Garmin charge Adapter, an Ass Saver and a Sweat guard for indoor cycling
A while back I shared my thoughts on the best Garmin Charger Dock Station Puck. Mine is still going strong but I was prompted to recommend one of my favourite alternatives after a similar suggestion from dcrainmaker.
Key Ring charging Adapter and a TIP
In some respects, I’ve grown to dread packing for trips and holidays. It feels like I pack more cables, adapters and chargers than underwear. Matters will likely improve over the coming years as cables standardise towards USB-C, however, our watches will almost certainly remain on their own paths with proprietary charging cables and ports. Garmin is a prime example of this.
Here’s a nice, small adapter that fits on your keyring and packs in a few more goodies
- It’s a 2-pack, priced similarly to many single-item alternatives
- It has a 90-degree bend, meaning your watch can more easily rest on a flat surface when charging
- 4 free port covers are included
- 2 string-like clasps are also included but they’re a bit rubbish
If you use the correct USB-C cable, these adapters WILL charge and sync data.
TIP: If it’s hard to get a data connection with your Garmin watch, use cheap Isopropyl Alcohol (UK, EU, USA) and a cotton bud (or tissue) to clean the surface of the pins on the reverse.
Buy Amazon: Seminer 2 Pack Garmin Charging Elbow USB-C + goodies – UK £6.99, EU €8.99, USA $7.99
Similar Alternatives (Amazon prices can be raised if items become popular so try these if so)
- Itramax 3-pack charging Elbow (no other goodies, no keyring support) – UK £6.79, USA $9.99, EU €9.99
- MoKo 2-Pack large keyring hole – UK £8.99, EU €10.99, US $10.99
- TalNite 2-Pack with keyring hole – UK £5.99,
- Generic RED colour 1-Pack with micro, USB-C, lightning adapter alternatives – UK £5.69
Perhaps the best (cheap) Sweat Guard for your bike when cycling indoors
Whilst your carbon frame should handle your salty sweat through a winter of indoor Zwifting, many of your other bike components won’t. They oxidise (rust) to some degree and potentially eventually fail – I’ve had that with some stem bolts.
ROCKBROS was the best, cheap sweat guard company I could find on Amazon which had a range of guards with options to place and protect your phone snugly. They include options for non-round handlebars and mine also easily fits my TT bike and aero bars.
It’s a simple design with one piece of velcro fastening to the seat post and two others fastening to the handlebars on either side of the stem. I got the one shown in the 5th image near the start of the year and it’s still going strong. It’s a bit gunky now with numerous sessions’ worth of sweat and salt, the only downside that bothers me is getting an iPhone into the protective plastic casing. The casing perfectly protects the phone but it’s a tight fit, which I suppose you need so that the touchscreen still works.
- Buy Amazon: UK £13.99 – £18.99, EU €13.00 – €21.00, US $10.99
- Similar Alternatives: UK £10.59 – £19.99, EU €6.19 – €23.99, US $11.99 – $19.99
Best Ass Saver Mudguards – Bargain 4-Pack
Note: Ass Saver is a brand, I’m using the term generically
This is a present to you, from you. In damp or light rain conditions this just might keep your rear dry and prevent a silly line of dirt up your back in rainier conditions.
However, it does nothing to stop your spray from getting anyone cycling behind you. They’re probably your mates but, hey, this is a present to you.
It’s cheap and super easy to install by using the rails of your saddle. No tools or bolts are required and it shouldn’t interfere with your saddlebag.
I particularly like this Amazon listing as it’s a very, very cheap 4-pack (so you can give one to your mate after all) and it’s black with no branding.
- Buy Amazon: UK £5.99 !, US $8.09, EU (2-Pack) €5.84
- Alternative: UK £6.99, EU €9.95 (branded, single),
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Those charging adapters are excellent – I’ve got loads after buying a job lot from Ali!
I love that you can charge and wear the watch at the same time – perfect during an ultra. You obv lose inbuilt hr, but that’s a small price to pay.
I also carry those charging adapters.
But at the ass savers i have another opinion: Use the WinWing. It works way better. Your back and longer back stay try and clean, your bike gets dirty. If you hide it fast enough, nobody will know 😀 but you will be clean.
yes winwing does look bigger and more functional
i’ve used the ass saver for at least 3 yearrs. FAR from perfect but does ‘A’ job in some way shape or form
What’s up with the associate linkers’ love for the angled version of the adapters? The straight variant is so much less bulky when packed, stored or put on a keychain. And on the rare occasions (compared to packed/stored/keychained) when it’s actually deployed for charging, the angle won’t really make a difference, it’s not like anybody would be charging their watch while wearing (correction: apparently gingerneil does? Just how long are those ultras???).
(Most of my adaptors are tethered to lightweight charging cables that live with my lightweight charging adapters in my lightweight travel bags – notice the pattern!)
for watch charging, I don’t like the straight ones on the whole. I find you often end up charging with the glass facing down. that could cause scratches on SOME watches
Whoever designed Garmin’s OEM chargers never actually charged the watch itself. There’s no way to lay the watch where you can easily see the face (and the current charging level).
I like the idea of these pucks and right-angle adaptors, but unless I am doing something wrong, none of them either last (the pucks work at first but then fail within a year) or they don’t work from the start (these right-angle adaptors).
yes!
small personal advise for these little silicone plug advertised as “water protection plugs” you showed beside the charging adapters, stay away form them as far as you can, despite the naming, they are actually trapping moisture inside your watch connector area and are a perfect vehicle to enhance corrosion on the same spot they are claim to protect. You has been warned!
yes you are probably right
i’d probably only use mine on particularly long and sweaty workouts and, in reality, forget to do that!