# Garmin Fenix GPS watch



## retrofred (Jan 19, 2004)

So I wanted to ask how many people use a Garmin Fenix or any other Garmin GPS watch as their cycling computer? I've using one quite sometime and was wondering who else does.









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## caad4rep (Sep 7, 2011)

After losing two edge 500's in crashes I've switched to a Fenix 2 for MTB and CX. It works great, no complaints.


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## Just J (Feb 14, 2005)

I've been thinking about making the switch for a while, I currently use Garmins and more recently an Omata One for rides where I'm not too concerned with data. 

Do your watches have in built HR monitors?


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I got a Garmin Tactix as a birthday present from my GF a few years ago. I tired using it a few times. Its just too big for my wrist.


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## retrofred (Jan 19, 2004)

I actually went and switched out the Fenix 5X for a Forerunner 935. The Fenix was just to big and the forerunner has 95% of the features that Fenix has, just a little smaller and more comfortable for me. Yes the Fenix 5X and Forerunner 935 have wrist based HR monitoring and is pretty accurate. 

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## Just J (Feb 14, 2005)

retrofred said:


> I actually went and switched out the Fenix 5X for a Forerunner 935. The Fenix was just to big and the forerunner has 95% of the features that Fenix has, just a little smaller and more comfortable for me. Yes the Fenix 5X and Forerunner 935 have wrist based HR monitoring and is pretty accurate.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


Thanks, do you know if it acts as an all day HR monitor so I could log my resting HR etc?


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## shhQuiet (May 18, 2013)

I use an Edge 820 on the bikes and wear a Fenix 5x every day.

The Fenix and the Edge do a comparable job of recording and interface with sensors. The difference is more with the cycling-specific views and larger display on the Edge. I have used the Fenix when I didn’t have/forgot the Edge. 

@Just J- the 5x records HR 24x7. It does not do well with HR during activities compared to the chest strap, consistently reading low in my experience. 


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## DonaldD (Jun 7, 2017)

Use my edge 810 and Fenix 5X - love them both. I hook up both to a chest HR monitor. While riding, I use the 810 for GPS and tracking along with HR and on the Fenix 5X I set it to Cardio workout so I can constantly ride and monitor my HR on my arm. I've also used my Fenix if I ever forget my Garmin.

I can't wait till the new Scosche Rhythm 24 Heart Rate Monitor is released to work with both the edge 810 and Fenix 5x.


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## Just J (Feb 14, 2005)

Thank you for your help guys, I had heard about the Fenix reading low.


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## kiwim5 (May 19, 2015)

I use my Fenix 3 with HR strap and speed sensors for majority of riding (downhill focused) and 1030 occasionally if I will be exploring or training where its not in danger of being smashed.


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## MiWolverine (Jun 15, 2009)

I have a Fenix 3 (non HR) and use a Scosche Rhythm+, plus the usual sensors, and I like the setup. The Rhythm+ is as accurate as the chest strap HR sensors I own. I purchased the Scosche because I always felt the chest straps restricted my breathing to some degree, no matter how loose I adjusted the strap.

Though, I do have the bike mount kit for the F3 because I hate wearing watches while riding.


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## mik_git (Feb 4, 2004)

I have a FR610, 620 and 645...but for riding I use an edge 1000, it's eleventy million times better for riding than a watch I think.


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## zgxtreme (Mar 25, 2007)

I have a Fenix 3HR Sapphire which I use with a HR Strap and Speed Sensor. In the future, I may ditch the watch for rides and try the new Edge 130.


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## retrofred (Jan 19, 2004)

Just J said:


> Thanks, do you know if it acts as an all day HR monitor so I could log my resting HR etc?


Yes it does. I wear it continuously and track my heart rate and my sleeping.

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## phreeky (Sep 25, 2015)

MiWolverine said:


> I have a Fenix 3 (non HR) and use a Scosche Rhythm+, plus the usual sensors, and I like the setup. The Rhythm+ is as accurate as the chest strap HR sensors I own. I purchased the Scosche because I always felt the chest straps restricted my breathing to some degree, no matter how loose I adjusted the strap.


I use the same HR strap with the original Vivoactive. I don't have a watch band on it anymore, I only use it for cycling, so have a velco strap on it that makes it easy to put on the handlebars. In 50km+ races it seems to track the same distance as those using Garmin cycling computers, so it's good enough for me.


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## Just J (Feb 14, 2005)

retrofred said:


> Yes it does. I wear it continuously and track my heart rate and my sleeping.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


That's how I'd use mine too, I currently use an Apple Watch for that and previously a Fitbit but I always use my Garmin GPS's for tracking biking.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

caad4rep said:


> After losing two edge 500's in crashes I've switched to a Fenix 2 for MTB and CX. It works great, no complaints.


lanyards are pretty cheap insurance for handlebar-mounted computers.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Garmin 935 for daily sleep/HRM/steps etc and to record the rides and if I feel the need for a head unit, an Edge 25 if only time/HRM/cad needed or Edge 810 if more.
I don't use the Edges to record the rides, just to display the data.
They all link to the HRM belt, speed and cadance sensors.

I also use the 935 during the day for the calendar, notifications and barometer.


Occasionally I also use it to tell the time.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

If I don't feel like using the HRM belt (PowerCal), I've recently been using the 935's optical HRM and set it to broadcast it so the head unit can pick it up. Works quite well. Not as high res as the belt, but for the same segments, it only reads 5-10bpm lower avg if I was actually slower.
Strava then estimates my power as about 25% higher than the PowerCal (which is doing educated guessing itself).


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## Thoreau (Jun 15, 2017)

I can't speak to the Fenix or Garmin watch models out there, but I have used my Samsung Gear S3 Frontier on the trail a few times. It has native Strava and Endomondo apps, optical HRM, GPS, etc. and definitely does the job.

Unfortunately I'm just not a fan of the tiny interface of a watch for trail use. Granted, I'm only even using it for recording my track to analyze later most of the time. The few times I want to do more with any cycling computer type setup, it's to figure out a route as I come to an intersection in a new-to-me trail system. And for that, nice big maps on a phone screen just works better for me. 

I also went the heart rate strap route (Wahoo Tikr X) vs. the optical sensor on the watch for better accuracy, so the watch just isn't needed.

More recently I managed to wreck a G-Shock Rangeman by landing just right on a minor crash, and was quite glad it wasn't a $600+ uberwatch. (Not that the $300 loss hurt any less, but still.)

And all of that opinion is subject to change since I'm eyeballing some bar-mounted computer options these days just to keep from having to reach for my phone, sooooo....


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## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

I do! I have the Garmin Fenix 5s and I love it! My Fenix 5s is a recent upgrade from a Vivoactive HR that eventually gave way where the plastic case holds the wristband. Out of warranty and non-repairable, I figured. I spent a few weeks shoving the watch body into my hydration pack to track rides, which worked but was obviously not ideal. Since I wear my watch 24/7 and depend on it at work too, I splurged on a Fenix 5s. Great features! It does everything I need it to, and more. 

Yesterday I discovered how well Garmin stands behind their products: I finally called them about that busted old Vivoactive HR, just in case a repair was possible. To my surprise, Garmin is replacing it with an entire new watch... FOR FREE!!!


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## phreeky (Sep 25, 2015)

I've gone from a Vivoactive (the original) using the Rhythm+ strap for HR, to now having a Fenix 5. The Fenix 5 is for day-to-day and running, the Vivoactive still in use for MTB. HR on the Fenix 5 is good enough for running, however I do tighten the strap a little to ensure a stable reading and is never going to quite match the rock solid readings from the Rhythm+.

I wasn't a huge fan of the touchscreen on a watch, I don't think it really adds much and isn't great when it gets a little damp. However if I'm being completely honest, the real benefit I get from the Fenix 5 over the Vivoactive 1 is appearance, and the Vivoactive 3 would've got me 90% there. A black stainless strap on the Vivoactive made it look OK for casual wear but pretty tacky in formal wear, the Vivoactive HR is downright ugly, and the Vivoactive 3 is really quite nice however if I'm buying a new watch then the Fenix 5 was the pick.

Other nice little things:
- The controls menu and other hotkeys you can assign
- Battery life on the Fenix 5 is pretty amazing considering the constant HR sensor, it'd be interesting to see what it's like if I left it off other than for activities
- The watch warned me I was over-training a bit, and yeah I was. That being said, this is one of those basic software features that no doubt Garmin could've included in the Vivoactive range but didn't as a point of differentiation I expect.
- The physical buttons mean an ability to operate the watch to some extent without looking once you know the sequences.
- Alarm tone. The Vivoactive (I believe this is still the case with the 3) is that it doesn't have alarm sounds/tones, whereas the Fenix 5 does (can either choose vibe, tone, or vibe+tone). Also sometimes I think I was snoozing the Vivoactive alarm by accident due to the touchscreen.


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## Bogey in PA (Aug 19, 2016)

+1 for the Vivoactive...it's the cheapest of all of them yet still has all the same features and accurate wrist HR. I broke the original one working on my tractor and now have the rectangular one. These take a lot of abuse and get scratched and banged up so I like the cheaper options. Will definitely upgrade to the 3 at some point...it is pretty sharp looking.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

Anyone use the Fenix 5 strapped to their handlebars? How is it with a 4 way split on the screen? Too small, hard to see info while moving, or ok? The 5x has a slightly larger screen, but adds bulk to depth.

Looks like a new version has been released, 5 plus, 5s Plus, and 5x Plus. Adds Maps, Navigation, and music to all not just 5x. 5x Plus adds pulse oximeter. Fenix 5 plus $799 (holly Sh*t!).

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/603267


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## phreeky (Sep 25, 2015)

I use my Vivoactive on the handlebars, however have done so by swapping the strap to velcro. I also put it on the wider bar section (35mm bars).

Interesting on the Plus, about time really. Having just bought the Fenix 5 I was a little curious what the plus would bring, however reading over it I can't say I regret purchasing (tbh the cost of the 5 whilst on sale was my limit anyway). The Garmin Pay thing is something I'd find very occasionally useful, and the Maps stuff perhaps when I'm travelling, however realistically unless I'm going for a run then I have my phone with me.

There are some cool features for some people though:
- People who listen to music while running, which is a lot of people (I don't)
- Maps and turn-by-turn Nav, for those that use nav a lot (I live in small city, so it's a rare need).
- It looks like all might have wifi now, whereas before it was just the Sapphire edition, although the specs I've seen aren't clear.

I think the next significant jump which will probably call for a new model number will be the inclusion of a SIM. Those 'smart' features look to come to the Vivoactive line first though.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

phreeky said:


> I use my Vivoactive on the handlebars, however have done so by swapping the strap to velcro. I also put it on the wider bar section (35mm bars)


Do you think the screen is adequate for viewing info on handlebars? Say 4 way split. Or is it too small?


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## EndoPro (Jun 24, 2017)

Up here in Canada Costco is selling the Garmin Fenix 3 HR Sapphire for $399 CAD. I know it’s a little old, but the price is more attainable for my wallet. Anyone have experience cycling/mountain biking with the 3HR?
Good things, bad things about it?
Thanks.


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## kiwim5 (May 19, 2015)

That seems like a great price.

I got burgled a few weeks ago and my Fenix 3 (non-HR) was taken among other things. If I can find a Fenix 3 close to that price, I'm grabbing it over a 5x plus. The one thing I have noticed about Garmin products is that it takes a while for them to stabilise their products but once they do, they are solid. And the Fenix 3 range offers all I need.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

EndoPro said:


> Up here in Canada Costco is selling the Garmin Fenix 3 HR Sapphire for $399 CAD. I know it's a little old, but the price is more attainable for my wallet. Anyone have experience cycling/mountain biking with the 3HR?
> Good things, bad things about it?
> Thanks.


Seems like a good price. I saw Amazon (us) had refurbished 3hr's for $285 usd. I wonder, though, if a watch like the FR 935 wouldn't be a better option. It's suppose to be the fenix 5 in plastic. That might be a little more up to date then the f3hr.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

kiwim5 said:


> That seems like a great price.
> 
> I got burgled a few weeks ago and my Fenix 3 (non-HR) was taken among other things. If I can find a Fenix 3 close to that price, I'm grabbing it over a 5x plus. The one thing I have noticed about Garmin products is that it takes a while for them to stabilise their products but once they do, they are solid. And the Fenix 3 range offers all I need.


How do you feel about the size of the 5x plus? I think it is slightly thicker and heavier the fenix 3. I don't mind a bigger watch, but wouldn't know for sure until I tried it. The Fenix 5 plus makes the decision even harder. It's smaller and includes most of the Plus updates, but only $50 less with sapphire, then 5x plus.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

The 935 is much lighter and has WiFi, but otherwise the same as the Fenix 5.


joshtee said:


> Seems like a good price. I saw Amazon (us) had refurbished 3hr's for $285 usd. I wonder, though, if a watch like the FR 935 wouldn't be a better option. It's suppose to be the fenix 5 in plastic. That might be a little more up to date then the f3hr.


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## kiwim5 (May 19, 2015)

joshtee said:


> How do you feel about the size of the 5x plus? I think it is slightly thicker and heavier the fenix 3. I don't mind a bigger watch, but wouldn't know for sure until I tried it. The Fenix 5 plus makes the decision even harder. It's smaller and includes most of the Plus updates, but only $50 less with sapphire, then 5x plus.


To be honest, I would get used to the 5X. The weight/extra thickness would only initially be noticeable I guess - I did only wear the Fenix on bike rides, so bulk/weight arent things I had to live with for more than a few hours at a time. So if the Fenix 3 and 5x were same price, the 5x would be it, but with Fenix 3's still available at good prices, that gets my vote.

I wouldnt go with the 5S only because they were initially pushed as the girls version and the screen is smaller, and I want as much view-able real estate on the watch as I can get to help with being able to glance at it rather than having to "read" it.

The new Plus range doesnt add anything I need but Garmin have probably another way to up-sell to a bunch of us.

I'd skip the Forerunner/Vivoactives only due to the robustness factor of the Fenix range that suits my biking inabilities


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

NordieBoy said:


> The 935 is much lighter and has WiFi, but otherwise the same as the Fenix 5.


Just checked the price on Amazon. Looks like a little over $400.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

kiwim5 said:


> To be honest, I would get used to the 5X. The weight/extra thickness would only initially be noticeable I guess - I did only wear the Fenix on bike rides, so bulk/weight arent things I had to live with for more than a few hours at a time. So if the Fenix 3 and 5x were same price, the 5x would be it, but with Fenix 3's still available at good prices, that gets my vote.
> 
> I wouldnt go with the 5S only because they were initially pushed as the girls version and the screen is smaller, and I want as much view-able real estate on the watch as I can get to help with being able to glance at it rather than having to "read" it.
> 
> ...


I hear you on the robustness factor, I'm usually really hard on these type of things.


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## Ashy Larry (Jun 19, 2018)

I’ve had the 3HR for a few months now. It’s survived 2 smallish crashes (one over pavement) with only slight scratching to the bezel. It does ok on Hr, would prob do better if I wasn’t sweatier than a WwE wrestler.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

Ashy Larry said:


> I've had the 3HR for a few months now. It's survived 2 smallish crashes (one over pavement) with only slight scratching to the bezel. It does ok on Hr, would prob do better if I wasn't sweatier than a WwE wrestler.


Do you mount it to the handlebars or wear it on your wrist? If on handlebars, is the screen large enough to see a 4 way split screen?


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## Ashy Larry (Jun 19, 2018)

I wear it. I pretty much always wear it. Im a little short and stubby and the size really doesnt bother me. I tried the MTB specific widget and the distance was waaayy short from using the regular bike GPS that comes with the watch. I kinda wish a better widget would come out that is better at tracking curvy switchback trails.


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## polecats03 (May 14, 2011)

I wear mine for hiking, riding, running and just city exploring. I LOVE this watch. I dont mind the size of it because of all the functions it can do. I love to run in different cities and have the maps on my wrist. If you are thinking of getting it do it!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Ashy Larry said:


> I kinda wish a better widget would come out that is better at tracking curvy switchback trails.


Not going to happen. There are many reasons for it, but it's an inherent part of the hardware capabilities of the device. If you want an accurate distance measurement on trails like that, you HAVE to have a wheel sensor. I dunno if the Fenix can use one of those sensors, but if it can and that's what you want, you'd be well served to put one on every bike you ride.

If you're looking for an accurate breadcrumb path of switchbacky trails, that's even more difficult to achieve. It relates to the recording interval of the device. On that, the best you can do is record at 1/sec frequency and go REALLY SLOWLY. 1/sec is the highest recording frequency possible on Garmins and most other consumer fitness GPSes, and it's a hardware limitation on the GPS chip. No software will change that. Some are less frequent than that because of the filtering they do to reduce tracklog size. Software can change that, but it would have to be at the level of the firmware - not a widget on top of the firmware. You can buy hardware that will record at 10/sec, but none of the stuff I've seen is really built for bike riding. It's all pretty much motorsports-oriented, because of the speeds involved. And that stuff is all going to be a good bit chunkier because it also needs extra memory to fit the 10x larger tracklog files generated.


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## Ashy Larry (Jun 19, 2018)

I bought the Garmin speed sensor and put it on my rear wheel. Once I got the wheel circumference dialed in, it’s damn near spot on. Only issue I have now is when it uploads to Strava it displays about 30% lower mileage. Not that I care that other ppl see it, but I would like to be able track mileage accurately (why I bought the speed sensor initially) for benchmarking/goals etc. Actually rode the same track as a fellow mtbr’er today plus an extra mile, Garmin connect said 18.2, uploaded to strava as 14.4. The other guys strava said 17.4 for him. I don’t understand.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

polecats03 said:


> I wear mine for hiking, riding, running and just city exploring. I LOVE this watch. I dont mind the size of it because of all the functions it can do. I love to run in different cities and have the maps on my wrist. If you are thinking of getting it do it!


Right on! I ended up getting one. I really appreciate the all-in-one concept and have been using the watch all the time for various activities. It does it all pretty well w/ only few hiccups here and there. I am really enjoying it.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

Ashy Larry said:


> I bought the Garmin speed sensor and put it on my rear wheel. Once I got the wheel circumference dialed in, it's damn near spot on. Only issue I have now is when it uploads to Strava it displays about 30% lower mileage. Not that I care that other ppl see it, but I would like to be able track mileage accurately (why I bought the speed sensor initially) for benchmarking/goals etc. Actually rode the same track as a fellow mtbr'er today plus an extra mile, Garmin connect said 18.2, uploaded to strava as 14.4. The other guys strava said 17.4 for him. I don't understand.


For me, the GPS (5x plus GPS+Galileo) tracks have been very clean. The distances, like you have experienced, seem suspect. Usually about 10-15% shorter then other devices. Either my Android phone (also friend's Iphone) and my Forerunner 305 are reporting too long, or the Fenix is short. My buddy has a Fenix 3HR and his distances usually very similar to my watch. I noticed that out in the open (regular city roads) the Fenix actually will report a little longer then the other devices. In tight, tree covered trails, the fenix always lags behind. When I overlay the tracks, the Fenix tracks look cleaner. The Phone and the FR305 usually seem to dift a lot more. Maybe the Fenix tracks actually report correct distances?

Anyways, I ended up ordering a speed sensor, too. I need to do more comparisons before I can come to a conclusion.

Do you have your Fenix setting for speed sensor to 'Auto Calibrate' or Manual? I let it auto calibrate a few times and used the average to manually enter the wheel size. I read somewhere, can't confirm for sure, that the 'auto' setting continuously adjusts throughout the ride using GPS distance. If the Fenix does do a poor job of distance in tight and tree covered trails, I can see that effecting the accuracy of Auto cal.


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## Ashy Larry (Jun 19, 2018)

I manually entered wheel circumference but had to reduce it a touch to account for my fat ass flattening it out a tad.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

What interests me about the Fenix 5 (not "s") is the 24hr run time and the fact that mounted on a wrist-band, my body-heat should help to "keep it running" in the cold winter, where we tend to be limited by the cold. Some 50, 60 and 100 mile races I think I might want to have it for, in addition to all the other winter riding.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

Ashy Larry said:


> I bought the Garmin speed sensor and put it on my rear wheel. Once I got the wheel circumference dialed in, it's damn near spot on. Only issue I have now is when it uploads to Strava it displays about 30% lower mileage. Not that I care that other ppl see it, but I would like to be able track mileage accurately (why I bought the speed sensor initially) for benchmarking/goals etc. Actually rode the same track as a fellow mtbr'er today plus an extra mile, Garmin connect said 18.2, uploaded to strava as 14.4. The other guys strava said 17.4 for him. I don't understand.


Just did a ride w/ the Speed sensor set to 'Auto' calibrate. The watch showed 10.9 miles, Phone showed 9.4 miles. When the watch uploaded to Strava it shows 8.3 miles. Frustrating!


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

Jayem said:


> What interests me about the Fenix 5 (not "s") is the 24hr run time and the fact that mounted on a wrist-band, my body-heat should help to "keep it running" in the cold winter, where we tend to be limited by the cold. Some 50, 60 and 100 mile races I think I might want to have it for, in addition to all the other winter riding.


I haven't had a chance to test how long the watch actually lasts during a activity. Some reports are showing the new 5 plus models are not living up to the advertised battery life. For battery life, it looks like the 5x plus would be the way to go, but I personally haven't tested mine, yet.


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## Ashy Larry (Jun 19, 2018)

My 3hr battery does fine for how old it is. If I didn’t use gps it would prob last 10 days. With gps use of around 6-7 hours I usually have 25% and go ahead and charge. Pretty good life I think.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

joshtee said:


> I haven't had a chance to test how long the watch actually lasts during a activity. Some reports are showing the new 5 plus models are not living up to the advertised battery life. For battery life, it looks like the 5x plus would be the way to go, but I personally haven't tested mine, yet.


Looking at the models, the 5 advertises 24hrs of GPS run time, the 5x are around 20 hours. Both are probably ok, but the cold really kills battery life so I still might want to maximize it with the longest-running model. The winter 100 mile race can be a relativel quick 10-11hrs or it can get much slower if the conditions go bad, and that's one where it'd be nice to have some direction help at night (we took a wrong turn this year and several of us did a "120" mile version of the race).


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

Jayem said:


> Looking at the models, the 5 advertises 24hrs of GPS run time, the 5x are around 20 hours. Both are probably ok, but the cold really kills battery life so I still might want to maximize it with the longest-running model. The winter 100 mile race can be a relativel quick 10-11hrs or it can get much slower if the conditions go bad, and that's one where it'd be nice to have some direction help at night (we took a wrong turn this year and several of us did a "120" mile version of the race).


The newer 5 plus models are a little different as far as battery times. All the 'Plus' models have full mapping capabilities (only the 5x has full mapping for the original 5 series), but the battery times are less then the original 5 versions, except for the 5x vs 5x plus. The 5x Plus claims 33 hours in GPS mode.


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

After having the 5x plus since July, I can not say I would recommend it for MTBing. It does a lot of things well and I really like the concept of a all-in-one device. The reason I can not recommend it is the the fact that it does not do a good job with distance measurement in singletrack w/ heavy tree cover. It is consistency, for me, 10-15% short compared to other devices. The solution, so far, seems to be to use a speed sensor for distance calculation. To me this should not be the solution. I am not expecting super accurate distance calculation, but it seems most GPS devices are capable of plus or minus 2-5% in the conditions I usually ride. This would work for me. Hopefully, this can be fixed with software, but I am pretty sure this has effected most Fenix watches and it hasn't been fixed, yet (my buddies 3HR is also short on distances), so I am not counting on it.


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## phreeky (Sep 25, 2015)

I agree they 'lose' distance compared to some other devices (i.e. my phone) for tighter trails, however in my experience they're pretty close to Garmin's cycling computers. For me personally I don't care, as it successfully recognises segments etc and is close enough for training purposes, although I can see how some may want better accuracy.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Are you using GPS or GPS+GLONASS on the 5X+?


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## joshtee (Jun 30, 2016)

NordieBoy said:


> Are you using GPS or GPS+GLONASS on the 5X+?


I am using GPS+Galileo on 1 sec recording.


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## T_edmonds (Nov 1, 2008)

Does anyone have experience with the Suunto Spartan HR watches? I am looking at the Spartan Trainer HR Baro or the Fenix 5 since I need more than just a GPS computer for my bike. I need the watch since I am running a couple of days a week and in the gym at least once a week too.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

T_edmonds said:


> Does anyone have experience with the Suunto Spartan HR watches? I am looking at the Spartan Trainer HR Baro or the Fenix 5 since I need more than just a GPS computer for my bike. I need the watch since I am running a couple of days a week and in the gym at least once a week too.


Not that specific model, but Suunto has always made top quality gear. They've always used better materials than Garmin. I wanted a Suunto barometer watch in a bad way a long time ago, but couldn't afford one at the time, so I ended up with Highgear watches (I think that was the brand).


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## T_edmonds (Nov 1, 2008)

Harold said:


> Not that specific model, but Suunto has always made top quality gear. They've always used better materials than Garmin. I wanted a Suunto barometer watch in a bad way a long time ago, but couldn't afford one at the time, so I ended up with Highgear watches (I think that was the brand).


I was sold on the Suunto until I read some reviews stating that the firmware updates they have been doing as causing batteries to crash as soon as an hour after charging. Makes me nervous.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

The Suunto's always had the looks over the competition.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

T_edmonds said:


> I was sold on the Suunto until I read some reviews stating that the firmware updates they have been doing as causing batteries to crash as soon as an hour after charging. Makes me nervous.


Every manufacturer gets problems like that. I had a Garmin that got bricked after a firmware update. The real question is how those customers got treated by the company.


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## T_edmonds (Nov 1, 2008)

I agree that the Suunto looks a lot better. And they are a decent amount cheaper. I can get the Suunto on Amazon for $375 today, whereas the Fenix is still $559 for the model I want. I am more worried about the dependability and function of both than price though. I have started training for the 35 MI El Paso Puzzler in January and need to be able to see some metrics about my HR, training hours I'm logging, etc. I stumbled onto DCrainmaker's website and he has some really good information on both that I'll be reading up on in the next day or two.


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## rsplodge (Aug 19, 2019)

retrofred said:


> Yes it does. I wear it continuously and track my heart rate and my sleeping.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


How do you do that? I have a Fenix2 and the only way I see to track heart rate is to start an Activity. Is there some other way to see and track your heart rate without starting an activity or do I need to start some fake activity to track heart rate while just doing random stuff or while sleeping?
Thx, ...Roger


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