Tech that Changed My Life
This site is usually forward-looking as well as rooted in the present. I tend not to do retrospective things nor dwell too much on the past.
However, looking back on 2022 and the start of 2023 I saw some good products. Naturally, I never used some once the review was published and, in other cases, I just kept using what I had for years because of inertia or unwillingness to go down yet another learning curve of how to link it into my sports data workflow.
Well, here are the products that really have changed my sporty, techy life to some degree up to Q1.2023. You can take them all as recommendations if you like.
Bike Computer
The mount-thingy broke on my Wahoo ELEMENT and then on my Elemnt Roam 2 – they really are NOT designed for Garmin mounts despite looking the same. As a result, each time I had to carefully switch back to the ELEMNT BOLT 2 on my road and TT bikes whilst also making sure I used the right mount. Despite my preference for the larger ROAM 2 size or Edge 1040, inertia keeps me on the BOLT 2.
Bolt 2 is a ‘just works’ product and does everything I need it to apart from linking to weird sensors over Connect IQ which it obviously can’t do as it’s a Wahoo. I experienced a couple of turning-off issues in March 2023 but those were the first ever from BOLT 2 and now seem to have gone away.
Shop Wahoo – Choice of Retailer Partners
Form Goggles
I never thought I would like and continue to use any kind of HUD (Heads Up Display).
However, I was very impressed with the FORM GOGGLES and then super-impressed when the clip-on Polar OH1+ was added to their offering soon afterwards. Following that, I was super-super impressed with the HR & GPS compatibility from Apple Watch and GarminForerunner/Fenix. Whilst I don’t wear these in group lessons I really do err towards wearing them for my long swim at the weekend. It’s neat to have live (ish) pace and HR beamed into my eyes. I don’t use the data in the FORM app afterwards though, only DURING the sets.
I also liked the Activelook HUDs for running/cycling. Much more than I thought I would. I don’t use them as of today but that might change now it’s getting a bit warmer
Running/Tri Watches
I’m a little bit disillusioned here.
At the time of writing, I’m waiting for my Forerunner 965 to arrive in a few days’ time and that is likely to be my main watch for a year or two unless Wahoo brings something unexpectedly neat out of the bag.
Smart 24×7 Tech
I now wear my Apple Watch most of the time. I like it for its links to my iPhone and so I also use it as a sport logger as well. It’s also quite handy as new sensors tend to support Apple Watch and Garmin CIQ before anything else.
I wear Oura at night and I also wear the WHOOP Strap at night, even if I haven’t been wearing it during the day.
Another pair of headphones arrived on my desk two hours ago, so I expect I will have to start listening to music again as I run. Over the last year, I’ve been somewhat distracted away from running with music as I now have a dog to watch out for.
Bike Tech
The biggest tech changes for me on the bike a few years ago have been Di2 and the Garmin Varia RTL515, respectively for the purposes of convenience and safety
I do have both the Bryton and Magene alternatives to the Garmin RADAR. Neither will tempt me away from Garmin. You will hear about the Bryton soon and it is packed full of features and for a good price.
The very latest change has been away from my Shimano R9100P power meter (that WAS/IS accurate…at least mine is) to a R9200 Stages Gen 3 Dual PM which will probably be my main PM for several years as it also looks to be accurate enough for my use despite the claimed 1.5% accuracy.
Bike
I thought about replacing my 2018 Cervelo R5 but don’t want to go full whack towards disc brakes, tubeless tyres and 12-speed. So I’m sticking with that excellent bike and changing bits on a whim or when the need arises.
HR Tech
My main strap is still the HRM-PRO. However one of the screws has broken the housing and I’m waiting for the electronics to break before either moving back to an old HRM-TRI or ‘something else‘ like the PRO PLUS version.
I tend to now use optical HR when pool swimming on either Garmin or Apple.
I also wear my Polar OH1/Verity Sense for every activity, except swimming, just to keep my stats relatively up to date in Polar Flow. Sometimes I use Whoop for a similar purpose.
I tried to switch to the Polar H10 as it enabled dual-BLE and ANT+ support. However, I occasionally want cached HR to a Garmin watch, especially when lake swimming. I do use the H10 each morning for my waking HRV reading as it’s the most accurate device I have.
Polar H10 Review (2022 update) ❤️ Comparisons, Polar’s Greatest HRM
Garmin HRM-TRI Review – Triathlon’s Greatest Heart Rate Monitor
Power Meters & Turbo Trainers
I don’t need anything too fancy here, just stuff that works.
Hopefully the Stages Gen 3 already mentioned prove accurate enough to take over from the R9100P.
I still have an old Kickr but also access to a mates 2022 version when I need it, which is rare. I also have the excellent KICKR ROLLR which I prefer for comfortable casual indoor use.
the Wahoo Rollr Review – Kickr Smart Rollers ? better than I expected
Wheels & Tyres
I’ve been experimenting a lot with the mechanical side of things, having got some new HUNT Wheels, new, shorter cranks and various flavours of lightweight inner tubes from Michelin and Tubolito. I’ve gone off the Tubolito, other than for use as a space-saving spare. They are good and fast BUT I just can never repair them and they are too expensive to have as a disposable item.
I changed my go-to tyres from Conti GP4000 to Conti GP5000. Big shakeup there!! Buy some. There’s an even better GP5000 TT version…I’m probably going to get some of those at some point.
Continental GP5000 Review – You Definitely NEED These – Conti Grand Prix Tire – Tyre
STRYD
Any post like this is never complete without me mentioning Stryd. Sorry 😉
Their new 2022 pod has minor improvements and now they’ve corrected the WIND bug I found, I will stick with it for good.
I use the new STRYD all the time. It’s pretty much there now as a ‘perfect’ product (albeit with unverified industry-standard accuracy). All it needs to do for me now would be to automatically handle treadmill incline variations (but I’m not overly bothered about that).
Order Directly From STRYD – Also Fulfilled in the UK/EU Avoiding Import Duties – Any Current Discounts Automatically Added on STRYD.com
Swimwear
I REALLY love my Zone3 Vanquish wetsuit. It feels awesome in the shoulders and probably makes me feel faster even though I’m probably going the same speed. Money well spent for me.
Cycling Shoes
I have been using the Shimano top-end RC903 shoes and they are just about perfect for all my road usage needs. I wouldn’t use them in a triathlon as they are too slow to get off.
That said I have my ASSIOMA Power Meter Pedals back on my bike at the moment and they are the older LOOK pedal version. I couldn’t be bothered to change the cleats so use a different pair of older shoes instead! I’ll permanently revert back to the excellent RC9 in April.
What Might Change me in 2023?
Perhaps new and lasting changes that will stick with me going forwards will be sensor related. I will probably regularly have a Supersapiens on my upper arm and I might use the CORE body temp sensor more when it gets warmer. I’ve also got a new Muscle Oxygen sensor and have been training with SmO2 again recently. It really ought to become more widely used as a training metric.
I have Nike and adidas super shoes and love them. Fast comfortable and bouncy shoes…what’s not to like? They make my declining body go faster and stave off injuries. I can’t see myself ever not wearing them.
I have some new bed/sleep tech inbound as I write that, barring disasters, I will permanently use going forwards and I also expect to get one of September 2023’s latest Apple Watches. I don’t expect a Watch Ultra Gen 2 will emerge, so I might get a 41mm one this time. We’ll see.
Polar: If Polar made the H10 properly adhere to ANT+ caching standard I would use it in a flash
My sports data ‘collecting’ has hit several hurdles and my old, tried and trusted workflow no longer works. Now I have multiple workflows aka ‘a mess’. So I need to sort something out here by 2024 as that is when I will be getting back into some more serious training.
I will try any new watch from Polar and Suunto. I look forward to anything they might do with Wear OS but I can’t see myself ever using those permanently.
Garmin – What next (later in 2023, after the 965 and Edge 540)
Q: Most exciting thing?
A: Probably my stages cranks as they are a bit shorter and that shortened crank seems to give me a bit more free power. I love free power. Don’t we all?
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Thanks for the great article. Even you wear an Apple Watch most of the time! Me too, despite loving Garmin‘s training readiness… But the Apple Watch is so damn practical! And actually the health app gives me some informative and motivating highlights.
Do you wear both watches throughout the day? I’ve got an Epix 2 which is great for all sport stuff, but AWU is best for everything else! Not sure I can pull off 2 watches all the time, my wife says I look like a ****!
Thought about wearing both for runs, but then it doesn’t allow me to get an accurate step count into Garmin for our family steps competition, achievable if I sync AW steps into Garmin via Rungap but I can’t have any steps from a Garmin device logged for this work otherwise it blocks it!
Flipped to AWU 3w ago, but expect I will flip back to Epix at some point too for the fitness elements, torn!!
First world problems I appreciate
I have an article lined up for famous rappers and English Princes who wear two watches (Google Prine William aka next king).
it’s ‘a thing’
Tell your wife you are on the crest od a leading-edge trend (and try not to laugh when you say it)
If the HRM Pro is still covered in warranty, I would contact Garmin. They replaced mine (the electrodes patch comes loose) with a Pro Plus for free.
I should throw the old one away but it’s still in the shelf because it worked and stopped suddenly on an indoor ride.
Wich part of your casing is broken? If it’s the lid, I could send it to you.
i might do that.
mine was already a replacement for something else.
Any reason you don’t used the cache feature on the the H10 through Polar Beat?
because it doesn’t cache to a garmin watch
So much lack of faith in Wahoo continuing the Rival line. I surely hope they’ll do something, at some point…
Interesting post nonetheless 🙂