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 30th, 2020
Tuesday: Garmin Launches Clipboard App For Coaches: Here’s how it works
Thursday: COROS Pace 2 In-Depth Review: A $199 Multisport watch with Running Power
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 (and in this case, some of these are from the past few weeks to clear out the backlog):
1) Behind the scenes with Week 1 of the Tour de France: Good snippets of videos from beyond the fence lines this year, which would have undoubtedly required an immense amount of coordination with the teams to get the video clips (as media wouldn’t have been permitted to get them in these spots) and then atop that consolidate all these otherwise uncoordinated bits into a cohesive story that actually makes sense. Super impressive.
2) Peloton appears set to launch cheaper treadmill, more expensive bike: It’s been long rumored (nearly a year) that Peloton was looking to offer the treadmill at a more appealing price point. Inversely, it sounds like a bike with a bigger and tiltable display is on the way. This makes sense in normal years, but given Peloton is already having significant issues keeping up with demand – I’m a bit more perplexed on the bike piece.
3) How the original Apple Watch was hidden: Turns out, as an iPod. These days, that’d gather more attention than just an Apple Watch out in the open.
4) More Q2 Wearables Sales Stats: This time for so-called ‘wearable bands’ for North America specifically, which appears to be anything inclusive of watches (but not things like headphones/etc…). Either way, once you make the category more broad than purely smartwatches, then we see Fitbit ahead of Garmin/Samsung, versus lower than Garmin. Of course, Apple still leads. As I’ve oft noted, the definition of smart watch, band, etc… seems to change with the wind, dependent on the message that whichever firm is putting out the report wants to convey.
5) Zwift Steering Exclusivity Workaround: Sports tech industry’s Uncle Keith has once again shaken things up, this time illustrating why open standards are always better than closed proprietary exclusivity. In this long video (definitely for geeks), he shows under the covers how the Elite Sterzo Smart communicates with Zwift for steering, and how to build our own Zwift steering device.
6) DJI Mavic Air 2 Component Teardown: Speaking of tearing things apart, a complete breakdown of the components of the DJI Mavic Air 2 shows that the vast majority of the components are off the shelf, even apparently using common smartwatch GPS chipsets. Though, I couldn’t find the exact chipset that was used. Apparently the cost of goods for the Mavic Air 2 is $135 (it sells for $799USD).
7) Garmin launches Catalyst performance driving display thingy: I mention this, not because I care about the product (I don’t, I don’t even own a car – let alone a race car) – but actually it’s notable in the context of the Garmin MARQ series. You’ll remember when Garmin launched the MARQ series they basically launched one SKU per division in Garmin (Boating, Outdoors, Fitness, Automotive, Aviation). At the time, all of them made sense, except when it came to the automotive one it wasn’t just regular car driving things, but rather race-track focused (versus normal car stuffs). Garmin had never done that before, so in some ways it was out of left field. This product shows you basically Part 2 out of what I presume is a long product path towards building an entirely new category. Similar to what we saw with diving for example, though, that seems to have stalled a bit. Anyway, I thought it was randomly notable. Also – it kinda looks like Best Bike Split for race cars.
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 Forerunner 45 Beta Firmware Update: Bluetooth Stability improvements.
Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Series Firmware Update: Fixed battery drain issues after music playback
Garmin Instinct Solar Firmware BETA: Various fixes.
Lezyne Year 10 Firmware Updates: Maybe, the updater got updated, but it’s not clear from the site whether any updates were with it.
Stages Power Meter Firmware Update: Largely performance and handling related improvements.
Wahoo ELEMNT/BOLT/ROAM Firmware Update: Stability improvements.
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With that – thanks for reading!
Still waiting that dang AmazFit treadmill…
Has that been released anywhere?
Not that I’m aware of. I don’t think they even released the Air Run, but that’s too limited with its low top speed.
You think trainer sales this offseason are going to be anywhere close to what they were in the spring? Seems like a ton of people who wanted one got one in Q1 2020…
It’s a huge wildcard. Historically I think those 20% off type sales will happen, but frankly, I doubt they’ll be any inventory for them to sell during that timeframe.
Trainer companies can’t really keep up with demand today, and I suspect there’s a chance they might break their head above water around early October – only to then have more orders from a blend of COVID19 waves growing, as well as people just going indoors like normal.
Said differently – if you really want a new trainer for this year, it’s best to put in the orders now. Whereas if you’re on the fence, you can see what happens in November. Either way, I don’t expect any further mainstream brand models this year.
FWIW – I’m in Vancouver, Canada; ordered a Kickr Bike end of July — told to expect delivery end of September.
Think the upgraded Peloton bike will support erg mode?
Not likely. They have stated not interested and my neighbor does electronic QA for them has offered to design the circuit but they declined. Peloton makes money selling subscriptions to their online classes. If they built a “smart” bike that allowed Zwift, etc…they lose the moneymaker…
Agree, I’m actually not convinced ERG mode adds anything to the Peloton experiance. Of course, I’m sure in like 12 minutes or something they’ll announce and prove me wrong. But it’d have to be a substantial shift in direction to go towards ERG mode because so much of the concept of Peloton is giving you guidelines, but also those rails to go above/below based on the day.
I agree in that they’d never build a bike with open standards. While they do turn a solid profit on the bikes themselves, the real long-term money is the subs.
If Peloton can fulfill “Bike+“ (?) orders faster than for the current bike, then it’s a no-brainer as many of their target customers will just fork up $$$ for earlier delivery. Also, should it come with a detachable screen for taking non-bike classes on, that’s probably worth the up-sell alone.
It might be a good business move (and, they have said in various customer communications they’ll refund the difference of any price drop that occurs for existing backorders as well as new receivers in the last 30 days).
However, ultimately, that manufacturing capacity that could be producing the existing/lower priced unit (since they now own their own facilities). And given the wait times are nuts these days, you’re essentially saying to customers already sitting on a waitlist: ‘Thanks, but, we’re letting this group over here cut the line instead’.
If they indeed affect a retroactive price guarantee, then it sounds like the choice for anyone on the waitlist is to get a refund and keep on waiting for the current product, or get bumped to the new product, ideally to the front of the order queue.
Hard to gauge how / if their backlog is affected by the transition. Depends how well they’ve managed logistics planning, and it sounds like maybe not so well.
Hopefully Garmin Catalyst disrupts the race car lap analysis segment. Current solutions (AIM/MoTeC/…) require a data engineer to decipher all the squiggly lines, so maybe there’s a space for a tool for mere mortals. Except that Catalyst doesn’t seem to include any support for actual ECU data acquisition via ODB-II/CAN Bus/…, so it could be relegated to the “HPDE / hobby racer” segment.
Interesting. So, if coming from folks who would be interested in this tech – what’s the current thought on their offering?
It’s odd that it doesn’t support ODB-II, since their VIRB Action cams do.
The product seems to aimed at getting faster lap times rather than being a data logger, but I still think supporting OBD2 would be required to make sensible deductions on better laptimes.
Will be interesting to see how consistent of a racing line it can map out with a 10HZ GPS + accelerometer+ image processing (sounds like voodoo/marketing).
As someone who’s worked in the autotrade for 30 years, albeit lastly in April 2019 has OBD superceded to ODB? Reminds me of the time i got comptia certified, blink and the damn thing was out of date. Hence the long automotive career
What happened to your peloton review?
Ray, you may want to update your sale notes for the Hero 8, considering it’s September already (my time has flown) and leaks of the Hero 9 have been circulating for a while.
Hi Ray, Any comments on this and how it can change gps accuracy on future wearables? Maybe in next year’s garmin device.
link to sony.net
Interesting; the first Sony L5/E5 wearables receiver (I don’t know if anyone else has released one). The L5/E5 waveform should allow accurate GPS-derived instant pace, something impossible before now. (Otherwise you need a footpod, probably a Stryd.) As the article notes, L5/E5 is also much better at cutting through multipathing (e.g. in city street canyons) to deliver your true position.
Incredible bits of engineering, aren’t they? Such tiny objects that can locate their position anywhere on Earth in just a few seconds.
I believe Sony and Quectel are the only ones with this technology at the moment….
There’s the Broadcom BCM47755 chip in whichever is the mobile variant, which I think was first to market. I’m unsure with any of these how the power consumption compares with single band devices, which will carry a lot of weight in decision making. Antenna design could be interesting, too. That said, show me a watch which has this and gets anywhere near its promise and I’m in.
With the announcement of the new tread/bike I take it they’re delaying the announcement of their Rower.
I ride bikes and I track cars so I hopped on the Garmin Catalyst launch. Even though you may not be interested in driving — from a cyclist’s perspective I will note that they seem to be using some vision neural networks to detect placement of the vehicle on the track. This sort of technology makes me wonder what kind of applications vision based AI could mean for garmin cycling based products.
Just browsing Garmin site this week and noticed this:
link to buy.garmin.com
Fenix 6 compatible quarter turn quickfit bike mount
No idea when it arrived but finally ?
Hi Ray, you have probably already seen this from Drew at Tacx Facx. Basically means that every single Neo 2T ever sold, anywhere in the world will, once warranty is expired and the $10 bearing inevitably fails, become an expensive door-stop. No way to fix the bearing due to a proprietary part required.
link to youtube.com
This seems like a case of not simply asking the question to Garmin/Tacx. In fact, in the comments you’ll find a comment from Hilko – lead of support for Tacx.
He noted that while they don’t yet have the public extractor tool available, it is something they’e working on. Since bearing replacement at this stage in the product life-cycle is fairly rare, they were doing replace via swaps.
“Easy to go solutions needs to be availble for the public or dealers so that cost can be reduced to fix the problem and that we can service the NEO2T. They are in planning and will be offered to the market.”
As Drew himself noted, swapping out full units (while sometimes expensive) is a better overall customer service experience for the vast majority of people that aren’t inclined to replace it. Given how rare it is for bearings to have issues at this stage in the product lifecycle, I don’t really think this is a big deal. If we come back in a few years and the tool isn’t available – then sure.
But as Drew also noted, Garmin is one of the few companies that will still actually warranty your product forever. There might be a cost for a 15 year old product, but they do retain the parts. And in fact, we *already* saw this with Tacx and Garmin saying they’re going to takeover support and went back and added that for example to the original NEO as a policy.
ppreciate your comments Ray but feel they are optimistic. I live in Australia and own a Neo 1 bought in Feb 2018. Using the Garmin AU website, I can’t buy a replacement shimano hub for the EDCO hub, Can’t buy an extractor tool (however Hilko explained that the 2T tool is backwards compatible). I could do all of this before Garmin took over.
Why is it acceptable for garmin to supply sub-standard bearings on a flagship unit? Why is it acceptable to not supply a tool for repairs… just because its new? Units are already failing. It’s not acceptable to state that the most minor issue requires complete unit replacement and a 2-3 month wait while this takes place.
I am not aware of an local Garmin Australia support policy for my model out of warranty if it exists. There is NO mention of any policy on the tacx or Garmin AU website at all. The only policy I am aware of is a UK only one of charging 650 pounds for repairs no matter what the issue – even if its a $10 bearing fix.
Drew made lots of good points about Garmins attitude towards garmins paying customers. Not expecting you to comment on all of them but he has bent over backwards to help people on facebook.
Hilko is clearly trying hard, but I don’t’ think he is getting the Garmin HQ support he needs.
Has anyone at Tacx or Garmin ever heard of a focus group or user survey?
What’s up with the Wahoo Elemnt ROAM? The Wahoo website (link to wahoofitness.com) says it’s out of stock. REI says “Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT ROAM GPS Bike Computer is no longer available”. The listing on Amazon.com has disappeared, and my order with Canada Bicycle Parts was cancelled with a note asking if I’d like a BOLT instead (no).
Looks like the same happened in my country (Europe). It points towards a new model release, in which case if Ray knows anything about it, he’ll be blocked to comment on it. I assume he still needs to sign a NDA to get info. I’ll be surprised on what is to come. Though I use the Roam myself, it’s only a minor improvement over the bolt with a huge mark up in price (relatively speaking). The biggest let down was the so called “color screen” which I still consider mainly mono (black & white). I do appreciate the bigger size though and the rerouting option that the bolt lacks.
Ray
Upgrading from tacx smart flow would you go for tacx neo 2t, wahoo of some description or the new next generation wattbike atom. Currently I use an old 8 speed racing bike.
Thanks
Hi Ray – any rumors or timeframe for the release of a new Forerunner 645? That product is over 2 years old, and I’m wondering if they’re going to keep that slot between the 245 and 945 or ditch it. Thanks!
I’ve just discovered that the Polar Flow website has an export HRV data option for a given activity. Is this a new feature or am I now seeing this because I bought a new Polar Pro HR Strap? I’m still using my H7 sensor and the export option is also available for my OH1 sensor.
You are probably only seeing it because you have the PRO HR strap.
(a) I only have the OH1 and don’t see it; and
(b) I understood that the OH1 did not capture sufficient information to provide HRV data (and so I’d have doubts about the utility of an HRC export from a data set captured by an OH1 sensor).
I can confirm, it’s a recent update from Polar – screenshot attached shows my own view – Polar mentioned this on twitter yesterday
Yes you are correct about the OH1 as my export file does not have HRV data.
Thanks Aidan.
MAP, MAS and FTP are now available under Physical settings.
link to twitter.com
Hi Ray, I’ve noticed a lot of buzz on social media regarding ‘Aerofit’, a device that is used to ‘train your lungs’ for endurance sports. Since your spot-on review of the Whoop strap, I see you as one of the people very able to get a closer look at this device. Any chance you’d be doing an in-depth piece on that?
It’s a bit of sub-genre in sportstech, but might be interesting.
Kind regards!
Yeah, I put that kinda stuff in the same camp as those bracelets people try and pitch that supposedly make you do X or Y.
My thing is simple on these: If they actually worked (even at a 1% increase), then we’d see every single pro athletes in the world using them (for free), since 1% is gold medal at the Olympics or off the podium for most events. But…we don’t. We only see mostly no-name athletes talking about supposed benefits.
Most data I’ve read basically says there are some short-term benefits, but, like everything else in the body eventually your body adapts (very quickly in this case), and there’s no actual increase in performance, because you can’t keep applying more and more load like you can other stimuli.
Cheers!
That’s kind of what I expected… Thanks!