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:
While the biggest news of the week is the current 20% off sale going on here, where the biggest savings are, especially for trainers and power meters. That’s all going on till Wednesday, so don’t miss out on that.
Still, on this past Friday another swath of items went out for sale. The main points include:
$100 off all Fenix 5s – 5/18-6/16
$50 off Edge 25 units (base and bundle) – 5/18-5/28
20% off on Saris and CycleOps – 5/18-5/30
$50 off Edge 520 5/18-5/28
Here’s the full listing with links that support the site though:
Product
Sale Price
Amazon
Other site
Sale Notes
4iiii Precision Ride-Ready Power Meters - $100 off!
This is for their non-drive power meter, in either the 'Ride-Ready' config (they send you a completed unit), or $50 off for the factory-install (where you send in your crank arm). The Ride Ready option is really a solid deal, considering you get a reliable power meter for $235.
Ride Ready R7000 - 30% off
Ride Ready R8000 - 20% off
Factory Install - 20% off
9th Gen Apple 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - $100 off!
⚡ 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 Wahoo SYSTM, 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.
I've been using these the past few months, after years of using the Beats Studio Buds...man, these things rock. My wife has already started stealing them, which means she'll probably get a set for Christmas so she'll stop sealing them.
⚡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.
These aren't the latest anymore, that's the newer 3rd gen units. But if budget is in mind, it's hard to beat these. It's still what my wife uses as her daily driver, including tons of time on the indoor trainer/bike.
⚡This is now the lowest price we've ever seen the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) - a very solid deal, especially with the new WatchOS 10 features adding in offline topo mapping, power meter support, and plenty more.
This is Apple's latest Apple Watch model, and did quite well in my review when it launched about two months ago. Especially notable is all the new sports/fitness features it got this year, such as cycling power meter/sensor support.
This is really the first slate of sales we've seen on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the lowest price to date. Note: It'll show $739, and then to get the full extra $10 more off, you have to check that 'Apply Coupon' button under the price.
There's just no competition in our minds on the best running stroller - it's what we used with all three of our kiddos for everyting from intervals to 20-mile long runs. In fact, we actually have two of them - one at home in Europe, and one with family in Canada that we picked up used. Go Bob Go!
The DJI Avata is DJI's smaller form factor FPV drone, and one of my favorites to fly. I don't use it all the time, but more for very specific things requiring a bit more agility (whereas most of the times I'll use the DJI Mini 4 Pro, Air 3, or Mavic 3 Pro).
There's definitely something cool about seeing a sub-$300 drone. And there's nothing wrong with this drone, it's very good. Just be careful though, because it's lack of 360* obstacle avoidance means it's pretty easy to get yourself in a pinch for a beginner drone.
Up till the Mini 4 Pro came out, this was my go-to drone. It's what I shot almost all my drone footage from, and is great for both cycling and hiking (or trail running with a hydration pack to hold it), as it's super lightweight and includes everything you need.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the DJI Mini 4 Pro on sale, for a product DJI rarely discounts so soon after release. This is a great drone, and my go-to unit now for most trips.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Fenix 7 Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. The smaller Fenix 7S Pro watch has become my wife's go-to watch since it came out, for all of her training and 24x7 usage.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a crazy super strong deal, with Amazon having it as low as $449 (insane). Note that the Epix Gen 2 has continued to receive virtually all of the Epix Pro new features firmware updates. Also note: This deal is *STILL* available. Sometimes you'll have to click to show other retailers (on the right side), but it's still live.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Epix Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. I'd say this is probably my go-to watch these days (middle-sized one), with the singular reason I tend to choose it over the Forerunner 965, being the built-in flashlight for night.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Epix Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. I'd say this is probably my go-to watch these days (middle-sized one), with the singular reason I tend to choose it over the Forerunner 965, being the built-in flashlight for night.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a crazy super strong deal, with Amazon having it as low as $499 for Sapphire edition (insane). Note that the Epix Gen 2 has continued to receive virtually all of the Epix Pro new features firmware updates.
[Note: This is a renewed unit] Obviously, the Fenix 6 isn't the latest anymore, but these are still very capable watches and frankly, at $329, there's absolutely nothing from any of their even brand-new competitor watches (COROS, Polar, Suunto, etc...) that can even remotely compete with the features here. Heck, not even Garmin's own pricing for their Fenix 7 Pro can compete with this. Fwiw, all Garmin renewed units go back to the same factory original units came from. Frankly, there's virtually no difference. If you're on a budget, this is where it's at.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Fenix 7 Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. The smaller Fenix 7S Pro watch has become my wife's go-to watch since it came out, for all of her training and 24x7 usage.
⚡This is a strong deal if you don't care about the new optical heart rate sensor (including ECG) of the newer Fenix 7 Pro, especially given the Fenix 7 series has received virtually all of the Fenix 7 Pro's new software features, keeping them essentially identical.
This is Garmin's mid-tier running watch, and is a very polished option with good multi-band GPS, and of course, a boatload of running metrics. This model also includes offline music such as Spotify and Amazon Music.
This is one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and this is now the lowest price we've ever seen on it. 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.
This is one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and this is now the lowest price we've ever seen on it. I often use this in my accuracy testing comparisons when validating other watches, due to it's very strong GPS performance. This is the SOLAR edition.
This is a good deal, especially considering the Instinct 2 series got Training Readiness and a host of other new features over the course of just this year alone.
This is a great deal at $199 for the smaller 2S units, especially considering the Instinct 2 series got Training Readiness and a host of other new features over the course of just this year alone. Plus of course all the existing triathlon/power meter/etc support it has built-in.
This is the first time we've seen the Instinct 2X on sale, and since announcement it's received a huge slate of firmware updates and new features. It's best thought of as an Instinct 2.5, as it has almost enough features to really be more of an Instinct 3 (which doesn't exist at this point).
⚡ 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.
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.
These are the WiFi mesh access points I use both at home and the DCR Cave. Love them - I don't need to dork with them, they just work. Sure, there are fancier 'Pro' versions now, but really, I just have zero issues.
While the new Pixel Watch 2 just came out a month ago, the Pixel Watch 2 got almost all the software features two weeks ago via software update. The Pixel Watch 2 does have a slightly better optical HR sensor, and better battery life, but otherwise is relatively similiar.
⚡The Karoo 2 is down to $299 ($100 off), but you can use DCR coupon code DCRAIN40 to get an additional $40 off, bringing it down to $259!!! A very solid deal given all the software updates it's received!
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.
Hyperice Normatec 3 Leg Recovery System - $100 off
I actually quite like the Insat360 Go 3 and the combo of tiny form factor when you want it, and screen-box when you don't. I'm not sure $20 off is a sale worth jumping out of your seat for, but hey...a sale is a sale.
This is something I use frequently when shooting out and about and I need to re-charge a crapton of drone batteries, action cameras, or just cameras and such. I also use it on trips to Eurobike and elsewhere to keep equipment charged. I've even bought a solar panel to hook up to it (surprisingly effective). Heck, I've even powered a KICKR trainer ride from it!
Lasko High Velocity Pro-Performance Fan (U15617) - 23% off
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. I've actually got this fan in the DCR Cave recently on advice of many people.
Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee & Espresso Kit - 30% off
⚡ 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!
We use one of these and so far after just about five years, it's working great for us. Love it, and works better than trying to stick a regular Nest Cam out the window (since it'll reflect both during daytime and at night with the IR sensor).
⚡ I know, I know, I still owe everyone a review. Nonetheless, 2+ years later, I love this thing. We use it for more than pizza too, notably steaks (to get a really crispy sear). But a lot of pizza. It's completely portable, even easily fitting on our cargo bike. Note that I went with this model, the cheapest one they make, as I realized that buying the higher-end models that that support gas didn't make much sense for me. I have a gas grill already (and could easily just put a stone on it). Similarly, while a large 16" is appealing, realistically I've found this 12" more than enough for pretty substantial personal pizzas (and it makes it easier to handle). Full in-depth review pretty soon...probably. Also, $244 appears to be the lowest price ever.
I believe this is the lowest price we've ever seen on the original/base Peloton Bike model (without a bundle required). This 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. Note Peloton has stated/confirmed there will be no 'bigger discounts' on products during this holiday period.
This is a solid deal for the Bike+. 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. Note Peloton has stated/confirmed there will be no 'bigger discounts' on products during this holiday period.
Peloton has the Peloton Row on sale, both this base unit here, but also various bundled units as well. This is the first times we've seen the base unit (non-bundled) on sale.
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%. Note, the medium- size is the one on sale.
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 use a literal flotilla of these small SSD's for all my photo/video projects until they get moved off to the NAS system (Synology) for longer term storage. I have T5/T7 units, and are picking up a few of the larger T9 ones given the sale prices. Love them, incredibly fast and reliable.
⚡I use the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD Cards exclusively for all my video/photo shooting on my Panasonic GH5 and Nikon cameras (video and stills), including up to 6K recording with the GH5. I've mostly used 128's, but more and more lately I'm filling up cards faster with higher bitrates, so this sale is gonna have me pickup a bunch of the 256GB ones instead. The 128GB/ 512GB/1TB ones are also on sale too viathe same link. Note that usually I wait till these are about $40-45, so this is a fantastic deal and I'll be filling up.
⚡ A very solid deal, making it the least expensive smart bike out there. Note that while the deal is marketed as being 37% off, most of the time the bike floats between $2,500 and $2,800. Still - $1,999 is very solid.
This is the first time we've seen the new Suunto Vertical on sale, and especially notable given the huge firmware update it got this past week with tons of new features from the also-new Suunto Race watch.
⚡⚡ Holy crap, this is an incredible deal. Get this while it's hot and lasts. Note that you can also pair this with the NEO Motion Plates, which would give you a slight bit of forward/back rolling motion.
This is arguably my wife's favorite sports tech gadget. She uses it pretty much daily. Thus, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this deal. Also, please don't tell her, she might just buy another one...
My wife uses the Theragun Elite, which is just slightly more expensive than this model at $299 on sale right now. But hey, I hear good things about all of these.
⚡⚡ This deal is back, and it's a pretty incredible deal. It's the Wahoo KICKR CORE down to $499, which REI briefly did this past June. Nobody else seems to be offering this deal, and even though the KICKR CORE got the price reduced to $599 recently, it's virtually unheard of to see these trainers below the $500 marker.
⚡ This is a very solid deal that happens twice a year, if you were looking at the Wahoo power meter pedals, grab these before this disappears (and it usually disappears). As with the Garmin Rally pedals, I continue to use Wahoo power meter pedals for accuracy testing of other brands/units.
⚡ This is a very solid deal that happens twice a year, if you were looking at the Wahoo power meter pedals, grab these before this disappears (and it usually disappears). As with the Garmin Rally pedals, I continue to use Wahoo power meter pedals for accuracy testing of other brands/units.
⚡ At some point, everything becomes a steal. While the Wahoo RIVAL struggles to be comepetitive with higher-end watches, at $99, it's a pretty crazy deal - especially for triathletes where Wahoo does some cool stuff around automatic transitions.
I've long been a fan of the Withings WiFi scales, especially since they can connect/push data to so many platforms, including Zwift! Note that the Body+ simply includes more data.
Enjoy (and thanks for helping support the site, even if it’s just buying toilet paper using the Amazon link on the sidebar).
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) Next time you assault someone, don’t upload to Strava: While the underlying storyline here leaves some space for thinking about bike safety, what’s clear is that you shouldn’t upload rides to Strava when you commit a felony on a ride.
2) Clever Training acquired by JackRabbit Sports: While technically an acquisition, this is really more of a merger in terms of the ultimate goals. JackRabbit has some 60 stores, Clever Training a large online presence. From talking to CT, they don’t anticipate any immediate changes, CT will continue to operate as-is. The biggest near-term impact you’ll see though is CT starting to get access to the massive inventory of shoes/apparel that Jackrabbit has. Otherwise, business as normal. Ultimately, for you (and me and even employees) I think this will be a good thing. The two entities have virtually no overlap, so it’s really more about synergies.
3) I need a new TV. NYC shot via aerial system at 12K! Now YouTube only supports 8K, so that’s the highest you can watch it in. But even within that, the level of detail if you watch at 4K is still incredible. You’ll notice it on the really long shot that slowly advanced towards times square. Just look at details like cars and such. Of course, given I lack even 1 RED camera, I don’t think my reviews will start shooting with three of them anytime soon. Though…I did take RED camera training…so…ya never know! (via Jonathan M.)
5) Refactor bike computer with camera on Kickstarter: Here’s the thing, I actually rather like the overall specs of this device. I do think getting cameras on head units is the eventual goal (but like the Xplova unit I reviewed, camera quality will suck for a while). But here’s the more important thing: There’s not a chance in hell I’d invest in a Kickstarter project that’s currently not slated to deliver till March 2019. That’s an eternity in the bike computer world, especially these next 12 months. And of course, even more an eternity when almost no sports tech Kickstarter projects meet their timelines. This launched too soon unfortunately.
6) Speaking of Kickstarter: I hate…no, I despise and hate, the new Kickstarter Hardware Studio badge levels recently announced. While Kickstarter says these are to make it easier for y’all to figure out where a product stands, they’re rather purposefully designed/named to make it look like all products are great. For all its faults, they should have gone with a simple color and level coded system like DHS has/had for attacks (Low to High, but was always high, making it meaningless), with these levels mapping into chance of success. A ‘Hardware Ready 1’ level might map to ‘Low to medium’ in the real world. Not ‘Oh, it’s great, invest’. Again, hate, hate, hate. Purely designed to trick you into spending money. Did I mention I hate it?
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.
Hammerhead Karoo Firmware Update: This update brings some minor tweaks and a few bug fixes. It does though now support hotel style WiFi hotspots that require a login.
Ray, why are you saying that “especially this 12 months” would ve an eternity for bike computers. Do you expect major updates/launches this upcoming year? I know you cannot/shouldn’t spoil any product launches, so it is more of a rethorical question – nonetheless any hints appreciated! 🙂
I’m moreso focused on new entrants to the market than existing major players. So companies akin to Hammerhead. The vast majority of them will be based on Android. Some will fail (though not immediately), and some will likely rise up to challenge Garmin/Wahoo/etc…
Just had an update to my 735xt to version 9.30 – not registered anywhere yet though except on the forums. However it does state “phased rollout: 100%” in the forum post – so it appears no more new functionality/updates will be delivered to that platform?
Phased rollout simply means that specific firmware version is now fully available to all users. Phased rollouts happen over usually a few days or so, primarily designed to minimize issues should there be something uncaught in testing. Most companies, including Apple, do the same.
That said, at reaching over 2 years since introduction, it would be common to not see it get new features (just bug fixes, as the nearly 4 year old FR920XT continues to get). But sometimes things randomly show up. I don’t know either way what the plans are for the FR735XT (and likely, they wouldn’t say anyway).
Closing in on the end of the campaign, and almost a million dollars raised, with still no real data to suggest that this isn’t vaporware. The real possibility, though, that you can buy a fairly inexpensive “gadget” that you just clip on your bike and get power with 1% accuracy is pretty alluring. (I’m a backer 😉
With a comment they made back on April 27 it makes me really question it. Provided the comment they made below.
“We think it is not fair to give data of our prototype and show the world we can build a prototype that works, instead of showing the world we can mass-produce a power meter that is accurate in every condition and affordable for every cyclist.
When the first mass production power meters are produced, we certainly give accuracy data to our backers. We hope you have just as much trust in our new approach as we have!
In addition, we cannot thank you enough for your support, without your support we were not able to give every cyclist the opportunity to ride with a power meter.”
Any link by chance? I can’t find any mention of it on Suunto’s website within their update section. And my Spartan didn’t get anything this week to my memory.
Interesting, I’m aware of those planned features, but still oddly can’t seem to find the official communication on it (or it on the main site). I wonder if he’s on the beta list.
I’ll have to do some digging. Thanks for the tip though!
Any gut feel on whether Suunto will launch a new Spartan (or similar) that will be more competitive with 935/Fenix5 from a battery life (with oHR) perspective?
Hi Ray,
My SSSWHR also received the update and then I went hunting on the Suunto web site with no luck. I haven’t run yet with the update so I’ll be interested to see what’s changed.
I’d like to see data on the number of sports science studies that have used MBI analysis. You know you’re in trouble when essentially the whole statistics community rejects your methodology and when your methodology is in direct conflict with methods that have proven to work.
I wonder if US Representative Mo Brooks used MBI to conclude that boulders falling into the ocean are a significant factor in the rise in sea level?
The problem for Sports Science is much more nuanced than the title of that paper would suggest. The real problem is not the statistics itself, but the extremely small sample sizes in any of these studies. Getting athletes to participate in often complex, time consuming studies rather than concentrating on their own training is difficult. Most studies are really just a small step up from purely anecdotal evidence, which is basically what you get when you rely on a coach based on his previous results. In an attempt to tease out meaningful data from small sample sizes, MBI produces results but with the potential for more false positives. Unless a study can find a way to increase the number of participants (aggregating data from other studies and publishing more raw data?) there is no silver bullet, which this article points out.
I’m the market for an action camera. Is the $250 price point for the hero 5 enough to justify picking it over end hero 6 or is it better to spend a little more now and get better tech in the hero 6?
I think in general it is. If I look at all the day to day stuff I use the Hero 6 for, every bit of it can be accomplished with the Hero 5.
It’s super rare that I shoot in 4K60 (mainly because it’s ‘wide’ only and I mostly prefer a linear view to match DSLR footage, which isn’t available in 4K60).
I’d say unless you have a very specific Hero6 Black only item in mind, I’d think $150 savings is a solid deal.
I haven’t quite decided yet to be honest. It’s definitely an interesting device, though, the main reason why I reviewed the new inReach was mainly the integration aspects (whereas I haven’t reviewed previous devices).
Still, it’s a compelling device and it’s been a while since I bought a SPOT device.
Hey Ray. Quick question regarding Garmin IQ apps. Is there any kind of ring-fencing / protection between the core watch and the IQ? I recently had a lot of problems with the watch (735XT) crashing when using the stryd power field, which hasn’t done so after removing the app, thus I’m confused between true watch problems and app problems. It seems strange that Garmin wouldn’t create some kind of fail proof side of the watch where the core functions couldn’t be affected by bugs in non Garmin software, but maybe that is the way?
In theory there is, but in reality there are gaps. Turns out some of my recent Edge 520 Plus crashes were actually caused by a CIQ Data Field. There are lots of protections they have in place, but it seems like any app platform, there are always some holes yet to be addressed.
I’m calling that Refactor light/camera/GPS “dangerous accessory of the week”.
Two equally bright, but slightly separated LED lights on a horizontal plane looks, to your average inattentive car driver, like another car in the distance. You know, sufficiently far enough away to allow them to pull out….right into your path.
Spectacularly bad idea. One can only hope they will never actually deliver anything.
Not really. From 50′ or 100′ feet up the road there’s just simply not enough separation to see that they are distinct bulbs, kind of like how train track seem to narrow in the distance.
It’s like the futility of underseat turn signals on a bike; great in concept but poor in execution. Turn signals work on a car because they’re separated by a few feet. Unless a car is right on you; one can’t distinguish the difference between a blinky light under the middle of you left cheek vs. under the middle of your right cheek as they’re both under your body; they just look like a generic blinky under your seat.
I remember the Pumas, from sports and computing magazines I got as a kid, but never saw one in real life.
I was interested, but only the big shots had a Commodore 64, while us plebes had the lowly Vic 20.
Yeah, I can’t remember if Strava has implement ANTfs support for that in the .FIT files. I know it wasn’t for a while, but I vaguely remember them adding it a while back. Or perhaps it was Training Peaks that added it.
Either way, it’s not rocket science…yet continues to be for some platforms.
Refactor has the right idea but it is doubtful they can pull it off. There is too much to go wrong.
If Garmin decides to introduce a 1030+cam+light combo device I’d buy it. They have the required expertise producing all three components.
The light primarily needs to operate in daytime mode with a wide beam directed forward, plus an emergency mode that directs a narrow beam downward to get you home after dark if needed.
I used to work for JackRabbit when it used to be just 2 stores, and I helped open their third store back in 2009. It went from being a great mom and pop triathlon store, to this behemoth. Along the way, they shed all things triathlon, sold out to mega advertising in their stores, and got rid of the very personal service that they were know for. The one good thing that came out of it is that they now have a decently strong online presence.
I hope that with all the moving and shaking that JackRabbit has done in the last 6 years, it won’t ruin the overall experience that I have come to get used to with Clever Training.
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
With TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40 for tech and non-tech purchases!
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Check out
my weekly podcast - with GPLAMA, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
I remember the Puma! But I had no plans to the Commodore so no go…not that I actually ever saw the shoes for sale.
Ray, why are you saying that “especially this 12 months” would ve an eternity for bike computers. Do you expect major updates/launches this upcoming year? I know you cannot/shouldn’t spoil any product launches, so it is more of a rethorical question – nonetheless any hints appreciated! 🙂
I’m moreso focused on new entrants to the market than existing major players. So companies akin to Hammerhead. The vast majority of them will be based on Android. Some will fail (though not immediately), and some will likely rise up to challenge Garmin/Wahoo/etc…
Should be exciting!
Garmin 935 and Fenix 5 also got some new beta firmware.
Yeah, technically they made the cut for last week, so I listed them there. 🙂
With the 20 percent off the PowerTap P1 pedals are 635. That’s pretty amazing, think that is half what I paid 2 years ago.
Just had an update to my 735xt to version 9.30 – not registered anywhere yet though except on the forums. However it does state “phased rollout: 100%” in the forum post – so it appears no more new functionality/updates will be delivered to that platform?
Phased rollout simply means that specific firmware version is now fully available to all users. Phased rollouts happen over usually a few days or so, primarily designed to minimize issues should there be something uncaught in testing. Most companies, including Apple, do the same.
That said, at reaching over 2 years since introduction, it would be common to not see it get new features (just bug fixes, as the nearly 4 year old FR920XT continues to get). But sometimes things randomly show up. I don’t know either way what the plans are for the FR735XT (and likely, they wouldn’t say anyway).
speaking of kickstarte, how about link to kickstarter.com ?
ah, sorry, there is already post about that. initially try search for iq² and didn’t get result.
No worries. For others looking for it, here ya go: link to dcrainmaker.com
Closing in on the end of the campaign, and almost a million dollars raised, with still no real data to suggest that this isn’t vaporware. The real possibility, though, that you can buy a fairly inexpensive “gadget” that you just clip on your bike and get power with 1% accuracy is pretty alluring. (I’m a backer 😉
With a comment they made back on April 27 it makes me really question it. Provided the comment they made below.
“We think it is not fair to give data of our prototype and show the world we can build a prototype that works, instead of showing the world we can mass-produce a power meter that is accurate in every condition and affordable for every cyclist.
When the first mass production power meters are produced, we certainly give accuracy data to our backers. We hope you have just as much trust in our new approach as we have!
In addition, we cannot thank you enough for your support, without your support we were not able to give every cyclist the opportunity to ride with a power meter.”
Ray, big update for the suunto spartan too.. Any news on a spartan 2?
Any link by chance? I can’t find any mention of it on Suunto’s website within their update section. And my Spartan didn’t get anything this week to my memory.
link to deporteporvida.com.
link to deporteporvida.com
Interesting, I’m aware of those planned features, but still oddly can’t seem to find the official communication on it (or it on the main site). I wonder if he’s on the beta list.
I’ll have to do some digging. Thanks for the tip though!
Any gut feel on whether Suunto will launch a new Spartan (or similar) that will be more competitive with 935/Fenix5 from a battery life (with oHR) perspective?
Hi Ray,
My SSSWHR also received the update and then I went hunting on the Suunto web site with no luck. I haven’t run yet with the update so I’ll be interested to see what’s changed.
Andrew
Replying to myself
The update I received was 2.0.40 (In Germany).
From my googling seems that 2.0.0.34 as above might not have been fully released.
I’ll be interested to see what story Ray gets from Suunto.
Second time replying to myself.
Found the answer buried in a post on the Suunto app forums. .. 40 release being rolled out to all over the next week.
Fenix 5 would be good at that price if in the US
Wahoo kickr and snap 20% off at REI with code anniv18 until the 28th
I’d like to see data on the number of sports science studies that have used MBI analysis. You know you’re in trouble when essentially the whole statistics community rejects your methodology and when your methodology is in direct conflict with methods that have proven to work.
I wonder if US Representative Mo Brooks used MBI to conclude that boulders falling into the ocean are a significant factor in the rise in sea level?
The problem for Sports Science is much more nuanced than the title of that paper would suggest. The real problem is not the statistics itself, but the extremely small sample sizes in any of these studies. Getting athletes to participate in often complex, time consuming studies rather than concentrating on their own training is difficult. Most studies are really just a small step up from purely anecdotal evidence, which is basically what you get when you rely on a coach based on his previous results. In an attempt to tease out meaningful data from small sample sizes, MBI produces results but with the potential for more false positives. Unless a study can find a way to increase the number of participants (aggregating data from other studies and publishing more raw data?) there is no silver bullet, which this article points out.
I’m the market for an action camera. Is the $250 price point for the hero 5 enough to justify picking it over end hero 6 or is it better to spend a little more now and get better tech in the hero 6?
I think in general it is. If I look at all the day to day stuff I use the Hero 6 for, every bit of it can be accomplished with the Hero 5.
It’s super rare that I shoot in 4K60 (mainly because it’s ‘wide’ only and I mostly prefer a linear view to match DSLR footage, which isn’t available in 4K60).
I’d say unless you have a very specific Hero6 Black only item in mind, I’d think $150 savings is a solid deal.
Hi DC Rainmaker.
Are you planning to review the new Spot X (just released; possibly competitor to the new Inreach mini)?
Maybe.
I haven’t quite decided yet to be honest. It’s definitely an interesting device, though, the main reason why I reviewed the new inReach was mainly the integration aspects (whereas I haven’t reviewed previous devices).
Still, it’s a compelling device and it’s been a while since I bought a SPOT device.
Hey Ray. Quick question regarding Garmin IQ apps. Is there any kind of ring-fencing / protection between the core watch and the IQ? I recently had a lot of problems with the watch (735XT) crashing when using the stryd power field, which hasn’t done so after removing the app, thus I’m confused between true watch problems and app problems. It seems strange that Garmin wouldn’t create some kind of fail proof side of the watch where the core functions couldn’t be affected by bugs in non Garmin software, but maybe that is the way?
In theory there is, but in reality there are gaps. Turns out some of my recent Edge 520 Plus crashes were actually caused by a CIQ Data Field. There are lots of protections they have in place, but it seems like any app platform, there are always some holes yet to be addressed.
I’m calling that Refactor light/camera/GPS “dangerous accessory of the week”.
Two equally bright, but slightly separated LED lights on a horizontal plane looks, to your average inattentive car driver, like another car in the distance. You know, sufficiently far enough away to allow them to pull out….right into your path.
Spectacularly bad idea. One can only hope they will never actually deliver anything.
Not really. From 50′ or 100′ feet up the road there’s just simply not enough separation to see that they are distinct bulbs, kind of like how train track seem to narrow in the distance.
It’s like the futility of underseat turn signals on a bike; great in concept but poor in execution. Turn signals work on a car because they’re separated by a few feet. Unless a car is right on you; one can’t distinguish the difference between a blinky light under the middle of you left cheek vs. under the middle of your right cheek as they’re both under your body; they just look like a generic blinky under your seat.
No way was that shot in 12k. I know the difference between 11.215K and 12K, and that sir, is no 12K 😉
Hi Ray,
Just an FYI for sport tech deals.
Suunto has up to 30% off for their Memorial Day sale. It started on Friday, May 18. 🙂
I remember the Pumas, from sports and computing magazines I got as a kid, but never saw one in real life.
I was interested, but only the big shots had a Commodore 64, while us plebes had the lowly Vic 20.
Hey Ray,
Wasn’t sure where to post this…
Just done my first swim with a 935 and HRM-Tri, and the HR doesn’t appear to transfer to Strava.
The HR data is showing in GC.
Is this the same as your experience?
Cheers.
Yeah, I can’t remember if Strava has implement ANTfs support for that in the .FIT files. I know it wasn’t for a while, but I vaguely remember them adding it a while back. Or perhaps it was Training Peaks that added it.
Either way, it’s not rocket science…yet continues to be for some platforms.
Refactor has the right idea but it is doubtful they can pull it off. There is too much to go wrong.
If Garmin decides to introduce a 1030+cam+light combo device I’d buy it. They have the required expertise producing all three components.
The light primarily needs to operate in daytime mode with a wide beam directed forward, plus an emergency mode that directs a narrow beam downward to get you home after dark if needed.
I used to work for JackRabbit when it used to be just 2 stores, and I helped open their third store back in 2009. It went from being a great mom and pop triathlon store, to this behemoth. Along the way, they shed all things triathlon, sold out to mega advertising in their stores, and got rid of the very personal service that they were know for. The one good thing that came out of it is that they now have a decently strong online presence.
I hope that with all the moving and shaking that JackRabbit has done in the last 6 years, it won’t ruin the overall experience that I have come to get used to with Clever Training.
Hi Ray! If you were a small-wristed woman in the market for a Fenix 5s, would you buy now or hold out for the possibility of a 2018 update?