https://www.outsideonline.com/2288226/conjure-storm
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https://www.outsideonline.com/2288226/conjure-storm
I don’t buy any gadgets without checking his reviews first. He’s a breath of fresh air in the business of reviews. I don’t listen to the pros and the crap they shill.
I’ll say this, though. If i ever get the sense he’s in kahoots, locked in, or works with a vendor, i’m out. period.
Cool. thanks for posting.
Same here. Always check his site before buying a triathlon related gadget. He’s the gold/platinum standard when it comes to reviews. If I can I buy stuff through links on his site too to support him through referral programs. But if he starts working for somebody…
i rarely go to his page now… i think it’s gone to his head and reading this article kind of proves… asking mfg for early prototypes… thats BS.
More than a cool article, it’s a rather poignant one - the author died in a cycling accident in February. DC Rainmaker wrote a nice post about it.
i rarely go to his page now… i think it’s gone to his head and reading this article kind of proves… asking mfg for early prototypes… thats BS.
Not at all, he is doing what he can to get the jump. It’s being smart and leveraging his position imho.
i rarely go to his page now… i think it’s gone to his head and reading this article kind of proves… asking mfg for early prototypes… thats BS.
LOL. Why? He understands what the market needs and wants. If he can help give early feedback, that’s a good thing.
i rarely go to his page now… i think it’s gone to his head and reading this article kind of proves… asking mfg for early prototypes… thats BS.
I don’t understand why you think this is BS. Oftentimes Ray gives valuable feedback to the manufacturer. He also signs NDAs with firms that do this; he usually has reviews he’s sitting on waiting for the ok to post them. He’s been getting early prototypes for years now; this isn’t anything new.
Given the amount of time he takes to test products, the only way to get a review posted close to the product release date is to test pre-production versions.
Given the amount of time he takes to test products, the only way to get a review posted close to the product release date is to test pre-production versions.
This.
I’m thankful for his articles. He really does the most thorough gear reviews and reporting I’ve ever seen. Clearly passionate and geeky about data and real performance, fun to see, and seems quite neutral. I like that he shares his opinions without advertising driving them.
Sad to see that article posted now after Andrews passing. He will be missed and my thoughts are with his family.
I am a little surprised that Outside didn’t mention anything of his passing at the end.
Sad to see that article posted now after Andrews passing. He will be missed and my thoughts are with his family.
I am a little surprised that Outside didn’t mention anything of his passing at the end.
I imagine they went to press before the occurrence.
Hello len and All,
Thanks for posting … I often follow his postings but never knew his background.
Good story.
I’ll say this, though. If i ever get the sense he’s in kahoots, locked in, or works with a vendor, i’m out. period.
If he was involved in anything like that fhe odds of you finding out would be ridiculous. Also, he’s rich now and richer with every day that passes. He could retire in shame and laugh all the way to the bank.
Face it, believing reviews and reviewers is a leap of faith.
It’s a tough business.
Can he really afford to retail purchase all the latest Garmin, Polar, FitBit, Suunto, etc., releases to give a nice broad review?
If he’s at least somewhat dependent on getting free, or loaner, or pre-production devices from manufacturers, he can’t be totally brutal in his reviews.
If one manufacturer starts giving him higher affiliate $, does that affect his reviews, even subconsciously?
A cautionary tale, from the world of mattress reviews of all things.
The article says he started on 100k a year at (probably) 18 years old. He then worked for Microsoft for years, presumably earning more each passing year, and said when he quit MS his finances didn’t change much. I doubt dropping money all the time on new products - considering that is his job - is a big concern for him financially.
I really appreciate his reviews. They are thorough and detailed but easy to read. They seem to be even-handed and unbiased. I feel like I am making a much more informed buying decision as a result. Good for him in finding a market for his talents.
Also, he’s rich now and richer with every day that passes. He could retire in shame and laugh all the way to the bank.
What’s your source for this?
It’s a tough business.
Can he really afford to retail purchase all the latest Garmin, Polar, FitBit, Suunto, etc., releases to give a nice broad review?
If he’s at least somewhat dependent on getting free, or loaner, or pre-production devices from manufacturers, he can’t be totally brutal in his reviews.
If one manufacturer starts giving him higher affiliate $, does that affect his reviews, even subconsciously?
A cautionary tale, from the world of mattress reviews of all things.
Random tidbits:
A) In the grand scheme of things, buying the sum total of all Fitbit products released in a year isn’t actually that much, less than a Ironman entry. Polar makes a device or two per year, Suunto in the 3-4 units per year. Garmin a fair bit more, but I don’t generally bother to get all the model variants. Obviously, in total it’s a fair chunk of change per year - but not if you look at it as a business expense like any other business would.
B) It sounds like you probably haven’t read my reviews. I routinely crap on units that suck, loaner or otherwise. Big brand or small brand. You can pick any brand you’d like and find a review/preview/whatever post of mine in the last 6-9 months or so that exemplifies that.
C) I don’t take part in any individual manufacturer affiliate programs for exactly that reason. Instead I use Amazon/Clever Training/REI, so I don’t much care what you buy (none of those entities have differing rates per manufacturer, Amazon merely categories like Tech/Health/etc…). In general most regular readers would agree I usually argue for the lower cost option, and usually find reasons why I think the higher cost variants are overpriced.
Cheers.