Ambit Archives - TrailRun Magazine

It wasn’t that long ago that Suunto launched its new range of Ambits. Okay, so it was April 2013, which in technology time is a few light years back. And while our running has probably not advanced that much since then (speaking for myself at least), gadgetry waits for no man nor his faltering training plan.

This latest release, the Ambit2 R, is particularly pertinent to the running fraternity with features honed for our breed. Personally, I take note of the ‘don’t get lost feature’ (they call it Track Back), having a propensity to follow a trail just to see where it goes and sometimes taking the exploration that one turn too many for my memory. And of course the Apps just keep rolling out…the Ghost Runner perfect for all you A-Types.

And here, alas having not got one on our own wrists as yet, we turn over to the bods from Suunto and their press release. We hope to have a review shortly. In the meantime, here’s the shopping list:

“[The Ambit2 R] provides responsive and reliable speed and distance readings thanks to FusedSpeedTM, a unique combination of GPS and accelerometer data from your wrist. Suunto Ambit2 R also measures running cadence from your wrist.

Suunto Ambit2 R can also help you reach your performance goals. You can plan your own moves, or download complete training programs from Movescount.com. The watch reminds you of daily targets, tracks target completion, and provides speed and intensity guidance while you run.

Additionally, Track-back and full navigation offer the freedom to explore new trails without getting lost. Download routes from Movescount.com or simply select Track-back at any point during a run. Suunto Ambit2 R will show you the way.

Suunto Ambit2 R is available in black or white, with the white sporting a soft silicone strap for an improved fit for women. Both can be purchased with or without a Suunto heart rate belt.

With Suunto Apps, even more running features become available. Personalize your Suunto Ambit2 R with running Apps of your own, or choose from the thousands of free Apps in the App Zone on Movescount.com. They include:

· Virtual coach: Let the coach determine when you should run easy and hard! This App is for endurance intervals. Select your pace level and the coach will give you target paces to run.

· Ghost runner: Challenge yourself against a competitor. A positive distance means that you’re ahead while a negative one means you need to pick up the pace.

· Running efficiency: This App helps you improve your running efficiency by recording the number of heart beats over a kilometer / mile.

· High intensity intervals: This App gives a short but sharp interval work out. Start with a warm up, run 15 x 200m with 30sec recovery and end with a cool down.

· Marathon time: It uses your current speed to give an estimate of your finish time during a marathon, so you can see if you’re on track for that target time.

Movescount.com, the online sports diary from Suunto, makes it easy to analyze every aspect of your training and share your experiences with others.

The Suunto Ambit2 R will become available in March.

All new features will also be made available to Ambit2 and Ambit2 S users via a software upgrade later in spring.”

www.movescount.com

The launch of the original Suunto Ambit took the GPS watch market to a new level and a bunch of adventure athletes including trail runners to a new realm of capturing their adventure and trail run data.

Now, Suunto has unveiled an all new pair of GPS watches that, along with an opening up of their Apps Collection to outside developers and updates to Movescount.com, is set to become a game changer for any athlete in the adventure sphere, including of course trail runners (who took to the Ambit with a fair amount of gusto when it launched originally, shifting the focus off market leader Garmin).

And so without further ado (and without test units in hand yet – so limited information til we do…): Suunto’s second generation of Ambit outdoor GPS watches introduces the new Ambit2 S and the Ambit2.From what we can gather, the main upshift is a move to allow user programming, centered around the apps zone and personalisation capabilities of the watches. The units have had a makeover, too, with the bulky faces put on a diet to slim down some and a little shnazzle [2] added to the styling. Yeh, ‘shnazzle’ – watch out for it in an upcoming release of the Oxford ED.

We’ll get more information as it comes to hand but for now, here’s the blurb from Suunto’s release notes:

Comments President of Suunto, Mikko Moilanen: “The Ambit got a tremendously positive response from consumers last year. To meet the needs of performance sports oriented users even better we felt that a lighter, slimmer GPS with sports-specific features but less focus on outdoor functionality was needed to complement the Ambit family. In addition, the rapidly advancing technology made it meaningful to update the Ambit family with new members already now.”

App Zone and Movescount.com upgraded

In a move that redefines sport watches in the same way Apple did to the Smartphone, Suunto is also upgrading the Suunto App Zone – the community forum where users can find and create free Apps for the Ambit GPS watches. The upgrade now gives Ambit owners the chance to create and share more advanced Apps, putting the power of personalisation in their hands. Since it launched in November 2012, the App Zone has proved popular with users, who have created over 5,000 Apps so far. Suunto’s online sports community Movescount.com which hosts the App Zone, will also be updated to provide new tools for in-depth analysis, enhanced navigation and improved opportunities for sharing.

Ambit2 S – The GPS watch for Athletes
The new Ambit2 S is a light and sleek GPS watch for multisport athletes that packs all the features needed for cycling, running, swimming and multisport training. The GPS provides accurate pace, route navigation and tracking, while the heart rate monitor lets you train within your ideal zone.

o Running: Runners benefit from highly accurate pace and distance thanks to FusedSpeed™, the Ambit’s accelerometer integrated GPS, as well as interval timer and autolaps for training.

o Cycling: The new Suunto Ambit2 S will support power meters (ANT+) and offers various power measurement values and numerous options for in-depth analysis.

o Swimming: The Ambit2 S also offers comprehensive swimming functionality, including pace and distance, automatic intervals, stroke rate and swimming time related to different pool lengths. The Ambit2 S will also learn to recognise your swimming style, which makes performance analysis easier.

o Multisport Training: Users can switch between sports, making the Suunto Ambit2 S ideal for recording your multisport training or race.

Ambit2 – The GPS for Explorers and Athletes

Suunto also launches the Ambit2, which builds on the success of the award-winning Suunto Ambit. It includes Suunto’s hallmark outdoor functions such as route navigation, barometric information, altimeter with FusedAltiTM, 3D compass and other outdoor specific features. In addition the Ambit2 has all the training features of the Ambit2 S.

Packed in a glass fiber reinforced casing with a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode, the Ambit2 is the ultimate watch for serious adventurers, explorers and multisport athletes. The Sapphire edition of the Ambit2, features a brushed steel bezel and sapphire crystal glass, adding some serious style to the Ambit2’s extreme functionality.

Comments Suunto ambassador and climber Ueli Steck: “In the mountains you need a watch you can rely on. I’ve been using Suunto products for many years and the Ambit2 is the ideal product out there for anyone serious about their mountain sports.”

Both Ambit2 S and Ambit2 will be globally available from May 2013.

For more product details and full specs, visit www.suunto.com

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