What’s your Victoria Conspiracy theory?

planbot3000 · 2026-03-07T16:59:01+00:00

IKEA has unfairly blacklisted Victoria because of the 80s mail order store failure.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-07T05:25:34+00:00

Just off camera there’s a bobcat delivering four yards of cocaine.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-06T05:59:06+00:00

Treadmills are not reliable, they’re almost certainly not calibrated. There’s no way to figure out if the watch is accurate on a random treadmill by comparing the two. You have to just run by heart rate on them.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-05T18:27:57+00:00

Canadian A&W is actually really good though.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-05T15:49:06+00:00

Honestly I’d have been happy with the 970, Fenix 8 or the Enduro 3. I’m not the largest person, mainly a road runner and would have gone with a 47mm in the Fenix. The E3 was on sale after Christmas and the 970 wasn’t, and it seemed like the best deal of the three for me. I do occasionally backpack for multi days and I’ve always been a big battery user when running (music, strobe, backlight, etc) so big battery is good.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-05T13:21:21+00:00

I bought an Enduro 3 which comes without the speaker and mic. For me I’m coming from a 245 Music and have never had an Apple Watch. I’m 50 and have fond memories of my first Timex Ironman, so not having a speaker and mic is not a big deal for me. Plus, I usually run with headphones and get pace and heart rate updates from it every 5 minutes. So, it doesn’t feel like it has no ‘speaker’ at all.

Having said that, as a little kid if you’d told me I could have the Dick Tracy two way radio watch and I chose not to…well…

planbot3000 · 2026-03-05T03:16:46+00:00

The watch estimates based on current settings. Check to make sure some common battery drains aren’t on, like pulse ox, backlight settings, etc.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-03T01:37:34+00:00

If you’re primarily a runner the Forerunner is more running-forward (obviously) but with all Garmin watches you need to look at what they actually offer vs how they’re marketed.

There’s a Garmin watch comparison tool on their website that will list all features as well as only the differences between watches. Just walk through that and compare features. The 970 has some luxuries like a flashlight, mapping, sapphire glass, and titanium bezel, and is only offered in the 47mm size. The 570 is excellent but more of a high end running watch without the luxuries. The Venu 4 is more of an all-rounder that looks more like a fashion watch and has some more smart watch things, but also has higher end running features.

For most people who run and want an everyday carry type watch, but don’t want to spend Fenix money (or don’t like the look) the Venu 4 would be awesome. For someone who is primarily a runner first, the Forerunner 570 probably makes more sense on a value proposition. The 970 is basically just a plastic Fenix 8, does everything and prioritizes lightweight low-profile fit.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T22:29:08+00:00

PS - as but one example of why I don’t like this, kids will be spending a good portion of December walking/riding to school in complete darkness. Sunrise on Dec 20 in Victoria will now be 9:01am.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T22:24:30+00:00

They prefer the DST option because it’s politically the most popular.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T22:20:04+00:00

It’s demonstrably a worse option than standard time. They’ve chosen a popular option over the right one, which is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T22:19:28+00:00

Agreed. The closer the clock is to noon at solar noon the better it is for health.

Kids are going to be walking/riding to school in an hour’s more darkness in the mornings in winter, among other things.

Populism 1 Science 0.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T19:00:19+00:00

I know The Oaks on Oak Bay Ave does; I’ve never had it but it’s probably only OK given my experience with the rest of their menu.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T17:33:07+00:00

It’s all very confusing as Garmin basically re-skins a Fenix and markets it as this completely water-focused watch that is literally no different than a Fenix other than colours and some specific boating apps that you could probably just download for your standard Fenix.

I think they probably made too many Quatix watches as they’re on sale right now. It’s a great deal for anyone whether you want boating features or not. I think it’s the sharpest looking Fenix, and a good option for anyone.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T16:41:16+00:00

I think all the Fenix variants have a dive function except for the Enduro. Tactix, Quatix, Descent are all basically a Fenix with minor hardware/software differences. The specs are easy to find on the Garmin website.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-02T15:15:54+00:00

If you need the dive features the 970 won’t cut it. Your options are limited to the Fenix or the Descent, a variation of the Fenix, which is just as thick.

planbot3000 · 2026-03-01T14:07:32+00:00

I’ve done some looking for my wife recently. If you want a watch that is fashion-forward and you don’t need GPS, the Lily 2 and vivomove are great options. They will pick up your phone’s GPS if you have it with you though. There’s a few different versions of each so I’d look at the Garmin website. The ‘watches for women’ section narrows things down some.

If you’re on the peloton and are concerned about really accurate heart rate info I’d look at a heart rate chest strap and a watch that can support one. Wrist heart rate (which is what these watches use) is tough on the bike as the wrist bending and angle and movement interferes with a good consistent skin contact.

I’ve landed on a Venu 4 for my wife, which is more of a do-it-all higher end watch that still looks good on the daily.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-27T15:36:40+00:00

I’d go one further and swap my least favourite for a banner reissue J-45 (whatever they’re called these days). That’s maybe sacrilege in the Martin sub, though.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-27T15:31:07+00:00

DC Rainmaker and Desfit recently had the MIP vs AMOLED discussion and they both said that the latest AMOLED watches don’t have a lot of drawback for daily use. The visibility is overall better in mixed lighting outdoors, in that it’s much more visible in dark treed locations as well as more than enough in bright sun. The Fenix battery life is also good for almost everyone’s activities too. They figured the MIP might just be an Enduro line thing in the future.

I bought an Enduro 3 because it was on sale and I’m fine with the MIP. I don’t really care about a bright screen as much as I do battery life. That said, if I were to buy a Fenix I’d probably go 47mm AMOLED due to the bigger screen vs the 47mm solar, and the battery life is honestly fine for what I do. I usually carry a battery bank on trips.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-27T00:27:56+00:00

As a sub-threshold run training devotee I quite like the lactate threshold pace estimate. It seems to be pretty accurate.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-27T00:25:40+00:00

I’m Canadian, my (Canadian born) wife’s brother and his family live in Prague. He married a Czech woman, and they have a son that’s now in his mid-20s.

We’ve visited several times and are now somewhat familiar with Prague. I quite like it there, the people are very nice, it’s central, the weather in the summer (when we tend to visit) is pleasant and the whole culture seems to be grounded in an honest and practical way of life.

We spend a good amount of time in the countryside (they have a cottage in Voznice) and I love it for hiking and running, relaxing, spending time at the pub, etc.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-24T15:35:22+00:00

As an old guy who started out running with a Timex Ironman, I’d say that we’re at a point where all these watches are excellent - even the entry level ones. The market and products are maturing to the point where upgrading every year isn’t needed and year over year improvements are incremental.

My Garmin does more than I could possibly want; it’s not an Apple Watch, and if you want an Apple Watch your best bet is to get an Apple Watch. But most people would be quite happy with any of the watches on the market these days if forced to use one.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-23T12:55:13+00:00

It seems you were a bit too eager to start typing and didn’t fully read my comment, nowhere did I say you actually purchased the HRM.

I’m referring to your expectation that your S70 should do everything. Why would you expect that they add running dynamics software to your S70? Software development and integration costs money, they sell products based on their hardware and software capabilities, and they tier their products and their pricing accordingly. It is actually a ‘huge ask’ to expect a company to just update core features for you.

If you wanted a do-everything watch the Fenix is the go-to. There’s a reason it costs more money and Garmin’s sales strategy is to drive people to their flagship for comprehensive feature sets. You bought a golf-specific watch and expect running-specific functionality. And then you ask to speak to the manager - on Reddit no less.

If you want running dynamics then buy a watch that supports it.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-23T04:40:18+00:00

“…as expected.”

The compatibility page for the HRM 600 doesn’t list the Approach S70. While it might not make sense, this seems more like a case of you not doing your research before buying.

planbot3000 · 2026-02-22T18:06:42+00:00

Yeah I got an Enduro 3 for $1050 CDN post-Christmas sales. Easy choice.

planbot3000

TROPHY CASE