# Best choice for a MTB GPS watch?



## AdamITR (Jun 22, 2006)

Been using an old Garmin 305 edge to track rides to Strava. I plan to continue to use Strava, but would like to purchase a watch to track my MTB, and also the swimming that I do. Price is not a factor, and I have started to do some research of the Garmin Fenix 6 (all models), the Wahoo Rival, and I don’t know much about Polar or any others. Looking for real experience, including app functionality with the watch. I am a Android user, so no Apple devices . Thanks in advance


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## AluminumMonster (Jul 28, 2009)

I picked up a reconditioned Fenix 5X last year and have been very happy with it. I haven't really done anything with the app other than set up and loading a custom watch face. I wasn't a smartwatch guy before this, so I can't say how it compares in that regard. I typically ride a few times a week year round, so it's been good through snowy winter ride and muggy summer rides, and I shower with it all the time. The battery still lasts several days. Last weekend I had 51% battery, recorded a 5 1/2 hour gravel ride, and the battery was still at 14% at the end of it. I put my phone in a case or bag in my pack, so I love not having to mess around with my phone or use up its battery to record rides. Also the physical buttons instead of a touchscreen are great with gloves, especially the thicker winter ones.


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

I can only speak for Fenix 6. Mine is the Sapphire HR model.
It's a spectacular device. If ya can afford it. Go for it. Great app support.
It can take a beating. Compared to eg "Fruit-Watch".
Quickswap watch bands are also a plus. The Ti looks damned sweet (Almost hovering on the buy button).
I also have an old Edge 520 Plus. Both synced up to my Note 20.
The Fenix with mostly actual watch use for now gets 14 days battery-life with GPS/GLONASS/BT on. So mileage may wary depending on what radios you have on. I bought mine mostly for logging my skiing and health data.
If lost/destroyed I would buy again.
Mine is the middle size btw.

EDIT: I've not had any issues with the HRM function.


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## Fajita Dave (Mar 22, 2012)

I'm still rocking a Fenix 3 and it's been phenomenal. Battery life is still excellent and has every feature you can possibly need. A few times I've had it freeze up and lost rides because of it. Mostly when using the navigation function with a map loaded. It's probably not an issue on the newer ones.

They make a handlebar mount for it which is great. It would gouge into the back of my hand a bit on rough downhills.

Also use it for tracking my sleep which its surprisingly accurate at doing. I have sleep apnea despite being skinny and fit. The sleep data shows what sleep stage I'm in, moments of being awake and how much I'm moving. Also been great for hiking, running and kayaking to track how many hours a week I'm active which prevents me from overdoing it.


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

Fajita Dave said:


> They make a handlebar mount for it which is great. It would gouge into the back of my hand a bit on rough downhills.


I still have the bar-mount from my old POLAR SX 725 watch. If I already didn't have my EDGE I'd be rockin that bar mount.


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## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

I had a Fenix 5 for a little over a year. GPS tracking and battery life are good, the HR monitor is completely useless. 

My real issue came up when all of a sudden I went from getting about a week on a charge to about 14 hours, then 12, then 10... 

All within a few days. I spoke to Garmin multiple times and they gave me a whole bunch of stuff to try, none of it helped. Spoke to them one last time and I was told the battery has a short. Great, can I send it in for a new battery? 

Nope. I was told it's non-replaceable, the watch is trash and I could feel free to buy a brand new watch if I wanted. 

No thanks! 

I went with an Apple Watch 6. Tracking is really good and the HR monitor is dead-on. I know Apple is not really in the cards for you, but Garmin support is pure crap. Considering it's the most expensive option on the market you would think support would be better and being able to simply replace a battery would not be an issue. I have a huge problem with a company that will allow a product like that to become a paperweight simply because of a battery issue.


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## itsky (Jul 26, 2011)

I have an Apple watch 5, it's great. Took it on 42 mile all day ride and the battery lasted through it and for the rest of the day. Nice to be able to navigate podcast, spotify, calls and texts without breaking out the phone. Also, it's bomber, no scratches after 1.5 years with no special care or case. The con: the battery will only last 1.5- 2 days tops. If you charge each not, it's great.


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## AdamITR (Jun 22, 2006)

Great info, wow, crazy about Garmins service! Gonna try the Polar Grit X. Keep all of you posted!


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## matadorCE (Jun 26, 2013)

I have no major complaints about my Fenix 6s. I actually ditched using my Edge 520 and just use watch now. I does run down the battery from full to about 60% after about an 1-1 1/2 hour ride but it does charge quickly and the battery lasts a while if you're not actively tracking an activity. When I first got it, the HR wasn't working well but it was due to a software bug but it got a lot better after a few updates.


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## rdawson808 (Oct 19, 2015)

I have a Coros Vertix. Relatively new brand. I use it to track my MTB rides only. So I can't speak to its other functions. It maps very well. 

Among its other functions are swimming (pool and open water), running (pavement, trail, and track), mountaineering, paddling, and more. They are highly focused on getting into the running world right now. It's their primary focus. So I have yet to find any reviews of the watch outside of that world. I took a chance because it has lots of functions, is made from nice materials, and looks nice. Also costs less than most of the other ones. 

Coros makes other models that do less (and cost less, of course). None of them play music, if that's important. I think they all integrate with Strava, etc. Coros only has a phone app; there is no desk-top access to your data, etc. That's a real drawback I think.

I used to have a Lezyne watch and would not recommend it.


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## mtnbikerva1 (Feb 4, 2008)

GARMIN Forerunner 945.
Has mapping, pulse ox, sleep information, heart rate (buy a chest strap for accuracy when exercising)... lighter than the FENIX MODELS. FENIX may have bigger battery and longer run time.
I am very disappointed nobody has a blood sugar display/monitor!
I like it and GARMIN.


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## rdawson808 (Oct 19, 2015)

mtnbikerva1 said:


> I am very disappointed nobody has a blood sugar display/monitor!


Oh man, if mine would vibrate when my sensor is showing a low, that would be great. I can't hear my pump nor feel it vibrate. I just have to feel the low and stop and check.


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## nebuz (Aug 19, 2017)

I like my Garmin Forerunner 935. It's not the most full featured now (no music or maps or anything), but but it does genuinely get ~24h of GPS if you set it up right, which is especially good when you forgot to charge it, it's super light so you don't notice it's there, it hasn't seemed to have suffered any damage in crashes (though I did put a screen protector on it), the screen is always very legible, especially outside and it's super easy to use. The optical HR sensor doesn't work well in winter for me though.

Based on my experience with it, I'll definitely be buying another in the forerunner line when/if this one dies.


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## Radical_53 (Nov 22, 2006)

Up until recently, I've had nothing but praise for the Gamin support. I've had a Fenix 5, a 5s and now a 6 Pro. 
The watch itself seems bulletproof, the software can have its issues though.
I'd still recommend it highly but make sure to report any issue you may have to support as soon as you're aware of it.
Battery life is phenomenal, the screen is easy to read, functionality is great.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Garmin 910XT, 620, 920XT, 935, Fenix 6s.
More features as I upgrade every few years and no issues with Garmin support.
The 935 was new, everything else was 2nd hand.
Wanted to upgrade to a 945 but the 6s came up for a good price.
The watch is smaller than the 935, but the display is the same size.


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## joshemc (May 11, 2021)

Another vote for the Garmin Fenix series. I have a Fenix 5, going on almost 4 years now. This watch is killer, some minor dings and other damage from rock climbing. about 1.5 years ago I had an issues where the watch completely froze, no dice on any recommended tech support. Contacted Garmin and they sent me a new watch within three days. I will definitely upgrade to the newest Fenix series when this one finally dies - Still going strong on ~10 days battery life with normal use - less obviously when I am doing regular, long rides or hikes. As mentioned, the HR is kinda meh, but if I am riding and curious about that I bought the cheap Garmin strap for S&G.


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## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

joshemc said:


> Another vote for the Garmin Fenix series. I have a Fenix 5, going on almost 4 years now. This watch is killer, some minor dings and other damage from rock climbing. about 1.5 years ago I had an issues where the watch completely froze, no dice on any recommended tech support. Contacted Garmin and they sent me a new watch within three days. I will definitely upgrade to the newest Fenix series when this one finally dies - Still going strong on ~10 days battery life with normal use - less obviously when I am doing regular, long rides or hikes. As mentioned, the HR is kinda meh, but if I am riding and curious about that I bought the cheap Garmin strap for S&G.


That's curious that they would warranty a 2.5 year old Fenix 5 for you but not my 1.5 old Fenix 5...


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## Tjomball (Jul 6, 2021)

I would hazard to guess it has to do with consumer protection laws. In my country they have to warranty em for 5 years.


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## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

Tjomball said:


> I would hazard to guess it has to do with consumer protection laws. In my country they have to warranty em for 5 years.


Unless Josh moved, we are both in the US where Garmin is only held to 1 year.


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## joshemc (May 11, 2021)

You are correct, still based in US. Not sure what the differences here could be - but was very impressed with the service. I even got a brand new watch band with it


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## AdamITR (Jun 22, 2006)

The Fenix 5 was on sale at Amazon, or at least a good price, so I ordered one. So I have a Polar Grid X on the way too. I'll do a normal ride, and compare, and post here or in a new thread.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

The overall feature set from an Apple Watch is so good that it's my choice. In my day job I supervise and address worst of tech problems for Android and Apple at scale so it's not a brand fan boy thing. It might not be the ideal product for someone wanting days or weeks battery life because it needs a new charge about as often as my phone does.

In addtion to the sports quantification, the nudge technology and the way the watch handles work alarms and my two different phone numbers makes it great. I get my own cellular calls and all of our enterprise Microsoft Teams calls where in my case that's a so a public telephone number.


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## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

joshemc said:


> You are correct, still based in US. Not sure what the differences here could be - but was very impressed with the service. I even got a brand new watch band with it


Yeah I was told by Garmin that the Fenix watches are unrepairable so it's toast, but they would happily set me up to _buy_ a new watch.

It's less that they didn't want to warranty it and more that they are happy to let a basically year old watch go in the trash because of a battery. I would have been perfectly happy with paying for a new battery. I'm not looking for handouts or special treatment, but I also don't look to get bent over without any lube either...


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## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

bitflogger said:


> The overall feature set from an Apple Watch is so good that it's my choice. In my day job I supervise and address worst of tech problems for Android and Apple at scale so it's not a brand fan boy thing. It might not be the ideal product for someone wanting days or weeks battery life because it needs a new charge about as often as my phone does.
> 
> In addtion to the sports quantification, the nudge technology and the way the watch handles work alarms and my two different phone numbers makes it great. I get my own cellular calls and all of our enterprise Microsoft Teams calls where in my case that's a so a public telephone number.


The two things I use WAY more than I thought I would with my Apple watch are the Apple Pay from the watch and taking phone calls from the watch (no not in public like an A-Hole).

So nice when I get a notification of a phone call from my watch to not have to dig out or go find my phone. This is especially true for when I'm on the bike.


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

I'm kind of a gear whore, so I have multiple items. My daily watch is Apple series 4. Hard to beat the convenience for phone calls, Apple Pay, etc. But the sports tracking is rudimentary and the HR monitor sucks the hairy root. I've been using it with the Slopes app for snowboarding, but there are always huge gaps where my HR isn't being recorded. I contacted Slopes and no, they can't interface with a Garmin or Wahoo strap.

Aaaaaaaaanyway, I use a Garmin Edge on my bikes (530 and 830) but I've ordered a Fenix 6 Pro based on the fact that it has similar functionality to the Slopes app, i.e. detects and ignores the ski lift and line-up times. It'll actually be kinda nice to have both my summer and winter sports on the same database. And since I'm about to take up downhilling, the watch should be good for that too.


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## itsky (Jul 26, 2011)

Not sure what's 


DennisT said:


> I'm kind of a gear whore, so I have multiple items. My daily watch is Apple series 4. Hard to beat the convenience for phone calls, Apple Pay, etc. But the sports tracking is rudimentary and the HR monitor sucks the hairy root. I've been using it with the Slopes app for snowboarding, but there are always huge gaps where my HR isn't being recorded. I contacted Slopes and no, they can't interface with a Garmin or Wahoo strap.
> 
> Aaaaaaaaanyway, I use a Garmin Edge on my bikes (530 and 830) but I've ordered a Fenix 6 Pro based on the fact that it has similar functionality to the Slopes app, i.e. detects and ignores the ski lift and line-up times. It'll actually be kinda nice to have both my summer and winter sports on the same database. And since I'm about to take up downhilling, the watch should be good for that too.


not sure what's up with your apple HR monitor, but on my apple watch series 5 it's better than my previous garmin watch and the wahoo tickr wrist strap


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

itsky said:


> Not sure what's
> 
> not sure what's up with your apple HR monitor, but on my apple watch series 5 it's better than my previous garmin watch and the wahoo tickr wrist strap


Yeah all the reviews I've seen rate the apple hr monitor second to none. I use android though so it's out.


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## Funoutside (Jul 17, 2019)

I have the updated Forerunner 945 LTE(smaller & newer gps+hr over the regular 945 & 6) without the data plan & I like it. I was able to test out the regular Fenix 6s(regular 6 felt a bit to big) first. While the metal body of 6S is more durable & in some way nicer the plastic body of the 945 LTE preformed a hair better for me when it came to GPS accuracy. I did a metric century ride in the city a few weeks back testing both watches(on on each wrist) & both pretty much performed the same. The LTE locked on to signal a1-3 seconds faster & felt more comfortable in my had. Plus but the end of the ride the 945 LTE had around 8% more battery life than the 6S. That all sold me on keeping the 945 LTE. I was fortunate enough my local REI had both in stock & the 945 LTE was the last one in store(& a store return which netted me a discount).

From the reviews I've seen the F6 & 945 HR is close to the Apple watch & the newer HR sensor in the LTE(& Venu 2) is better than the previous gen Garmin sensor. GPS on the other hand is where Garmin has the advantage in performance & of course battery life.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Garmin instinct does all the important stuff, much cheaper than the expensive color watches, great battery life, etc. I especially like pairing it with my Tempe sensors for cold weather rides.


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## AdamITR (Jun 22, 2006)

Yeah, I think my first choice might of been an Apple Gen6, but I'm on a new Android phone also. The Fenix 5 and Polar arrive on Saturday. I messed around with the Polar software, seems pretty good so far.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

DennisT said:


> I'm kind of a gear whore, so I have multiple items. My daily watch is Apple series 4. Hard to beat the convenience for phone calls, Apple Pay, etc. But the sports tracking is rudimentary and the HR monitor sucks the hairy root. I've been using it with the Slopes app for snowboarding, but there are always huge gaps where my HR isn't being recorded. I contacted Slopes and no, they can't interface with a Garmin or Wahoo strap.
> 
> Aaaaaaaaanyway, I use a Garmin Edge on my bikes (530 and 830) but I've ordered a Fenix 6 Pro based on the fact that it has similar functionality to the Slopes app, i.e. detects and ignores the ski lift and line-up times. It'll actually be kinda nice to have both my summer and winter sports on the same database. And since I'm about to take up downhilling, the watch should be good for that too.


I'll guess something's going on with your apps more than the watch because a Series 4 on is also an FDA approved ECG device.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Jayem said:


> Garmin instinct does all the important stuff, much cheaper than the expensive color watches, great battery life, etc. I especially like pairing it with my Tempe sensors for cold weather rides.


I do like my Tempe. Pity the Edges don't support it.

The Instinct Camo and Surf use the new HR sensor, but none record power.
I'd have gone for a Venu 2 if it did power...
The base 6s seems to be going nicely so far.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

bitflogger said:


> I'll guess something's going on with your apps more than the watch because a Series 4 on is also an FDA approved ECG device.


Or it works fine on someone else's arm.
My old 935 worked nicely on my arm, even during XC races where I forgot my Wahoo TickR Fit, but my brother couldn't get it to behave at all.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

NordieBoy said:


> I do like my Tempe. Pity the Edges don't support it.
> 
> The Instinct Camo and Surf use the new HR sensor, but none record power.
> I'd have gone for a Venu 2 if it did power...
> The base 6s seems to be going nicely so far.


I didn't know this at first, but you can put tempes on multiple bikes and run them with one watch. That's slick.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Jayem said:


> I didn't know this at first, but you can put tempes on multiple bikes and run them with one watch. That's slick.


I clip mine onto my shoe laces.


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## Hit Factor (Apr 7, 2021)

Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire has more features than I need. I really like it. Huge step up from any of the FitBit devices I've had in the past.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Jayem said:


> I didn't know this at first, but you can put tempes on multiple bikes and run them with one watch. That's slick.


Like the Garmin radar where you can share the connection with other riders.
They do some good stuff, and some baffling stuff


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## bigdog479 (Sep 1, 2020)

I vote Apple watch all day long! I have a series 5 that is wear all day everyday and it does awesome for tracking my ride too. The heart rate monitoring seems to be spot on and the gps works flawlessly. I guess the only negative would be the price and if your not an iPhone user.


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## BkngBear (May 10, 2021)

Charlie Tactix by Garmin. Works great for me for everything!


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