Timex global gps?
Any feedback on timex global trainer GPS watch using Garmin now but may make switch can use timex in the water for training????
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Any feedback on timex global trainer GPS watch using Garmin now but may make switch can use timex in the water for training????
Comments
Brain - not sure you've seen DCR's review on this (and the comparable Garmin products):
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/08/timex-ironman-gps-global-trainer-in.html
I was a long-time Timex user and always liked their products, but I ended up not going w/ the Global Trainer, b/c a) the thing is the size of a brick and barely fits on my girly wrist; and b) more importantly, when it was first released, according to user reports, their GPS reliability was reportedly somewhat suspect. I don't know if that's still the case, but might be worth looking into before pulling the trigger.
I like
- I can record any kind of workout - swim, bike, run, indoor spin, etc.
- I can customize up to 5 different views that display the relevant information for whatever workout I am doing (run vs swim vs bike training vs bike racing vs "indoor misc).
- The 'default' data storage for it is Training Peaks.
I do not like:
- Its quite LARGE. But - since I am a fairly large fellow, it's not so bad.
- The bike mount is not so good. It has a rubber 'wrap' that goes around the stem or handlebars that the watch connects to the same as you would put on your wrist. Not an issue in training, but there is no way of doing this during a race unless you wanted to waste time messing with it. So - I leave it on my wrist the whole race. I would prefer to have my bike information in my face, but that's just me.
- The file format is not compatible with Strava (.pwx), so any workout you do will have to be converted to a "strava friendly" format. I use http://pwx.raytracer.dk/
When it first came out, it was not compatible with a foot pod, but now it is. I have found that in the 2 years I have had it, the GPS has gotten much better and much faster at picking up a signal. I do not have a powermeter so I don't know how well it works with one, although it does have settings for syncing with one.
Hope that helps. Overall, I am happy with mine.
X2 GB's notes
Other comments: I use mine mostly for run pace. Bike cadence & speed work great indoor with garmin sensor and outdoor with GPS. Heart rate is flawless. Have used GPS for open water swimming under cap with decent results. Tested battery life ~ 11 hrs. Not quite enough for whole IM. In IMAZ I put it on @ bike and started or up for the run only. I have a wired power meter so I didn't need it for the bike, and haven't tested it with a wireless pm. Takes a little while for GPS to lock in a new location, but not terrible. My assessment, and reason for buying.... If you can't afford the garmin right now, Timex gets the job done, nothing wrong with it, you can make it work, and work well.
Are you not looking at the Garmin 910 because of price??? Beyond price, I'm really not sure why anyone would chose the Timex over the Garmin 910.
The Timex is a great piece of gadgetry in principle, but it has its design flaws IMO. As other people have said, the thing is huge, and the font is kind of small and hard to read.
My rationale on buying the Timex was mostly based on price pain points: It was on sale @ $120 and I wanted a GPS trainer for running paces that 'could' do power too, if I ever got a wireless PM, and I didn't want to wait and save my ducats up for the brand new 910. They've made firmware updates that fixed a lot of the early GPS problems on the Timex. I find the GPS to be just as accurate as carefully measuring in Google Earth and within .05 mile of race course lengths, so thats good enough for me. All in all I have no real complaints about the watch.
The only sticking issue for me is battery life. Its great for Half IM or shorter, a full IM is just a hair too long for the battery to run the whole race reliably. I can see upgrading to a Garmin 910xt some time in the future for that reason alone, but only when the price comes down a bit.