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They came from all over the world – 35 divers from 19 countries and for over a week they dived in the incredible location of Deans Blue Hole, to attempt records, to push their limits, to redefine the possible. Below we feature the full story from this year's 2014 Suunto Vertical Blue. At 100m depth the pressure is so strong your lung volume has reduced from the size of a watermelon to a can of cola. Everything is pitch dark. At the end of a line that hangs from the surface you have a simple job: to collect a tag from the bottom plate as proof of your depth and swim back to the top. But even simple tasks are rendered complicated – your body is desperate for oxygen, hallucinations are not uncommon. You have to rely on your training, on visualisation techniques to focus on staying calm and swimming back to the surface, one stroke at at time. Tomoka Fukuda celebrates after a dive. ©Daan Verhoeven For multiple record holder William Trubridge, everything was seemingly going to plan for his epic attempt to break his own record to 102m in the entirely unassisted freediving discipline of CNF (constant weight no fin) at the Suunto Vertical Blue freediving contest. This is where divers descend and ascend under their own power, with no fins and just one lungful of oxygen.“I prepared a lot for this dive and I feel like everything went well,” he said afterwards. “I spent a lot of time meditating and visualising the dive beforehand. I took my last breath and began the dive. In the freefall [descent] I was feeling good but I just wasn't quite capable.“Two thirds of the way up I started to feel tired and that it was going to be too tight. I signaled to my safety divers that I wasn't going to make it. They grabbed me and escorted me the last 10m to the surface.“Though I'm disappointed not to have achieved the goal, there is some content in the fact that I gave it my utmost best shot.” Will Trubridge makes his way to the surface. ©Daan VerhoevenFor the 34-year-old athlete, the failure to make the world record was off-set by the fact he was overall winner of the 7-day contest, in which divers accrue points over six dives. In second place was Russia's Alexey Molchanov and in third was Samo Jeranko from Slovenia. Overall female winner was Marianna Krupnitskaya from Russia. She said: “I knew I could do it. I'm pretty happy with my performances and I feel strong that I can go further next year.”To achieve overall first, Trubridge made a flawless CWT (constant weight) dive to 117m. “It turned out to be one of the fastest ever CWT dives I've ever done to that depth which is suprising to me because I haven't done CWT in a long time, as I've been focusing on the no fins discipline.”“I was really happy to have a nice comfortable dive and to win the competition with it,” he added.Now in its eighth year, Vertical Blue has been the venue for the breaking of dozens of world records. Competitors had six official dives to challenge themselves and their rivals to obtain the coveted Suunto Vertical Blue Championship title, which is awarded to the freediver who has accrued the most points. Prizes included the Suunto D6i and D4i, which both feature a freediving mode for easy recording of dives. Alexey Molchanov. ©Daan Verhoeven Suunto Vertical Blue 2014 also saw the introduction of the “Apnea Games” – a day of fun and alternative underwater events such as underwater somersaults, blowing oxygen rings and diving in tandem in memory of Nick Mevoli, who tragically lost his life in 2013. The contest takes place at Dean's Blue Hole, Bahamas, the deepest known blue hole in the world.“Over the years we've grown to attract more of the world's top freedivers,” adds Trubridge. “They're going deeper, more national records are getting broken. The average depth in this competition was in the mid 70s. It just shows you how deep we're going! I plan to keep on holding it every year. It's really a great event.”“These are all friends, we're a big family,” says Austrian freediver Jakob Galbavy. “Everyone has a great attitude. Everyone is cheering with everyone. It's really great.”For now Trubridge is content to relax but he has vowed to come back with another record attempt. “I'm definitely going to attempt the CNF record again. This was just a plot twist.”

「しっかり練習しているのに記録が伸びない」「いつもより疲れが残っている」と感じるときは、トレーニング量だけでなく、身体の回復状態にも目を向けてみましょう。回復を把握するための指標として活用されているのが、HRV（心拍変動）です。 HRVは、心拍数そのものではなく、心拍と心拍の間隔に生じるわずかなゆらぎを示します。毎日の数値を継続して確認することで、トレーニング、睡眠、ストレスなどに身体がどのように反応しているかを振り返る手がかりになります。 この記事では、HRVの意味、正常値の考え方、数値が低くなる主な要因、トレーニングへの活かし方、SuuntoウォッチとSuuntoアプリで確認する方法をわかりやすく解説します。 HRV（心拍変動）とは？ HRV（Heart Rate Variability／心拍変動）とは、連続する心拍と心拍の間隔に生じる変化を表す指標です。 たとえば、心拍数が1分間に60回でも、心臓が正確に1秒間隔で拍動しているとは限りません。実際には、0.9秒、1.1秒、0.95秒というように、1拍ごとの間隔にはわずかな違いがあります。このゆらぎを数値化したものがHRVです。 心拍数とHRVの違い 指標 示すもの 心拍数（HR） 1分間に心臓が拍動する回数。一般的にbpmで表します。 HRV（心拍変動） 心拍と心拍の間隔に生じるゆらぎ。一般的にミリ秒単位で扱います。 心拍数が同じでも、HRVは人や日によって異なります。そのため、心拍数とHRVは別の指標として確認する必要があります。 HRVが回復状態の判断材料になる理由 心拍の間隔は、身体の働きを自動的に調整する自律神経の影響を受けています。自律神経には、活動時に働きやすい交感神経と、休息時に働きやすい副交感神経があります。 副交感神経の働きが優位なとき：HRVは比較的高くなる傾向があります。 交感神経の働きが優位なとき：HRVは比較的低くなる傾向があります。 ただし、HRVだけで「回復している」「体調が悪い」と断定することはできません。トレーニング負荷、睡眠不足、精神的なストレス、飲酒、生活リズムの変化、体調など、複数の要因が数値に影響します。 HRVは、身体の状態を診断する数値ではなく、普段の自分と比べて変化が起きていないかを確認するための判断材料として活用することが大切です。 HRVの正常値はどれくらい？ HRVには大きな個人差があるため、すべての人に共通する「正常値」はありません。年齢、体力、遺伝的な要因、生活習慣、計測方法などによって数値は異なります。 そのため、インターネットで見つけた平均値や、家族・トレーニング仲間の数値と単純に比較するのはおすすめできません。重要なのは、同じ機器と条件で継続的に計測し、自分自身の通常範囲を把握することです。 1日だけの数値よりトレンドを見る 激しいトレーニングの翌日や睡眠不足の日に、一時的にHRVが下がることは珍しくありません。反対に、普段より高い数値が出ることもあります。 1回の測定結果だけで予定を大きく変えるのではなく、次の点を確認しましょう。 通常範囲から外れた状態が数日続いているか 安静時心拍数にも普段と異なる変化があるか 睡眠時間や睡眠の質が低下していないか 脚の重さ、だるさ、意欲低下などの自覚があるか 直近のトレーニング負荷が高すぎなかったか HRVが低くなる主な要因 HRVが普段の範囲より低くなる背景には、トレーニング以外の要因もあります。 高いトレーニング負荷 高強度インターバル、ロング走、レースなどで身体に大きな負荷がかかると、翌日以降のHRVが低下することがあります。これは負荷に対する自然な反応のひとつです。 トレーニングによる負荷を確認するときは、HRVだけでなく、TSS・hrTSSなどのトレーニング負荷も合わせて確認すると、原因を振り返りやすくなります。 睡眠不足や生活リズムの乱れ 就寝時間が遅くなった日、睡眠時間が短かった日、夜中に何度も目が覚めた日は、回復が十分に進まず、普段と異なるHRVが出ることがあります。 仕事や日常生活のストレス 身体的な負荷が少ない日でも、仕事、人間関係、移動、環境の変化などによる精神的ストレスがHRVに影響する場合があります。トレーニングだけを原因と考えず、生活全体を振り返ることが重要です。 飲酒や食事の影響 飲酒、遅い時間の食事、過度な食事制限なども、夜間の心拍や睡眠に影響し、HRVの変化につながることがあります。計測結果と生活記録を照らし合わせると、自分に影響しやすい習慣が見つかることがあります。 体調の変化 普段と異なるHRVが続き、強い倦怠感、発熱、痛みなどの症状もある場合は、トレーニングを中止し、必要に応じて医療機関へ相談してください。HRVは医療診断の代わりになるものではありません。 HRVが低い日はどうする？ HRVが自分の通常範囲より低い日は、数値だけで運動の可否を決めるのではなく、睡眠、安静時心拍数、自覚的な疲労、直近のトレーニング内容を合わせて判断します。 状態 対応例 HRVは低いが、体調や睡眠に問題を感じない ウォームアップを丁寧に行い、身体の反応を見ながら予定を調整する。 HRVが低く、脚の重さや疲労感がある 高強度セッションを避け、軽い有酸素運動や休息へ切り替える。 低い状態が数日続き、睡眠や体調も良くない 休養を優先し、トレーニング計画全体を見直す。 「計画どおりに実施すること」よりも、身体の反応に合わせて負荷を調整することが、長期的な継続につながります。予定変更の考え方は、予定どおり走れないときのトレーニング調整法も参考にしてください。 HRVは高いほど良い？ HRVは、単純に高ければ高いほど良いわけではありません。確認したいのは、他者より高いかどうかではなく、自分の通常範囲に対してどの位置にあるかです。 普段の範囲より大きく高い状態が続く場合も、身体の反応がいつもと異なっている可能性があります。低い場合と同様に、睡眠、安静時心拍数、疲労感、トレーニング履歴を合わせて確認しましょう。 SuuntoウォッチでHRVを確認する方法 対応するSuuntoウォッチでは、睡眠中のHRVを計測し、ウォッチやSuuntoアプリで確認できます。毎晩できるだけ同じ条件で装着し、継続的にデータを蓄積することで、自分の通常範囲との比較がしやすくなります。 計測と確認の基本手順 睡眠追跡を有効にする 就寝中もウォッチを装着する 起床後にウォッチまたはSuuntoアプリでHRVを確認する 1日の数値ではなく、7日間平均と通常範囲の関係を見る 睡眠、安静時心拍数、トレーニング負荷も合わせて振り返る センサーが肌から浮いていると、計測データが安定しない場合があります。睡眠を妨げない範囲で、ウォッチが手首に沿うように装着してください。 7日間平均と通常範囲を見る Suuntoでは、現在のHRVを単独の数値だけでなく、過去のデータから形成された個人の通常範囲と比較して確認できます。現行記事の仕様説明では、通常範囲の形成に60日間のデータを使用し、通常範囲には最低14回、7日間平均には最低3回の測定が必要とされています。 使い始めた直後はデータ量が少ないため、数値の意味を判断しにくいことがあります。まずは数週間、できるだけ継続して装着し、自分のベースラインを作ることを優先しましょう。 HRVをトレーニングに活かす5つの方法 1. 朝の確認を習慣にする 起床後にHRV、睡眠、安静時心拍数を確認し、その日の身体の状態を振り返ります。毎日同じタイミングで確認すると、変化に気づきやすくなります。 2. 高強度トレーニング後の反応を見る インターバルやロング走の翌日にHRVがどのように変化し、何日で通常範囲へ戻るかを確認します。自分に必要な回復時間を知る手がかりになります。 3. トレーニング負荷と組み合わせる HRVは身体の反応を、TSSなどは実施したトレーニングの負荷を把握する材料になります。両方を組み合わせることで、「負荷をかけた結果、身体がどう反応したか」を振り返れます。 4. 主観的な疲労も記録する データが通常範囲内でも、強い疲労感や痛みがある日は負荷を下げる判断が必要です。反対に、HRVがやや低くても体調が良い場合は、ウォームアップ後の感覚を確認しながら調整できます。 5. 週単位・月単位で振り返る HRVは日ごとに変動します。毎朝の数値に一喜一憂せず、トレーニング期、回復週、レース前後など、一定期間の傾向を振り返ることが重要です。 HRVと一緒に確認したい指標 回復状態をより立体的に把握するには、HRVだけでなく、複数のデータを組み合わせます。 睡眠：睡眠時間、睡眠の規則性、起床時の感覚 安静時心拍数：普段より高い状態が続いていないか トレーニング負荷：直近の運動量や強度が高すぎないか 主観的な疲労：脚の重さ、だるさ、意欲、筋肉痛 運動中の強度：心拍ゾーンやSuunto ZoneSenseで負荷が適切だったか 持久系トレーニングの強度管理については、心拍ゾーンとは？トレーニング強度を使い分ける方法もあわせてご覧ください。 HRVについてよくある質問 HRVは毎日変わりますか？ はい。トレーニング、睡眠、ストレス、飲酒、移動、体調などの影響を受けるため、日ごとに変化します。1日の数値ではなく、自分の通常範囲と継続的な傾向を確認しましょう。 HRVが低い日は運動してはいけませんか？ HRVが低いという理由だけで、必ず運動を中止する必要はありません。睡眠、安静時心拍数、疲労感、痛み、直近の負荷を合わせて確認し、必要に応じて強度や時間を調整します。 HRVは高いほど回復しているということですか？ 必ずしもそうではありません。HRVには個人差があり、自分の通常範囲から大きく外れた高値にも注意が必要です。絶対値より、自分のベースラインとの比較が重要です。 HRVの数値を他の人と比較してもよいですか？ 計測機器や計測条件、年齢、体力などが異なるため、単純な比較はおすすめできません。同じ機器を使い、同じ条件で測った自分自身の変化を追いましょう。 HRVはどのくらい継続して計測すればよいですか？ 数日だけでは通常範囲を把握しにくいため、まずは数週間継続して計測するのがおすすめです。生活やトレーニングの変化と照らし合わせながら、長期的な傾向を確認してください。 HRVで病気や体調不良を判断できますか？ HRVだけで病気や体調を診断することはできません。数値の変化に加えて、発熱、強い倦怠感、痛みなどの症状がある場合は、運動を控え、必要に応じて医療機関へ相談してください。 まとめ｜HRVは自分の変化を知るための指標 HRVは、心拍と心拍の間隔に生じるゆらぎを表す指標です。トレーニング負荷、睡眠、ストレスなどに対する身体の反応を振り返る手がかりになります。 HRVには個人差があり、全員に共通する正常値はありません。 他者ではなく、自分の通常範囲と比較することが重要です。 1日の数値ではなく、7日間平均や長期的な傾向を確認します。 HRVが低い日は、睡眠、安静時心拍数、疲労感、トレーニング負荷も合わせて判断します。 HRVだけで体調や病気を診断することはできません。 SuuntoウォッチとSuuntoアプリを継続して使用すれば、毎日のHRVを自分の通常範囲と比較しながら確認できます。「今日は追い込む日か」「負荷を抑える日か」を考えるための材料として、日々のトレーニングに役立ててください。 サマーセール開催中 期間限定キャンペーン SUUNTOサマーセール開催中 Suunto Race 2、Vertical 2、Runなど、HRV計測に対応した人気スポーツウォッチが最大22％OFF。夏のトレーニングや次のレースに向けて、今だけの特別価格で。 サマーセールを見る

Join Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter and his friend Martin Schidlowski as they retrace a historic journey to the Eiger North Face in their film, Bike2Eiger. Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter invited his childhood friend and climber Martin Schidlowski on an adventure that combined history with the modern-day challenges of mountaineering. Riding 600 km from their home in Berchtesgadener Land, Germany, to Grindelwald, the base of the Eiger in Switzerland, and attempting to climb its notorious north face was merely the backdrop for something more meaningful and thought-provoking. We caught up with Philipp to discuss his film, Bike2Eiger. The film has been touring mountain film festivals for the past winter and is now released online. Read on – and watch the film below! Philipp Reiter and Martin Schidlowski are friends since childhood.   You were following in the footsteps of some true Alpinist legends. Who were they and what was their story? Anderl Hinterstoisser and Toni Kurz were two alpinists from the Berchtesgadener Land, where Martin and I also grew up. In the 1930s, they wanted to solve the last unclimbed problem of the Alps - the Eiger North Face. As they had no money to travel by train, they went from Bad Reichenhall to Grindelwald by bike. (Read more about them here.) What is your connection with your adventure buddy Martin? Martin Schidlowski is my kindergarten buddy. We have done many alpine adventures together, running, climbing, and mountaineering. Since the beginning, we have had the same mindset and passion for the mountains. He is a super good climber and alpinist, and I am more of the endurance athlete in our team. Not the conditions the duo was hoping for.    The adventure started with three long days in the saddle. How did that go? Haha, not very well! 1.5 hours after we started, we were stuck and had to push the bikes through 30–40 cm of fresh snow. Generally, it was super cold, and we underestimated the weight of the bags. We carried in all our gear – alpinism by fair means. The first night, the police also kicked us out of our little wood cabin as in Austria sleeping somewhere out counts as illegal camping.  Did you start to question why you didn’t simply drive to the mountain? We wanted to experience the same as the two pioneers in the 1930s, which is why we also took the bikes. Studying the route and the weather are part of any adventure.   Do you think Martin will ever again go on a bikepacking trip? No, never! He had never ridden more than 100 km before, and on day one we had to do around 220 km! He did not like it. And what about you…? Well, generally, I like cycling a lot as to me it’s the perfect way to explore new areas at a decent speed. But on this ride, my leg warmers were too tight, and I got an inflammation around the knee, which was super painful. First attempt on the Eiger: too much snow.   The weather conditions and the amount of snow made the first Eiger attempt hard. Is there anything you could have done differently? At one point, there were just too many people with busy schedules involved in the project, and we couldn’t keep shifting the dates all the time. So, we had only a few time slots planned, and basically, only this one was left. That’s why we started in okay conditions, knowing that it might become too tricky to climb the face. And then there was too much snow. Mountaineering has a lot to do with conditions. Usually, you need to be patient and wait for the right conditions. It’s never a good idea to rush it in the mountains.  Before the second attempt, the atmosphere was different. Can you explain a bit about what was happening? When we came back one year later for the second try, we knew that the conditions were very good and that it was just a matter of us making it happen. Also, we didn’t do the bike approach again, which made it easier. When we went up to Eigergletscher to sleep, there was so much positive energy. I remember this situation well. Second try, better conditions – but different route.   Could part of the mood be that you were so sure that with the right timing and team, you could just show up and finish the project? Yes, exactly. It was almost like: We just need to climb it now, and that’s it! Is it possible that the slower approach and early difficulties set you up differently? Martin and I had done some more training together, like the Matterhorn North Face. We felt more ready than the first time and were more relaxed as we did not have heavy legs from three long days of riding. Summit of the Eiger!   Did the adventure teach you something? Most of the time, things come out very differently than we have planned, and we always need to keep the capacity to adapt.   Watch now: Bike to Eiger Watch now: Philipp Reiter and Martin Schidlowski follow the footsteps of their local mountaineering heroes from the 1930s on a multisport adventure to the "Eigernordwand“.

Nordic Gravel Series team member, rider and coach Joonas Henttala gives his essential tips for a successful gravel race. Joonas Henttala, a coach and a Nordic Gravel Series team member, has more than 10 years of experience in the professional peloton. In 2023, after ending his road cycling career, he turned to coaching and gravel event organizing, took up trail running as his personal challenge while also riding gravel. We got in touch with Joonas to get some tips for a gravel race. Read on and be ready for a big, fun day out! Progressively build your fitness Gravel races are long and require a strong, aerobic base, which is built by spending quality time in zone 2 and later layering higher intensities and race spesific efforts on top. Joonas says that consistency and progressively adding training load are the keys to successful endurance training. “Riding one hour five times weekly is a better start than a five-hour smash-fest once a week. After your body starts to adapt, you can progressively add more training load. It does not make sense to do a huge hero ride way beyond your limits on the weekend and then recover from it the entire following week. The body simply can’t assimilate that and progress will be slow. The aerobic needs required in a long event or race need consistent stimulus over long periods of time.” The slower speeds and smaller groups make the power output on gravel slightly different from the road. “On the road there’s often more coasting and higher power peaks, while gravel riding is more grinding, keeping constant pressure on the pedals,” Joonas explains.  Get comfortable riding in a group. (Image: NGS/Falling Leaves Lahti) Practice your bike handling Solid bike handling skills are essential as gravel riding can get technical, almost like mountain biking. Especially if your background is in road cycling, practicing your bike handling can be very beneficial. “If you come from the road, you may assume there’s grip everywhere. But gravel is different. You must learn to find the grip on a surface that’s moving underneath you. Practice different kinds of turns on different surfaces.” Mountain bikers are comfortable with the varied terrain. For them, Joonas recommends getting comfortable riding in a big group. The first hour of a gravel race can be especially hectic. Still, you should be able to stay relaxed and not get intimidated by leaning on one another or touching handlebars with someone. “Joining a few group rides before taking part in a gravel race is definitely a good idea. After a few of them, you will start to feel more comfortable,” he promises. “Solid bike handling skills and experience from group riding help you save energy, too.” Get to know the course Knowing the course well is definitely beneficial. However, pre-riding the entire course is often not an option as the distances of gravel events are so long. That’s when the Suunto app comes in handy: Import the route GPX file to the Suunto app (or sync it from a compatible partner service, like Strava or Komoot) and study the course. Look at the altitude profile to identify the big climbs – and descents. “Try to save some energy for the big climbs. That’s where the strong riders will make their moves,” Joonas instructs. “That same applies to other parts of the course as well: Try to save energy when riding easy sections, like roads. When the riding gets more technical and the speeds slower, be prepared to hammer.” The map in the Suunto app is a great way to identify those key sections: Look at the roads, tracks and trails. How wide are they? When is it getting technical? If, for example, a road narrows to a single track, you don’t want to be in the back of the group and stuck in a traffic jam. Take your positions early. The fun is about to get real! (Image: NGS/Falling Leaves Lahti) Refuel early In a long endurance event, a steady pace would be optimal – but often far from reality in gravel races. If you want to stay in the front, the first hour is decisive: You must weigh whether you can afford to ride a little too fast in the beginning to stay with the group without bonking. Try to also conserve energy: Draft in the group and remember to start refueling already at the beginning of the long race. If you don’t refuel during the first hour, you will have to pay for the consequences later. “Riding should feel hard, but not so hard that after the first hour, you’ll start to question if you’ll be able to finish the race,” Joonas says. Having the necessary energy in the bottle for the first hour might be a good idea. This way you don’t need to mess with gels and bars in the heat of the early part of the race. Remember what’s important People take part in gravel events with quite different approaches: some are there to win, others to test their own limits. Some simply want to have a good time on the bike and make new friends. “Gravel races are quite different from road races. Even in the lead group people chat and have smiles on their faces. I certainly hope it stays this way,” says Joonas. Whatever your goal, ride hard but be polite and considerate of others.  “If you cross the finish line with emptly legs and a big muddy smile on your face, the day has been successful – whatever your goal!” Coach Henttala himself after Traka 360 in Girona in May 2024.   Learn more about the Nordic Gravel Series

We asked the Suunto community for your favorite training music. Here’s what you listen to as two Spotify playlists! In the pursuit of peak performance, the right playlist can be just as essential as the perfect pair of sneakers or a well-balanced meal. Understanding the profound impact music has on our workouts, we turned to the Suunto community for their ultimate training anthems.  The result? Two electrifying compilations curated directly from their recommendations: one pulsating with fast, energetic rhythms to fuel the most intense workouts, and the other, a collection of smooth, easy-listening melodies crafted to accompany moments of serene focus and recovery.  Dive into the beats that inspire, motivate, and elevate our training sessions below!   Fast-paced training music by Suunto Community We asked you delivered: These power songs get the Suunto community through the tough workouts.   Easy-paced training music by Suunto Community We asked you delivered: These chill songs get the Suunto community's workouts to flow smoothly.

Want to know what gears you use and monitor the battery on your electronic shifting? Read on and learn how – and why – to connect your Suunto with Shimano Di2 electronic shifting. The new Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app connects your Suunto sports watch with Shimano’s electronic shifting for real-time guidance and saves data for after-ride analysis. See the gears you are using and the status of your Di2 battery on your Suunto.   Through the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app, developed in partnership with Shimano, you can monitor crucial data such as gear positions and Di2 battery status directly on your Suunto. You can view details of your shifting after your ride in Suunto app.  The SuuntoPlus sports app also saves Shimano Di2 data in Suunto app for later analyzes. It can be viewed in relation to power and speed, for example.   What gear I am on (and why should I care) Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app offers clear benefits both during and after the ride. During the ride, you will easily see how much battery you have left in your electronic shifting system and the gears you are on. The gears you use, are also saved as part of the activity in Suunto app. Taking a moment to study these, may give you some interesting insights. Firstly, you will learn what gears you mostly use. Did you mostly use the higher or the lower gears or was the use well in balance? This can lead to two findings: is your gearing right for the terrain and how’s your chainline. If you spend most of the time on the lower gears and hardly ever touch the higher ones, you may want to consider a smaller chainring. Or if you are a lot on the hardest gear and spinning out, a bigger chainring might be a good option. Another consideration is the chainline. The word ‘chainline’ refers to how straight your chain runs between the front chainring(s) and the rear sprockets. A straigt chainline is more effective and stresses the components less. So, spending more time on rear sprockets that offer a straight, “perfect” chainline is smart. This data can be collected with the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app.   How to use SHIMANO Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app Sync the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app to your watch from Suunto app’s SuuntoPlus Store. Select the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app in the exercise settings before starting your workout. During activity, scroll with the middle button to view the SuuntoPlus screen. Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sport apps stores data for after analysis in Suunto app. Next time you start your ride with the same sport mode, your Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app is selected as default and connects with your Shimano Di2. Happy riding!   Lead image: Philipp Reiter / The Adventure Bakery