#28: Edge 1060, MARQ Gen 3, Suunto Race 3S, Fitbit Edge & a Big Month for Launches
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This is the heaviest period the site has covered in 2026. Garmin, Coros, Suunto and Fitbit all shipped new products inside the same fortnight. Extensive coverage from many angles runs brand by brand on the main site, here is a curated selection for you.
Garmin’s Edge 1060 is the new flagship cycling computer, adding a microphone and voice control. A Pro version is already signalled for 2027 with satellite messaging. The Edge Explore 3 controversially beats the Edge 850 on both screen size and battery at a lower price. The MARQ Gen 3 arrives with five features Fenix 9 does not yet have. The Tacx Nera adds built-in motion and a Zwift Cog bundle option, sitting alongside the NEO line rather than replacing it.
The Garmin API story ran in two directions this month. Updated developer terms cut off third-party apps that passed Garmin data downstream without approval evidenced by Intervals Pro’s closure. Garmin then reopened its developer programme with a new personal API tier: individual athletes can now pull their own FIT files directly from Connect. The catch is that calculations like VO2 max, recovery time and performance condition are stripped from API but remain in files downloaded manually. The developer programme is open again; what it gives you depends on which tier you are on.
Coros launched the Dura 2 Solar, which still isn’t too distinct from the aging 1040 Solar. Suunto’s Race 3S outlasts the Forerunner 970 by 17 hours on multi-band GPS – the kind of gap that makes a new Forerunner generation feel overdue (FR980 for the Spring?). Fitbit’s upgrade guide maps every Charge generation to the new Edge.
Elsewhere: Vincent Luis won KONA in 7:47:27 wearing a Coros Pace 4. The Silca GPS computer costs $800, is beautifully made, and is almost certainly not for you.
Garmin Edge 1060 Pro looks likely for 2027
Satellite messaging and a swappable battery are the two things the current flagship lacks. Its price has risen $100 for a microphone and a smaller case.
Garmin Edge 1060 vs 850 vs 550 – which Edge to buy now
Edge 1060 is the first of a new generation; Edge 850 and 550 are a year old and due replacing in 2027; Edge 1040 Solar stays on sale because nothing else charges itself. Which Edge to buy, by rider.
Edge Explore 3 beats Edge 850 on screen and battery
The Edge 850 costs £120 more than the Edge Explore 3 and has the smaller screen, less battery and older routing. What it does have is the analysis layer, multi-band positioning and Garmin Pay, which is the whole question for a rider choosing between them.
Silca’s $800 GPS bike computer – too cool, too expensive
Silca built its name on performance kit: precision pumps, chain wax and the pro tyre pressure calculator. Its first GPS bike computer is a beautiful analogue dial with sweeping hands for speed, distance, climb and ride time. The $800 price is more than Garmin’s top-end Edge 1050, and it is…
Garmin adds themes and opens 3 features to apps
Watch faces could change colours, fonts and artwork without you installing anything new. Fenix 8, Fenix 9 and MARQ 3 also gain controls that might finally make their LTE useful.
Tacx Nēra puts built-in movement in a £859.99 trainer
Garmin’s Tacx NÄ“ra costs £859.99 / $999.99 and moves forwards, backwards and side to side as you ride. It undercuts the NEO 3M by £270 and orders open on 23 October.
Science says: Garmin HR 99.1% accurate. But let’s talk about HRV
A Spanish laboratory wired 23 people to a hospital ECG and compared the readings. Resting pulse came back within half a beat. The variability number was out by up to 118 per cent, and worst in the fittest.
Suunto Race 3S vs COROS Pace 4 Pro – decide by apps or value?
COROS Pace 4 Pro costs less and has the brighter screen, a speaker and 21 days between charges. Suunto Race 3S has Climb Guidance, an app store, a titanium case and more dual-band GPS with the screen always on.
Garmin Connect IQ store – weeks of delays ahead
New watch faces and apps have waited up to 14 days for approval since early October, so some Halloween designs may miss Halloween. Developers report lost sales and silent support, and the company says a flood of submissions is to blame.
The Deep Dive Podcast
Listen to one of our recent discussions on the Deep Dive podcast – EP 80 Garmin Edge 1060- Is It Worth $800 (ft.AI Insights)
Browse every edition in the Deep Dive Digest archive.
Previous edition: Deep Dive Digest #27
Last Updated on 24 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
