Gadgets & Wearables

Biggest Endurance Tech Surprise for 2018

What will be the biggest Tri-Tech SURPRISE for 2018?

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New Xplova – not a surprise

I have my thoughts on what could be the biggest surprise in 2018 in tri-related sports tech. Your ideas are welcomed below as, of course, are witty responses.

I clear out a few of the likely suspects first. These are NOT going to be surprises

  • Anything from Garmin – Let’s face it we have a pretty good steer on what their headline watches/cycling computers are going to be. The following linked post should put any major Garmin uncertainty to bed:

https://the5krunner.com/2017/12/08/cycling-running-triathlon-watches-new-models-current-models-expected-replacement-dates-garmin-polar-suunto-wahoo-epson-etc/

 

But then, having said all of that, let’s face it; Garmin DO pull some magical tech bunnies out of the sporty top hat quite regularly. The most recent example being the Garmin Running Power app-cum-algorithm. We know they are doing aerodynamical stuff and we know they have already started to support Galileo on some of their hiking watches. That tech won’t be a surprise. Very Nice. But not a surprise.

  • There will be some great products next year like the TRAINESENSE SMART PADDLES. I wrote about those a few hours ago. Again, not a surprise.
  • A new Polar tri watch. Again, not a surprise and hopefully a contender for the Best Triathlon Watch.
  • A new aero frame or even lighter bike component, both of which will make zero real difference to 98% of us. Highly likely. NOT a surprise.
  • A new 2018 iteration of the Wahoo KICKR….highly likely.

I’ve already written that we are approaching ‘peak tech’. So it looks like a boring year ahead then ?

2017: The year of the Garmin – Sports Watch MARKET predictions for an exciting year – not just for Garmin

 

Well no.

My guess for 2018 is that our unexpected tech excitement will come from Wahoo. They usually have a Q1 announcement for us BTW. Wahoo could give us…:

  1. A new ELEMNT of some sort. We already had the mini in 2017 but why not the MAXI in 2018? Something like the larger ELEMNT but which has an even larger and higher-res screen for navigation, to take on the Edge 1030? Perhaps further also refining and improving the general state of bike navigation in the market.
  2. WAHOO already have the TICKR-X HRM and a STRIDE sensor. Why not a running power meter app like Garmin? Or even morph the STRIDE sensor into a STRYD-like running PM? Quite possible. Although I can’t see the financial return for WAHOO coming from a free app somehow. Unless they also have …
  3. Wahoo’s CEO is on record saying something like ‘we are considering a running watch’ at some point in the future. Hey! The future is almost here. Rationale would include
  • WAHOO know how to innovate and have a history of relatively cutting-edge products eg RFLKT, KICKR and TICKR-X, ELEMNT
  • WAHOO know how to make the tech with the ELEMNTs
  • There is an emerging gap for a top-end tri/run watch that just does training properly with none of the extra gumph. Whilst the Garmin 935 is awesome, it does have a lot of unnecessary stuff bundled in AND a pesky round screen. Not ideal for racing/training, IMO. Then again, that could be describing the new Polar, except the WAHOO would have ANT+ … #PolarSigh.
  • It even has a name…quite likely to be the Wahoo Fitness RUNNR…ha ha.

Actually THAT would be a surprise too, wouldn’t it? Polar putting ANT+ as well as BLE into the new V800. It’s possible folks.

Source: MyFurtiveImagination.com

Thoughts? You must have some better ideas than that?

 

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20 thoughts on “Biggest Endurance Tech Surprise for 2018”

  1. Biggest Endurance Tech Surprise for 2018? People at humon.io will explain how make proper use of a Hex in a n8‘, n30“/30“ or n*20‘ session. ?

  2. If Polar doesn’t include ant + support AND bte in the v800, they might as well just pack it right up then and there. The prevailing market of users have sensors across both spectrums of the market.

    With my 935 and the Fenix 5 line…which is getting a product refresh (i.e packing in new radios that actually work, maybe NFC support and onboard music) just for a run I have my HRM-Tri, Stryd and Temp pod connected to the watch. The device connects to them all (nominally). If the v800 sticks to BTE, who in their right mind is going to disregard sensors they paid for a potentially more accurate device. And let’s not pretend the watch is for anyone other than people already in this side of the market.

    And this is coming from a person that is/has been ready to get out of the Garmin Ecosystem for a long time now. I want the v800 replacement to do what the High-end Garmin watches do; I just want them to all actually work and I think Polar is the company that can get it done…but not without sensor support.

    As for Wahoo, I have a tickr-x and found it to work really well. The physical strap though…not all that comfortable. If Wahoo were to broaden out to a watch (and look at all these already made in-house sensors!) i’d be interested.

    2. If Polar implements dual (ANT+ & BLE), opens data access (full file sync) and makes a good charging port (maybe even tai chi… QI charging), I’ll switch over again.

  3. I want a bike computer that can control my trainer for a whole hour, without forgetting to reduce the power just after it increases me to a break through interval, leaving me trying to push maximium watts.

    When are they going to forget about BLE and ANT+ and bring back hard wired connections.

    1. funny you mention that i think the edge firmware from last week starts you at 10% after a hard interval and then no pedalling. i remember glancing at that. but yes, point taken, such tech behaviour does make pedalling life harder than it needs to be

  4. i tried to switch from polar m400 to garmin 935, i regretted it quickly after i bought it, i even sold my 935 again and am back with my m400.
    maybe i expected too much but it was definitely not worth the money for me, oHR inaccurate especially in intervals and not usable in some sports at all like icehockey (even after 1:30min of pure power training i had 120 bpm…), not much useful stuff in IQ-store, no profile creation for sports online etc…
    on short, i was highly disapointed.

    I really look forward to the v800 successor! v800 + sensor support for ble and ant+, color screen, accurate oHR and good battery and a reasonable price (HAHA suunto dreamers) and i throw my money at Polar

    1. what i forgot…
      garmins firmware updates are very often and the offer beta firmwares. Its ok to do that, but in my eyes they fixed one problem and opened two others. They really need to work on their quality assurance in the software development.

      Polars firmware updates every now and then but if they release it, you can be pretty sure it is tested well and works.

    2. I think for a runner it is easier to work with quite a few of the devices out there.
      For triathletes it is hard to avoid Garmin.

      I just keep banging my head on a wall and constructing sentences containing the words ‘Polar’ and ‘ANT+’

      3. Rather have a watch that is supported for such a long time than a company releasing a new version of it every year just to make money. Polar is a small company compaired to the rest but their products are pretty good. (that’s my opinion). I also heard that there will be a new watch coming Q3. If that is a V800 successor or a complete new model who knows. Looking forward to it.

      4. I’m not against Polar, I like it – much more than Grrmin.

        What does for me is only certain mix of features, usability, reliability and design. Lack of essential features, is lack of essential features.

        From my point of view the current market is a bit like been forced to choose between pest or cholera – don’t want any of both. Maybe I’ll shot into my legs instead – but that sucks too.

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