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!
Sports Tech Deals of Note:
Ok, not much left this week. Sorta a lull. But hey, if ya need a GoPro Hero 8 Black or AirPods, it’s still on sale!
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Other site | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Adobe Creative Cloud Pro (12 Months) - $389 off (50% off!) | $389 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | 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. | |
 | Amazon Echo Dot Kids - 47% off | $31 | Amazon | Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these two years ago for them in their rooms, to play music. They do lots of other things, but our kids mostly just use it to play music (from Spotify and Apple Music too), and occasionally they ask it questions. It has all the parental controls I want, so it locks it down from bedtime/etc...For $31? Solid deal (The coolest 'nice touch' feature is that if you whisper to it, it'll whisper back...in the owl kids voice it has.) | |
 | Apple 11" iPad - (Wi-Fi, 128GB) - $75 off! | $274 | Amazon | ⚡ 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 | $1,149 | Amazon | 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 | $1,349 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | 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. | |
 | Balega Comfort Running Socks - 27% off $15 | $12 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | 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! | |
 | 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. |
 | Elite Direto XR Smart trainer with Zwift Cog/Click - $120 off! $1,000 | $479 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | 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). | |
 | 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. |
 | FeedBack Sports Pro Mechanic Bike Repair Stand - $50 Off | $375 | Feedback Sports | 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 | $470 | FeedBack Sports | Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | Feedback Sports Team Edition Tool Kit - $45 Off | $330 | Feedback Sports | 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 | |
 | 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 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 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 Index BPM ~$40 off! | $160 | Amazon | 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...). | |
 | Garmin Index S2 WiFi Scale - $50 off $149 | $149 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | 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 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. |
 | 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). | |
 | Garmin inReach 2 Mini Satellite Communicator (2-way) - $150 off | $249 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ 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. |
 | Garmin inReach Messenger Plus - $100 off! | $349 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | 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. | |
 | Google Nest Cam Indoors - 25% off | $74 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Google Nest WiFi Pro - 6E (3xPack) - $110 off! | $279 | Amazon | I've been using the Google Nest WiFi packs for years. And then I converted over to this newer version last fall. Super happy with this three pod pack. | |
 | 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. | |
 | HJC Sports - IBEX 2.0 - €125 off | €124.50 | HJC Sports | Note: HJC Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | HJC Sports FURION 2.0 - 100€ Off | €99.50 | HJC Sports | Note: HJC Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | 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... | |
 | 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) | |
 | Hydrow Rowing Machine - $400 off | $1,695 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | 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). | |
 | Lasko High Velocity Pro-Performance Fan - 15% off | $54 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi Delux Kit - 35% off! | $142 | Amazon | ⚡ 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 | $279 | Amazon | 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! | |
 | 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). | |
 | Peloton Cross Training Bike is $300 off | $1,395 | Amazon | This is Peloton's mid-range model, the Bike Cross training, which also came-out this past summer. | |
 | Peloton Cross Training Bike+ - $700 off! | $1,995 | Amazon | This is Peloton's highest end bike model that came out this past summer. | |
 | Peloton Cross Training Tread is $500 off | $2,795 | Amazon | ||
 | Philips Hue Smart Lighting - 28% off | Amazon | 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). | ||
 | 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. | |
 | Precision Fuel & Hydration 30g Caffine Gels - 15 Pack - 15% OFF | $52 | Amazon | These are the caffine version of the main gels I use when I don't need the bigger 90g ones. Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner | |
 | Precision Fuel & Hydration 30g Energy Gels - 15 Pack - 15% OFF | $39 | Amazon | 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 | $50 | Amazon | 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 | |
 | Precision Fuel PF 30g Energy Chews - 15% off | $36 | Amazon | I like to mix it up a bit, and include the chews on some of my longer adventures. Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | Precision Fuel PF 60 Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix -15% Off | $27 | Amazon | This is the main drink mix that both myself and my wife use. Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner | |
 | 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 | ||
 | SONOS Roam 2 - 22% off | $139 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | 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. | |
 | SanDisk 1-4TB Extreme PRO Portable External SSD - 30% off | $129 | Amazon | ⚡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 - $700 off | $2,198 | Amazon | 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! | $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. | |
 | Suunto Wing headphones - $30 off | $119 | Amazon | ||
 | Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS223j NAS - $35 off! | $165 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Tacx NEO 2T Smart Trainer - $200-$300 off $1,399 | $899 | Amazon | REI | 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. |
 | Tacx NEO 3M - 25% off! $1,999 | $1,499 | Amazon | Competitive Cyclist | ⚡ 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). |
 | Therabody Theragun Prime - $120 off! | $199 | Amazon | My wife uses the Theragun, and absolutely loves it, in the most hatefun kind of way. | |
 | Vacmaster AM201R Fan + Remote/holder (15% off) | $67 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Wahoo ACE Cycling GPS - $125 off $624 | $499 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Wahoo CLIMB Accessory - $190 off! $599 | $569 | Amazon | 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. | |
 | Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT - $580 off! $2,999 | $1,912 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ 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). |
 | Wahoo KICKR Desk - $17 off | $183 | Amazon | ||
 | Wahoo KICKR V6 - $262 off! $1,299 | $734 | Amazon | ⚡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... | |
 | Wahoo ROAM V3 - $70 off! | $426 | Amazon | ||
 | 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 |
DCRAINMAKER.COM Posts in the Past Week:
Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page this past week, as noted last week, I planned for this past week to be pretty quiet as I prep for this upcoming week
Sunday: Week in Review–August 23rd, 2020
Monday: Behind The Scenes: Super League Pro Triathlon on Zwift–How it all works
Tuesday: Hammerhead Karoo 2: Hands-On Details & First Rides
Tuesday: Fitbit Announces Fitbit Sense Smartwatch: Dives far deeper towards health metrics
Tuesday: COROS Pace 2 Hands-On: A $199 Multisport watch with Running Power
Thursday: Garmin Rolls Out Ability to Pause Training Status
Like I said, it was gonna be busy. It’s gonna be like this for the next few weeks. And, a few ‘hopeful’ things didn’t quite make the cut for last week. They’ll spill into this week.
YouTube Videos This Past 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 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) Amazon Halo Wearable Announcement: Like most people, I’m part curious, and part side-eye to the wearable that listens to your voice. While this type of device realistically won’t capture my specific workout needs, I am curious from a review standpoint. There’s been a lot said about the device, but honestly, most of what has been said is easily disproven (no, you don’t take naked photos…but yes, the microphone is listening all the time…but also yes, you can physically turn that off if you want). I’m not entirely sure yet what part of the market this will impact. Sure, Fitbit is the most obvious. But I don’t think it takes much of a chunk (if any) from Apple, Garmin, or others. At least not at this point. But if we know anything about Amazon we know that this is only the beginning. And some of the integration at scale is super interesting – such as their plans to create ‘Labs’ like projects with health/medical institutions (similar to what Apple does), to get mass participation. Anyway, review eventually, whenever I get a device.
2) The Best Indoor Smartbike Non-Review Ever: The Bowflex VeloCore is…umm…something else entirely. Eschewing power output and other cycling focused metrics it…err…wiggles. I suppose they’d prefer the term ‘sway’. Or ‘tip’. Or…I have no idea. But, what I do know is that Iain Treloar absolutely nailed this piece.
3) An exercise in pointlessness: Emma Pooley on her world-record Everesting: For the most part, I’ve ignored the whole Everesting ‘thing’ lately. Perhaps because I live in a spot where it’d require about 578 repeats of the largest climb near me. However, if you’re like me, then this is the piece to read. Not because it’ll inspire any desire to Everest yourself, but because Emma’s like Iain, an awesome writer that has an astounding way with words. Seriously, just go read it.
4) A Rare Peek Inside a DJI Drone Factory: This is pretty crazy, especially the point where the drones are automatically triggered to fly off the assembly line (literally) for a series of automated tests.
5) Zwift’s New Pace Partners: While bots aren’t new to Zwift, and while I thought this concept would be stupid at first glance – I actually kinda like the idea of joining a pace partner for a given wattage target. When I look to do a Zwift ride I usually glance at the schedule and then realize I’ve supposedly got 3 mins to make the race start…while I’m still sitting on the couch in street clothes and my bike isn’t even on the trainer. The idea of an ‘always-on’ group ride is interesting. Will probably give it a whirl this week.
6) Into aero testing? Then here’s a quick survey (under a minute) for you to help out the GoldenCheetah folks work on their AeroLab 2.0 and prioritize features.
Sports Tech Device 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, Wahoo, Polar, and a few other firmware updates.
Garmin Fenix 6 & MARQ Series Firmware Update: Added FE-C support, live event sharing, course live track, and pause training status, along with a pile of other features.
Garmin Forerunner 645 Firmware Update: Holy crap, it got an update! I mean, no new features. But it does fix a few things.
GoPro Hero 8 Black Firmware Update: Adds webcam mode for Mac (and beta for PC), also enables HyperSmooth 2.0 High & Boost modes to more resolutions. Most notably Boost is now supported in SuperView.
Wahoo ROAM/BOLT/ELEMENT Firmware Update: Di2 related bug fix
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With that – thanks for reading!
Ray, are you going to review the Bowflex, or is Iain your guest reviewer for that one?
I’ll likely be deferring to Iain on this one. I mean, sure, if they want to send one to me – I’m happy to put it through its sways, but for now, Iain will have to hold the torch.
Is Eurobike happening next week? You mentioned it in a video saying new trainers are typically announced here, but I can’t find any other info online about it.
No, Eurobike was postponed from what was this week, till late November.
Realistically, that won’t happen – Eurobike just hasn’t realized it yet. None of the sports tech brands I’ve talked with have any plans to announce anything there during that timeslot.
Instead, they’re announcing this ahead of the normal Eurobike timeslot. We saw Elite’s Direto XR, Elite’s Sterzo, Wahoo’s KICKR 2020/5, and Wattbike is set to start shipping their ATOM 2020. There’s probably a few others I’ve forgotten. However, I don’t expect much else near-term, nor any further trainers this year.
Hi Ray,
love your work, thank you so much!
Does this mean there’s not even a new wearable like a Garmin Vivosmart 5, possibily something that has both GPS and PulseOx in the pipeline? I was hoping to switch back from a Fenix 3 HR to a traditional watch on my “watch wrist”, putting a Vivosmart 5 / Vivosport 2 on the other …
Thank you again & have a great day :)
Wooh wooh, 645 update. No wait, no new features. Boohoo.
I’m surprised that we even got an update to the 645.
Some users have reported that the update has fixed the altimeter recordings on the watch, and if this is really the case, then it does fix the most annoying problem I have with the watch.
If this makes the watch less of a nuisance, then I just might be able to postpone buying a new watch until the next generation of watches comes out
Thank you for highlighting Emma Pooley’s article! It really is a fantastic read. She is simply fantastic in every way.
Seconded. Go read that piece if you didn’t already!
Yeah, it’s a great one. I almost didn’t read it when I saw Everesting – but having Emma Pooley in the title I’m like ‘Ok, I’ll give it a few paragraphs’. Glad I did!
The editor’s comments about engagement of readers around the two world records (Alberto Contador and Emma’s) is also a really fascinating bit of insight. Pooley is just so talented at basically everything she does!
What happened to The Fit File podcast?
At some point we’ll have another episode.
Any chance you’ll do an overview of your thoughts/analysis on the Garmin ransomware incident? Sorry to keep posting this same question but usually you’re all over something like this.
I posted a respond somewhere, but in short, I honestly don’t think there’s much more I have to add at this point. Sites like BleepingComputer have really good deep-dives into information.
Most of my Garmin contacts are on the product side, rather than IT side.
Over time, I suspect we’ll get more. I think the big piece outstanding in my head is whether or not they (Garmin) purposefully shut-down their consumer-facing infrastructure, or if that was gotten to as well. Based on what they’ve said, I’m going to guess they actually proactively shut that down, since they noted that the attackers didn’t have access to that data.
Ultimately, as I said somewhere else – any attacker that’s determined enough will get to *ANY* company. Especially large companies that have greater surface areas and integrations/end points. There’s various things you can do to mitigate and make it more difficult, but at the end of the day, no computer/IT security plan is perfect (and usually humans are the weak link). As an IT security person you attempt to reduce those avenues, but getting that to zero avenues is simply not possible in today’s highly complex and integrated IT systems.
Thanks! Missed your other reply -sorry.
Interesting you think they shut down customer facing side. I was wondering if you think they’ll do more to make Connect app work better without needing the cloud?
Anyways, thanks for the response here!
I suspect we’ll see better offline support. I also suspect some of the bugs/quirks around offloading more than X activities will simply happen device-side rather than via GC (people couldn’t start a new workout if their device was out of space, as normally GCM takes care of offloading old activities). I wouldn’t surprise me if that change was already pushed out via firmware update.
I think this is what Bowflex was going for but they couldn’t negotiate the rights —
link to youtu.be
Amazing!
Emma Pooley’s article is brilliant! If anyone is familiar with British newspapers — particularly The Guardian — she is cycling journalism’s Marina Hyde!
Thank you for highlighting the article by Emma Pooley. I have long been a big fan. She has an honesty about sport and an ability to express herself which is refreshing in in world where “media trained” interviews are common which, simply put, are boring beyond belief.
As a side note I hope womens cycling gets through this difficult time and emerges stronger. They deliver exciting racing time after time despite being marginalised and under funded. They deserve better from the UCI, ASO, broadcasters and all the other “stake holders” in the cycling industry.
Hi Ray, is there no more FIT File podcast? You guys have been very quiet during the last week’s or months – at least together. What’s happened? Missing the podcast…
Just saw the earlier question and Ray’s reply…
Do you think the Amazon Halo could impact Whoop? As it hasn’t been released, i don’t know if it’ll be as comprehensive as Whoop, but considering they look the same and Halo is around a tenth of the subscription price of Whoop, for the general user looking for more recovery information that might be a cheaper and ‘ok enough’ option.
Ray, thx for posting interweb stuff #2, that one bowflexed my day… brilliant stuff
First off, great video in the karoo 2!
Could you ask garmin if they have any plans for Tacx Training apps and specifically connecting them to garmin connect?
@Don – that has got nothing to do with Garmin. If someone wants to integrate with Garmin, they provide an API for a 5000USD fee. That means Tacx are the ones that need to do the integration.
The fee is long gone (officially Apr 2019, reality was far earlier). Similarly, Garmin bought Tacx in January 2019. :)
Any update on the Skydio 2 high wind test?
Not quite yet. Was on vacation for a bit, and then the last few weeks have been pretty slammed.
Ironically, last week was viable, except the winds were simply too strong – well beyond spec at 70-90KPH. I’m willing to push the spec a bit…but not when I know I’m gonna kill it.
Sheesh that’s windy. Looking forward to it, but don’t risk a guaranteed splash down for our sake.
This is more current week than last, but any thoughts on the Gopro Hero 9 rumor leaks?
I’m admittedly late to the Gopro party and was about to pull the trigger on a Hero 8 (thanks to your reviews), but now wondering if it’s worth waiting a few weeks for a potential front screen and better battery door of the 9 (at probably higher price).
I’ve seen the leaks. Albeit, last year there were leaks saying 8K recording…
And I thought all content on the internet was 100% accurate…
That’s an excellent callout. I’m sure we’ll get factual data from GoPro in the next month or so if history is our guide on new releases… then again 2020 has a love/ hate relationship with precedence
I want to go back and apologize for my comment on this thread a couple weeks back. I am sure this type of question is extremely frustrating while under embargo. I also want to applaud your ethicacy and wit in being able to reply without violating any agreements.
No worries – I try my best to thread the line!
Now that the GoPro webcam feature has moved out of beta on the Mac, is it now possible to run it and the QR code feature together, or is it still one or the other?
Also, has the ‘older stories’ link disappeared off your home page (under the five thumbnails), or was that just something I imagined?
Hmm, I think it’s one or the other still. I haven’t re-tried the QR stuff in labs, or seen if they’ve posted a new labs one.
No changes to the site, though, you can always access old posts by hitting the ‘Blog’ header at the top (or, link to /www.dcrainmaker.com)
Thanks for being a DCR supporter!
The app you link for Normalized Power states its not compatible with Edge 130 Plus.
I’m confused. I don’t think I linked to any app about normalized power (or the Edge 130 Plus) in this Week in Review post. Can you clarify?