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/X and BlueSky, 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 posts on the site:
Sunday: FIT File: Garmin Instinct 3…Let’s Chat
Tuesday: Garmin Instinct 3 vs Garmin Fenix 8: Every Difference Detailed!
Thursday: Garmin ECG Now Available in EU (But not Fenix 7 Pro & Epix Pro)
Stay tuned for the final Instinct 3 review this week, following me putting it through the paces the past few weeks, including a 60KM trek this past Wednesday. Atop that, there’s a smattering of smaller company news I want to catch up on, and one moderately-sized announcement this week coming up. Maybe more, who knows.
Sports Tech Deals:
Some new ones have popped up this past week. I think the Fenix 7 at $429 is probably the most interesting for people eyeing that new Instinct 3, since this is basically cheaper while having more features. I’ll continue sweeping and adding in a few more of these later tonight, so keep checking back.
| Product | Sale Price | Amazon | Other site | Sale Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Adobe Creative Cloud Pro (12 Months) - $389 off (50% off!) | $389 | Amazon | As a side note, you can cancel and take advantage of this. Which, is precisely what I did when I realized my existing plan was gonna be stupid expensive. In any case, I use the Adobe Creative Cloud Pro suite for a lot of what I do. | |
 | AmazFit T-Rex 3 - $75 off | $226 | Amazon | We did see lower just back in July, at $199. So I'd probably hold out a bit more here. Assuming that happens, you can't beat this watch at this price point (heck,not even at $226 either). | |
 | Amazfit Active 2 - $20 off | $79 | Amazon | There's absolutely nothing on the market that comes close to the features of the Active 2 at a mere $79. | |
 | Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro - $20 off | $379 | Amazon | Perhaps this deal will get better, but right now at $20 off...nah. Given the price of the Garmin Epix Pro has flirted into the $429 range a bit over the past few days (and is a vastly better watch), this needs to drop down closer to $299 to be worth picking up during Black Friday pricing. | |
 | Amazon Echo Dot Kids - 47% off | $31 | Amazon | Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these two years ago for them in their rooms, to play music. They do lots of other things, but our kids mostly just use it to play music (from Spotify and Apple Music too), and occasionally they ask it questions. It has all the parental controls I want, so it locks it down from bedtime/etc...For $31? Solid deal (The coolest 'nice touch' feature is that if you whisper to it, it'll whisper back...in the owl kids voice it has.) | |
 | Apple 11" iPad - (Wi-Fi, 128GB) - $75 off! | $274 | Amazon | ⚡ This is an awesome deal. I use my iPad primarily for TrainerRoad as well as Zwift when not with a larger display. I also occasionally use it for other apps, namely Indievelo, Kinomap, Rouvy, and Peloton. But I pretty much test every smart trainer app on it. For all these cycling apps, the graphics capabilities is really pretty irrelevant, so having the absolute top-end/latest model won't make any difference. I prefer the budget options. | |
 | Apple 2025 14" MacBook Air Laptop with M4 - $250 off | $1,149 | Amazon | See my other note about the MacBook Pro. While I'd love the MacBook Air instead, the singular reason I use the MacBook Pro is the added USB-C port (2 vs 3 on MacBook Pro). Otherwise, this spec-wise woudl do the trick. | |
 | Apple 2025 14" MacBook Pro Laptop with M5 - $250 off | $1,349 | Amazon | This is the updated/newer model of the MacBook M1 Pro that I use for all my video editing. In my case, I still use a 2021 14" MBP, with relatively modest specs (32GB RAM). And I've been super happy with it, even while editing complex drone/action cam videos with 4 concurrently 4K streams in a multicam configuration, it has zero issues rendering or anything else. | |
 | Apple AirPod Pro 3 - $30 off! | $219 | Amazon | These are the just-released AirPod Pro 3, with optical heart rate sensors in them. These are my daily-driver headphones these days, and even more notably, the heart rate accuracy is incredibly good in these. | |
 | Apple AirPods 4 - $70 off! | $69 | Amazon | This is a very soild deal on these, by far the lowest to date. | |
 | Apple Watch SE 3 - $50 off! $249/$299 (cellular) | $199 | Amazon | This is the first major sale for the Apple Watch SE 3, which came out just 2 months ago. It's essentially Apple's 'budget' offering, yet it still has all the same software features as a higher-end Apple Watch Series 11, as long as the hardware permits. | |
 | Apple Watch Series 11 - $70 off! | $329 | Amazon | This is the the just released Apple Watch Series 11, which also includes WatchOS26. | |
 | Apple Watch Ultra 3 - $100 off! | $699 | Amazon | This is the first time we've seen the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on sale, and given it's $100 off, that tends to be the typical sale price for the holidays/Black Friday for the current/just-released version. | |
 | Balega Comfort Running Socks - 27% off $15 | $12 | Amazon | This is the singular piece of apparel that's lasted the longest in my collection - some 15-16 years of buying the same socks. Heck, some of them are probably half that old. EIther way, this be the ones I use. Love them (well, except for hiking and trail running, then I use other stuff that goes higher). I'm wearring them as I wrote this post too. | |
 | CORE 2 Body Temperature Sensor - 20% off | €251 | CORE Website | This is the newer pod that came out this past spring. | |
 | COROS Pace 3 - $30 reduction | $199 | Amazon | This is a great price for this watch. Note though that technically speaking, this is a price reduction (took effect Nov 14th following the launch of the Pace 4). Most companies would first call it a sale, then make that sale price the new price as a price reduction. But COROS often beats to a different drum. Kudos on being upfront about the reduction though! | |
 | COROS Pace Pro - $50 price drop $349 | $299 | Amazon | This is a great price for this watch. Note though that technically speaking, this is a price reduction (took effect Nov 14th following the launch of the Pace 4). Most companies would first call it a sale, then make that sale price the new price as a price reduction. But COROS often beats to a different drum. Kudos on being upfront about the reduction though! | |
 | DJI Action 4 - $100 off | $199 | Amazon | While technically two years old, it's an incredibly strong contender at this price point. | |
 | DJI Action 5 Pro - $70 off | $259 | Amazon | This is last year's model. And sure, the Action 6 came out 48 hours ago, but honestly, the initial rection hasn't been kind there. I just started testing it, so more to come very shortly. | |
 | DJI Avata 2 Bundle - $110 off! | $619 | Amazon | DJI Avata 2 Fly Smart Combo (Single Battery) with Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3 | |
 | DJI Flip - $90 off | $349 | Amazon | Look, don't buy this drone. This is the drone that never should have left the napkin at the lunch table at DJI's HQ. The unit breaks easily (as I, and many others found out), and doesn't really do anything super well. Literally, buy any other DJI drone except htis one...you're welcome. | |
 | DJI Mini 4K Drone - $60 off | $239 | Amazon | If you're looking to get into flying with a DJI drone, this is a solid place to start. | |
 | DJI NEO - $40 off! | $159 | Amazon | ⚡ This is a great little drone as your first drone, especially for sports usage, where it'll do an astonishing job following you (running, cycling, etc...). And, you can crash it a gazillion times without any problem. | |
 | DJI OSMO 360 - $190 off | $357 | Amazon | REI | NOTE: This is not sold by DJI directly via Amazon. DJI itself is NOT selling the OSMO 360 in the US, and WILL NOT support/repair it in the US. That said, it's a solid deal if you're ok with those risks. |
 | DJI OSMO Pocket 3 - $280 off | $529 | Amazon | REI | This is the unit I use to film virtually all of my videos these days. I absolutely love it. |
 | Elite Direto XR Smart trainer with Zwift Cog/Click - $120 off! $1,000 | $479 | Amazon | This is Elite's previous-gen trainer, but it's still a reliable workhorse. This bundle is paired with the Zwift Cog/Click, though, you can also buy it without a cassette for the same price. | |
 | FORM Smart Swim 2 Goggles - $80 off | $199 | Amazon | ||
 | FORM Smart Swim Pro 2 Goggles - $30 off | $299 | Amazon | These is the new model just released this past summer with stronger anti-scratch resistance (I even dragged it down a textured concrete pool desk, lens-down, to show this). | |
 | Favero Assioma Duo/Uno Power Meter Pedals - 220EUR off! | 469EUR | N/A | Favero Site | This is a good deal for the dual-sided pedals, especially if you don't mind the pod design. |
 | Favero Assioma Pro MX Pedals (Dual) Power Meter Pedals - 100EUR off! | $589/589EUR | N/A | Favero Site | ⚡The Favero Assioma Pro MX dual-sided power meter pedals deal is a no brainer. I use them in my testing constantly along with the PRO RS pedals. Note for US folks: Favero does include all taxes and tarrifs in the price. |
 | Favero Assioma Pro RS (SPD-SL) Power Meter Pedals - 100EUR off! | $649/599EUR | N/A | Favero Site | ⚡The Favero Assioma Pro RS dual-sided power meter pedals having their first sale yet. This deal is a no brainer. I use them in my testing, and will likely pick up another set in this sale. Note for US folks: Favero does include all taxes and tarrifs in the price. |
 | FeedBack Sports Pro Mechanic Bike Repair Stand - $50 Off | $375 | Feedback Sports | We use this stand for both any of the work we do on any of our bikes (well, except the cargo bike). Super quick and easy to take out when we need it. Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | FeedBack Sports Pro Mechanic HD Bike Repair Stand - $55 Off | $470 | FeedBack Sports | Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | Feedback Sports Team Edition Tool Kit - $45 Off | $330 | Feedback Sports | I've got this setup, andit's basically got almost everything I need for regular/daily bike maintenance across virtually all of my bikes. Plus, in theory I can keep things tidy in that carrying case....I mean, if I were to actually put all the tools back in it. Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | Fitbit Ace LTE Kids Activity Smartwatch - $80 off | $99 | Amazon | ⚡ This is (by far) the lowest price we've seen on this watch to date. This is their first full smartwatch focused on kids activity tracking and gamification. | |
 | Fitbit Charge 6 - 38% off! $159 | $99 | Amazon | ⚡ This is the go-to sale price for the Fitbit Charge 6. It happens often, but it still doesn't take away from the fast that it's argueably the best bang for your buck fitness tracker out there. | |
 | Fitbit Inspire 3 - $30 off | $69 | Amazon | If you're looking for a simple and inexpensive activity tracker, you won't go wrong with a Fitbit (or this Inspire 3). It's got literally all the same software features in the Fitbit app as a higher-end Google Pixel Watch or other Fitbit device, except...just tiny. | |
 | Garmin Bounce 2 Kids Smartwatch with LTE (all colors) - $50 off! | $249 | Amazon | ⚡ This is Garmin's newest kids-focused and LTE connected smart watch. Our three daughters have been using it for about two months now, after using the original Bounce 1 for years. This is a *massive* upgrade over the Bounce 1, both in features/hardware, but frankly also battery life. My review should be up next week, but if you've got any questions drop them in the comments below. | |
 | Garmin Bounce LTE Kids Tracker - $30 off | $119 | Amazon | This is the activity tracker that both of our oldest daughters have used for years (age 8 & 9), as well as most of their friends now. They/we all like it. Check out my full in-depth review for all my thoughts. That said, the new Bounce 2 came out two months ago, and while my review isn't out yet, it's a far better product. But, quite a bit more too. The TLDR on that review will be that it's the best kids smartwatch/tracker to date (for both parents and kids), but obviously will cost you $100 more. | |
 | Garmin Descent G2 (Dive Watch) - $100 off! | $599 | Amazon | This is Garmin's dive watch based on the Instinct 3 lineup. | |
 | Garmin Descent MK3 (Dive Watch) - $250 off! | $949 | Amazon | This is Garmin's premier line of diving watches, which is based on the Fenix 7 seies, rather than the Fenix 8 series. Still, it's by far one of the most capable dive+everything else watches on the market. | |
| Garmin Descent MK3i (Dive watch with air integration) - $250 off! | $1,349 | Amazon | This is Garmin's premier line of diving watches, which is based on the Fenix 7 seies, rather than the Fenix 8 series. Still, it's by far one of the most capable dive+everything else watches on the market. The 'i' version (MK3i) means that you can connect it to an air tank monitor transmitter pod. | |
 | Garmin Edge 1040 Cycling GPS - $150 off! | $399 | Amazon | ⚡This is a very solid deal, and is still one of the best bike computers Garmin has ever made, especially when you look at the battery side of things (it lasts far longer than the Edge 1050). | |
 | Garmin Edge 540 - $100 off | $249 | Amazon | REI | ⚡At $249, it's pretty much impossible to beat this deal in terms of bike computers. There's no competitive option that beats it on features/battery/etc at this price, or frankly anywhere near it. Sure, it doesn't have a touchscreen, but it's not as bad as it used to be (I did a stint on it this winter for a week or so, and was fine). |
 | Garmin Edge 540 Solar - $150 off | $249 | Amazon | ⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 540 Solar to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well. And notably, lower than the Edge 540 without solar (which is kinda silly, but hey, win for us!). | |
 | Garmin Edge 840 - $100 off | $349 | Amazon | REI | This is Garmin's main mid-range cycling GPS, it's what my wife uses and she's perfectly happy with it. |
 | Garmin Edge 840 Solar - $150 off | $399 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on the Edge 840. |
 | Garmin Enduro 3: $100 off $899 | $749 | Amazon | REI | This is the lowest price we've seen on this to date. The Enduro 3 is simply the Fenix 8 with a MIP/Solar display (but without the scuba or voice calling features). It gets all the Fenix 8 features and updates otherwise. |
 | Garmin Epix Pro (42mm) - $300-$400 off! | $449 | Amazon | ⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support. | |
 | Garmin Epix Pro (47mm) - $300-$400 off! | $499 | Amazon | ⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support. Note: Availability on this deal fluctuates, just keep checking back, I'm sure it'll pop back again (it always does). | |
 | Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar Sapphire (MIP) - 31% off $799+ | $439 | Amazon | ⚡⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG. | |
 | Garmin Fenix 7S Pro Solar Sapphire (MIP) - 31% off | $449 | Amazon | ⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG. | |
 | Garmin Fenix 8 Pro (yes, the new Pro) - $100 off! | $1,099 | Amazon | ⚡⚡ This is very unexpected, and is an Amazon-specific deal, not a Garmin-supported one. Thus, I expect it won't last more than minutes/hours. Grab it while you can! [Update: This keeps fluttering back and forth, just keep checking!] | |
 | Garmin Fenix 8 Series - $250 Off! | $749 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ The Fenix 8 keeps getting all the new software features of the Fenix 8 Pro that was launched two months ago. Setting aside that Fenix 8 Pro which gained LTE & Satellite Messaging, this is otherwise the most capable sports watch on the market. |
| Garmin Fenix 8 Series - $250 Off! $999-$1,199 | $749 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ The Fenix 8 keeps getting all the new software features of the Fenix 8 Pro that was launched two months ago. Setting aside that Fenix 8 Pro which gained LTE & Satellite Messaging, this is otherwise the most capable sports watch on the market. |
 | Garmin Fenix E - $250 off! | $499 | Amazon | As a general rule, the Fenix E is the watch that literally nobody is buying, and makes no sense at higher prices. The hardware is simply the Epix Gen 2 with Fenix stamped on it. That watch is going for $400, though I expect we'll see it down to $300 over Black Friday. However, one *KEY* difference with the Fenix E, is that it includes all of the software features of the newer Fenix 8, whereas the Epix Gen 2 doesn't get all the new software features. Otherwise, save your $200. | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 165 (Base) - $50 off $249/$299 | $199 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 165 Music - $50 off! | $249 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 255/255S Music - $150 off! $349/$399 | $249 | Amazon | ||
 | Garmin Forerunner 265 Series - $150 off! $449 | $299 | Amazon | ⚡ This is (by far) the lowest price on the Forerunner 265, which was recently replaced by the Forerunner 570 (but at nearly twice this price). What's fascinating about this sale price, is it's well beyond the usual sale prices for Garmin for this product. This pricing is 100% an Kansas-themed 'Hello!' to COROS and their just released COROS Pace 4 at $249. | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 55 - $50 off $199 | $149 | Amazon | The Foreurnner 55 is a great option if you simply don't want to spend a ton, but still want a super-capable runners watch (and general activity/sleep tracking watch). I've heard a lot of you get it for teenagers that run, as a great/inexpensive way to track their runs, and still be a good everyday watch. | |
 | Garmin Forerunner 570 - $100 off! $549 | $449 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is Garmin's mid-tier Forerunner watch that came out earlier this year, packed with running features. |
 | Garmin Forerunner 965 - $150 off $599 | $449 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is the lowest price to date on the Forerunner 965, which is logical given the Forerunner 970 came out this past spring (which essentialy adds a flashlight and some other running metrics/features). |
 | Garmin Forerunner 970 - $100 off! $749 | $649 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is a very unexpected sale, just launched, on this very new watch, which is Garmin's top of the line Forerunner watch with virtually all the same software features as the Fenix 8 (but in a plastic case and without the diving features). |
 | Garmin Index BPM ~$40 off! | $160 | Amazon | The Garmin Inded BPM is Garmin's medically certified blood pressure monitor. It integrates directly into your Garmin Connect account. I use it on occasion as a comparison for wearables, and it works just fine (obviously it's already medically certified by the FDA, so I say 'works' here in the sense of usability/functionality/etc...). | |
 | Garmin Index S2 WiFi Scale - $50 off $149 | $149 | Amazon | I use this scale, merely for the weight tracking functions (not body fat). It works just fine for that piece, and integrates with the rest of your Garmin data. If you aren't in the Garmin ecosystem, there's plenty of (far) cheaper options. | |
 | Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED - $100 off! $399/$449/$499 | $399 | Amazon | REI | The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, with both an AMOLED and Solar variants. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features. |
 | Garmin Instinct 3 SOLAR - $100 off | $299 | Amazon | REI | The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, and the Solar edition in particular has 'unlimited' battery life in certain scenarios. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features. |
 | Garmin Lily 2 - 20% off $249 | $199 | Amazon | The leather version is also on sale as well. | |
 | Garmin Tactix 8 AMOLED - $250 off! | $1,049 | Amazon | REI | This gets all the same updates as the Fenix 8 Pro, from a software standpoint. |
 | Garmin Tactix 8 SOLAR - $250 off! | $1,149 | Amazon | REI | This gets all the same updates as the Fenix 8 Pro, from a software standpoint. |
 | Garmin Varia RCT715 Camera Radar - $50 off | $349 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Garmin Varia RVR315 Radar - $50 off | $99 | Amazon | REI | This is Garmin's radar without the light, so it's a bit smaller as a result. Same radar tech though, and compatible with Garmin/COROS/Hammerhead/Wahoo bike computers. |
 | Garmin Varia Radar (RTL515) - $50 off | $149 | Amazon | REI | This is Garmin's standalone radar+taillight option, and $149 is pretty much the standard sale-price. Even despite all the new radars out there, this remains the most accurate option on the market. Now, only if Garmin would just re-release it with USB-C. C'Mon Garmin...maybe next year? |
 | Garmin Varia Vue Front Light/Camera - $50 | $499 | Amazon | REI | This is the first time this product has been on sale, since launching last spring. I'd argue it could have used a $100 off sale...but hey...they don't consult me. |
 | Garmin Venu 3 - $100 off! $449 | $349 | Amazon | The Venu 4 came out in September, though with a massive price jump. | |
 | Garmin Venu 4 - $50 off! | $499 | Amazon | ⚡ The Garmin Venu 4 just came out two months ago, and one of the big ticket features is the LED flashlight built-in. However, it's also got a ton of other new features, as Garmin merged the codebase with the Forerunner/Fenix series, resulting in a boatload of added things like Training Readiness, Acute Load, and more. | |
 | Garmin Venu X1 - $200 off! | $599 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on the newest product in the entire Garmin Holiday 2025 sale lineup. This is basically a blend of a Forerunner 970, Venu 4, and Fenix 8...but super thin. It's argueably one of the best deals here at $599, though, Garmin is still clearly trying to figure out the right pricing to drive purchases. |
 | Garmin Vivoactive 5 - $100 off! $299 | $199 | Amazon | ||
 | Garmin Vivoactive 6 - $50 off! $299 | $249 | Amazon | ⚡ This is the first time we've seen the Vivoactive 6 on sale, which is essentially a Venu 4, but without the voice/calling/ECG features (and a few other tidbits). It's probably one of the best deals in Garmin's lineup (sale or otherwise). | |
 | Garmin inReach 2 Mini Satellite Communicator (2-way) - $150 off | $249 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is the lowest price we've ever seen for this. This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness. |
 | Garmin inReach Messenger Plus - $100 off! | $349 | Amazon | REI | This came out last fall, and is the second time this has been discounted, but now to the lowest price to date. The key difference with the new Plus model is that it adds the ability to send photos and voice messenges via satellite. I've used it a bit, and it's pretty cool because it makes it a lot faster to just say something rather than type it out, but the $499 price seemed excessive. $399 makes it slightly more palatable. |
 | GoPro Hero 13 Black - $100 OFF! | $309 | Amazon | This is the lowest price we've seen in a year. | |
 | GoPro Hero 4K - $20 off | $179 | Amazon | This is GoPro's budget option, which includes a full color touchscreen on the back as well. The main benefit is it's super small, but note it's not quite in the same quality ballpark as their higher-end cameras. If you want size and GoPro ecosystem on a budget, this is an option. But with the DJI Action 4 just $20 more than $199, that offers notably better quality. | |
 | GoPro LIT Hero 4K - $40 off | $229 | Amazon | ||
 | GoPro Max 2 - $50 off! | $399 | Amazon | This is now the lowest price we've seen for the Max 2, which just came out in September. | |
 | Google Nest Cam Indoors - 25% off | $74 | Amazon | We have more Nest cam's than I can count. No really, we have half a dozen at the DCR Cave alone, plus more at home. We love them. Nest Cam's really only go on sale about 1-2x per year. | |
 | Google Nest WiFi Pro - 6E (3xPack) - $110 off! | $279 | Amazon | I've been using the Google Nest WiFi packs for years. And then I converted over to this newer version last fall. Super happy with this three pod pack. | |
 | Google Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) - $100 OFF | $200+ | Amazon | The newer Pixel Watch 4 came out back in October. I see the Pixel Watch 4 as a pretty substantial hardware upgrade over the Pixel Watch 3, notably due to satellite SOS, as well as a user-replaceable battery. | |
 | HJC Sports - IBEX 2.0 - €125 off | €124.50 | HJC Sports | Note: HJC Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | HJC Sports FURION 2.0 - 100€ Off | €99.50 | HJC Sports | Note: HJC Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | Hammerhead Karoo 3 - $55 off! $474 | $420 | Amazon | I really like this unit, and think they've easily surpassed Wahoo these days in terms of features, display-quality, stability, etc... | |
 | HoverAir X1 Drone Combo - $50 off! | $237 | Amazon | This has become one of my favorite drones, given it's tiny size (fits in my running shorts pockets) and ease of use. Plus, you can crash the crap out of it (hundreds of times for me and my wife) without any issues. This combo includes an extra battery and fast charger. | |
 | HoverAir X1 Pro Drone Combo Kit - $300 off | $607 | Amazon | ⚡ This is a solid deal on a solid drone, and one of the two main ones I use when taking videos of myself hiking or running. This includes the two extra batteries as well as the fast charger (so 3 batteries total). | |
 | HoverAir X1 ProMax Bundle - $250 off! | $719 | Amazon | This includes three batteries, the drone, the vast charger, and some extra accessories. | |
| HoverAir X1 ProMax Cycling Bundle - $352 off! | $929 | Amazon | This includes three batteries, the drone, the vast charger, and some extra accessories, plus the Beacon (handelbar remote) | |
 | Hydrow Rowing Machine - $400 off | $1,695 | Amazon | This is one of the other more popular display-laden rowing machines. I haven't tried this, but my sports-tech reviewing buddy DesFit has (linked at side) and liked it. | |
 | Insta360 Ace Pro 2 - $65 off! | $334 | Amazon | This is one of my two main daily action cams (along with the GoPro Hero 13 Black). | |
 | Insta360 GO 3S Tiny 4K Action Camera - $70 off! | $279 | Amazon | ||
 | Insta360 Go Ultra Tiny 4K Action Cam - $70 off! | $379 | Amazon | ⚡ This just came out this past August, and is a great little unit. The pod isn't quite as tiny as the Go 3S, but the features and quality are a huge step up (especially the removable MicroSD card). | |
 | Insta360 X5 360* Action Cam - $85 off! | $464 | Amazon | This is one of the best 360 action cams on the market, alongside the GoPro Max 2 (both have their pros and cons, check out my full comparison guide linked). | |
 | Lasko High Velocity Pro-Performance Fan - 15% off | $54 | Amazon | This is one of the most popular indoor trainer fan companies out there, which rivals the Wahoo Headwind fan but cost a fraction of the price. Of course, it lacks ANT+/Bluetooth integration, but realistically if you really want that you can add a smart outlet for $10 to toggle it on/off from your phone if need be. It's one of the ones in my rotation. | |
 | Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi Delux Kit - 35% off! | $142 | Amazon | ⚡ Let's be honest: This place runs on Nespresso (or, well, the knock-off pods we buy). But, the machine is Nespresso. Without it, reviews most definitely would not get done (and certainly not on time). This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me! | |
 | Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven - $120 off | $279 | Amazon | I use the Fyra 12 (with wood pellets), and love it. The Karu 12 is essentialyl the newer version of that, and there's both a gas-only version, and a multi-fuel option (gas or wood). Love it! | |
 | Oura Ring 4 - $100 off! | $249 | Amazon | ⚡ This is by far the best deal we've seen on the Oura ring (really, since ever, let alone the current version). | |
 | Peloton Cross Training Bike is $300 off | $1,395 | Amazon | This is Peloton's mid-range model, the Bike Cross training, which also came-out this past summer. | |
 | Peloton Cross Training Bike+ - $700 off! | $1,995 | Amazon | This is Peloton's highest end bike model that came out this past summer. | |
 | Peloton Cross Training Tread is $500 off | $2,795 | Amazon | ||
 | Philips Hue Smart Lighting - 28% off | Amazon | I use Philips Hue stuff all over the DCR Cave/Studio for lighting, both obviously colorful stuff in the background of shots, but also just for automation of the lights. Same goes at home. Love it (mainly when it's on sale like now). Starter packs are a good place to begin, and then I love the light strips (such as pictured). | ||
 | Pixel Watch 4 - $50 off! | $299 | Amazon | All base variants of the PIxel Watch are $50 off, however the LTE variants are $100 off, and those include satellite SOSconnectivity! | |
| Pixel Watch 4 LTE editions - $100 off! | $349 | Amazon | ⚡The Pixel Watch 4 LTE includes satellite SOS connectivity, even if you don't activate a cellular plan on it. I'd strongly recommend getting the LTE version for $50 more, to future-proof you a bit there (or, to save your bacon in the woods). | |
 | Polar H10 Chest Strap (Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart) - $20 off $89 | $84 | Amazon | This is a great dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart (with two Bluetooth Smart connections) chest strap that you'll often find me using as a reference strap in heart rate sensor testing. We only tend to see deals on it around Black Friday, always topping out around 20%. | |
 | Polar H9 Chest Strap - $10 off | $59 | Amazon | If you're looking for a good solid high-quality strap, that does both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart, for a reasonable price...look no further than the Polar H9 | |
 | Polar Ignite 3 - $60 off! $329 | $339 | Amazon | ||
 | Polar Pacer - $65 off | $234 | Amazon | ||
 | Polar Vantage M3 Multisport GPS Watch - $35 off! $399 | $463 | Amazon | ||
 | Polar Verity Sense - 15% off $99 | $89 | Amazon | I use this as one of my reference devices for heart rate accuracy testing. | |
 | Precision Fuel & Hydration 30g Caffine Gels - 15 Pack - 15% OFF | $52 | Amazon | These are the caffine version of the main gels I use when I don't need the bigger 90g ones. Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner | |
 | Precision Fuel & Hydration 30g Energy Gels - 15 Pack - 15% OFF | $39 | Amazon | These are the main gels I use when I don't need the bigger 90g ones. So for example doing something a bit shorter where I don't want to carry the bigger 90g packs (mainly running). Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner | |
 | Precision Fuel & Hydration PF90 Energy Gels 10pkg - 15% OFF | $50 | Amazon | I primarily use these 90g packs on all my adventures, roughly doing 90g/hour for cycling/trail running/hiking/etc... Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner | |
 | Precision Fuel PF 30g Energy Chews - 15% off | $36 | Amazon | I like to mix it up a bit, and include the chews on some of my longer adventures. Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker Partner | |
 | Precision Fuel PF 60 Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix -15% Off | $27 | Amazon | This is the main drink mix that both myself and my wife use. Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner | |
 | SHOKZ OpenFit - Open-Ear Headphones - $20 off | $159 | Amazon | ||
 | SHOKZ OpenRun Headphones - 31% off | $89 | Amazon | ||
 | SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 - 31% off! | $124 | Amazon | ||
 | SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 Mini - 31% off! | $124 | Amazon | ||
 | SONOS Roam 2 - 22% off | $139 | Amazon | We have a few SONOS speakers around the house and DCR Cave (the Ikea variants at DCR Cave), but by far our favorite is the Roam, which we take outdoors into the garden during the summer, beach vacations, AirBNB's, etc... It has a battery in it, and also connects to both WiFi and Bluetooth. Love, love, love. I think the main reason I love it, is that we heavily use it in summer, so...kinda reminds me of summer. | |
 | Samsung Galaxy Ring - $120 off | $279 | Amazon | ||
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) - $100 off! | $549 | Amazon | ||
 | Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - $70 off | $279 | Amazon | This is the lowest price to date on this recently released watch. | |
 | SanDisk 1-4TB Extreme PRO Portable External SSD - 30% off | $129 | Amazon | ⚡This is one of the two the high speed drives types I use to store the footage I'm actively video editing. I typically buy the 2TB and 4TB ones, and then eventually offload the footage onto a NAS array when I'm done. | |
 | Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $700 off | $2,198 | Amazon | Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $400 offThis is the main camera I use for still photography and video b-roll. I semi-recently wrote about all the photography gear I use, linked at side here. | |
 | Suunto Aqua Swimming Open-Ear Bluetooth Headphones - 22% off! | $139 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Ocean (Dive Watch) - $180 off! | $719 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Race - $50 off! $449/$549 | $296 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Race S - $70 off! $349 | $279 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Run - $50 off! $249 | $199 | Amazon | This is a very solid deal. It's got virtually all the software features of Suunto's higher-end watches (minus the app store), and just came out this past May. | |
 | Suunto Vertical (Solar edition) - $320 off | $519 | Amazon | ||
 | Suunto Vertical - $150 off! | $339 | Amazon | While the new Suunto Vertical 2 just came out a month ago, if you wanted to stock-up on MIP-based display watches before they disappear, here's your chance. This is also the lowest price we've ever seen on the Vertical 1, which is otherwise still a very soild watch. | |
 | Suunto Wing headphones - $30 off | $119 | Amazon | ||
 | Synology 2-Bay DiskStation DS223j NAS - $35 off! | $165 | Amazon | I have bigger Synology NAS units at the DCR Studio/Office, but I also have a smaller unit (this one) that I use to keep various piles of data here too. I like the Synology stuff, as it's generally quite dependable. | |
 | Tacx NEO 2T Smart Trainer - $200-$300 off $1,399 | $899 | Amazon | REI | This is the go-to sales price for the NEO 2T, though has become more frequent over the past year. It's still an incredible trainer, and is the top-end non-moving trainer from Garmin/Tacx. |
 | Tacx NEO 3M - 25% off! $1,999 | $1,499 | Amazon | Competitive Cyclist | ⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen to date on the Tacx NEO 3M, and finally takes it down to a semi-logical price (compared to it's competitors). This is a good buy, and obviously, given it's only a year old, I definitely don't expectany sort of new version of this anytime soon (the last NEO series unit was about 5 years between versions). |
 | Therabody Theragun Prime - $120 off! | $199 | Amazon | My wife uses the Theragun, and absolutely loves it, in the most hatefun kind of way. | |
 | Vacmaster AM201R Fan + Remote/holder (15% off) | $67 | Amazon | This is another very popular fan that people use for indoor training/cycling, especially due to inclusion of the remote and remote holder to clasp on your handlebars. | |
 | Wahoo ACE Cycling GPS - $125 off $624 | $499 | Amazon | REI | |
 | Wahoo CLIMB Accessory - $190 off! $599 | $569 | Amazon | This simulates the up and down motion on Wahoo KICKR trainers moving your bike up and down. Also, there's virtually no product except SNAP, that Wahoo likes to put on sale more. Wouldn't be a sale around here unless this thing was discounted. | |
 | Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT - $580 off! $2,999 | $1,912 | Amazon | REI | ⚡ This is a very solid deal for this bike, and the lowest price to date. I actually like the KICKR BIKE SHIFT more than the higher-end KICKR BIKE V2/Pro, mainly because it's both quiter, and seems to be more resillient to issues (less complex design). |
 | Wahoo KICKR Desk - $17 off | $183 | Amazon | ||
 | Wahoo KICKR V6 - $262 off! $1,299 | $734 | Amazon | ⚡This is actually the lowest price we've ever seen on the KICKR V6. Wahoo says we won't see a new top-end KICKR this fall, with them instead focusing on the new KICKR Bike Pro, KICKR CORE 2, and all their new bike computers/radar/etc... | |
 | Wahoo ROAM V3 - $70 off! | $426 | Amazon | ||
 | Wahoo TRACKR Heart Rate Sensor - $15 off $89 | $84 | Amazon | ||
 | Whoop 5.0 - Peak (12-Month Subscription) - $40 off! | $199 | Amazon | ||
 | Whoop 5.0/MG - Life (12-Month Subscription) - $60 off! | $299 | Amazon |
Note that all of the above are Amazon affiliate links, which do help support the site. I appreciate it!
YouTube Videos This Week:
Here’s what hit the tubes over on the You of Tube; definitely don’t forget to subscribe there to get notified of videos the second they hit!
Stuff I Found Interesting Around The Interwebs:
Here’s a not-so-small smattering of all the random things that I stumbled on while doing my civic duty to find the end of the Internet:
Some of these are mixed in from the last few weeks that I don’t think got much attention (if any) from the CES timeframe, but caught my eye.
1) Stolen E-bike Batteries Could Be Made Worthless if Bosch was Less Greedy: Such a good article from Thomas on Bosch’s new program. As one who has had an e-bike battery stolen (which in this case ran about 800EUR), everything about the situation sucks.
2) COROS Feature Updates January 2025: I’m a sucker for anything to do with sensors, and COROS allowing you to rename sensors in their latest update is A-OK with me. They’ve also added both during and post-workout sensor low-battery alerts. As well as a few other items.
3) Zwift Rolls Out Personalized Route Time Estimates: I thought this was kinda cool, if for no other reason than my wife was asking for the feature the night prior, and boom, it magically appeared.
4) Peloton continues to test Zwift-like game in private beta: Will be super interesting to see where this lands. Keeping in mind, during one of the big layoff rounds, Zwift let go of one of their lead engineers…who was quickly scooped up by Peloton.
5) Bankruptcy judge approves Giant’s purchase of Stages: In the list of “things that are no surprise”, this continues to move forward. It’ll be interesting to see which product categories Giant ultimately continues. I’d imagine they’d ditch bike computers, though perhaps there’s a market for them within Asia. And I’d imagine they’ll probably exit the consumer indoor bike scene, though certainly keep up on the gym side.
6) Assembling a minimalist travel-sized bike tool kit: As always, Dave Rome’s gonna cost me a lot of money. Sigh.
7) DJI Flip announced: I’ve ordered one, but it doesn’t arrive till tomorrow. No idea why DHL decided to take nearly a week to get from Amsterdam to Mallorca, but…I guess such is island life. I’ll be putting it through its sports-focused paces as usual. That said, I’m still a bit skeptical of the new design, in terms of travel compactness compared to the Mini 4 Pro (or inversely, the NEO). Seems a bit like a NEO Pro or Mini 5 Pro would have been a better fit for most people.
8) Stryd converts TrainingPeaks & Final Surge Pace-based workouts to Power workouts: This is actually pretty interesting. Essentially, if you’ve got a coach (or otherwise) creating pace-based workouts in TrainingPeaks or Final Surge, then Stryd will automatically convert those targets to be running power targets. While I’m kinda skeptical on the business viability of Stryd in the medium to long term, I do think this is a pretty useful feature for users of their device. Kudos.
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With that – thanks for reading!
Great low key week for Coros and Styrd. Coros update is super. The ability to do workouts in Trail Run mode is something that made me question some life decisions. Running with power/Stryd is also a new frontier for many. Trail Runners be super happy!
I’m in the indoor cycling community as an educator to indoor cycling instructors and teach at a club with Stages bikes; I also have one at home so I’m invested in their success. We’re anxiously waiting for news about customer support for the bikes. I know most of the Stages indoor bike team went to work for Giant, so I’m curious to know why you think they’ll exit the indoor bike scene. Do you think those executives might peel off and create their own separate company? Stages bikes had been the preferred bike in the industry before the bankruptcy.
As noted I’m specifically talking the “consumer indoor bike” scenes, rather than the industry (e.g. gym) one.
The reasons being that:
A) Stages couldn’t get rid of SB20’s to save their life, literally in this case: While they found some consumers, they were just horrifically overbuilt for households. Sure, that design is awesome for long-term life in gyms, but the weight/size killed them in consumer shipping realms, as well as hurt them from an aesthetics standpoint in the home.
B) The Zwift Ride has fundamentally shifted industry thinking on indoor bikes. While Zwift Ride V1 has some minor fit issues (e.g. crank length/saddle fore/aft), Zwift themselves has been clear these will all be addressed in a V1.5 or V2. The benefits of splitting the trainer apart from the bike part is massive for companies, especially when things go wrong. A single return on a bike indoor bike wipes away any profit, if not putting them in the red. Whereas by splitting it in two pieces that are very modular and easy to ship, makes it far more efficient for companies, but frankly, also consumers. People can upgrade trainers, and companies can also upgrade all the whiz-bang features of a frame. As a result, I don’t expect to see Tacx do another indoor bike either. I suspect we’ll see Wahoo do another, but I’d be surprised if we see another KICKR SHIFT unless they can substantially change either the features in that model, or reduce the price.
Thank you, this is very helpful. I’d spaced out on the difference between “consumer” and “industry” indoor bikes.
My husband just bought the Wahoo KICKR SHIFT during the Black Friday sales and is loving it…but we aren’t the typical home consumer—we don’t mind setting up heavier more durable equipment!
Waiting for the DJI Flip!
FR955 has been lately for sale in EU for way sub 300e.
Last I saw it was 259e or smth like that.
Very hard to beat that deal!
Were did you find a deal like that? Cheapest one i found right now is like 340€.
Have you found a place to do drone wind tests in Mallorca?
Yup. My backyard. :) Actually, technically I suppose it’s my frontyard.
Either way, I live within a few hundred meters of the water/cliffs edge, and the winds are pretty strong out here. Surprisingly, the wind conditions are similar to Amsterdam’s in terms of typical storm strength that rips through here.
The only difference is the frequency is slightly higher in Amsterdam. There, I could roughly count on a nasty wind spell within any 10-day timeframe. Here it’s more like within every 15 days. Also, I find the Dutch weather service a little more accurate at predicting them than the Mallorcan weather (and, there are better official wind sensors in the Netherlands, versus fewer here). But ultimately, it’s pretty easy to look out and see how nasty the whitecaps are, to figure out wind.
That is great news! Those videos are always a favorite!
1.
While companies want an “everything is a subscription” model, security features shouldn’t be locked behind those subscription walls. Bosch’s justification is ridiculous; because bad actors have no idea if a battery is part of the secure ecosystem, those actors will just steal every battery and discard those that are.
Thank you for this – always interesting to check if I’ve missed anything I don’t want to have missed, but especially for the links at the bottom.
I suspect it was a bankruptcy “judge” though, as opposed to a new posting you’ve perhaps made up there.
Or maybe you are about to launch some fanfic for “Udge Dredd”? 😉
Ray, are you still going to publish a review on the X1 Pro/ProMax? Would like to see a comparison between the standard X1 and these ones.
Sorta random comment/question… I recently was on a run with my dog he stopped suddenly for a potty break, something about the jerking of the leash caused my watch band to snap (it must’ve already been worn down) and the watch fell and cracked the screen :( It’s a Garmin Venu 2 Plus. Apparently they don’t do screen repair, only full watch replacement and it costs $160 which gives you a refurbished unit with only a 90 day warranty. Don’t love that option (some bad experiences with refurbished units from other companies), so thinking maybe I should just splurge and get a brand new Venu 3. But, that watch was released in August 2023…and I know I’ll be annoyed if the Venu 4 drops shortly after I buy the 3.
Ray or anyone else know if there’s been any hints at a Venu 4 release timeline?
Alternatively, can anyone convince me why I shouldn’t care about this and should just get the Venue 3 now?
Ray can’t tell you. Either he doesn’t know or he’s under NDA. He needs to do that because this is his job, and I think he likes it more than his old job which was probably better paid 😂
You love the current watch. The 3 is better so you’ll probably love it more. The next version will be better but were you annoyed that the 3 was better? Progress always happens but generally pricing reflects that. When Garmin are ready to replace they usually have deals so you pay less. Would you pay more for a newer version than the best deal right now?
If you wanted a better watch you’d buy a Fenix 8s.
Were those good enough? For what it’s worth by partner just went from Venu 2 to Fenix 8s and loves it but wasn’t unhappy with the old Venu. She also seemed happy to upgrade to the new Venu but I convinced her the flashlight was worth the weight. I think whichever you get you’ll be happy 👍
I am surprised that Ray, you are not reporting live on this year’s Chipotle-Strava challenge. Jamil Coury, a 6-times Barkley marathons participant, really seems to want free Burritos:
link to youtube.com
Biggest issue before with Route estimates was the rounding… I mean, rounding something in the 30 to 60 minutes ballpark to the nearest half hour was ridiculous.
Obviously, computing it based on FTP and weight makes sense, too.