Stryd Duo

Not interested. Stryd is too damn expensive when for the most part running power is the only useful metric it gives you and many watches now have that feature. COROS especially tracks very closely with Stryd based on comparison videos I've seen but all of them seem consistent enough to be used in training without much fanfare.

It does automatically calculate critical power without you doing specific tests and you don't have to use software like Golden Cheetah to plot a power-duration curve, but most runners will be fine with the threshold pace given to them by their watch and it's easy enough to figure out what that is in power so it can then be used on gradients.

I've thought about a customized running power metric where it tries to discern what effect temperature, humidity, surface conditions, state of fatigue, etc. have on you and equalize it so it would be like power and heart rate in one but this is of course easier said than done.

I bough another Next Gen for this. Do I think it will make any difference for 99% of runners? NOT AT ALL!

I've been using Stryd since 2017 and the last two releases...Next Gen and now Duo have been so lackluster. Stryd claims better responsiveness, etc with Next Gen, but I see little difference between 2017 and 2023 pods, aside from wind measurement.

I already asked for access to MY footpath data so I can make my own tools to analyze flight path, etc, but they are arbitrarily locking that data to their subscription platform. Something tells me the hardware side of the business can't sustain things and they need subs to survive.

Anyways, aside from the foot patch stuff, Stryd's platform does nothing you can't DIY.

Stryd is still the best footpod out there, but Duo is 100% unnecessary.

I'm a fan of Stryd too, but no way will I be doubling up!

I'm not sure if I care about this foot tracking stuff, but the press release mentioned that double pods would give some insight into the characteristics of shoes. So maybe this would finally make pace/power readings consistent between different shoes. I found it really disappointing when I notices that all of my NB shoes give 3-5% more distance over Nike with previous ("wind") version. I still wear Stryd for every run though because this keeps power-duration curve up to date. With that, Power Center gives me sustained and acute load graphs which I find quite useful, and I don't think 3-5% error is a dealbreaker for them. But if this duo system does eliminate this error, I might be interested.

As for the price, so many runners can justify $500+ gps watches when there are fully functional ones for about $200. I find footpod features more appealing. I probably need to replace my Coros Pace 2 with something first though as now it only lasts like 3 runs before I have to charge it.

What about 2019? I think it is quite less precise than 2017 one, but has wind. If they made 2023 pod as good as the original one and with wind, that is progress. Sort of.

I can't speak on the 2019 versions of Stryd, the original wind. I only have the 2017 and 2018 vintage that were before the wind was released.

The non-wind version of the pods are my favorite and I'll be sad when they finally die. They both still work, still last for many runs between charges, and are still measuring the same courses at the same distances six years later. They are my gold standard. The IMU is really good and I have taken them all over the U.S., from Hawaii to NYC and they work pretty much always.

I bought a 2022 Next Gen as soon as they were released and I've been running with it for a year now right next to my 2018 non-wind. I did some track tests right after getting it and so far, the Next Gen has been reliable for me.

I get my 2023 Next Gen on Friday and I might get early access to Duo. I'm just curious to try out the technology. We'll see.

I've been gradually incorporating power metrics into training and racing using my watch. I have lost some of my ability to run by "feel" as I've gotten older (most days running just "hurts" more than when I was younger). I'm curious to see if power can help me better pace races, especially longer distances. The work by Steve Palladino (Palladino Power Project) has been a great resource.

From pictures, I've also noticed that my form has changed ever so slightly in the past few years. I've been incorporating a routine to "reawaken" my glutes/hip region. The routine has helped a lot, and I don't need a foot pod to tell me that (I also don't need a foot pod to tell me that my form gets worse as I fatigue, or that I run more efficiently/faster in super shoes). Nevertheless, I ordered the Stryd Duo. My hope is that it can track minor changes in form over time as I continue the strength and mobility work.

It may be telling that I'm not aware of any elite runners that use power metrics in training/racing. I'm still hopeful that it can provide a benefit.

As 61 y.o. runner, sadly I do not think they would do anything for me. Lots of data, analytics, but what can they do for tired, broken legs?

If I were a bit younger, with the disposable income I have now, then I would probably go for it.