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:
We’re currently in the lull between Amazon Prime Day a few weeks back, and the start of Black Friday type sales in November. Still, there’s some decent options out there. Oh, you can always access all deals at dcrainmaker.com/deals
Product
Sale Price
Amazon
Other site
Sale Notes
4iiii Precision Ride-Ready Power Meters - $100 off!
This is for their non-drive power meter, in either the 'Ride-Ready' config (they send you a completed unit), or $50 off for the factory-install (where you send in your crank arm). The Ride Ready option is really a solid deal, considering you get a reliable power meter for $235.
Ride Ready R7000 - 30% off
Ride Ready R8000 - 20% off
Factory Install - 20% off
9th Gen Apple 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - $100 off!
⚡ This is an awesome deal. I use my iPad primarily for TrainerRoad as well as Zwift when not with a larger display. I also occasionally use it for other apps, namely Wahoo SYSTM, Rouvy, and Peloton. But I pretty much test every smart trainer app on it. For all these cycling apps, the graphics capabilities is really pretty irrelevant, so having the absolute top-end/latest model won't make any difference. I prefer the budget options.
I've been using these the past few months, after years of using the Beats Studio Buds...man, these things rock. My wife has already started stealing them, which means she'll probably get a set for Christmas so she'll stop sealing them.
⚡I make no secret how much I utilize AirTags, mainly, cause they've saved my butt numerous times already. We have them in every suitcase, and every backpack, and every bike bag. They're also hidden in most of our bikes (sometimes two of them). We were able to get our cargo bike back when it disappeared, as well as figure out when all our suitcases went missing during an annual family vacation where they were (for 5 days!), and plan appropriately. Seriously, just get them.
These aren't the latest anymore, that's the newer 3rd gen units. But if budget is in mind, it's hard to beat these. It's still what my wife uses as her daily driver, including tons of time on the indoor trainer/bike.
⚡This is now the lowest price we've ever seen the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) - a very solid deal, especially with the new WatchOS 10 features adding in offline topo mapping, power meter support, and plenty more.
This is Apple's latest Apple Watch model, and did quite well in my review when it launched about two months ago. Especially notable is all the new sports/fitness features it got this year, such as cycling power meter/sensor support.
This is really the first slate of sales we've seen on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the lowest price to date. Note: It'll show $739, and then to get the full extra $10 more off, you have to check that 'Apply Coupon' button under the price.
There's just no competition in our minds on the best running stroller - it's what we used with all three of our kiddos for everyting from intervals to 20-mile long runs. In fact, we actually have two of them - one at home in Europe, and one with family in Canada that we picked up used. Go Bob Go!
The DJI Avata is DJI's smaller form factor FPV drone, and one of my favorites to fly. I don't use it all the time, but more for very specific things requiring a bit more agility (whereas most of the times I'll use the DJI Mini 4 Pro, Air 3, or Mavic 3 Pro).
There's definitely something cool about seeing a sub-$300 drone. And there's nothing wrong with this drone, it's very good. Just be careful though, because it's lack of 360* obstacle avoidance means it's pretty easy to get yourself in a pinch for a beginner drone.
Up till the Mini 4 Pro came out, this was my go-to drone. It's what I shot almost all my drone footage from, and is great for both cycling and hiking (or trail running with a hydration pack to hold it), as it's super lightweight and includes everything you need.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the DJI Mini 4 Pro on sale, for a product DJI rarely discounts so soon after release. This is a great drone, and my go-to unit now for most trips.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Fenix 7 Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. The smaller Fenix 7S Pro watch has become my wife's go-to watch since it came out, for all of her training and 24x7 usage.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a crazy super strong deal, with Amazon having it as low as $449 (insane). Note that the Epix Gen 2 has continued to receive virtually all of the Epix Pro new features firmware updates. Also note: This deal is *STILL* available. Sometimes you'll have to click to show other retailers (on the right side), but it's still live.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Epix Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. I'd say this is probably my go-to watch these days (middle-sized one), with the singular reason I tend to choose it over the Forerunner 965, being the built-in flashlight for night.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Epix Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. I'd say this is probably my go-to watch these days (middle-sized one), with the singular reason I tend to choose it over the Forerunner 965, being the built-in flashlight for night.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a crazy super strong deal, with Amazon having it as low as $499 for Sapphire edition (insane). Note that the Epix Gen 2 has continued to receive virtually all of the Epix Pro new features firmware updates.
[Note: This is a renewed unit] Obviously, the Fenix 6 isn't the latest anymore, but these are still very capable watches and frankly, at $329, there's absolutely nothing from any of their even brand-new competitor watches (COROS, Polar, Suunto, etc...) that can even remotely compete with the features here. Heck, not even Garmin's own pricing for their Fenix 7 Pro can compete with this. Fwiw, all Garmin renewed units go back to the same factory original units came from. Frankly, there's virtually no difference. If you're on a budget, this is where it's at.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the new Fenix 7 Pro series on sale, and it's a nice strong sale. The smaller Fenix 7S Pro watch has become my wife's go-to watch since it came out, for all of her training and 24x7 usage.
⚡This is a strong deal if you don't care about the new optical heart rate sensor (including ECG) of the newer Fenix 7 Pro, especially given the Fenix 7 series has received virtually all of the Fenix 7 Pro's new software features, keeping them essentially identical.
This is Garmin's mid-tier running watch, and is a very polished option with good multi-band GPS, and of course, a boatload of running metrics. This model also includes offline music such as Spotify and Amazon Music.
This is one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and this is now the lowest price we've ever seen on it. I often use this in my accuracy testing comparisons when validating other watches, due to it's very strong GPS performance. Note this is the base edition without solar.
This is one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and this is now the lowest price we've ever seen on it. I often use this in my accuracy testing comparisons when validating other watches, due to it's very strong GPS performance. This is the SOLAR edition.
This is a good deal, especially considering the Instinct 2 series got Training Readiness and a host of other new features over the course of just this year alone.
This is a great deal at $199 for the smaller 2S units, especially considering the Instinct 2 series got Training Readiness and a host of other new features over the course of just this year alone. Plus of course all the existing triathlon/power meter/etc support it has built-in.
This is the first time we've seen the Instinct 2X on sale, and since announcement it's received a huge slate of firmware updates and new features. It's best thought of as an Instinct 2.5, as it has almost enough features to really be more of an Instinct 3 (which doesn't exist at this point).
⚡ This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness.
We have more Nest cam's than I can count. No really, we have half a dozen at the DCR Cave alone, plus more at home. We love them. Nest Cam's really only go on sale about 1-2x per year.
These are the WiFi mesh access points I use both at home and the DCR Cave. Love them - I don't need to dork with them, they just work. Sure, there are fancier 'Pro' versions now, but really, I just have zero issues.
While the new Pixel Watch 2 just came out a month ago, the Pixel Watch 2 got almost all the software features two weeks ago via software update. The Pixel Watch 2 does have a slightly better optical HR sensor, and better battery life, but otherwise is relatively similiar.
⚡The Karoo 2 is down to $299 ($100 off), but you can use DCR coupon code DCRAIN40 to get an additional $40 off, bringing it down to $259!!! A very solid deal given all the software updates it's received!
This is one of the other more popular display-laden rowing machines. I haven't tried this, but my sports-tech reviewing buddy DesFit has (linked at side) and liked it.
Hyperice Normatec 3 Leg Recovery System - $100 off
I actually quite like the Insat360 Go 3 and the combo of tiny form factor when you want it, and screen-box when you don't. I'm not sure $20 off is a sale worth jumping out of your seat for, but hey...a sale is a sale.
This is something I use frequently when shooting out and about and I need to re-charge a crapton of drone batteries, action cameras, or just cameras and such. I also use it on trips to Eurobike and elsewhere to keep equipment charged. I've even bought a solar panel to hook up to it (surprisingly effective). Heck, I've even powered a KICKR trainer ride from it!
Lasko High Velocity Pro-Performance Fan (U15617) - 23% off
This is one of the most popular indoor trainer fan companies out there, which rivals the Wahoo Headwind fan but cost a fraction of the price. Of course, it lacks ANT+/Bluetooth integration, but realistically if you really want that you can add a smart outlet for $10 to toggle it on/off from your phone if need be. I've actually got this fan in the DCR Cave recently on advice of many people.
Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee & Espresso Kit - 30% off
⚡ Let's be honest: This place runs on Nespresso (or, well, the knock-off pods we buy). But, the machine is Nespresso. Without it, reviews most definitely would not get done (and certainly not on time). This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!
We use one of these and so far after just about five years, it's working great for us. Love it, and works better than trying to stick a regular Nest Cam out the window (since it'll reflect both during daytime and at night with the IR sensor).
⚡ I know, I know, I still owe everyone a review. Nonetheless, 2+ years later, I love this thing. We use it for more than pizza too, notably steaks (to get a really crispy sear). But a lot of pizza. It's completely portable, even easily fitting on our cargo bike. Note that I went with this model, the cheapest one they make, as I realized that buying the higher-end models that that support gas didn't make much sense for me. I have a gas grill already (and could easily just put a stone on it). Similarly, while a large 16" is appealing, realistically I've found this 12" more than enough for pretty substantial personal pizzas (and it makes it easier to handle). Full in-depth review pretty soon...probably. Also, $244 appears to be the lowest price ever.
I believe this is the lowest price we've ever seen on the original/base Peloton Bike model (without a bundle required). This is still a solid bike, and actually one that I use at home (I have the newer Peloton Bike+ at the office). Both my wife and I use these bikes interchangeably, and while the Bike+ has a bigger screen and better accuracy, there's very little difference in the core Peloton experience. I'd still recommend this model to most people. Note Peloton has stated/confirmed there will be no 'bigger discounts' on products during this holiday period.
This is a solid deal for the Bike+. Both my wife and I use both the Peloton Bike+ and the regular Bike (one at home, one at office) on a weekly basis. We like both. The Bike+ is more accurate than the regular bike, and also has a bigger screen and automatic resistance control. That said, the core Peloton experience isn't any different between the two - it's the same platform there. Note Peloton has stated/confirmed there will be no 'bigger discounts' on products during this holiday period.
Peloton has the Peloton Row on sale, both this base unit here, but also various bundled units as well. This is the first times we've seen the base unit (non-bundled) on sale.
This is a great dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart (with two Bluetooth Smart connections) chest strap that you'll often find me using as a reference strap in heart rate sensor testing. We only tend to see deals on it around Black Friday, always topping out around 20%. Note, the medium- size is the one on sale.
We have a few SONOS speakers around the house and DCR Cave (the Ikea variants at DCR Cave), but by far our favorite is the Roam, which we take outdoors into the garden during the summer, beach vacations, AirBNB's, etc... It has a battery in it, and also connects to both WiFi and Bluetooth. Love, love, love
I use a literal flotilla of these small SSD's for all my photo/video projects until they get moved off to the NAS system (Synology) for longer term storage. I have T5/T7 units, and are picking up a few of the larger T9 ones given the sale prices. Love them, incredibly fast and reliable.
⚡I use the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD Cards exclusively for all my video/photo shooting on my Panasonic GH5 and Nikon cameras (video and stills), including up to 6K recording with the GH5. I've mostly used 128's, but more and more lately I'm filling up cards faster with higher bitrates, so this sale is gonna have me pickup a bunch of the 256GB ones instead. The 128GB/ 512GB/1TB ones are also on sale too viathe same link. Note that usually I wait till these are about $40-45, so this is a fantastic deal and I'll be filling up.
⚡ A very solid deal, making it the least expensive smart bike out there. Note that while the deal is marketed as being 37% off, most of the time the bike floats between $2,500 and $2,800. Still - $1,999 is very solid.
This is the first time we've seen the new Suunto Vertical on sale, and especially notable given the huge firmware update it got this past week with tons of new features from the also-new Suunto Race watch.
⚡⚡ Holy crap, this is an incredible deal. Get this while it's hot and lasts. Note that you can also pair this with the NEO Motion Plates, which would give you a slight bit of forward/back rolling motion.
This is arguably my wife's favorite sports tech gadget. She uses it pretty much daily. Thus, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this deal. Also, please don't tell her, she might just buy another one...
My wife uses the Theragun Elite, which is just slightly more expensive than this model at $299 on sale right now. But hey, I hear good things about all of these.
⚡⚡ This deal is back, and it's a pretty incredible deal. It's the Wahoo KICKR CORE down to $499, which REI briefly did this past June. Nobody else seems to be offering this deal, and even though the KICKR CORE got the price reduced to $599 recently, it's virtually unheard of to see these trainers below the $500 marker.
⚡ This is a very solid deal that happens twice a year, if you were looking at the Wahoo power meter pedals, grab these before this disappears (and it usually disappears). As with the Garmin Rally pedals, I continue to use Wahoo power meter pedals for accuracy testing of other brands/units.
⚡ This is a very solid deal that happens twice a year, if you were looking at the Wahoo power meter pedals, grab these before this disappears (and it usually disappears). As with the Garmin Rally pedals, I continue to use Wahoo power meter pedals for accuracy testing of other brands/units.
⚡ At some point, everything becomes a steal. While the Wahoo RIVAL struggles to be comepetitive with higher-end watches, at $99, it's a pretty crazy deal - especially for triathletes where Wahoo does some cool stuff around automatic transitions.
I've long been a fan of the Withings WiFi scales, especially since they can connect/push data to so many platforms, including Zwift! Note that the Body+ simply includes more data.
DCRAINMAKER.COM Posts in the Past Week:
Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page this past week:
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) DCR on ChaseTheSummit LiveStream: Just a heads up I’ll be doing a livestream with Dave of ChaseTheSummit, chatting about all sorts of things from wearable tech to behind the scenes geekery. You can click below and hit the bell to be notified. The livestream is this Thursday at 5PM US Eastern Time/10PM Central European Time.
4) Doping Tests are Returning, but it Might Be Too Late: The article dives into how COVID-19 has created a vacuum with respect to doping tests, which normally occur continuously for professional athletes, including out of competition testing to detect training related doping (which can then benefit racing).
5) Canyon Bicycles up for sale: And, from what appears to be roughly the same investment group compilation that recently took a $500M stake in Zwift. No surprise here, Canyon is set for huge growth if they can figure out logistics (and competitive pricing) for countries outside of Europe. As a two-time Canyon buyer now (road and mountain), I’d happily buy another frame given I live here in Europe. But looking at US pricing, it’s just a non-starter.
6) Impact of COVD-19 on Professional Athletes: A study by Stanford University with Strava takes a look at all the stats and data. This includes everything like changes to pace or HR intensity levels, as well as mental related aspects.
7) Peak Design’s new bike mount system: I like the looks of it. I’m a big Quadlock buyer/user, but I appreciate that I don’t have to rotate this. CyclingTips has a good hands-on look too. And based on what I see here, I like it a lot – including the mini-tripod concept. Though, two thoughts. First, I’m simply not joining a Kickstarter for something that I don’t get till next May (best case scenario). Second, this is super similar to the concept that I tested two years ago from another crowd-funded company, SwitchLok. I validated they didn’t license the IP from SwitchLok, so will be interesting to see how that shakes out. Still, I’ll likely be a buyer for it once it reaches retail.
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 MARQ Series Firmware Update: Massive pile of new features including track mode, daily suggested workouts, improved recovery time, and a boatload more things.
The frame/bike selection (limited mostly to higher end units), availability (often long wait times), and prices are waaaaay higher than here in Europe.
Just picking a totally random category for fun – ebikes. Crack open the European site (pick a country, in my case, the Netherlands), and then open another page for the US. There’s two options in the US, 7 in Europe. But that’s just a quick one. You can do it for countless sections/frames.
Their value proposition is not as strong defenetly. Usually save around $200/300 over a simirlarly equipped Trek. Without shop support. Having said that I bought one…
It’s very convenient from a “stop – take a picture – continue riding” perspective. Way better than a phone in a jersey pocket. And the phone doesn’t end up all sweaty.
Consider that urged scratched after you’ve seen Hambini’s review of a canyon bike.
I’ve been one of their earliest customers in the end of the 90s, the company has not digested the growth well.
Steve Fleck mentioned the “coming soon!” announcement for Canyon in Canada during Lionel Sanders’ Canadian Hour Record attempt broadcast, and that it was indeed delayed due to Covid. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how the selection/prices are like Ray has been pointing out for the US (if it’s bad for the US I can’t imagine how bad it will be for Canada though! lol/cry).
I do, but logistically it’s challenging right now. I’d want to go somewhere I can actually shoot in clear waters to be able to see stuff better underwater, and realistically everything is locked down right now.
In the past I’ve gone to NEMO33 not to far from here in Belgium. But the border is currently closed from here to there (and vice versa).
I have been waiting for this watch for a while. Given the fact that I won’t have any SCUBA trips any time soon I guess I can wait a bit longer for the DCR review !
I’m in the same boat (pun not intended). Thanks Ray for letting us know your plans. I guess there are at least two of us waiting on your review. There is absolutely no rush though.
Bad luck I didn’t read it earlier, Nemo33 was open up to a couple of days ago. They had to close like all other pools because of new rules. I do understand it isn’t always easy to follow, but the border hasn’t been closed since it was opened in July and there have been multiple announcements they won’t close it again.
Depending on how you look at it you could even have crossed the border when it was actually closed, work related trips were allowed as long as you had an official paper delivered by the company..
The border isn’t closed per se, but it’s practically closed since Belgium is on the list of countries I’d have to self-quarantine for 10 days upon arrival back in the Netherlands. Which isn’t super practical when you’ve got three kids. Well, it’s not super practical whether you have three kids or not, but it’s a non-starter at this point, and realistically doesn’t really help the whole world situation for potentially either country based on the numbers here in Oct/Nov.
However, there’s a very similiar EU unit here: link to amzn.to – I’ve also got that one. Essentially the same for trainer usage. Also has a daisy-chain option if you wanted to do multiple.
Both work great. Full head to head (vs Wahoo Headwind) on deck.
So, it looks like F935 is completely abandoned with issues with elevate and OSW.
Garmin is a crap. It makes me mad, I really hate this company for so many not resolved bugs, but in other hand I quite can’t see alternative.
It’s a wash to be honest (assuming not talking TICKR X). The newer TICKR and Garmin strap both support dual BLE alongside ANT+. Neither supports data offloading or such, only Garmin’s HRM-PRO or Wahoo’s TICKR X.
I would buy the Garmin HRM Dual. The Wahoo Tickr does not have accurate R-R data over ANT+. see link to help.elitehrv.com
I’ve seen it screw up my garmin stress tests and in theory it should also mess with your Training Effect metrics but I haven’t verified that yet. It’s an issue if you have to pair your strap over BLE to something else like an iPad for zwift and then can only use ant+ for your garmin.
Are there any smart devices out there that I can use as a dimmer for my Lasko fan? I know I could get off my bike and change the settings on the fan 3 feet away, but I’m a lazy triathlete
Also some good news for current Forerunner users (minus the 645).
Garmin-Brooks 3 days ago
Just wanted to get this update out there as there have been understandably a lot of questions about the sleep widget and when it is coming back. While preparing to release our new on-device sleep algorithm on Forerunner devices we found that some beta testers had more accurate results on the previous versions. As a result, we have removed the feature to further review results so our customers can ultimately have the best sleep algorithm experience. We are actively testing and verifying the algorithm on a wider audience and hope to release a public beta in the coming months. Thank you all for your patience as we continue to make improvements and listen to your feedback.
I’m curious how much cheaper Canyon bikes are than the US?
I didn’t realize there was a difference, and could never understand the value proposition (for the US).
On a per-model basis they’re usually only about 10% cheaper in the EU.
But…that hides the real story: Only the most expensive models are available in the US, whereas the EU has models at every price point, and most of the best deals are not the $7K super-bike levels, but rather the $1-3K price bucket.
And adding to that, Canyon EU almost always has sales/clearance on last years models (seemingly all year), which are even better deals. Again, rarely in the US.
There is apparently a study underway to determine EPO efficacy for Covid 19 treatment, so somebody is going to be cheeky enough to “borrow” a positive swab and try for a TUE.
Was a bit surprised by the Fenix 6 software update on my run this weekend! Surprised in a good way. I took advantage of the “suggested workout” because why not…and I was happy to see that you could toggle based on time as well as HR.
Curious if this will get pushed down to the other models – Fenix 5, Vivo, etc.
When the suggested workout pops up, click the “GO” (top right button), and rather than immediately selecting “Do Workout” scroll down the menu to “Target Type” – this will give you the option of HR or Pace!
Love all the reviews. Sorry to say Garmin has not yet offered one feature it probably should and could without much effort. Namely – when one is cycling, the Garmin should be able to give “lap” alerts (sound and shake) every 2 miles or so, saying 17.1 mph or whatever the lap pace was. Also, when swimming in open water, the Garmin should be able to give at alert every 500 yards or so saying 2:00 minutes per 100 yards, or whatever the lap pace was. Like that feature for running with my 620, could use the same real time performance update when cycling & swimming. Thanks for seeing what can be done. My wife has a 920xt which could use the upgrade the most.
I’m puzzled – are you saying that you are not able to set autolaps for cycling or swimming in the same way you can for running? Or is it that you can’t set custom data there?
For the first, any unit that has a cycling mode has autolap for that mode, though the default is set to 5 miles so you might not spot it if you were only cycling short distances, and has a similar range of lap display settings to the run mode for that unit.
For swimming, generally the devices with a swim mode will count lengths in the pool, and auto lap by distance in open water.
Out of curiosity, I dug out my old 620 and, for cycling, you can definitely set a lap distance of 2 miles or many other values, and you can set either of the lap screen fields to show the lap pace, again among many other values. It doesn’t support swimming, so obviously no options there.
Yes, my goal for the 620 would be to keep my alerts at 1 mile (showing minutes per mile pace) while running, then also have alerts at 2 or 5 miles while cycling (showing average lap mph). Goal for the 920xt would be to also have swim alerts every 500 yards or so (minutes per hundred yards). Sorry to say alerts for rides and swims, along with run alerts, may not be feasible, Not sure alerts are 100% considerate of fellow athletes, but they do help me manage solo runs. Might check with Garmin tech support for their thoughts. Seems like it is a software upgrade vs hardware issue in either case. Thanks for tips.
I’m a bit confused Chris, Garmin has had autolap on swimming and cycling for years. Activity Settings > Laps > Auto Distance. Set it for whatever distance you want. Can display up to two data fields in the lap alert message. The 920 certainly has this.
Exactly. And as above, I have checked and the 620 definitely allows laps to be set for cycling, at a distance independent of that for running, with two data fields in the lap message that are also independent of those set for running.
They are not just feasible, they are part of the basic system and have been for many years.
Thanks, Dan & Dom! Have now reprogrammed my 620 to alert every 2 miles on the bike and let me know lap speed. If that is too much info, may scale back to every 5 miles. Also will get an alert after each hour of riding. Would like to get my average speed up for Ironman MD in 2021. Feedback while riding might help. Sorry to say did not realize 620 was so well set up for tracking cycling.
That’s great! I can see how it’s not as clear as it should be in the 620 – you have to switch to the activity you want to modify, then go into settings, which looks exactly the same apart from colour scheme whatever activity you are in. Newer watches you go into settings then select the activity you want to adjust, or do it when the activity is actually active and ready to record. Better from a UI point of view.
Got the 920xt to give alerts every 500 yards during swim – updated me on pace as swim unfolded, which was helpful. Both 920xt and 620 gave beeps at intervals on bike ride – every 2 miles seems better for me than every 5 miles. Ideally lap alert will say my speed over the last 2 miles (lap speed) vs average speed.
There is an updated firmware for the Saris Hx trainers (31.063, I think). It is not listed on their site (last updated Oct last year!), but I happened to check with the Saris app this morning.
Something about Bluetooth FTMS calibration, I forgot to take a screenshot.
DO you see Canyon getting with the picture anytime soon for the US market? I really really like the idea and look of their bikes, and your endorsement makes me more willing to drop the money.
But you’re right, it’s painful trying to find one and the reviews are less then stellar. How long do you forsee it taking before they get with the picture, or tighten up their US supplychain?
I don’t see them being meaningful in the US market until they can match the level of ‘Woah’ that’s present in the European market.
As for other reviews/etc, I can basically only speak for myself and my usage there. I love my road bike (now almost three years old). The singular exception to that being the @#$#@ 2#$@#$ @#$#@ derailleur hanger, which is such as worthless @#$@# of @#$#@ sh@#$@#.
Seriously, the stupid part breaks if the wind looks at it the wrong way. And it costs like $20/shot, so I always have 2 of them on-hand, especially when I travel. Lean the bike up against a park bench for a second and a strong wind blows it over onto the grass? New hanger. It’s funny, I even one time stumbled onto a DCR reader out riding in Spain at a turnaround with the same bike, that had just had their bike tip over while they were taking a picture, and had the hanger bend.
About the Fenix 6 firmware update:
“Improved Bluetooth stability and reliability.” No Garmin u did NOT, on the contrary I never had problems with bluetooth but now u f*cked with it and now I my earphones keep disconnecting! Same with other Garmin devices, when I first had my Garmin 530 I didn’t have any problems with it but after an update I kept loosing gps in forest area’s (so much that I had to use my Fenix 6 to keep going), also my Garmin Edge 530 is in for replacement as it had a blackscreen and can’t be fixed (and I’m not the only one with this problem).
Garmin has to stop with updates that f*ck up their own products, do more beta-testing before sending it to every device or let me choose to never update it (or let me downgrade it)!
I like the Peak Design mounting system and understand why it’s iPhone-centric, but just like with their new competitors (Quad Lock, etc.), I’m not going to trust a 3M adhesive to keep my expensive phone safe. And that’s with 3M adhesive being pretty much the best available.
I have fairly random question, Ray and I can’t find the answer anywhere online; I have a sense that you’ll know so hoping you see this.
Is there any way to change the x-axis on graphs in the Garmin Connect mobile app (iOS) to be by distance instead of time? Can’t seem to find the answer in the Garmin website or their forums and I have scoured the app to find if it’s possible but can’t locate it (I was hoping for some hidden features like a long-press on the x-axis or something but alas, nothing ?)
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FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds! It’s a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Can you elaborate on what you mean about Canyon’s US prices? You think they’re not going to make money at that price, or that they’re too expensive?
The frame/bike selection (limited mostly to higher end units), availability (often long wait times), and prices are waaaaay higher than here in Europe.
Just picking a totally random category for fun – ebikes. Crack open the European site (pick a country, in my case, the Netherlands), and then open another page for the US. There’s two options in the US, 7 in Europe. But that’s just a quick one. You can do it for countless sections/frames.
The 530 is getting BLE sync support. Is this going to have any advantage? Maybe on battery life or reliability of the connection?
It’s purely for the Garmin Connect IQ app to use is my understanding.
Their value proposition is not as strong defenetly. Usually save around $200/300 over a simirlarly equipped Trek. Without shop support. Having said that I bought one…
Nothing provides a better pro feeling than a giant iphone mounted to handlebar.
It’s like red cars in Switzerland..
I don’t use it for a road/race bike. I use it for my everyday around town bikes. Works great for directions and such around the city.
That’s the main use case here.
It’s very convenient from a “stop – take a picture – continue riding” perspective. Way better than a phone in a jersey pocket. And the phone doesn’t end up all sweaty.
I still wish we could get Canyon Bikes in Canada. Its been promised for years.
Indeed.
They are coming to Canada in the spring. It would have been sooner but it has been delayed (most likely due to Covid)
link to canyon.com
Consider that urged scratched after you’ve seen Hambini’s review of a canyon bike.
I’ve been one of their earliest customers in the end of the 90s, the company has not digested the growth well.
Steve Fleck mentioned the “coming soon!” announcement for Canyon in Canada during Lionel Sanders’ Canadian Hour Record attempt broadcast, and that it was indeed delayed due to Covid. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how the selection/prices are like Ray has been pointing out for the US (if it’s bad for the US I can’t imagine how bad it will be for Canada though! lol/cry).
Hi Ray, any plans to review the Garmin Descent MK2?
Thanks.
I do, but logistically it’s challenging right now. I’d want to go somewhere I can actually shoot in clear waters to be able to see stuff better underwater, and realistically everything is locked down right now.
In the past I’ve gone to NEMO33 not to far from here in Belgium. But the border is currently closed from here to there (and vice versa).
I have been waiting for this watch for a while. Given the fact that I won’t have any SCUBA trips any time soon I guess I can wait a bit longer for the DCR review !
I’m in the same boat (pun not intended). Thanks Ray for letting us know your plans. I guess there are at least two of us waiting on your review. There is absolutely no rush though.
Bad luck I didn’t read it earlier, Nemo33 was open up to a couple of days ago. They had to close like all other pools because of new rules. I do understand it isn’t always easy to follow, but the border hasn’t been closed since it was opened in July and there have been multiple announcements they won’t close it again.
Depending on how you look at it you could even have crossed the border when it was actually closed, work related trips were allowed as long as you had an official paper delivered by the company..
The border isn’t closed per se, but it’s practically closed since Belgium is on the list of countries I’d have to self-quarantine for 10 days upon arrival back in the Netherlands. Which isn’t super practical when you’ve got three kids. Well, it’s not super practical whether you have three kids or not, but it’s a non-starter at this point, and realistically doesn’t really help the whole world situation for potentially either country based on the numbers here in Oct/Nov.
I guess you use the Lasko fan with a plug adapter? Or is there a European version of the fan?
The Laska, with a transfer.
However, there’s a very similiar EU unit here: link to amzn.to – I’ve also got that one. Essentially the same for trainer usage. Also has a daisy-chain option if you wanted to do multiple.
Both work great. Full head to head (vs Wahoo Headwind) on deck.
Seeing the live stream made me remember the podcast. Any plans to revive it? Maybe podcast 3.0 ??
Some revival at some point, just gotta figure out the logistics of it.
So, it looks like F935 is completely abandoned with issues with elevate and OSW.
Garmin is a crap. It makes me mad, I really hate this company for so many not resolved bugs, but in other hand I quite can’t see alternative.
COROS Pace 2 In-Depth Review: A $199 Multisport watch with Running Power?
link to dcrainmaker.com
Hi Ray,
do you have any plans to review Withings ScanWatch? Would be interesting see how true their claims about medical-grade SpO2 sensor are.
I’m contemplating it. Just gotta get through a few other watches first.
Hi Ray, have you gotten through those other watches? 🙂 Any plans for the Withings ScanWatch review?
Some of them, though, not all of them. Still have the Samsung to do… might be a bit late there.
Is the Scanwatch review still being contemplated?
At the $56 sale price would you buy the Garmin HRM Dual over a Wahoo Tickr ? Or does the Tickr still win?
It’s a wash to be honest (assuming not talking TICKR X). The newer TICKR and Garmin strap both support dual BLE alongside ANT+. Neither supports data offloading or such, only Garmin’s HRM-PRO or Wahoo’s TICKR X.
I would buy the Garmin HRM Dual. The Wahoo Tickr does not have accurate R-R data over ANT+. see link to help.elitehrv.com
I’ve seen it screw up my garmin stress tests and in theory it should also mess with your Training Effect metrics but I haven’t verified that yet. It’s an issue if you have to pair your strap over BLE to something else like an iPad for zwift and then can only use ant+ for your garmin.
If you’re using an HRV app, you’re connecting over BLE, so the Ant+ side of things is of little relevance
Are there any smart devices out there that I can use as a dimmer for my Lasko fan? I know I could get off my bike and change the settings on the fan 3 feet away, but I’m a lazy triathlete
Also some good news for current Forerunner users (minus the 645).
Garmin-Brooks 3 days ago
Just wanted to get this update out there as there have been understandably a lot of questions about the sleep widget and when it is coming back. While preparing to release our new on-device sleep algorithm on Forerunner devices we found that some beta testers had more accurate results on the previous versions. As a result, we have removed the feature to further review results so our customers can ultimately have the best sleep algorithm experience. We are actively testing and verifying the algorithm on a wider audience and hope to release a public beta in the coming months. Thank you all for your patience as we continue to make improvements and listen to your feedback.
https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-245-series/243376/forerunner-245-music-sw-5-20—live-to-100
Garmin FR945 Firmware Update: Essentially same as MARQ/Fenix 6.
same, same but different 😉
FR945 is still missing “on device sleep” Garmin employee says there is problem with it.
See comment in firmware thread.
Oh definitely. Sorry, I was referring to the change-log bits.
I’m curious how much cheaper Canyon bikes are than the US?
I didn’t realize there was a difference, and could never understand the value proposition (for the US).
On a per-model basis they’re usually only about 10% cheaper in the EU.
But…that hides the real story: Only the most expensive models are available in the US, whereas the EU has models at every price point, and most of the best deals are not the $7K super-bike levels, but rather the $1-3K price bucket.
And adding to that, Canyon EU almost always has sales/clearance on last years models (seemingly all year), which are even better deals. Again, rarely in the US.
There is apparently a study underway to determine EPO efficacy for Covid 19 treatment, so somebody is going to be cheeky enough to “borrow” a positive swab and try for a TUE.
Was a bit surprised by the Fenix 6 software update on my run this weekend! Surprised in a good way. I took advantage of the “suggested workout” because why not…and I was happy to see that you could toggle based on time as well as HR.
Curious if this will get pushed down to the other models – Fenix 5, Vivo, etc.
oh, I did not know that you can change suggested workouts to user HR. Where you can make this change? Thanks!
When the suggested workout pops up, click the “GO” (top right button), and rather than immediately selecting “Do Workout” scroll down the menu to “Target Type” – this will give you the option of HR or Pace!
Enjoy!
Love all the reviews. Sorry to say Garmin has not yet offered one feature it probably should and could without much effort. Namely – when one is cycling, the Garmin should be able to give “lap” alerts (sound and shake) every 2 miles or so, saying 17.1 mph or whatever the lap pace was. Also, when swimming in open water, the Garmin should be able to give at alert every 500 yards or so saying 2:00 minutes per 100 yards, or whatever the lap pace was. Like that feature for running with my 620, could use the same real time performance update when cycling & swimming. Thanks for seeing what can be done. My wife has a 920xt which could use the upgrade the most.
I’m puzzled – are you saying that you are not able to set autolaps for cycling or swimming in the same way you can for running? Or is it that you can’t set custom data there?
For the first, any unit that has a cycling mode has autolap for that mode, though the default is set to 5 miles so you might not spot it if you were only cycling short distances, and has a similar range of lap display settings to the run mode for that unit.
For swimming, generally the devices with a swim mode will count lengths in the pool, and auto lap by distance in open water.
Out of curiosity, I dug out my old 620 and, for cycling, you can definitely set a lap distance of 2 miles or many other values, and you can set either of the lap screen fields to show the lap pace, again among many other values. It doesn’t support swimming, so obviously no options there.
Yes, my goal for the 620 would be to keep my alerts at 1 mile (showing minutes per mile pace) while running, then also have alerts at 2 or 5 miles while cycling (showing average lap mph). Goal for the 920xt would be to also have swim alerts every 500 yards or so (minutes per hundred yards). Sorry to say alerts for rides and swims, along with run alerts, may not be feasible, Not sure alerts are 100% considerate of fellow athletes, but they do help me manage solo runs. Might check with Garmin tech support for their thoughts. Seems like it is a software upgrade vs hardware issue in either case. Thanks for tips.
I’m a bit confused Chris, Garmin has had autolap on swimming and cycling for years. Activity Settings > Laps > Auto Distance. Set it for whatever distance you want. Can display up to two data fields in the lap alert message. The 920 certainly has this.
Exactly. And as above, I have checked and the 620 definitely allows laps to be set for cycling, at a distance independent of that for running, with two data fields in the lap message that are also independent of those set for running.
They are not just feasible, they are part of the basic system and have been for many years.
Thanks, Dan & Dom! Have now reprogrammed my 620 to alert every 2 miles on the bike and let me know lap speed. If that is too much info, may scale back to every 5 miles. Also will get an alert after each hour of riding. Would like to get my average speed up for Ironman MD in 2021. Feedback while riding might help. Sorry to say did not realize 620 was so well set up for tracking cycling.
That’s great! I can see how it’s not as clear as it should be in the 620 – you have to switch to the activity you want to modify, then go into settings, which looks exactly the same apart from colour scheme whatever activity you are in. Newer watches you go into settings then select the activity you want to adjust, or do it when the activity is actually active and ready to record. Better from a UI point of view.
Got the 920xt to give alerts every 500 yards during swim – updated me on pace as swim unfolded, which was helpful. Both 920xt and 620 gave beeps at intervals on bike ride – every 2 miles seems better for me than every 5 miles. Ideally lap alert will say my speed over the last 2 miles (lap speed) vs average speed.
There is an updated firmware for the Saris Hx trainers (31.063, I think). It is not listed on their site (last updated Oct last year!), but I happened to check with the Saris app this morning.
Something about Bluetooth FTMS calibration, I forgot to take a screenshot.
DO you see Canyon getting with the picture anytime soon for the US market? I really really like the idea and look of their bikes, and your endorsement makes me more willing to drop the money.
But you’re right, it’s painful trying to find one and the reviews are less then stellar. How long do you forsee it taking before they get with the picture, or tighten up their US supplychain?
I don’t see them being meaningful in the US market until they can match the level of ‘Woah’ that’s present in the European market.
As for other reviews/etc, I can basically only speak for myself and my usage there. I love my road bike (now almost three years old). The singular exception to that being the @#$#@ 2#$@#$ @#$#@ derailleur hanger, which is such as worthless @#$@# of @#$#@ sh@#$@#.
Seriously, the stupid part breaks if the wind looks at it the wrong way. And it costs like $20/shot, so I always have 2 of them on-hand, especially when I travel. Lean the bike up against a park bench for a second and a strong wind blows it over onto the grass? New hanger. It’s funny, I even one time stumbled onto a DCR reader out riding in Spain at a turnaround with the same bike, that had just had their bike tip over while they were taking a picture, and had the hanger bend.
But…beyond that…I love everything else about it.
That seems like an alarming/expensive issue?! given the difficulty of US supply as is…
Makes me a little nervous to buy especially for a $3k+ bicycle…
About the Fenix 6 firmware update:
“Improved Bluetooth stability and reliability.” No Garmin u did NOT, on the contrary I never had problems with bluetooth but now u f*cked with it and now I my earphones keep disconnecting! Same with other Garmin devices, when I first had my Garmin 530 I didn’t have any problems with it but after an update I kept loosing gps in forest area’s (so much that I had to use my Fenix 6 to keep going), also my Garmin Edge 530 is in for replacement as it had a blackscreen and can’t be fixed (and I’m not the only one with this problem).
Garmin has to stop with updates that f*ck up their own products, do more beta-testing before sending it to every device or let me choose to never update it (or let me downgrade it)!
That seems like an alarming/expensive issue?! given the difficulty of US supply as is…
Makes me a little nervous to buy especially for a $3k+ bicycle…
I like the Peak Design mounting system and understand why it’s iPhone-centric, but just like with their new competitors (Quad Lock, etc.), I’m not going to trust a 3M adhesive to keep my expensive phone safe. And that’s with 3M adhesive being pretty much the best available.
I have fairly random question, Ray and I can’t find the answer anywhere online; I have a sense that you’ll know so hoping you see this.
Is there any way to change the x-axis on graphs in the Garmin Connect mobile app (iOS) to be by distance instead of time? Can’t seem to find the answer in the Garmin website or their forums and I have scoured the app to find if it’s possible but can’t locate it (I was hoping for some hidden features like a long-press on the x-axis or something but alas, nothing ?)