbit app as a higher-end Google Pixel Watch or other Fitbit device, except...just tiny.
⚡ This is Garmin's newest kids-focused and LTE connected smart watch. Our three daughters have been using it for about two months now, after using the original Bounce 1 for years. This is a *massive* upgrade over the Bounce 1, both in features/hardware, but frankly also battery life. My review should be up next week, but if you've got any questions drop them in the comments below.
This is the activity tracker that both of our oldest daughters have used for years (age 8 & 9), as well as most of their friends now. They/we all like it. Check out my full in-depth review for all my thoughts. That said, the new Bounce 2 came out two months ago, and while my review isn't out yet, it's a far better product. But, quite a bit more too. The TLDR on that review will be that it's the best kids smartwatch/tracker to date (for both parents and kids), but obviously will cost you $100 more.
This is Garmin's premier line of diving watches, which is based on the Fenix 7 seies, rather than the Fenix 8 series. Still, it's by far one of the most capable dive+everything else watches on the market.
Garmin Descent MK3i (Dive watch with air integration) - $250 off!
This is Garmin's premier line of diving watches, which is based on the Fenix 7 seies, rather than the Fenix 8 series. Still, it's by far one of the most capable dive+everything else watches on the market. The 'i' version (MK3i) means that you can connect it to an air tank monitor transmitter pod.
⚡This is a very solid deal, and is still one of the best bike computers Garmin has ever made, especially when you look at the battery side of things (it lasts far longer than the Edge 1050).
⚡At $249, it's pretty much impossible to beat this deal in terms of bike computers. There's no competitive option that beats it on features/battery/etc at this price, or frankly anywhere near it. Sure, it doesn't have a touchscreen, but it's not as bad as it used to be (I did a stint on it this winter for a week or so, and was fine).
⚡⚡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. And notably, lower than the Edge 540 without solar (which is kinda silly, but hey, win for us!).
This is the lowest price we've seen on this to date. The Enduro 3 is simply the Fenix 8 with a MIP/Solar display (but without the scuba or voice calling features). It gets all the Fenix 8 features and updates otherwise.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support. Note: Availability on this deal fluctuates, just keep checking back, I'm sure it'll pop back again (it always does).
⚡⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG.
⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG.
⚡⚡ This is very unexpected, and is an Amazon-specific deal, not a Garmin-supported one. Thus, I expect it won't last more than minutes/hours. Grab it while you can! [Update: This keeps fluttering back and forth, just keep checking!]
⚡ The Fenix 8 keeps getting all the new software features of the Fenix 8 Pro that was launched two months ago. Setting aside that Fenix 8 Pro which gained LTE & Satellite Messaging, this is otherwise the most capable sports watch on the market.
⚡ The Fenix 8 keeps getting all the new software features of the Fenix 8 Pro that was launched two months ago. Setting aside that Fenix 8 Pro which gained LTE & Satellite Messaging, this is otherwise the most capable sports watch on the market.
As a general rule, the Fenix E is the watch that literally nobody is buying, and makes no sense at higher prices. The hardware is simply the Epix Gen 2 with Fenix stamped on it. That watch is going for $400, though I expect we'll see it down to $300 over Black Friday. However, one *KEY* difference with the Fenix E, is that it includes all of the software features of the newer Fenix 8, whereas the Epix Gen 2 doesn't get all the new software features. Otherwise, save your $200.
⚡ This is (by far) the lowest price on the Forerunner 265, which was recently replaced by the Forerunner 570 (but at nearly twice this price). What's fascinating about this sale price, is it's well beyond the usual sale prices for Garmin for this product. This pricing is 100% an Kansas-themed 'Hello!' to COROS and their just released COROS Pace 4 at $249.
The Foreurnner 55 is a great option if you simply don't want to spend a ton, but still want a super-capable runners watch (and general activity/sleep tracking watch). I've heard a lot of you get it for teenagers that run, as a great/inexpensive way to track their runs, and still be a good everyday watch.
⚡ This is the lowest price to date on the Forerunner 965, which is logical given the Forerunner 970 came out this past spring (which essentialy adds a flashlight and some other running metrics/features).
⚡ This is a very unexpected sale, just launched, on this very new watch, which is Garmin's top of the line Forerunner watch with virtually all the same software features as the Fenix 8 (but in a plastic case and without the diving features).
The Garmin Inded BPM is Garmin's medically certified blood pressure monitor. It integrates directly into your Garmin Connect account. I use it on occasion as a comparison for wearables, and it works just fine (obviously it's already medically certified by the FDA, so I say 'works' here in the sense of usability/functionality/etc...).
I use this scale, merely for the weight tracking functions (not body fat). It works just fine for that piece, and integrates with the rest of your Garmin data. If you aren't in the Garmin ecosystem, there's plenty of (far) cheaper options.
The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, with both an AMOLED and Solar variants. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features.
The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, and the Solar edition in particular has 'unlimited' battery life in certain scenarios. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features.
This is Garmin's radar without the light, so it's a bit smaller as a result. Same radar tech though, and compatible with Garmin/COROS/Hammerhead/Wahoo bike computers.
This is Garmin's standalone radar+taillight option, and $149 is pretty much the standard sale-price. Even despite all the new radars out there, this remains the most accurate option on the market. Now, only if Garmin would just re-release it with USB-C. C'Mon Garmin...maybe next year?
This is the first time this product has been on sale, since launching last spring. I'd argue it could have used a $100 off sale...but hey...they don't consult me.
⚡ The Garmin Venu 4 just came out two months ago, and one of the big ticket features is the LED flashlight built-in. However, it's also got a ton of other new features, as Garmin merged the codebase with the Forerunner/Fenix series, resulting in a boatload of added things like Training Readiness, Acute Load, and more.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on the newest product in the entire Garmin Holiday 2025 sale lineup. This is basically a blend of a Forerunner 970, Venu 4, and Fenix 8...but super thin. It's argueably one of the best deals here at $599, though, Garmin is still clearly trying to figure out the right pricing to drive purchases.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the Vivoactive 6 on sale, which is essentially a Venu 4, but without the voice/calling/ECG features (and a few other tidbits). It's probably one of the best deals in Garmin's lineup (sale or otherwise).
⚡ This is the lowest price we've ever seen for this. 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.
This came out last fall, and is the second time this has been discounted, but now to the lowest price to date. The key difference with the new Plus model is that it adds the ability to send photos and voice messenges via satellite. I've used it a bit, and it's pretty cool because it makes it a lot faster to just say something rather than type it out, but the $499 price seemed excessive. $399 makes it slightly more palatable.
This is GoPro's budget option, which includes a full color touchscreen on the back as well. The main benefit is it's super small, but note it's not quite in the same quality ballpark as their higher-end cameras. If you want size and GoPro ecosystem on a budget, this is an option. But with the DJI Action 4 just $20 more than $199, that offers notably better quality.
We have more Nest cam's than I can count. No really, we have half a dozen at the DCR Cave alone, plus more at home. We love them. Nest Cam's really only go on sale about 1-2x per year.
The newer Pixel Watch 4 came out back in October. I see the Pixel Watch 4 as a pretty substantial hardware upgrade over the Pixel Watch 3, notably due to satellite SOS, as well as a user-replaceable battery.
This 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.
⚡ This 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).
This is one of the other more popular display-laden rowing machines. I haven't tried this, but my sports-tech reviewing buddy DesFit has (linked at side) and liked it.
⚡ This just came out this past August, and is a great little unit. The pod isn't quite as tiny as the Go 3S, but the features and quality are a huge step up (especially the removable MicroSD card).
This is one of the best 360 action cams on the market, alongside the GoPro Max 2 (both have their pros and cons, check out my full comparison guide linked).
This is one of the most popular indoor trainer fan companies out there, which rivals the Wahoo Headwind fan but cost a fraction of the price. Of course, it lacks ANT+/Bluetooth integration, but realistically if you really want that you can add a smart outlet for $10 to toggle it on/off from your phone if need be. It's one of the ones in my rotation.
⚡ 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 - $120 off
I 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!
I use Philips Hue stuff all over the DCR Cave/Studio for lighting, both obviously colorful stuff in the background of shots, but also just for automation of the lights. Same goes at home. Love it (mainly when it's on sale like now). Starter packs are a good place to begin, and then I love the light strips (such as pictured).
⚡The Pixel Watch 4 LTE includes satellite SOS connectivity, even if you don't activate a cellular plan on it. I'd strongly recommend getting the LTE version for $50 more, to future-proof you a bit there (or, to save your bacon in the woods).
This is a great dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart (with two Bluetooth Smart connections) chest strap that you'll often find me using as a reference strap in heart rate sensor testing. We only tend to see deals on it around Black Friday, always topping out around 20%.
If you're looking for a good solid high-quality strap, that does both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart, for a reasonable price...look no further than the Polar H9
These are the main gels I use when I don't need the bigger 90g ones. So for example doing something a bit shorter where I don't want to carry the bigger 90g packs (mainly running). Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF90 Energy Gels 10pkg - 15% OFF
I primarily use these 90g packs on all my adventures, roughly doing 90g/hour for cycling/trail running/hiking/etc... Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner
We have a few SONOS speakers around the house and DCR Cave (the Ikea variants at DCR Cave), but by far our favorite is the Roam, which we take outdoors into the garden during the summer, beach vacations, AirBNB's, etc... It has a battery in it, and also connects to both WiFi and Bluetooth. Love, love, love. I think the main reason I love it, is that we heavily use it in summer, so...kinda reminds me of summer.
⚡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.
Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $400 offThis is the main camera I use for still photography and video b-roll. I semi-recently wrote about all the photography gear I use, linked at side here.
Suunto Aqua Swimming Open-Ear Bluetooth Headphones - 22% off!
This is a very solid deal. It's got virtually all the software features of Suunto's higher-end watches (minus the app store), and just came out this past May.
While the new Suunto Vertical 2 just came out a month ago, if you wanted to stock-up on MIP-based display watches before they disappear, here's your chance. This is also the lowest price we've ever seen on the Vertical 1, which is otherwise still a very soild watch.
I have bigger Synology NAS units at the DCR Studio/Office, but I also have a smaller unit (this one) that I use to keep various piles of data here too. I like the Synology stuff, as it's generally quite dependable.
This is the go-to sales price for the NEO 2T, though has become more frequent over the past year. It's still an incredible trainer, and is the top-end non-moving trainer from Garmin/Tacx.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen to date on the Tacx NEO 3M, and finally takes it down to a semi-logical price (compared to it's competitors). This is a good buy, and obviously, given it's only a year old, I definitely don't expectany sort of new version of this anytime soon (the last NEO series unit was about 5 years between versions).
This is another very popular fan that people use for indoor training/cycling, especially due to inclusion of the remote and remote holder to clasp on your handlebars.
This simulates the up and down motion on Wahoo KICKR trainers moving your bike up and down. Also, there's virtually no product except SNAP, that Wahoo likes to put on sale more. Wouldn't be a sale around here unless this thing was discounted.
⚡ This is a very solid deal for this bike, and the lowest price to date. I actually like the KICKR BIKE SHIFT more than the higher-end KICKR BIKE V2/Pro, mainly because it's both quiter, and seems to be more resillient to issues (less complex design).
⚡This is actually the lowest price we've ever seen on the KICKR V6. Wahoo says we won't see a new top-end KICKR this fall, with them instead focusing on the new KICKR Bike Pro, KICKR CORE 2, and all their new bike computers/radar/etc...
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) Kickstarter adds hardware studio offering to help creators: This is a good step towards trying to minimize the countless delayed hardware projects on Kickstarter. But a better step would be Kickstarter adding repercussions for hardware startups that don’t have realistic plans to begin with. You know, accountability and all that. Still far too many projects pass through Kickstarter’s supposed filters that just aren’t viable with the timelines they set out.
2) Secrets of a Pro Photographer: Maven has done some awesome Giro vlogs, especially in the last few days. Between this one and the one yesterday – he’s really finding his groove. I would say on the photographer one that yes, it’s a bit long. And it might seem a bit ‘cold’ earlier on in the first few minutes, but then it feels like Jered warms up a bit and the content is really interesting.
3) Tour of California Data Numbers: While many teams publish pro data as part of larger compilations, this blog series is actually fairly detailed with a Q&A with the rider themselves on different data aspects. Cool stuff.
4) Inside the Race Caravan at the ToC: Speaking of the Tour of California, this is an awesome piece by Neal Rogers written in real-time from inside one of the Team Sky vehicles. I think this could turn into a great series.
5) Sniper vs GoPro: And I now know how I’m going to justify any future GoPro purchases to The Girl: “But it could save my life!!!”. Seriously though, glad this guy is (mostly) OK. (sent in via Ken)
6) Tidbit on a Runners World vs Nike feud: Interesting post outlining what happened when Runners World published a piece that said Nike wasn’t the best shoe model one year. Looks a bit like Lance Armstrong tactics. On the flipside, when you (a publisher) bite the hand that feeds you (advertising)…and that’s what’s wrong with that model when it comes to reviews. (via Steve Magness)
7) Endless pool swimming file creator: This is pretty nifty. If you’ve got an endless pool you can insert your time and pace, and then the app will automatically determine distance. From there it creates a .TCX file you can upload to various swim platforms. Brilliant. Would love to see this in some sort of watch-app form as well.
8) Heli mountain biking? Why yes, I’d be happy to complete a detailed review of your rack (done in flight of course). I’m glad you asked!
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.
With the big Suunto sale happening, for pure running (26.2 training) with a Stryd footpod and the occasional bike ride without a power meter, Suunto spartan sport or Suunto ambit 3 sport?
To clarify, the goal is to get pace and distance from the footpod while still being able to get a gps track after the run to view where you ran, i.e., ability to keep gps on. If the m430 is an option that is fine as well, but from what I understand the garmin 230 cannot get pace and distance from the footpod unless you turn gps off.
I dont know, im going with what fellrnr wrote and also what it seems the guys at stryd have told me. To me it is confusing because how would gps need to be shut off if you have footpod set to control pace/distance? Seems then that live track would also become nullified. That makes it pretty useless.
The FR230 can be configured to always get pace from the foot pod. This means you can view and record pace from the foot pod whether the GPS is on or off.
However, the FR230 watch defaults to GPS for distance. It is necessary to disable GPS to force the watch to get distance from the foot pod.
Interested in the Sports Tech Deals however, how to order with these discounts and terms from Europe as do not wish to pay import duties and VAT upon delivery – thought Clever Training have European centre now for this but I cannot see this ?
International stuff is tricky (no matter the direction). Take the Garmin deals for example, Garmin only offers those to US retailers, and not UK retailers. And a company like Clever can’t cross-ship items from the US to UK to bridge that gap, it’s considered a no-no.
That said, I was talking to CT about this very thing today on how to potentially offer Europe-specific deals. There have been a few, but it’s challenging to get manufs on board.
Inversely though, within the US retailers have to get permission to discount, whereas the rest of the world considers that practice illegal.
Yeah, that’d be ideal. It’s funny, when I saw that I thought to myself: How on earth is this not a mode in a Garmin watch already? It seems like it’d be simple just like the Swimming Drill mode. Simply set the pace/speed and then press start. Then it automatically takes stroke and time information and boom – perfect files.
Considering all the silly sport modes we have, this seems like an easy one.
I have an Endless Pool, and this is how I use my F3HR to record my swims: I set lap length to 100m, and then I set Alerts to whatever pace I have the pool set to, ie: 2:15. That way after 2 minutes and 15 seconds, I get an alert on my watch, then I hit my lap button to mark 100m and continue on, repeating every 2:15 minutes. At the end of my swim, I get the correct distance, time, and stroke analysis, assuming I don’t pause and accidentally trigger a lap count.
But, if anyone ends up making a proper Connect IQ app for the endless pool, let me know! :D
Any thoughts on a optical heart rate sports/running watch/tracker for a smaller wrist? The 13 year old could use one but the vivoactive HR and the vivosmart(s) look big on him. Wants to record his training runs, etc.
I’d agree, a Scosche under the t-shirt works great, along with a cheaper/smaller GPS watch. You can often find a Garmin FR15/25 on sale for about $60-$80.
They actually have been maintaining feature parity to date. It’s simply that the Fenix team is releasing more betas than the Forerunner team. So it probably looks a bit skewed. But if you go back to the most recent FR935 update, it matches that of the corresponding Fenix 5 updates (though the release notes don’t quite match, the actual content does).
The Heli bike rack guys need to travel a bit – people have been doing it for several years in NZ, such as Helibke Nelson link to helibikenelson.co.nz (Disclaimer, this is a good friend’s company)
If you want to see how to move a lot of bike via chopper at once, here is a option ;-) : link to goo.gl
Any idea when the Tacx Neo Smart will actually be available? I’ve been following the seemingly predictable availability-delays on CT and a bunch of other sites, and am starting to lose faith that they’ll ever be back and available to purchase (not talking about the initially released model…talking about the “newer” one designed to address the initial bugs). I keep reading how it’s one of the best trainers out there, and the lack of an actual flywheel is a big plus for me (no vibrations), but I just can’t find where it’s actually available. Even your REI link says it’s not available.
Ray, I am a car guy. What did you think of your Fiat Abarth Spider 124? It is referred to as a Fiata because it is built at the same plant in Japan where the MX5 Miata ND model is built. Miata has NA engine while the Fiat is a turbo. Well that is enough about that.
Nick:)
Hi, really appreciate your reviews. I use Garmin products, i.e. Edge 1000 and radar. Do you know if Garmin are developing an accessory battery pack? I find the radar is good and useful, especially when riding country roads by oneself, but limited battery life. I envisage an external battery that has the male versions of the 1/4 turn mount on the back with the female version of the 1/4 mount on the front. Hope that makes sense.
Was just wondering if you were planning to review the new Favero Assioma pedals. The information provided available on the net is limited at best, however indicates that they should be easier to install (assumed like the P1’s) with the only information on pricing being a price hidden on a website but shown in Google for $1200 Australian dollars for the dual sided version. Should all of this be correct, they would have to be going to five the P1’s a bit of a shake.
The price will be the same as the BePro, 799€ according to their website. Sounds very promising, if all the description is true, it will definitely start a price drop among the pedal power meters
Stryd Firmware version 1.1.2 gives you improved power on downhills due to improved capturing of eccentric loading, giving you the power to attack the downhill!
Ray, what are your thoughts on the ( Decathlon) Géonaute Onmove 500 ?. It’s cheap ( €99.99) and apparentely has a philips OHR. For that price I can imagine it being an interesting choice for people in Europe. (I’d personally think this watch is probably crap… knowing previous geonaute watches… )
Hello Ray, can You answer this question about Geonaute onmove 500, can You test it? Or You do test only expensive trade marks like Garmin, Suunto, TomTom. Thank You for reaction. Richard
The main reason is I try and focus on items that have global availability (or at least North American + Europe availability). Or planned availability anyway.
With Geonaute, it’s largely the arm of Decathlon, which is mostly just available in Europe. :(
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With the big Suunto sale happening, for pure running (26.2 training) with a Stryd footpod and the occasional bike ride without a power meter, Suunto spartan sport or Suunto ambit 3 sport?
To clarify, the goal is to get pace and distance from the footpod while still being able to get a gps track after the run to view where you ran, i.e., ability to keep gps on. If the m430 is an option that is fine as well, but from what I understand the garmin 230 cannot get pace and distance from the footpod unless you turn gps off.
I thought the FR230 order of precedence is footpod if connected over GPS, no? I’ll have to double-check if something is different in recent firmware.
I dont know, im going with what fellrnr wrote and also what it seems the guys at stryd have told me. To me it is confusing because how would gps need to be shut off if you have footpod set to control pace/distance? Seems then that live track would also become nullified. That makes it pretty useless.
Disclaimer: I am with Stryd
Hi Josh,
The FR230 can be configured to always get pace from the foot pod. This means you can view and record pace from the foot pod whether the GPS is on or off.
However, the FR230 watch defaults to GPS for distance. It is necessary to disable GPS to force the watch to get distance from the foot pod.
Best,
Angus
Interested in the Sports Tech Deals however, how to order with these discounts and terms from Europe as do not wish to pay import duties and VAT upon delivery – thought Clever Training have European centre now for this but I cannot see this ?
International stuff is tricky (no matter the direction). Take the Garmin deals for example, Garmin only offers those to US retailers, and not UK retailers. And a company like Clever can’t cross-ship items from the US to UK to bridge that gap, it’s considered a no-no.
That said, I was talking to CT about this very thing today on how to potentially offer Europe-specific deals. There have been a few, but it’s challenging to get manufs on board.
Inversely though, within the US retailers have to get permission to discount, whereas the rest of the world considers that practice illegal.
Awesome to see that there’s finally a way to get a file for endless pool swims. Is there a way to get stroke info at all? I’m guessing not…
Still, cool stuff. I wonder if someday we’ll see a Connect IQ app for it – maybe the people from Endless Pool would be interested in making their own?
Also wow… I wonder if that GoPro still worked in any capacity, since they said (only the case got damaged). That’s crazy.
And heli-biking looks AWESOME, but I do wonder how you make sure that people don’t lose/drop their bikes holding onto them on the way down?
Thanks again for all the awesomeness. Good stuff.
Yeah, that’d be ideal. It’s funny, when I saw that I thought to myself: How on earth is this not a mode in a Garmin watch already? It seems like it’d be simple just like the Swimming Drill mode. Simply set the pace/speed and then press start. Then it automatically takes stroke and time information and boom – perfect files.
Considering all the silly sport modes we have, this seems like an easy one.
I have an Endless Pool, and this is how I use my F3HR to record my swims: I set lap length to 100m, and then I set Alerts to whatever pace I have the pool set to, ie: 2:15. That way after 2 minutes and 15 seconds, I get an alert on my watch, then I hit my lap button to mark 100m and continue on, repeating every 2:15 minutes. At the end of my swim, I get the correct distance, time, and stroke analysis, assuming I don’t pause and accidentally trigger a lap count.
But, if anyone ends up making a proper Connect IQ app for the endless pool, let me know! :D
Ray,
Any thoughts on a optical heart rate sports/running watch/tracker for a smaller wrist? The 13 year old could use one but the vivoactive HR and the vivosmart(s) look big on him. Wants to record his training runs, etc.
thanks,
Adam
Get him the Scosche arm band, it is so easy and comfortable to use. That way you can use it too!!
I’d agree, a Scosche under the t-shirt works great, along with a cheaper/smaller GPS watch. You can often find a Garmin FR15/25 on sale for about $60-$80.
Is the Garmin 935 likely to keep feature parity with the Fenix 5 variants? It seems that it is not included in the feature updates.
They actually have been maintaining feature parity to date. It’s simply that the Fenix team is releasing more betas than the Forerunner team. So it probably looks a bit skewed. But if you go back to the most recent FR935 update, it matches that of the corresponding Fenix 5 updates (though the release notes don’t quite match, the actual content does).
The Heli bike rack guys need to travel a bit – people have been doing it for several years in NZ, such as Helibke Nelson link to helibikenelson.co.nz (Disclaimer, this is a good friend’s company)
If you want to see how to move a lot of bike via chopper at once, here is a option ;-) : link to goo.gl
Any idea when the Tacx Neo Smart will actually be available? I’ve been following the seemingly predictable availability-delays on CT and a bunch of other sites, and am starting to lose faith that they’ll ever be back and available to purchase (not talking about the initially released model…talking about the “newer” one designed to address the initial bugs). I keep reading how it’s one of the best trainers out there, and the lack of an actual flywheel is a big plus for me (no vibrations), but I just can’t find where it’s actually available. Even your REI link says it’s not available.
Thanks.
Ray, I am a car guy. What did you think of your Fiat Abarth Spider 124? It is referred to as a Fiata because it is built at the same plant in Japan where the MX5 Miata ND model is built. Miata has NA engine while the Fiat is a turbo. Well that is enough about that.
Nick:)
Hi, really appreciate your reviews. I use Garmin products, i.e. Edge 1000 and radar. Do you know if Garmin are developing an accessory battery pack? I find the radar is good and useful, especially when riding country roads by oneself, but limited battery life. I envisage an external battery that has the male versions of the 1/4 turn mount on the back with the female version of the 1/4 mount on the front. Hope that makes sense.
Regards,
Blayne
Was just wondering if you were planning to review the new Favero Assioma pedals. The information provided available on the net is limited at best, however indicates that they should be easier to install (assumed like the P1’s) with the only information on pricing being a price hidden on a website but shown in Google for $1200 Australian dollars for the dual sided version. Should all of this be correct, they would have to be going to five the P1’s a bit of a shake.
Yup, though, it sounds like it won’t be till later this summer that it’s available.
The price will be the same as the BePro, 799€ according to their website. Sounds very promising, if all the description is true, it will definitely start a price drop among the pedal power meters
STRYD FootPOD got a new firmware update to!!
Stryd Firmware version 1.1.2 gives you improved power on downhills due to improved capturing of eccentric loading, giving you the power to attack the downhill!
Ray, what are your thoughts on the ( Decathlon) Géonaute Onmove 500 ?. It’s cheap ( €99.99) and apparentely has a philips OHR. For that price I can imagine it being an interesting choice for people in Europe. (I’d personally think this watch is probably crap… knowing previous geonaute watches… )
Hello Ray, can You answer this question about Geonaute onmove 500, can You test it? Or You do test only expensive trade marks like Garmin, Suunto, TomTom. Thank You for reaction. Richard
I don’t at present have any plans to test it.
The main reason is I try and focus on items that have global availability (or at least North American + Europe availability). Or planned availability anyway.
With Geonaute, it’s largely the arm of Decathlon, which is mostly just available in Europe. :(
Pioneer has a new deal, free computer with the power meter. Ok, same as the deal last year. link to pioneerelectronics.com