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:
There’s a number of strong sports tech deals out there right now, primarily tied to Garmin’s ‘Birthday’. Which, is also phrased as ‘Right, Fitbit, Apple, and everyone else have just released devices, let’s steal some sales. I mean yes, Birthday. Either way, money savings for you.
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | AmazFit T-Rex 3 - $40 off | $240 | Amazon | |
 | Amazon Echo Dot Kids - 42% off | $34 | 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 $34? 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) - $70 off! | $279 | 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 AirPods 4 - $60 off! | $119 | Amazon | |
 | Apple Watch SE (2022/2nd gen) - $100 off $249/$299 (cellular) | $169 | Amazon | It's really hard to beat $169 for an Apple Watch. Again, like the other Apple units on this list, the SE3 was announce last month - which adds an Always-on Display, among other features. But at $169 with otherwise all the same software features as the higher-end Apple Watch units, this continues to be one of the best deals in smartwatches out there. |
 | Apple Watch Series 10 - $120 off $399/$499 (cellular) | $279 | Amazon | With the Series 11 out last month, you'll see sales on the Series 10. That said, there isn't a huge difference between Series 11 and Series 10. So if you were looking at the Apple Watch SE3, this might be worth grabbing instead for the added features. |
 | Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium - $150 off | $649 | Amazon | With the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 announced last month, it's time to clear some Ultra 2 inventory. This is pretty much the 'normal' sale price for the Ultra 2. |
 | 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. Of course, moreso than that, the days are very limited for how much longer you can actually buy at DJI drone in the US. So, grab them while you can. |
 | DJI NEO - $30 off! | $159 | Amazon | This is the lowest price on this drone, and is a great option if you want a follow-me drone that's pretty hard to kill, at a price point that's still super reasonable. |
 | DJI OSMO 360 - $137 off | $412 | Amazon | 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. |
 | Garmin Edge 540 - $73 off | $267 | Amazon | ⚡At $267, 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 Epix Pro - $250 off! $899/$999 | $499 | Amazon | ⚡ This is avery solid deal! The Epix Pro has the latest optical HR sensor in it, and thus has full ECG support as well. Note, this is for a 'renewed' model. In Garmin lingo, it means it went back to the (same) factory in Taiwan, and went back to the assembly line and is effectively a new watch again. I wouldn't have any concerned with a renewed model, but some might. |
 | Garmin Varia Radar (RTL515) - $50 off | $149 | Amazon | 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... |
 | Garmin Venu X1 - $100 off! | $699 | Amazon | This is the first time we've seen the Venu X1 on sale, since it came out this past summer. This is a good deal, though, I do wonder if it indicates the original pricing wasn't quite right here. |
 | Garmin inReach 2 Mini Satellite Communicator (2-way) - $40 off | $360 | Amazon | This is a pretty small deal for this product. 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! | $399 | Amazon | This came out last fall, and is the second time this has been discounted. 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 - $50 off | $349 | Amazon | |
 | GoPro Hero 13 Black Bundle (extra battery/SD card/floaty) - $100 off! | $379 | Amazon | ⚡ This is a very solid deal. It's a Hero 13 Black on discount, but then an extra battery tossed in, then an SD card, and then a floaty. |
 | GoPro Hero 4K - $20 off | $199 | Amazon | While the new Hero Lit was announced a few weeks back, which includes a front LED light, for the most part it's the same camera inside. Note I'll have a full comparison shortly though between the GoPro Hero Lit, DJI OSMO Nano, and Insta360 Go Ultra. |
 | Google Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) - $70 OFF | $229 | Amazon | The newer Pixel Watch 4 came out last month, and will start shipping this week. 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. Still, this is a solid deal. |
 | Insta360 X5 360* Action Cam - $50 off! | $499 | Amazon | |
 | Polar H10 Chest Strap (Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart) - $15 off $89 | $84 | Amazon | |
 | Polar Verity Sense - 15% off $99 | $82 | Amazon | I use this as one of my reference devices for heart rate accuracy testing. |
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) - $100 off! | $549 | Amazon | |
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - $35 off | $314 | Amazon | |
 | Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $400 off | $2,398 | Amazon | This is the main camera I use for still photography and video b-roll. I recently wrote about all the photography gear I use, linked at side here. |
 | 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 - $120 off! | $379 | Amazon | While the new Suunto Vertical 2 just came out last week, if you wanted to stock-up on MIP-based display watches before they disappear, here's your chance. |
 | Suunto Wing headphones - $30 off | $119 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo ACE Cycling GPS - $90 off! $599 | $531 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo BOLT V2 - $30 off $279 | $237 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo KICKR 2022/V6 - $155 off! $1,299 | $894 | 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 KICKR Core Smart Trainer - $75 off! $499 | $427 | Amazon | This is basically the lowest price we've ever seen for this trainer as far as I know. It's still a very solid trainer, and the cornerstone to the new Zwift Ride bike as well (it uses the KICKR CORE as the base). It works with the Wahoo KICKR CLIMB too. |
 | Wahoo KICKR Desk - $30 off | $199 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo KICKR ROLLR - $130 off $599 | $569 | Amazon | |
 | Wahoo ROAM V3 - $70 off! | $395 | Amazon | This is the first time we've seen the ROAM V3 on sale (notably the BOLT V3 is not on sale, though the larger ACE is). |
 | Wahoo TRACKR Heart Rate Sensor - $15 off $89 | $84 | Amazon |
DCRAINMAKER.COM Posts in the Past Week:
Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page this past week:
Sunday: Aero Optim 20J – The Wind Tunnel For Everyone: A Brief Explainer
Monday: Elite’s New Training Desk: First Look
Wednesday: Whoop 4.0 Announced: Here’s What’s New and Changed
This past week was definitely the calm before the September storm. Hold on tight!
YouTube Video This Past Week:
Here’s what hit the tubes over on the You of Tube, definitely don’t forget to subscribe there to get notified of videos the second they hit! Note, this upcoming week would be a strong week to have that notification bell hit too…just sayin’.
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. Also, there’s a few things this week that were actually from a week or two ago – I’m just catching up on this list:
1) DesFit and I Go To the Alps to Review Watches: Actually, we went to the Alps for Eurobike. But we hiked/ran/rode nearly 30 hours worth in less than a week (plus squishing in two days at Eurobike). Des has his video up first, comparing the Fenix 6 to COROS Vertix 2, but it’s more of a VLOG style video – complete with dueling baguettes and plenty of fun behind-the-scenes tidbits. I’ve got a companion video between the Enduro & Vertix 2, plus a pile of other videos on other devices (announced and otherwise). In the meantime, enjoy this one:
2) Apple Watch 7 Announcement Expected Tuesday: Apple’s annual fall event is slated for 10AM US Pacific Time, or 7PM Amsterdam time. I should have everything you need to know posted shortly thereafter. Keep in mind that many of the software changes have already been announced back in June.
3) When Building Plans Give Away Product Plans: Granted, there’s very little doubt Peloton is building a rower, it’s just a matter of when. As an aside though, as with Zwift rowing, I remain skeptical on how big that market really is (in the US especially) for people to own home equipment. Every time I do napkin math on it, it just doesn’t even come close to bikes and treadmills.
4) VanMoof becomes most funded e-bike company in the world: The company raised another $128M in its most recent round. No doubt it’ll continue to easily expand, though if Amsterdam bike paths (home to VanMoof) is any indication, then the competition is quickly catching on. I’ve seen a notable increase in share of other hip e-bike companies in the last 12 months among the younger crowd.
5) More changes in Zwift Pack Dynamics: Things continue to evolve here, and seem to be looking better.
6) The FR310XT – 12 years ago: For fun, here’s the review I wrote on the FR310XT some 12 years ago this week. It’s interesting to see how things have shifted, and in some cases, where they haven’t. Either way, it’s crazy to think that little orange is 12 years old now. Doesn’t feel that long ago – but at least we don’t have to deal with the ANT Agent anymore!
Sports Tech Device Firmware Updates This Week:
Each week I quickly highlight some of the new firmware, app, software, and website service updates that I see go out. If you’re a sports technology company and release an update – shoot me a quick note (just one-liners are perfect, or Tweet it at me is even better) and I’ll make mention of it here. If I don’t know about it, I won’t be able to post about it. Sound good? Oh – and if you want to get a head start on things, this page is a great resource for watching Garmin, Wahoo, Polar, and a few other firmware updates.
Garmin Fenix 6 Series/MARQ/Enduro BETA Firmware Update: The ever-growing pile of new features coming to these watches continues to march through beta iterations.
Garmin FR245/745/945 BETA Firmware Update: Mostly bug fixes.
Hammerhead Karoo Firmware Update: Some good updates to the CLIMBER feature included here, as well as various performance improvements.
Polar Ignite Firmware Update: Various bug fixes.
Wahoo ELEMNT/BOLT/ROAM Series Firmware Update: Various bug fixes.
—
With that, thanks for reading!
hey ray, some of your posts, (i think the ones with tech deal columns) show up very weirdly on my feedly reader. maybe i am the only one still using a blog reader?
thanks!
Huh, you’re right. That does look like crap in Feedly. Let me dig into it in the morning with the developers. I suspect something it’s being closed correctly in the first column.
Subscribe newsletter.
Surprised that there’s a big discount on the 745 but no discount on the 945 ?
Yeah, a little bit. Sometimes Garmin just mixes them up for the sake of mixing them up I think.
Garmin released Firmware 19.2 this week. A pretty substantial pile of improvements and features.
Hey Ray, any idea when a new Edge 1040 or whatever they’ll call out may get released? My 1030 battery is far from what it used to be but the 1030 Plus seems like not enough of an upgrade right now. 😕 Anxiously awaiting the opportunity to give Garmin more money! 😂
that will take at least a year, 1030+ is finally what the 1000 and 1030 should have been with the latest updates. It’s good.
In Italy the 1030+ is also part of the birthday sale at 459.99€
btw, when Ray doesn’t answer these questions sometimes means he already testing the device and he’s on embargo, so can’t reveal it :)
FYI, September is usually “New GoPro” month. The rumors show the usual upgrades (e.g. higher FPS at higher resolutions). You may want to hold off on GoPro 9 until the 10 is released just in case there is some feature you need.
Ray – It is awesome you got to go to the Alps but I am *very* envious! I’m heading to Sea Otter in October. I’m in SF so not a big effort to get there. :-) You expect a lot of stuff to be announced or was Eurobike the place for it? Or will US companies likely use Sea Otter to launch?
I don’t expect much to be released at Sea otter, unfortunately. And also, unfortunately, Eurobike wasn’t really the place for it either. Gonna be a mostly quiet remainder of the year.
Awe, 12 years old! I just moved big orange from my wife’s desk drawer to the retired Garmin box this morning. It still works and in many ways better than the Apple Watch she replaced it with.
Indeed, it’s still a machine when it comes to workouts (assuming of course, the ANT Agent is feeling up to the task that day…).
Hi Ray,
Have you gotten hold of the Fuego 1.0 trainer just released with crazy claims compared to the price of the unit?
No, not yet.
Trying to decide between 945 and 945 LTE. Would jump at 945 if discounted! Have just seen a new 935 for 243euro though! Decisions decisions……. Still think I’ll hold for 945 sale
I’d be semi-surprised if we don’t see the FR945 on sale around Black Friday. Here’s (attached) the historical FR945 deals (mainly US, but that’s mainly where we’ve seen deals).
For anybody wanting a 310XT, $89.95 with free shipping. It’s a Garmin refurb.
Bands and charging clips also available.
link to g.factoryoutletstore.com
Does it support Connect IQ?
Sadly not.
With the 19.20 firmware, the Connect App gained a new sleep score “card”, providing detailed score on the several components of sleep score. Seems actually quite interesting. In my case, I started to see a pattern of bad deep sleep, which might mean I need to put aside my phone earlier :)
…still prefer ANT agent over a Garmin Express…
but due to protocol discrepancy, two laptops are a must.
One with ANT agent for 910XT and Tanita Scale.
Second with Express for Edge, 920XT, Drive, and guest devices upload…
started here with 310XT, because Ray’s review was more useful than reading the manual from Garmin.
Just like Ray, it was fun to record flying without a barometric altimeter (activity/51776686).
Ray, loving your work as always. How would you compare the Garmin 935 and 745? Good deals on both in the UK – £220 for 935 and £300 for 745. Thanks
I agree that the indoor rower market is small, but there is a place for them. Nordic Track seems to be doing well with their rowers and the iFit app workouts, so maybe Peloton see some competition and market share they are missing out on.
Note, I am slightly biased here, but with the Concept 2 rowers being the gold standard around the world that is going to be who they want to beat. Now, the rower who want the Concept 2 erg and those that desire the Peloton experience may be different. I guess we will see
Hi, all the newest watches seem to have a recent update. The 55, 245, 745, 945 and fenix 6. For when the 945LTE will have a update too? Nothing since the 14 of july. You have some news about that?