Newbie

tddaileyjr

How's I going everyone? I am excited to be here to ask people questions about triathlon and share my experiences as well. First real question though, has anyone with a garmin fenix 3 been able to make it a power device while riding?

thekidduxc

I have a fenix 3. While it is not my primary cycling computer, it records power on my rides without any issues. I primarily use a Garmin edge 810.

Garmin does sell a quick release kit for the watch band. This allows you to mount the fenix 3 on the stem of your bike.

drjohnson08

Welcome to the team Tim and keep firing those questions away!

"Has anyone with a garmin fenix 3 been able to make it a power device while riding?" -The Fenix is not a power device it will only capture power data. You will need a power meter such as the Garmin Vectors or any of the other assorted devices made by Power Tap, Quarq, SRM, etc.

Al Truscott

I've got a Fenix 2, had it for over 2 years. Same functions as the 3, just less sleek, with a different interface. What exactly are you trying to have the Fenix do for you?

tddaileyjr

I was trying to see if I could just buy a sensor to make my garmin record power with dropping another $500. Any suggestions on a power meter or do you think it's necessary for a first year of triathlons?

donymo

Oh...you have no power meter? The sensor you're talking about is a power meter.
Your cheapest option is probably a used power tap hub/wheel

drjohnson08

Is a power meter necessary for a first year of triathlons? Absolutely not. There are many successful athletes on the team that race sprint distance to ironman distance without a power meter. If you don't use a power meter I would highly recommend using a heart rate monitor on the bike though. There are a lot of resources in the wiki and knowledge throughout members on the team for training with whichever method you choose.

If you do decide that you'd like to use a power meter, Don's suggestion is probably the most cost efficient. Ebay usually has some finds and I know there was recently a powertap for sale in the Classified Forum on this site. Stages recently had a huge sale on their website and I think Powertap has a sale on their older hubs right now, you would still have to have a wheel built around that though. The team has a relationship with wheelbuilder who can also build you a powertap wheel at a discount. Check out the "Team Discount" link under the "Store" tab at the top of the page.

tddaileyjr

Thanks all for the input. As much as I want one I think I will wait until the next season to start implanting a power meter. I'll keep using my HR monitor until then.

tddaileyjr

I've tried researching my garmin fenix three to see if it reads power but I can't seem to find it.

drjohnson08

Your Garmin Fenix 3 will "read" power, but...you need a power meter. In order to get the power numbers you need to change the display to contain a power field while in bike mode. If you have a power field showing without your watch being synced to a power meter you're just going to get some blank lines for that field.