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Do you trust the 220 kit review page...

willtriwilltri Posts: 436
in General Chat
I bought a Cardiosport GT2 as 220 Mag had recommended it - stating something like - it easy of use was great. Had it for a few weeks...

it was rubbish hard to understand - very basic - cheap strap - and then leaked.

I've now bought a Garmin Forerunner 50. Which is far superior. Links to computer, seems like a lot better qualty build, much more functions, looks better.
And it was much cheaper than the cardiosport.

How can 220 mag be so far out?
Does anyone trust them?
Are they just being lazy....

At least i got my money back!

Comments

  • simondo3333simondo3333 Posts: 77
    I take a very cynical view of reviews in mags. Smaller less well known firms who perhaps produce better quality gear for less don't get a look in, and thats mainly the reason why I try to do as much of my own research as possible, user reviews from forums especially, and not rely on the mag reviews.

    Who knows how much pressure the manufacturers put on mag editors to review their gear against inferior stuff to make it look better than it is. 220 has a lot of ads in the mag from top brands and to say they wouldn't be biased to please the brand marketing dept. to maintain their advertising might be cynical... but entirely feasible!!
  • agent_tiagent_ti Posts: 306
    The reviews need to be taken with a pinch of salt I think. Obviously it is impossible to review every pieve of kit, but for example, when they review Recovery drinks and leave out SiS REGO, or review triathlon saddles and complain that the Specialized toupe saddle has too hard a nose, which is because it is a road saddle, and they don't review the TriTip which is their triathlon specific saddle, then it does raise eyebrows
  • FirestarterFirestarter Posts: 120
    CHRIST!! Are you still reading this magazine??!! It really is struggling I think. Get Triathlete magazine, the interviews are superb the testers are highly experienced the gear they test is "real world" and the race reports are not written by a 3 year old.

    220 gets a scan in WHSmith but I have much better things too spend £4 on than 150 pages of adverts and a few tales of the editors Uni chums doing a race that no-one really gives a toss about.
  • han382han382 Posts: 80
    Think I've mentioned before on these pages that I've lost all respect for the reviews, but have been led astray a few times before realising this! What finished it for me was when 220 were giving away Aqua Sphere goggles with subscriptions-they rated them 10/10, and the next month when they were now giving away Blue 70 goggles with subscriptions the Aqua Spheres weren't even mentioned in an article which finshed with recommending 3 sets of goggles for OW swimming.

    I understand magazines are reliant on firms for prizes for competitions or give-aways for subscriptions, but in an ideal world that shouldn't effect their reviews in any way.

    Maybe we don't live in an ideal world!!
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    was thinking of going for their half price subscription - £1.99 an issue but still it does bore me.

    Tri Plus - i find anyway - is a better read.
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