Heads up – Massive Sports Tech Holiday Deals List is Live!!! The Garmin Fenix 8 is $250 off (even the Fenix 8 Pro is $100 off!), the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on sale, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is $249, the GoPro Hero 13 Black, DJI NEO, and a ton of other brands/deals, including Wahoo, Oura, Whoop, Polar, Samsung, Google, and more than 100 sports tech deals here!
The Week in Review is a collection of both all the goodness I’ve written during the past week around the internet, as well as a small pile of links I found interesting – generally endurance sports related. I’ve often wondered what to do with all of the coolness that people write, and while I share a lot of it on Twitter and Facebook, this is a better forum for sending it on to y’all. Most times these different streams don’t overlap, so be on the lookout at all these places for good stuff!
So with that, let’s get into the action!
Sports Tech Deals of Note:
A new slate of sports tech deals began over the last few days. These are typical deals that Garmin does *every* single year, usually starting about a month out from Father’s Day. Suunto also often jumps in the fray (and others too). Note: All the trainer ones end tomorrow (May 25th).
Product
Sale Price
Amazon
Other site
Sale Notes
Adobe Creative Cloud Pro (12 Months) - $389 off (50% off!)
As a side note, you can cancel and take advantage of this. Which, is precisely what I did when I realized my existing plan was gonna be stupid expensive. In any case, I use the Adobe Creative Cloud Pro suite for a lot of what I do.
We did see lower just back in July, at $199. So I'd probably hold out a bit more here. Assuming that happens, you can't beat this watch at this price point (heck,not even at $226 either).
Perhaps this deal will get better, but right now at $20 off...nah. Given the price of the Garmin Epix Pro has flirted into the $429 range a bit over the past few days (and is a vastly better watch), this needs to drop down closer to $299 to be worth picking up during Black Friday pricing.
Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these two years ago for them in their rooms, to play music. They do lots of other things, but our kids mostly just use it to play music (from Spotify and Apple Music too), and occasionally they ask it questions. It has all the parental controls I want, so it locks it down from bedtime/etc...For $31? Solid deal (The coolest 'nice touch' feature is that if you whisper to it, it'll whisper back...in the owl kids voice it has.)
⚡ This is an awesome deal. I use my iPad primarily for TrainerRoad as well as Zwift when not with a larger display. I also occasionally use it for other apps, namely Indievelo, Kinomap, Rouvy, and Peloton. But I pretty much test every smart trainer app on it. For all these cycling apps, the graphics capabilities is really pretty irrelevant, so having the absolute top-end/latest model won't make any difference. I prefer the budget options.
Apple 2025 14" MacBook Air Laptop with M4 - $250 off
See my other note about the MacBook Pro. While I'd love the MacBook Air instead, the singular reason I use the MacBook Pro is the added USB-C port (2 vs 3 on MacBook Pro). Otherwise, this spec-wise woudl do the trick.
Apple 2025 14" MacBook Pro Laptop with M5 - $250 off
This is the updated/newer model of the MacBook M1 Pro that I use for all my video editing. In my case, I still use a 2021 14" MBP, with relatively modest specs (32GB RAM). And I've been super happy with it, even while editing complex drone/action cam videos with 4 concurrently 4K streams in a multicam configuration, it has zero issues rendering or anything else.
These are the just-released AirPod Pro 3, with optical heart rate sensors in them. These are my daily-driver headphones these days, and even more notably, the heart rate accuracy is incredibly good in these.
This is the first major sale for the Apple Watch SE 3, which came out just 2 months ago. It's essentially Apple's 'budget' offering, yet it still has all the same software features as a higher-end Apple Watch Series 11, as long as the hardware permits.
This is the first time we've seen the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on sale, and given it's $100 off, that tends to be the typical sale price for the holidays/Black Friday for the current/just-released version.
This is the singular piece of apparel that's lasted the longest in my collection - some 15-16 years of buying the same socks. Heck, some of them are probably half that old. EIther way, this be the ones I use. Love them (well, except for hiking and trail running, then I use other stuff that goes higher). I'm wearring them as I wrote this post too.
This is a great price for this watch. Note though that technically speaking, this is a price reduction (took effect Nov 14th following the launch of the Pace 4). Most companies would first call it a sale, then make that sale price the new price as a price reduction. But COROS often beats to a different drum. Kudos on being upfront about the reduction though!
This is a great price for this watch. Note though that technically speaking, this is a price reduction (took effect Nov 14th following the launch of the Pace 4). Most companies would first call it a sale, then make that sale price the new price as a price reduction. But COROS often beats to a different drum. Kudos on being upfront about the reduction though!
This is last year's model. And sure, the Action 6 came out 48 hours ago, but honestly, the initial rection hasn't been kind there. I just started testing it, so more to come very shortly.
Look, don't buy this drone. This is the drone that never should have left the napkin at the lunch table at DJI's HQ. The unit breaks easily (as I, and many others found out), and doesn't really do anything super well. Literally, buy any other DJI drone except htis one...you're welcome.
⚡ This is a great little drone as your first drone, especially for sports usage, where it'll do an astonishing job following you (running, cycling, etc...). And, you can crash it a gazillion times without any problem.
NOTE: This is not sold by DJI directly via Amazon. DJI itself is NOT selling the OSMO 360 in the US, and WILL NOT support/repair it in the US. That said, it's a solid deal if you're ok with those risks.
This is Elite's previous-gen trainer, but it's still a reliable workhorse. This bundle is paired with the Zwift Cog/Click, though, you can also buy it without a cassette for the same price.
These is the new model just released this past summer with stronger anti-scratch resistance (I even dragged it down a textured concrete pool desk, lens-down, to show this).
⚡The Favero Assioma Pro MX dual-sided power meter pedals deal is a no brainer. I use them in my testing constantly along with the PRO RS pedals. Note for US folks: Favero does include all taxes and tarrifs in the price.
⚡The Favero Assioma Pro RS dual-sided power meter pedals having their first sale yet. This deal is a no brainer. I use them in my testing, and will likely pick up another set in this sale. Note for US folks: Favero does include all taxes and tarrifs in the price.
FeedBack Sports Pro Mechanic Bike Repair Stand - $50 Off
We use this stand for both any of the work we do on any of our bikes (well, except the cargo bike). Super quick and easy to take out when we need it. Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner
FeedBack Sports Pro Mechanic HD Bike Repair Stand - $55 Off
I've got this setup, andit's basically got almost everything I need for regular/daily bike maintenance across virtually all of my bikes. Plus, in theory I can keep things tidy in that carrying case....I mean, if I were to actually put all the tools back in it. Note: Feedback Sports is a DC Rainmaker Partner
⚡ This is (by far) the lowest price we've seen on this watch to date. This is their first full smartwatch focused on kids activity tracking and gamification.
⚡ This is the go-to sale price for the Fitbit Charge 6. It happens often, but it still doesn't take away from the fast that it's argueably the best bang for your buck fitness tracker out there.
If you're looking for a simple and inexpensive activity tracker, you won't go wrong with a Fitbit (or this Inspire 3). It's got literally all the same software features in the Fitbit app as a higher-end Google Pixel Watch or other Fitbit device, except...just tiny.
⚡ This is Garmin's newest kids-focused and LTE connected smart watch. Our three daughters have been using it for about two months now, after using the original Bounce 1 for years. This is a *massive* upgrade over the Bounce 1, both in features/hardware, but frankly also battery life. My review should be up next week, but if you've got any questions drop them in the comments below.
This is the activity tracker that both of our oldest daughters have used for years (age 8 & 9), as well as most of their friends now. They/we all like it. Check out my full in-depth review for all my thoughts. That said, the new Bounce 2 came out two months ago, and while my review isn't out yet, it's a far better product. But, quite a bit more too. The TLDR on that review will be that it's the best kids smartwatch/tracker to date (for both parents and kids), but obviously will cost you $100 more.
This is Garmin's premier line of diving watches, which is based on the Fenix 7 seies, rather than the Fenix 8 series. Still, it's by far one of the most capable dive+everything else watches on the market.
Garmin Descent MK3i (Dive watch with air integration) - $250 off!
This is Garmin's premier line of diving watches, which is based on the Fenix 7 seies, rather than the Fenix 8 series. Still, it's by far one of the most capable dive+everything else watches on the market. The 'i' version (MK3i) means that you can connect it to an air tank monitor transmitter pod.
⚡This is a very solid deal, and is still one of the best bike computers Garmin has ever made, especially when you look at the battery side of things (it lasts far longer than the Edge 1050).
⚡At $249, it's pretty much impossible to beat this deal in terms of bike computers. There's no competitive option that beats it on features/battery/etc at this price, or frankly anywhere near it. Sure, it doesn't have a touchscreen, but it's not as bad as it used to be (I did a stint on it this winter for a week or so, and was fine).
⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 540 Solar to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well. And notably, lower than the Edge 540 without solar (which is kinda silly, but hey, win for us!).
This is the lowest price we've seen on this to date. The Enduro 3 is simply the Fenix 8 with a MIP/Solar display (but without the scuba or voice calling features). It gets all the Fenix 8 features and updates otherwise.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support.
⚡⚡⚡ This is a fantastic deal. By far the lowest price we've seen this! The Epix Pro has a flashlight which the regular Epix lacks, plus the newer Garmin Elevate Gen5 optical HR sensor with ECG support. Note: Availability on this deal fluctuates, just keep checking back, I'm sure it'll pop back again (it always does).
⚡⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG.
⚡ If you wanted the battery life of a Fenix MIP series without the cost of a Fenix 8, this is basically your best deal. Plus, unlike the base Fenix 7 series, the Pro series includes the flashlight and Gen5 HR sensor with ECG.
⚡⚡ This is very unexpected, and is an Amazon-specific deal, not a Garmin-supported one. Thus, I expect it won't last more than minutes/hours. Grab it while you can! [Update: This keeps fluttering back and forth, just keep checking!]
⚡ The Fenix 8 keeps getting all the new software features of the Fenix 8 Pro that was launched two months ago. Setting aside that Fenix 8 Pro which gained LTE & Satellite Messaging, this is otherwise the most capable sports watch on the market.
⚡ The Fenix 8 keeps getting all the new software features of the Fenix 8 Pro that was launched two months ago. Setting aside that Fenix 8 Pro which gained LTE & Satellite Messaging, this is otherwise the most capable sports watch on the market.
As a general rule, the Fenix E is the watch that literally nobody is buying, and makes no sense at higher prices. The hardware is simply the Epix Gen 2 with Fenix stamped on it. That watch is going for $400, though I expect we'll see it down to $300 over Black Friday. However, one *KEY* difference with the Fenix E, is that it includes all of the software features of the newer Fenix 8, whereas the Epix Gen 2 doesn't get all the new software features. Otherwise, save your $200.
⚡ This is (by far) the lowest price on the Forerunner 265, which was recently replaced by the Forerunner 570 (but at nearly twice this price). What's fascinating about this sale price, is it's well beyond the usual sale prices for Garmin for this product. This pricing is 100% an Kansas-themed 'Hello!' to COROS and their just released COROS Pace 4 at $249.
The Foreurnner 55 is a great option if you simply don't want to spend a ton, but still want a super-capable runners watch (and general activity/sleep tracking watch). I've heard a lot of you get it for teenagers that run, as a great/inexpensive way to track their runs, and still be a good everyday watch.
⚡ This is the lowest price to date on the Forerunner 965, which is logical given the Forerunner 970 came out this past spring (which essentialy adds a flashlight and some other running metrics/features).
⚡ This is a very unexpected sale, just launched, on this very new watch, which is Garmin's top of the line Forerunner watch with virtually all the same software features as the Fenix 8 (but in a plastic case and without the diving features).
The Garmin Inded BPM is Garmin's medically certified blood pressure monitor. It integrates directly into your Garmin Connect account. I use it on occasion as a comparison for wearables, and it works just fine (obviously it's already medically certified by the FDA, so I say 'works' here in the sense of usability/functionality/etc...).
I use this scale, merely for the weight tracking functions (not body fat). It works just fine for that piece, and integrates with the rest of your Garmin data. If you aren't in the Garmin ecosystem, there's plenty of (far) cheaper options.
The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, with both an AMOLED and Solar variants. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features.
The Instinct 3 series came out earlier this year, and the Solar edition in particular has 'unlimited' battery life in certain scenarios. The big upgrade over the previous editions is the inclusion of the flashlight in all sizes, and a massive ugprade of sports features.
This is Garmin's radar without the light, so it's a bit smaller as a result. Same radar tech though, and compatible with Garmin/COROS/Hammerhead/Wahoo bike computers.
This is Garmin's standalone radar+taillight option, and $149 is pretty much the standard sale-price. Even despite all the new radars out there, this remains the most accurate option on the market. Now, only if Garmin would just re-release it with USB-C. C'Mon Garmin...maybe next year?
This is the first time this product has been on sale, since launching last spring. I'd argue it could have used a $100 off sale...but hey...they don't consult me.
⚡ The Garmin Venu 4 just came out two months ago, and one of the big ticket features is the LED flashlight built-in. However, it's also got a ton of other new features, as Garmin merged the codebase with the Forerunner/Fenix series, resulting in a boatload of added things like Training Readiness, Acute Load, and more.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on the newest product in the entire Garmin Holiday 2025 sale lineup. This is basically a blend of a Forerunner 970, Venu 4, and Fenix 8...but super thin. It's argueably one of the best deals here at $599, though, Garmin is still clearly trying to figure out the right pricing to drive purchases.
⚡ This is the first time we've seen the Vivoactive 6 on sale, which is essentially a Venu 4, but without the voice/calling/ECG features (and a few other tidbits). It's probably one of the best deals in Garmin's lineup (sale or otherwise).
⚡ This is the lowest price we've ever seen for this. This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness.
This came out last fall, and is the second time this has been discounted, but now to the lowest price to date. The key difference with the new Plus model is that it adds the ability to send photos and voice messenges via satellite. I've used it a bit, and it's pretty cool because it makes it a lot faster to just say something rather than type it out, but the $499 price seemed excessive. $399 makes it slightly more palatable.
This is GoPro's budget option, which includes a full color touchscreen on the back as well. The main benefit is it's super small, but note it's not quite in the same quality ballpark as their higher-end cameras. If you want size and GoPro ecosystem on a budget, this is an option. But with the DJI Action 4 just $20 more than $199, that offers notably better quality.
We have more Nest cam's than I can count. No really, we have half a dozen at the DCR Cave alone, plus more at home. We love them. Nest Cam's really only go on sale about 1-2x per year.
The newer Pixel Watch 4 came out back in October. I see the Pixel Watch 4 as a pretty substantial hardware upgrade over the Pixel Watch 3, notably due to satellite SOS, as well as a user-replaceable battery.
This has become one of my favorite drones, given it's tiny size (fits in my running shorts pockets) and ease of use. Plus, you can crash the crap out of it (hundreds of times for me and my wife) without any issues. This combo includes an extra battery and fast charger.
⚡ This is a solid deal on a solid drone, and one of the two main ones I use when taking videos of myself hiking or running. This includes the two extra batteries as well as the fast charger (so 3 batteries total).
This is one of the other more popular display-laden rowing machines. I haven't tried this, but my sports-tech reviewing buddy DesFit has (linked at side) and liked it.
⚡ This just came out this past August, and is a great little unit. The pod isn't quite as tiny as the Go 3S, but the features and quality are a huge step up (especially the removable MicroSD card).
This is one of the best 360 action cams on the market, alongside the GoPro Max 2 (both have their pros and cons, check out my full comparison guide linked).
This is one of the most popular indoor trainer fan companies out there, which rivals the Wahoo Headwind fan but cost a fraction of the price. Of course, it lacks ANT+/Bluetooth integration, but realistically if you really want that you can add a smart outlet for $10 to toggle it on/off from your phone if need be. It's one of the ones in my rotation.
Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi Delux Kit - 35% off!
⚡ Let's be honest: This place runs on Nespresso (or, well, the knock-off pods we buy). But, the machine is Nespresso. Without it, reviews most definitely would not get done (and certainly not on time). This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!
Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven - $120 off
I use the Fyra 12 (with wood pellets), and love it. The Karu 12 is essentialyl the newer version of that, and there's both a gas-only version, and a multi-fuel option (gas or wood). Love it!
I use Philips Hue stuff all over the DCR Cave/Studio for lighting, both obviously colorful stuff in the background of shots, but also just for automation of the lights. Same goes at home. Love it (mainly when it's on sale like now). Starter packs are a good place to begin, and then I love the light strips (such as pictured).
⚡The Pixel Watch 4 LTE includes satellite SOS connectivity, even if you don't activate a cellular plan on it. I'd strongly recommend getting the LTE version for $50 more, to future-proof you a bit there (or, to save your bacon in the woods).
This is a great dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart (with two Bluetooth Smart connections) chest strap that you'll often find me using as a reference strap in heart rate sensor testing. We only tend to see deals on it around Black Friday, always topping out around 20%.
If you're looking for a good solid high-quality strap, that does both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart, for a reasonable price...look no further than the Polar H9
These are the main gels I use when I don't need the bigger 90g ones. So for example doing something a bit shorter where I don't want to carry the bigger 90g packs (mainly running). Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF90 Energy Gels 10pkg - 15% OFF
I primarily use these 90g packs on all my adventures, roughly doing 90g/hour for cycling/trail running/hiking/etc... Note: Precision Fuel & Hydration is a DC Rainmaker partner
We have a few SONOS speakers around the house and DCR Cave (the Ikea variants at DCR Cave), but by far our favorite is the Roam, which we take outdoors into the garden during the summer, beach vacations, AirBNB's, etc... It has a battery in it, and also connects to both WiFi and Bluetooth. Love, love, love. I think the main reason I love it, is that we heavily use it in summer, so...kinda reminds me of summer.
⚡This is one of the two the high speed drives types I use to store the footage I'm actively video editing. I typically buy the 2TB and 4TB ones, and then eventually offload the footage onto a NAS array when I'm done.
Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Zoom - $400 offThis is the main camera I use for still photography and video b-roll. I semi-recently wrote about all the photography gear I use, linked at side here.
Suunto Aqua Swimming Open-Ear Bluetooth Headphones - 22% off!
This is a very solid deal. It's got virtually all the software features of Suunto's higher-end watches (minus the app store), and just came out this past May.
While the new Suunto Vertical 2 just came out a month ago, if you wanted to stock-up on MIP-based display watches before they disappear, here's your chance. This is also the lowest price we've ever seen on the Vertical 1, which is otherwise still a very soild watch.
I have bigger Synology NAS units at the DCR Studio/Office, but I also have a smaller unit (this one) that I use to keep various piles of data here too. I like the Synology stuff, as it's generally quite dependable.
This is the go-to sales price for the NEO 2T, though has become more frequent over the past year. It's still an incredible trainer, and is the top-end non-moving trainer from Garmin/Tacx.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen to date on the Tacx NEO 3M, and finally takes it down to a semi-logical price (compared to it's competitors). This is a good buy, and obviously, given it's only a year old, I definitely don't expectany sort of new version of this anytime soon (the last NEO series unit was about 5 years between versions).
This is another very popular fan that people use for indoor training/cycling, especially due to inclusion of the remote and remote holder to clasp on your handlebars.
This simulates the up and down motion on Wahoo KICKR trainers moving your bike up and down. Also, there's virtually no product except SNAP, that Wahoo likes to put on sale more. Wouldn't be a sale around here unless this thing was discounted.
⚡ This is a very solid deal for this bike, and the lowest price to date. I actually like the KICKR BIKE SHIFT more than the higher-end KICKR BIKE V2/Pro, mainly because it's both quiter, and seems to be more resillient to issues (less complex design).
⚡This is actually the lowest price we've ever seen on the KICKR V6. Wahoo says we won't see a new top-end KICKR this fall, with them instead focusing on the new KICKR Bike Pro, KICKR CORE 2, and all their new bike computers/radar/etc...
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 (and in this case, some of these are from the past few weeks…as my backlog is a bit longer):
1) Person mods GTA V to work with smart trainer, and pedals around world: That’s super cool! And it will even export a .FIT file out for upload to Strava or others, and it seems to imply it’s doing road-feel too. Now before someone compares to Zwift, as pointed out in the Reddit comments, GTA V had upwards of 1,000 developers working on it (Zwift has 200-300 employees in total) with a budget of $265 million. Yes, Million.
Also, fun industry tidbit here: The person who did this (Nestor Matas) actually did all the original ANT+ FE-C work at Bkool years before anyone else in the industry did so in their trainers, though he now works for Garmin. Back then though, Bkool was the annual on-stage demo company of FE-C at the ANT+ Symposium – and I even got suckered into being the volunteer cyclist on-stage one year to show it off – I think there’s a picture of both of us on stage somewhere. These days of course it’s baseline functionality in every smart trainer, and is how this mod works.
2) Cervelo co-founder Phil White joins 4iiii as Acting President of Company: This is an interesting one. He’s been a board member for a bit already, so this is a transition within the orbit of the company he’s already familiar with, rather than coming entirely out of left field. The company makes good products of course, but it will be interesting to see if he can boost their profile or market penetration.
3) Dirty Kanzelled race routes: If you were looking at riding the Dirty Kanza and now need a substitute route to keep you busy, this site has piles of awesome routes. Bookmarking it for future reference of simply good routes to scope out (mostly using parts of them).
5) Emergency Autoland puts Garmin on bleeding edge of autonomous flying: This has nothing to do with sports tech, but it’s all about tech and aviation (and you know, I love aviation). Anyway, it’s a super fascinating look at Garmin’s new AutoLand system for emergencies of mostly smaller aircraft (single-pilot focused). Sure, the tech is interesting, but it’s actually more about the certification here. The idea that if you start with the assumption of all lives being lost in an emergency, and work backwards to find a tech solution that could most likely save everyone with low-risk, it’s astounding. This piece is 6 months old, but notable because the system finally received certification this week. Also – it’s relevant here because people might say ‘I’d never trust Garmin software for life-saving functions’. Ignoring the fact that if you’ve flown on an airplane you probably already have; the key difference here is that this system was a *decade* in the making. Your watch? Probably a 6-12 month product cycle. Different markets, different QA thresholds.
8) RideWithGPS adds Garmin Course AutoSync (API) Support: After Strava and Komoot rolled it out last week, RideWithGPS joins them. As noted, I suspect we’ll see plenty of companies quickly add support for this. It’s a no-brainer.
Sports Tech Device Firmware Updates This Week:
Each week I quickly highlight some of the new firmware, app, software, and website service updates that I see go out. If you’re a sports technology company and release an update – shoot me a quick note (just one-liners are perfect, or Tweet it at me is even better) and I’ll make mention of it here. If I don’t know about it, I won’t be able to post about it. Sound good? Oh – and if you want to get a head start on things, this page is a great resource for watching Garmin and a few other firmware updates.
The “15-year old girl pedals 1,200 kilometers carrying dad on her bike” link goes to “Venu SW 4.60 is now live” on the Garmin forum. Not nearly as interesting ;-)
The one thing I hate about your weekly posts is that the offers are always US based. Aren’t there any other areas that get offers? (And I appreciate I’m complaining about a free resource, such is human nature ?)
Honestly, it doesn’t oft happen in Europe. But the reason is actually simple: In Europe, the whole concept of MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) is illegal. Which is when manufacturers specify the price a retailer can sell it for, and will cut off that retailer if they advertise lower than that price.
In the US, that’s the norm for virtually every product out there. However, with Europe (and most other countries) laws against it, the penalties are massive if a company even hints to a retailer than they shouldn’t lower prices (there are however ways manufs get around this, but it’s harder). So as a results, in Europe pretty much everything is always on-sale.
All that said, sometimes there are retailer-specific deals, like one I shared on Friday: link to twitter.com
Haha…neither system around pricing is ideal. Both have their pros and cons, and both positively and negatively impact consumers in different ways. And positively and negatively impact retailers in different ways. And positively and negatively impact manufs in different ways.
I’m sure I could write an entire post about it (and seeing it from both the consumer and retailer/manuf side, on both sides of the Atlantic now), but I doubt they’d want to hear my ramblings there.
You seriously think that (illegal) price fixing isn’t happening here in the UK???
Have a wander around all the well known online retailers and notice how uniform the pricing is around rrp.
As one small local retailer told me any stockist that steps out of line will get a nudge from a sales rep. Then they find that they can’t get stock ending with the retailers official stockist status being supuriously removed.
Oh, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen – it’s just that they can’t be as overt about it. In the US, it’s written into contracts and the retaliation terms are also clear cut. For GoPro & Garmin for example, it’s 6-month product turn-offs if a product is a single penny too low.
Typically in the UK (moreso than the rest of the EU, however you want to define that), they seem to be a bit more clear about it. They’ll often simply cut off stock, rather than actually saying anything – as you noted.
It’s historically been much harder for companies to pull that off in mainland EU over the years (hence why, for example, we see so many cycling discounters coming from Germany especially).
It’s impossible for me, having worked my entire career in product development (commercial equipment and instruments), to understand how the Garmin sports division is part of the same company as the marine and aviation divisions. I’ve used all three, starting with a basic handheld aviation unit back around ’91-92. Frankly, I can’t understand the development process at the sports division at all, in any context.
FWIW – a friend had the Wahoo Snap on backorder with REI for about a month and they sent her a cancellation notice without any explanation. She called REI and they told her they didn’t expect more to become available. She then called Wahoo who confirmed.
So typically speaking Wahoo has a semi-pecular policy that they’ll cancel any pre-orders/backorders if the date from the manuf slips beyond 30 days. This often bites folks for pre-orders of Garmin watches, where they get a random cancellation e-mail.
We also see it a ton with both Wahoo & Tacx trainers at REI, since in most cases they’re not getting weekly shipments, but likely a monthly drop.
I haven’t heard anything about Wahoo cancelling the SNAP lineup, so my guess is this is just a case of REI doesn’t have a date for when they’ll get the next order from Wahoo (or they haven’t placed another, etc…). I know for example that CT was expected to get another shipment next week…err, this week now.
regarding garmin edge530 firmware update
I am sad that virtual activities will loose the live track option.
I think it was cool to share where the others should have imagined while I was training indoors.
And I was hoping for a multiplayer option from Garmin…
As it was able to place us on virtual maps, hence in a group as well, it wouldn’t have been complicated to connect groups to compete against each other, within Garmin ecosystem.
Ray, is there any chance that Garmin will enable livetrack to be switched on meanwhile doing indoor training?
Unless I’m reading it wrong, it simply says ‘Automatically’, not that it’s going away. Meaning, if indoors and yours settings are configured to automatically do a livetrack each time, it won’t do that automatically anymore.
That GTA 5 mod looks amazing! Chris Pritchard posted a video of him doing a free ride, and it looked so much fun. It seems to require a Windows operating system, so as an Apple Mac owner, I will have to nab my son’s Windows laptop!
Sorry about that. Everything back up and running a little while ago. We experienced a significant increase in usage that caused a service outage in the middle of our night a few hours ago. Good to go now.
Excuse my ignorance, if in Garmin Express once Edge 530 is connected to PC via USB and sync is done but Express says no Update is available ( for 5.50) does that mean it has not been rolled out in my part of the world (South Africa )ye,t or is there some trick to getting it. Thanks
However, at the links in the Garmin Forum, you can simply download the update file (it’s a .GCD file, just put it in the ‘Garmin’ folder on your Edge), and you’ll be off and cookin!
Hey Ray — being a fellow aviation fan, I highly recommend checking out the posts from Admiral Cloudberg on Reddit (link to reddit.com). He does a weekly analysis of a certain commercial aviation incident/accident. I’m always amazed at the multiple factors that go into a plane crash and how disaster (or near disaster) could’ve been averted if any one thing hadn’t occurred. The redundancy that goes into the workings of airplanes is fascinating. The near crash of Air Canada Flight 759 is a great one to start with: link to medium.com
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
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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 2024 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.
The “15-year old girl pedals 1,200 kilometers carrying dad on her bike” link goes to “Venu SW 4.60 is now live” on the Garmin forum. Not nearly as interesting ;-)
Doh – thanks! Fixed: link to cyclingtips.com
The one thing I hate about your weekly posts is that the offers are always US based. Aren’t there any other areas that get offers? (And I appreciate I’m complaining about a free resource, such is human nature ?)
Honestly, it doesn’t oft happen in Europe. But the reason is actually simple: In Europe, the whole concept of MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) is illegal. Which is when manufacturers specify the price a retailer can sell it for, and will cut off that retailer if they advertise lower than that price.
In the US, that’s the norm for virtually every product out there. However, with Europe (and most other countries) laws against it, the penalties are massive if a company even hints to a retailer than they shouldn’t lower prices (there are however ways manufs get around this, but it’s harder). So as a results, in Europe pretty much everything is always on-sale.
All that said, sometimes there are retailer-specific deals, like one I shared on Friday: link to twitter.com
Thanks for the explanation. And I must admit I’m tickled by the fact that socialist Europe enforces a free market, while capitalist USA doesn’t ?
Haha…neither system around pricing is ideal. Both have their pros and cons, and both positively and negatively impact consumers in different ways. And positively and negatively impact retailers in different ways. And positively and negatively impact manufs in different ways.
I’m sure I could write an entire post about it (and seeing it from both the consumer and retailer/manuf side, on both sides of the Atlantic now), but I doubt they’d want to hear my ramblings there.
You seriously think that (illegal) price fixing isn’t happening here in the UK???
Have a wander around all the well known online retailers and notice how uniform the pricing is around rrp.
As one small local retailer told me any stockist that steps out of line will get a nudge from a sales rep. Then they find that they can’t get stock ending with the retailers official stockist status being supuriously removed.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat!
Oh, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen – it’s just that they can’t be as overt about it. In the US, it’s written into contracts and the retaliation terms are also clear cut. For GoPro & Garmin for example, it’s 6-month product turn-offs if a product is a single penny too low.
Typically in the UK (moreso than the rest of the EU, however you want to define that), they seem to be a bit more clear about it. They’ll often simply cut off stock, rather than actually saying anything – as you noted.
It’s historically been much harder for companies to pull that off in mainland EU over the years (hence why, for example, we see so many cycling discounters coming from Germany especially).
It’s impossible for me, having worked my entire career in product development (commercial equipment and instruments), to understand how the Garmin sports division is part of the same company as the marine and aviation divisions. I’ve used all three, starting with a basic handheld aviation unit back around ’91-92. Frankly, I can’t understand the development process at the sports division at all, in any context.
When is that whoop strap review coming! I’ve been putting off my purchase/rental until I see your exhaustive review :)
New goal: This week. Hopefully.
FWIW – a friend had the Wahoo Snap on backorder with REI for about a month and they sent her a cancellation notice without any explanation. She called REI and they told her they didn’t expect more to become available. She then called Wahoo who confirmed.
So typically speaking Wahoo has a semi-pecular policy that they’ll cancel any pre-orders/backorders if the date from the manuf slips beyond 30 days. This often bites folks for pre-orders of Garmin watches, where they get a random cancellation e-mail.
We also see it a ton with both Wahoo & Tacx trainers at REI, since in most cases they’re not getting weekly shipments, but likely a monthly drop.
I haven’t heard anything about Wahoo cancelling the SNAP lineup, so my guess is this is just a case of REI doesn’t have a date for when they’ll get the next order from Wahoo (or they haven’t placed another, etc…). I know for example that CT was expected to get another shipment next week…err, this week now.
If I use one of the links to a trainer at REI but buy the Fenix 6 do you still get the affiliate sale? I have a rather large dividend this year ?
Yup! Much appreciated! You can use any of the REI links above, and then wander off and buy whatever you want. Thanks for thinking of me!
regarding garmin edge530 firmware update
I am sad that virtual activities will loose the live track option.
I think it was cool to share where the others should have imagined while I was training indoors.
And I was hoping for a multiplayer option from Garmin…
As it was able to place us on virtual maps, hence in a group as well, it wouldn’t have been complicated to connect groups to compete against each other, within Garmin ecosystem.
Ray, is there any chance that Garmin will enable livetrack to be switched on meanwhile doing indoor training?
Unless I’m reading it wrong, it simply says ‘Automatically’, not that it’s going away. Meaning, if indoors and yours settings are configured to automatically do a livetrack each time, it won’t do that automatically anymore.
That GTA 5 mod looks amazing! Chris Pritchard posted a video of him doing a free ride, and it looked so much fun. It seems to require a Windows operating system, so as an Apple Mac owner, I will have to nab my son’s Windows laptop!
Looks amazing… like if they want to step into this market, there will be no Zwift anymore
Formula E driver Daniel Abt disqualified and fined for cheating with a ring-in during virtual race.
link to abc.net.au
RWGPS link Goes to an error page.
It’s their site/server, it’s currently returning errors for every page. :-/
Sorry about that. Everything back up and running a little while ago. We experienced a significant increase in usage that caused a service outage in the middle of our night a few hours ago. Good to go now.
Your newsletter no longer reaches me, so I am re-subscribing. Many thanks for all your great stuff!
Excuse my ignorance, if in Garmin Express once Edge 530 is connected to PC via USB and sync is done but Express says no Update is available ( for 5.50) does that mean it has not been rolled out in my part of the world (South Africa )ye,t or is there some trick to getting it. Thanks
Correct.
However, at the links in the Garmin Forum, you can simply download the update file (it’s a .GCD file, just put it in the ‘Garmin’ folder on your Edge), and you’ll be off and cookin!
thank you Ray. For some reason my 830 is not updating automatically either.
Hey Ray — being a fellow aviation fan, I highly recommend checking out the posts from Admiral Cloudberg on Reddit (link to reddit.com). He does a weekly analysis of a certain commercial aviation incident/accident. I’m always amazed at the multiple factors that go into a plane crash and how disaster (or near disaster) could’ve been averted if any one thing hadn’t occurred. The redundancy that goes into the workings of airplanes is fascinating. The near crash of Air Canada Flight 759 is a great one to start with: link to medium.com