# 2021 "Wrist Devices" Update: Are you using one? How's it been?



## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

After scanning several older threads about wrist devices, I figured I'd create a new thread specifically to find out who's using a device on your wrist for riding in 2021—and how is it working out?

The obvious top options are Apple Watches and Garmin watches. (There may be others.)

I've been debating getting some sort of wrist unit, but I haven't seen anything (yet) compelling enough to make me pull the trigger. And here's the BIG reason I'm hesitant: my iPhone is also my camera, and I use it all the time. So if I've gotta have my iPhone handy anyway to take photos, then it's just as handy and available to look at maps, check my heartrate, identify a wildflower—whatever.

I think if I had a wrist device, I'd bury my phone in my Camelbak and never have any more pics from my rides (because I wouldn't want to dig my phone out every time I want to take a photo).

I've found the best way (by far) to carry my iPhone when riding: I use the clip holder that comes with Otterbox Defender cases and just clip the phone to the sternum strap on my Camelbak. It sits securely right on my chest, doesn't bounce around (if the sternum strap is fairly tight), never comes off, and it's super quick-and-easy to pop it out of the clip to look at the map or snap a photo.

So why should I get a wrist device? (C'mon—give me reasons! LOL)

Scott


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## Monty219 (Oct 26, 2020)

Ive had a garmin vivoactive 3 music for about 3 years. Dont use the music feature as much anymore, but its pretty nice when you want to leave your phone behind. I like knowing milage and time at a quick glance and like a semi smart watch in general but don’t want a fancy apple watch or to pay a bunch for a fancy head unit i will probably break in a crash anyway.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

I have an Apple Watch 4. The GPS track has been terrible. It won't deliver heart rate to any other GPS ecosystem. About the only way I can think of to make it work for heart rate and power would be to run Zwift and give up on GPS. It has in the past detected some workouts but cycling has not been among them. There are other things it does that I like a lot, like getting the whole Apple music and podcast ecosystem. In that sense it's like an improved and modernized Nano. But not for cycling. If I was buying a watch just for bike riding it would be a Garmin.


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## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

I still think there are two choices here. A smart watch and fitness watch. You really get one or the other. 
NB I still take a camera with me on rides, plus Garmin on my stem, Garmin on my wrist. Phone either in pocket or Camelbak!


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

SWriverstone said:


> So why should I get a wrist device? (C'mon-give me reasons! LOL)
> 
> Scott


Sounds like it's not for you but I really like my Garmin watch. Tracks all your activities, tracks your sleep, tracks heart rate 24/7, tracks your training load, stress, steps, fatigue, hrv, respiration rate, weight, performance stats, notification alerts, it's a debit/credit card, gps map and probably a 100 other things. Also it tells the time.

Yeah I'm kind of a data nerd. Also I don't take that many pics.

Nearly forgot my favorite feature, it can find my phone!


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## NorCal_In_AZ (Sep 26, 2019)

I too love my Garmin watch. I've been using a Instinct for almost a year now, before that a Vivoactive 3. I smashed the Vivo in a crash, and while I liked the profile and look of that watch better, the Instinct is much more rugged. I too like taking pics, but for me stopping and getting my phone out isn't a big deal. I usually only take it once or twice on a ride. Most daily rides, it doesn't come out. The last feature I really like is the LiveTrack. When I start an activity, my wife gets an email and can follow my GPS location. Thats a huge piece of mind for her and I both when 90% of my riding is solo.


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## jrhone (May 23, 2011)

Darth Lefty said:


> I have an Apple Watch 4. The GPS track has been terrible. It won't deliver heart rate to any other GPS ecosystem. About the only way I can think of to make it work for heart rate and power would be to run Zwift and give up on GPS. It has in the past detected some workouts but cycling has not been among them. There are other things it does that I like a lot, like getting the whole Apple music and podcast ecosystem. In that sense it's like an improved and modernized Nano. But not for cycling. If I was buying a watch just for bike riding it would be a Garmin.


Hmmm....I have a Apple Watch 6...and a 4 before that. I love the Apple Watch....Not sure what you mean that it won't deliver heart rate to other ecosystems...I use the Strava App...and on my rides, all my heart rate info is displayed....speed, elevation, heart rate, est power...all connected by GPS to a map. All from an automatic upload from the watch to Strava.









I also like the fall detection, the fact it can call 911 if it detects a fall and I am unconscious and send emergency services to my GPS location. Plus it can gather information from my health from all sources and display it in one place...so my digital scale that monitors, weight, fat %, muscle %, water %, BMI, Bone density, can send the info to my phone and my watch can send the workout info, and calorie burn throughout the day and I can see ALL the data in one place.

I think people assume you have to use the Apple apps for the watch, but the 3rd party apps are great...Strava for cycling and I like the Nike Run Club for running. Most are free for the basics, and you can pay for more advanced features.

Then you get blood oxygen level, ECG Heart monitor, Heart rate, can detect irregular heart rates, connected to your email, text messages, and your phone. Oh and I ike to snap pics every once in a while and while the Apple Watch doesnt have a camera, it can act as a remote and viewfinder for the iPhone...so you can set the phone up and see the preview on the watch and snap the pic...I have gotten some great shots by myself with th e iPhone and Apple Watch.

If you have an iPhone, there isn't a better companion than the watch...


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I use a garmin instinct and have for several years now, on some pretty epic stuff (Iditarod, 100 mile races, etc). It works very well for me. Besides recording rides, it provides good quick data, like how far I've gone and how long I've been going, by looking at my wrist. I don't want a freaking navigation-map just to go ride my bike, so it's a good way to track without having to have a bunch of additional devices. It also interfaces with sensors, like HR and temperature. I find the temperature really nice to have in the winter, as I have the sensors mounted remotely on my bikes. Kind of helps me keep ahead of the conditions, making smart choices for clothing and other stuff.

For pictures, sometimes I use my phone, but I find one of the flat out best ways to take pictures is mount a go-pro, doesn't matter where as much, handlebars, chest, helmet, and set it to take pictures every 30 seconds or something. Great for group rides, great for epic landscapes, etc. And I can concentrate on riding my bike with minimal intrusion, don't have to stop to take pictures, I'm taking pictures all the time.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

I'm going to steal that idea, thanks. 

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

Awesome shots Jayem

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk


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## bneall (Feb 3, 2006)

I have had a *Fitbit Ionic* for over 3 years, worked great up until the last firmware update, the GPS just stopped working reliably in *local populated* areas where it was fine before (my other GPS devices work fine in the same area), and there is nothing I can do about it until another firmware release and hope the GPS issues are resolved since they don't support firmware rollbacks.

Was a good run, would have recommended if the device just died from planned obsolescence (who's to say that is not the case), but not sure I can now. I'll be looking for a Garmin GPS watch next I think.

reasons I use GPS wrist tracker:

can track activity without phone (also great for for trail running when going minimalist)
can track activity without using up phone battery
stats! stat! stats! (easy to see without stopping your activity)
heart rate monitor and tracking


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## dsciulli19 (Apr 14, 2014)

OP, I'm on the fence about getting some kind of smart watch as well. I'd really like the ability to answer the phone without taking my phone out of my pack, i.e. talk into the watch if needed. If I continue with that as a requirement, I think only the apple watch and galaxy watch do that. Otherwise I'd get a garmin and be done with it. 

-DS


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## Crayefish (Apr 4, 2021)

NorCal_In_AZ said:


> I too love my Garmin watch. I've been using a Instinct for almost a year now, before that a Vivoactive 3. I smashed the Vivo in a crash, and while I liked the profile and look of that watch better, the Instinct is much more rugged. I too like taking pics, but for me stopping and getting my phone out isn't a big deal. I usually only take it once or twice on a ride. Most daily rides, it doesn't come out. The last feature I really like is the LiveTrack. When I start an activity, my wife gets an email and can follow my GPS location. Thats a huge piece of mind for her and I both when 90% of my riding is solo.


I have an instinct solar too... its great and totally packed with useful features (for the price). Due to my propensity for crashing, my missus has also now insisted on live track during my rides... (but I do it via my Edge)


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

The Apple Watch is pretty good, and it actually works very well as a watch too. The Garmin (I have the 945) will analyze more data (and hold a lot of music) but sucks as a regular with with its awful screen. It does have better battery life (7-10 days) over the Apple Watch. I have both. While the Garmin is a better fitness watch, I rarely wear it anymore due to the dim screen that you cannot see in the dark and have to light up to see it. I use a Garmin 1030 Plus. I usually have my Apple Watch on.


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## kpdemello (May 3, 2010)

Garmin instinct is a pretty impressive little watch. It tracks you via GPS and can even do some limited navigation. I've used it on every ride for a couple of years now and I can say it works very well.


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## Structure (Dec 29, 2003)

I've been on a Garmin 945 for over a year and a half and I'm not a huge fan. It's been reliable and easy for tracking rides (uploading to Strava). The extra data was interesting at first in the Garmin Connect app, but over time I've used the "extras" less and less. I've also not used the navigation as much as I'd hoped. That's partly because of COVID reducing my riding on non-familiar trails but also because the screen is so small. It is possible to use it to navigate, especially if you have good eyesight, but the larger bar-mounted units are much better. In hindsight, I think I might have prefered a cheaper and more versatile smart watch (Apple?), but it also appears they have issues for riding so?


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## Oogie (Jun 9, 2021)

I have an OG garmin vivoactive and the thing won't quit. I bust out the bar mount garmin for big rides, but on shorter or familiar known loops, I only take the watch. I like the garmin because it also shows me distance to greens for the few times a year I get out to golf.


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## NorCal_In_AZ (Sep 26, 2019)

I also forgot to mention, using a Garmin device, I really enjoy the challenges they put out through the Connect App. I’m not riding for training nor am I good at setting goals myself for ridding. But the challenges give me a nice target to hit.


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

Flyer said:


> The Apple Watch is pretty good, and it actually works very well as a watch too. The Garmin (I have the 945) will analyze more data (and hold a lot of music) but sucks as a regular with with its awful screen. It does have better battery life (7-10 days) over the Apple Watch. I have both. While the Garmin is a better fitness watch, I rarely wear it anymore due to the dim screen that you cannot see in the dark and have to light up to see it. I use a Garmin 1030 Plus. I usually have my Apple Watch on.


One of the reasons I chose Garmin over Apple is battery life. For me it seems a fair trade to have to push a button in low light conditions vs the need to charge much more often.


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## Hit Factor (Apr 7, 2021)

Did you see this? almost identical thread The Best Smartwatches for Cycling


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I'm not much of a watch person. At least not digital ones. I really like the form factor of the Edge 520.


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

Harold said:


> I'm not much of a watch person. At least not digital ones. I really like the form factor of the Edge 520.


I use both simultaneously.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Apple Watch 4 with the Sapphire crystal has been bombproof for me. The regular glass one, not so much. Does the job for Strava and GPS Tracks, and most importantly I can respond to calls and texts without having to dig my phone out. Also control music with it on gravel rides. When I need maps/navigation, I use either a Garmin 830 or an old iPhone 8 in an Otter Box. Wrist devices SUCK COMPLETELY for navigation and mapping. I had two Garmin watches (Fenix 5 and Fenix 6) and really wanted to like them. I sold them both. Clearly the fact that I tried twice means that I really did want it to work. Lousy UX and limited app choices killed it for me.


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## Lovespicyfood (Aug 4, 2012)

jrhone said:


> Hmmm....I have a Apple Watch 6...and a 4 before that. I love the Apple Watch....Not sure what you mean that it won't deliver heart rate to other ecosystems...I use the Strava App...and on my rides, all my heart rate info is displayed....speed, elevation, heart rate, est power...all connected by GPS to a map. All from an automatic upload from the watch to Strava.
> 
> View attachment 1943112
> 
> ...


Great stuff! I've had Garmins in the past and would have never considered an Apple Watch in the past. I thought they were over priced and the charging every day seemed annoying to me. However, I'm lucky and my work considers it a health device so I got reimbursed for basically the entire cost.

Now that I have it, I love it. It's great to start a ride from your watch instead of digging at your phone to start Strava. You mentioned apps, I think the workoutdoors app is much better than Strava and it will sync with it after the ride anyways. Especially cool that you can load gpx routes into the app so you have a "path" to follow on the watch itself, really helpful if exploring new trails. That's where having this well support smart watch shines...it is only getting better with development of 3rd party apps.

Regarding charging every day, that is a little inconvenient but I've just made a habit of throwing it on charge when I charge my phone at night. The battery life is good, I've never had an issue tracking multiple rides/hikes per day.

I would recommend getting a protective cover for it. First time I rode with it, crashed and ever so slight scratched the face...


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

kpdemello said:


> Garmin instinct is a pretty impressive little watch. It tracks you via GPS and can even do some limited navigation. I've used it on every ride for a couple of years now and I can say it works very well.


It also interfaces with my In-reach and of course phone, so I can get messages on my watch. It's not a fancy color screen or anything else, but IMO it's a lot more functional (better battery life, reliability, etc.).


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

Year three on the Garmin Vivoactive3.

The GPS and (run) cadence are always bang on. The HRM and altimeter are sometimes random number generators.


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## kevine1785 (Mar 29, 2021)

I run a really simple FitBit Charge 4. It tracks my rides unobtrusively, its waterproof and it has onboard GPS. I like that the battery life is long so I dont need to charge it every night. Also its relatively cheap so if I crash and it gets busted no big deal. The thought of strapping my iPhone to my handlebars seems crazy.. I dont even ride any crazy trails.. mostly XC stuff. Its also nice to track runs and swimming.


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## NoCanSurf (Feb 19, 2021)

Add me to those that have an Apple Watch, current model (6). I keep my iPhone locked to the handle bar with a QuadLock (which has been bomb-proof, so far).

I’m not big into the data, I just need to know a few details, so the default app is right for me.
Things I like about it. 
starting a workout with Siri. “Start my bicycle ride” or “start my walk” makes it feel like I’m living in the 21st century. (Oh wait). 

I use Siri to text, she gets mostly right. Enough so I’ve not gotten in trouble anyways.

sleep tracking. I understand others do this. It was eye-opening to she how much (or little sleep) I was getting. I’m made some changes and am getting more and better sleep now.

continuous heart and O2 tracking. So far everything seems good but having the data makes me feel better.

making calls. I feel like James Bond when I get a call on it.

Noise alerts. I live in a big city and thewatch has warmed me about noise levels a few time. Now I have official reasons to hate loud cars, motorcycles and mopeds.

silent text message. The watch give me a little buzz when I get a text, and my phone stays dark. It’s a nice way to get a message without the whole office knowing I’ve gotten a text.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I use a Garmin Vivo 3. Been working pretty well for the past couple years. I only use it when I ride my mountain bike. Rest of the time I wear an analog watch (mostly my Seiko SKX).


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## Daxdagr8t (Jul 9, 2014)

I have a samsung watch 3 and i hate it. I hate the interface, the apps, and samsung health. I had a fenix 3 and even without the hr I much prefer it than my samsung watch. I will probably swirch back to garmin if the fenix 7 comes out. Plus you can broadcast your hr to your garmin comp with the new fenix watches.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## dsciulli19 (Apr 14, 2014)

Daxdagr8t said:


> I have a samsung watch 3 and i hate it. I hate the interface, the apps, and samsung health. I had a fenix 3 and even without the hr I much prefer it than my samsung watch. I will probably swirch back to garmin if the fenix 7 comes out. Plus you can broadcast your hr to your garmin comp with the new fenix watches.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


Interested to hear more about your distaste for the samsung watch -- I've been strongly considering getting a galaxy watch 3 or 4, and most of the folks I've heard from about it rave about the physical bezel rotation, and the ease of use. I'm not a big fan of samsung health (have samsung phone) but until now I wasn't expecting other areas of the watch would be unsatisfactory as well. 
-DS


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## trimess (Oct 10, 2008)

Are you going to use the GPS watch for other activities? If not, maybe a head unit GPS would work better for you. I currently use a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt for cycling. I also have a Suunto Ambit3 Peak that I use mainly for running, but it can work for cycling, hiking, and really any other activity you can think of. 
The Suunto GPS is superior to Garmin (I've had a Garmin watch before) and it acquires signal much faster than the Garmin. Also doesn't drop signal like the Garmin watch did. 

If you're only riding a GPS head unit is likely cheaper than a higher end GPS watch, and it's going to be a bit easier to see on your ride (maybe a bit less so mountain biking versus on the road). But a head unit is going to have more limited versatility if you want to use it for other activities. 
I will say that watch or head unit, you'll still likely need to use your phone for maps and a few other things. The GPS units just aren't good enough to fully way find, and I would always want a phone when riding in case I had some huge mechanical and needed help.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

OP here-great replies so far everyone, thanks! I'm still torn, LOL.

As an iPhone user, there's no doubt that for me an Apple Watch would be more useful 24/7 (because I'd use all the normal day-to-day functions like texting, reminders, etc.). I'm not certain but assume most Garmin watch folks don't wear it 24/7 (but maybe you do?).

@Jayem your idea of the set-it-and-forget-it GoPro is really good and I'm gonna try it (I have one). That would largely eliminate the photo problem for me. I'm an obsessive explorer-meaning I rarely ride trails twice-which is why I like having my iPhone for navigation: I stop often during rides to orient myself on a map, notice where I am relative to the big picture, look at peak names and elevations, etc. And the best iOS mapping apps (I use Topo Maps+ which is awesome) are Apple Watch compatible.

I'd love to have data like elevation, temperature, atmospheric pressure, etc. and don't know how many of those the Apple Watch offers. I also have a Schwinn IC4 spinbike for winter training and it would be nice to have something that will connect to the bike via bluetooth.

I dunno...still a tough call. I'll do more research and feature comparison and probably just make a decision one way or another and see how it goes.

It's funny: a huge number of us (including me) eventually went with our phones for most of our photography needs because they were easy, portable, and we always had them-even though the photo quality sucks (and still does compared to good dedicated cameras). We willingly sacrificed quality for portability.

Now I'm honestly feeling the same way about digital watches: if someone figured out a way to add a camera to a watch, I'd probably abandon my iPhone for the even greater convenience of a "wrist camera" even if the quality took another dive, LOL.

It's all about convenience!
Scott


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

SWriverstone said:


> I'm not certain but assume most Garmin watch folks don't wear it 24/7 (but maybe you do?).


I wear mine 24/7 and I'm guessing a lot of other Garmin users are too. As previously mentioned one of the selling points for me was the fact that Garmin has a lot longer battery life which makes wearing it all the time more convenient.


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

If you like deep dives dcrainmaker has by far the best reviews on all things tech related. The main takeaway for me was that Apple is a better smartwatch and Garmin is a better sports/fitness watch.


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## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

Garmin Fenix Pro 6 ,, amazing watch, can not think of any feature i would like to add to it, works perfect ever time,, and I wear mine 24 hours a day.


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## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, continued,, I love the watch the Data Matrix is amazing and can be added to videos, Look at matrix and video what more could you ask of a watch, and it does "back to start" which is a turn by turn back track if you get lost on a new trail system as well
Click video it is pretty cool how the matrix off watch can go into a video.
Welcome to the Jungle (ride)  Skip to 3:35-4:40ish to see jungle.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

<groan> I've watched a few videos on Garmin watches (the Instinct and Fenix 5/6) and the Apple Watch. Not surprisingly, they only make the decision even more confusing. <sigh> There seriously needs to be a universal standard for reviews to make them less subjective. Yeah people try to do useful comparos, but so much is still subjective.

I wish I could try both a Garmin and Apple watch for a while and see which one I actually find more useful. But I'm not dropping that kind of money on both.

I'm starting to think more and more that what I need is something like this, LOL:


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## NoCanSurf (Feb 19, 2021)

Here's the data from my Sunday ride, captured by the Apple Watch, in the default fitness app on my iPhone.
















Clicking on the map enlarges it (not shown).

I looks to capture all the data you've asked for. There's also heart cool down information (not shown). Of course this is the default app. There are many options.

for me it's just the right amount of data.


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## jrhone (May 23, 2011)

My take is this...Garmin or Apple Watch will probably do the same things, in similar ways. Its how they fit into your life and your electronics eco system that makes the difference. If you have an iPhone...its a no brainer. If you are using an Android phone...then your choice is already made for you as the Apple Watch requires an iPhone. I like the Apple Watch because I am an Apple guy and once setup, I dont fiddle with how this works with that how how this data gets to this app or anything like that. It just works. It also works for me outside of mountain biking, for my messages, notifications, caller id for my phone so I dont have to look at the phone just to see its a telemarketer, blah blah blah...even when using my car navigation, my watch buzzing when I approach a turn Is great.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

UPDATE: I'm leaning toward buying a Garmin Fenix 5X. Because it's "older" I can get one for $350.

The biggest reason why I'm leaning toward Garmin is ruggedness and battery life. I like the idea of having a bombproof device that I can paddle with (much of which is sea kayaking in saltwater), and (very important for me) do winter sports with in deep, wet snow and super-cold temps without worrying about it. And even though I'm used to hauling around a battery pack to keep my iPhone topped off, I like the much-superior battery life of the Garmin watches over the Apple Watch.

Finally, I love the idea of having topo maps on my wrist (separate from my iPhone).

The Apple Watch obviously has a lot of advantages...but for me, navigation is my biggest priority (along with ABC functions). Fitness and health functions aren't very important to me (because—knock on wood—I'm pretty fit and healthy and have been for years, so it's not something I obsess over).

And the reality is that 99% of the time I'll still carry my iPhone with me into the wilderness, because it's my camera (as well as a phone). Which may seem like a good reason to get the Apple Watch...except I'm just not sold on the ruggedness of the Apple Watch (especially in sub-freezing conditions and saltwater). It may work outdoors, but it doesn't seem built for the outdoors. (And I can definitely live without all the "comms" functions of the Apple Watch like wrist-based email, texting, reminders, etc.)

Scott

Edited to Add: I've never liked Garmin software—I think Basecamp is clunky and their maps are clunky too. But I'm used to them from years of using Garmin handheld GPS units. So not a big deal.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

SWriverstone said:


> UPDATE: I'm leaning toward buying a Garmin Fenix 5X. Because it's "older" I can get one for $350.
> 
> The biggest reason why I'm leaning toward Garmin is ruggedness and battery life. I like the idea of having a bombproof device that I can paddle with (much of which is sea kayaking in saltwater), and (very important for me) do winter sports with in deep, wet snow and super-cold temps without worrying about it. And even though I'm used to hauling around a battery pack to keep my iPhone topped off, I like the much-superior battery life of the Garmin watches over the Apple Watch.
> 
> ...


If you're an iPhone person, get the Apple Watch. Trust me. I had a Fenix 5 and 6 and just didn't like the user interface at all. The experience when getting a message or a call while riding is 50X better with the Apple Watch. The Fenix did have good battery life, but that was about the only positive.

The key to Apple Watch durability is to get the stainless case/sapphire crystal. I bought a used watch on eBay for a fraction of the cost of a new one. I'd suggest going with an Apple Watch 4 or newer. Doesn't matter if you get the cellular version - you can use it without a cell plan just fine.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

@RickBullottaPA - thanks for the advice, but too late! I pulled the trigger on a Fenix 5x. Your points make sense though and I may end up with both, LOL. If you've spent time using other Garmin devices (like their handheld GPS and InReach devices) the push-button interface isn't bad.

I'm still curious (and will look around a bit) about the ruggedness of Apple Watches. Are they okay to drop on rocks? Do they perform well in sub-freezing temperatures? (Not suggesting they don't, I just don't know.)

On an aesthetic note: I think rectangular watches are ugly, but that's just me. I much prefer the look of a round watch. I've heard rumors Apple might come out with a round watch...but it doesn't seem likely.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

SWriverstone said:


> @RickBullottaPA - thanks for the advice, but too late! I pulled the trigger on a Fenix 5x. Your points make sense though and I may end up with both, LOL. If you've spent time using other Garmin devices (like their handheld GPS and InReach devices) the push-button interface isn't bad.
> 
> I'm still curious (and will look around a bit) about the ruggedness of Apple Watches. Are they okay to drop on rocks? Do they perform well in sub-freezing temperatures? (Not suggesting they don't, I just don't know.)
> 
> On an aesthetic note: I think rectangular watches are ugly, but that's just me. I much prefer the look of a round watch. I've heard rumors Apple might come out with a round watch...but it doesn't seem likely.


I also have an 830 (and my wife has a 1030). I hate those too. ;-)

The regular glass Apple watches didn't last long for me - the Sapphire glass watch has been indestructible.


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

RickBullottaPA said:


> The experience when getting a message or a call while riding is 50X better with the Apple Watch.


I'm sure the apple is better but I'm totally satisfied with my Garmin's messaging and incoming call feature. I guess I'm not all that picky though.


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## jrhone (May 23, 2011)

Not sure if the Garmin does this....but if your phone dies....can you still use the Garmin to make and receive phone calls? In an emergency situation, thats important to me. Apple Watch (with cellular option) operates independently of the phone when it loses a connection, or the phone is off or disabled. I think worse case scenarios...I fall, im in a remote area, I either cant reach my phone or its not working...."hey Siri call 911"...or what some bikers and hikers have said in that instance...they are laying there thinking what to do next and they hear, "911 whats your emergency?" its the watch...it called 911 for them because they were unresponsive after a fall.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

jrhone said:


> Not sure if the Garmin does this....but if your phone dies....can you still use the Garmin to make and receive phone calls? In an emergency situation, thats important to me.


Good point! While it's yet another device to carry, I have a Garmin InReach Mini for that. (Which I usually just clip to a shoulder strap on my Camelbak.) But yeah, the automatic "Help I've fallen and can't get up" feature is nice.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

J.B. Weld said:


> I'm sure the apple is better but I'm totally satisfied with my Garmin's messaging and incoming call feature. I guess I'm not all that picky though.


Yeah, plus, a Garmin Instinct, which has better battery life than a Fenix or i-watch thing, is way way cheaper and does all of that. I mean, if you want to spend a lot of money, but this thing already does more than I'll ever use (interfaces with all kinds of stuff).


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

J.B. Weld said:


> I'm sure the apple is better but I'm totally satisfied with my Garmin's messaging and incoming call feature. I guess I'm not all that picky though.


If you have an iPhone, you can respond to texts and answer calls from an Apple Watch. I think you can respond to texts from a Garmin only to an Android, and can't do anything with calls on either.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

RickBullottaPA said:


> I think you can respond to texts from a Garmin only to an Android, and can't do anything with calls on either.


I can see who is calling and decide if I want to answer the damn phone.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

RickBullottaPA said:


> If you have an iPhone, you can respond to texts and answer calls from an Apple Watch. I think you can respond to texts from a Garmin only to an Android, and can't do anything with calls on either.


Apple keeps that API private.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Garmin Foretrex 401, Forerunner 910xt, 620, 920xt, 935, Fenix 6s with an Asus Zen Watch, Zen Watch 2, Samsung Fit 2 and Active thrown into the mix over the years. The 935 is the only one I bought new.

Ever since the 910xt, I've been using the watch as the recording device and the head unit as the display.
My favorite head unit was the Edge 810 and I want a Forerunner 745, to give me the looks of the 935 with the features of the 6s. 

For me, the watch has to show me my calendar, alarms for appointments, notifications for texts and calls and nowadays, paywave. Then 24/7 HR, sleep tracking and activity tracking (with cycling power).

I like a head unit on/over the stem (5 different Garmins and Stages units at the moment), but would rather be without a head unit than without a watch.
Activity HR is a Wahoo Tickr Fit arm strap.

I've only worn a watch for work since the Zen Watch (2015) and 24/7 since the 935 (2018).


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

NordieBoy said:


> My favorite head unit was the Edge 810 and I want a Forerunner 745, to give me the looks of the 935 with the features of the 6s.


745 is the one I have, I chose it because it has pretty much all the features I wanted from the Phenix without the weight and bulk. I use it with a head unit too, a 530.


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

I've been using a Fenix 5x (plus? has maps), for over 2 years now. I really like it and I wear it all-day every-day including riding. Love all the data collection and easy use of Garmin Connect. I charge about every 5 days usually long before 0%...depends on gps use of course. With the sapphire glass it's been completely scratch free despite countless whacks into door jams (never knew this was thing until I stared wearing the watch) and several mtb crashes. Battery life has not diminished one bit in this time. I started w/a Fenix 5 with regular glass and a black bezel. I gouged the glass real good the first week I had it (OTB crash to loose granite). Garmin took my return no questions asked so I upgraded and am happy I did. I recommend the silver bezel as well, hides the scratches much better than black.

If I lost it today, I'd be buying another Fenix tomorrow. (solar would be nice, lol)


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Another issue I've had is that I really do not want to look down at the handlebars, it's just too far down for my neck while riding. I know it's a popular place to put stuff, but ideally that would be like at least 6" or so ahead, instead of the handlebar. I'll do it at times (like on the Iditarod) but I really hate having to look down that far. I can hold the watch up to quickly check mileage/time, much easier on my neck.


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## Daxdagr8t (Jul 9, 2014)

dsciulli19 said:


> Interested to hear more about your distaste for the samsung watch -- I've been strongly considering getting a galaxy watch 3 or 4, and most of the folks I've heard from about it rave about the physical bezel rotation, and the ease of use. I'm not a big fan of samsung health (have samsung phone) but until now I wasn't expecting other areas of the watch would be unsatisfactory as well.
> -DS


I prefer the garmin interface. Plus sw3 has limited apps. Only saving grace is it has strava. For smart watch I guess its the best samsung watch but if you take the activity monitoring it sucks. Also battery life is like 8hrs especially when monitoring activity. HR is also very inaccurate when its below 60F, went snowboarding and it froze several times. I know wrist based hr will always be inferior to a chest strap but there is some occasions that max hr is like 20bpm off.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Jayem said:


> I can see who is calling and decide if I want to answer the damn phone.


...except by the time you get your phone out, it's usually too late. ;-)


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

RickBullottaPA said:


> ...except by the time you get your phone out, it's usually too late. ;-)


The Fenix (and I assume most watches) let you answer the phone with a press of a button on the watch. Ya, ya still gotta go find the phone if you want but when I'm riding I don't answer, I reply as a text with a push of the button saying 'out riding' Shows the caller as well as a bunch of other stuff I choose to not have forwarded to my watch, like emails, push notifications etc.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

RickBullottaPA said:


> ...except by the time you get your phone out, it's usually too late. ;-)


No, my Garmin Instinct tells me who is calling.


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## NorCal_In_AZ (Sep 26, 2019)

I'm a huge iPhone fan and love them. But I never needed a watch to do the same functions as my phone does. I wear my Garmin watch 24/7 and the alerts on it are perfect. I see who is calling or texting and can then decide if I need to answer it on my phone. Because I have my watch, my phone has been on silent for the last two years. Being in sales, I never have to worry about my phone going off in a meeting. Just a quick glance at my watch or press a button to reject the call.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Jayem said:


> No, my Garmin Instinct tells me who is calling.


Yup - but you can't answer the phone and conduct the call via your watch.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

eatdrinkride said:


> The Fenix (and I assume most watches) let you answer the phone with a press of a button on the watch. Ya, ya still gotta go find the phone if you want but when I'm riding I don't answer, I reply as a text with a push of the button saying 'out riding' Shows the caller as well as a bunch of other stuff I choose to not have forwarded to my watch, like emails, push notifications etc.


The Fenix doesn't have a microphone. You can't do phone calls from it. You can only reply to texts on Android devices also.


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## kevine1785 (Mar 29, 2021)

Honestly, dont get too caught up into what is "The Best".. It sounds like if you are looking at a watch instead of a dedicated bike computer with all the additional ANT+ add ons (HR Monitor, Cadence sensor, powermeter, etc...) you are more or less a casual rider. If you are deep into the Apple ecosystem and, you are a bit of a gadget nerd.. get an iWatch.. if you dont care for that too much, go Garmin. Both are super equivalent, and have their plus/minus... if you want to get serious about cycling and training.. get an Edge 530.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Yup - but you can't answer the phone and conduct the call via your watch.


Well one time I decided to take a call from work out on a ride and a bear casually walked past about 20 feet in front of me. Not doing that again. Unless nuclear war has been declared, I'm not answering a phone on a ride.


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

RickBullottaPA said:


> The Fenix doesn't have a microphone. You can't do phone calls from it. You can only reply to texts on Android devices also.


Didn't say I talked on it. Just said I answered calls. Which I do. Being able to conduct a phone call on my watch is of no importance to me.


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

OP here—yeah, I definitely see NO reason to answer a call while on a ride (I never have). For years I've kept my iPhone on silent and just glance at it occasionally while riding (usually at the same time I'm taking a photo or checking the map). That's one reason I chose the Fenix 5x, because I don't need Dick Tracy-like wrist comms features. My main use is navigation, so it's nice to have a map on my wrist and be able to drop waypoints, monitor distance ridden, elevation, etc.


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## Bluebeat007 (Mar 17, 2004)

Can someone list which Garmin Watches display elevation gain in real time? I can’t seem to find that info online. I currently own a Garmin 235 which I love but I can only see my elevation gain post ride in Garmin Connect and Strava. I might be looking to upgrade.


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## Hit Factor (Apr 7, 2021)

Bluebeat007 said:


> Can someone list which Garmin Watches...


Fenix 6 Pro/Sapphire does.


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## shadowsports (May 10, 2009)

I just can't do something on my wrist anymore. I stopped wearing watches 10 yrs ago. Have a really nice Citizen Eco-Drive I used to love, but no more. My phone does everything except heart rate, so I'm good with my naked wrist. I'm sure there are some great wearables available now that do almost everythng. Honestly, I don't miss a watch at all now..


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## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

OP here with a quick update: I recently got the *Garmin Fenix 5 Plus (with maps)*. I would have gotten the Fenix 6, except it's twice as expensive! The 5 does almost everything the 6 does at half the price. (I was deciding between the Fenix and an Apple Watch.)

A few initial observations are below-I haven't had it long enough for a thorough review, and am still learning how to use it best.

*1. Visibility of the watch face is an issue for me*-it's only "easy" for my 58-year-old eyes to read in direct sunlight. In twilight or at night it's very difficult to see (the backlight is pretty weak and doesn't help much). In this regard, the Apple Watch would have been far superior.

*2. Battery life is awesome!* On a 100% charge, the Fenix will run for a week easily without a recharge. This is GREAT...and almost (but not quite) compensates for the lack of visibility. I'm sick and damn tired of having to charge my Apple devices almost daily-that's just LAME.

*3. Phone notifications on the watch are nice.* I didn't think I'd care about having these, but for everyday wear it's nice to feel a little buzz on the wrist for notifications-then decide if I need to reply or not on my iPhone. (Yes, obviously the Apple Watch does this too.)

*4. The interface is somewhat intuitive.* It's taken me a week or so to really memorize what button presses and holds lead to which functions. I'm still doing some trial and error when I can't remember. Hopefully this will get better over time.

*5. Heartrate is plenty accurate for me.* There have been lots of articles online about wrist-based HR monitors not being accurate. But I couldn't care less about 100% accuracy for HR...just being in the ballpark is fine for me as I'm not hardcore training for competitive events where a BPM difference of 1 or 2 will destroy my training regimen.

*6. Maps are not very useful.* The map detail is fine...but having to use multiple button presses to zoom and pan the map makes them almost useless in all but an emergency situation (where the Fenix maps are all you have). I'll continue to use my iPhone for mapping needs. (By the way, *there IS a TrailForks app for the Fenix series* but I haven't tried it yet.)

*7. You've gotta wear it 24/7/365 to get the best use out of fitness functions.* I'm not crazy about wearing a watch 24/7 but I'm giving it a shot. Like many machine learning systems, the Fenix's fitness data gets better the longer you use it (and the more data it has to crunch). Things like average resting heartrate and average hours of sleep are more accurate over time.

*8. It's difficult figuring out what data view you want on the watch during workouts.* There are a zillion options for data field views when doing an "Activity." And no one view is perfect-though there are many 3rd-party apps that offer "all-in-one" data views (sometimes at the expense of readability because everything is shrunken to microscopic). I'm still figuring this out!

*9. Like the Apple Watch, you get the most from the watch by having your phone nearby. *Garmin's "Connect" app (on my iPhone) offers much better data views than the watch itself, so to get the most from the watch it helps to be able to view things on your phone. When viewing your track after workouts, the app uses Apple Maps on iPhones to display your tracks on. It would be great if you could choose a different map (like the excellent Natural Atlas basemap).

---
I haven't had a chance yet to try more of the *navigation functions (trackback, save waypoints, etc.),* and I also want to try a few *watch apps* (which basically offer different/better data field views on the watch face).

More to come!
Scott


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## Bikeworks (Sep 10, 2020)

First and foremost, I am a roadie who is new to MTB. So naturally I started using my Wahoo Roam on the trails to track my rides like I do for my road riding. A few crashes later, and my Roam has seen better days. I went ahead today and decided to purchase a Garmin Fenix 5 Plus (with help from reading what the OP posted above). I considered staying in the Wahoo ecosystem and getting the Rival, but the Garmin just seemed to tick way more boxes for me. I had also considered getting another, smaller head unit like the Wahoo Bolt, but I didn't feel that would really mitigate the unit getting damaged in a crash. FTR, my mount is over the stem, not out front like on my road bike.

I anticipate receiving the unit this weekend, I'll offer up some initial impressions then to help anyone on the fence.

Cancelled my order and went with a Bolt lol. So much cheaper, and it's something familiar. Sorry for cluttering up the thread. 🙈


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Bikeworks said:


> First and foremost, I am a roadie who is new to MTB. So naturally I started using my Wahoo Roam on the trails to track my rides like I do for my road riding. A few crashes later, and my Roam has seen better days. I went ahead today and decided to purchase a Garmin Fenix 5 Plus (with help from reading what the OP posted above). I considered staying in the Wahoo ecosystem and getting the Rival, but the Garmin just seemed to tick way more boxes for me. I had also considered getting another, smaller head unit like the Wahoo Bolt, but I didn't feel that would really mitigate the unit getting damaged in a crash. FTR, my mount is over the stem, not out front like on my road bike.
> 
> I anticipate receiving the unit this weekend, I'll offer up some initial impressions then to help anyone on the fence.
> 
> Cancelled my order and went with a Bolt lol. So much cheaper, and it's something familiar. Sorry for cluttering up the thread. 🙈


You chose wisely. Wrist devices suck and the only people who seem to like them are the ones who just spent a ton of money on them. They almost all come around to the error of their ways eventually. They're fine for fitness and GPS recording, lousy for navigation and interactivity.


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## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

RickBullottaPA said:


> You chose wisely. Wrist devices suck and the only people who seem to like them are the ones who just spent a ton of money on them. They almost all come around to the error of their ways eventually. They're fine for fitness and GPS recording, lousy for navigation and interactivity.


Is anyone buying a watch for navigation and interactivity? Seriously?
I have a Garmin Approach S60 and Garmin 520. They do different things and yet they often go on rides together. I use the watch for sleep and health metrics, and golf. And the 520 does the heavy lifting for my bike rides. I could conceivably use a watch for riding, but I would buy a different one to a golf specific one obviously.


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

Convergence pulls in one direction and efficiency pulls in the other. Everything on one device! Convenient! This function on specialized device! Much more efficient and more features!

Everyone finds their own comfort level, at that balance point between too many devices to juggle and too many apps on one device to keep track of.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Just upgraded my Fenix 6s to a 945.
I found I much preferred the all-black look of my old 935 and my skin works better with the resin rather than stainless back.
Mapping is a help too.

About $260us 2nd hand for the 945 vs the Fenix 2nd hand at $320us.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

NordieBoy said:


> Just upgraded my Fenix 6s to a 945.


Courier has just delivered it


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Mudguard said:


> Is anyone buying a watch for navigation and interactivity? Seriously?
> I have a Garmin Approach S60 and Garmin 520. They do different things and yet they often go on rides together. I use the watch for sleep and health metrics, and golf. And the 520 does the heavy lifting for my bike rides. I could conceivably use a watch for riding, but I would buy a different one to a golf specific one obviously.


So the way I use my watch for nav is it allows me to keep track of mileage and time at a glance. While I could be also running a handlebar unit, I don't find a compelling reason to, I don't like cranking my neck down that far (just not comfortable) while riding and I usually do enough research so that I don't need to rely on a map while riding. The watch with it's running total of mileage, beeping at set intervals, keeping track of time, is an excellent way for me to manage rides. If I know a turn is coming up at mile 20, I can be aware of it. If I want to ride for 1 hour in one direction and another hour in the other, I can do that. If I want to know how many miles I am from something or how far I've gone, I can do that. The watches generally will nav, as in follow a course or route, but they are a fairly poor way to nav. They do serve a purpose for me for keeping track during the ride and then they also function as a recording device while I'm riding. Also lets me look in on data while I'm riding, like temperature (there are others). That's a big one here in the winter, so it's nice to know when things are changing or what the actual temp is (via sensor on the bike).


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Yep, a Garmin Tempe sensor works nicely with their watches but not their bike computers.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

SWriverstone said:


> OP here with a quick update: I recently got the *Garmin Fenix 5 Plus (with maps)*. I would have gotten the Fenix 6, except it's twice as expensive! The 5 does almost everything the 6 does at half the price. (I was deciding between the Fenix and an Apple Watch.)
> 
> A few initial observations are below-I haven't had it long enough for a thorough review, and am still learning how to use it best.
> 
> ...


My sexagenarian eyes can read the important stuff Apple Watch without glasses and in bright sunlight. It does need charging daily but no other device offers as much. You might think your phone has to be near by but my Apple watch is a great phone, sports quantification device and conduit for alarms and work messages if my phone is even 50+ miles away from my watch, bike and me. 

Associates bring up same things as you do some calling the Apple Watch stupid. To me it seems stupid how they carry more devices to accomplish same or less. I say less because when the phone is near the watch also gets me our enterprise telephony same time it gets my own, and the sorts of alarms I get as an infrastructure manager. I've reminded one Apple hater associate how I don't carry 2 cell phones and a wrist wearable and do same or more.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I have the Garmin 945. It is the best fitness watch around. The Apple Watch is a better productivity watch and is much easier to read/see the screen. I have that too actually though charging it each day is a bit of an issue....sometimes it runs out of juice. However, I rely more on my Garmin 1030 while cycling. If being connected to work/home is more important, the Apple Watch is better.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

For me, the 935 was brilliant, it was my recording device of choice and whatever head unit I used was just for info when riding.
Smart notifications and calendar for work, great battery life, 24/7 HR monitoring, sleep monitoring etc.

But then I upgraded my phone and the new one doesn't have NFC. So no paywave. Which I use all the time.
Then to a Fenix 6s. Same screen size, 42mm case, down from 47mm, slightly heavier, no WiFi, added pulseOx and paywave.
Found pulseOx wasn't something I need to monitor although it was interesting and my skin doesn't get on as well with stainless watch backs.
The 6s had the silver bezel though and I much prefer all black.
Up came an auction for a near new (can't tell it's been worn) 945 and the seller seemed a little unreliable in his past trades, but they were all a few years ago.
I was willing to give it a go and got it for $370nz when the usual START prices are around $700nz ($1000 retail).

It's what I wanted from an improved 935. Added paywave, maps and less metalwork in the watch body than the 6s so definitely better Ant+/BT range and WiFi is back.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

I'm finding that in an activity I'm mainly using the watch for Time of Day, Elapsed Time, Distance, Elevation Gain and the head unit (Garmin 130+ or 530 or Stages L10 or L50) for Cadence, Speed, HR, Power, Elapsed time.
The Head unit for stuff I look at more often and the watch for the rest.
The fewer things on the head unit, the bigger I can make them, the easier to see at a glance.


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## goofyarcher (Jul 12, 2020)

Garmin Fenix 5 pro will do all that and much more, and you can seen only what you want to, but everything is logged for reveiw at another time,
Flow and Get are really cool to review after the ride


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

NordieBoy said:


> Yep, a Garmin Tempe sensor works nicely with their watches but not their bike computers.












I do love it, helps me make good advance decisions. Sensor just below the rear light on the seatpost.


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## justwan naride (Oct 13, 2008)

Been using a Garmin Instict since August, my first watch in ages. I mostly got it to record windsurfing sessions and track my runs without having to carry a phone. 

It's not perfect, but I consider it a very decent option. The GPS track is more accurate than my phone's, although they both have problems in very narrow city streets amongst tall buildings. Altimeter is not that acurate, which is my main gripe. On proper mountain rides the error is small, but in the city or at sea the numbers don't make sense. It's recommended that you calibrate regularly, but even then there are errors. Uploading to Strava gives you the option to fix these, so not a huge issue, but still I expected more from a dedicated outdoor watch.

The other thing is that the wrist heart rate sensor is not the best for mountain biking. It often misses short bursts of effort and at times it obviously misses beats, possibly due the wrist bend, vibrations or something. Our hand position on a bike is not ideal for a wrist sensor. A chest strap is a must if you rely on heart rate for training

Apart from the above it's been great. It's already taken a few beatings with no issue, it's very easy to use, highly customisable and fits comfortably. Battery life is very good, with daily commuting plus weekend activities I have to charge it every 7-10 days.

The screen is one of the highlights for me as it's readable in any kind of light, even direct sunlight. This is very practical for watersports.

It's great if you do interval training as you can upload the excercise on your pc or program it straight on the watch. The trackback feature has also been usefull at times. For windsurfing it does what I wanted and the autopause works admirably. It also senses what you are doing even if you haven't started an activity, so on Garmin connect you will see your walks or short bike rides. When I take a break while windsurfing it will identify the break as "swimming" and show it in the daily summary.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

justwan naride said:


> A chest strap is a must if you rely on heart rate for training


I prefer the Wahoo Tickr Fit armband. I've got moles on my chest that get rubbed by chest straps.
Doesn't do HRV so Garmin can't calculate FTP correctly, but Xert does, so I just check Xert after the ride and update the watch from that.


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## justwan naride (Oct 13, 2008)

NordieBoy said:


> I prefer the Wahoo Tickr Fit armband.


I had no idea this existed, sounds like a great alternative. Personally I don't "train", so not too fussed about HR inaccuracies.


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