The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered what to do with all of the coolness that people write, and while I share a lot of it on Twitter and Facebook, this is a better forum for sending it on to y’all. Most times these different streams don’t overlap, so be on the lookout at all these places for good stuff!
So with that, let’s get into the action!
DCRAINMAKER.com Posts in the Past Week:
Here’s all the goodness that ended up on the main page of DCRainmaker.com this past week:
Definitely more of a quieter week as I battled a bit of a cold, along with a lot of time on a trainer working on trainer posts for next week. Plus that Apple Watch review was a beast!
Heads Up – Solid Trainer Deals:
There’s still a handful of Tacx Flux 1 units available left in the sale that started about three weeks ago.
Tacx Flux 1 Sale: This is the updated 2018 variant that includes all the internal tweaks for better performance/stability. The Flux is down to $699 (from $799). The singular difference between this and the just announced Tacx Flux S is that unit has support for longer derailleur cages. That’s it!
This is an awesome deal for trainers that are available today, at least while supplies last. While it’s not silent like the new KICKR CORE at $899, you are saving $200 (and you can get it today versus the backordered KICKR CORE).
Stuff that I found interesting around the interwebs:
Here’s a not-so-small smattering of all the random things that I stumbled on while doing my civic duty to find the end of the Internet.
1) RunScribe looking for volunteers running NYC Marathon next week: Wanna get hooked up with a dual-pod RunScribe setup that transmits running power and other efficiency metrics? RunScribe is looking for a pile of volunteers to specifically wear the device during the NYC Marathon next weekend so they can get a good sample set on how symmetry changes over the course of a race with a large group doing the same race. You let them analyze your data in exchange for giving the device a whirl. Obviously, act quick so they can get you a unit in time.
2) How Amsterdam’s Became Bike Friendly: Cool little video that goes into the tipping point that brought Amsterdam back from it’s spiral towards a car-focused city, to cycling. (via Desfit)
5) Detailed analysis of the Tour de France in trouble: Even the TdF’s own chief admitted that 2018 wasn’t exactly a great year for the Tour de France. This well put together piece from Velonews breaks down all of the challenges and some of the suggestions for how to address it going into 2019. Note that this was published prior to the 2019 Race Route being unveiled on Thursday. (via Neal Rogers)
6) WIRAL Cable Cam doing open round of investors: The idea of going to non-closed investment rounds has been gaining in recent years. You’ll remember last year around this time I profiled an early prototype of the WIRAL Cable Cam, which is pretty darn cool. They’re supposed to start shipping in the next week or two according to the latest update a few days ago. But this link is all about investing in the company. Not really my cup of tea, but for some, it might be. I just can’t wait to finally get my order/cable-cam. Of course, it helps that the new DCR Studio Space is sprawling enough I can actually do some fun stuff with it inside!
7) EatMyRide Bike Nutrition Planning App on Kickstarter: This app will automatically generate a specific nutrition plan for your bike ride, based on the elevation, course profile, and factors like gender/weight/etc… They’ve got a fairly low funding goal, so I suspect they’ll make it with a bit of support.
Sports Technology Software/Firmware Updates This Week:
Each week I quickly highlight some of the new firmware, app, software and website service updates that I see go out. If you’re a sports technology company and release an update – shoot me a quick note (just one-liners are perfect, or Tweet it at me is even better) and I’ll make mention of it here. If I don’t know about it, I won’t be able to post about it. Sound good? Oh – and if you want to get a head start on things, this page is a great resource for watching Garmin and a few other firmware updates.
Hammerhead Karoo Firmware Update: The head unit gets a pile of new data screens/fields, mostly graphical in nature in terms of new ways to display data. It also gets power meter calibration and battery status. Along with that, there’s a slew of other updates/tweaks worth reading if you’re a Karoo user.
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Breaking 2 was an interesting experiment by creating an optimal circumstances, but unlike in Kona, to breake the <8hour, we have to wait a while till it happens…
…and, on a much smaller scale, i’ll do some Runscribe race test with some friend of mine at Firenze Marathon (Ray’s jacket from 2013 edition, anyone? :D ) and at Pisa Marathon 2018 ;)
That Apple Watch review really was a beast! But, thank you for that. Nobody else has done a comprehensive review on using the Watch as a sports/fitness device and although, as you point out, there are some head-scratching deficiencies, it is starting to become a real contender. Now, if only I could get the same reliable HR readings you are getting (I am using the AW 3), I might not wear a Garmin on my other wrist.
By the way, I’m surprised you haven’t done a complementary YouTube video, as it should get a lot of views (although maybe it would get lost amongst the usual Apple chaff).
Yeah, likely YouTube video coming up this week that roughly matches my written review. Was a bit under the weather last week, so mostly focused on staying inside and not filming as much. Plus, the studio construction folks were still wrapping up things, so where I want to shoot is a bit in-flux.
(But, as a DCR Supporter, I suspect you’ll see a new Studio Update video tomorrow evening sometime on that.)
Point of clarification for the Karoo update, they updated the ANT+ stack which in their words “sets them up” for power meter calibration, but they haven’t actually added it yet. That is such a basic thing for a power meter, pretty frustrating that it’s still not in there.
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FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Breaking 2 was an interesting experiment by creating an optimal circumstances, but unlike in Kona, to breake the <8hour, we have to wait a while till it happens…
link to youtube.com
RunScribe updates that folks may not be aware of and they’re quite significant updates:
Pod software 36.03 link to community.runscribe.com (builds on the 36.01 release here link to community.runscribe.com )
Apple Watch app release link to community.runscribe.com
Updated iOS app link to community.runscribe.com
…and, on a much smaller scale, i’ll do some Runscribe race test with some friend of mine at Firenze Marathon (Ray’s jacket from 2013 edition, anyone? :D ) and at Pisa Marathon 2018 ;)
That Apple Watch review really was a beast! But, thank you for that. Nobody else has done a comprehensive review on using the Watch as a sports/fitness device and although, as you point out, there are some head-scratching deficiencies, it is starting to become a real contender. Now, if only I could get the same reliable HR readings you are getting (I am using the AW 3), I might not wear a Garmin on my other wrist.
By the way, I’m surprised you haven’t done a complementary YouTube video, as it should get a lot of views (although maybe it would get lost amongst the usual Apple chaff).
Yeah, likely YouTube video coming up this week that roughly matches my written review. Was a bit under the weather last week, so mostly focused on staying inside and not filming as much. Plus, the studio construction folks were still wrapping up things, so where I want to shoot is a bit in-flux.
(But, as a DCR Supporter, I suspect you’ll see a new Studio Update video tomorrow evening sometime on that.)
The VA3 5.50 update was to add Galileo support. Abnormal heart rate detection was added a while ago.
The VA3 link goes to a previous update.
re the Garmin update for the Forerunner 645 Music. Any inklings from Garmin that they’ll be adding Spotify support? Similar to the Fenix 5.
It’s 100% coming. Just a case of getting it through the certification ringer.
My wife will be very happy. ;-)
RW put the video behind a pay wall, boo.
The RW video is simply YouTube – no paywall there.
Also stages power meter Gen3 firmware update 1.3.0
Point of clarification for the Karoo update, they updated the ANT+ stack which in their words “sets them up” for power meter calibration, but they haven’t actually added it yet. That is such a basic thing for a power meter, pretty frustrating that it’s still not in there.
I see these Flux type indications:
T2900 € 520 Flux
T2900S € 600 Flux long cage
T2980 € 800 Flux 2
Dutch prices.