In this article I will review the Stryd Next Gen Footpod power meter for running and would also like to test if it could work in a hiking scenario as well. Two Stryd Next Gen Footpods can also be connected (left / right balance) into what is called the Stryd Duo that delivers new metrics like Stryd Footpath.
Stryd perfectly works with a Garmin Fenix 7 multi sports watch and integrates well with TrainingPeaks, but let’s have a look at the Stryd App for Google Android as well.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Unboxing Stryd Next Gen
The Stryd Next Gen comes in a small rectangular plastic box, that includes:
- Stryd Next Gen Footpod power meter;
- Short USB-C cable with the actual charging dock for the Stryd Next Gen;
- Two shoe clips (orange and black);
- Quick Start Guide and some other paperwork;
- 6 months Stryd Membership, because I purchased via prorun.nl;
- Free eBook: The Fastest Way To Your Next Personal Best;
It is a basic package, but gives you everything you need to use the Stryd Next Gen Power Meter for Running. If you know how to position the Stryd Footpod on your shoe, you are good to go.
Stryd vs Stryd Next Gen
But why is the Stryd Next Gen called the next gen and what are the main differences compared to the first version of the Stryd ? On the Stryd Blog you can read through an article that goes into the details of the summary bullets below:
- 5x improved responsiveness for the most accurate pacing;
- Track lower body stress to keep healthy and sustain your performance;
- New running profiles to tailor power pacing to your workout conditions;
- Sprint accuracy for tracking improvements in speed work;
Having this background information on the improvements, and what value it can provide to you as a runner is good to know. Personally I don’t think it made any sense to opt for the original Stryd first generation sensor anymore.
Stryd Duo and Stryd Footpath
Later in 2023 Stryd announced: Introducing Stryd Duo + Stryd Footpath which is build upon the Stryd Next Gen and allows you to connect two Stryd Next Gen Footpods on both your shoes. In cycling analogies it would be a single side power meter versus a double side power meter.
Today, we are introducing Stryd Duo, a dual-sided running power meter delivering the new Stryd Footpath and new Stryd Duo left-right running balance metrics with Stryd’s leading accuracy to empower runners with deeper insights into their running than ever before.
Having the Stryd Next Gens connected in a Duo set-up also gives more insights in the movement of both feet in while running: Stryd Footpath. This could help in improving your running technique. A similar sensor-and-movement-concept is also key in professional bike fit, where the body position, movement of legs is optimized with a set of sensors placed on joints and key positions of the body.
Stryd App for Google Android
If you open the Stryd App for Google Android you will have 5 tabs at the bottom for navigation.
- Summary
- Calendar
- Library
- Analysis
- Discover
Stryd App – Summary
The summary tab’s goal is to give you … a summary. 🙂 The main building blocks of this very important tab are:
- Duration
- Summary
- Fitness
- Running Stress Balance
- Events
- Capabilities
- Shoes
The summary building block provides a lot of information like Stress, Distance, Duration, Elevation Gain, Runs, Lower Body Stress. These are comparable metrics one would probably see in a platform like TrainingPeaks. The training stress scores (TSS) give you information about the load you put on your body with exercises in the period you’ve selected.
This building block consists of the critical power (in W and W/kg), Training Level, Power Duration Curve and Modeled Ability. The Power Curve I know from cycling, when I started using a Pioneer Pedaling Monitor System and Pioneer Cyclo Sphere which was replaced by Shimano Connect Lab but still with the power curve in it.
For the Running Stress Balance, you need to have the Stryd Membership in place. Events and shoes are of course building blocks that speak for itself.
In the summary tab you also see the settings (sprocket) icon in the upper right corner that brings you to the settings.
- Paired Stryd
- Added Watches
- Account Information
- App Settings
- Get Help
- Resources
- App Information
When you click on the (Paired) Stryd you will get all the details from battery status to firmware version and ANT+-ID. This is the place where you need to go to manually trigger a firmware update (when needed). Also in the Pair Stryd section you can connect two Stryd Next Gen units into a Stryd Duo.
In the added watches section you will see the Garmin Fenix 7 as the smartwatch to which the Stryd has been connected. I believe still the old Polar Vantage M smartwatch would work with the Stryd Next Gen as well. In this section however you can get to instruction links on how to configure the Stryd Zones, Getting Pace and Distance form your Stryd and so on.
Stryd App – Calendar
In the calendar tab of the Stryd App for Google Android you will get an overview of your training sessions. Just like the TrainingPeaks app you can switch between a date-list view or a month view. On the dates that you’ve trained you will see a yellow Stryd branded dot.
When you click on the date (from the month view) you will go to the date list and get a summary of the training activity. When it happened, what was the movement time, what was the distance, what was the average power output and a route view on the map in the background.
Clicking on that specific activity results in a more detailed and granular view like power over time graph, split times and split power and a metrics section with averages for power, pace, heart rate, elevation, cadence, air power and form power ratio. With the Stryd membership you can get more additional insights and automated post-run insights.
Stryd App – Library
The library section of the Stryd App is the place to search for prebuild workouts, that you could do and push to the Garmin Fenix 7 smart watch or even build a training plan. TrainingPeaks also has this structured workout building, which you can push to a Garmin Edge 840 or Wahoo Elemnt Bolt v2 device to execute a structured workout on that Tacx Neo Smarttrainer. So my expectation from the library section in the Stryd App would be a similar concept of using pre-build structured workouts.
Stryd App – Analysis
If you don’t have a Stryd membership, you will not be able to have these options at hand.
Basically the analysis tab does two main types of analysis:
- Current Training Plan Analysis
- Analysis of all data
So how are you progressing against your current training plan, while the all data analysis basically shows you trends over longer periods of time.
Stryd App – Discover
This section is your gateway to discover new things about your Stryd Next Gen. The sections below are your entry point in a wiki-style drill down to additional or more specific information.
- Training plans by Steve Palladino
- Workout of the week
- eBook
- Coach’s Corner
- How to
- Stryder Success Stories
- Resources
- Stryd Power Podcast
Overall I think the Stryd App for Google Android is a very usable and versatile smartphone app. Both without the Stryd Membership as well as with the Stryd Membership it is highly useful. It just depends on the context, your personal goals and if you are using any other training-platforms.
Hiking with Stryd Next Gen
Power meters are widely used in the World Tour (cycling) peloton for years now, and the price-point has come down significantly. Amateur cyclist, like me, have also access to training with a power meter (Pioneer Pedaling Monitor System, 4iiii Precision 3 Power meter Deore XT M8100, … ).
- The Secret of Cycling – Maximum Performance Gains Through Effective Power Metering and Training Analysis is the book of Guido Vroemen, Hans van Dijk and Ron van Megen;
- The Secret of Running, a book from Ron van Megen and Hans van Dijk;
I was fortunate to have discussions with Ron van Megen and Hans van Dijk, both experienced runners and engineers behind both books, about the hypothesis of using a Stryd Next Gen during hiking and walking activities (instead of only for running)
- How would the power metrics differ with these lower intensity work-outs ?
- How would the power values be when going over 3000 meters at higher intensity during a hut tour in the Alps ?
- How would the running and walking power outputs compare against power outputs on a bike ?
- Could I compare the different training zones in TrainingPeaks from cycling, running and hiking ?
In the end it is the same human (me) and the same engine who is providing the power. And with that same human engine in mind there are some highly interesting articles from Ron and Hans on this topic:
All these articles compare running and cycling efforts of professional world tour athletes, with the common metric for FTP (in Watts/kg). It is interesting to see how the capability to perform is transformed into best times or cycling speeds. Highly interesting, so that basically also has the proof in the pudding that having a power meter for running makes sense.
Walking and hiking are typically more aerobic efforts which should have overlap with the Z1 and Z2 efforts with cycling. And I’m not 100% sure about the accuracy of the Stryd around these lower intense aerobic efforts, but it gives another view on the workload you put on your body and potentially the energy systems that you are training.
So I use a Stryd Next Gen and clip it alternately on my Hanwag Alverstone II GTX of Hanwag Ferrata II GTX hiking shoes to get another view on the effort, as well as on the Asics Gel Kayano Running Shoes (with Solestar Neutral Run Insoles)
Concluding thoughts and wrap-up
The price point of the Stryd Next Gen is around € 270,00 (at prorun.nl) which includes a 6 months Stryd Membership. It is the price of 1-1.5 pair of running shoes, but significantly cheaper than a cycling power meter or a premium Garmin smartwatch (like the Fenix series). With the additional e-book and Stryd Membership I think it is a fair price, but it is still significant money. The Stryd Next Gen Duo comes at the price point of € 460,00 with 12 months of Stryd Membership.
The main objective for me would be to have an understanding of running with power, and how these insights would compare with the information I have from cycling. Overall it simply will get you a better understanding of your body energy systems. Lots to learn:
- Running with Power: How it Works and What it Means
- A Stryd training plan improves your running performance. Not necessarily your Critical Power
I’ll probably share my review of free eBook: The Fastest Way To Your Next Personal Best on this website at a later point in time.
I’ve learned that these runners by heart also found their way on the bike, while I’m approaching this the other way around: combining road, mountain and gravel-bike with hiking and (sometimes) running.
Other categories with interesting articles on my personal blog are:
