Heads up – Massive Black Friday 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!
I still fail to understand how it’s mid-November already?!? The rain and ugly weather is mostly non-stop here, but at least that means (yet) more trainer time indoors. With my parents in town this week, here’s what we were up to!
1) DCR Gadget T-Shirt Came In!
Last year we designed a DCR sports-tech themed ugly sweater t-shirt, which was pretty awesome. We decided against a sweater itself, since for most people that has semi-limited appeal (especially if you’re in a warm locale). This year we tweaked the design and went with a red background. While DCR Open House folks will be able to order (and then pick up at the open house) the t-shirts, you can still get one here. All without the need to travel to Amsterdam.
And here’s a close-up:
Plus, there’s socks too (select drop-down)! Though, the socks haven’t arrived yet (below at right is showing the back-side with the heel).
Maybe they’re in Dutch customs jail. Who knows. Welcome to my shipping life. But hey, you can order them. So woot! And thanks to The Girl who once again did all the work organizing this.
2) 4iiii Fliiiight Smart Trainer Unboxing
First off, please 4iiii, I’m begging you – no more four iiiii’s per product names after this. My ‘I’ key on my keyboard is dying at a much faster rate than the others. With that public service announcement out of the way, the trainer itself (here’s my preview post), which comes in the skinniest box of all trainers:
It uses magnets to produce resistance against metal rims, but unlike the past STAC trainers (remember, 4iiii bought STAC) – this one doesn’t need any additional wheel weights on it. It’s just unfold the unit, clamp your bike and go.
Unfortunately, while boxing and setup went incredibly smooth – on the same silly-easy level as the also-new Elite Suito trainer….the actual first ride experience on Sunday hit a few hiccups. I’ve sent off an e-mail to figure out why I was having the issues I was, but after a few apps and devices, I gave up for the day and went for a run. Given the particular area that failed (FTMS control from apps) is something that STAC has previously had without issue, I’ve gotta believe it’s a software bug. In any case, hopefully it’s a quick and simple fix or idea and I’ll be back in business.
(Mind you, 4iiii simply joins *every other* trainer company this year with new 2019 early-season trainer issues. Not a single company has managed to avoid that list this year.)
3) Recording the Podcast
GPLAMA and I chatted for a couple of hours, though, only ended up recording about 60 minutes of it. The remainder would probably get us in trouble if we recorded it. We’ve joked it would be a great ‘after-hours’ podcast. Just once…maybe twice. And then nobody in the industry would ever talk to us again. It’s our equivalence of going to the bar on Friday after a long work week.
But, the recorded part is pretty good this week. And, it’ll be up shortly. I’m waiting on a comment on one itty-bitty item from a company before I concurrently publish my post (they’re getting back to me today). I think it’s a pretty big item. Actually, it’s industry-changing. So stay tuned and watch on Twitter – because a lot of people will be saying ‘holy @#$#@’ – and you won’t even have to listen to the after show.
4) Off to the pool
Saturday we braved the endless rain and pedaled about 30 minutes across town to the big swimming pool place. It’s like an indoor water park (and in the summer, also an outdoor spot too). It’s awesome.
Though my parents (who are in town) thought the driving sideways rain was less than awesome. Win some, lose some.
Unfortunately, you can’t take pictures at the pool. So here’s a picture on the way to the pool:
And here’s a picture on the way home – with both kiddos hard asleep in the bike:
At least someone was dry during the ride.
5) Five Watches, 5 HR Sensors, One Peanut
Sunday late afternoon as the sun began to wane, I headed out with The Peanut for a run. P2 was asleep (with the grandparents), and P3 was also asleep out walking with The Girl. Also, I took a few watches:
In general, when units are on the stroller they’re collecting heart rate data, GPS data, or whatever else. Speaking of HR data, in total here was the lineup:
1) Apple Watch Optical HR Sensor (right wrist)
2) Garmin Venu Optical HR Sensor (left wrist)
3) Polar OH-1 Optical HR Sensor (upper left arm)
4) MIO Pod Optical HR Sensor (upper right arm)
5) Garmin HRM-DUAL (chest strap)
The Peanut forgot her watch, a Vivofit Jr., sheesh, what a slacker! How can she expect to contribute to this data pool when she forgets the one device she needed to remember?
Turns out, it’s via taking photos. She had the GoPro Max, taking selfies and pictures of ducks:
(In case you’re wondering why I took Max over Hero 8, mainly because she can more or less shoot in any direction and it still magically works. :)
In any case – off we went. Just out along the river and then the lake. Nothing special route-wise. We had hoped to see some fuzzy cows in the woods, but only ended up seeing a few bunnies and horses. No worries, we had a good time:
And here’s that HR data, for fun. Ironically – it was exactly as you expect for a cool fall day: The chest strap struggled at the beginning (I had moistened it before the run, but by the time I got everything all set, it got dried out). The Garmin Venu struggled a little bit here and there (I was pushing the stroller with my right hand, the one with Apple Watch on it).
GPS data was mostly blah from everyone. Nobody got it spot-on, with many of the units skewing off into the woods.
I’ll have a much more detailed post later this week when the Clever Training VIP Sale kicks off (that’s the semi-annual one that gets you 20% off an item, straight discount, no points stuffs). But until then, there’s these deals below that are listed as part of the pre-Black Friday ramp up. It’s a thing this year more than previous years. Who knows if there will actually be any deals by the time we get to Black Friday. All these companies are pushing deals earlier and earlier.
In general, most times you won’t see companies increase a deal on a specific product at Black Friday. Manufacturers and retailers go to great lengths to avoid that, because customers will simply demand the difference in cash back or say they’ll return and re-buy (which is at high expense to the retailer and manufacturer). So it’s pretty rare for something to get cheaper later in the holiday cycle (sales sometimes re-appear). In any case, here ya go:
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.
⚡ 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 a very very good deal, for the KICKR CORE 2 that just came out two months ago. My full review was just published last week after an absolute boatlod of riding, and even buying an extra unit to validate things. This model is the one with the Zwift Cog/Click, whereas the 11sp cassette model is also the same price.
⚡ ⚡ This is a very very good deal, for the KICKR CORE 2 that just came out two months ago. My full review was just published last week after an absolute boatlod of riding, and even buying an extra unit to validate things. This model is the one with the Zwift Cog/Click, whereas the 11sp cassette model is also the same price.
⚡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...
I see another significant change in the Fliiiight vs Halcyon. Foot levelers.
I slide a shim onto one leg of my Halycon to level it. Perhaps I should call it a Shiiiim and post it on Shapeways. ;-)
Foot levelers solve the issue and provide a much larger contact area than the Halcyon.
Not actually a stroller but inside the UA. The movement and I think ‘feel’ of the road just puts kids to sleep. My little guy was almost 2 before he stopped falling asleep during the ride to/from Nursery in a bike trailer. It was like clockwork every journey – within 300ft of travel he’d be out like a light!
Any chance of a review on the mioPOD coming up? I hadn’t heard of that one before and I’d love an upper-arm based OHR sensor I don’t have to charge every 4-5 days.My OH1+ is pretty great, but the battery life on it is so short that it won’t last through the week to my LR. It would be perfect if they had just doubled the size and used the extra capacity for a larger battery.
Just what I was about to ask – I’m sure Ray is planning a review considering he’s using it.
Wahoo ‘suggested’ that the features of the TICKR fit would expand. They havent.
Schosche promised their ’24’ would do offline caching etc for Garmin. It doesn’t.
The OH1 is too small and tends to flip over for me – the strap etc is poorly designed.
Could Mio be about to come along and do everything that these others can’t quite manage ? They also seem to be pushing accuracy during ‘challenging’ conditions. Could we be about to see Mio back on the top of the optical pile. ?!
Yup, working my way through, probably up for next week as a review. I’ve got 3 workouts on it now I think. I had some initial app teething issues, but I think I’m past that right now (until I find the next issue I suppose).
Ironically, I haven’t had the OH1 flip over on me in quite a while…and then on my ride just now it did it. Doh.
The sensor is just a Valencell sensor – so in theory it’ll match the Scosche. In practice…ya never know. Track intervals in the morning.
Awesome – I’ll keep an eye out for it. My Wahoo is working just fine, but love a new gadget!
Whats the plan for the track ? It would be great to hear more about your training. Next goal race ??
Reluctantly, I’ve shifted the OH1 from my upper arm to the forearm just below the inside of the elbow. So far, this has helped keep it from flipping over, especially when I wear it with long sleeves. Polar should make it wider (in the across the strap direction) and use the extra space for more battery. That solves both issues with an otherwise great sensor.
Ray/Bobbie, would it be possible to get a more holiday neutral shirt, for those of us that don’t celebrate Christmas but the other holidays around this time of year?
The Girl actually didn’t like it at first either, and then she got the hang of it and now always wears it while raining. I think in general the issue is that the height of the UA with the rain cover on is pretty high for shorter riders – and then you compound that concern with having this floppy tent over you.
No, I haven’t tried them yet. For me given I already have the PowerBeats Pro and Airpods, I feel like I’m imperfectly covered by two products. This might converge my coverage, but increase my costs. :)
Well, based on when Ray mentioned it in this post, I can’t see how it could be anything other than Ray and Shane buying Strava and adding new features……
Keep us posted on the 4iiii Fliiiight (did I include enough i’s?). Anyway I am thinking of replacing my Direto with a Fliiiight or Kickr Core and I want to hear what you have to say.
I don’t know if this is a great replacement for a Direto per se, unless you’re really focused on ERG mode, or on silence/lack of vibrations. If so, then hang tight!
Yup, it’s coming (and sitting on my desk as we speak). The only challenge it it doesn’t have Active Track, so it’s more of a static shot sort of thing.
I attended a KICKR product demo at my local bike shop almost exactly one year ago. At that point the Wahoo sales rep was still previewing the watch. “We don’t have a multi sport watch… yet…”. Have got to expect that program has been deep sixed. The FTC photos were what, 2+ years ago now?
4IIII FLIIIIGHT Smart Trainer questions,
do the magnets spread far enough apart for fat / mtn bikes?
Do any trainers handle mtn bike peddle surging realistically (lowest gearing on steep, lose hills) where you can’t just grind on a big front ring.
If ya needed excuse to add a fat bike to the fleet.
instead of typing “iiii” everytime why don’t you create a snippet/preference rule? In MacOS you can go to preferences→keyboard→text and create a simple rule to replece i.e. “4i” with “iiii” everytime you type it no matter the application used. Don’t have a windows machine around but probably there’s a similar utility available.
The cotton shirt for the open house folks made here in Amsterdam are certified as “STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX”, which has a slew of certification criteria for both materials as well manufacturing sustainability that you can read up on.
The ones from Teespring I don’t have in front of me at this exact second (in the wash at home, at the office), to check the tags.
Thanks for the reply! Standard is a first step: not harmful for our body. But unfortunately says nothing about ecologically / bio or labor circumstances. Difficult industry like also all the nice hardware we like so much.
From a labor standpoint, the underlying shirts are made in Germany (and the printing here in Amsterdam). Given it’s in the EU, I don’t believe there’s any real concern about labor circumstances.
That article came up in my Apple News feed, so maybe I won’t give up on that app just yet. Most of the new device rumors & news have been from bloggers over the years. I imagine when the NDA is lifted we’ll see more details here.
There is at least one other new Garmin device rumor floating around, so this may be an interesting holiday buying season.
No, I’ve been meaning too. We use this Bob model: link to amzn.to
I love it, and I’ve actually used 2-3 other random strollers which claim to support running, and the main difference is the rolling resistance. The BOB just floats along. Also, I’ve seen the whole front tire recall thing a year ago, and frankly, it’s silly. It’s just people not knowing how to use a quick release skewer. It’s literally the exact same design as your bike wheels. Don’t get me wrong – I think the changes are grand, but I also think it’s typical Americana lawsuit overblown-ness for people not reading the manual.
That would be good. I’ve struggled to find any good comparisons.
That’s thrown a spanner in the works, the BOB wasn’t the one is was looking at. I was considering the Out n About. Main downside seems to be fixed front wheel.
Black Friday might make my mind up.
Cheers for the reply. Keep up the good work.
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The heel just looks like 2 dudes with a surfboard. It works pretty well.
Tandem surfboarding!!!
I thought they were naked and Ray was keepin it PG.
Whoa. Quite the tease there in #3. #dcrbomb
Maybe a TR announcement with new features. I can only hope.
My very same thought exactly!! ?
Oops, was meant as a reply to the surfboard comment
I see another significant change in the Fliiiight vs Halcyon. Foot levelers.
I slide a shim onto one leg of my Halycon to level it. Perhaps I should call it a Shiiiim and post it on Shapeways. ;-)
Foot levelers solve the issue and provide a much larger contact area than the Halcyon.
Those girls sacked out in the stroller is about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!
Not actually a stroller but inside the UA. The movement and I think ‘feel’ of the road just puts kids to sleep. My little guy was almost 2 before he stopped falling asleep during the ride to/from Nursery in a bike trailer. It was like clockwork every journey – within 300ft of travel he’d be out like a light!
Any chance of a review on the mioPOD coming up? I hadn’t heard of that one before and I’d love an upper-arm based OHR sensor I don’t have to charge every 4-5 days.My OH1+ is pretty great, but the battery life on it is so short that it won’t last through the week to my LR. It would be perfect if they had just doubled the size and used the extra capacity for a larger battery.
Just what I was about to ask – I’m sure Ray is planning a review considering he’s using it.
Wahoo ‘suggested’ that the features of the TICKR fit would expand. They havent.
Schosche promised their ’24’ would do offline caching etc for Garmin. It doesn’t.
The OH1 is too small and tends to flip over for me – the strap etc is poorly designed.
Could Mio be about to come along and do everything that these others can’t quite manage ? They also seem to be pushing accuracy during ‘challenging’ conditions. Could we be about to see Mio back on the top of the optical pile. ?!
Yup, working my way through, probably up for next week as a review. I’ve got 3 workouts on it now I think. I had some initial app teething issues, but I think I’m past that right now (until I find the next issue I suppose).
Ironically, I haven’t had the OH1 flip over on me in quite a while…and then on my ride just now it did it. Doh.
The sensor is just a Valencell sensor – so in theory it’ll match the Scosche. In practice…ya never know. Track intervals in the morning.
Awesome – I’ll keep an eye out for it. My Wahoo is working just fine, but love a new gadget!
Whats the plan for the track ? It would be great to hear more about your training. Next goal race ??
Reluctantly, I’ve shifted the OH1 from my upper arm to the forearm just below the inside of the elbow. So far, this has helped keep it from flipping over, especially when I wear it with long sleeves. Polar should make it wider (in the across the strap direction) and use the extra space for more battery. That solves both issues with an otherwise great sensor.
I’ve been using the tickr fit for a while. It’s got great battery (like 39 hours) and it’s been really accurate for me. Plus dual ant*+/BT.
I love the Polar OH1 with goggle clip for swimming. They could make the strap & it’s clip bigger. They should leave the size of the device the same.
Ray/Bobbie, would it be possible to get a more holiday neutral shirt, for those of us that don’t celebrate Christmas but the other holidays around this time of year?
Cheers
-marc
Here you go – the red one probably fits the bill?
link to teespring.com
Yup, that’s that one too. We’ve also got some other designs being worked on. We’re trying to get better about it.
Are you using the Urban Arrow Poncho? We got one but the boss doesn’t wear it much
Definitely. If it rains, I wear it. Every time.
The Girl actually didn’t like it at first either, and then she got the hang of it and now always wears it while raining. I think in general the issue is that the height of the UA with the rain cover on is pretty high for shorter riders – and then you compound that concern with having this floppy tent over you.
Curious if you have tried the new ApplePro earbuds and if they are any better about falling out of your ear (or not)?
Adam Rodman
No, I haven’t tried them yet. For me given I already have the PowerBeats Pro and Airpods, I feel like I’m imperfectly covered by two products. This might converge my coverage, but increase my costs. :)
Even without the loops, the AirPods Pro are about as stable as the Powerbeats Pro.
Random reddit review: AirPods Pro vs. Powerbeats Pro vs. WF-1000XM3 (Bonus: vs. WH-1000XM3).
sooo… is the rhythm 24 sale price $89 or $69…(need to replace my dead rhythm+)
ooops sale starts today..i could’ve just looked ?…$89
My guess is that it is something about zwift. My google assistant feed on my phone managed to pick something up before the post was taken down:)
Point 3 is clickbait to keep me coming back! :)
I hear ya I am trying not to just keep refreshing DC’s Twitter feed…OUT WITH IT DC!!!
Soon…I hope. Getting some more comments from the folks involved.
Well, based on when Ray mentioned it in this post, I can’t see how it could be anything other than Ray and Shane buying Strava and adding new features……
You’ve grossly overestimated YouTube creator revenue….. or underestimated the value of Strava. ?
Just wait a few months Shane, Strava are doing their best to devalue the brand!
How about Zwift buying Elite, that would be fun!
I’m going with Zwift release VeryuPro Smartbike.
Keep us posted on the 4iiii Fliiiight (did I include enough i’s?). Anyway I am thinking of replacing my Direto with a Fliiiight or Kickr Core and I want to hear what you have to say.
I don’t know if this is a great replacement for a Direto per se, unless you’re really focused on ERG mode, or on silence/lack of vibrations. If so, then hang tight!
More teasing! Lol, It’ll be fire and pitch forks soon I’m afraid.
Any plans on reviewing the Mavic Mini? I just don’t feel like I can ask Santa for it without hearing about the good, bad, and ugly from you.
Yup, it’s coming (and sitting on my desk as we speak). The only challenge it it doesn’t have Active Track, so it’s more of a static shot sort of thing.
What happened to the rumoured Wahoo smart watch?
That’s what happens when people dig too much into *rumors*. ;)
I attended a KICKR product demo at my local bike shop almost exactly one year ago. At that point the Wahoo sales rep was still previewing the watch. “We don’t have a multi sport watch… yet…”. Have got to expect that program has been deep sixed. The FTC photos were what, 2+ years ago now?
4IIII FLIIIIGHT Smart Trainer questions,
do the magnets spread far enough apart for fat / mtn bikes?
Do any trainers handle mtn bike peddle surging realistically (lowest gearing on steep, lose hills) where you can’t just grind on a big front ring.
If ya needed excuse to add a fat bike to the fleet.
Thx
Mike
I wonder, When we can read your review of DJI Marvic Mini?
Probably next week. Headed out Thursday to do a bunch of tests with it (can’t do them nearby the cave/home due to drone restrictions).
That would be great, I was thinking, DJI must be sent you test spl far before Marvic Mini announce. Anyway, I will wait for your review
Yeah, they sent me one slightly ahead of launch, but it got all tangled up in shipping/customs unfortunately.
it would be great if the Xmas t-shirt were available in smaller (toddler) sizes so that the whole family can wear them
We’re poking to see if we can add that or not. Hang tight!
Hi Ray,
instead of typing “iiii” everytime why don’t you create a snippet/preference rule? In MacOS you can go to preferences→keyboard→text and create a simple rule to replece i.e. “4i” with “iiii” everytime you type it no matter the application used. Don’t have a windows machine around but probably there’s a similar utility available.
Yeah, probably a good idea. I know it can be done in the Microsoft Office suite, but not sure on Windows Live Writer than I use for writing posts.
Hi Ray, nice ugly shirt! Is the shirt clean: bio fabric and fair trade or is it really ugly?
The cotton shirt for the open house folks made here in Amsterdam are certified as “STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX”, which has a slew of certification criteria for both materials as well manufacturing sustainability that you can read up on.
The ones from Teespring I don’t have in front of me at this exact second (in the wash at home, at the office), to check the tags.
Thanks for the reply! Standard is a first step: not harmful for our body. But unfortunately says nothing about ecologically / bio or labor circumstances. Difficult industry like also all the nice hardware we like so much.
From a labor standpoint, the underlying shirts are made in Germany (and the printing here in Amsterdam). Given it’s in the EU, I don’t believe there’s any real concern about labor circumstances.
Hmm.. Garmin Vector Air —
link to bicycling.com
That article came up in my Apple News feed, so maybe I won’t give up on that app just yet. Most of the new device rumors & news have been from bloggers over the years. I imagine when the NDA is lifted we’ll see more details here.
There is at least one other new Garmin device rumor floating around, so this may be an interesting holiday buying season.
Have you ever done a review of running strollers? Which one do you use?
I’m in the market for one but haven’t been able to decide which one yet.
No, I’ve been meaning too. We use this Bob model: link to amzn.to
I love it, and I’ve actually used 2-3 other random strollers which claim to support running, and the main difference is the rolling resistance. The BOB just floats along. Also, I’ve seen the whole front tire recall thing a year ago, and frankly, it’s silly. It’s just people not knowing how to use a quick release skewer. It’s literally the exact same design as your bike wheels. Don’t get me wrong – I think the changes are grand, but I also think it’s typical Americana lawsuit overblown-ness for people not reading the manual.
That would be good. I’ve struggled to find any good comparisons.
That’s thrown a spanner in the works, the BOB wasn’t the one is was looking at. I was considering the Out n About. Main downside seems to be fixed front wheel.
Black Friday might make my mind up.
Cheers for the reply. Keep up the good work.
Any one need a bike. I have a Fuji 2000 fs men’s mountain bike. Great shape. Best offer