I got a Garmin!

[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.

[OakLeaf]

The Garmin 705 has a barometric altimeter. Now that they've come out with the 800, I'd expect you'd be able to find 705s at a relative bargain, but they're always going to run you higher than a 305.

As long as we're complaining about weather conditions ... in the rain, water droplets will block the air holes that feed the barometric altimeter on the 705, and you will lose that functionality. (You'll probably also drown your cadence sensor, but that's another complaint. ) Not sure if they figured out a fix for that in the 800.

Oddly, I've been using my iMapMyRun on my HTC Incredible to track my walks, and for whatever reason, in my current flat environment, I get much more accurate elevation on that than I do with my Garmin 310. Obviously it's their correction algorithm and/or known comparison points, since the phone doesn't have a barometric altimeter either, but it's pretty interesting. I'll have to do some comparison when I get back to the hill country.

[Catrin]

Does anyone have the 305 with HRM? I am probably dreaming looking at Garmin considering I've shot my bike budget for some time to come with the new bike but it is attractive...

I go back and forth between the 305 and wanting the 705 with maps but I wonder if I could even SEE the maps... and I would have paper maps for real exploring. My Oakley prescription sunglasses do not have a bifocal

[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.

[Susan126]

I got a Garmin 800 from my hubby for my birthday. I love it! Here is one of my rides I downloaded onto the Garmin connect site:

One of my rides from my house and back.

My favorite feature is the "play" feature on the top right which allows you to relive your ride.

[chicago]

okay, wait, isn't the forerunner for running, I'm confused

I have the Edge 705... that I know is for biking? I also had a forerunner back in the day when I ran marathons... isn't the forerunner for running?

[luv2climb]

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?

Last summer I was getting ready to climb Donner Pass Road in the Sierras. Another cyclist was a few feet away. I fired up the Edge 500 and it locked on to the other cyclist's HR strap. I couldn't get it to pair with my HR strap until I rebooted it.

[OakLeaf]

DMC, have you tried clearing the sensor data from your receiver and re-trying it (i.e., turn off cadence sensor, re-start the unit, then turn it back on again)?