Suunto 9 gets live TrainingPeaks metrics via SuuntoPlus
Today, Suunto 9/9 Baro and Suunto 5 users get some more goodies added to their watches through new SuuntoPlus features. We already saw the addition of STRAVA Relative Effort on SuuntoPlus at the end of last year and now is the turn of Training Peaks
Here is a link to refresh your memory on the SuuntoPlus launch alongside more detailed info on Strava Relative Effort.
STRAVA Stats Show Surprising US vs UK Differences: starting with…America is Bigger
First up, today’s new features are NOT simply a routine to upload or download stuff from Suunto to Training Peaks. This is proper, new functionality on your watch for use LIVE, whilst you exercise. It’s pretty much the same sort of thing as an app or data field from Garmin CIQ.
I know I can be sometimes cynical about the usefulness of some tech but I’m pretty stoked about some of today’s additions. Although relatively straightforward, they are actually useful. Before I get too excited let’s have a quick look at what’s new
TrainingPeaks in Real-time
TrainingPeaks features will help you understand your level of effort and training stress in real-time while running or cycling. Here are your new screen choices on SuuntoPlus
- TrainingPeaks with Cycling Power: Normalized Power® (NP), Training Stress Score® (TSS) and Intensity Factor® (IF)
- TrainingPeaks with Running Pace: Intensity Factor® (IF), Running Training Stress Score® (rTSS) and Normalized Graded Pace (NGP)
- TrainingPeaks with Heart Rate: Heart Rate Training Stress Score® (hrTSS).
Alongside the headline features, there are also some regional updates to GNSS performance with Beidou (Asia) but the wording of the info from Suunto also suggests that we could all see accuracy and power consumption improvements with GNSS as well as FusedAlti improvements in how it uses GNSS to refine current altitude measurements.
How It Works
I think everyone should be able to see and use these metrics regardless of whether or not they are linked to a Training Peaks account. You access the features after you have selected your sport profile and you can only choose ONE of the SuuntoPlus features for each workout – ie it is not possible to use the existing Strava Relative Effort AND the new Training Peaks Running Pace.
Each of the new Training Peaks ‘apps’ effectively adds a complete page to your workout profile and I’ve listed, above, the exact metrics that you would get on each page.
Opinion
Pretty cool.
I can see how useful NGP is for running on undulating ground. STRYD users will smirk, knowing that power just handles that but MANY MORE runners prefer to use running pace rather than power to guide their efforts. At the same time, most runners appreciate that running uphill or downhill affects their effective speed but, I suspect, few do much to try to quantify that. Sure there have been NGP metrics available for years but it’s nice to have another option for Suunto users.
Here’s where you ask me how pace from STRYD work feeding into the NGP field. IDK!! if footpod speed is taken, it should mean that NGP is more accurate with STRYD when adjusted for grade!!)
Do other things affect NGP like surface type and wind?…. A: yep. And these are not covered here. Again, I can’t resist pointing you towards STRYD and running with power.
Any chanche you could briefly descibe these festures and how you find them useful?
there is a link explaining them in the post, they can be complex to explain. read that first that i will gladly answer any follow-ups. (it says ‘what these mean’_
in terms of what i find useful its just the NGP. i used it on the day of the firmware release and it seemed to give fairly reasonably paces equivalents.
Is there any news of an update to the Suunto 9 being released this year? suunto 9 generation 2? suunto 10?
that is my speculation. no news.
Question at the moment is whether the 9 baro is worth buying at £300 with the discount code they’ve given out to ambit users. It’s significantly cheaper than fenix 5/6 or polar v2 and I’m not convinced that coros will be here in the same form in couple of years time once the venture capital money runs out. Suunto app is getting better slowly but buying a 2 year old watch on a platform that is going through a lot of change still bothers me .
9b is a sweet watch, well-made and I’ve always liked the looks of it and some of the earlier incarnations. I much prefer them to the AMBITs in that regard.
9b and Fenix always feel slightly laggy to me. But fine.
You gotta guess a next gen 9b this year and you gotta assume the Suunto app will continue to improve.
Coros has been bouyed by some recent financial success and will probably have more than enough cash to last out the two years you talk about, IDK who their financial support comes from. Suunto has ANTA for support and Garmin just has a big wad of cash.
Thanks, good points. I’m also expecting a new9b2 or 18 or whatever they decide to call it this year given how heavily the current one is discounted by, but then if it comes in at £550-650 they are back competing with the top line fenix again, which makes it a harder choice. At £300 I’m tempted and it makes it easier to live with the current state of their app system, although it’s not quite as bad as some make out. The Grit x is the only other option I’ve considered but am erring towards the 9b still.
so your question: is it worth £300..yes!!
I would say for sports the grit x is better and the polar platform better.maybe s9b wins for ABC+nav
thank you for any support: https://geni.us/Suunto , https://geni.us/PolarGritX