The next generation CORE 2 body temperature sensor is smaller, lighter, and smarter than ever. By tracking your body’s core temperature, this smart little gadget promises to help optimize how you train your body for endurance riding and racing in hot weather. And maybe the best part? Better in every way, it’s still the same price as before…
Core 2 body temperature sensor is smaller, lighter & smarter
Just over four years ago CORE popped up on the pro cycling scene with a small thermal sensor that racers were clipping onto their heartrate monitor straps to track their core temperature and better train their body’s ability to deal with racing in the heat. In the years since, Core sensors can be found in the training regimens of most top professional cycling teams – a claimed >65% of the UCI WorldTour teams – as another tool to optimize rider output.
Now Core are back with a second-generation Core 2 sensor that they say is 48% smaller and 30% lighter, while delivering all the same thermal tracking capabilities. Plus, it comes in an updated design and with more smart capabilities built into its hardware for future expanded capabilities!
How can Heat Adaptation Training make you faster racing in hot weather?
The core concept behind training with a Core body temperature tracker is that at a certain point, once your body cannot shed excess heat during intense efforts, power output declines. But, you can actually train your body to better adapt to heat (essentially increasing the amount of plasma in your blood), so that you can better tolerate strenuous activity in hot weather without as much decrease in performance.
This past year Core introduced new Heat Zones and a Heat Strain Index in their companion app to make heat training even easier. And then a simplified Heat Adaptation Score that more clearly shows training athletes “how their bodies are adapting to thermal stress in real-time.” Their goal has been how to make Heat Adaptation Training easier and more intuitive for all athletes competing in hot weather.
“We are excited to make some of the thermal data and insights used by the top elite athletes in the world more accessible to endurance athletes. We know that heat has a massive impact on performance, and with rising global temperatures it’s more important than ever to bring CORE technology to more athletes. We believe this latest update will profoundly impact how athletes understand and relate to thermal stress.”
– Ross McGraw, VP and Global Head of Core
What’s new in Core version 2.0?
Most obvious is a sleek new design that Core describes as smarter and more modular. We don’t know the exact dimensions yet, but almost 1/3 weight savings should push this new Core 2 under 9g!
Official dimensions update:
- 41.9 x 29.4 x 7.1mm without the modular TPU clip to attach to chest & arm straps (presumably for stick-on applications)
- 45.1 x 32.6 x 9.6mm with the modular clip (compared to 50 x 40 x 8.35mm for CORE 1)
- 8.6g without clip, or 11.4g with the clip (compared to 12g for gen 1, making weight savings minimal in the end)
- at least 6 day battery life in use, or up to 30 days with standby mode enabled
You’ll definitely forget it’s there, at least without the clip.
The new Core 2 sensor features a new snap-together ‘detachable’ design that aims to improve durability and security so you’ll be sure that it stays where you put it. No more snapping off your chest strap during intense efforts. The more flexible TPU clip stays attached to your chest strap, and the ABS plastic sensor can separately be removed for charging or cleaning.
It uses the same proprietary magnetic charging cable as before, although now with a USB-C end. But now has a new LED indicator light that makes it easier to confirm “device status, battery life, and charging progress“.
In reality, beyond what we can see from the outside, the updated tech inside is a bit vague. It keeps the same Bluetooth LE & ANT+ connectivity to link the body temp sensor to iOS, Android, Garmin & Wahoo devices for real-time tracking. But Core also promises “Future-Ready Hardware” upgrades that aim to offer even more functionality via over-the-air updates with “upcoming software innovations“.
Core 2 – Pricing, availability & discounted upgrades for original Core users
Good news for prospective buyers, the new CORE 2 body temp sensor will sell for the same 270 CHF as the original. That’s ~$296/288€ at current exchange rates, but Core says they’ll communicate local pricing closer to actual consumer availability. There’s the rub… the next-gen Core 2 sensors won’t be available until March 2025, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer to dial in your heat training.
But…
They have also reduced the original 1st-gen Core sensors by 20% as they clear out remaining stock. And, there will be a “Trade-Up Program for Loyal Users” offering a discounted price for the new Core 2 to any existing Core 1 user who sends their original body temperature sensor back to Core once the new version is ready. No word on how much that credit might be and how much money you might save on a new one though.