All purpose swim/bike/run watch?
Sorry if this is the wrong forum (couldn't find a gear/tech forum). Is there a recommended wristwatch for triathlon? Meaning, something that has GPS, heart rate, pace, etc., plus can handle 1 hour+ in the water? Seems that most watches croak in the water.
I've seen the Timex Ironman brand watch but it gets bad reviews. Any other options?
Also, a few other gadgets:
Has anyone used the Swimovate Pool Mate lap-counting watch? I'm terrible at keeping count in the pool (my mind wanders).
Any recommendations for a swimming mp3 player?
Thanks...holidays are coming up and my family is demanding a Christmas gift list from me!
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I personally like having the standard cheap watch as well for some open water and longer interval pool swims, as well as running track workouts. Any timex ironman branded waterproof watch that you can find at target or walmart will work great for this. No need to always use the wirst computer for these workouts.
For waterproof + GPS, you'll find most folks here use the Garmin 310XT. It also displays power numbers if you have a power meter- hence it's popularity around here. But it does have some Pro's and Cons. Checkout DC Rainmaker's blog for a good detailed review.
Mike Headman did a nice write up for us on his experience with the Timex GPS, you can view that here: http://members.endurancenation.us/C...aspx#40426
For Swimovate- check this thread for some insight: http://members.endurancenation.us/C...aspx#38348
As for swimming MP3's, I seem to recall John Stark recently purchased one, but I don't recall the brand and can't seem to find that thread.
Quick and dirty: If you want one device and any of these things is a must, then you MUST get the 310: (a) ability to wear in the water with confidence; (b) ability to record many hours of data (the battery on the 305 is good for 10-11 hours usually); (c) Recording power with ANT+. No need to read further if so.
The reason to buy the 305 over the 310 is simply cost. It's going for $130 on Amazon. It works great for what it does. I use mine for almost all my running. You're not really supposed to take it swimming, but some people do, e.g., under a swim cap.
Other advantages of the 310 over the 305: (a) better quick-release mount for bike-to-run transition; (b) has a vibrating "alarm" like a cell phone so you don't have to annoy everyone else when you hit your split or whatever; (c) wireless downloading (if you think that's an advantage); (d) faster/better GPS pickup. The GPS pickup on the 305 isn't BAD...it's just not as quick as the 310 in my experience.
FWIW, I love my 310xt and they are on sale at REI for $299 with heart rate strap. I'm also of the group that uses it for everything (swim/bike/run). I use it as the head unit for my power tap, will use it open water swimming and it is a necessity for my run. I will for sure get in the pool with just a Timex Ironman cheapie. Also find that the Timex Ironman watches are bomb proof, have been wearing them forever. Bought a few Nike watches and not nearly worth it.
Just my perspective n=1.
The 405 has a bunch of issues with the bezel design. A drop of sweat hits it and it switches screens or modes or whatever. A really, really poor design feature. The 410 supposedly will have a better bezel than the 405 when it comes out. You also cannot swim with the 405.
The 310XT might be a bit on the large side but it's an overall better sport watch.
I think the biggest problem with the 405 for ironman training is battery life.
Mike
That said I have a PowerTap with a Joule so have no need for the 405 during the bike portion of a tri.
However, if you are looking for a multi purpose watch, I would suggest that you may want to look elsewhere.
Wow....great info everyone. I'll definitely check out the links to the other forums, and will look closer at the Garmin 310xt.
Thanks again!!
Are you sure the 310XT has been discontinued? Are you confusing models? I'd be happy to see an upgraded model though.
I like my 405 (for running) after some initial frustration over the bezel sweat/rain issue. I just set it to auto-scroll through the custom displays I need, and then lock the bezel. You can then still use the hard buttons to start and stop the watch. For all purpose, I will probably take a look at whatever the successor is to the 301xt when that comes out.
I don't believe a new version means they're discontinuing the old one. If that were the case, I think the 310 would have killed the 305.
Mike
I did read on DC Rainmaker's site that a new 310 might be coming out in the spring.
Thanks to all for the info on the 405. I'm not looking for an all purpose GPS, just something that I can see pace on for training runs or grab in T2. I'm turned off by the size of the 310XT and don't need a second bike power meter.
The 310xt seems to be the watch to buy, but the reviews say it has no "smoothing" for the power meter readout. Since there is no way to average the "bouncing watts" it sounds like the data is only useful post-ride and absolutely useless during the ride itself. From my newbie understanding of how the coaches would like us to train with power, we should be able to keep tabs on an average number during our rides, correct?
That said, is the 310xt a bad choice for monitoring power during rides? Is it better to spend the extra money on a proper handlebar-mounted computer (e.g. Joule) that is able to average the watts during a ride?
Thx!
I like something I can wear on my wrist throughout the race. I had a Timex Race Trainer - nice size and bombproof, but no pace or distance functions. I just bought a Garmin FR60. It's the size of a regular watch. It shows me pace, distance, HR and time. It also has a timer I use as a nutrition reminder, although I wish it was louder/chimed longer. Pretty basic but gives me what I want - at least until the GPS units get a little smaller.
3s and 30s averaging were just added to the 310 via the latest firmware that came out this week.