# Fitness & Monitors



## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

Do most of you use a HR monitor? 
What device to you use if any ?
I like my Garmin Fenix 6 pro watch to pull my stats. 
As we get older, these numbers are really important to me. I also have my watch notify me ever 60 seconds while riding. After 3 MI's it is really important to know what my HR rate is while I'm riding.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

I wear a Garmin forerunner 235 to track my running distance and speed. (I'm a long distance runner ) It has a heart rate feature and tracks some other some basic data. I'm most impressed with the font size which I can read without my reading glasses  and it beeps at every kilometre. I haven't had the need to wear it biking.


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## rob214 (Apr 18, 2019)

Garmin 520 with a wahoo hr strap and a Garmin Vivoactive 3


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

I'm kind of a data nerd and use a wahoo tickr chest strap paired to a garmin head unit. Really though I pay a lot more attention to my power meter during rides. Heart rate is what it is and seems to vary from day to day.


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## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

do you pair in food calories data with it like Myfitness, noom, Loseit? with the garmin?


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Not me. Garmin estimates calories burned of course but I never bother looking at it. That's one area I'm not really concerned about.


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## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

J.B. Weld said:


> Not me. Garmin estimates calories burned of course but I never bother looking at it. That's one area I'm not really concerned about.


Im trying to loose about 20 lbs so yes im watching them, it is nice to see how many calories i have left .


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

goofyarcher said:


> Im trying to loose about 20 lbs so yes im watching them, it is nice to see how many calories i have left .


Yeah I know a lot of people have trouble keeping their weight down, I'm just lucky and for whatever reason I don't. Keep at it and good luck!


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## ElTortoise (Jul 27, 2015)

goofyarcher said:


> Do most of you use a HR monitor?
> What device to you use if any ?
> I like my Garmin Fenix 6 pro watch to pull my stats.
> As we get older, these numbers are really important to me. I also have my watch notify me ever 60 seconds while riding. After 3 MI's it is really important to know what my HR rate is while I'm riding.
> ...


I'm a model behind with a Garmin Fenix 5. I've had it a couple years now and it has been a solid device for riding, running, walking, and even some kayaking and open water swimming (well, snorkeling). Just curious how many others on here have a Garmin device and if anybody does the various monthly walking, running and riding challenges on Garmin Connect?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

ElTortoise said:


> I'm a model behind with a Garmin Fenix 5. I've had it a couple years now and it has been a solid device for riding, running, walking, and even some kayaking and open water swimming (well, snorkeling). Just curious how many others on here have a Garmin device and if anybody does the various monthly walking, running and riding challenges on Garmin Connect?


I've been using my Garmin for just less than a year and I do love it. Prior to Garmin, I have used mapmyrun since 2016. My Garmin congratulates me when I break a record. I save my data on Garmin Connect but I don't have much time to get into all the features it offers. It sounds backward but I continue to transcribe my basic data (time and distance) on mapmyrun. I also love playing with the maps on that site. I designed my 50km virtual race route on mapmyrun and like checking out topography for my trail runs (as well as hilly roads). Maybe Garmin Connect has that ability but I haven't explored it. Maybe someone on this thread will convince me to use the Connect website and give up old mapmyrun


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## ZX11 (Dec 24, 2020)

I use a Fitbit Charge 4. Small and out of the way. 

It works fine normally but lately has been dead battery or losing map tracking. The issues is probably the trees over our trail causing to keep losing GPS and having to reacquire it. The effort killing its battery. Heart rate seems right on point and they have recently updated software to track O2. Not sure how it does this.

Looking at the Apple Watch GPS version to get the EKG, better GPS lock, and O2 tracking. Not sure about it though.


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## nOOky (May 13, 2008)

I have an Edge 1030 cycling computer and a Forerunner 945 for running. I used to use a Garmin chest strap when biking, but it stopped working, and I haven't replaced it yet. I am mainly concerned about where my resting heart rate is at, and the pulse oximeter is not very useful for low elevation where we live.


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## jyalpert (Jan 20, 2021)

Apple Watch for runs, because you can store music/podcasts on it and bluetooth directly to headphones. Tracks GPS and HR.

Garmin Edge 500 for road rides with HR and Power. When I have a power meter (or riding Zwift), HR is less important except to monitor HR-Power relationship and drift, which indicates fatigue, or improvement in FTP. HR is nice for sustained efforts and Zone 2/3 rides since it is indicative of power zone.

I ride Zwift at least a few days a week, though, so I know very well my zones at any given time.

So, Apple watch for MTB, mostly. Will check HR to make sure I'm in a reasonable zone if I'm on a long climb. MTB has such a wide range of quick efforts, though, HR doesn't really respond quickly enough to know what's going on a lot of the time, and by the end of a sustained climb I can tell where I'm at just based on perceived level of effort. If I do a race with a sustained climb, I'll probably put the Garmin on my bars to watch my HR, since I tend to go out too hard during races.


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## admiii01 (Jun 1, 2021)

jyalpert said:


> Apple Watch for runs, because you can store music/podcasts on it and bluetooth directly to headphones. Tracks GPS and HR.
> 
> Garmin Edge 500 for road rides with HR and Power. When I have a power meter (or riding Zwift), HR is less important except to monitor HR-Power relationship and drift, which indicates fatigue, or improvement in FTP. HR is nice for sustained efforts and Zone 2/3 rides since it is indicative of power zone.
> 
> ...


what would you say about MI (Xiaomi) watch?


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## jyalpert (Jan 20, 2021)

admiii01 said:


> what would you say about MI (Xiaomi) watch?


I think it looks fantastic for basically emulating the watch + sports capabilities of the Apple Watch for 1/8 the cost, which are frankly most of what I use the Apple Watch for. Questions I would have:


Does it allow direct upload to Strava? Nice you can do that from the Apple Watch from the Strava app
Doesn't seem to allow you to store music or podcasts. This is a big deal for me, but probably not for a lot of other people.
I wonder how the GPS signal is for open-water swimming. My wife got an Apple Watch first because, as of a few years ago, it worked better for open water swimming than most other wearables.


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## nOOky (May 13, 2008)

I'm on a 70,000 member trail running page, and I've seen nothing but gripes about using an Apple as a dedicated fitness watch. A dedicated Garmin can do pretty much everything the Apple watch does, but it does the GPS and activities/data tracking portion a lot better. If you're looking for ruggedness and quality, along with fitness tracking and activity tracking you can't beat Garmin imho. Coros is another cheaper alternative with supposedly fantastic battery life.

I'm not bagging on the Apple watch as I have no experience with one, but I have seen many complaints about battery life using GPS etc. They do have a one lead EKG now I think, if that is of any interest. Not sure how accurate it is.


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## jyalpert (Jan 20, 2021)

Yeah I looked at those Garmin watches, but I have small wrists and they are huge - it felt like I was wearing a wall clock. Maybe the newer ones would fit better - they look great, and then I could go back to Android phones. Occasionally it'll just not record any GPS data or not get great HR data. I also hate having to charge it overnight. But in general it works well enough for the runs and rides I go on. I also bought mine refurbished so it was only something like $200. The best thing is probably just the integration with the iphone for texts and stuff. If the new garmins fit better and can do the same integration, I'd definitely consider switching!


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

jyalpert said:


> Yeah I looked at those Garmin watches, but I have small wrists and they are huge - it felt like I was wearing a wall clock. Maybe the newer ones would fit better - they look great, and then I could go back to Android phones. Occasionally it'll just not record any GPS data or not get great HR data. I also hate having to charge it overnight. But in general it works well enough for the runs and rides I go on. I also bought mine refurbished so it was only something like $200. The best thing is probably just the integration with the iphone for texts and stuff. If the new garmins fit better and can do the same integration, I'd definitely consider switching!


You can get the garmin fenix in the small face. I have large hands and wrists and even I wear one. My wife is small and has the same one.

It integrates with the apple iPhone and gets all of my notifications, texts, calendar alerts. I can see who is calling and can decline or answer the phone, control the music, etc.

You can also store music as well.

The newest model "6" has google pay, which would be a small added bonus for me.

You can get good bands for 8 bucks on Amazon too in different colors.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

goofyarcher said:


> Do most of you use a HR monitor?
> What device to you use if any ?
> I like my Garmin Fenix 6 pro watch to pull my stats.
> As we get older, these numbers are really important to me. I also have my watch notify me ever 60 seconds while riding. After 3 MI's it is really important to know what my HR rate is while I'm riding.
> ...


FYI, the garmin wrist HR monitor on the fenix can be pretty darn inaccurate for the start of the ride. I always use a heart strap now with mine because the data can be complete garbage. Basically it's super low and can spike up once the optical monitor begins working better. We have 4 of them on four different racers in the family and they all do this.

Also, you can go into your watch and do a few very valuable things if this is your concern

1. You can set a HR alarm at a certain level
2. You can set your watch to climb mode and tell it which screen to go to. I set mine to HR zone, so when things point up the face will switch automatically to the HR and zone and you can better pace for training goals.

That's is probably a better and less annoying solution to what you are after.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## nOOky (May 13, 2008)

The wife has small wrists and wears a Fenix 6s, but they are not cheap...


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## jyalpert (Jan 20, 2021)

nOOky said:


> The wife has small wrists and wears a Fenix 6s, but they are not cheap...


Yeah I don't think I'd drop $600 to get a more accurate GPS and HR unless I got way more into trail running. The Venu SQ Music looks like a good choice at $200 though.


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## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

nOOky said:


> The wife has small wrists and wears a Fenix 6s, but they are not cheap...


but they are very nice


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## nOOky (May 13, 2008)

jyalpert said:


> Yeah I don't think I'd drop $600 to get a more accurate GPS and HR unless I got way more into trail running. The Venu SQ Music looks like a good choice at $200 though.


The Venue has worse battery life compared to just the Vivoactive 4 due to it's great display. I will run ultras up to 100 miles this year, possibly as long as 30 hours, so I want one that will make it through that with 1 second tracking. I've carried a USB battery pack and cable before for an ultra, it sux. But if you can charge it every day or two for shorter activities you can get a watch very reasonably priced.


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

Apple Watch. If you have an iPhone, the integration is stellar. I've set aside my Garmin Edge for riding and just use the Apple Watch for both Road and MTB. It syncs to Strava through your phone (if you don't have the cellular version). I also used it for HR on Zwift last winter as well. It's liberating (for me) not riding with a device on the bars. I spent too much time looking at it. Tracks GPS and HR, and the Apple Watch 6 adds a Blood Oxygen Level sensor. I wear mine every day.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

I use Apple Watch for the overall feature set including it being a phone and leaving the actual phone home at times. For MTB rides and other sports I've long used Cyclemeter app that does several sports and also gives a choice for data privacy.


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## TwoWheelExplorer (Jul 13, 2017)

I use a Coros Apex watch. Coros competes well with Garmin watches on features at a much better price, and they push firmware updates for new features quite often. I’m super impressed with the company and this watch.


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## russkulasall (7 mo ago)

woodway said:


> Apple Watch. If you have an iPhone, the integration is stellar. I've set aside my Garmin Edge for riding and just use the Apple Watch for both Road and MTB. It syncs to Strava through your phone (if you don't have the cellular version). I also used it for HR on Zwift last winter as well. It's liberating (for me) not riding with a device on the bars. I spent too much time looking at it. Tracks GPS and HR, and the Apple Watch 6 adds a Blood Oxygen Level sensor. I wear mine every day.


what would you say about MI (Xiaomi) watch?


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## NoCanSurf (Feb 19, 2021)

Another vote for the Apple Watch, the syncing with my iPhone is magical, and if I wanted it to it would talk to all the other apps. I find I'm more concerned with sleep data as sleep doesn't come easily to me, and now that I'm dealing with long COVID the O2 sensor has become important to me. 










A sample of the sleep data its collecting for me. (Dark blue - laying in bed awake. Bright blue - peacefully a sleep. )


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

russkulasall said:


> what would you say about MI (Xiaomi) watch?


Can't say anything. Never heard of it till your post.


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## Brules (Jul 10, 2021)

Wahoo tickr chest monitor with the wahoo app and Strava. 

Though the wahoo app doesn’t seem to capture a ton of data other than BPM.


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

For those of you who use the Apple watch for sleep monitoring, when do you charge it?


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## Offspring (Jan 29, 2006)

When showering I throw it on the charger.


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## rob214 (Apr 18, 2019)

DennisT said:


> For those of you who use the Apple watch for sleep monitoring, when do you charge it?


whenever it needs it I just take it off and charge it, doesn't take long really


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## NoCanSurf (Feb 19, 2021)

DennisT said:


> For those of you who use the Apple watch for sleep monitoring, when do you charge it?


Just after I wake up (morning shower time) and just before bedtime (nightly shower time). I normally wait for the Apple Watch to be 100% charged before going to bed. If I get a good night's sleep the watch doesn't use much of the battery. If the watch thinks you're asleep it seems to check vitals less often, saving its battery.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm very happy with a Series 4 to 8 Apple Watch update. Battery life can be much better, and the Abvio CycleMeter (same as their other apps) works better than ever whether using watch along or with phone. So far I'm also happy not getting the new Ultra model. The 8 is a nicer format for every day use.


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## nOOky (May 13, 2008)

I upgraded to a Forerunner 955 Solar. Battery life is amazing, it should last through any race I ever attempt. I was thinking Fenix 7, but they are quite a bit heavier on the wrist, and the 955 has features they haven't added to the Fenix series, yet. It has a morning report every morning which I tend to ignore, it can be turned off. Overall an amazing watch.


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## eDirt (2 mo ago)

I use a Polar OH1 paired to a cheap XOSS display. Let’s me see speed, distance, time, heart rate and cadence on my bars at a glance. I wear a Fitbit charge too but that’s not as accessible when riding.


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## JAKEtheDOG (Sep 14, 2005)

Used to use a Garmin Edge 500 paired with a HR strap and speed sensor. Then I bought a Forerunner 235 as a daily tracker (steps, sleep, cal. etc.) and since it would pair with the same sensors, I started using it for rides as well. I rarely looked at the Edge head unit during rides anyway and the GPS on the 235 was just as good. It eventually died and I replaced it with an Enduro. Expensive but hands down the best watch I've ever owned. Admittedly, I've never owned an Apple Watch but the Enduro does enough of the "smart" features for my needs, pairs with my bike sensors, and with solar turned on, the battery can last weeks.


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