As part of the Cyclingnews team's hunt for great Amazon Prime Day Bike deals, I've found a deal for our USA audience that I'm genuinely gutted I can't buy.
It's a deal on the Amazon Echo Buds true-wireless in-ear headphones, with a staggering 71% off, bringing them down from $119.99 to just $34.99.
- 71% off Amazon Echo Buds, wired case:
$119.99$34.99 - 68% off Amazon Echo Buds, wireless case:
$139.99$44.99
Sadly, being based in the UK, I'm unable to take advantage of these deals, but if you're based in the Land Of The Free, let me explain why I think you should.
Winter is a serious test for any item of cycling kit, and although I prefer to hide away from the British winter in the relative comfort of my spare bedroom and while away the hours on Zwift, TrainerRoad, MyWhoosh (whatever other app I'm testing at the time), that doesn't mean my equipment is safe from accelerated wear and tear.
I'm not a particularly salty sweater, but even so, it's a recipe for corrosion to the point that I'll always drape a towel over the bars and wipe down the bike after each ride.
But there's one item I can't protect from sweat, and which is difficult to clean in the aftermath: the wireless in-ear headphones I use to listen to Sum 41 and Green Day to get me through the intervals, or episodes of Lost and Quarterback on Netflix to keep boredom at bay during the longer rides.
My 'best' pair of headphones is the AirPods Pro 2, but each time I use them for a sweaty session, I worry I'm quickening their demise. Not fun, given their high price.
For that reason, I tend to use a pair of JLab Go Air Pop instead. I bought these for just £15 in the Amazon Prime sales a year or so ago, and although they're pretty basic, the sound quality is good. More than anything, though, I won't be too upset when they eventually die.
However, they miss some features I find really useful, such as dual connection (with seamless switching between my phone and my laptop) and ANC to quieten the blast of the fan. The latter means I have to run them at full volume, which can't be good for the long-term health of my hearing.
The Amazon Echo Buds come with both of those features, along with connectivity to Alexa, Siri and Google. They also boast a claimed five-hour battery life, or 15 hours with the case, as well as a quick 15-minute charge time for two hours of playback.
What's more, I'd be tempted to add an Alexa-compatible 'smart' plug adaptor to my basket too. When racing on Zwift or doing certain interval sessions, it's often impossible to stop, climb off the bike, and turn the fan up to a higher setting. As a result, I find myself turning the fan up to full blast before I begin. It goes without saying, but a blast of cool air when I'm already cold is rarely fun.
With a pair of the Alexa-enabled headphones and an Alexa plug, I could crank the fan up to 100%, but leave it switched off at the plug. Then, when the going gets warm, I could quite literally ask it to switch on... all without lifting a finger.
Yes, I've put way too much thought into this, which is a little bit sad given I'm still not based in the USA and remain stuck with my £15 JLab Go Air Pops.
If, like me, you're unable to take advantage of the deals above, then I've compiled a few of the best cycling headphones into a list below, with their best prices wherever you are.
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