didn't do total distance? not sure i understand what you mean?

it did total for the ride... but you did have to reset it at the beginning of the ride.... it was a habit... turn it on... get HR reading... reset miles.... every once in a while i'd forget... and have to reset it mid ride... but that was always at home thank goodness.... where the mileage didn't matter as much unless i was going for a certain number that day!

however.... even if i forgot to reset it.... when it downloaded to the computer... it downloaded the ride mileage.. whether reset or not!

it also has an odometer... that you can set if you are getting it midseason and know your mileage for the year.... then each ride would add on to it.... you can also reset it at the beginning of a year... month... whatever.... but you do that via the software on the puter... and then load it to the polar....

i really liked my polar.... it did have a couple quirks... and i would complain about them (i'm anal and want my stuff to act perfectly!)

i never used it with another computer.. except a couple of times with the f11 just to see how the calories came out on both! but i only had to wear the one HR strap since they both read off the one!

hmmmmmm interfearance.... my hubby has an electronic light of some sort.... could not use it on high with the polar.. it interferred with the polar.... he had another light (a performance one) that he couldn't use at all with the polar.. .not even on low beam!

we have another garmin GPS... the handheld type... larger... not really for bikes... more for hiking.... we bought the bike mount for it... and planned to use it.. along with the polar.. as that garmin wasn't a cycling computer... had maps on it... again.. interfearance (i can't spell that word!)

and i think i already mentioned either here or the other thread... it is bothered by power lines! all the sudden my HR would be 295! ACK! and my speed would go whacky! UGH! i hated that! but it didn't happen all the time! it was really bad at tour de palm springs at one point with the power lines.... and strangly... on amtrak... no overhead wires.. must have been something burried! hubby's acted up too!

i liked everything the polar did... CALORIES! altimeter... temperature (average, hi/low), HR, cadence, miles.... etc! the only reason i gave it up was cuz the edge seemed so much cooler (i LOVE toys!) if garmin would fix the calorie count.... i'd be uber more happy with the edge (in other forums.. that's my number ONE complaint! and of course... now i'm dissillusioned cuz it died but i still love riding with it and all the info it gives me!