I got a Garmin!

[surgtech1956]

I bought myself a Forerunner 305 for Xmas and was just thinking about the cadence/speed sensor. Does this come with the handlebar mount too or is this separate? Thanks

[MCAP]

The handlebar mount is separate. It comes in the quick mount kit which is around $20-$25 on Amazon. The quick mount kit has a velcro wristband and the bike mount. The face of the watch clips into either the wristband or the bike mount.

[KimmyC]

I have an edge 500 and I am glad I got it. Along with the cadence sensor, it has everything I will ever need. Most if not all of the time, it is is super accurate. It evens says how accurate it is, like 10 ft or 17 ft accuracy. And it has never dropped a signal!

[zoom-zoom]

The handlebar mount is separate. It comes in the quick mount kit which is around $20-$25 on Amazon. The quick mount kit has a velcro wristband and the bike mount. The face of the watch clips into either the wristband or the bike mount.

There is also a mount that I like that is sorta a pseudo wrist. I use this most of the time, since the quick-release mount is sorta reputed to not always hold the unit well. I only use the quick-release for races.

[MCAP]

Well I used my new Garmin at the trainer group session last night. The heart rate monitor read just fine. I couldn't get the speed/cadence sensor to work because it kept picking up everyone else's wireless sensors. I'll have to sync it before everyone gets there today. It's pretty neat to see the heartrate graph afterwards. Now I just need to figure out what all this thing does!

[azfiddle]

I love my Garmin 305. I've had it a little over a year. I never have problems in the Tucson area, but while we were vacationing in N. California and the Pacific northwest, it sometimes gave me really screwy readings for the % grades.

I have used the artificial wrist for a year, but I have broken 3 of the rubber wrist straps, and am just about to try the other style of mount...

[zoom-zoom]

I love my Garmin 305. I've had it a little over a year. I never have problems in the Tucson area, but while we were vacationing in N. California and the Pacific northwest, it sometimes gave me really screwy readings for the % grades.

GPS doesn't do elevation figures with any degree of accuracy...at all. For that one would need an altimeter. I think Suunto has a GPS/altimeter combo, but for a LOT more dough (like 3-4x the price of the 305).

[Mr. Bloom]

Yes, the data graphs can be neat. Hopefully you won't have an experience like Mr. SR500 in a Feb '09 post after he hit a car

The Garmin info was really cool. I had accelerated from about 19 mph to about 23.5 mph in anticipation of the light. Then I hit the brakes and was going about 17 mph at impact (it didn't feel anywhere near that fast). At the point of impact speed dropped to 0, but my heart rate jumped about 20 beats per minute. Wild to see it recorded.

[ridebikeme]

I'm not sure whether this is helpful or not, so please correct me if I am totally off base. I know that when heart rate monitors first came out, they had issues with interference... especially with other cyclists being in a close proximity to you. I still find that issue to some degree in the shop trainer class, although generally I set up the bikes a bit apart and in a diagonal pattern and it stops. Anyway, I wonder for those in you in shop trainer sessions, if this could be the same case? Are you too close to each other and that's why there are problems with the units not reading?

I'll keep following this discussion and see what those of you in trainer classes have to say about it. Although I haven't bought a Garmin (yet) I'm thinking that the 800 might become a part of my stable as well.