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–Nov 26th, 2017
Monday: 5 Random Things I Did This Weekend
Thursday: Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter In-Depth Review
Sports Tech Deals of Note:
Despite what you might think – the sports tech deals are cruisin’ on! In fact, especially for Europe, which has seen the lowest prices ever for many items, much of which is still matching Black Friday sales. All of these are detailed on the massive deals post that I still keep updating.
Still, here’s the rundown of major deals still cookin’:
Wearables:
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Other site | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | AmazFit T-Rex 3 - $75 off | $226 | Amazon | 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). | |
 | Amazfit Active 2 - $20 off | $79 | Amazon | There's absolutely nothing on the market that comes close to the features of the Active 2 at a mere $79. | |
 | Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro - $20 off | $379 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Apple AirPod Pro 3 - $30 off! | $219 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Apple AirPods 4 - $70 off! | $69 | Amazon | This is a very soild deal on these, by far the lowest to date. | |
 | Apple Watch SE 3 - $50 off! $249/$299 (cellular) | $199 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Apple Watch Series 11 - $70 off! | $329 | Amazon | This is the the just released Apple Watch Series 11, which also includes WatchOS26. | |
 | Apple Watch Ultra 3 - $100 off! | $699 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | CORE 2 Body Temperature Sensor - 20% off | €251 | CORE Website | This is the newer pod that came out this past spring. | |
 | COROS Pace 3 - $30 reduction | $199 | Amazon | 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! | |
 | COROS Pace Pro - $50 price drop $349 | $299 | Amazon | 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! | |
 | FORM Smart Swim 2 Goggles - $80 off | $199 | Amazon | ||
 | FORM Smart Swim Pro 2 Goggles - $30 off | $299 | Amazon | 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). | |
 | Fitbit Ace LTE Kids Activity Smartwatch - $80 off | $99 | Amazon | ⚡ 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. | |
 | Fitbit Charge 6 - 38% off! $159 | $99 | Amazon | ⚡ 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. | |
 | Fitbit Inspire 3 - $30 off | $69 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Garmin Bounce 2 Kids Smartwatch with LTE (all colors) - $50 off! | $249 | Amazon | ⚡ 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. | |
 | Garmin Bounce LTE Kids Tracker - $30 off | $119 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Garmin Descent G2 (Dive Watch) - $100 off! | $599 | Amazon | This is Garmin's dive watch based on the Instinct 3 lineup. | |
 | Garmin Descent MK3 (Dive Watch) - $250 off! | $949 | Amazon | 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! | $1,349 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Garmin Enduro 3: $100 off $899 | $749 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | Garmin Epix Pro (42mm) - $300-$400 off! | $449 | Amazon | ⚡⚡⚡ 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. | |
 | Garmin Epix Pro (47mm) - $300-$400 off! | $499 | Amazon | ⚡⚡⚡ 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). | |
 | Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar Sapphire (MIP) - 31% off $799+ | $439 | Amazon | ⚡⚡ 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. | |
 | Garmin Fenix 7S Pro Solar Sapphire (MIP) - 31% off | $449 | Amazon | ⚡ 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. | |
 | Garmin Fenix 8 Pro (yes, the new Pro) - $100 off! | $1,099 | Amazon | ⚡⚡ 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!] | |
 | Garmin Fenix 8 Series - $250 Off! | $749 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ 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. |
| Garmin Fenix 8 Series - $250 Off! $999-$1,199 | $749 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ 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. |
 | Garmin Fenix E - $250 off! | $499 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 165 (Base) - $50 off $249/$299 | $199 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 165 Music - $50 off! | $249 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 255/255S Music - $150 off! $349/$399 | $249 | Amazon | ||
 | Garmin Forerunner 265 Series - $150 off! $449 | $299 | Amazon | ⚡ 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. | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 55 - $50 off $199 | $149 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 570 - $100 off! $549 | $449 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is Garmin's mid-tier Forerunner watch that came out earlier this year, packed with running features. |
 | Garmin Forerunner 965 - $150 off $599 | $449 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ 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). |
 | Garmin Forerunner 970 - $100 off! $749 | $649 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ 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). |
 | Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED - $100 off! $399/$449/$499 | $399 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | Garmin Instinct 3 SOLAR - $100 off | $299 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | Garmin Lily 2 - 20% off $249 | $199 | Amazon | The leather version is also on sale as well. | |
 | Garmin Tactix 8 AMOLED - $250 off! | $1,049 | Amazon | REI | This gets all the same updates as the Fenix 8 Pro, from a software standpoint. |
 | Garmin Tactix 8 SOLAR - $250 off! | $1,149 | Amazon | REI | This gets all the same updates as the Fenix 8 Pro, from a software standpoint. |
 | Garmin Venu 3 - $100 off! $449 | $349 | Amazon | The Venu 4 came out in September, though with a massive price jump. | |
 | Garmin Venu 4 - $50 off! | $499 | Amazon | ⚡ 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. | |
 | Garmin Venu X1 - $200 off! | $599 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ 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. |
 | Garmin Vivoactive 5 - $100 off! $299 | $199 | Amazon | ||
 | Garmin Vivoactive 6 - $50 off! $299 | $249 | Amazon | ⚡ 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). | |
 | Google Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) - $100 OFF | $200+ | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Oura Ring 4 - $100 off! | $249 | Amazon | ⚡ This is by far the best deal we've seen on the Oura ring (really, since ever, let alone the current version). | |
 | Pixel Watch 4 - $50 off! | $299 | Amazon | All base variants of the PIxel Watch are $50 off, however the LTE variants are $100 off, and those include satellite SOSconnectivity! | |
| Pixel Watch 4 LTE editions - $100 off! | $349 | Amazon | ⚡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). | |
 | Polar H10 Chest Strap (Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart) - $20 off $89 | $84 | Amazon | 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%. | |
 | Polar H9 Chest Strap - $10 off | $59 | Amazon | 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 | |
 | Polar Ignite 3 - $60 off! $329 | $339 | Amazon | ||
 | Polar Pacer - $65 off | $234 | Amazon | ||
 | Polar Vantage M3 Multisport GPS Watch - $35 off! $399 | $463 | Amazon | ||
 | Polar Verity Sense - 15% off $99 | $89 | Amazon | I use this as one of my reference devices for heart rate accuracy testing. | |
 | SHOKZ OpenFit - Open-Ear Headphones - $20 off | $159 | Amazon | ||
 | SHOKZ OpenRun Headphones - 31% off | $89 | Amazon | ||
 | SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 - 31% off! | $124 | Amazon | ||
 | SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 Mini - 31% off! | $124 | Amazon | ||
 | Samsung Galaxy Ring - $120 off | $279 | Amazon | ||
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) - $100 off! | $549 | Amazon | ||
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - $70 off | $279 | Amazon | This is the lowest price to date on this recently released watch. | |
 | Suunto Aqua Swimming Open-Ear Bluetooth Headphones - 22% off! | $139 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Ocean (Dive Watch) - $180 off! | $719 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Race - $50 off! $449/$549 | $296 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Race S - $70 off! $349 | $279 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Run - $50 off! $249 | $199 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Suunto Vertical (Solar edition) - $320 off | $519 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Vertical - $150 off! | $339 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Wahoo TRACKR Heart Rate Sensor - $15 off $89 | $84 | Amazon | ||
 | Whoop 5.0 - Peak (12-Month Subscription) - $40 off! | $199 | Amazon | ||
 | Whoop 5.0/MG - Life (12-Month Subscription) - $60 off! | $299 | Amazon |
Cycling:
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Other site | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Favero Assioma Duo/Uno Power Meter Pedals - 220EUR off! | 469EUR | N/A | Favero Site | This is a good deal for the dual-sided pedals, especially if you don't mind the pod design. |
 | Favero Assioma Pro MX Pedals (Dual) Power Meter Pedals - 100EUR off! | $589/589EUR | N/A | Favero Site | ⚡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. |
 | Favero Assioma Pro RS (SPD-SL) Power Meter Pedals - 100EUR off! | $649/599EUR | N/A | Favero Site | ⚡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. |
 | Garmin Edge 1040 Cycling GPS - $150 off! | $399 | Amazon | ⚡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). | |
 | Garmin Edge 540 - $100 off | $249 | Amazon | REI | ⚡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). |
 | Garmin Edge 540 Solar - $150 off | $249 | Amazon | ⚡⚡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!). | |
 | Garmin Edge 840 - $100 off | $349 | Amazon | REI | This is Garmin's main mid-range cycling GPS, it's what my wife uses and she's perfectly happy with it. |
 | Garmin Edge 840 Solar - $150 off | $399 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on the Edge 840. |
 | Garmin Varia RCT715 Camera Radar - $50 off | $349 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Garmin Varia RVR315 Radar - $50 off | $99 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | Garmin Varia Radar (RTL515) - $50 off | $149 | Amazon | REI | 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? |
 | Garmin Varia Vue Front Light/Camera - $50 | $499 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | Hammerhead Karoo 3 - $55 off! $474 | $420 | Amazon | I really like this unit, and think they've easily surpassed Wahoo these days in terms of features, display-quality, stability, etc... | |
 | Wahoo ACE Cycling GPS - $125 off $624 | $499 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Wahoo ROAM V3 - $70 off! | $426 | Amazon |
Action Cams & Drones:
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Other site | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | DJI Action 4 - $100 off | $199 | Amazon | While technically two years old, it's an incredibly strong contender at this price point. | |
 | DJI Action 5 Pro - $70 off | $259 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | DJI Avata 2 Bundle - $110 off! | $619 | Amazon | DJI Avata 2 Fly Smart Combo (Single Battery) with Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 | |
 | DJI Flip - $90 off | $349 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | DJI Mini 4K Drone - $60 off | $239 | Amazon | If you're looking to get into flying with a DJI drone, this is a solid place to start. | |
 | DJI NEO - $40 off! | $159 | Amazon | ⚡ 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. | |
 | DJI OSMO 360 - $190 off | $357 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | DJI OSMO Pocket 3 - $280 off | $529 | Amazon | REI | This is the unit I use to film virtually all of my videos these days. I absolutely love it. |
 | GoPro Hero 13 Black - $100 OFF! | $309 | Amazon | This is the lowest price we've seen in a year. | |
 | GoPro Hero 4K - $20 off | $179 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | GoPro LIT Hero 4K - $40 off | $229 | Amazon | ||
 | GoPro Max 2 - $50 off! | $399 | Amazon | This is now the lowest price we've seen for the Max 2, which just came out in September. | |
 | HoverAir X1 Drone Combo - $50 off! | $237 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | HoverAir X1 Pro Drone Combo Kit - $300 off | $607 | Amazon | ⚡ 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). | |
 | HoverAir X1 ProMax Bundle - $250 off! | $719 | Amazon | This includes three batteries, the drone, the vast charger, and some extra accessories. | |
| HoverAir X1 ProMax Cycling Bundle - $352 off! | $929 | Amazon | This includes three batteries, the drone, the vast charger, and some extra accessories, plus the Beacon (handelbar remote) | |
 | Insta360 Ace Pro 2 - $65 off! | $334 | Amazon | This is one of my two main daily action cams (along with the GoPro Hero 13 Black). | |
 | Insta360 GO 3S Tiny 4K Action Camera - $70 off! | $279 | Amazon | ||
 | Insta360 Go Ultra Tiny 4K Action Cam - $70 off! | $379 | Amazon | ⚡ 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). | |
 | Insta360 X5 360* Action Cam - $85 off! | $464 | Amazon | 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). |
Europe:
There are no deals currently.
And again, keep checking the full list out!
YouTube Videos I Made This Week:
Here’s what hit the tubes over on the You of Tube, definitely don’t forget to subscribe there to get notified of videos the second they hit!
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) The most incredible bike share photo: This photo shows what happens when you fill an entire football field with discarded bike share bikes…and stack it as high as some buildings. Unbelievable, you really need to see this photo.
2) Jumping into an airplane with a wingsuit: Undoubtedly, many of you have seen this by now. But if not, enjoy. And if you have already, enjoy it again. It’s worth it, as you know.
3) Getting the GoPro Shot (further details): Last week I shared a GoPro video on the behind the scenes of just one brief sequence in the launch video. This post however details that out even further in a more textual manner.
4) SoulCycle now offered as benefit on a points credit card: For those in Europe, the whole credit card points thing is illogical. But for those in the US/Canada, you know it’s all about the points card. This card apparently offers free days at SoulCycle. I thought it was interesting (I’ve never done SoulCylce however).
5) Fitbit selected for long-term national health study: Regardless of which vendor is selected, it’s good to see some long-term studies being done with vast numbers of people. Let’s just hope that there’s at least a few people that understand technology helping with this study, so that we don’t end up with all the flawed ones we see recently on wearables.
6) GlovePay, it’s a thing: Forget Garmin Pay and Fitbit Pay, for the upcoming winter Olympics, you’ll be able to pay by rubbing your gloves against the payment terminal.
7) FDA approves first EKG reader for Apple Watch: This is an interesting one, but one you shouldn’t be misled by the main headlines about it. This is NOT the FDA approving the Apple Watch as an EKG reader. Instead, it’s the FDA approving an accessory for the Apple Watch by a 3rd party company as an EKG reader. The cool part here though is that it’s doing it via an Apple Watch band/strap that you then place your finger on. I’ve gotta believe the company will look to make straps for other devices like Fitbit and Garmin, since it’d be easy for them to leverage app platforms on both companies devices.
8) Study looking at accuracy of the CycleOps Hammer trainer: Not too shabby. Though personally I would have liked to have seen wattages above 500w, since that’s pretty low by most testing standards. (via Tim)
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 Edge 520 and 820 Firmware Updates: Adds latest Connect IQ support, tweaks some indoor trainer stuff, other fixes. (both units identical here on update)
Garmin Edge 1000 Firmware Update: Adds latest Connect IQ support.
Garmin Edge 1030 Firmware Update: Adds latest Connect IQ support, boatload of other tweaks and some new features.
Garmin Fenix Chronos BETA firmware update: Bunch of fixes/tweaks.
Garmin Forerunner 735XT Firmware Update: Adds latest Connect IQ support, some Varia Vision tweaks.
Garmin VIRB 360 Firmware Update: Apparently resolves random things that were too random to list.
Wahoo ELEMNT/ELEMNT BOLT Firmware Update: Mostly bug fixes, but a smattering of new features including zero averaging calculations. GPLama also did a more detailed piece on it here.
Zwift update: You can now control the camera with far more granularity, allowing you to rotate it around you like drone shots. Also a pile of other new features and stuff, but the camera one stood out to me as nifty.
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With that, thanks for reading!
$349 for the PowerTap C1 chainring power meter is an amazing deal. I just purchased – upgrading from left-only Stages. Thanks Ray!
I just recently found out about the Apple Heart Study. I’ve installed the app on phone and watch and signed up but nothing has happened yet. I don’t know yet whether they’re going to take data from anyone who signs up or only a selected few. Looks like it’s being paid for by Apple and run by Stanford.
What a shame that the Chinese government is just creating a giant scrap pile of bikes, rather than stuffing them in to containers and sending them somewhere that could really benefit from them through something like link to worldbicyclerelief.org. I’m sure that the vast majority of those bikes could be repaired by cannibalising parts from other bikes, at least before the were heaped up so high, which has likely bent anything more than a few feet deep beyond rescuing.
Indeed, that was both my and The Girl’s first thought as well. Just thinking that WBR could likely whack the bike locks off of these and call it macaroni.
Of course, it’s far more complex that that – but certainly some org must be able to use these in rural locales.
Here in Hong Kong I first thought that bike sharing was a good thing until it became obvious that many users are just too irresponsible and just leave the bike where they need to get off. That is in the middle of the walking/running path, in front of stairs or anywhere else they get in the way of other cyclists and pedestrians. The bike share companies are not much better, pushing out their bikes in public bike parking to the extent where there is no spot free for people to park their private bikes. Setting aside the fact that its a waste to just discard them, I would not mind if I saw a pile like the one of the pic here in Hong Kong.
I do remember a similar but smaller pile on a pic form Beijing, It was outside a hospital and it was bikes left by incoming patients that had to be piled up so they didn’t block access to the hospital.
The Hammer study summery says they are comparing to a “scientific SRM system” while the full text says its Powertap P1 pedals. Gee, I wonder who funded this…..
“The last 45s of each measurement was analyzed.”
Doesn’t a persons power output get steadier towards the end of a 3 min interval so easier to measure? Seems like steady state was accurate but the sprint test wasn’t so good based on figure 1.B
For those who want the full text: link to fredericgrappe.com
Nice find, I couldn’t find it quickly. That is odd.
What’s funny is that in looking at the authors of the study with their affiliations listed in the full text, I know from some other things just being local they work very closely with PowerTap/CycleOps on other projects. Didn’t recognize the author names, but definitely the orgs. Good call…
The comment on the dual sided WatTeam power meter says:
⚡⚡THIS BRINGS IT DOWN TO 300GBP/342EUR FOR A SINGLE SIDED UNIT – BY FAR THE CHEAPEST DIRECT FORCE POWER METER OUT THERE.
It’s £300 for a dual one or £204 for single (as you say in the next line down).
And the DCR discount applies too, so it’s even cheaper! :)
Hello Ray
Tourism Flanders has created a website ‘Cycling in Flanders’ to promote its cobblestones classics to foreign cycling tourists: cool!
Info on http://www.cyclinginflanders.cc
Kind regards
Ed
I think you have discussed this before but I can’t find it — do we know how long for tomtom have committed to supporting their web platform?
I’ve commented on the wrong post ?