Update: Head over to my full Black Friday Deals Page here!
As I noted a few weeks ago, we’re seeing companies shift their holiday sale efforts earlier and earlier each year. It used to be that Black Friday marked the beginning of the holiday sales period, but these days, that started all the way back the last few days of October.
This year, we’re seeing that continue, with virtually all the major brands jumping in on sales over the next 24 hours. These sales will basically be ‘as good as it gets’ this year for products. The sales fall into two buckets:
A) Retailer driven sales
B) Manufacturer driven sales (sold through retailers)
Within the US, manufacturers have to approve virtually all sales, to stay compliant with MAP policies (Minimum Advertised Price). Said concept doesn’t exist elsewhere. In general, this is bad for consumers, though the one time of the year where it sometimes works out is Black Friday, where other continents don’t tend to see these deals (since retailers have pricing freedom whenever they want).
In this case, we’ve got two simultaneous events occurring. The first is a retailer sale (Clever Training), offering 20% off one item to VIP members. The second is the start of manufacturer sales, including Garmin and Suunto (TomTom kicked off this past weekend). Here’s how this works:
Clever Training 20% Sale: Starts Thursday (TODAY), valid on many brands, including *all* trainers
Other Sales: Starts Friday (tomorrow), including Garmin and Suunto products
Let me explain what’s most interesting about each one.
Clever Training 20% VIP Sale:
In this sale, each CT VIP member is given a coupon code (GIVETHANKS) that’s good for 20% off a single non-sale item. It doesn’t matter if that item is the Wahoo KICKR2, or gel packets. Your choice, but it’s only available to CT VIP members.
There are a handful of limitations, most notably that it’s not valid on Garmin, GoPro, Fitbit, or Suunto. I’ll let Captain Obvious point out that most of those same brands are likely having various sales of their own (as described in this post) – those sales are generally greater than 20%.
With that in mind, there are some incredible deals to be had for trainers here – or other high-value items. Especially trainers that aren’t even released yet. It’s virtually unheard of for companies to allow sales on pre-order items, but that’s the case here. For example, the Tacx Flux and CycleOps Hammer trainers that are still forthcoming. Same goes for just-announced and now shipping products like the KICKR2, Elite Drivo, and CycleOps Magnus. Here’s my Winter 2016-2017 trainer recommendations post.
The sale is members only, but it’s simple to get started:
- Sign-up as a Clever Training VIP Member here. Complete that.
- Then come back and pick your item of choice out (see below as starter point).
- Add members-only coupon code (GIVETHANKS) upon checkout.
- Enjoy gadget.
There are too many deals to list, because obviously that’d be tens of thousands of items that Clever Training carries, even running shoes and other sports gear. Instead, I’m going to call out the most notable ones in the table below:
My Favorite Picks
So you’re probably wondering about that VIP requirement? That’s basically akin to what REI does with their twice-yearly members-only sale. Except in this case the Clever Training VIP membership only costs $4.99. And the proceeds of that go to ‘Girls On The Run’, a running focused charity. So it’s basically a win-win. You get a massive savings, and an awesome charity gets supported.
And of course, your gadgetry purchase helps support the site here (as all Clever Training purchases do).
Here’s what I expect to be a few frequently asked questions:
How many items can I get a discount for?
One item. Just one, and only one.
Is this per household?
No, it’s one item per member. Thus, if you have multiple unique VIP members in a household, then you can have multiple people. You can sign-up to be a Clever Training VIP member here. I explain more of the details here.
Which brands doesn’t it work on?
At this time, it’s not valid on Garmin, GoPro, Yeti, Suunto, SRAM, or Fitbit. Also, the Wahoo ELEMNT and Wahoo Desk are excluded. That’s it.
In the cart it says it doesn’t work?
Validate that you only have one item in the cart, and that it’s not one of the above listed items. Also, validate that you’re a VIP member.
Do I get VIP points on top of this?
No, since it’s a large sale item. No double-dipping here.
Are there some fancy details I can read somewhere?
Yes, right here (middle of page, some text).
When does this end?
November 19, 2016 at 11:59PM US Eastern Time.
What happens when it ends?
It’s over. End of the road. Time to eat ice cream.
Is shipping free?
Yes, US shipping is free as long as your order is over $75. For items that can be shipped internationally, it’s $29 flat rate. Generally speaking, trainers can’t be shipped internationally.
Garmin and Suunto Sales:
Next, we’ve got Suunto and Garmin sales. A couple of quick notables on these pre-Black Friday deals. Note I do not expect any further Garmin deals this season beyond these. And obviously, don’t expect any new product announcements from anyone at this point. The time is over for new products. The next time that train arrives at the station is CES 2017 (first week of January).
Here’s the current listing of sales that start Friday (Nov 11th) for Garmin (you can also find all Garmin product deals here and all general Holiday Deals here.):
Garmin 2016 Holiday Deals
Here’s my very brief notes on why you see some of these products and whether they make sense to purchase.
Forerunner series: With the FR230/235/630 only a year old, I don’t see a near term replacement there. This to me just seems like a typical Black Friday type sale of a 1yr+ old product. With the FR920XT, that’s two years old. Given the FR735XT came out this past summer (not an exact replacement, but kinda close), I think we’ll see Garmin continue to wait on a direct FR920XT replacement for the near-medium term.
Fenix3 series: Garmin has pretty much established a yearly cadence of Fenix series units. 2014 saw the Fenix2, 2015 saw the Fenix3, 2016 saw the Fenix3 HR, and I suspect 2017 will bring whatever is next. In all recent cases, these products were announced at CES in early January, but not available until the February-April timeframe (depending on exact product).
Vivo Series: These are Garmin’s favorites to discount, since they have a much wider appeal. I see these sales as ‘simply keeping up with everyone else’s sales’, and by ‘everyone else’, I mean Fitbit. I wouldn’t read into these too much other than being good deals. Oh, and for Vivofit Jr, that was just announced last month – so these sales are just a vehicle to get more exposure there.
Edge Series: While the Edge 1000 may be due for an update, any release cycle there would likely be tied to late Spring (i.e. Sea Otter announcement), which Garmin has favored in recent years for announcing products. In the meantime, it continues to get new features on a near monthly basis. As for the Edge 20, not sure there, seems like it just came along for the ride.
Suunto Ambit3 Series: Suunto virtually always puts the previous edition of their Ambit lineup on sale at Black Friday each year. This year is no exception. With the Spartan series being the new variant, the Ambit3 becomes the old variant, thus the sale variant.
*Fenix3 HR Deal for $399 [Update]: As some noticed, this Black Friday sale started as a Best Buy mistake price on their ad. It was supposed to be $449 and the same at all retailers. Clever Training will honor the $399 price as long as Best Buy is still selling it on their website. Historically speaking, when Best Buy makes a advertising mistake, they’ll limit inventory and just list it as ‘sold out’ shortly thereafter. Once Best Buy pulls their price, then Clever Training will put the price back to $449 (intended sales price). So get your fingers ready on Friday morning! All times US Eastern!
And here’s the current listing of sales that start Friday (Nov 11th) for Suunto:
Suunto 2016 Holiday Deals
| Item | Regular Price | Sale Price | Savings | Sale End Date | DCR Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suunto Ambit3 Peak Sapphire HR Bundle | $649 | $412 | 37% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Peak Sapphire | $599 | $374 | 38% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Peak HR Bundle | $549 | $337 | 39% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Peak | $499 | $299 | 40% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Run HR Bundle | $349 | $172 | 51% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Run | $299 | $150 | 50% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Sport HR Bundle | $449 | $217 | 52% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Sport | $399 | $195 | 51% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Vertical HR Bundle | $519 | $389 | 25% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
| Suunto Ambit3 Vertical | $469 | $352 | 25% | 12/9/2016 | DCR Post Here |
The Ambit3 Sport at sub-$200 is very solid for that particular device. For the Ambit3 Peak (which nets you barometric altimeter access), it’s a good deal, but not a great deal in light of the FR920XT being at $199 above.
Finally, in case you missed it, here’s the listing of sales that are already under way for TomTom (and you can make your own sale for the newer items up top with the 20% deal):
TomTom Runner – $89 (normally $129)
*TomTom Spark – $89 (normally $149)
TomTom Spark Music – $129 (normally $199)
*TomTom Spark Music + Cardio – $174 (normally $249)
TomTom Spark Music + Cardio w/headphones – $224 (normally $299)
Phew!
All Holiday 2016 Deals Page:
In case you’re finding this later on, then definitely also hit up my continually running 2016 Holiday Deals page here. That’ll include all upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals as they happen, plus any other magic between now and the end of the year.
I don’t expect (after tomorrow), any further Garmin deals, nor any trainer deals that will beat (or even meet for that matter) the deals I noted above.
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Does this work with Clever Training Europe?
Not atm sadly
Ray: Do you know of any black friday sales on Clever Training Europe?
No, unfortunately not.
RE: Black Friday Sales
CT is working to put some things together for that timeframe. Still being worked through though. It’s trickier in Europe, since the manufs don’t usually ‘cooperate’ with those efforts (as retailers can discount year-round). So it takes a bit more effort.
Soooo. I live in Europe/Holland. These deals are out of reach for me? Or can I order through the US site of CT and enjoy a good discount?
I have made some purchases from CT in US and the goods were delivered to Finland without any issues.
920xt or Viviactive HR? I currently have the 310xt and it is time for something smaller – it still works very well, but is HUGE on my small wrists. Your opinion, please! Just realized this has nothing to do with the Edge post but can’t find where to start a new thread ?
damnit I was really hoping for a good Fenix 3HR deal but I am not going to drop 450 USD on a watch. Not gonna happen. That’s like a week of vacation. What are they thinking… 450 original price would be alright and then drop it to 300 on sale. 600… Some people only earn 1000 USD a month Garmin is crazy
I got a Fenix 3 HR for $375 on eBay a couple of months ago. New, not refurbished
Will the Garmin (and Suunto) sales be world-wide, more specifically in Europe? Will it apply for all resellers, or Clever Training only?
These specific Garmin/Suunto sales are US-focused. The Suunto ones are all-resellers, whereas the Garmin side is a bit of a mix between CT deals and Garmin deals.
50%+ on the 920XT!
Is it fair to assume that a replacement will come soon?
I don’t expect near-term.
Rumors mention a Fenix 5s coming up soon !
I’ve been waiting for full reviews to decide between a magnus and a flux, but this may push me into buying one “at risk” of returning it (shipping fee, yuck).
Biggest concerns for me is:
-consistent accuracy. I’d be happy with painfree < 5% error
-feel… somewhat. The flywheel on the magnus is so much smaller than the SNAP I wonder if I'd notice. I'm not looking for picky "road feel", but that difference is huge.
-noise… somewhat. Really I'm fine with SNAP and KK Road Machine noise. I haven't experienced something like the Lemond of the original Kickr to say if they would bug me.
So I just bite the bullet on the magnus? Someone help me decide!
Arg… plus I know I'll want the fenix 5 when it comes out soon.
Gah–deciding between snap and magnus. Waiting for reviews. (hint).
Magnus hasn’t shown up yet. It’s somewhere between there and here.
Though, the Kinetic Smart Control did show up this morning.
Looking for your opinion on the Kinetic, even with all those connection flaws.
By the way, the Smart Control Unit (a.k.a. Upgrade) looks like can be shipped abroad, unlike the full trainer itself, as you explained in the post.
Ray, does this new VIP program supersede your code I’ve used for years? Meaning, the only way to use the givethanks code and get 20% off is to sign up for this new VIP at $4.99?
The coupon code is generally still good for the vast majority of things. There are some products were the companies require a VIP membership to save the usual 10% (or get it back in points now).
The 20% is limited to just VIP members, as it’s considered a private sale.
I miss the TomTom Adventurer on these lists (and your blog).
Looks like a TomTom Runner w/ UltraTrac, might be as buggy.
No hope for the non HR version of the Fenix 3 to come down along with the HR?
Hi Rai,
neither FR235 nor FR735XT on the list?
Sigh!
(O.K. Wailing on a high level)
Neither, the FR735XT is too new. Not sure on why they skipped FR235.
The Rampa is listed at $549 in the yearly review but looks to be priced at $649 now.
The price hasn’t changed any, so simply a typo on my part in the annual review. Thanks!
No problem, I noticed the price is $599 and $549 on the specific Elite review 🙂 At $649 I need to rethink which option in that category works best for me now.
OK, the deal is too good to miss. Just signed up for the VIP membership and purchased/pre-ordered the Cycleops Magnus trainer at CT! Your reviews, along with comments from other readers are invaluable! Thank you!
Where can you get the Fenix 3 ? Is it on sale like on Amazon and will the non HR be cheaper?
The links above will show the discounted price tomorrow. And any other products that will be on sale from Garmin this holiday season will also show up in that table (with purchase links).
Thanks. Tomorrow it is.
Ray,
I know you get a lot of these type of questions, but do anticipate a material price change / product refresh on the PowerTap P1 pedals near-term? I’m wondering if there will be a Black Friday / holiday discount available, and whether it makes sense to take advantage of it.
Appreciate all you do.
Best,
Kyle
I don’t expect any changes there at all in terms of that product. It’s still in its hay-day.
As for sales, retailer 20% off deals are as good as it’ll get for the P1’s.
Wow! Some of these Garmin products are on sale until Christmas Eve?! I guess I have a lot of time to mull it over.
Could they run out of stock?
Stock should be good on Garmin, since all these items are still being produced and thus CT will just re-order as required (they did that once already for the 920XT’s). They can usually get stock next-day from Garmin, should it be required.
The 920XT with Run-HRM sold out on Amazon.ca (Ps Ray, do you have a amazon.ca code?) Still mulling if the extra couple hundred is of value for the Fenix! But dang that’s a great price on the 920!
Hi Sam-
Yup, to get the Amazon.ca (or any Amazon country) link that helps support the site, just look for your country (Canada) right below the big Amazon logo on the right side of the page up top. It’ll take you to a generic Amazon landing page, but then you can search for the specific product from there. That link though will properly tag it as supporting the site.
Cheers!
With the Fenix3 HR being discounted, do you see the possibility of a Fenix4 in the spring?
Go search for a fenix 4 / fenix 5 thread in the Garmin Forums for your answer 😉
Does this mean that we can expect a new Fenix announcement after Christmas? Usually a sale means a new device is coming…
I am so, so glad I didn’t pull the trigger on a set of PowerTap P1’s last week.
Awesome.
That VIP membership has now paid for itself about 20 times over.
The Fenix 4 (or Fenix 5 rumored name) will be announced in 2 months at CES probably. Its nice that these deals are announced for the Holiday season but at the same time Ray you should put something in there that says, new devices are upon us but if you need one now these are the deals. Its almost like you’re hiding obvious upcoming products, when I know you dont comment on them but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist and some research to know we will have some new products soon.
Yup, I have product specific notes I’ll be publishing once all the Garmin products are in. I didn’t want to try and re-parse my wording for two different days given that you can’t buy till tomorrow anything.
FYI for UK folks, the Suunto Ambit3 Vertical HR is £219 ($274) at Wiggle. Seems like a pretty solid deal. Normally I always give Clever Training the business, but not while in the UK!
Nashbar.com has trainers on sale 22% off this weekend. This is not as good as their recent 25% off but better than the 20% above listed. Tacx Vortex Smart would be $413. They have the Elite Rampa and Cyclops Magnus and others, all at 22% off.
Is there something wrong with CT website? Very slow, giving errors, cant complete purchase.
Thanks
Seems to be fixed now.
Ordered submitted! Thanks Ray!
Any idea if trainers can be shipped from CT to Canada?
No, they don’t. But if you live close to the border, it should be very easy to find a business across on the US side that you can use as your receiving broker, you will just need to take a short drive to pick it up…
Really interested in the Tacx Flux. Any idea when the review for the trainer will be available? Will it be published in time to take advantage of the CT VIP 20% discount?
Also, are the garmin sales from the manufacturer or retailer (CT, REI etc.). In other words, will we also see a reduced price during the sale time period on garmin.com?
Cheers
I don’t have a Flux yet, I hope to hear by morning on the state of it.
The good news is the shipping from them to me is usually just overnight since we’re so close. So if that happens in the next few days I’ll definitely get out some sort of early look at accuracy.
In the case of Garmin, they are a blend of retailer & manufacturer. So some of these will show up at Garmin.com, but not all (usually Garmin.com doesn’t have very strong deals). The 20% non-Garmin deals are CT VIP specific. We’ve seen Best Buy release some Black Friday sales, but those appear to be on MAP products, those generally all retailers share the same MAP restrictions/pricing (vs non-MAP products, in which case it’s the Wild West).
Have you heard about similar quality issues on the Flux production line as those seen on the Neo? In other words would you recommend getting it from a nearby physical store providing for ease of return in case Tacx sends a lemon?
Thanks for all the deal updates.
Cheers.
Those issues on Neo only became apparent quite some time after shipping began. Given Flux shipping hasn’t happened yet (nobody has a finished prod unit), it’s too soon to know.
Got it.
Looking forward to the Fenix 3 HR Bestbuy deal confirmation. @ $400 I will be more than happy to pull the trigger @ CT.
Cheers.
Also interested in the Vivoactive HR for $169. Particularly since the CT sale at $199 ends on the 21st – so would want to know if they can match Best Buy during Black Friday weekend. Don’t want to miss the CT sale and find out the Black Friday sale isn’t available.
By the way, Ray, $169 is 32% off (your chart says 20%). Pretty good for a relatively new product, and I think the only discounted one that supports Connect IQ 2.0.
VA HR @ 170 is a good deal. I just can’t get over the absolutely hideous looks of the device. Wish Garmin had kept the form factor of the initial VA.
Any news if Clever Training is allowed to match the $399 Fenix 3 HR from Best Buy?
Thanks!
Mike – Yes, CT will be matching the VAHR at $169 that weekend. And thanks, percentages fixed. Appreciate it!
BikeGeek/Raz – I chatted with them on the phone tonight at midnight, and they’re still having some discussions with Garmin on it with lots of back and forth. The situation is messy at best. I think a final answer will be sorted out on Monday. Either way, you’ll be able to get a Fenix3HR somewhere that weekend for $399, it’s just unclear how broadly that’ll be yet.
Thank you for updating the list of deals and clarifying on the $399 price for Fenix 3 HR that will be on sale at CT as well, starting Nov 24.
Now let’s hope will not be sold out that day 🙂
REI has 20% off on one item for members on most items and includes some trainers starting tomorrow as well as having the same Garmin sales.
Garmin Fenix 3 HR for $399 @ Best Buy Black Friday – seems like a good deal!
I have the best luck. I had been planning for a few months to order a Wahoo Kickr2 and I finally decided it was time and ordered it from Clever Training yesterday. Today I read this and find I would have saved $240 if I had waited one more day to order it.
I’m in the same boat with a Fenix 3. Either check if they’ll do a price adjustment, otherwise order a second one and when it comes return one under the first order.
I want to know that this is only for 24 hrs or it will be continue after.
It’s only for the dates/times listed above. Cheers.
Hi All-
I’ve just added in all of the new Garmin sale items and notes within the post. Further, I’ll be adding in some deals on the Suunto Traverse shortly as well. So hang tight on that if that’s of interest to you.
Thanks for the support!
Any idea if these Garmin sales will be on Amazon or in Canada as well?
I expect to see most on Amazon, but not in Canada.
I’ll update in a few hours, if/when I see on Amazon (often times that’s tied to Pacific Time rather than Eastern Time).
Been lurking the power meter market for sometime now. Pulled the trigger on the P1 pedals. I couldn’t pass up this deal!! Thanks!!
Hey Ray, thanks for the info on the huge sales.
For Garmin FR235, can you please share if the battery life got better after FW updates? Or is it still in the ballpark of 2-3 days?
Regards!
Yup, it got better by most accounts in the comments.
Pulled the trigger on the 4iiii Ultegra even though it’s out of stock, hopefully get it soon. Thanks for the discount!
Was really excited about getting a huge discount on a Tacx Neo, and decided to finally pull the trigger and order one.
After several error messages on the Clever Training page, I come back here, read again and see this. “Generally speaking, trainers can’t be shipped internationally.” Guess the rest of the world is out of luck for this 🙁
Friday morning; Fenix 3 is still $599 on Amazon. Did I miss something?
It’s possible Amazon just hasn’t updated prices, or for whatever reason isn’t following the sale.
Ray,
Any chance you’ve gotten any more time with the Lezyne Super GPS – If so, overall, do you think it’s worthwhile upgrading from the Edge 500? I’ve been following the other thread and user reviews seem to be mostly positive. With the 20% discount, $120 is hard to pass up, but I don’t also want to be buying a dud.
Thanks!
+1 on the lezyne?
Don’t want to steal from Ray and CT (they’re awesome), but Performance Bike has a few of these trainers also on 25% today…
Seems to include a preorder for Magnus, Flux as well as the Neo.
How long does the Clever Training code last for?
Till Nov 19th (for the 20% one). Else, the usual 10% DCR code after that – DCR10BTF.
For the Europeans here:
Have you tried shopping around for best offers using the comparison portals?
Amazon UK has the Fenix 3 for 282gbp – that’s about 355USD. Thanks to Brexit.
In Switzerland you can get it for around 380chf. Amazon Germany the equivalent of 360USD…
Ray – thanks for the heads up! I just bought myself the Wahoo Kickr Snap and saved $120.00. Now all I have to do is explain what I did to my wife….
Ray,
Do you know if the Index Wi-Fi scale (or any other smart weight scales) are going to be on sale?
Thanks!
No to Garmin scales on sale. Unknown on Fitbit scales. However, Withings scales….
Historically Withings has done some good scale deals at BF, but I don’t have any details on that. But way back this summer they hinted at that for the holidays (a solid deal). You could use the 20% deal on a scale, but if I was a betting man, I’d bet a greater than 20% deal on a Withings Scale (I don’t have any insider information, just looking at historicals).
Plus, the Withings Scale is my favorite anyway.
Thanks Ray! Ordered the Withings Body scale using your CleverTraining code!
Hopefully Withings -> MyFitnessPal -> Garmin Connect sync works, not a huge deal if it doesn’t since Withings app seems way more polished than Garmin Connect.
Hi Ray,
Do you expect better Christmas pricing on the Garmin 630?
Thanks!!
Nope, that’s as good as you’ll get (since that’s all Garmin has approved as it’s still a MAP priced item).
Ray,
Thanks so much for everything, your dedication to providing super valuable information and answering questions is tremendously appreciated!!!!
Hi Ray. Thanks for all that you do!! Looking at the chart above, is the Vivoactive HR slated to go on sale two different dates? I see it in there twice, so I’m not sure if it’ll go on a deeper discount or if the $199 is it. The percentages match, so I wasn’t sure if it was an oops.
I’m debating between the 920xt and the Vivo HR, but I’m leaning toward the HR for the addition of the optical and because like The Girl, I’m 5’2″ with very small wrists. Is there any reason, as a mid-level recreational athlete, that I should go for the 920? Thanks again!
Thanks Jordan – fixed the percentages. It is indeed a two-tier sale.
The current price is at $199, then for the Black Friday weekend it drops to $169. It’s kinda confusing, as typically retailers like to avoid this since it often causes lots of churn. But it wasn’t exactly a retailer choice this time.
I think in general you’ll be pretty happy with the Vivoactive HR, unless there’s something very specific on the FR920XT that you want (i.e. multisport mode for triathlons). Otherwise, for things like future Connect IQ updates, the Vivoactive HR is better positioned.
I’m a petite 5’4″ female triathlete training for my first 140.6. I want to upgrade my 920xt and am having a tough time deciding between all the options because of size, features and price. any advice would be appreciated
735xt for $450 with just the watch
Fenix 3 hr for $399 with just the watch or add the hrm strap for around 470
920xt Tri bundle for $350
Edit – I want to upgrade my 910xt
If you’re good with the size of the 910XT, then you’ll be happy with the size of the 920XT – so that’s definitely a valid option.
If you want something that’s a bit smaller and is future proofed a bit more, and don’t mind the lack of barometric altimeter, then the 735XT is where I’d head.
I’d think you may find the Fenix3HR a bit larger than you prefer (I know The Girl does, although she’s 5’2″)
Hello,
Do you know that the GARMIN FENIX3 HR WITH BUNDLE version will aslo have 33% off as the GARMIN FENIX3 HR (OPTICAL VERSION) from 11/24 ?
thx.
Do any of the Suunto Ambit 3 watches allow you to create custom workouts like interval sessions at the track? How do they compare to Garmin workouts? I have a 310XT and I am looking to upgrade, the lack of courses on the Garmin 630 leaves the choice between the 920XT and Suunto Ambit 3, depending on the custom workout feature.
I’m looking at purchasing a smart trainer but would appreciate some advice on what the benefits are vs. a regular trainer. I know a smart trainer automatically changes the resistance when using software such as Zwift when in non-workout mode. I know that you can have your Garmin Edge 520 (or above) control a smart trainer to duplicate a previous outdoor ride’s elevation (again, by automatically changing the resistance). And I know that a smart trainer has a built-in power meter (or its version of a power meter).
Also, my understanding is that in ERG mode (such as when using Zwift’s workout mode), the trainer does not change the resistance based on the ride’s elevation but rather changes it based on the power required of the interval. So, in essence, you don’t have to change gears to increase your power and you keep pedaling at the same cadence. (https://support.zwift.com/hc/en-us/articles/209980783–How-to-use-ERG-mode-in-Workouts)
To change my power now, on my regular trainer (an old Blackburn), I do change gears, of course. Also, I do have a power meter now but, even before I did, the estimated power output within Zwift seemed to be pretty consistent (not sure how accurate it was based on other power meters, but consistency is key here).
Since I only use my trainer with the workout modes in Zwift, my questions are: Is the convenience of not having to change gears worth a few hundred dollars? Are there other benefits of having a smart trainer that I’m missing?
This 20% off deal is too good to pass up should I decide to get one. However, for my intended use, I’m not sure it’s worth it.
Thanks!
Personally, I think having a smart trainer is what makes Zwift. Note that in Zwift for non-workout mode, you still need to change gears, because it’s not using ERG mode, but rather simulation mode, which simulates the grade. Whereas you are correct for workout mode in Zwift, it just sets a target wattage.
When I ride Zwift on a non-smart trainer, it’s just…not the same. Kinda blah. Whereas the resistance changing constantly to keep up with hills is what makes it interesting to me.
Ray,
Question for you. What would you recommend for a watch that continuously monitors heart rate 24/7. I don’t care if I need to charge it every day. Very basic GPS functions are fine for me (or unnecessary). I mostly just want the constant heart rate data. Any thoughts?
I would check out something like the Garmin FR35 or Vivoactive HR. Both are what you’re looking for wiht 24×7 HR and basic GPS.
The Fitbit Surge is another option, but I think it’s past its prime and a bit clunkier as well.
Awesome thank you.
Well now I feel like an idiot for ordering a 735XT a couple weeks ago right before all the holiday sales. Now I have to decide if I want to try to return this and get the Fenix 3 HR for a lower price.
I’m curious on your recommendation on a sports watch for mainly Spartan Races/OCR and secondly trail runs and hiking.
The Fenix 3 HR sounds like a high end model I’d consider buying if Best Buy holds its price at 400 this Black Friday.
Otherwise, I’m looking at a lower priced TomTom Spark and maybe this is because its a Spartan race sponsor and it has my attention with $100-200 price range.
Thanks for the awsm guides btw.
Any word on when the Cycleops Magnus will ship from CT?
They actually have been already. I think first shipment went out last week (I got a text picture of one of the pallets that arrived). I believe the next palette comes in next week. First orders in, first out.
Hello folks. I’d like to know what you guys think about going from a 920xt to a Fenix 3 HR. Some background:
I’m training for my first Half Ironman and I love my 920xt. It has all the features one could ask if you are into swimming, biking and running. I don’t really have any complaints about the watch, except for how it looks. If I wore it only when I’m training or racing, it would be ok, but I wear it every single day. The main reason why I wear it everyday is because I like to use the step tracker feature. And I’d LOVE to also track my HR 24/7.
Enter the Fenix 3 HR. If the BestBuy Black Friday ad is to be believed, I could buy the Fenix 3 HR for only $399. The Fenix 3 HR has the two things I’d like to have on my 920xt: a better look (I know this is personal) + optical HR sensor.
Here is the catch: I could easily sell my current 920xt back in my country for the same price I would pay for a brand new Fenix 3 HR. So I’m basically trading a 1 year old 920xt for a brand new Fenix 3 HR for “free”.
ps1: I wouldn’t sell my HRM-run strap! I understand the strap is more reliable and provides more data than the optical HR sensor, specially when you are training.
ps2: I’m not concerned about the Fenix 4/5 rumors.
So what do you guys think? Is it a good “trade”?? Am I missing something??
Looking forward to getting some feedback.
Thanks in advance.
G
Optical sensor HR – it’s trash. It does not work properly.
Recon Jet is on sale for $349 (from $499) until Nov 28th. link to store.reconinstruments.com
I would have been more excited about this one but I fear that Intel might not give them the freedom to walk the path they were exploring before… Time will tell. Still a nice product as of today imo.
with all the 20% off sales was wondering on the direct comparisons of trainers. I have the Kickr Snap and I like but am not overwhelmed (power comparison to my P2 pedals, speed in apps – could be Zwift issue, etc):
Snap vs Magnus
Kickr 2 vs Hammer (I know, Hammer not released)
If the Magnus is better or if one of the more expensive units is much better (stability, feel, metrics in apps) I am willing to spend. Keeping it to US units.
chris
I’m still working through the Magnus vs Snap, but obviously the Magnus has better perf specs on it than the SNAP, and the Magnus seems to be at least equally, if not more, accurate. The one thing that likely helps accuracy on Magnus is simply the twist-till-pop pressure ring – which makes it consistent each time.
KICKR2 vs Hammer – This is tougher, since as you noted it’s not yet fully shipping (and I haven’t done any testing on final unit). I think the challenge with the Hammer is that it’ll have less apps out of the box that support it over BLE than the KICKR2 would, since virtually every app supports that out of the box on BLE.
Thanks
I am getting my fiance a trainer for the winter and am between the Kickr Snap and the Magnus but I have heard rumors of the Snap being virtually unusable in erg mode since the power can be highly inaccurate. I can get the snap for 25% off today only so am thinking of pulling the trigger if anyone on here can let me know their Snap is performing well with Erg mode? My fiance isn’t crazy hardcore and will be on a hybrid bike on this trainer most of the winter and I’d be surprised if her FTP was >150 watts. Do you think the Snap would be worse with big hybrid tires than with high psi road tires? Should I pull the trigger on the snap and save an extra 5% or bite the bullet and go with the Magnus?
I have a Snap on order and I will be using it almost exclusively in ERG mode. I have 2 friends that use it and they like it. Hopefully it will work well but if not I will be returning it. Can I ask where you can get one for 25% off? Other than Clever Training, I have not seen any stores selling it with a discount at all except for REI.
Performance bikes has it for 20% off. If you go to their site via activejunky it adds 5% on top. Although performance charges shipping so it’s pretty much a wash and shouldn’t affect decision making over the trainers primary virtues anyway
Okay, thanks! I was debating on getting the Snap or the Tacx Flux but decided on the Snap since the Flux is still a question mark. As long as ERG mode works and the power readings are consistent on the trainer then I don’t care if they match my power meter or not. I would just have one FTP on the trainer and a different FTP on the road.
I just became a VIP member at CT. When I add the Pebble 2 HR watch to the cart, it offers me a discount of 10% – which is the standard discount to all new VIP members. However, the information above mentions the discount to be 20% if the code GIVETHANKS is punched in. When I punch in that code, it says the coupon code has EXPIRED!
What gives? is the discount for new VIP members 10% or 20%?
Unfortunately that 20% off sale expired yesterday; however, Target has that watch for $89.99. Use code “TECH” for an additional 10% off. Also, I think if you use your Target card you get an additional 5% off.
Thanks Kevin. I did exactly what you told and will be picking it up from in store shortly 🙂
Garmin Edge 520’s sale at Amazon.es – just ordered one at € 179,95 🙂
Awesome find – just tweeted it out!
will the 20% be extended? 🙁
No plans at this point. Sorry!
Pretty unfortunate that the 20% off deal happened before Black Friday. I was patiently waiting for good deals on a trainer and figured Black Friday would be the best bet. Very frustrating.
Yeah, I tried to blast it far and wide – it was an amazing deal. We saw REI and others do some similar stuff, pre-BF.
Yeah I’m shocked I missed it. I saw the REI deal, but they don’t carry the Magnus yet which is what I have my eyes on. Hopefully something comes up within the next few days.
Yeah, for some reason I was under the impression that the VIP sale will last until at least tomorrow, Thursday (my bad, as DCR explicitly mentioned expiration date from the beginning).
A bit silly to kill it before imo. I wanted to get a PowerPod.
Now let’s hope that the Fenix 3 HR will be on sale as they advertised.
I was able to place an order using the 24/11 prices for Fenix HR and Vivofit Jr (about 10 minutes before midnight). Now the products are back to 25% discount, and my order status is “Under Review (Riskified)”.
I really hope this is just potentially related with my payment method that can be fixed with a phone call rather than canceling my order. First time ordering with them.
Anybody else has seen this order status on their Clever Training orders?
You’ll be all good! They sent me over a status e-mail a short bit ago. They kept the lower price, but Best Buy still hadn’t matched it – so they went back to the $449 price until they do.
Any orders prior are totally good though – no worries!
Yep, order under processing now, everything looks good!
Looks like Amazon.com has it for $399 as well link to amazon.com
Thanks for putting all this together DCR!
Do I understand correctly that the last day when I can buy a Garmin FR920XT Triathlon Bundle discounted price of $349, it’s December 24th?
FYI, I purchased a 4iiii 105 power meter from clever training on Nov. 10th when it was listed on their website as available to ship in 5-7 business days – and it’s still advertised that way. It’s now 3 weeks later and still hasn’t shipped. According to Clever Trainings customer service it’s due to a manufacturers delay but they will only provide that information when asked for it, and promised me updates that they did not bother to send. While I can understand that a manufacturer’s delay will affect their timeline, the lack of proactivity on their part to keep customers informed and continuing to list it as available to ship in 5-7 business days on their website is unacceptable and false advertising. Buyers be warned.
I ordered a Magnus on November 13 with an “expected ship date” of “late November”. I had been debating between the Magnus and the Kickr Snap, but opted for the Magnus (I already have a trainer and a power meter, but looking to upgrade). I received an email from CT on Dec 1 stating that they would send an update on Dec 2. It’s Dec 3, but still no update…. I understand the combination of big sale plus manufacturers supply, but communication leaves something to be desired.
Hey Ray,
Any word on if this is on again this year? 20% off a Direto sounds like a winner to upgrade from my Vortex Smart.
Yup, slated for November!