Sports Performance & Tech, Issue 19

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SPORTS PERFORMANCE & TECH J A N

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FOUR TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTING WINTER SPORTS With people hitting the slopes over the winter, we take a look at the technology that they may be taking with them | 6

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Picking Melbourne Cup Winners With Machine Learning Can data and algorithms help to predict the winner of one of the world’s most famous horse races? | 13

Top 5 Sports Technology Trends For 2016 We look ahead at the technologies that we believe will be making the biggest impacts on sports in the next 12 months | 15

Wearable Tech in Sport Summit

MELBOURNE FEBRUARY 23TH & 24TH, 2016

Speakers Include Daniel Watts +61 2 8011 3007 dwatts@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com sports performance and tech

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ISSUE 19

EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to the 19th Edition of the Sports Performance & Tech Magazine

The last 12 months have not been good for sports in general, with faith in some of the world’s most important governing bodies falling to an all time low.

like them is yet to be seen, but what is certain is that transparency and making sure that everything is above board within even the largest organizations is key.

FIFA had some of their most senior members banned from the sport, under investigation and some already facing prosecution over alleged corruption. Despite this the president is still technically a man who has been banned from the sport for 8 years and every one of his likely successors have been tarred with the same corrupt brush.

We have seen that people have attempted to do this in isolation, with Chris Froome being a recent example after people alleged his use of performance enhancing drugs.

Doing this with a larger and far more complicated organization is another matter, but unless something is done to try and make sure that this kind of thing doesn’t happen again, then we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

The IAAF has also been under suspicion, given the alleged widespread covering up of positive doping tests amongst athletes.

Again the people who have now taken over the organization are still tarnished by their association with the members who allegedly committed the offences before the current leaders were in position.

The full extent of what this will mean for these organizations and others

Only through this kind of data driven and open approach can we achieve the transparency needed to create trust in the new leaders of these organizations, without this they will be tarred with the same brush of guilt as their predecessors, making meaningful change even more difficult.

George Hill

managing editor

As always, if you have any comment on the magazine or if you want to submit an article, please contact me at ghill@sportsperformancetech.com

One of the ways this needs to be done is through more precise and accountable uses of data. From the way that transactions are recorded to the full, historic data of athletes to decide whether or not they have cheated. Essentially sporting organizations should be using this data in the same way that an accountant uses financial data to audit a company.

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Sports Analytics Innovation Summit

LONDON APRIL 13TH & 14TH, 2016

Speakers Include Sean Foreman +44 (207) 193 1655 sforeman@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com sports performance and tech

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contents 6 | 4 TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTING WINTER SPORTS

With people hitting the slopes over the winter, we take a look at the technology that they may be taking with them 8 | HOW DATA CAPS WILL IMPACT SPORTS STREAMING

With many web providers putting caps on data use, how is it going to affect those who watch sport through the internet?

11 | TOP 5 SPORTS TECHNOLOGY TRENDS FOR 2016

16 | PICKING MELBOURNE CUP WINTERS WITH MACHINE LEARNING

Can data and algorithms help to predict the winner of one of the world’s most famous horse races?

19 | IS 3D PRINTING GOING TO REVOLUTIONIZE SPORTS EQUIPMENT?

With the capability to custom make almost anything, what kind of effect will this have on the sports equipment industry?

22 | REVIEWS

We look ahead at the technologies that we believe will be making the biggest impacts on sports in the next 12 months

Aftershokz Bluez 2 Bone Conducting Headphones Svelte Long Sleeve Heritage Jersey

14 | KEY TRENDS THAT ARE DRIVING THE SPORTS BETTING INDUSTRY

Sports betting is big business and in this article Jennifer Livingstone looks at what is impacting the industry

WRITE FOR US

Do you want to contribute to our next issue? Contact:

ghill@sportsperformancetech.com

for details

managing editor george hill

| assistant editor james ovenden | creative director nathan wood

contributors sean foreman, alex lane, william tubbs, jennifer livingston, sports performance and tech

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TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTING WINTER SPORTS James Ovenden Assistant Editor

sports performance performance and and tech tech sports

Riders that have previously not managed to get sponsorship deals can post tricks on Youtube to get themselves noticed

7 The environmental requirements of winter sports often mean that technology needs to be employed to enable them to even simply take place. Take skiing, for example. This winter, resorts in France were forced to transport snow to the slopes by helicopter after they were left bare by unseasonably warm weather.

ICEdot Another way that technology is having an impact on winter sports is through safety. There are over 40 deaths a year among skiers and snowboarders, and crashing can lead to serious injuries, as famously demonstrated by Michael Schumacher’s tragic accident. There are now wearable crash detection devices like ICEdot, a slim device which can be fitted onto any helmet and alerts the emergency services when it senses that the user has crashed. It then sends the GPS co-ordinates of where it has taken place. This is linked to an app which provides an emergency identification and notification service, so that first responders get critical health information at the scene.

GoPro The weather conditions inherent in winter sports mean that technology is useful, necessary even, in many areas, both in professional competition and for those partaking in their leisure time. One area in which technology has driven significant improvements in winter sports is in the way that it is filmed.

GoPro and other similar ‘action cameras’ have made it possible for skiers and snowboarders to capture every move and every run in highdefinition, and they’ve done so at a price point that is highly accessible to the average man and woman on the mountain, many of whom

now document their entire day on the slopes. This has particularly benefited snowboarders, becauseit has brought them a whole new audience through online video platforms like Youtube. Riders that have previously not managed to get sponsorship deals can post tricks on Youtube to get themselves noticed and build a fanbase. Such cameras also enable a far more immersive experience on television for viewers at home.

with the installed companion app placed towards the middle of your chest. It tracks your skis and body position, and offers feedback via your headphones in real time that can be used to correct aspects of your performance.

There are over 40 deaths a year among skiers and snowboarders, and crashing can lead to serious injuries

Recon Recon claims that its SNOW2 is the most powerful wearable computer in the world. It is a heads-up display for alpine sports that has the ‘onboard processing power, suite of sensors, and networking capabilities you would expect from a tablet or smartphone’. The Smith I/O Recon has a live speedometer, buddy tracking, jump analytics, and five-times anti-fog lens. The display also projects a 14-inch image 5 feet away from the eye, which means that you don’t have to refocus your eyes to view the display.

Snowcookie Technology is also being used to improve performance. Snowcookie is a system that aims to connect skiers to a network of distributed devices that look at metrics that can improve skiing performance. The system uses two sensors placed on your skis and and an iPhone

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How Data Caps Will Impact Sports Streaming Sean Foreman Event Manager, Sports Performance & Tech Summit

Comcast is the largest cable company in the U.S. According to Time, it’s also the country’s most hated internet service provider, receiving three times as many complaints as AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner Cable combined.

The main source of frustration is the recently implemented 300GB data cap, which restricts sports fans from streaming NFL matches, and the other content available within Comcast’s extensive library. Around 8% of viewers exceed the limit on a regular basis, yet fear from less frequent users about incurring extra charges is likely to cause a decrease in streaming.

I haven’t gone a single week without going over the limit and I need the bandwidth for my job as a video editor sports performance and tech

None of the company’s competitors impose similar restrictions yet, but the fact that Comcast is the only viable ISP in a number of areas makes the data cap all the more damaging. In an article in ArsTechnica, a resident in Acworth, Georgia stated: ‘I haven’t gone a single week without going over the limit and I need the bandwidth for my job as a video editor.’ A sentiment shared by many of the people who have complained to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

While other providers have yet to implement a data cap, changes are expected to be made in the not too distant future. Charter - which recently purchased Time Warner

9 Cable - will not be imposing any data caps on its customers for at least three years. The Patriot’s website also reported that T-Mobile’s ‘On Program’ will be offering unlimited streaming for ESPN, Fox Sports, MLB and NBC Sports. The article did, however, state that AT&T didn’t have such a plan in place.

Instead, they will increase the cost of the unlimited plans from $5 to $35, which, of course, will have a real impact on their subscriber base.

The main source of frustration is the recently implemented 300GB data cap, which restricts sports fans from streaming NFL matches The customer’s ability to bypass these restrictions will decrease as more ISPs offer 4K viewing. This will require more internet capacity and data to work, which, if chosen by users, will decrease the amount of content they can view even further. So what steps can users take? Barring complaining to the FCC, viewers must be vigilant and understand exactly their limit is, and also the financial penalties which come with exceeding the limit.

Bob Wallace, column writer for the Patriots website, doesn’t believe that data caps are necessarily the future: ‘SNL Kagan’s Heynen predicts – and I concur - a trend away from data caps as Internet providers realize fully that their traditional cable TV products are on the decline while their broadband service use continues to rise.’

Whether data caps turn out to be bad for business still remains to be seen, but for the immediate future, sports streaming will be at a premium.

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TOP 5 SPORTS TECHNOLOGY TRENDS FOR 2016 William Tubbs Head of Sports, Innovation Enterprise

The fan is the best customer a business can have. They are passionate about the teams they follow and are willing to spend money on them even when they are failing to live up to their expectations. While 2015 has already seen huge strides in sports technology, next year will see even more advances, with the fan being brought even closer to the action.

Here are five technology trends to look out for in 2016.

THE HOMETOWN TEAM GOES GLOBAL The concept of a global sports brand is nothing new. English soccer club, Manchester United, has considerable international appeal, with many estimating that their fanbase is close to 700 million, spanning Asia, North America, Africa and Europe. A global appeal, however, used to be restricted to sporting powerhouses, but it’s becoming increasingly achievable for more modest organizations.

The Sacramento Kings, while no slouches, would not have been in a position to expand into India a decade ago. But according to a Stanford University report, the NBA side, which has an Indian-American owner, is attempting to raise its profile in India, making its website available in Hindi and ‘hosting international Google+ Hangouts

during games, and sending some team personnel on outreach trips to India.’

If successful, the side feels that an Indian could easily be playing in the NBA in the next five years, this shows how important technology could be in increasing basketball’s popularity worldwide.

FAN ENGAGEMENT BECOMES DEEPER Technology has already brought the fan closer to sport, but opportunities still remain. Social media and video play an important role in this, with many established organizations like the MLB, NBA and NASCAR partnering with YouTube early on.

It’s also given fans a direct line of communication with the athletes sports performance and tech

12 themselves. Leading up to the sacking of former Chelsea FC manager, Jose Mourinho, SkySports hosted a live Facebook Q&A session with Cesc Fabregas, a player, who at the time, was reportedly central to the Portuguese’s demise. While the show’s editors would have handpicked the most suitable questions, it makes the players more accountable for their actions with the fans.

Technology has already brought the fan closer to sport, but opportunities still remain

WEARABLE TECH STILL ON THE RISE Recent reports show that wearable tech is going to become even more popular in 2016. The American College of Sports Medicine survey identified that wearable technology will be 2016’s top fitness trend.

Perhaps more representative of the improving smartwatch market, many users have been exchanging their fitness tracker for the Apple Watch.

Other products, including techembedded clothing, smart glasses and jewelry will help the industry bring in over $30 billion in 2016, with 140 million devices expected to be shipped - nearly three times more than 2015’s totals.

The Los Angeles Dodger Accelerator program works with smaller teams to get them funding quicker

sports performance and tech

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMART ARENAS Set in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Levi’s Stadium remains the most high-tech stadium of its kind. Home to the San Francisco 49ers, it has a capacity of 70,000. According to Time magazine: ‘The stadium will allow all 70,000+ fans to connect to Wi-Fi and 4G networks to take advantage of personalized services, making the event experience more enjoyable’. The stadium will enrich the fan’s experience, allowing them easier access to stats and replays.

Development plans will be a priority for 2016. According to a Stanford University report: ‘This could mean one day scanning a ticket on your phone to enter the arena, which sends an alert to a service representative to let them know it’s your birthday, so your favorite cocktail can be delivered to your seat.’ This is something we’re not far away from either.

MORE SPORTS STARTUPS A number of sports startups will be entering the market, making use of digital media in particular.

Whistle Sports and Bleacher Report have grown their subscriber bases substantially over the last five years, becoming an important source of information for the 14-30 demographic.

The Los Angeles Dodger Accelerator program works with smaller teams to get them funding quicker. This gives them them the opportunity to work with companies that can help them innovate.

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Sports Analytics Innovation Summit

MELBOURNE FEBRUARY 23TH & 24TH, 2016

Speakers Include Dan Watts +61 2 8011 3007 dwatts@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com analytics innovation

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​Key Trends That Are Driving The Sports Betting Industry Jennifer Livingston Business Consultant, Quotrics

The business of sports betting is one of the biggest developments in the sports industry over the past couple of years. More people are starting to wager money on the outcome of sports. There have been some states that have decided to make gambling legal in many different ways. However, there are also states that have started to push back on companies that are making gambling legal. One of the biggest developments in this industry is the role of daily fantasy sports. This allows a person to bet small amounts of money on their favorite sports in an effort to win big. In many of the challenges, there are people playing against thousands of others. The winners earn a huge sum of money for their work in the games, however, most of the players end up with nothing. Here are some of the key trends that are driving this huge business of sports.

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Ease of Play

Low Cost of Entry

One of the biggest reasons that the sports betting industry has continued to grow is the ease of play. In years past, people would have to drive to a casino in order to place a wager on the outcome of a game, but with the presence of online gambling and other forms of entertainment, this is no longer a barrier to play. Many people simply place wagers on their phone on certain outcomes to happen. The daily fantasy sports market has been able to capitalize on this trend as they have made it much easier to place wagers on a variety of different outcomes to occur. With daily fantasy football, a user can choose players who are going to have big games in the coming week, then depending on the stats in the game, players will receive a set amount of points each week. There are many people who spend thousands of dollars a week playing with different teams around the league, and over the long term, it is the serious players who make the most money.

Another great thing propelling the growth of the industry is the low cost of entry. Many of the daily fantasy sports work by allowing players to bet as little as one dollar in a game, removing a huge barrier of entry to the gambling. Over the long term, this has resulted in a huge growth in the industry, as anyone who is interested can bet as little or as much as they want to. It is important to understand betting odds when placing wagers, but many people just enjoy the extra bit of fun that comes from placing a wager on sports team or players to perform at a certain level.

The Future of The Sports Betting Business There are a lot of legal hurdles that must be faced by this industry as a whole before it expands further.

There are many states that have said that they do not want these companies operating in their jurisdiction, for instance. Over the long term, there are many people who will be put off by the perceived or real threat of doing something illegal. However, the people who are running these betting companies insist that what they are doing is completely legal. It will be interesting to see how the industry copes when it is operating in such a grey legal area. However, there are many people who think that the industry can come out on top, especially given its current popularity.

In years past, people would have to drive to a casino in order to place a wager on the outcome of a game

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PICKING MELBOURNE CUP WINNERS WITH MACHINE LEARNING Alex Lane Organizer, Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit

For a short period in November, as it does every year, the Melbourne Cup horse race captured the attention of millions of people around the world, and Australia stopped almost completely. It is a unique event, seeing the best horses, with the best jockeys, compete on a record length track of 3,200m.

This year, Michelle Payne became the first-ever female jockey to win the race, riding Prince of Penzance home to take the $3.6 million prize.

Horse racing is big business for bookmakers, with gamblers queuing up year-round to throw money at them, and the major races can see hundreds of millions laid down.

In 2014, Australians collectively wagered around $800 million on

sports performance and tech

the Melbourne Cup — almost $40 per head of population. It is likely that this year the total was even higher. Despite its popularity among gamblers, the many variables involved in a horse race make it extremely unpredictable. In an effort to try and boost their chances of getting one over on the bookies, punters go to extreme lengths.

They pour over all the information available, note down everything every ‘expert’ says, employ all manner of systems that they believe will give them the edge.

They used a number of approaches to pick a winner

This year, PwC’s Insight Analytics team and the PwC Experience Centre attempted to lend a helping hand by pouring over all the data for them, and applying a variety of analytics models to it in an attempt to predict the top 5 finishers.

PwC explained that: ‘Algorithms, including decision trees and their ensemble counter-parts use historical race results to ‘learn’ the complex relationship between a horse’s characteristics (weight, age, trainer etc.) and its most-likely finishing place or probability of winning.’

They used a number of approaches to pick a winner this year, including ‘the tried-and-tested linear regression model, a new machine learning model, and another more unique approach.’

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The real question is, how did their models do?

form, weight carried, track condition preference of the horse, and barrier position in each race.’

In order to see the full benefits of the modeling, they first gathered all the data possible and had horse racing experts input it in order to focus on what matters when it comes to picking winners. They collected the data using web scraping scripts for over 50 thousand horses and over 1 million race results (a race with 24 horses would have 24 race results). Such a large dataset allowed for thorough testing of the model’s validity before all the variables considered relevant to the race’s result - those that were available, at least - were input. This included ‘race odds, horse speed &

This year, Michelle Payne became the first-ever female jockey to win the race, riding Prince of Penzance home to take the $3.6 million prize

Dynamite, Criterion, Trip to Paris, and Big Orange. Machine learning and predictive analytics may have helped in the development of a cure for cancer, control a driverless car, and translated some of the finest literary works the world has ever known with little to no human assistance, but the Melbourne Cup remains as elusive a mystery as ever.

The real question is, how did their models do? Not well, apparently.

They predicted, in descending order: Fame Game, Preferment, Trip to Paris, Almoonqith, and Who Shot Thebarman. The actual results were Prince of Penzance, then Max

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Is 3D Printing ​ Going To Revolutionize Sports Equipment?

George Hill Managing Editor

3D printing is one of most exciting emerging technologies around today. It allows products to be created from anywhere in the world without needing to wait for often time-consuming delivery times, and can even print food and other perishable goods.

In addition to having a significant impact on our daily lives, it also has the potential to impact on the sports we play, either at an amateur or professional level.

the ultimate goal of true product customization is closer than ever before This has already started in earnest, with one of the most famous cycling achievements in 2015 greatly assisted by 3D printing technology.

This was, of course, Bradley Wiggins’ breaking of the hour record

(the furthest distance ridden in an hour), which was helped in no small part by the 3D printed handlebars on his Pinarello Bolide track bike.

The bars themselves were printed in titanium, extensively tested in wind tunnels, and created specifically for his body. It meant that he had maximum comfort on the bike, whilst also allowing for an increased aerodynamic position. Although they had a significant effect on his performance, the cost is likely to sports performance and tech

20 prove prohibitive for many at an estimated £3,000 minimum ($4500).

not be the case with 3D printing techniques.

However, given that 3D printing is in its early stages, this price is only going to decrease, while the opportunity for others to create something 3D printed is only going to increase.

Adidas have started work on their 3D printed shoes and created a concept product made from modified thermoplastic polyurethane. The aim was to create a set of running performance shoes that could perform to the same, or better, standard than the current mass produced offerings.

Their prototype was a success, and as Daniel Cocking, a footwear development manager from the company explains:

We have seen this in RaceWare’s recent cycle computer mount, and bike company Charge is also 3D printing some bike components.

Other sports are still largely in the testing phase, though tennis rackets, baseball bats and even 3D printed surfboards are being made available to the public.

Perhaps the use case that will have the most traction for 3D printing will be in the creation of trainers though.

Adidas have started work on their 3D printed shoes and created a concept product made from modified thermoplastic polyurethane Every person, whether they are a professional athlete or not, has a different gait when they walk and a different need from their shoes.

People often need to have additional insoles or other orthopedic inserts to help alleviate the issues that having incorrect footwear can bring.

Custom shoes are obviously a possibility, but for most this is out of their price range, though this may

sports performance and tech

‘We all have different foot shapes, and we all have different running gaits. This makes buying a running shoe a tricky journey. By harnessing 3D printing technology, the ultimate goal of true product customization is closer than ever before. It’s a promise of a fast approaching revolutionary in-store experience, where your style of running could be analyzed and used to create a perfectly tailored functional product.

This opportunity eliminates the anxiety of buying a new running shoe, knowing that there is no other shoe in the world that is better fitted with the right characteristics for you.’

This could therefore represent a significant change in the way that people are fitted for shoes and how they buy their running shoes moving forward, which is at the core of most sports. This will benifit everybody, whether it is the professional sprinter winning gold at the Olympics or the person who is looking to lose a bit of weight after the Christmas break.

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Business in Sport Summit

AUSTIN MAY 18TH & 19TH, 2016

Speakers Include Sean Foreman +1 (415) 692 5514 sforeman@theiegroup.com www.theinnovationenterprise.com sports performance and tech

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SVELTE LONG SLEEVE HERITAGE JERSEY

WHAT IS IT ?

Breaking away from what we traditionally look at in Sports Performance & Tech, we wanted to have a look at how more traditional materials work today, and the Svelte Heritage jersey fits with this.

It is a Danish Merino wool based cycling piece that aims to be a three season jersey with a sophisticated look. It also has some innovative pocket placement to make sure that everything you want to take on a ride has a place. This includes three regular back pockets, a buttoned pocket and a concealed side pocket.

In addition to this, it also has a silicone gripper running across the hem and an athletic fit.

IS IT ANY GOOD ?

The material used throughout is high quality and it feels soft against the skin, even if wearing it without a base layer. The material used is also fairly quick drying and relatively wind resistant, showing that you don’t always need to have the most high tech fabrics to achieve winter comfort.

The fit is good and the the slightly angled cut on the cuffs also give a little bit of extra wind protection on the hands. It has a naturally shorter from than back, helping to stop bunching when riding too.

As you would expect from a Merino wool jersey, the breathability and wicking on it are good, meaning that even when wearing it underneath a waterproof jacket, you don’t tend to overheat too much and the sweat doesn’t sit on your skin.

However, I think that best thing about the jersey is simply that it looks really good. It is not just in the cut, but also in the minimalist design and branding, with only winks towards the brand through small sports performance and tech

logos and a single button the a rear pocket.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE ?

In terms of materials, there are a few Merino wool three seasons jerseys about, from companies like Rapha, Vulpine and Bontrager, and I would say that this sits with these in terms of quality and performance.

One of the great things about it is that it also comes in roughly the same as most others using this material, with an RRP of £110. The Rapha Club jersey comes in at the same price, Vulpine’s is £100 and £135 for the Bontrager version.

Some could point to the established brands having earned the right to charge this kind of money, but the reality is that this is easily comparable to them, despite the relative youth of the company.

SHOULD I BUY IT ?

If you are in the market for a classy looking jersey that also performs then this should definitely be a consideration. It is also refreshing to find a jersey that doesn’t make you look like a walking billboard, so if you are also after something understated, you could certainly do worse.

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AFTERSHOKZ BLUEZ 2S HEADPHONES

WHAT IS IT ?

A bone conducting set of headphones that allow music to be played without pumping it directly into the ear canal. The idea behind this is that it then allows the wearer to hear things whilst they are running or cycling.

The headphones operate through two pads that sit in front of the ear and vibrate the bone, rather than directly vibrating the ear drums. They stay in place thanks to the single band construction that runs around the rear of the head and rests above the ears.

their positioning being something that you would not normally be used to. The buttons are easy to use and I only really struggled to use them when wearing thick winter gloves, even the microphone worked fine when talking in all but the loudest environments.

Battery life is also good, lasting around 4/5 hours before needing a charge. For something that connects through bluetooth, this is surprisingly good and meant that I wasn’t constantly worried about my music stopping midway through a ride or run.

In addition to this they have a 6 hour battery life, Leakslayer technology to stop sound leakage and PremiumPitch+ to provide deeper and wider ranging sound.

The most important element is always going to be how well they let both ambient noise and music in and in this they excelled. When riding I could hear cars approaching from behind, pedestrians talking and even the crunch of my tires on the road. This was all whilst listening to David Bowie clearly. It is an experience that takes some getting used to, but once you do it is fantastic.

IS IT ANY GOOD ?

HOW DOES IT COMPARE ?

Using these headphones is a really interesting experience and something that, when you first use them, takes some getting used to.

By the nature of how they work, they require the vibrations of the bones in front of your ear, which feels a bit like when you are at a really loud gig and you can feel your head vibrating.

SHOULD I BUY IT ?

They operate via bluetooth, meaning that you don’t have wires connected to your phone and the coating means that they don’t stop working when you’re sweating or exercising in the rain.

The sound they create is also surprisingly good for something that isn’t directly in your ear. Although they are never going to be as good as wearing a set of in-ear headphones, the bass is still deep and you can also clearly hear lyrics and higher notes. I even found that they worked well with spoken word, not missing anything.

They sit nicely on the head and are surprisingly comfortable, despite

There are very few other bone conducting headphones on the market at the moment, making it hard to make any kind of direct comparison.

If you are a regular runner or cyclist, they make a great option and solve one the biggest problems that those who exercise regularly in busy environments find. They allow you to keep a sense of hearing even when pumping out your favourite running track. Although they took a bit of getting used to, I now think they are fantastic and with an RRP of $99.99, not too expensive.

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