General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership? Rss Feed  
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2009-12-27 2:21 PM

Veteran
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Subject: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?

Mainly silver I'm talking about but gold too.



Edited by TRI G33K 2009-12-27 2:21 PM


2009-12-27 2:41 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Resident Curmudgeon
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The Road Back
Gold member
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
Never regretted, as I figure what I get out of this site is well worth the cost. But there were a lot of features (mainly the access to coaches) with the Gold meembership that I didn't use. 
2009-12-27 2:42 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Extreme Veteran
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Olathe, Kansas
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I switched from gold to silver and have been a member for about 3 years. I consider BT membership some of the best bang for the buck I spent triathlon related. For basic training/equipment info, articles, videos, access to plans of all sorts is well beyond what BT charges. I think for a beginner to intermediate athlete it is invaluable. Upload log feature is excellent, graphs and amount of data to track and do basic analysis is excellent. I can't really say enough of good things about various levels of membership. The key is picking the level that will suit you.
If you are an advanced athlete, the benefit may not be as large, but still there. I don't believe in online coaching and I did not use the benefits of Gold membership or step above coaching level. I create my own plans using another vendor that is not so great and has overly complicated log to manage. I than dual log everything on two sites, but use BT for it's simple graphing features.
Overall I think, you can't go wrong with any BT levels of membership. I wish other tri related sites were as friendly. 
2009-12-27 2:52 PM
in reply to: #2579034

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Extreme Veteran
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Olathe, Kansas
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
the bear - 2009-12-27 2:41 PMNever regretted, as I figure what I get out of this site is well worth the cost. But there were a lot of features (mainly the access to coaches) with the Gold meembership that I didn't use. 
About accessing coaches. I have not tried it here on BT with my Gold membership as I did not use any of the plans included. Communications with coaches are limited to questions related to those plans provided. I have not researched that level of quality of responses coaches give here. I am very frustrated with a pay site I use to create my plans and manage workouts in a sense that whenever you have a serious question, very specific to workout or a plan in general, coaches provide very vague answers, nothing direct and useful. I have learned that serious questions require serious answers and that raises to the level of consulting. Now, that would steer you in a direction of A- buying a plan (cookie cutter type) or pay for consulting fees. So, no real support there.I am having a feeling that BT is very different in that regard and that coaches here probably give good specific advice.Forum, with Jorge, Daremo and few others like BryanCd....give excellent direction during any thread related to training. Once again I find this forum to be more helpful than the one better known over on the dark side (ST).
2009-12-27 3:22 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Master
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Saratoga Springs, Utah
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
Not at all.
2009-12-27 3:22 PM
in reply to: #2579034

Iron Donkey
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, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?

the bear - 2009-12-27 2:41 PM Never regretted, as I figure what I get out of this site is well worth the cost. But there were a lot of features (mainly the access to coaches) with the Gold meembership that I didn't use. 

What's a "meembership"?  We don't need no steenkin' "meembership, bear.



2009-12-27 4:23 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Champion
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Northridge, California
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I don't use many of the paid features at all, so I haven't joined beyond bronze...but I consider my membership cost a pretty meager repayment for all the free features I was using before that...including all the advice and perspective I've gotten from these forums.
2009-12-27 4:32 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Extreme Veteran
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Farmington NY
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I regret not having it.
2009-12-27 4:38 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Champion
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Albuquerque, New Mexico
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?

Regret?  Only that my membership has allowed me to continue my tri-addiction.  I've had the Silver membership most of the last 3 years. 

2009-12-27 4:40 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Extreme Veteran
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Farmington NY
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I just renewed
2009-12-27 5:40 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Master
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Columbus, Ohio
Coaching member
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I just upgraded to bronze and importing from my Garmin is awesome. Way better than paging through the laps on the watch screen and typing them in. I think it's worth the time spent. I also like being able to enter a planned and compare my planned training to my actual training.

I like to design my own plan, so accessing great plans hasn't been a big priority.


2009-12-27 5:42 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Extreme Veteran
552
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Farmington NY
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
Garmin is a big thing for me. Didn't realize it was for Bronze and up.
2009-12-27 5:48 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Alpharetta, Georgia
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I purchased the Silver membership earlier this year - mainly for the detailed training plans. I feel I got my money's worth out of them for the purpose I needed at the time - but I'm not certain I'll renew.

I've recently purchased a few tri training books which include tons of training plans for all levels. Next season I think I'm going to write my own plans based on the books and what I've learned here on BT. So I'm not sure the renewal would be worth it next year. We'll see.

 
2009-12-27 7:40 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Regular
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Philadelphia
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?

Even if I didn't use a single one of the features, I feel the membership is fair compensation for the amount of advice, knowledge, and entertainment I get from this site. 

As a total newbie, it's been valuable for me to be able to look over a variety of training plans for several levels. You could get the same info from books for about the same price, certainly, but for me (someone totally new who finds it all a little overwhelming), having those plans and BT's training log all set to work together is very helpful.



Edited by Silver Bullet 2009-12-27 7:42 PM
2009-12-27 7:43 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Champion
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Dallas, TX
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I have a bronze membership and I have never regretted it. While I don't use the training plan options... I like contributing towards paying for this valuable website.
2009-12-27 7:51 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Extreme Veteran
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DC Metro area
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
just another question,

how many of you have a coach and still use this site with a payed plan?


2009-12-27 7:53 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Master
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Boynton Beach, FL
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
Same as most others. I pay for membership due to what I get from all the advice etc and not so much due to training plans and other perks. Well worth it.
2009-12-27 8:05 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Master
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Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I started with gold but backed off to silver. I like the plans and feel they have helped me. I really like the logs.
2009-12-27 8:07 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Master
1690
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Metro NY Area
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I upgraded from Silver to Gold when BT was having a special deal. But I was happy with silver, I don't really use the gold features much. I did it more to support BT because I think it's a great resource and I spend so much time here.
2009-12-27 8:07 PM
in reply to: #2579370

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Extreme Veteran
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Olathe, Kansas
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
fire34fighter - 2009-12-27 7:51 PM just another question,

how many of you have a coach and still use this site with a payed plan?


I don't use a coach but use trainingpeaks.com Virtual Coach and my own extensive library in combination with Silver membership. No training plans from BT, I create my own. 
2009-12-27 9:33 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Champion
19812
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MA
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I have had a coach for last 5 years and am a supporting member Bronze to BT almost since the beginning.

I like supporting BT but don't need the help from coaches that gold offers.


2009-12-27 10:06 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Science Nerd
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Redwood City, California
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
I've never regretted having a membership.  Not only to I like the extra features and training plans, but I'm happy to support the site.
2009-12-27 10:15 PM
in reply to: #2579023

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Pro
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the Alabama part of Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?

The only time I regretted was when I let my membership lapse for a week or so.  I was in between training plans, and so I decided I didn't need the daily e-mail reminder when my plan lapsed.  Within a few days of lapsing, I was sick of manually entering the Garmin data (how can I find that more tiresome than the actual workout?  I wish I understood that), and re-upped.  Otherwise, I am very happy with the silver membership.  I'm not good enough to get a coach, and don't have aspirations at this time to do so.  My top reason for doing tri's is to control weight, not to be more competitive.

2009-12-28 7:34 AM
in reply to: #2579023

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Master
3546
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Millersville, MD
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
Okay, I'll bite...

I'm a former bronze member and currently not a member.  I regularly think about renewing my membership... in my case mostly because of the added graphs available in my log.  I would prefer to track my training via the time spent in each HR zone, versus total mileage or total time (the only metrics availible to non-members, I believe).

I'll very likely be a paid member again in the future, but thus far I do not felt any voids in my soul about letting my membership lapse.

My answer would be different if there wasn't a giant rev3 amimated advertisement shouting at me from the margins, or I otherwise had information that the site was struggling to make expenses.

Final thought - many people, and I try to be one of them when I can, contribute far more to the quality and reputation of this site by their contributions on the forums, than whatever membership dues they fork over.

---- ETA ----

edited to add that I didn't mean to wizz anyone off with those comments.  I think the content-to-ad ratio on this site is fine.

Edited by JoshKaptur 2009-12-28 7:41 AM
2009-12-28 8:25 AM
in reply to: #2579686

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Extreme Veteran
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Firestone, CO
Subject: RE: Has Anyone Regretted Getting a BT Membership?
Have never been a member because you can find any information you need for free and make your own training plans by searching the internet and going to your local library. If you look at most plans they are similar and you will have to modify them to meet your schedule anyway. One of the only downfalls is if you want your future training plan to be in your schedule you will have to manually type it in. I find keeping a separate schedule and just importing what I do to my log works best. There are better logging programs such as Sporttracks (its free) for Garmin upload. You also dont need to be online to use sporttracks. That helps me because I travel for my job. Just my 2 cents
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