I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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My Favorite GoPro Bits
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
1In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you're trying to decide which unit to buy - check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
2Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here's my most recent gadget recommendations guide (Winter 2018-2019 edition) and trainers here (2018 edition) - covering almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day to day? I also just put together my complete 'Gear I Use' equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here's The Girl's (my wife's) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
3Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
4My Photography Gear: The Cameras and Equipment I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the "what's the best GPS watch for me" variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I've complied this "My Photography Gear" post for your curious minds! It's a nice break from the day to day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
5The 2018 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering "What does Ray use when not testing new products?". So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2018 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that's the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren't good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies "picks", check out The Girl's 2018 Gear Guide too.
Product Reviews
4iiii Precision Pro Dual Left/Right Power Meter In-Depth Review
While there are many power meter options being touted these days, it’s a different matter to actually get something shipped to consumers. And to do something that’s accurate and trusted (as well as reliable). It’s been a couple of years now … Read More Here
4iiii Precision Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been about 8 months since 4iiii began shipping their Precision power meters to buyers, which is a small pod affixed to your crank arm. When the company announced their entrance into the market in September 2014, they had planned … Read More Here
4iiii Dual Sided Power Meter: A Short Test Ride
Last Friday while on the way to the airport from Kananaskis (in the mountains for the ANT+ Symposium) to Calgary I swung by the 4iiii headquarters in Cochrane. The time I had was rather limited, as I was super time-boxed … Read More Here
4iiii’s Introduces $399 Power Meter, Precision: My First Ride With It
4iiii’s has kicked off what will be a frenzy of power meter activity here at Interbike this week. In doing so, as the post headline implies, they’ve jumped onboard with the plans to further drive the price of power meters … Read More Here
4iiii’s Viiiiva ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart Bridge & Heart Rate Strap In-Depth Review
A bit under a year ago 4iiii’s announced the first device on the market to bridge the gap between ANT+ accessories and Bluetooth Smart enabled phones. In doing so, they potentially opened up the door to saving users from having … Read More Here
In Depth Review of the 4iiii Sport-iiiis ANT+ Heads Up Display System
It’s been almost a year to the day since we first heard about a small company called 4iiii, which aims to bring a heads up display system to a pair of sunglasses near you. Over the past year they’ve been … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 7 Black In-Depth Review
It’s that time of year again. Like clockwork it’s the annual drop from GoPro of new action cameras. This year they’ve launched three new cameras – the Hero 7 Black, Silver, and White. These three new cameras will replace all … Read More Here
My 6 Favorite Action Cam Accessories I Use Daily
Virtually every day I use action cams to get shots for all assortment of things: In-Depth reviews, general posts, Strava pics, and even Instagram (ok, I suck at being daily there, The Girl is far better). Over on YouTube I’ve … Read More Here
GoPro Fusion 360° Action Camera In-Depth Review
Just shy of a year ago GoPro announced initial details around their consumer-oriented 360° action camera, Fusion. But it wouldn’t be until this past November that the company started shipping the $699 dual-lens unit. Since then I’ve been using the … Read More Here
Wiral LITE Cable Cam for Action Sports: How it all works
Over the last month or so you’ve probably seen a few action clips of mine using a funky length of 50 meters of cable and a doohicky zip across it like something out of crazy ziplining video. That is Wiral, … Read More Here
GoPro Hero6 Black In-Depth Review
Today GoPro announced their latest action cam – the GoPro Hero6 Black. While it may look the same from the outside, it’s packed with tons of huge changes on the inside. Some of those changes are headliner options like 4K … Read More Here
GoPro Karma Grip Gimbal In-Depth Review
I get detailed on the GoPro Karma Grip, Grip Extension, Hero5 Black, and Seeker bag in a 10-month test of how things actually work and hold up.
Feiyu Tech G5 Action Cam Gimbal In-Depth Review
Ahh yes, gimbals. It’s the magic that makes your average footage look beautiful. It’s what keeps shaky stuff from being unusable, and what makes selfie-sticks feel like a simple tree branch. You might remember last year I did a review … Read More Here
Garmin VIRB 360 5.7K Action Cam In-Depth Review
Today Garmin jumped into the 360° fray by introducing their own 360° action camera – the VIRB 360. This camera one-ups everyone in the specs department by mic-dropping 5.7K resolution alongside being completely waterproofed with GPS built-in. Not to mention … Read More Here
Best Action Cam 2017: GoPro Hero5 Black vs Garmin VIRB Ultra 30
In virtually every post or video I make where I use an action cam, I’m asked which camera I’m using and why. And even more commonly since this past fall I’m asked whether to go with the GoPro Hero5 Black … Read More Here
DJI Mavic Pro In-Depth Review
While the widely held assumption this year was that the GoPro Karma drone would be the hottest drone to get one's hands on, it’s quickly become clear over the last 75 days that wouldn’t quite pan out. A mere 7 … Read More Here
GoPro Hero5 Black In-Depth Review
It’s been two years since the last major GoPro Hero launch. No, I don’t count the Session last year. I’m talking about a multi-camera launch like GoPro has typically done each fall for the majority of its history. Back in … Read More Here
Everything you need to know: GoPro’s New Hero5 Cameras & Karma Drone
Update: Go see my full GoPro Hero5 Black In-Depth Review here! Today GoPro announced three new action cameras, a drone, and a rather interesting flotilla of accessories. These include a handheld gimbal, external microphone/remote combos, and even a nifty $19 … Read More Here
Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 In-Depth Review
Last week, Garmin announced and released their newest action cam – the VIRB Ultra 30. To summarize this 50-million word in-depth review in the most succinct manner possible: Someone at Garmin finally got it. They created what might possibly best … Read More Here
Cycliq Fly12 Bike Light/Camera In-Depth Review
It’s been over a year since Cycliq first introduced their Fly12 combo bike light and HD camera. While the road to shipping was certainly longer and bumpier than the company wanted, they started shipping units to customers last month. You’ll … Read More Here
360Fly 360° Action Camera In-Depth Review
It’s the all-seeing action camera in-depth review. Or at least, the mostly seeing action camera in-depth review While I’ve talked about 360° action cameras a bit over the last year or so, it hasn’t been until now that they’re actually … Read More Here
Garmin VIRB X & XE Action Cam In-Depth Review
Every once in a while in the DCR Review Realm I go ahead and pull out a slightly longer review cycle. This would be one of those times. In this case, I’ve used the Garmin VIRB X & XE action … Read More Here
The Feiyu Tech GoPro Action Cam Wearable Gimbal In-Depth Review
I know, approximately 97% of you are looking at the title right now and going “Who the fudge is Feiyu Tech?” And then about 65% of you are saying “What the heck is a gimbal?” (and is it related to a gumball?). Fear … Read More Here
A 360° Action Cam Roundup: Nikon, 360Fly, Giroptic…and GoPro
Just as last year was the year of the drone at CES, this year there is a lot of buzz about virtual reality. Lots of news surrounding bunches of new VR headsets. And to do VR, you need 360. As … Read More Here
A Look at Sony’s New HDR-AS50 Action Cam
Sony has announced a new action camera, the HDR-AS50, coming in at a baseline $199. The real news here is that Sony actually has listened to customer complaints (or suggestions as they like to call them) and then made some useful improvements … Read More Here
GoPro Hero4 Session In-Depth Review
It’s been about almost three months since GoPro announced their Hero4 Session action cam. The unit made headlines due to its small size compared to existing GoPro units. Yet this past Monday, they made the logical decision to drop the price … Read More Here
GoPro announces new HERO+ LCD camera (oh, and a drone too!)
Today GoPro announced its latest action camera, the GoPro HERO+ LCD. This marks the first time GoPro has done an ‘off-cycle’ release of a new camera product, as the company has historically released new action cams in the September/October timeframe. … Read More Here
TomTom Bandit Action Camera In-Depth Review
Today TomTom has announced they’re venturing into the action cam business, with the introduction of the TomTom Bandit. This Twinkie sized action cam contains 2.7K (30FPS) and 4K (15FPS) capabilities, as well as GPS functionality that you’d expect from a … Read More Here
Sports, Drones, and Follow-Me Aerial Action Imagery: A State of the Industry
There’s been a ton of interest as of late in using drones within sports. This interest comes from many different angles. First is the more traditional approach of simply using the unmanned aerial vehicle as a platform for videography and … Read More Here
Understanding Live Streaming Video Options for Action Cams: GoPro, Sony and HTC
The ability to stream in real time (live) video footage from action cams remains a bit of the holy grail of sports action. Today, 99.99% of what you see on TV is done via broadcast quality cameras and equipment, with … Read More Here
A look at Sony’s new 4K action cam, crazy concurrent multi-cam support
Last week at CES Sony announced their latest action cam, the Sony FDR-X1000V, which is capable of shooting 4K video. They also updated their HDR-AS camera line with a new 200V version (HDR-AS200V). These came as a surprise to approximately … Read More Here
Fitbit Inspire HR Activity Tracker In-Depth Review
Here's everything you need to know about the Fitbit Inspire lineup, including what's new, what's unique, what works, and what doesn't. I dive into all the details.
Apple’s Beddit 3.5 Sleep Tracker In-Depth Review
Most times I buy or receive products I’ve got a mental expectation of how that product will probably turn out. And most times, it’s correct. Sometimes a product hits it out of the park well beyond my expectations (the original … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Vivosmart 4, now with Pulse Ox and Body Battery
The Vivosmart 4 is Garmin's first device to introduce the new Body Battery, as well with the Pulse Ox (Sp02). How well does it work? I dig in.
First Look: Fitbit Charge 3 Activity Tracker with SpO2 Sensor & Sleep Disturbance Tracking
No matter how you slice it, the Fitbit Charge series is Fitbit’s leading line to date. Having sold over 35 million units amongst the various versions, it accounts for the bulk of their sales. Thus despite all attention on the … Read More Here
Fitbit Versa In-Depth Review
Do you know what happens when you remove GPS and style from the Fitbit Ionic? You end up with a Fitbit Versa. Which is probably the easiest way to describe the two watches. Certainly, the Fitbit Versa can be stylish … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 3: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
Over the last 6 weeks I’ve been wearing the Apple Watch Series 3 Cellular edition to see how well it works not just in daily use, but more importantly sport and fitness use. This review is all about sport and … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive 3 In-Depth Review
It’s been about 6 weeks since Garmin first announced the new Vivoactive 3 GPS watch. This watch builds upon the Vivoactive HR by adding in more features including things like contactless payments with Garmin Pay, as well as structured workouts. … Read More Here
Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Garmin announced the Vivofit Jr. 2, which takes their surprisingly successful Vivofit Jr. kids-focused product line and adds in a few features. But most importantly it cements a Disney partnership for branded variants of the activity trackers covering Star … Read More Here
Fitbit Ionic GPS Smartwatch In-Depth Review
Last month Fitbit announced their latest device – the Fitbit Ionic. This would be a significant step forward for the company, as it would represent them stepping into a slightly different (and higher end) market. While it was previously difficult … Read More Here
Garmin Vivosport In-Depth Review
A few weeks ago as part of Garmin’s trifecta announcement of new Vivo-labeled products, they announced the Vivosport (along with the Vivomove HR and Vivoactive 3). In many ways the Vivosport got overlooked as it lacked the fashionista flashiness of … Read More Here
Garmin’s Vivomove HR: Everything you need to know
Sometimes, beauty is only skin deep. And unfortunately in the case of the Vivomove HR – that’s never been more true. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Vivomove HR is the second iteration of Garmin’s dabble … Read More Here
Polar M430 In-Depth Review
Polar's latest GPS watch steps up to plate with what might be the most accurate optical HR sensor in a mainstream GPS watch. I dive into the details.
Fitbit Alta HR In-Depth Review
In what may seem like a sea of Fitbit models, the Fitbit Alta HR attempts to strike the balance between what folks want as a straightforward activity tracker, while making some nods towards basic workout support. I’ve been wearing a … Read More Here
Polar A370 In-Depth Review
Just over a week ago Polar announced their latest wearable – the Polar A370. This new unit took the hardware of the Polar A360 that was released about 18 months ago and plopped in a few new features like continuous … Read More Here
Garmin Vivosmart 3 Activity Tracker In-Depth Review
Today Garmin introduced an updated version of its Vivosmart lineup, the Vivosmart 3. This essentially takes the Vivosmart HR that we saw last year (aka Vivosmart Gen2) and shrinks it down. Then they layered in a bunch of new heart … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 2 and Nike+ Edition: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
It’s now been a few months since Apple released their second generation watches, both the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Nike+ Edition. These watches built upon the initial Apple Watch first generation units by adding GPS capabilities and improved … Read More Here
Hands-on: Polar’s new M200 GPS watch with Optical HR
Today Polar announced its latest device – the M200, which is a budget focused running GPS watch, but one complete with optical heart rate, smartphone notifications, and even structured training options. All at $149/149EUR. Or, $189 if you want to … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive HR In-Depth Review
It’s been a few months since Garmin announced the Vivoactive HR while at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The unit started shipping last month and I’ve been wearing it on my wrist 24x7 since then. The Vivoactive HR sits in Garmin’s mid-range watch pricing … Read More Here
Hands-on with the new Garmin Vivomove watch
Garmin's first classy looking wearable is out! Time to dive into all the details, and compare it against the competition.
Fitbit Alta In-Depth Review
It’s been a touch over two months since Fitbit announced their most recent wearable, the Fitbit Alta. Like all of Fitbit’s entrants this year, it was designed to be more fashion focused, while giving incremental upgrades in terms of features … Read More Here
Fitbit Blaze In-Depth Review
Almost exactly two months ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Fitbit announced their latest higher-end wearable, the Fitbit Blaze. The company positioned it as a smart fitness watch, aiming to offer something midway between the higher-end … Read More Here
The Apple Watch: Sport and Fitness In-Depth Review
Heads up - February 2017! Looking for the Apple Watch Series 2 In-Depth Review? Swing on over to that page here! Ahh yes, the long awaited Apple Watch for Fitness In-Depth Review. I’ve now spent almost 10 months with the … Read More Here
First Look: Fitbit announces new Fitbit Alta activity tracker
Today Fitbit announced their latest activity tracker – the Fitbit Alta. This unit is effectively a replacement for the existing Fitbit Charge (or previous to that, the Force). However, unlike those, this unit sports smartphone notifications, move reminders, and the ability … Read More Here
Microsoft Band 2 In-Depth Fitness & Sport Focused Review
This past fall Microsoft released their second activity tracker, the Microsoft Band 2 – near exactly one year after they released the original Microsoft Band. This new Band tweaks the sizing a bit and cleans up much of the exterior … Read More Here
Garmin Vivosmart HR In-Depth Review
Back about two months ago, Garmin announced their first wrist activity tracker (non-watch) with optical HR capabilities, the Vivosmart HR. The Vivosmart HR was designed to build upon the release of the Vivosmart a year earlier. Essentially it’s a daily … Read More Here
Hands on with the new Adidas Fit Smart
Adidas has just announced their latest sports and fitness focused device – the Fit Smart. The unit features optical heart rate recognition from your wrist via an embedded Mio optical sensor, while supplementing that data in conjunction with accelerometer data … Read More Here
Adidas Bluetooth Smart miCoach (Mini) Footpod In-Depth Review
It’s been about 8 months since the first Bluetooth Smart footpod popped out into the market, introduced by Polar shortly after the release of their Polar Beat app. However, while it technically worked just fine, it lacked one thing: Elegance. … Read More Here
Adidas Smart Run GPS In-Depth Review
This past October Adidas announced their Smart Run GPS unit to the world, introducing the first optical heart rate watch with a GPS sensor combined into it. While Adidas has been in the sports technology arena for some time with … Read More Here
Apple’s Beddit 3.5 Sleep Tracker In-Depth Review
Most times I buy or receive products I’ve got a mental expectation of how that product will probably turn out. And most times, it’s correct. Sometimes a product hits it out of the park well beyond my expectations (the original … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 4: Sports & Fitness In-Depth Review
Everything you ever wanted to know about using the Apple Watch Series 4 for sport and fitness. From GPS accuracy tests to pushing the limits of the new optical HR sensor...and plenty more.
Apple Watch Series 3: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
Over the last 6 weeks I’ve been wearing the Apple Watch Series 3 Cellular edition to see how well it works not just in daily use, but more importantly sport and fitness use. This review is all about sport and … Read More Here
Apple Watch Series 2 and Nike+ Edition: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
It’s now been a few months since Apple released their second generation watches, both the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Nike+ Edition. These watches built upon the initial Apple Watch first generation units by adding GPS capabilities and improved … Read More Here
The Apple Watch: Sport and Fitness In-Depth Review
Heads up - February 2017! Looking for the Apple Watch Series 2 In-Depth Review? Swing on over to that page here! Ahh yes, the long awaited Apple Watch for Fitness In-Depth Review. I’ve now spent almost 10 months with the … Read More Here
The Basis Peak In-Depth Review
When the Basis Peak was announced earlier this fall it was designed to fill in the gaps as well as build upon their previous product, the Basis B1, that was released about 2 years ago. The Basis watch has always … Read More Here
First hands-on look at Bia GPS watch designed for women
Earlier this week while in Las Vegas for CES I had the chance to meet up with the founder of Bia, the only womens focused GPS watch on the market. Cheryl Kellond and I met me at the UNLV track … Read More Here
Into Thin Air: Bkool’s New 2017-2018 Trainer Lineup
While it’s traditional that most European trainer companies announced their new wares at Eurobike, Spain-based Bkool decided to eschew that for a few more weeks of prep and then launch their new trainer products at Interbike instead. Unfortunately, that didn’t … Read More Here
Bkool Announces ANT+ FE-C Software Update Available Now, plus a new budget trainer and more
BKOOL is here at Eurobike this week and has pushed out a number of updates (both software and hardware), one of which will definitely make (most) existing owners quite happy. As a brief refresher Bkool has historically been one of … Read More Here
BKOOL Wireless ANT+ Trainer In-Depth Review
The BKOOL trainer is unique in the market in a number of ways. It marks the first trainer I’ve reviewed that includes an all-you-can-eat flat-rate approach to riding videos shot outdoors, while indoors. It’s also the first resistance controlled computerized … Read More Here
Bryton Cardio 60 GPS Multisport Watch In-Depth Review
The Bryton Cardio 60 is an interesting relatively unknown nugget on the triathlon watch scene. It’s interesting because it’s one of the few (if only?) multisport GPS watches that’s not actually offered in North America. But outside of that scope, there’s … Read More Here
CycleOps H2 (Hammer 2) Trainer In-Depth Review
This past summer at Eurobike, CycleOps somewhat quietly announced their new Hammer 2 trainer, more officially known as the H2. This trainer would take the existing Hammer 1 that the company released a few years back, apply a new coat … Read More Here
CycleOps Hammer Trainer In-Depth Review
It’s Hammer Time. The Hammer is CycleOps’ answer to the highly competitive high-end direct drive trainer realm. Or said differently, it’s their answer to the KICKR. It feels like an eternity ago that the Hammer was announced. In reality though, … Read More Here
Hands-on with new CycleOps Hammer Smart Trainer
Today CycleOps has announced their latest trainer product, the Hammer. Taking a cue from others in the industry on having a catchy name, the Hammer is CycleOps’s first totally new trainer in a few years. And also their first direct … Read More Here
PowerTap P1 Power Meter Pedals In-Depth Review
Back this spring PowerTap for the first time announced a power meter that wasn’t in the rear wheel hub. Well, they actually announced two new power meters. The first was the PowerTap P1, which is a pedal based power meter, … Read More Here
CycleOps Virtual Training In-Depth Review
While the CycleOps PowerBeam Pro has been around a while, their entertainment and training software – Virtual Training – just came out late last year. I’ve been using beta versions on and off since last spring, and with the final … Read More Here
PowerTap PowerCal In-Depth Review
The CycleOps PowerCal is a unique power meter of sorts. Aside from being inexpensive, it's also non-traditional in the way it gathers power..
CycleOps Joule GPS In-Depth Review
The Joule CycleOps GPS represents the companies first GPS bike computer. I'll dive deep on it and see how it stacks up against the competition.
CycleOps PowerBeam Pro Trainer In-Depth Review
While the CycleOps PowerBeam Pro may be two years old, it’s one of the very few trainers on the market that allows specific wattage resistance control. Meaning, you can set it for a given wattage – i.e. 200w, and it’ll … Read More Here
CycleOps Joule and PowerTap Wheelset In-Depth Review
Last year when Saris/CycleOps came out with their ANT+ enabled Joule, many wondered how it would stack up against the competition. Would a non-GPS enabled device still be able to compete in an increasingly GPS dominated world? And how would … Read More Here
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro In-Depth Review
After three months of use, how does the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom and Pro really hold up? I dig into all the details - in particular from a sports tracking standpoint.
Hands-on: Skydio’s R1 Sports Drone Gets Apple Watch Control
I don’t usually cover the slew of app announcements for the Apple Watch – but this one is definitely different, and, if you’re looking to get cool action video of yourself – then this is also unique. As of today, … Read More Here
Skydio R1 Autonomous Sports Drone In-Depth Review
My quest to find a drone that can follow me while cycling and running may finally have found its maker. After years of trying all sorts of products, the Skydio R1 came along. And it did so in a big … Read More Here
Hands-on: Airdog’s new ADII sports-tracking drone
Last week Airdog announced their latest sports-tracking drone, the Airdog ADII. Years ago the company announced on Kickstarter their first drone, simply called Airdog, which was aimed 100% at the sports tracking market. It didn’t pretend to be a more … Read More Here
DJI Spark In-Depth Review
The DJI Spark is small, but is it as capable as DJI says? I did into every possible question you have, with tons of detail.
Hands-on: Staaker Action Sports Drone
While at ISPO a few days ago, I got the chance to take out the new Staaker drone for a spin. This drone is much like AirDog that I’ve reviewed previously, in that it focuses exclusively on sports action filming. … Read More Here
DJI Mavic Pro In-Depth Review
While the widely held assumption this year was that the GoPro Karma drone would be the hottest drone to get one's hands on, it’s quickly become clear over the last 75 days that wouldn’t quite pan out. A mere 7 … Read More Here
GoPro Karma In-Depth Review
(Update: Feb 1st, 2017: GoPro has resumed shipping of the Karma drone following it's earlier recall. There is no difference between the pre and post-recall drones from a hardware or software features standpoint, except changes to the battery clip to … Read More Here
Everything you need to know: GoPro’s New Hero5 Cameras & Karma Drone
Update: Go see my full GoPro Hero5 Black In-Depth Review here! Today GoPro announced three new action cameras, a drone, and a rather interesting flotilla of accessories. These include a handheld gimbal, external microphone/remote combos, and even a nifty $19 … Read More Here
AirDog Action Sports Drone In-Depth Review
Like most Kickstarter projects, it’s been a much longer road than anticipated to get their product off the ground. But unlike most Kickstarter projects, AirDog literally needed to get off the ground and into the air to be successful. It … Read More Here
Sports, Drones, and Follow-Me Aerial Action Imagery: A State of the Industry
There’s been a ton of interest as of late in using drones within sports. This interest comes from many different angles. First is the more traditional approach of simply using the unmanned aerial vehicle as a platform for videography and … Read More Here
Elite Fuoripista 14,000EUR Indoor Smart Bike: First Ride and Specs
I anticipate the cheapest sports technology gadget I’ll release a review or early look on here at Eurobike 2018 will cost about $60. But perhaps I’ll end up finding something that fits into my realm for cheaper. What I don’t … Read More Here
Elite Drivo II Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
How well does Elite's high-end trainer handle apps like Zwift and TrainerRoad? I dig in with all the detail to see if it can stand up to it.
Elite Direto Trainer In-Depth Review
Earlier this summer Elite announced the Direto, a direct drive trainer that’s fully integrated into the likes of Zwift and TrainerRoad. Priced at $899 it was initially targeted at the mid-range price market, but over the course of the last … Read More Here
Elite’s new Direto trainer–Hands on!
Today Elite announced their newest trainer for the 2017-2018 winter trainer season – the Direto. This direct drive controllable trainer is notable partly for its price ($899), but also partly because it’s sporting easily the highest accuracy rating of any … Read More Here
Elite Drivo Trainer In-Depth Review
Earlier this summer Elite launched four new trainers/rollers, and in doing so greatly simplified their trainer lineup. Previous to that they had enough trainers to allow each member of the Brady Bunch both a primary and backup trainer. Never mind … Read More Here
Epson’s New ProSense Running & Triathlon GPS watches: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Epson announced a flotilla of new watches. Not just one watch, but five different GPS watches from $99 to $399. They’ve got everything from smartphone notifications to activity tracking, and most models have optical HR too. Plus, they get … Read More Here
Epson Runsense SF-810 GPS watch with optical HR: In-Depth Review
Over the last 8-9 months, Epson has introduced a number of fitness wearables into the market. While that might seem odd for a company known primarily for printers, one need only remember that Epson is part of the Seiko Epson … Read More Here
FINIS Neptune Swimming MP3 Player In-Depth Review
When FINIS announced the new Neptune swimming MP3 player two months ago I was skeptical. I was pretty happy with the previous generation – the SwiMP3. It was smaller, and and thus for most swimmers, that’s a critical selling point. … Read More Here
The Great Swimming MP3 Player Shootout
This past summer I started a swimming MP3 player test, one that I feel I can finally conclude. I ended up buying just about every popular swimming MP3 player on the market, and then started testing them – one after … Read More Here
FINIS AquaPulse In Depth Review
Today FINIS announced their latest product, the AquaPulse underwater audible heart rate monitor. Unlike most sport heart rate monitors however, this one doesn’t measure your heart rate using a standard chest strap, but instead does so at your ear…conveniently placed … Read More Here
FINIS Swimsense Performance Monitor In-Depth Review
While my pool time has been severely restricted lately with all the international travel, I did get a short opportunity to jump into the pool with the Swimsense while up in Newfoundland. For those not familiar, Swimsense is like having … Read More Here
Fitbit Inspire HR Activity Tracker In-Depth Review
Here's everything you need to know about the Fitbit Inspire lineup, including what's new, what's unique, what works, and what doesn't. I dive into all the details.
The Fitbit Versa Lite Hands-On: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Fitbit launched their least expensive smartwatch to date – the Fitbit Versa Lite. This newish watch essentially takes the existing Fitbit Versa smartwatch and removes the music playback, along with a handful of smaller features like stair counting (and … Read More Here
First Look: Fitbit Charge 3 Activity Tracker with SpO2 Sensor & Sleep Disturbance Tracking
No matter how you slice it, the Fitbit Charge series is Fitbit’s leading line to date. Having sold over 35 million units amongst the various versions, it accounts for the bulk of their sales. Thus despite all attention on the … Read More Here
Fitbit Versa In-Depth Review
Do you know what happens when you remove GPS and style from the Fitbit Ionic? You end up with a Fitbit Versa. Which is probably the easiest way to describe the two watches. Certainly, the Fitbit Versa can be stylish … Read More Here
Fitbit Ionic GPS Smartwatch In-Depth Review
Last month Fitbit announced their latest device – the Fitbit Ionic. This would be a significant step forward for the company, as it would represent them stepping into a slightly different (and higher end) market. While it was previously difficult … Read More Here
Fitbit Alta HR In-Depth Review
In what may seem like a sea of Fitbit models, the Fitbit Alta HR attempts to strike the balance between what folks want as a straightforward activity tracker, while making some nods towards basic workout support. I’ve been wearing a … Read More Here
Fitbit Charge 2 Activity Tracker In-Depth Review
It’s been a bit over two months since Fitbit announced their latest wearables, the Fitbit Charge 2 and the Fitbit Flex 2 (they also announced some Blaze updates and Alta bands at that time). This review however is purely focused … Read More Here
Fitbit Alta In-Depth Review
It’s been a touch over two months since Fitbit announced their most recent wearable, the Fitbit Alta. Like all of Fitbit’s entrants this year, it was designed to be more fashion focused, while giving incremental upgrades in terms of features … Read More Here
Fitbit Blaze In-Depth Review
Almost exactly two months ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Fitbit announced their latest higher-end wearable, the Fitbit Blaze. The company positioned it as a smart fitness watch, aiming to offer something midway between the higher-end … Read More Here
First Look: Fitbit announces new Fitbit Alta activity tracker
Today Fitbit announced their latest activity tracker – the Fitbit Alta. This unit is effectively a replacement for the existing Fitbit Charge (or previous to that, the Force). However, unlike those, this unit sports smartphone notifications, move reminders, and the ability … Read More Here
A Weighty Decision: Deciding on a WiFi Weight Scale
Connected scales are all the rage these days. And for good reason – they make it easy to log your weight. More importantly though, they make it hard to pretend nothing happened. So as you rolled out of bed this … Read More Here
Fitbit Charge and Charge HR In-Depth Review
It’s been a few months now since Fitbit announced and then subsequently released their Fitbit Charge and Charge HR units. At the same time, they announced the Fitbit Surge GPS (which I’ve already reviewed here). For this post though, we’ll … Read More Here
Fitbit Surge In-Depth Review
It’s been a few months since Fitbit announced a trio of products, including their first GPS watch – the Fitbit Surge. This joined two other activity trackers, the Fitbit Charge and Charge HR within the announcement (my review of the … Read More Here
FitBit Zip In-Depth Review
Here’s a fun fact to start out with: The FitBit Zip is actually probably the only product where I’ve written the review after over a year of use with the device. Well, two devices actually. But, more on what happened … Read More Here
Garmin MARQ Series Hands-On: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Garmin raised the stakes and announced their most expensive watch to date – the Garmin MARQ, at upwards of $2,500. Actually, it’s five watches. Five different units that mirror Garmin’s existing product lines across all of the company’s divisions. … Read More Here
Garmin HRM-DUAL Heart Rate Strap In-Depth Review
Garmin's finally released a dual-capable ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart heart rate strap - but is it worth buying? I dive in with plenty of data to see if it does the job.
First Look: Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music Cellular/LTE (for Verizon)
Today Garmin begins their journey with cellular enabled wearables, announcing the first such device, the Vivoactive 3 Music Cellular/LTE. Actually, technically it’s called the Garmin Vivoactive 3 connected by Verizon, leaving zero doubts about who exactly it’s available for. And … Read More Here
Garmin Instinct GPS Watch In-Depth Review
When it comes to looks, you’re either going to love or hate the new Garmin Instinct watch. There’s not likely to be much middle ground. If you like the looks of Casio watches, you’ll probably be pretty excited about this … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Vivosmart 4, now with Pulse Ox and Body Battery
The Vivosmart 4 is Garmin's first device to introduce the new Body Battery, as well with the Pulse Ox (Sp02). How well does it work? I dig in.
The Bontrager Edge 1030: A Swanky Black Edge 1030 with Deeper Integration (Hands-on)
Today Bontrager announced the Edge 1030. Wait, Bontrager? Don’t you mean Garmin? Nope, I mean that company owned by Trek but not named Trek – that’s Bontrager. See, they’ve partnered with Garmin to offer a slightly unique Edge 1030 model … Read More Here
Garmin’s New $249 Edge Explore Full Mapping & Navigation Bike GPS: Everything you ever wanted to know
The Edge Explore is quite possibly the best deal in a bike computer that Garmin has ever made. The question is: Can you live with the features cut from i?
Garmin Fenix 5/5S/5X Plus In-Depth Review (with Maps, Music, Payments)
Everything you could ever want to know about the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus lineup, which includes the 5/5S/5X, and maps, music, contactless payment and PulseOx.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music: Everything you ever wanted to know
Here's all the details on the new Vivoactive 3 Music, complete with how the music transfer and usage works, as well as GPS and heart rate accuracy.
Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator In-Depth Review
For those that have been around the DCR block long enough, you’ll know that I’m always looking for tracking solutions for my worldly activities. Especially ones that don’t depend on having a mobile phone nearby, and even more so for … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 130 In-Depth Review
As a techie-geek I suppose there’s some expectation that I’ll be most impressed with the higher end gear. The stuff that has all the bells and whistles, and usually costs more. But here’s the funny thing – out of the … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Edge 520 Plus with Mapping
Today’s multi-pronged release of cycling gear by Garmin is probably the company's most decisive yet at fending off competitors to its lucrative head unit business. And in some ways, they’re probably even undercutting their own high-end head units to stave … Read More Here
Garmin Varia RTL510 Radar/Cycling Light In-Depth Review
Yes, it’s a bike radar. But no, it’s not the first bike radar Garmin has made. And yes, I can hear the comments about ‘why not buy a $15 mirror’ already being furiously typed into your keyboard. Except here’s the … Read More Here
Garmin Forerunner 645 Music GPS Running Watch In-Depth Review
It’s been almost two months since Garmin announced the FR645 and FR645 Music (aka FR645M), its first wearable with music onboard. Past Garmin watches could control music on your phone, but none could have music loaded on it and play … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin’s Forerunner 645 Music GPS Watch
(Update - March 5th, 2018 - My Full FR645 Music In-Depth Review is now available, head over to the link to check it all out!) Finally, Garmin now makes a wearable that plays music. In some ways, that’s sorta all … Read More Here
Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter In-Depth Review
Here's everything you ever wanted to know about Garmin Vector 3, from sizing and weight, to cornering capabilities, plus accuracy aspects and more!
Hands-on: Garmin’s New Descent MK1 Diving Watch
Sometimes, I do sports that are actually not swim-bike-run. Be it skiing, or…ok, I guess that’s it. Actually, I scuba dive, which I suppose is still technically swimming. Or swimming done rather poorly. So poorly that you’re never-endingly sinking to … Read More Here
Garmin Vivoactive 3 In-Depth Review
It’s been about 6 weeks since Garmin first announced the new Vivoactive 3 GPS watch. This watch builds upon the Vivoactive HR by adding in more features including things like contactless payments with Garmin Pay, as well as structured workouts. … Read More Here
Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Garmin announced the Vivofit Jr. 2, which takes their surprisingly successful Vivofit Jr. kids-focused product line and adds in a few features. But most importantly it cements a Disney partnership for branded variants of the activity trackers covering Star … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin’s New Forerunner 30 Running GPS Watch
Hold on, I know what you’re thinking: Didn’t the Forerunner 30 come out last year? Nope, that was the Forerunner 35. At which point you’re wondering how we’re going back in numbers – but that’s just how the cards fell … Read More Here
Garmin Vivosport In-Depth Review
A few weeks ago as part of Garmin’s trifecta announcement of new Vivo-labeled products, they announced the Vivosport (along with the Vivomove HR and Vivoactive 3). In many ways the Vivosport got overlooked as it lacked the fashionista flashiness of … Read More Here
Power Meter Pedal Shootout: Vector 3 vs PowerTap P1 vs Assioma
Over the course of the summer we’ve seen both Garmin and Favero roll out new pedal power meters. In Garmin’s case they’ve got their third generation Vector 3 pedals, while in Favero’s case they have their Assioma units, which are … Read More Here
Garmin’s Vivomove HR: Everything you need to know
Sometimes, beauty is only skin deep. And unfortunately in the case of the Vivomove HR – that’s never been more true. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Vivomove HR is the second iteration of Garmin’s dabble … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter
b December 2017 - Heads up - you can now find my full in-depth review of Garmin Vector 3 here! Today Garmin announced their third generation of power meters, Vector 3. This new unit brings sweeping changes both easily seen … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1030 In-Depth Review
After over three years, Garmin has updated its flagship GPS navigation computer with a new edition – the Edge 1030. This new large-screen style unit features a longer battery life along with a new external battery pack option. Not only … Read More Here
GoPro Hero 7 Black In-Depth Review
It’s that time of year again. Like clockwork it’s the annual drop from GoPro of new action cameras. This year they’ve launched three new cameras – the Hero 7 Black, Silver, and White. These three new cameras will replace all … Read More Here
My 6 Favorite Action Cam Accessories I Use Daily
Virtually every day I use action cams to get shots for all assortment of things: In-Depth reviews, general posts, Strava pics, and even Instagram (ok, I suck at being daily there, The Girl is far better). Over on YouTube I’ve … Read More Here
GoPro Fusion 360° Action Camera In-Depth Review
Just shy of a year ago GoPro announced initial details around their consumer-oriented 360° action camera, Fusion. But it wouldn’t be until this past November that the company started shipping the $699 dual-lens unit. Since then I’ve been using the … Read More Here
GoPro Hero6 Black In-Depth Review
Today GoPro announced their latest action cam – the GoPro Hero6 Black. While it may look the same from the outside, it’s packed with tons of huge changes on the inside. Some of those changes are headliner options like 4K … Read More Here
GoPro Karma Grip Gimbal In-Depth Review
I get detailed on the GoPro Karma Grip, Grip Extension, Hero5 Black, and Seeker bag in a 10-month test of how things actually work and hold up.
Thoughts on GoPro’s new Fusion 360° 5.2K camera
A few weeks ago GoPro sorta-announced a new action cam. Sorta being the operative word here. Unlike most GoPro announcement occurrences, this was more of a formalized naming and acknowledgment of existence. It included roughly as much information as an … Read More Here
Best Action Cam 2017: GoPro Hero5 Black vs Garmin VIRB Ultra 30
In virtually every post or video I make where I use an action cam, I’m asked which camera I’m using and why. And even more commonly since this past fall I’m asked whether to go with the GoPro Hero5 Black … Read More Here
GoPro Karma In-Depth Review
(Update: Feb 1st, 2017: GoPro has resumed shipping of the Karma drone following it's earlier recall. There is no difference between the pre and post-recall drones from a hardware or software features standpoint, except changes to the battery clip to … Read More Here
GoPro Hero5 Black In-Depth Review
It’s been two years since the last major GoPro Hero launch. No, I don’t count the Session last year. I’m talking about a multi-camera launch like GoPro has typically done each fall for the majority of its history. Back in … Read More Here
Everything you need to know: GoPro’s New Hero5 Cameras & Karma Drone
Update: Go see my full GoPro Hero5 Black In-Depth Review here! Today GoPro announced three new action cameras, a drone, and a rather interesting flotilla of accessories. These include a handheld gimbal, external microphone/remote combos, and even a nifty $19 … Read More Here
GoPro’s New Cycling Handlebar & Seat Rail Mounts: In-Depth Review
Last month GoPro announced a handful of new mounts, three of which were focused on cycling. This would actually be the first time that GoPro has directly released a bike-specific mount (let alone three of them). In the past, they had … Read More Here
The Feiyu Tech GoPro Action Cam Wearable Gimbal In-Depth Review
I know, approximately 97% of you are looking at the title right now and going “Who the fudge is Feiyu Tech?” And then about 65% of you are saying “What the heck is a gimbal?” (and is it related to a gumball?). Fear … Read More Here
GoPro Hero4 Session In-Depth Review
It’s been about almost three months since GoPro announced their Hero4 Session action cam. The unit made headlines due to its small size compared to existing GoPro units. Yet this past Monday, they made the logical decision to drop the price … Read More Here
GoPro announces new HERO+ LCD camera (oh, and a drone too!)
Today GoPro announced its latest action camera, the GoPro HERO+ LCD. This marks the first time GoPro has done an ‘off-cycle’ release of a new camera product, as the company has historically released new action cams in the September/October timeframe. … Read More Here
GoPro Hero4 Silver & Hero4 Black In-Depth Review
(Note: Review updated March 10th, 2015, inclusive of most recent firmware updates) Early last month GoPro completed their annual October ritual of releasing a suite of new units. Like past years, GoPro doesn’t tend to make massive upgrades in their … Read More Here
Hands-on: Scosche’s New Rhythm 24 Optical HR Sensor Swiss-Army Knife
I initially thought of just titling this post “Scosche’s New Rhythm 24 Optical HR Band”, but in reality, that doesn’t begin to capture what they’re doing with the new Rhythm 24. Because almost everything they’ve added is about things beyond … Read More Here
Wahoo TICKR FIT Optical HR Sensor In-Depth Review
Today Wahoo announced their latest device – the Wahoo TICKR FIT. The TICKR FIT is simply an optical heart rate sensor that transmits ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart. Basically, it’s like a Scosche Rhythm+ or to a slightly lesser extent like a … Read More Here
Scosche RHYTHM+ Dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart Optical HR Band In-Depth Review
Back at CES 2014 in January Scosche introduced their first dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart unit, the RHYTHM+. This optical sensor armband would transmit both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart concurrently to any compatible device. Unlike most other units that were announced that … Read More Here
LifeBEAM Smart Helmet with Integrated ANT+ Heart Rate Sensor In-Depth Review
It’s been almost a year since the LifeBeam SMART helmet hit the interwebs via a Kickstarter crowd-funded effort. Since then they’ve iterated through prototypes, status updates, and then ultimately a few months back – delivery of the actual product. It … Read More Here
Hands-on: Kinetic inRide V3 and Smart Trainers now support dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart
This new low-cost $50 option gets you power on your Kinetic trainer quickly and easily. Plus, it adds in ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart support. I test the accuracy.
First look at the new Magellan Echo Fit
Here at Outdoor Retailer this week Magellan has announced their latest incarnation of the Magellan Echo line, the Echo Fit. The Echo fit builds upon the original Magellan Echo (which was released about this time last year) and adds in … Read More Here
Magellan Echo In-Depth Review
This past summer Magellan became the first company to announce a running-focused smart watch. And 10 days ago, they became the first company to actually ship said type of watch. While there have been many smart watches (especially as of late), … Read More Here
The Magellan Switch Up In-Depth Review
The Switch and Switch Up watches are ones of a rare breed of triathlon and multi-sport specific watches that demand three times the complexity of a running watch. How does this unit handle the demands? Let's dig in and find out.
Mio Fuse Activity Tracker and Optical HR Sensor In-Depth Review
This past summer Mio announced two new products to their lineup – the Mio Fuse and the Mio Velo. These products just recently started shipping in the past few weeks, giving me an opportunity to use the final hardware and … Read More Here
First look at new Mio Link ANT+/Bluetooth Smart optical heart rate wrist band
Today, Mio announced their newest product, the dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart optical heart rate wrist band: Mio Link. This new product is about half the size of their previous product (the Alpha), and transmits across both protocols. This is notable as … Read More Here
Mio Alpha Optical Heart Rate Monitor In-Depth Review (Bluetooth Smart/ANT+)
This optical heart rate wrist strap measures your heart rate and transmits it to Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ devices. But how accurate is it?
Motorola MOTOACTV In Depth Review
(Please Note: This product has been discontinued by Motorola Mobility, which is now owned by Google.) As I noted two days ago, the Motorola Motoactv has completely and totally changed the face of sports watches…literally overnight. Upon its initial release … Read More Here
Nike+ FuelBand In-Depth Review
The Nike+ Fuelband is one of many activity monitors on the market today. Up against the likes of FitBit, Jawbone UP, and others - how does it stack up?
Nike+ Sportwatch GPS In Depth Review
Here's a uber-detailed look at Nike's first GPS product into the marketplace. How does it stack up against the major running units?
O-Synce Navi2Coach GPS Cycling Computer In-Depth Review
The Navi2Coach cycling computer may very well be one of the first GPS-enabled bike computers that aims to compete against every aspect of the Garmin Edge 500, from customization of data fields to advanced training metrics. But can this first-time … Read More Here
Optical HR Armband Shootout: Polar OH1+, Scosche Rhythm 24, Wahoo TICKR FIT
The last few weeks, well…months really, I’ve been spending an excessive amount of time wearing optical HR sensor straps. It mostly started back in January as I was preparing my Polar Vantage M and COROS APEX reviews, with the optical … Read More Here
Polar OH1 Plus Optical HR Sensor In-Depth Review
And just like that, Polar now makes ANT+ devices. The Polar OH1 is one of two devices today that Polar has announced that are getting ANT+ compatibility. The other being the H10. But I cover that (and thoughts around possible … Read More Here
Polar adds ANT+ to two devices, contemplates ANT+ expansion to Vantage series
When you woke up this morning, I’m pretty sure the title of the post was the last bit of news you expected today in the sports technology realm. And if you weren’t at the ANT+ Symposium last fall, that surprise … Read More Here
Polar Vantage M Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
It’s been nearly five months since Polar first announced the Vantage series watches, including the Vantage M and Vantage V. You probably saw my Vantage V review a couple months back. Since then I’ve transitioned to using the less expensive … Read More Here
Polar Vantage V Multisport GPS In-Depth Review
It’s been four months since Polar announced their new Vantage series of multisport watches. This series is currently comprised of two watches, the Vantage V and Vantage M. The V is the higher end multisport watch, meant to be a … Read More Here
The New Polar Vantage Series: Everything you ever wanted to know
The new Polar Vantage V and Vantage M include a slew of new features, from new training load metrics to recovery metrics. Plus the Vantage V gets running power too.
Hands-on: Polar’s OH1 Standalone Optical HR Sensor
Over the past couple of years, Polar has been continuing to iterate on their optical HR sensor design. While Garmin and Fitbit (for example) have mostly kept to the same design and slowly iterated and improved it with minor changes, … Read More Here
Polar M430 In-Depth Review
Polar's latest GPS watch steps up to plate with what might be the most accurate optical HR sensor in a mainstream GPS watch. I dive into the details.
Polar A370 In-Depth Review
Just over a week ago Polar announced their latest wearable – the Polar A370. This new unit took the hardware of the Polar A360 that was released about 18 months ago and plopped in a few new features like continuous … Read More Here
First Look: Polar’s new M460 GPS Bike Computer
Today is shaping up to be a rather busy day for announcements! Polar joined the Wednesday new products club with its new M460 bike GPS. This bike computer builds on the M450 unit they announced almost two years ago. Both … Read More Here
Polar M600 Android Wear GPS Watch In-Depth Review
It’s been a touch bit over two months since Polar announced their first Android Wear device, the M600 GPS-enabled watch. This running/lifestyle/not-triathlon focused watch was not only unique in Polar’s stable for being Android Wear, but for also including features … Read More Here
Hands-on: Polar’s new M200 GPS watch with Optical HR
Today Polar announced its latest device – the M200, which is a budget focused running GPS watch, but one complete with optical heart rate, smartphone notifications, and even structured training options. All at $149/149EUR. Or, $189 if you want to … Read More Here
Hands-on: Polar’s new Android Wear based M600 GPS Sport Watch (with music!)
Today Polar announced their latest wearable, and in the process also signaled a shift in direction to a far more open platform than they’ve ever had in their 39 year history. The Polar M600 takes the best of their M400 … Read More Here
Polar Balance Scale In-Depth Review
Today Polar announced that they’ve joined the weight scale club and are now making their own Bluetooth Smart scale. This scale integrates straight into the Polar Flow ecosystem. You step on the scale, and it then syncs to your phone, … Read More Here
Polar A360 In-Depth Review
It’s been about a month since Polar announced their latest wearable – the A360. This would be their first entrant into the optical HR sensor world, a key milestone for a company that’s effectively built its entire reputation and company … Read More Here
A few quick thoughts on Polar’s new A360 with optical HR sensor
Heads up! I've now posted my full A360 In-Depth Review, which can be viewed here! Enjoy! Earlier today Polar announced their latest wearable, the A360. More notably – it marks the first Polar product to include an optical heart rate … Read More Here
The new Polar Loop 2 and also new $19 Misfit Flash Link Activity Tracker
I just wanted to very briefly cover two new products that have been announced in the last 24 hours. Neither one really warrants a standalone post – especially since neither company has samples available on-hand (or rather, in my hands). … Read More Here
Hands-on with Polar’s new M450 GPS cycling computer
Today Polar has announced their latest cycling focused product, the M450 GPS based bike computer. In doing so, they’ve also quite likely just upended Garmin with a unit that quite frankly kicks ass (at least based on my limited testing … Read More Here
Polar Announces A300 Activity Tracker Watch, also MyFitnessPal automatic sync support
The A300 Overview: This weekend ahead of CES here in Las Vegas, Polar has announced their latest activity tracking watch, the A300. This watch aims to take the M400 GPS watch, remove the GPS part, and then call it the … Read More Here
Polar M400 GPS & Activity Tracker Watch In-Depth Review
Today, Polar has announced their latest watch, the M400. This running focused GPS watch also contains day to day activity tracking (i.e. steps and sleep) along with smartphone connectivity. The unit priced at $179US/€159EUR, is very competitively placed in the … Read More Here
Polar V800 Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Polar V800, from the device to the app & site behind it, plus how it compares to the competition.
First look at Polar V650 GPS bike computer
Today Polar announced their first dedicated GPS bike computer – the V650. The unit combines integrated GPS with a full color touch screen, it also becomes the first bike-specific computer to be Bluetooth Smart sensor capable. This marks the second … Read More Here
Polar Loop In-Depth Review
The Polar Loop is the very first daily activity tracker on the market that not only counts steps, but also connects to a separate heart rate strap – providing you with heart-rate based calorie information for activities. This changes the … Read More Here
Polar Bluetooth Smart Stride Sensor (Footpod) In-Depth Review
Earlier this week Polar announced their latest product – though, it’s not a watch. Or even anything connected to a watch. Instead, it’s an accessory for smart phones that further illuminates Polar’s direction and protocol strategy going forward. The Bluetooth … Read More Here
A look at the new Polar Beat Bluetooth Smart app with H7 Heart Rate Strap
Late last week, Polar released their first iPhone App – Polar Beat. The app aims to bridge the gap between their dedicated devices and the phone market. Most importantly however, it’s actually the first Bluetooth Smart compatible offering from them. … Read More Here
PowerTap P2 Power Meter Pedals In-Depth Review
It’s been almost exactly 4 years to the week since PowerTap first announced their PowerTap P1 pedals, and it didn’t take long for them to rocket to popularity. The installation required nothing more than a simple hex wrench, and the … Read More Here
SRM EXAKT Power Meter Pedals In-Depth Review
This past May we saw a new power meter pedal entrant announced onto the market, the SRM EXAKT pedals. Of course, SRM is well known for their power meter wares, which until now have been confined to cranksets and indoor … Read More Here
The Power Meter Buyers Guide–2018 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide! It’s where I round-up every cycling power meter on the market, and talk through what’s happened in the last year. I give my opinions of every single power meter … Read More Here
Hands-on: WatTeam’s New Gen3 PowerBeat Power Meter
Here's all the details you need to know about the new WatTeam Gen3 power meter, which finally includes the ability to easily swap between bikes.
Shimano Dura-Ace R9100P Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been almost two years since Shimano first announced their intentions to sell a power meter developed in-house, launched in the lead-up to the Tour de France in June 2016. That summer, a handful of pro riders would be seen … Read More Here
Specialized Power Cranks Power Meter In-Depth Review
Today Specialized has finally announced their new power meter crankset, aptly called Power Cranks. This crankset has been in the works for quite some time, both in rumors as well as on pro team riders bikes (as I showed at … Read More Here
Stages LR (Dual-Sided) Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been a long time coming. For Stages, the development path of Stages LR has been over three years till it started shipping last month, with most of it in the public eye in the most watched bike on earth: … Read More Here
Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter In-Depth Review
Here's everything you ever wanted to know about Garmin Vector 3, from sizing and weight, to cornering capabilities, plus accuracy aspects and more!
The Power Meters Buyer’s Guide–2017 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide! It’s where I round-up every cycling power meter on the market, and talk through what’s happened in the last year. I give my opinions of every single power meter … Read More Here
Power Meter Pedal Shootout: Vector 3 vs PowerTap P1 vs Assioma
Over the course of the summer we’ve seen both Garmin and Favero roll out new pedal power meters. In Garmin’s case they’ve got their third generation Vector 3 pedals, while in Favero’s case they have their Assioma units, which are … Read More Here
Favero Assioma Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been about three months since Favero announced their next generation power meter pedals, the Assioma. These pedals would build upon the BePro units of two years ago, doing away with the complicated installation process while also adding in Bluetooth … Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Vector 3 Power Meter
b December 2017 - Heads up - you can now find my full in-depth review of Garmin Vector 3 here! Today Garmin announced their third generation of power meters, Vector 3. This new unit brings sweeping changes both easily seen … Read More Here
Power2Max NG ECO In-Depth Review
I know, you’re confused. You’re thinking to yourself – didn’t he just review the Power2Max NG last month? And indeed, I did. But this isn’t the Power2Max NG. It’s the Power2Max NG ECO. Well, that’s a different beast. The ECO … Read More Here
Power2Max NG Power Meter In-Depth Review
Last August at Eurobike, Power2Max announced their latest power meter – the Power2Max NG. This power meter would be their first unit with dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, while also tweaking their underlying measurement design to increase accuracy. While they had anticipated … Read More Here
A few quick thoughts on the bePro Gen2…err…Favero Assioma
Earlier this week bePro announced their 2nd generation power meter. Well, actually, they didn’t. A company called Favero announced something called the Assioma, which is the successor to the bePro power meter pedals announced almost exactly two years ago. See … Read More Here
ROTOR 2INpower In-Depth Review
Over the last few years, ROTOR has been slowly increasing both the quantity of power meters they make – as well as the types of power meters they make. It first started with the original ROTOR Power LT some three … Read More Here
Quarq DZero Power Meter In-Depth Review
This past summer at Eurobike, Quarq announced their latest generation of power meters, the DZero lineup. The aim of this line was to refresh the existing offerings, while also somewhat simplifying things. Most visible to consumers though was the addition … Read More Here
WatTeam PowerBeat Gen2 Power Meter In-Depth Review
January 2019 Warning: WatTeam as a company is no longer operating. Even worse, the app is no longer supported, and it's required that you use the app in order to install the power meter. Do NOT buy this unit at … Read More Here
4iiii Precision Pro Dual Left/Right Power Meter In-Depth Review
While there are many power meter options being touted these days, it’s a different matter to actually get something shipped to consumers. And to do something that’s accurate and trusted (as well as reliable). It’s been a couple of years now … Read More Here
The Power Meters Buyer’s Guide–2016 Edition
Once again, it’s time for the annual power meter buyer’s guide. While the last month hasn’t seen a ton of new power meters, if you take the entire year in review, you’ll see it’s been quite busy with not only … Read More Here
First Look: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100–Now with power meter option
Today, every power meter company in the industry just breathed a huge collective sigh of relief: Shimano did not ultimately decide to baseline their long rumored integrated power meter as part of the Dura-Ace standard offering. Instead, they made it … Read More Here
PowerPod In-Depth Review
Back this past fall the PowerPod power meter was introduced on Kickstarter and funded within a few days. It started shipping a few months later, within a week or two of their planned date (a rarity these days) in late … Read More Here
4iiii Precision Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been about 8 months since 4iiii began shipping their Precision power meters to buyers, which is a small pod affixed to your crank arm. When the company announced their entrance into the market in September 2014, they had planned … Read More Here
PowerTap C1 Chainring Power Meter In-Depth Review
This past spring, as part of a bunch of announcements, PowerTap announced their C1 chainring power meter. This announcement was coupled with that of the PowerTap P1 pedals, all of which complement their existing PowerTap G3 hub based power meter. … Read More Here
Verve Infocrank Power Meter In-Depth Review
Power meters tend to be products that I test for the longest duration prior to posting a review. This is often due to wanting to validate products across a wide range of weather and environmental conditions: Heat, humidity, cold, cobbles, … Read More Here
Power2Max NG ECO In-Depth Review
I know, you’re confused. You’re thinking to yourself – didn’t he just review the Power2Max NG last month? And indeed, I did. But this isn’t the Power2Max NG. It’s the Power2Max NG ECO. Well, that’s a different beast. The ECO … Read More Here
Power2Max NG Power Meter In-Depth Review
Last August at Eurobike, Power2Max announced their latest power meter – the Power2Max NG. This power meter would be their first unit with dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, while also tweaking their underlying measurement design to increase accuracy. While they had anticipated … Read More Here
The Power2Max Type S Power Meter In-Depth Review
It’s been a touch over two years since my last Power2Max product review, for their now-named Classic edition. About a year or so ago they came out with their Type-S editions, which would make for their 3rd generation unit. I’ve … Read More Here
PowerTap P2 Power Meter Pedals In-Depth Review
It’s been almost exactly 4 years to the week since PowerTap first announced their PowerTap P1 pedals, and it didn’t take long for them to rocket to popularity. The installation required nothing more than a simple hex wrench, and the … Read More Here
Power Meter Pedal Shootout: Vector 3 vs PowerTap P1 vs Assioma
Over the course of the summer we’ve seen both Garmin and Favero roll out new pedal power meters. In Garmin’s case they’ve got their third generation Vector 3 pedals, while in Favero’s case they have their Assioma units, which are … Read More Here
Hands-on with new CycleOps Hammer Smart Trainer
Today CycleOps has announced their latest trainer product, the Hammer. Taking a cue from others in the industry on having a catchy name, the Hammer is CycleOps’s first totally new trainer in a few years. And also their first direct … Read More Here
PowerTap C1 Chainring Power Meter In-Depth Review
This past spring, as part of a bunch of announcements, PowerTap announced their C1 chainring power meter. This announcement was coupled with that of the PowerTap P1 pedals, all of which complement their existing PowerTap G3 hub based power meter. … Read More Here
PowerTap P1 Power Meter Pedals In-Depth Review
Back this spring PowerTap for the first time announced a power meter that wasn’t in the rear wheel hub. Well, they actually announced two new power meters. The first was the PowerTap P1, which is a pedal based power meter, … Read More Here
Hands-on: Quarq TyreWiz Cycling Pressure Sensor
Today Quarq announced their latest creation – the TyreWiz, which monitors your tire pressure on your bike. These small sensors attach to Presta tire values, so basically most bike tires that this target market would care about (mountain, road, fat … Read More Here
Quarq DZero Power Meter In-Depth Review
This past summer at Eurobike, Quarq announced their latest generation of power meters, the DZero lineup. The aim of this line was to refresh the existing offerings, while also somewhat simplifying things. Most visible to consumers though was the addition … Read More Here
SRAM RED eTAP Wireless Shifting System In Depth Review
SRAM RED eTAP has probably been one of the more closely followed sports tech products in the cycling industry as it worked its way to release. Of course, the vast majority of that multi-year journey was through various media spot … Read More Here
SRAM Quarq Riken Power Meter In-Depth Review
Back in the spring Quarq announced their latest additions to the power meter lineup by unveiling the Riken and Elsa power meters. The Riken unit replaced the previous Cinqo units, while the Elsa units acted as a non-SRAM RED option … Read More Here
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active – Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review
Each year for a number of years now, Samsung has released fitness-focused smartwatches. Correspondingly, each year they seem to be getting closer and closer to sorting out the right combination of features and price. Finally, here in 2019 – they … Read More Here
SIGMA ROX 12.0 Sport Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
Everything you'd ever want to know about this solid contender against the Garmin Edge 820 and 1030 series bike computers. From mapping to Strava and more.
The Soleus 2.0 GPS Running Watch In Depth Review
It hasn’t been too long since the $99 Soleus 1.0 GPS watch came out, which has ushered in the start of the sub-$100 GPS watches (like the Timex Marathon GPS). But the Soleus 2.0 adds one specific feature: The ability … Read More Here
Soleus GPS 1.0 $90 Running Watch In-Depth Review
I had heard about the Soleus GPS 1.0 watch a few times over the course of the fall, but with how busy things have been, I just didn’t have the chance to hit up the folks from Soleus and give … Read More Here
Suunto 9 Baro Multisport GPS In-Depth Review
How does the Suunto 9 handle months of testing? I dig in and find out, including all the details on new features and how well the new GPS chipset handles.
Hands-on: The New Suunto 9 Multisport GPS Watch
Everything you need to know about Suunto's latest and highly anticipated GPS device, and the successor to the Spartan series.
Suunto 3 Fitness In-Depth Review
By and large, Suunto has been a company that’s been focused on endurance users. Be it people climbing to the top of a mountain, racing a triathlon, or doing something else that justifies eating large quantities of donuts without feeling … Read More Here
Hands-on: Suunto’s new Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro
Certain countries are known to have residents with exceedingly long names – in some cases 5-6 words/parts long. Finland however, is not typically one of those countries. But it appears that Suunto is aiming to grab that title in any … Read More Here
Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR In-Depth Review (It’s a full triathlon watch for $279)
I think Suunto finally got their groove back. After what I’d argue as 1-2 years of being a bit lost, today they’ve nailed it with a product that hits the target audience perfectly and does so at an awesome price. … Read More Here
Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR In-Depth Review
Last summer (2016) amidst Suunto announcing the Spartan series, they made note of a planned optical heart rate enabled version that would be released down the road. Fast forward to this past January (2017) and at CES they did just … Read More Here
Suunto Spartan Ultra In-Depth Review
It’s been a bit over four months since Suunto started to announce the Spartan series, which contains two watches at present: the Ultra and the Sport. These two watches are set to be the successor models to the rather successful … Read More Here
The New Suunto Ambit3 Vertical: An Explainer
About 10 days ago Suunto announced the Ambit 3 Vertical, making it the latest high-end watch from the company, and a continuation of the Ambit lineup. However, with the announcement has come a bit of confusion around what exactly is … Read More Here
Suunto Ambit3 Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
It’s been nearly three months since Suunto announced the Ambit3, though considerably less time since the unit started making its way into the wild with final hardware and firmware. Since well before either of those dates I’ve been testing the … Read More Here
First look at the Suunto Ambit3 multisport GPS watch
(My Ambit3 Full In-Depth Review is now published! Swing on over to that post for all the full details and analysis!) This morning Suunto has announced their latest endurance and multisport watch, the Suunto Ambit3. The watch incrementally builds on … Read More Here
Suunto Ambit2 R In-Depth Review
Back in late January Suunto announced their Ambit2 R running-focused watch, which comes as a derivative of the Ambit2 line that was introduced last spring. The 2R aimed to offer a lower price point than the higher end Ambit2 and … Read More Here
Suunto Ambit 2 and 2S In-Depth Review
It’s been just over a year since the first Suunto Ambit came out (which for clarity I’ll use the term Ambit1 during this review), and during that time Suunto has made impressive progress on the original unit through a series … Read More Here
Suunto Ambit In-Depth Review
(Please Note: As of April 29th, 2013 there is a new Ambit - the Ambit2 and Ambit2 S. Please check out that review, especially because Suunto has now said no further functionality firmware updates will occur for the original Ambit … Read More Here
A much better USB ANT+ stick for your Garmin Forerunner…by Suunto
If you’re like me and are constantly on a laptop – there are really two minor issues that I have with the Garmin USB stick that I use to download workouts from my Forerunner to my computer. First up is … Read More Here
Tacx NEO 2 Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
While the Tacx NEO 2 was the last product of the year that Tacx announced – a mere 45 days ago – it’s actually shipping already, unlike its bigger brother the long-awaited Neo Smart Bike. Part of that reason, as … Read More Here
Hands-on: Tacx NEO 2 Smart Trainer
Squeaking in just under the wire for the 2018 Trainer Guide is the just announced Tacx NEO 2 Smart Trainer, the successor to the top of the line and now three-year-old Tacx NEO Trainer. This new model brings a handful … Read More Here
Tacx Flux S Trainer In-Depth Review
It’s been a bit over a month since Tacx first announced the Flux S, which despite looking similar at a distance to the also newly announced Flux 2, is indeed different. Aside from price (the Flux S is $749USD and … Read More Here
First Look: The $749 Tacx Flux S Smart Trainer (Direct Drive)
Last week at Interbike, Tacx announced the Flux S, making it the second Flux trainer announced in almost as many months. The first Flux trainer was announced this past summer at Eurobike, the Flux 2. The Flux 2 was designed … Read More Here
First Look: Tacx Announces New Flux 2 Smart Trainer
While much of the attention in the Tacx booth today at Eurobike was on the soon to ship Tacx Neo Smart Bike, there was also a lonely trainer swirling around quietly in the corner – the new Tacx Flux 2 … Read More Here
First Look: Tacx introduces Tacx Neo Smart Bike
While you may not know it, we’re just at the edge of an indoor bike revolution. Or, at least we are according to some people. No matter whether or not that happens we’re seeing bike trainer companies and others alike … Read More Here
Tacx Flux Trainer In-Depth Review
It’s been just over three months since Tacx announced what was shaping up to be the hottest trainer of the 2016-2017 winter season. You’ll remember that the main appeal of the Tacx Flux was that not only was it a … Read More Here
Hands-on: The new Tacx Flux Smart Trainer
This week at Eurobike, Tacx has announced their latest smart trainer, the Tacx Flux. This new trainer sits at the upper edge of the mid-range electronic trainer pricing range at $899USD/€799, but pulls in features historically only seen at higher … Read More Here
The Tacx NEO Smart Trainer: Everything you ever wanted to know
Over the past few weeks Tacx has released two new trainers, the Tacx NEO and the Tacx Genius Smart. While both of these trainers have similar technical capabilities, the actual hardware aspects of them are dramatically different. One (the Genius Smart) … Read More Here
Hands on with the newly announced Tacx iPad app, ANT+ changes, Bluetooth Smart trainers
This morning I spent a bit of time going hands-on with the latest product from Tacx – their iPad training app. In addition, I got details on their upcoming Bluetooth Smart trainers, and their plans to play better and more … Read More Here
Tacx Genius Trainer In-Depth Review
The Tacx Genius Trainer is the latest trainer to work it’s way through my ‘lab’ (aka living room). The high-end trainer is designed to let you simulate just about anything you can think of while on a trainer – including … Read More Here
Tacx Bushido Trainer In-Depth Review
The Tacx Bushido Trainer has been on many of your minds over the past year. It represents the first significant and major competitor to the RacerMate CompuTrainer – which has long held the king of the hill position in the … Read More Here
Hands-on with Timex’s new Move x20, Run x20 GPS, and Run x50+ fitness units
Earlier today I covered Timex’s just announced flagship running watch – the Timex One GPS+, which contains everything from music storage to 3G connectivity and live tracking. However, that wasn’t the only unit Timex announced today. They also released three … Read More Here
Hands-on with new Timex One GPS+, a 3G connected watch requiring no phone
Today at Outdoor Retailer Timex has announced a slew of new products into the fitness and outdoor market. The four new products range from $99 to $399, and cover everything from basic GPS functionality to a high-end integrated live tracking … Read More Here
Timex Run Trainer GPS 2.0 In-Depth Review
The Timex Run Trainer 2.0 is the latest running-focused GPS watch from Timex, and a fairly big leap forward over the 1.0 (primarily in size).
Timex Cycle Trainer 2.0 GPS In-Depth Review
The Timex Cycle Trainer is the first GPS-based cycling-specific product that Timex has released. It builds on the Timex Global Trainer as a base, but focuses purely on cycling.
The $99 Timex Marathon GPS In-Depth Review
The Timex Marathon GPS unit is the second mainstream sub-$100 GPS watch to hit market in the last few months. As such, it continues the trend set by Soleus with their GPS 1.0 watch back in the fall. These watches … Read More Here
Timex Run Trainer 1.0 GPS In-Depth Review
Update Note: Consider looking at the just released Timex Run Trainer GPS 2.0 edition instead, if you're looking at this watch. Comparisons between the two units are available in that review. With the market for sub-$200 GPS running watches becoming … Read More Here
Timex Ironman GPS Global Trainer In Depth Review
When the Timex Global Trainer was announced earlier this year, most folks were quite excited to see a new entrant into the triathlon watch/device scene. With the watches ANT+ capabilities and full waterproofing it would make ideal training partner for … Read More Here
TomTom Spark (Runner 2) In-Depth Review
It’s been about 50 days since I started testing the TomTom Spark watch (also branded as the Runner 2). These were TomTom’s new entrant into the market by combining an optical HR sensor with music and GPS tracking capabilities. In … Read More Here
The New TomTom Spark: First Runs & Impressions
Earlier yesterday I had the opportunity to test out the new TomTom Spark GPS watch. This unit is unique in that it includes not only a new optical HR sensor, but also adds in music playback via Bluetooth headphones. Further, … Read More Here
TomTom Bandit Action Camera In-Depth Review
Today TomTom has announced they’re venturing into the action cam business, with the introduction of the TomTom Bandit. This Twinkie sized action cam contains 2.7K (30FPS) and 4K (15FPS) capabilities, as well as GPS functionality that you’d expect from a … Read More Here
TomTom Cardio Runner & Multisport with Optical Heart Rate In-Depth Review
Today TomTom has announced two new versions of their TomTom GPS watches. These new additions add in optical heart rate monitoring straight into the back of both the TomTom Runner and Multisport GPS watches. The new line – called the … Read More Here
TomTom Runner & Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
How does TomTom's first athletic device rank compared to the incumbents? I go deep on the device to find out.
How To (Sorta) Make Your CompuTrainer Wireless: PerfPro’s CT Smart Wireless Bridge
While the company is no longer in business (and still, nobody seems to know who purchased the CompuTrainer assets specifically from RacerMate), there are undoubtedly many CompuTrainers left in service out there. And aside from a handful connected with the … Read More Here
CycleOps H2 (Hammer 2) Trainer In-Depth Review
This past summer at Eurobike, CycleOps somewhat quietly announced their new Hammer 2 trainer, more officially known as the H2. This trainer would take the existing Hammer 1 that the company released a few years back, apply a new coat … Read More Here
Tacx NEO 2 Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
While the Tacx NEO 2 was the last product of the year that Tacx announced – a mere 45 days ago – it’s actually shipping already, unlike its bigger brother the long-awaited Neo Smart Bike. Part of that reason, as … Read More Here
The Smart Trainer Annual Recommendations Guide–2018 Edition
It’s that time of year again: Indoor trainer season. Though in reality, that’s actually not terribly true these days. With indoor training apps and the entire experience becoming more and more immersive, more and more people are using them all … Read More Here
Hands-on: Tacx NEO 2 Smart Trainer
Squeaking in just under the wire for the 2018 Trainer Guide is the just announced Tacx NEO 2 Smart Trainer, the successor to the top of the line and now three-year-old Tacx NEO Trainer. This new model brings a handful … Read More Here
Tacx Flux S Trainer In-Depth Review
It’s been a bit over a month since Tacx first announced the Flux S, which despite looking similar at a distance to the also newly announced Flux 2, is indeed different. Aside from price (the Flux S is $749USD and … Read More Here
First Look: The $749 Tacx Flux S Smart Trainer (Direct Drive)
Last week at Interbike, Tacx announced the Flux S, making it the second Flux trainer announced in almost as many months. The first Flux trainer was announced this past summer at Eurobike, the Flux 2. The Flux 2 was designed … Read More Here
First Look: Kinetic R1 Direct Drive Trainer
And just like that, Kinetic has joined the direct drive trainer flotilla. But unlike everyone else, their trainer actually rolls. Or tilts I suppose. I guess it could roll if you fall off it. Kinetic has taken their popular Rock … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR CORE Trainer In-Depth Review
This past July at Eurobike, Wahoo announced their two latest trainers – the near-annual update of their mainstay, the Wahoo KICKR (2018 Edition), as well as a new lower priced trainer – the KICKR CORE. Wahoo has always had an … Read More Here
Magene Gravat2 Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard of Magene, nor Gravat (or the Gravat2). But that’s OK, now you have. There’s also a pretty good chance you’re not going to buy this product. Not because it’s got any issues, … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR 2018 Trainer In-Depth Review
It's Wahoo's first totally silent trainer - but is it worth the cost over the KICKR CORE which costs $300 less? And is the new flywheel that meaningful?
Wahoo Headwind Fan In-Depth Review
I’ve written many in-depth reviews over the years. Trainers, GPS watches, action cams, drones…and yes, even a blender once (I still have the blender, it’s awesome). But, never a fan. But there’s a first time for everything, and today is … Read More Here
First Look: Tacx Announces New Flux 2 Smart Trainer
While much of the attention in the Tacx booth today at Eurobike was on the soon to ship Tacx Neo Smart Bike, there was also a lonely trainer swirling around quietly in the corner – the new Tacx Flux 2 … Read More Here
Hands-on: Wahoo Fitness KICKR CORE Direct Drive Smart Trainer
Here's your first dive into all the details on the new Wahoo Fitness KICKR CORE, from accuracy testing to sound/volume testing, plus feature comparison to the existing KICKR 2018.
Elite Fuoripista 14,000EUR Indoor Smart Bike: First Ride and Specs
I anticipate the cheapest sports technology gadget I’ll release a review or early look on here at Eurobike 2018 will cost about $60. But perhaps I’ll end up finding something that fits into my realm for cheaper. What I don’t … Read More Here
Tacx Neo Bike Smart: First Ride and Final Specs
Last year at Eurobike Tacx announced their intentions to make a smart bike, the blend of an indoor trainer and a bike. Similar to a ‘spin bike’ in looks, but under the hood totally different. It’d have full resistance control … Read More Here
Elite Drivo II Smart Trainer In-Depth Review
How well does Elite's high-end trainer handle apps like Zwift and TrainerRoad? I dig in with all the detail to see if it can stand up to it.
Hands-on: Kinetic inRide V3 and Smart Trainers now support dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart
This new low-cost $50 option gets you power on your Kinetic trainer quickly and easily. Plus, it adds in ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart support. I test the accuracy.
What’s Baseline on a Smart Trainer in 2018?
Last week Shane Miller posted his review of the TechnoGym MyCycling Smart Trainer. For those not familiar (which is almost all of you), TechnoGym makes a direct drive trainer, sorta like the Wahoo KICKR, except missing all the stuff that … Read More Here
JetBlack WhisperDrive Smart Trainer: An Interim Review
One of the challenges with writing reviews that the whole world will see, especially on products that are in relatively limited supply, is what happens when things aren’t finished baking yet. Not in the sense of a transient bug that … Read More Here
Wattbike Atom In-Depth Review
It’s been just shy of three months since Wattbike announced their new Atom unit, which was designed to compete with higher end smart trainers like the Tacx Neo and Wahoo KICKR. Up till now, Wattbike’s indoor bikes have been rather … Read More Here
Annual Winter 2017-2018 Bike Trainer Recommendations
And just like that, it’s already fall. The summer season is past us (well, unless you’re in Australia), and it’s time to pick out that trainer for the weekend. Sure, the weather in much of the US and Europe right … Read More Here
First Look: Minoura’s New Kagura Smart Trainer
While at Interbike I got the chance to check out and ride Minoura’s new smart trainer, the Kagura. The Japanese firm was on-hand at the Las Vegas show, including their founder and CEO (Koji Minoura) to show off the $599USD … Read More Here
Elite Direto Trainer In-Depth Review
Earlier this summer Elite announced the Direto, a direct drive trainer that’s fully integrated into the likes of Zwift and TrainerRoad. Priced at $899 it was initially targeted at the mid-range price market, but over the course of the last … Read More Here
Hands-on: Wattbike introduces new Atom stationary bike (with ANT+/BLE and more!)
Today Wattbike has introduced their first consumer-focused smart stationary bike. And unlike some of the other ideas floating around – this one is actually real, here today, and with production underway. So much real that a unit has been sitting … Read More Here
Optical HR Armband Shootout: Polar OH1+, Scosche Rhythm 24, Wahoo TICKR FIT
The last few weeks, well…months really, I’ve been spending an excessive amount of time wearing optical HR sensor straps. It mostly started back in January as I was preparing my Polar Vantage M and COROS APEX reviews, with the optical … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR CORE Trainer In-Depth Review
This past July at Eurobike, Wahoo announced their two latest trainers – the near-annual update of their mainstay, the Wahoo KICKR (2018 Edition), as well as a new lower priced trainer – the KICKR CORE. Wahoo has always had an … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR CLIMB In-Depth Review
After nearly a year, Wahoo has finally started shipping the Wahoo CLIMB to customers. Real-life, actual paying customers. For those not familiar, Wahoo’s CLIMB is a ‘grade simulator’, which basically means it makes the front of your bike go up … Read More Here
Wahoo KICKR 2018 Trainer In-Depth Review
It's Wahoo's first totally silent trainer - but is it worth the cost over the KICKR CORE which costs $300 less? And is the new flywheel that meaningful?
Wahoo Headwind Fan In-Depth Review
I’ve written many in-depth reviews over the years. Trainers, GPS watches, action cams, drones…and yes, even a blender once (I still have the blender, it’s awesome). But, never a fan. But there’s a first time for everything, and today is … Read More Here
Wahoo TICKR FIT Optical HR Sensor In-Depth Review
Today Wahoo announced their latest device – the Wahoo TICKR FIT. The TICKR FIT is simply an optical heart rate sensor that transmits ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart. Basically, it’s like a Scosche Rhythm+ or to a slightly lesser extent like a … Read More Here
Hands-on: Wahoo’s new KICKR CLIMB Incline Simulator
While this Eurobike is a bit quieter when it comes to major new trainers, we do have one item that’s definitely unique coming out of the Wahoo camp: An incline simulator. The new Wahoo CLIMB will raise and lower the … Read More Here
Hands-on: Wahoo’s New KICKR 2017 Edition
It’s that time of year again – new trainer season. Or more precisely, just about the end of new trainer announcement. Wahoo’s been busy this summer between the new KICKR SNAP announced last month, as well as the new Wahoo … Read More Here
Wahoo ELEMNT MINI In-Depth Review
Can this $99 bike computer do everything the larger Wahoo BOLT & ELEMNT can? I dive straight into testing and all the details you need to know.
Best Bike Computer 2017: Garmin Edge 520 vs Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT
Looking to find the best GPS bike computer? Time to dive into who does Strava best, which has best sensor support, and of course navigation!
Wahoo’s New 2017 KICKR SNAP Trainer: Hands-on
This week Wahoo quietly launched an updated version of the KICKR SNAP trainer. That’s Wahoo’s lower-end trainer that sits at $599USD. Of course, Wahoo only makes two trainers – the full KICKR (direct-drive), and the KICKR SNAP (wheel-on). The full … Read More Here
Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT In-Depth Review
Just about one year after Wahoo started shipping the Wahoo ELEMNT, they’re back at it again with a new and smaller variant – the Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT. Now like their competitors, this unit isn’t designed as a successor, but rather … Read More Here
Wahoo announces KICKR Studio platform for local bike shops/studios
Today at Interbike, Wahoo is taking the next logical step in the indoor training realm: Offering a cycling studio package. This offering, aimed initially at the North American market, is targeted at bike shops and indoor trainer studios that want … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness ‘KICKR2’ Trainer In-Depth Review
How does Wahoo's second-generation KICKR compare against the original, and against its rivals?
Wahoo ELEMNT GPS Bike Computer In-Depth Review
It’s been exactly 30 days since Wahoo started shipping their first GPS bike computer, the Wahoo ELEMNT. The unit was announced last year at Interbike in September, and while they had planned to have it in your hands by Christmas, … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness Announces GymConnect: Treadmill integration & control
One tiny step at a time Wahoo is slowly increasing their fitness related turf. This week at CES, they announced the GymConnect System, which allows you to control your treadmill and get it talking over ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart to … Read More Here
The Wahoo KICKR Desk In-Depth Review
It’s been over 5 years since Wahoo’s first product, the Wahoo Fisica ANT+ adapter for the iPhone. That was later renamed to the Wahoo Fitness Key. Then came the BlueHR, a Bluetooth Smart heart rate strap. But their ‘breakout’ product … Read More Here
Wahoo’s new GPS bike computer–ELEMNT: Hands-on first look
Heads up April 2016 - Update! My Wahoo ELEMNT In-Depth review post is now available and published over here. Definitely swing over for all the details! Wahoo has made their first entrant into the GPS bike computer world, with ELEMNT … Read More Here
Hands-on with new Wahoo Fitness KICKR SNAP
Today Wahoo has launched their latest trainer, the Wahoo KICKR SNAP. The KICKR SNAP is essentially a lower-cost version of the original (and enormously popular) Wahoo KICKR, with a few minor tweaks. For those familiar with the wheel-less KICKR, those … Read More Here
Hands on with Wahoo Fitness TICKR, TICKR RUN, and TICKR X
Overview Today, Wahoo Fitness announced three new products for the fitness market, and in doing so, started what they describe as a new push towards cross-platform support. The three products are all heart-rate strap based, but with different (cumulative) features … Read More Here
A look at the now available Wahoo Fitness Strava Segments App
Here's a closer look at the recently released Strava Segments app - is it worth the money?
First Look: Wahoo Fitness RFLKT+ with ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart Bridge, Barometric Altimeter
Last night Wahoo Fitness unveiled the next edition of their bike computer – the RFLKT+ (pronounced Reflect Plus). The RFLKT+ builds upon the previous RFLKT unit that was announced about a year ago by adding in native ANT+ bridging functionality … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness KICKR Trainer In-Depth Review
(Updated January 15th, 2016: Overhauled sections include pros/cons, summary, various minor items throughout post). The Wahoo KICKR is probably the most anticipated trainer to hit the market in quite a while, if not one of the most anticipated sports technology products … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness Blue SC Bluetooth Smart Speed/Cadence Sensor In-Depth Review
There’s a new sensor in town, and for a change, this one isn’t ANT+. Instead, it’s a new Bluetooth Smart (aka Bluetooth Low Energy) sensor, one designed to track your speed and cadence information while on a bike. Following the … Read More Here
Wahoo Fitness Blue HR Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Strap In Depth Review
Wahoo Fitness has made the first Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth Low Energy) heart rate strap on the market, but well does it really work?
Withings Body & Body Cardio WiFi Weight Scales In-Depth Review
Back in June Withings announced two new WiFi scales, though only one of them really got any attention – the new Body Cardio scale. I wrote up a bit of a preview post back then, but needed more time to … Read More Here
Hands-on with new Withings Body Cardio WiFi Scale
Update: My Full In-Depth Review for both the Withings Body and Body Cardio scales can be found here! Today Withings released their WiFi scale, the Withings Body Cardio along with the new Withings Body scale (sans-Cardio). Like all past Withings … Read More Here
Garmin Index WiFi Smart Scale In-Depth Review
It’s been a few months since Garmin announced their Index WiFi Scale (at $149), so it’s time to dive in on an in-depth review and see how things have shaped up. Most importantly: Is the scale worth the premium over … Read More Here
Under Armour’s HealthBox: WiFi Scale, Fitness Band, HR Strap, and more!
Today Under Armour has announced a flotilla of fitness products, likely to take the cake for the most unique fitness products announced by one company at the show this week. They’ve done so by partnering with HTC and delivering a … Read More Here
First Look at the new $129 Withings Move ECG
It seems that Withings finally has its mojo back. After they were bought by Nokia, they entered what was more or less the dark ages for the company. We saw little to no innovation, and in fact, moving backwards in … Read More Here
Withings Body & Body Cardio WiFi Weight Scales In-Depth Review
Back in June Withings announced two new WiFi scales, though only one of them really got any attention – the new Body Cardio scale. I wrote up a bit of a preview post back then, but needed more time to … Read More Here
Hands-on with new Withings Body Cardio WiFi Scale
Update: My Full In-Depth Review for both the Withings Body and Body Cardio scales can be found here! Today Withings released their WiFi scale, the Withings Body Cardio along with the new Withings Body scale (sans-Cardio). Like all past Withings … Read More Here
A Quick Look at the Withings Go Activity Tracker
As expected the early part of CES week saw a lot of new product announcements. There are lots of new players on the field with some innovative new products (and some obvious knock-offs and re-makes of existing technologies); but also … Read More Here
A Weighty Decision: Deciding on a WiFi Weight Scale
Connected scales are all the rage these days. And for good reason – they make it easy to log your weight. More importantly though, they make it hard to pretend nothing happened. So as you rolled out of bed this … Read More Here
Withings Activité & Activité Pop In-Depth Review
It’s been well over a year since Withings released their initial Activité smart watch, which they then followed up last winter with the cheaper Activité Pop version. Of course – looking at both watches at a glance you wouldn’t realize … Read More Here
First Look at Withings Activité activity tracker & designer watch
Overview: Late last week Withings announced their latest device – the Withings Activité, which combined an activity tracker into a more normal looking high-end designer watch. This would in effect be pulling in much of their existing Withings Pulse activity … Read More Here
Withings Pulse In-Depth Review
Almost a year ago Withings announced the Withings Pulse activity tracker at CES 2013. However, it wasn’t made available until this past summer, when I started testing it. Like most activity trackers it did all the usual items – steps, … Read More Here
Withings WiFi Scale In Depth Review
I’m just gonna say it upfront – this is perhaps the most well put together and thought out device and set of services I’ve reviewed yet. I know, it sounds funny given it’s ‘just a scale’, but – it’s a … Read More Here
Other Reviews
COROS APEX Multisport GPS Watch In-Depth Review
I don’t think there’s any sports technology GPS watch startup that’s being watched as closely by GPS watch industry giants as COROS is. Now as you’ll see, it may not be entirely for the reasons you think, but no matter … Read More Here
TreadTracker Treadmill In-Depth Review (And a Treadmill Accuracy Rabbit Hole)
We’re starting off the New Year with something from the old year. I bought the TreadTracker a year ago, and I’m finally getting around to posting about it. Fear not, what’s old is new again. And, for many of you … Read More Here
Sports Technology Buyers Guide & Recommendations: Winter 2018-2019
(Before we start note that obviously Black Friday is around the corner and as such we tend to see good deals on gadgets. As well as the big sales, some of which end this Saturday night. I’ve tried to note … Read More Here
The Girl’s 2018 Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Hey there, this is The Girl writing to you today. As promised, I have put together an updated Gear I Use Post for you. So, if you are interested, take a moment to scan the lists of all of the … Read More Here
Bontrager Flare RT & Ion 200 RT Connected Bike Lights In-Depth Review
Bontrager has introduced a new far smaller and much cheaper variant of their popular Flare RT connected bike lights. These $59 individual front and rear lights connect via ANT+ to supported head units to automatically turn on when you start … Read More Here
Week in Review – May 6th, 2018
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 … Read More Here
Quad Lock Cycling Phone Mount In-Depth Review
There is no category of gadgetry that I get more manufacturer e-mails on than phone accessory junk. Which is somewhat ironic considering I can’t even remember the last time I reviewed a phone-specific thing. Still, once you get on some … Read More Here
PowerTap Significantly Drops Prices, Plus Detailed Power Meter Pricing Trends (2018 Edition)
It seems like it’s that time of year again – when we start to see shifts in power meter pricing and companies tweak their strategy for the year ahead. The first to move this year was actually Pioneer, back in … Read More Here
First Look: COROS’s new Pace GPS Multisport Watch
How on earth is it almost March? Holy cow, time has flown by. I had intended to write this the week after the Tour Down Under, but somehow tomorrow is the last day of February. In any case, back at … Read More Here
Hammerhead Karoo Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
After an elongated delivery timeframe, the Hammerhead Karoo is finally shipping. If the various engagement metrics I track tell me anything, it’s one of the most awaited bike computers of the last year. It could be the fast touchscreen display … Read More Here
Hands-on: The AIRhub Pro Resistance Wheel
Last year about this time I tried out the original AIRhub while down at the Tour Down Under. That product is essentially a front wheel that provides resistance that you can control from your smartphone via Bluetooth Smart. It has … Read More Here
Garmin Running Power App: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Today, Garmin released their running power app that they announced back in October. The functionality requires a Garmin RD-POD, Garmin HRM-TRI, or HRM-RUN strap. It also requires the latest Garmin watches, specifically either a Fenix 5, Chronos or a FR935. While … Read More Here
Hands-on: The COROS Omni Smart Helmet
It’s been one year since COROS burst onto the scene with their COROS Linx Smart helmet. The main appeal of the helmet was that it had not only jawbone conduction speakers built into the straps (which don’t block outside noise), … Read More Here
Winter 2017-2018 Sports Technology Recommendations
(Before we start, you can find my massive Black Friday 2017 deals post here, expect a massive churn on that post over the next 5 days, as we go through both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This guide attempts as … Read More Here
Strava in Augmented Reality: Here’s how it works
As Interbike kicks off you’ll see a slew of both mainstream as well as smaller companies try and get your attention with new products. Some of these will be products that you genuinely find useful and plan to buy, and … Read More Here
DCR Facebook Live Q&A Tomorrow –July 28th!
It’s time. Again. Because, well, it’s been a long time since the last time. Plus, The Girl will be joining me this time! Tomorrow (aka this Friday) I’ll get be hosting a Facebook Live Q&A session for anything you’ve got … Read More Here
Stages Dash Bike Computer In-Depth Review
Late last summer at Eurobike, Stages announced a new product line from the company with the addition of their Dash bike computer. But in many ways it’s more than just one product line, but rather an entire collection of products. … Read More Here
The Xplova X5 Bike Computer Review: What I Love and Hate
When the Acer Xplova X5 was announced last year, it got a lot of attention for its headline-grabbing features: An integrated action camera, cellular connectivity, full color touchscreen with maps, and integrated nacho cheese dispenser. Well, maybe not the dispenser. … Read More Here
Garmin launches its first inReach products: the inReach SE+ and inReach Explorer+
Back in February of 2016 Garmin purchased U.S. based GPS device and map maker DeLorme. In the press release of that acquisition Garmin specifically called out Delorme’s inReach two-way satellite communication devices. Those devices packed a unique capability that allowed the … Read More Here
Garmin launches Uber ETA and other Connect IQ Apps
Caught up in the announcement of the all new Garmin Fenix 5 series this morning was the release of a host of new Connect IQ apps, watch faces, and data fields. Garmin is making available for download apps from Uber, … Read More Here
My Photography Gear: The Cameras and Equipment I Use Daily
Preemptive note! Don't forget my massive 2016 Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals page here. I've been updating it every few hours all day today with new deals, and expect to continue to update it constantly throughout the next few days. One … Read More Here
My Winter 2016-2017 Sports Gadget Recommendations
(Before we start, you can find my Holiday 2016 deals post here, expect a massive churn on that post over the next 5-7 days, as we go through both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This guide attempts as best as … Read More Here
COROS Linx Smart Helmet In-Depth Review
The COROS Smart Helmet hit Kickstarter about 4 weeks ago, and I’ve been lucky enough to have a unit for the last few weeks. The company is far enough along that the unit I was handed to try is essentially … Read More Here
BSX Insight Gen2 In-Depth Review
Update - Aug 20th, 2017: Warning - BSX has discontinued sales of the BSX Insight product line, and plans to discontinue the platform as of August or September 2018. After which point it's unclear what, if any, portion of the … Read More Here
A look at Mio’s Personal Activity Intelligence Index, and a little Slice
We’re at kind of an odd place right now with the rapid developmental pace of sports technology. What we see happening is a misalignment of the hardware/software technology and the scientific and practical use cases for that technology. An … Read More Here
