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Week in Review – March 19th, 2023

WeekInReview22

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!

DCR Posts in the Past Week:

Here’s all the latest on the site:

Monday: Apple Significantly Changes Apple Watch Running Power In Latest Beta
Tuesday: Garmin Forerunner 265/265S: The Complete Beginners Guide
Wednesday: Fitbit Makes Some Premium Subscription Features Free
Friday: Tech Tidbits: Supersapiens DQ for Pro Cyclist, Wahoo/Zwift Court Update, and COROS 1-on-1 Coaching

YouTube Videos This Past Week:

Here’s what hit the tubes over on the You of Tube, definitely don’t forget to subscribe there to get notified of videos the second they hit!

Sports Tech Deals:

Just a heads up for those US folks, REI is having their semi-annual 20% off coupon deal. Basically, you can take 20% off most things. That excludes “items with GPS technology”, and a few other categories – but does allow for things like power meters, Garmin Varia radar, and more. Use the link below and it helps the site:

A few other things have popped up this week to add to the pile, so here’s a quick mention:

ProductSale PriceAmazonOther siteSale Notes
Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ Deluxe Kit - 30% off!$125⚡ 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!
10th Gen Apple 10.2" iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - $90 off!$249⚡ 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.
AmazFit T-Rex 3 - $45 off$234⚡ This recently announced watch is a very solid deal. I'm almost done with my in-depth review on it. It's definitely budget in terms of some of the polish, but has a ton of features.
Amazon Echo Dot Kids - 50% off$27Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these last Christmas 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 $27? 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.)
Anker 737 Battery Bank (24,000mAh) - 47% off$79⚡I've been using this on my hikes/treks/daily life since lst winter, and have been super happy with it. I can charge drones from it on treks, as well as just a crapton of other devices (wathces/action cams/etc), but it's not too terrible on weight. For day to day life, I use it on planes and such as a laptop battery bank (supports 100w charging). Super happy with it.
Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless Portable Charger with18W USB-C - 48% off$28I've been using this unit for a long time as a quick grab and go charger. Best as a day-use thing, especially with the wireless charging when my phone gets wet at the beach/pool/etc and needs wireless charging till the charging port dries out.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen with USB-C) - $100 off$153⚡ Both myself and my wife have been using these since last fall, after years of using the Beats Studio Buds...man, these things rock. Sure, they're good for sports, but frankly, I use them on planes, editing, and such more than anything else.
Apple AirTags (4-Pack) - 26% off!$72⚡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.
Apple Airpods (2nd Gen) - 31% off!
$159
$89These aren't the latest anymore, that's the newer 4th 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.
Apple Watch SE (2022/2nd gen) - $100 off
$249/$299 (cellular)
$149⚡⚡This matches again the lowest price we've ever seen the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) - a very solid deal, especially with the new WatchOS 11 features around Training Load, Vitals, offline mapping, and more.
Apple Watch Series 10 - $80 off
$399/$499 (cellular)
$329
Apple Watch Ultra 2 - $180 off!!!$619⚡ This is by far the lowest price we've seen an Apple Watch Ultra 2, to date. This is an incredibly solid deal, especially with all the new WatchOS11 features that recently arrived. NOTE: YOU NEED TO CHECK THE $80 off coupon next to it (plus the already discounted lower price!).
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium - $80 off$719⚡ This is a nice little deal for this unit which just came out.
Balega Comfort Running Socks - 34% off
$15
$14This 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).
Beats Fit Pro - 25% off$149
Beats Studio Buds - 47% off
$149
$79
Chipolo Card Spot (Apple Find My Network) - 20% off!$27This is virtually identical to an Apple AirTag, and shows up in the exact same spot as your other AirTags within the Apple Find My app. The only difference is that it's the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet. Been using it since it came out a few years back - love it!
DJI Action 4 - $90 off$209While not the latest unit, it's still a pretty good deal at $209.
DJI Air 3 Drone - 20% off all packagesFrom $859This is a good-ish deal. Yet at the same time, the new DJI Air 3S jsut came out and is significantly better, especially for sports tracking. I'd probably pay the extra for it.
DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo with DJI RC - $200+ off$369
DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo with DJI RC2 - $300 off!$869This is DJI's most powerful small drone, and the lowest price we've seen to date.
DJI Mini 4K Drone - $60 off$209⚡ ⚡ This is an incredible deal. I actually picked up one of these back a few months ago to test, but I've used it in a boatload of review shots since then. Despite me owning all the DJI drones (seriously), this is by far the best value there is. This also has far better quality than the Neo, though, zero tracking capabilities.
EVOC Bike Travel Bag Pro - $45 off!$755This isn't on sale a lot. But, it's notably the bag I use (as does my wife). Works great, packed in all types of bikes into it over the years.
FORM Smart Swim 2 Goggles - $50 off$199These just came out earlier this year, and this is the lowest price to date. Very solid deal.
FORM Swim 1 Goggles (with heads-up display) - $50 off$129
Favero Assioma Duo/Uno Power Meter Pedals - 20% off!
$459/$719 (single/dual)
⚡ This is a strong deal from Favero, who is offering their Favero Assioma Duo pedals for 20% off. You'll pay the current exchange rate. The exact deal will vary based on which country you're shipping to.
Fitbit Ace LTE Kids Activity Smartwatch - $60 off$160⚡ This was just announced this summer, and is their first full smartwatch focused on kids activity tracking and gamification. This is the lowest price we've seen to date.
Fitbit Charge 6 - 38% off!
$159
$99⚡ 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
Fitbit Sense 2 - $70 off$179
Fitbit Versa 4 - $40 off$119
Garmin Bounce LTE Kids Tracker - $20 off$139This is the activity tracker that both of our oldest daughters use (age 7 & 8), as well as most of their friends now. They/we all like it. Check out my full in-depth review for all my thoughts. The $20 off is about the only sale you'll see.
Garmin Edge 1040 Cycling GPS - $100 off!$499This is a good deal, especially since it's gotten virtually all of the Edge 1050 updates, and then a boatload more. That said, it wouldn't surprise me to see this drop further to $449, as it did this past summer.
Garmin Edge 540 - $100 off$249⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 540 to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well. This is kinda an insane deal for this unit.
Garmin Edge 540 Solar - $100 off$349This 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.
Garmin Edge 840 - $100 off$349⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 840 to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well. This is one of my main units I use daily.
Garmin Edge 840 Solar - $100 off$449This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 840 Solar to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well.
Garmin Edge Explore 2 - $40 off
$299
$269This is a great little unit, though, with the sales on the Edge 540 and 840 series, you might want to look at those instead.
Garmin Enduro 3: ~$50 off!
$899
$851This is the first time we've seen this on sale, and I suspect this is a transient Amazon sale. The Enduro 3 is basically the 'cheaper' Garmin Fenix 8 with a MIP display (but without the scuba or voice calling features).
Garmin Epix Pro Series - 20% off!
$899/$999
$649⚡ This is the lowest price to date for the Garmin Epix Pro series, likely due to the Fenix 8 coming out a few months back (Epix as a brand was merged into the Fenix 8 branding). Still, if you don't care about diving or voice bits, this is an incredible deal.
Garmin Fenix 7 Pro - 31% off (All Variants)
$799+
$549+⚡ This is the lowest price to date for the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro series, likely due to the Fenix 8 coming out a few months back. Still, if you don't care about diving or voice bits, this is an incredible deal.
Garmin Forerunner 165 (Base) - $100 off!
$249/$299
$199⚡ This is the lowest price to date, and argueably one of the best deals this Black Friday in terms of runners watches and bang for the buck.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Music - $50 off!$249This is the first time we've head a meaningful sale on the Forerunner 165, released earlier this year, down to $249 for the Music edition, and $199 for the non-music edition.
Garmin Forerunner 255/255S - $100 off$249This 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.
Garmin Forerunner 255/255S Music - $100 off!
$349/$399
$299This 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.
Garmin Forerunner 265 - $100 off$349This is the first time we've seen the Forerunner 265 on sale, and it's solidly priced right now at $349
Garmin Forerunner 265s - $100 off$349This is the first time we've seen the Forerunner 265 on sale, and it's solidly priced right now at $349
Garmin Forerunner 55 - $50 off
$199
$149This is a good little running watch, though, it also supports plenty of other sport types as well. This is the lowest sale price to date.
Garmin Forerunner 955 - $100ish off!$399⚡ This is one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and it's down to a very strong price. 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. It'd be hard to find any better deal in sports watches today, from any company (given this has full mapping, tons of new features even this week, etc...). I say '$100ish', because it's usually been on forever sale at $499, so $399 is a strong price, though, it dipped to $319 for Amazon Prime Day.
Garmin Forerunner 965 - $100 off!$499⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen ever on the Forerunner 965, since it's launch. It's still Garmin's top-end Forerunner watch, and I expect it to stay that way for a while. It's one I often use in comparative testing as a reference device.
Garmin HRM-FIT - $15 off
$149
Look, this isn't much of a discount, but it's the first discount we've seen to date...so...better than nothing.
Garmin HRM-PRO Plus - 20% off
$129
$103A solid little deal for this strap, if you're in the Garmin ecosystem and want a dedicated chest strap. This strap is one of the two straps I use constantly for other HR sensor accuracy comparisons (alongside Polar H10)
Garmin Instinct 2 Series - $100 Off$199⚡The Instinct 2 base is from $199, a very solid deal - especially with all the major software updates it's had over the few years since release. The Solar editions are also on sale.
Garmin Instinct 2S & 2S Solar $100 off!$199-$299⚡The Instinct 2 base is from $199, a very solid deal - especially with all the major software updates it's had over the few years since release. The Solar editions are also on sale for $299
Garmin Instinct 2X - $100 off!$349This is a solid deal. Garmin Instinct 2X - $100 off!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).
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar - $100 off!$399
Garmin Tactix 7 Pro - 20% off$1,049This is the largest discount we've seen to date on the Tactix 7 Pro unit. Note the other Tactix 7 Pro units/variants are also on sale for 20% off too (this link takes you to all of them).
Garmin Varia RCT715 Camera Radar - $100 off$299⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on this unit ever. While I have some quibbles with it from an app/etc standpoint, it's still the best offering on the market by far for integrated radar + camera + bike light features.
Garmin Varia RVR315 Radar - $50 off$99⚡ 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/Stages/Hammerhead/Wahoo bike computers.
Garmin Varia Radar (RTL515) - $50 off$149This is Garmin's standalone radar+taillight option, and $149 is pretty much the standard sale-price.
Garmin Venu 3 - $100 off!
$449
$349This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Venu 3, which is Garmin's answer to the Apple/Samsung/Google watches.
Garmin Venu 3S - $100 off$349This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Venu 3, which is Garmin's answer to the Apple/Samsung/Google watches. The Venu 3S is simply the smaller edition.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 - $110 off!
$299
$189This is a great deal for Garmin's little-sibling to the Venu series. It has almost all the same features as the Venu 3, except the voice calling related bits.
Garmin inReach 2 Mini Satellite Communicator (2-way) - $100 off$299⚡ 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.
GoPro Hero 12 Black - $100 off!$299The new Hero 13 just came out, which mostly just adds a bunch of new accessory options. If you don't plan to purchase those accessories, then this is a solid deal.
GoPro Hero 13 Black - $60 OFF!$339⚡ This is the first time we have seen the newly announced GoPro Hero 13 Black on sale. Solid deal, this is my daily use action cam! That said, the bundle version listed below this is a better deal, since for $10 more you get a bunch of other things.
GoPro Hero 13 Black Bundle (extra battery/SD card/floaty) - $100 off!$349⚡ 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$179This was just released back in September, and is GoPro's budget option, which includes a full color touchscreen on the back as well.
Google Nest WiFi Pro - 6E (3xPack) - $120 off!$279I've been using the Google Nest WiFi packs for years. And this deal is strong enough that I clicked purchase on this deal to upgrade to the WiFi Pro after a few trusted reviewer friends upgraded as well. The 2x pack is also on sale for 34% off as well, if you don't need three pods.
Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm) - $70 OFF$279Click to add $70 coupon into the cart. Bringing price down to $279!
Insta360 Ace Pro Action Cam - $50 off$299This is the previous edition, as the Ace Pro 2 just came out a few weeks back, but this is still a very solid camera from a year ago.
Insta360 GO 3S Tiny 4K Action Camera - $60 off!$239This is a great deal for this tiny little thing, which should really be named the Go 4, given how many new features it has (including 4K). It also has all the Insta360 sport integration features with Garmin & Apple, to overlay your Garmin/Apple data automatically on your footage.
Jackery Portable Power Station - $100 off!$169This 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 - 15% off$54This 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.
Oura Ring Gen 3 - $50 off$249While Oura just released their Gen 4 ring (which I'm currently testing), I'll be frank, there's virutally no real-world difference to Gen 3. About the only notable thing is the battery life difference (which is legit 7 days now, versus real-world 4-5 on Gen3). Otherwise, same-same.
Peloton Bike - 10% off$1,295This 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.
Peloton Bike+ is $500 off$1,995This is a solid deal for the Bike+, albeit largely the normal sale/deal price. 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.
Peloton Guide - A crapton % off$45Peloton keeps trying to get rid of these - and $45 is hilariously cheap (it started in a bundle for $495, and has slowly worked it's way down from there).
Peloton Tread - $300 off$2,695This is my main treadmill at home, and I really like it. I've got no complaints about it, and am happy I went with the smaller Peloton Tread versus the bigger unit.
Philips Hue Smart Lighting - 20-65% offI 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).
Polar Verity Sense - 15% off
$99
$84I use this as one of my reference devices for heart rate accuracy testing.
Samsung Galaxy Ring - $50 Amazon Gift Card Included$399Not a straight discount, but Amazon gift card is basically cash for most of us.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (40 & 44mm) - $100 off!$202⚡ This is a very solid deal for one of Samsung's best watches to date, and also just released this summer.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra - $215 off!$434⚡ This is by *FAR* the lowest price we've seen on this brand new watch. This scored very well in my accuracy tests, as well as battery testing.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 - Just a crapton off$120
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic - $200 off$199I'd probably go with the Samsung Watch 7, unless you *really* want the physical bezel (which admittedly, is a heck of a lot better than the touch bezel on the Watch 7). Either way, this is a very solid price.
Samsung T9 SSD (2-4TB) - up to 40% off$134I 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.
SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO SD Cards - 51% off$29⚡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.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 256GB MicroSD Card - 18% off!$28I use this card for all of my drones and action cams. Sometimes, also the 512GB version as well.
Scosche RHYTHM+ 2.0 ANT+ & Bluetooth HR Monitor
$79
$39This isn't the newest chicken on the block, but for $39?!?! That's a solid deal for something that's actually pretty darn accurate. Really accurate.
Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $400 off$2,298This 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 Race - $50 off!$399This is the lowest price we've seen on the Suunto Race. That said, keep in mind the Suunto Race S is $349, has the same software and a *MUCH* better optical HR sensor. Though, is a bit smaller and slightly less battery life. Still, great watches.
Suunto Race Titanium - $50 off!$499
Suunto Vertical (Solar edition) - $150 off$549This unit continues to get all the most current updates, and is Suunto's MIP-enabled device with dual-frequency GPS and mapping.
Tacx Flux 2 Smart Trainer - $300ish off
$899
$399I mean, I guess. Really, I don't see why anyone would buy this trainer at any price above $299. With the JetBlack Victory at $399 being more accurate, quiter, including WiFi, including Zwift Cog support (or mechanical cassette), including dual-Bluetooth, including Race Mode, and...one could go on and on.
Tacx NEO 2T Smart Trainer - $200-$300 off
$1,399
$899This 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.
Therabody Theragun Mini - $50 off!$149My wife uses the Theragun Elite, which is a bit larger than this Mini model, and also includes more tips. But, as noted - people seem happy with all these models.
Therabody Theragun Prime - 36% off$190My wife uses the Theragun Elite, which is relatively similiar to this newer model.
Vacmaster AM201R Fan + Remote/holder (13% off)$69This 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 BOLT V2 - 26% off
$279
$208⚡ This price is very solid for this unit, especially if you want a smaller bike computer that's very solid in terms of software stability at this point. I believe this is the lowest price ever.
Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V2 - 15% off
$399
$339While Wahoo has announced a new bike computer coming December 3rd, this is Wahoo's top-end unit for now. 15% off is pretty much the norm for them.
Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One (COG V2) + Play Controllers
$499
$499This package includes the KICKR CORE with the Zwift V2 Cog, but notably now also includes the Zwift Play controllers. Basically, this saves you about $100 or so, and is the first time we've seen them bundle it.
Wahoo KICKR MOVE - $300 off!
$1,599
$999⚡⚡ This is actually a very solid deal, and the first time we've seen this discounted. In fact, frankly, this is the first time in years it feels like Wahoo is actually doing a legit sale on something. Kudos.
Wahoo KICKR ROLLR - $100 off
$599
$499
Wahoo KICKR SNAP - Lowest Price Ever
$499
$199This is lowest we've ever seen the KICKR SNAP priced. While the trend has moved towards wheel-off/direct drive trainers, this is still really solid deal if your budget it tight. That said, if you're in Europe, Decathlon has the D100 on sale for $199 also, and in my testing, I'd go with that almost every time.
Whoop 4.0 with 1-year subscription - 17% off$199This brings down the 1-year price to $17/month, which is the lowest it's been (only way to get that is normally a 24-month membership).
Withings Body Comp WiFI Scale - 25% off$149
Withings Body Smart WiFI Scale - 20% off$79
ZOLEO Satellite Communicator - $50 off$149I have not yet tried the Zoleo unit, though, many of you have and it's super popular.

Stuff I Found Interesting around the Interwebs:

Here’s a not-so-small smattering of all the random things that I stumbled on while doing my civic duty to find the end of the Internet:

1) Is Polar considering going back to Wear OS? It seems as if that’s in the cards. Their CEO recently gave an interview with Wearable where they hint at it. I reached out to Polar, asking a few more questions about the topic. I got back a longer variant of ‘no comment/hang tight’. Ultimately, I think this would be a brilliant move for Polar. First, as their own CEO noted in that article, the previous Polar M600 was a bit ahead of its time. Sorta. WearOS just wasn’t ready then, and when it launched, neither was Polar. It lacked many of the features found on their own watches, for example, it didn’t support cycling sensors. If Polar does this again, they really need to go all-in. It needs to at least have the features of the Polar Pacer Pro. If it does that, then they’ve instantly got a hit on their hands. Also, note that while Google/Samsung restrict their own Wear OS 3 watches to Android, there are actually plenty of non-Google/Samsung out there that are compatible with both iOS and Android.

Anyways, as I’ve said many times, I think for Polar and Suunto, going to WearOS makes a ton of sense for at least one of their watch lines. Suunto last did so with the Suunto 7, which was a good first step – but was heavily limited by the WearOS hardware platform limitations of the time – as well as limited a bit by what Suunto wanted to roll out at first. The good news is I think we’re past both of those limitations/concerns if they were to launch new offerings on the latest gen Wear OS platform.

2) Pro Cycling’s TV Moto Mess: A look at the impact of TV motos on pro cycling. Also, one of the first pieces from the new Escape Collective site – which is basically where all the best CyclingTips folks ended up/created when Outside effectively killed CyclingTips.

3) Whoop revamps UI: In the unlikely event you’re a Whoop user and didn’t notice, Whoop has significantly revamped their user interface. I don’t mind it, but I don’t entirely love it either. It might take some getting used to. The previous homescreen was a giant waste of empty space, but the new one inversely feels really cluttered text-wise  – with a lack of focus on where I should be looking. I think just a bit of UI text sizing on the main recovery/strain scores would help significantly. Here’s what mine looked like the other day, and then as you scroll down.

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4) Oura Ring adds Chronotype Sleep Rhythms: Not to be outdone with new features from Whoop, Oura also did the same this past week.

5) Garmin says Netherlands gets best sleep scores: Garmin has posted a bunch of sleep stats on countries/genders/etc by sleep stuffs. Apparently my current country has the highest sleep scores. I promise you, it’s not me. That said, having normal marathon race start times at 10-11AM is probably an indicator that people here really like their sleep.

6) Casio launches the Casio G-Shock GBD-H2000 powered by Polar metrics: I don’t have one of these yet. I might buy one, we’ll see. The watch has a slate of Polar algorithms powering it, specifically: Nightly Recharge, Sleep Plus Stages, HR Zones, Serene Breathing Exercises, Training Load Pro, Running Index, and Energy Scores. As I said, while I don’t have one yet, I have heard from those that I trust that do have one, that the watch itself is making some nice progress over previous Casio units – including the Polar metrics onboard. However, as was also previously the case, the app is currently a proper dumpster fire. You can’t export to anything yet, including even Strava. Which is why I’m not bothering with it at the moment. If I can’t get data out, I can’t really do any review on it. Still, I am excited to see how the Polar pieces work on this watch, once Casio sorts out the app side.

7) Peloton says they’ve got technical sidestep for import ban: For those not keeping track, somehow Peloton managed to get sued by Dish Network – yes, the satellite peoples – over streaming video. As always, welcome to the US patent system. In any case, as a result they got slapped with an upcoming import ban, which would impact their ability to import bikes into the US to sell. However, Peloton says they’ve got an alternative video streaming tech that they’re going to roll-out.

With that, thanks for reading!

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26 Comments

  1. gideon

    any venu 3 rumours??? thanks for all the great content

    • Not sure.

      Historically Garmin has released those watches (Vivoactive/Venu) either the last few days of August, or, at CES (first few days of January). There was a year when one of those got released at MWC (late Feb), back in the years when MWC was seen as a cool place to announce wearables.

      The more recent singular exception was the Venu 2/2S, which got released April 2021, but I’d chalk that up more to COVID-related timelines getting dorked up and Garmin finally coming up for air on some of their production lines.

    • gideon

      appreciate the reply

      i just know that if i was infatuated with any other model like I am with the venu, garmin would be releasing 5 venu’s a year!!! :)

    • Jimmy

      Since you mentioned Vivoactive line, wondering if you have any thoughts on whether Vivoactive line will be discontinued in favor of the Venu line?

    • usr

      Reader opinion re Vivoactive 5: I really doubt that the Vivoactive line will be continued. I’d expect transflective color screens to remain an option in the extreme endurance high end for a long time (Fenix/Enduro/Tactix), but I suspect that they consider lower price demand for passive-capable displays served by the Instinct family.

      Personally I’m a bit torn about this, because I really like my Vivoactive 4s as a sweet spot between colorful and low-key. But then a part of me is actually happy that I don’t have to deal with the temptations of an update, one restraint challenge less. In an ideal world, Garmin would continue the Vivoactive line but only bump it to current state of the art every couple of years (e.g. Va5 after Fenix9).

      Ray would be under NDA if he knew anything about a future Vivoactive, so I’d expect him to also remain quiet if he knew or suspected there wasn’t any. Because if he made a habit out of spreading knowledge of absence, remaining quiet (in case of something upcoming) would become an implicit confirmation of presence.

    • Yeah, I think I’ve said before, but I’m not terribly sure where a Vivoactive line fits anymore.

      One of Garmin’s biggest problems is the never-ending SKU sprawl. Sometimes that can be justified, but I’d make the case there’s no reason or demand for a Vivoactive unit as-is today. Specifically, for a MIP-based display in the mainstream user market at that price point. These days it’s Apple Watch, Samsung Watch, or Venu, with a growing side of Pixel – and declining Fitbit. All of which are AMOLED and all of which compete for the non-endurance person.

      Ultimately, I agree with USR. I think Fenix probably has one more MIP-based generation, and then I think Enduro becomes the MIP for the future people that want that kinda crazy battery life. By then AMOLED battery life will be on-par with MIP-based displays of today, heck, they aren’t that far behind for GPS-on time, it’s standby time that’s more challenging.

    • usr

      Not sure Garmin really considers SKU sprawl a problem: the your-watch-your-way programme suggests that they are looking for ways to boost direct to customer without alienating conventional distribution channels too much and SKU sprawl could be considered a tool for that job: “feel free to order whatever subset of our portfolio you want, we won’t force anything on you, if your would-be customers choose something not in your subset it’s your fault, not ours”.

      On the software side, sure, they need a good architecture of their development process to easily do mix&match of feature subsets. But they are long past the point where they might get away without being very good at this and once they are, having a few more sub-variants will be very low cost (particularly when non-flagship devices continue to be lesser-amongst-equals in terms of updates).

      (an interesting observation about your-watch-your-way: apparently it’s locale-dependent, e.g. in de-DE|nl-NL|en-GB I still see Fenix 6 and vivoactive 4 at the also-ran tail of that list, whereas in en-US the only non-recent still available through that direct-only programme is the original Venu Sq, and whatever they might consider non-recent in the vivomove flock)

  2. Don Rhummy

    Ray, you should do a review of Ki2 (it’s changed a lot since your first mention) and interview the guy doing it. It’s pretty impressive

  3. Graham

    It could be interesting if Polar went back to Wear OS. I had an M600 which I loved on so many levels but it never felt finished. I’m currently using a Garmin 255 for sports and a Suunto 7 for daily use but I’m still looking for one device which does everything I want. A Wear OS watch with all the features of a Polar Pacer Pro or a refreshed Suunto 7 could be what I’m looking forward but I do love Garmin for sports features. I’ve tried wearing the 255 as a smartwatch but found it limiting and frustrating. What do you think about the possibility of Garmin releasing a Wear OS watch?

    • Yeah, agree with the ‘never felt finished’ on the M600. And like-wise on the Suunto side, I just wish the Suunto 7 had the same sport/etc features at the Suunto 9 Peak Pro. Effectively, let the consumer choose which battery life/smartwatch feature balance they want.

      As for Garmin releasing a Wear OS watch – I’d say 0% chance.

      There’s little reason for them to at the moment. They got in early and got both payments and offline music streaming, and more recently, have voice assistants too. Meaning, while there’s still a notable hard-wall on the iOS side for text message replies (due to Apple limitations), most of the other smartwatch things are actually really in their own camp.

      Yes, one could make the argument that there are more apps on Wear OS, but for Garmin’s sporty audience, most of those apps kinda suck in terms of features/functionality/polish. Certainly, there’s some good ones here and there, but you have to combine a lot of those apps to get even a fraction of what a Garmin Fenix has. And i’d struggle to see why Garmin would want to promote Wear OS watches, since the cost of those is much higher than their current hardware.

    • Graham

      ‘0% chance’. That’s my feeling too. I’ll wait and see what Polar or Suunto come up with. Thanks

  4. Hidde

    Any plans to add the FR265 to the product comparison DB?

  5. Chris

    The Netherland has the best sleep of all countries? And Japan and Taiwan the badest?!

    Easy to explain: The Netherlands is full of weedheads. It is a narco-state. Marihuana is legal and you can buy it in coffee shops. Marihuana drug abuse leads to sleepiness.

    In Japan and Taiwan weed is strongly prohibited. No weed, no sleepiness!

    marihuana

    • PeterF

      I feel kinda weird that I, being Dutch, can’t tell whether you’re serious or not 😳

      But from personal experience: while having one or two glasses of wine in the evening will lead to sleepiness for me, it also pretty much diminishes recuperation. On regular nights Garmin’s body battery restores (almost) completely whereas with alcohol it climbs only very little if at all during sleep.

  6. Eli

    Seems like for OSes for watches if Polar and Suunto switch to wearOS only wearOS, Apple watch, and garmin will have OS development going for advanced watches. Will google be a good partner to work with if they don’t have a backup os to use if they aren’t able o do what they want to do? Does simplify their development needs if they don’t need to worry about the OS side of things.

  7. Chris Taylor

    Hi Ray, looks like $700 may be the new landing spot for first level direct drive trainers. Saw that the Stages SB20 was on sale for $1300 (missed it and kicking myself a bit). Have a dedicated space in the basement, would you recommend the SB20 if it’s ever at $1300 again or a Kickr Core/Hub/Direto XR?

    Have a tacx vortex wheel on I’d like to upgrade, but only an old 7 speed bike dedicated to it, so would likely need to spend some additional money to upgrade the bike to get it to work with direct drive.

    • Hmm, that’s a tough one.

      I think it really depends on how much you want to deal with dragging bikes to/from basement.

      I never thought I’d really want to get a dedicated indoor smart bike, but this past Black Frida when there was some really good KICKR Bike Refurb deals, we got one for home to get rid of the bike clutter between myself and my wife, and it works out pretty well for us. It does the up/down thing, but about 95% of the time I’m on TrainerRoad, so that doesn’t matter/happen (and would be akin to your Stages Bike).

      That said, a KICKR CORE at $699 which is what I think it is today, is a great deal, and basically gives you an extra $600 to buy a Wahoo CLIMB, or just a lot of ice cream. :)

      Thanks for being a DCR Supporter!

    • Chris Taylor

      Thanks Ray,

      That’s pretty much where I’m at with not wanting to drag a bike up and down to the basement. Core/Climb combo sounds like it may be the way to go.

      Appreciate the response and the consistently valuable content!

    • ERG Mode Concern

      Ray — The SB20 is still an ERG mode disaster, right? I didn’t pull the trigger on the $1300 deal because of this, and will cry a bit if it’s been fixed and I somehow missed it.

    • That’s true. ERG mode isn’t solved there, and even Stages will admit that.

      There are basically two categories of people there:

      1) Those that know it’s an issue and it drives them crazy
      2) Those that pretend it’s perfectly normal to have ERG mode be inconsistent

      Obviously, there are people in the second category that don’t mind the inconsistencies, and that’s fine. Some try and justify it that it’s like riding outdoors, which is fine, but that’s not the point of ERG mode. That’s what SIM mode is for. Either way…

    • Angstrom

      I went with buying a cheap dedicated trainer bike. The geometry is the same as my other bikes, and the lower-level drivetrain and heavy wheels don’t matter. :-) Having a setup always ready to go is a huge win.

  8. TomTom

    Hey Ray, can’t really find this info, but is there a way to benefit from Garmin’s Training Readiness by sleeping with a smaller band instead of a watch? Can’t really sleep with a huge watch, so something like a Fitbit Inspire or even better Oura Ring would be more than welcome. Does unified training work with smaller devices? Cheers!

  9. Pablo

    Adorama has the Epix 2 for $675 link to adorama.com that should be in the list of deals

  10. inSyt

    “normal marathon race start times at 10-11AM”.
    Wow the only runs with sensible start times in my country (SA) is parkrun at 8AM. Everything else is 5/6AM.

  11. Yura

    i am having trouble using my forunner 955. maybe someone can help or explain. Garmin points out in their articles that climbs and air temperature are now taken into account when calculating training efficiency and vomax levels. For me, every running workout starts either with an uphill or downhill. in the first case, the watch gives the training efficiency “-5” in the first 5 minutes, and at the end of the training it always reduces vomax. In the case, if the training begins with the descent – the opposite is true. Zero objectivity. Is there any possibility in the watch to actually take into account the periods of uphills in training?

  12. Chat GPT is pretty topical ATM Ray… could be worth a comment… link to linkedin.com