Saturday, December 31, 2011

Garmin Forerunner 310XT Waterproof Running GPS With USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor


Manufacturer : Garmin
Model : 010-00741-01
ASIN : B0025VKUPM
Price : 399.99$
Last Price : 399.99$(Discount 0%
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Product Description

Finally, a GPS-enabled training device that isn't afraid of the water. The rugged Forerunner 310XT is the triathlete's indispensable training tool - a GPS-enabled, swim-proof trainer that tracks bike an
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

248 of 254 people found the following review helpful:
310XT is most everything Garmin says it is
This review is from: Garmin Forerunner 310XT Waterproof Running GPS With USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Electronics)
I felt compelled to write a review, because I am disturbed with what some other reviewers are publishing. This is the best watch of it's kind I have owned, and as long as a purchaser understands what it does, and it's limitations, I think they will be more than satisfied. It may be that this watch will not meet their needs, but it should not be a cause to deliver a poor rating.
I have owned the Forerunner 305, the 201, the Timex GPS and a Polar, so I have years of experience. Since I do triathlons, I was most looking forward to the waterproof controls, and 20 hour battery. The charger is a bit funky design, but for me it seems to work just fine. My battery has been lasting at least 16 hours--I haven't tested it further before recharging. One issue that I had with the 305 also, though: the watch should be TURNED OFF while you are charging. If not, as soon as you disconnect the charger, since the watch is ON, it will start "discharging" (as it does normally while it is on. I have been caught several times with a depleted battery on my 305 because of this quirk--I think the watches should be programmed to automatically turn themselves off when the charger is connected).
I have used the new watch swimming, biking and running and hiking, and I am pleased with the performance for each sport. One reviewer pointed out that there should be a "swim" mode--I agree, but I think Garmin may have avoided that mode because the GPS does not work well in the water. Several reviewers complained about that, however Garmin does write on their website AND in their manual that the GPS does not work well in the water (I don't know that I would blame that on Garmin--probably the technology is just not there yet--besides, GPS signals do not penetrate water.) In fact, I did NOT get an accurate GPS distance reading for open water swimming, but it did map my COURSE correctly, albeit with a lot of zig-zags (I know I can't swim in a straight line, but I am not THAT bad).
The biking portion works great. The Garmin matches pretty closely with the distance measured on my bike computer (I don't have the Garmin bike sensor--I want that and the quick-release mount for my next birthday). Of course it also tracks speed, altitude, heart rate, etc. (I used the heart monitor strap from my 305).
Running works well also, basically same as biking although I do set up the display screens differently.
Other, useful new features I have noticed:
1. The watch locks onto satellites more quickly than my 305
2. The watch vibrates, although I wonder how this affects battery life. For instance it vibrates every lap (if I set it) so I know I have completed an autolap without having to look at the watch.
3. The software is more refined (lots of small fixes. For instance the settings function lets me know what sport mode I am in--although I think this could still be made easier and less confusing. And the time zone can be put on automatic--I always wondered why they couldn't do this before--the watch knows where it is for gosh sakes. And there are extra custom screens if you want them--statistic hounds take note.)
4. Wireless data upload. Very nice! Their new "Garmin Connect" site is also pretty useful, and the data can be uploaded directly to the Internet.
5. The 310XT is not much smaller or lighter than the 305 (according to the specs), but it FEELS MUCH smaller and lighter.
6. There is a progress bar for the battery charging. I would like to be able to see how much time is LEFT in my battery--I wish Garmin would add this.

In summary, I think this is far and away the best GPS watch Garmin has made, and is especially appropriate for triathletes (despite the swimming issue). You DO need to become accustomed to using the watch. Although I do not think it is hard to use, you SHOULD read the manual. At least you do not have to keep RE-reading the manual like I do for some other gadgets. I do think this watch is way overpriced, but I am a gadget freak, and I'm sure the price will come down over time, like it did for the 305 (which is a great deal, now, btw, if you don't need a 20 hour battery-life and a waterproof stopwatch :)


439 of 468 people found the following review helpful:
Somewhat Misleading Advertising to Triathletes
This review is from: Garmin Forerunner 310XT Waterproof Running GPS With USB ANT Stick and Heart Rate Monitor (Electronics)
This device has been represented as a triathlete's watch and the first swim proof GPS watch. If you watch the video from Garmin or see any of the advertisements, Garmin leads you to believe that this watch will collect reliable data for all 3 multisport events. It is reasonable for someone to assume this watch can be worn in a race and collect GPS data in the water, since, of course, SWIMMING is the first event in a triathlon.

If you are considering buying this watch realize the following:

-This device does not collect usable data in the water, period (other than time, which any $20 waterproof watch can collect in a much smaller form factor). No heart rate data and totally unusable and inaccurate GPS data while in the water.

-There are preset modes for run, bike, and "other", in which "other" shows a person on skis (explain that one?). They intentionally omit a category for swimming, despite advertising that this watch is for triathletes (see the photo I added under product photos).


-If you want foot cadence or the ability to track distance indoors and assume you get it for spending $400 on this device, think again. You will have to buy a separate foot pod which costs $80-100, depending on where you buy it (earlier Garmin Forerunner watch kits included foot pods). Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 (ANT+)

-The watch is large and sits high on top of the wrist (they packed 20 hours of batter life into this watch), so to wear it under your wetsuit will let water in the wetsuit, or you will have to wear it on top of (or crammed in front of) the wetsuit, which will not allow you to remove your wetsuit without first removing the watch (thus adding time to your transition and sort of negating that whole "triathlete" angle). You can see a photo of this watch on my wrist under the photos section of the product.

-There is no way to turn off GPS tracking for only one of the 3 events in multisport mode. Therefore you will always either have incorrect GPS data recording for the swimming mode (or, actually "other", since there is no "swim" mode, as previously mentioned). I have called customer support and they confirm this. Their solution was to turn off GPS while I am swimming, then reset and manually start a new timer and mode during transition 1 for my bike event. I'll let you be the judge of how to take that advice.

So, in conclusion, if you want to setup this watch for a bike and run, and want the ability to wear the watch in the water before hand (and no start it unless you want some incorrect distance data included), you will need to buy:

$400 - the Garmin 310XT with HR
$25 - quick release mount kit (for wrist and bike) (no link in Amazon yet)
$80-100 - foot pod (if you want cadence)
Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 (ANT+)
$35-50 - speed/cadence sensor (if you want cadence for the bike)

You'll be into it for $575 retail. Garmin, you did us wrong on this one. Some of us are willing to spend this kind of money on a product if it proves to do what it advertises itself to do. We're not asking it to do anything more than perform as advertised. I realize your fine print saves you from lawsuits, but it doesn't gain you repeat customers. It sends them over to Polar.

[EDIT: I have edited the title of this review to what it currently reads from "Misleading: Not a Triathlete's Watch," because it seems that Garmin has somewhat softened their advertising and marketing surrounding this watch. I purchased this watch when it first came out in 2009, and at the time the marketing videos and advertising in triathlon magazines mentioned nothing about the fact that it doesn't track GPS data in the water, and in fact seemed to lead the consumer into believe it does. That advertising has since softened.]


99 of 104 people found the following review helpful:
Decent watch, but a lot of catches
  

The 310xt was my first Garmin purchase. After years of having family use the Edge and the Forerunner for biking/running I decided I'd take the plunge when they came out with "the triathlete's indispensable training tool" in the 310xt.

My first thought was this was pricey. But, looking at the ForeRunner 305 & 405, I realized it wasn't that much more expensive for the additional supposed features and the "newness". Then I looked at the price here on Amazon and almost passed out. $550? Without the HRM strap? Ouch. If you're really into this watch, don't buy at that price. Search for the ones priced at $399. Most sites sell at that price.

Ok, onto the feature set. Large, clear buttons. Large screen. Ability to track multiple sports. Quick upload of data. Lots of customizable options and screens.

Pros:

Easy to set up and use. Pairing with the ANT USB stick is simple and can quickly get you started without the manual.
Online tools are pretty good (much better than previous iterations). Also, works with the MapMy list of sites (fitness, run, walk, hike, bike, swim, tri).
Customizable display allows for up to 4 tracking items per screen. So, you can track pace, HR, time and distance covered on one screen then scroll to another and get a map of your HR, your calories burned and a bunch of other potential options, all determined by you.
You can create routes on your watch and when you run it, it will record whenever you are on that route path. Great for comparing against previous training routes and for quickly setting the route and having it track you properly. Once you are on the route, it tracks you.
Auto-multisport option allows you to set that and when you click lap, it will dump you to the next "sport" whether it be a transition or another sport such as biking/running.
Tracks you the individual after you enter your height, weight, level of fitness. Provides caloric burn and other related info based on your input.
Virtual training partner. You can actually have it show how you're doing on a saved route versus your virtual training partner. This partner is a previous version of you doing the same route and tells your pace and how far you're up/behind. Pretty cool.
Multitude of things you can configure and display/adjust/fine tune.

Cons:

Swim? As I quoted from the Garmin site above, this watch bills itself as the triathlete's indispensable training tool. Umm.. triathlete means 3 sports, typically involving SWIMMING, biking and running. Swim is not an option. In fact, when I clicked other one time, it had what appeared to be an icon of a downhill skier. I'm not sure how that showed up since that option isn't there. HUGE mistake in my book for a watch billed to be for triathletes.

Elevation Accuracy? This one is WAAAAAY off. On a 3.3 mile run, it had me ascending 853 feet. Unless I'm climbing the Washington Monument, I'm not getting that type of elevation in 3.3 miles. I'd have to say it is off by, 600 feet or so. On a 60 mile bike ride, it had me at 1500 feet and that one at least took me up some legitimate hills.

Switching events: There is no way to switch events mid-stream on the watch if you didn't set it properly to begin. Let's say you ran one day and then biked the following day. If you left it on run then switched when you realized the mistake, it clears the data and you start with a new workout. The original workout is kept but you can't append the "new" workout on either on the watch or with any of their software (both installed SW and online site). So, when workouts are categorized, it shows a multisport recording on the installable software and whatever you mistakenly set in the online site. You then have 2 workouts you can't consolidate or run reports against without manual intervention.

Swim accuracy leaves a bit to be desired. While I haven't put it through its paces and will hopefully edit this review in the future, for a 1/2 mile swim, this thing was way off. Beach, opposite direction, gaps. All were part of that swim result.


While there are a lot of pros (which do warrant a 4 star), the cons are extremely negative. Since I don't have a watch to keep track of everything, this one will have to do. At such a price point, I'm highly disappointed in the overall performance considering it is billed as the triathlete's dream. It really does track mileage well and with enough fudging (using the elevation in MapMyRide instead of from the watch) and by manually adjusting routes in my various tracking sites, I can get close what I want. The HRM is good and the coupled effect of it all makes it as worthwhile as having a set of watches out there. But, I will not be ultimately promoting this to other athletes. While I've managed to make it work to a 4-star rating with my own fiddling, I wouldn't recommend it to a hardcore triathlete. Being my first training watch for my first Ironman, I wish I could say there were other watches which had the functionality I needed. Unfortunately, I'd have to wear two or more plus a bike computer. Even more unfortunate, in order to get what this watch said it can do all in one I might still need another to keep this one honest.

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Terrible. It died after 3 months.
Overall, I would not buy it. Look for another unit. I bought this after previously owning the 305. Used it for 3 months and then it died. Would not turn on or take a charge.
by JPY

Great GPS Watch
The Forerunner 310XT is perfect for running. I have not used the watch biking or swimming, but imagine the biking is very similar.
by John D. Meara

Learn the product... it is a good tri tool.
There's a lot of verbose reviews, so I'll do my best to make this review short & sweet. And mostly, correct what I believe is misinformation on the swim.
by B B

Great Running Buddy
I bought this watch specifically to track my miles and to be able to trace my routes. I am in an area where internet is...
by jediseven

310 XT
This is the most complete GPS watch for triathletes. Waterproof means its the only watch I know of you can wear for all three phases of you triathlon.
by brocko

Love the Garmin 310XT
The bottom line... I love this watch. I use it for everything.
Here are the issues: I had a problem with the auto pause while out for my first bike ride.
by Shawn E. Wussow

Incredible
This watch is awesome! GPS, heart monitor! This is the second one i buy! With you want to improve your heart condition and your way of life, this is the product you HAVE TO...
by MZA

Greatvupgrade for Garmin users!
I used the Forerunner 205 for 4 years and was satisfied. This model is great because it is more comfortable (both the wrist monitor and the heart rate band), the reports are...
by M. Lara

Not bad
It's option to map on your computer is kind of a hassle but I do use it everyday for my daily 5-6 miles run and the battery lasts pretty long!
by Jorge

Save Your Money
Save your money and buy a Polar instead. I am never spending my money on any Garmin products again. Its been one month since Garmin broke the Forerunner with the release of a...
by Marc

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Garmin 010-10889-01 Forerunner 305/205 Quick Release Bike Mount Replacement


Manufacturer : Garmin
Model : 010-10889-01
ASIN : B000PABTXC
Price : 7$
Last Price : 4.99$(Discount 28.71428571%
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Product Description

Garmin Quick Release Bike Mount Replacement Kit 010-10889-01 842
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
This actually works
  
This review is from: Garmin 010-10889-01 Forerunner 305/205 Quick Release Bike Mount Replacement (3.5" and 5.25" disks)
I like this idea. Now my Forerunner 305 can be used both on the bike and (with the wrist adaptor I also purchased) when I run. I bought three - one for the road-bike, one for the mountain bike, and one for the tri-bike. The Garmin can handle and records separate for all three bikes.

I jury-rigged it so it sits on the stem and it works well - I crossed the "zippies" versus through the slots where you would normally mount it on the bar. I like it better on the stem.

ONLY ONE CAUTION - if you do what I did and stem-mount it, make sure that the metal watch stems sit tight inside the end clips when you put it on the bike or you'll "launch" the garmin (like I did the first time I tried it) when you hit a bump in the road or a seam in the pavement. The garmin is a tough litle bugger and took the "hit" though.

Buy it.


22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
Stop - read this before you buy this accessory
This review is from: Garmin 010-10889-01 Forerunner 305/205 Quick Release Bike Mount Replacement (3.5" and 5.25" disks)
Stop- This item is a replacement for the quick release bike mounting kit. It does NOT include the new wrist band for the watch. If you want full quick release capabilities you need to buy the KIT, not the replacement bracket. Spend the extra $10,,,it's worth it


5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Quick release mount works as advertised
  
This review is from: Garmin 010-10889-01 Forerunner 305/205 Quick Release Bike Mount Replacement (3.5" and 5.25" disks)
I have used the Garmin for a little over a year and always had to rig it when on the bike. The quick release mount makes it wasy to use on a run, unclip it from the wrist and clip it on the racing bike and off you go! The second bike mount was terrific for a second bike for commuting.

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Does the job just fine
This bicycle mount for the Garmin 205/305 is the perfect solution for using your Garmin 205/305 on a road and/or a mountain bike.
by johnscarf

Doesn't work with standard fabric wristband
Be aware that there are at least two very similar fabric wristbands available for the Garmin Forerunner 305:
- The "Hook and loop fastener wrist", Garmin part number...
by Eric E. Haas

Great simple mount - works perfectly.
My dad gave me his old 305. This mounts it securely to the handlebars. Its easy to install, and easy to use the quick release. and $6 with free Prime shipping is a no brainer!
by Stale Coffee

GREAT!!
I have 6 bikes so I picked up a few of these. AFter buying the 'kit' from Garmin intially (it comes with a great wriststrap and one of these mounts) I was able to buy a few of...
by NickFury

Does what it is supposed to
This does exactly what it is supposed to and does it pretty well. It took about a minute to install this to my handle bars, and it is easy to clip in and out the garmin 305.
by David S. Kaplan

Good Accessory for Garmin Forerunner 305
I purchased this bike mount replacement for a second bike; now I can switch the Garmin Forerunner 305 between my road and hybrid bike with ease and keep track of my miles, etc...
by Jennifer O

Works as intended, just not as easy as the quick release
This works as intended, but you have to strap your watch to it and buckle it in (like you put it on your wrist).
by citadel1980

easy to use
I have one on all 3 of my bikes and it makes it easy to use my Garmin on each one.
by KC Cyclist

Excellent product
I am quite happy with this item. Works as advertised. Arrived in a timely fashion. The shipping was a bit high.
by Philip Raphan

Works, somewhat expensive
Bought 3 of these for my bikes to mount my Garmin Forerunner 305. Each comes with mount and 4 zip ties.
by Kevin Le

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Garmin Foretrex 301 Waterproof Hiking GPS


Manufacturer : Garmin
Model : 010-00776-00
ASIN : B002EOULAE
Price : 249.99$
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Product Description

Garmin Foretrex 301 Wrist-Mounted Handheld GPS. Cleverly simple, the Foretrex 301 is a slim wrist-mounted GPS navigator perfect for outdoor activities that require the use of both hands. Foretrex 301 combines a high-sensitivity G
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
You'll do...
This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 301 Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)
I had the Garmin Foretrex 101 and it worked great until it got stolen. I have the 301 now and it works just as well. The only problem I had with the 101 was the strap. It was held onto the GPS unit with crappy watch pins. I'm in the military, so if you have to put a heavy ruck on and off quickly, and you get the ruck strap caught on the GPS, the unit would pop off the strap. Then, you are trying to find a tiny watch pin with NVGs on a mountain. Also, the strap that comes with it is just a bit too short, but the extension strap makes it too long. WTF?! It will barely fit on your wrist with nothing under it, but if you have a uniform on (ACU/BDU) you will have to use the extender and then it's too long and will move around.

For the 301 there is a better design to hold the strap onto the GPS. It uses screw in pins, so I think that problem is fixed and it shouldn't pop off. However, the strap length is still too short or too long. I am going to just buy a case where you can take the GPS and put it inside of a clear case and that has a Velcro strap.

I used the 101 on every mission in Afghanistan and it was really great to get quick grids of your location. Projecting points on the 101 and the 301 isn't that easy though. You can only choose distances at 100 meter intervals, so that's as accurate of grid as you will get. It's also not very easy to navigate the menu to get at the project waypoint screen. I just used it to quickly find out where I was, and for that it was fantastical.

The sensitivity of the receiver is awesome. You can pick up signals when it's sitting on the passenger seat of your car or when your in the woods walking. I ride mountain bike, and it seemed to work OK when I was under moderate cover at all speeds. When you get into really thick cover and you are going pretty fast the accuracy degrades a little, but it still tracks satellites. Your speed won't be that accurate though.

Hooking it upto a computer is easy too. It just loads as a USB mass storage device, so you don't need serial ports anymore. For military, I'm not sure if it will still be compatible with moving map on Falconview, haven't tried it.

I definitely recommend this. The only problem is the crappy strap that's not meant for human-sized wrists. On a bike mount, in a different case or attached to your body armor or whatever it's awesome.


12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
extremely good for size and cost
  
This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 301 Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)
Very happy with this little guy. I chose the 301 over the 401 because I wanted to track things based on GPS altitude and NOT barometric altitude. Specific example: pressurized aircraft cabins will not read correct altitude on the 401 because it's barometric... the GPS readings are slightly less accurate but ideal for what I needed.

There are lots of free software tools that read the GPX format that this device uses. You can also edit the onboard .gpx file directly if you really know what you're doing, which is very nice for bulk imports, etc. Just copy a valid .gpx file into the "GPX" folder (one level ABOVE the one that you download in the first place).

The GPS receiver is much, much more sensitive than earlier generations. It locks on to satellites in much less time, holds the signal better, and works through more overhead cover. This does NOT mean that you can take it into a cave and get a signal, nor will it work in the center of a widebody airliner... but it's still much better than anything else I've tried.

The logging and interface are a little cumbersome, but that's the tradeoff for making something this small and rugged (there are only four control buttons plus the one power button).

All in all, I've been exceptionally happy with mine.


10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
An Excellent Product
  
This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 301 Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)
The new Foretrex 301 is an excellent product (not to be confused with the old Foreunner 301 also presumably OK-- even Garmin sometimes gets them mixed up.)

The improved GPS receiver is very fine -- you can get reception while driving, wearing it on your wrist. Fuctions are much like those of the obsolete eTrex, plus new things, such as a compass heading readout.

The vendor, Mountain Gear, is very good, with extremely prompt shipment, and their customer service, in the unlikely event you need it, it also excellent.

Software is not furnished with the Foretrex 301.

The Foretrex 301 acts as a hard drive on your computer, through the USB port. Unfortunately, I know of no Garmin software that recognizes the Foretrex 301. However, Garmin's Trip and Waypoint Manager running on Windows XP Professional (and presumably Vista) will read Foretrex 301 data using the File option on the manager, so waypoints etc., can be read, mapped, and stored on your computer. This is not obvous, but easy to use specifying the GPX format.

Oddly, the Trip and Waypoint Manager does not work properly on the Microsoft VirtualXP under Windows 7, and the software is not yet supported for Windows 7 and will not run on it (I am using manager version 3).


Most Recent Customer Reviews

Excellent Minimalist GPS
Great little GPS. I bought this for backpacking, specifically for use w/ a map. My main requiremnts were that it be light, waterproof, give UTM coordinates, and work without a...
by JP

Simple and Functional GPS
I purchased the Garmin Foretrex 301 for simple navigation while hunting, hiking, and canoeing. I hunt in flatter areas and don't need the features of the Foretrex 401.
by Charlie Mac

Compass for dumb people
Good product, takes a bit of reading, playing with it to understand the features. Turns on fast and figures out where it is within seconds.
by Thomas M. Ginther

good
worked good used for the ausable river canoe marathon batteries lasted over 17 hours continuous. great for training able to see your speed, distance, n average speed good...
by 322011

OUTSTANDING PIECE OF GEAR
The Garmin Foretrex 301 is adaptable, small, and comfortable to wear. However I had to purchase a new wrist strap from 215gear.
by johnnyb

Great backpacking supplement
I use this primarily as verification of my map and compass and for tracking distances. It works great for this. It picks up the GPS signal quickly and very rarely drops it.
by Peter Watje

garmin foretrex 301
still bulky on the wrist, getting caught on things with its oval shape. This model is improved from the last because the unit is now connected to the band with screws instead of...
by sarah

Tiny (Yet Powerful) GPS
If you are looking for a simple, no frills GPS for exercise or basic navigation, this is it! I'm amazed that Garmin was able to cram everything they did into the Foretrex 301 (and...
by Bigfoot

Garmin Foretrex 301 Review
I bought this product after I lost my Garmin Foretrex 101. The newer version is very similar to the old one. I use it for keeping track of my speed, distance, etc.
by Fastgreyhorse

Garmin Foretrex 301
I love this product as it does exactly what I wanted: I wanted to go on a hike and be able to "display" the hike on a map and see the exact distances.
by Jimmy

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Garmin - GPS receiver handlebar mount bracket - Garmin Forerunner 310XT


Manufacturer : Garmin
Model : 010-11215-02
ASIN : B003CP0MTO
Price : 19.99$
Last Price : 14.54$(Discount 27.26363182%
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Product Description

Now you can use your Forerunner? for mult-sport training; go from wrist to bike in seconds. Includes quick release bracket, wrist bracket, bike mount, pins (2), screws (2), bike mount o-rings (6) and spring pin tool.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
great product
  
This review is from: Garmin - GPS receiver handlebar mount bracket - Garmin Forerunner 310XT (Electronics)
This quick mount kit is a step up from garmin's original because you re-use your original watch band. Installing the mount on the bike is very easy using the included o-rings. I've taken it out on 3 rides so far, and we do go over 3 train tracks and some rough roads and I have had no issues with the mount or the display moving, shifting or falling off. I do think this would be a bit awkward to put on/take off during a serious triathlon competition, but for all of my training, it is perfect.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Mounting Kit for Garmin works ...
I bought this mounting kit (together with a Garmin Forerunner 310XT Replacement Band) so I could use my Garmin Edge 500 as GPS for running as well. I also put the quick release mount on a second bike. Works perfectly fine, the quick release makes it easy to switch the GPS from the bike to the armband so you can use it as a bike computer AND for running. It's not cheap (40$ all together) but still less money than buying a separate GPS for each activity.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Works Great
This review is from: Garmin - GPS receiver handlebar mount bracket - Garmin Forerunner 310XT (Electronics)
No problems installing this. Forerunner 310 stays locked in. Very easy to use put on during T1 and it pops right out during T2. Must have for triathletes.

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Garmin quick release for 310xt
Good product, great for the bike. Makes unit sit much higher on wrist though, so that kinda stinks. I would just get the bike bar mount if I was to do it again and keep the...
by Cjcates

Best quick release yet
This thing is sweet! Garmin finally got a ForeRunner quick release bracket right. In fact, the next step should be to mold the bracket right into the back of the watch to...
by 2K

GARmin 310 QR KIT
great ACCESSORY TO ADD TO YOUR BIKE!! I use it all the time to train on my bike when I swim and run.
by E. M. Sinning

Concern for the band and mounting on the fly
The largest complaint I read about the 310 XT, aside from looking to big on small wrists, is that the band fails.
by B. C. Waldrop

Much better than the Garmin bike mount kit
This quick release mount kit is far better than the bicycle mount kit. The QR is far more elegant and aesthetically pleasing than the bike mount kit as well as far more practical...
by northe99

works great
Works well, sturdy. Very easy to mount on wrist band or bike mount. Just four stars because the only way to securely wear the 310xt is with this set-up, Garmin effed up the design...
by hamster

Garmin handlebar bike mount
This is the perfect solution for bike mounting of my Garmin Forerunner. Great for switching between multiple bikes and couldn't be easier to use. 5 stars!
by Smoky Grips

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Garmin Forerunner 410 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor


Manufacturer : Garmin
Model : 010-00658-41
ASIN : B0046BTK14
Price : 374.99$
Last Price : 299.99$(Discount 20.00053335%
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Product Description

This advanced sport watch is GPS-enabled and accurately records time, pace, distance, elevation and more.
  • Includes premium soft strap heart rate monitor
  • Five
    Most Helpful Customer Reviews

    25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
    Great tool until battery problems started
    This review is from: Garmin Forerunner 410 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (3.5" and 5.25" disks)
    When I first purchased my Forerunner 410 in November 2010, I thought it was the best thing ever. For the first three to four months, I was thrilled with it. Unfortunately, as my marathon training progressed I started to notice the watch doing some odd things. At first it would occasionally reboot for no apparent reason. Over the following weeks, the problem got worse and worse. As it did, the battery life also started becoming unstable. Sometimes the 410 would work OK, but the best case battery life dropped to 4-5 hours instead of the 8 I got out of it during those first months. In the worst cases, I would take the watch off the charger in the morning, shut it down until my run, and had a dead battery before I had gone one mile. The display that shows the battery life remaining is pretty much worthless now. And, it still suffers from reboots for no obvious reason - often at inopportune times, like during my marathon.

    If you only do short to medium runs length runs, or are very fast, then the fact that the battery life seems to have problems might be acceptable for your situation. If you're planning on doing runs of several hours, won't be able to recharge it before every run, or won't find reboots during runs/races acceptable, then you might want to look for something other than the 410. When it works right, it really is a great tool for training. But, if you need a device you can count on, you might want to wait and see how the reviews look on the new Forerunner 610 or consider going with one of the older, cheaper, and more proven devices like the 305.

    If you're still on the fence about purchasing a Forerunner 410 (or 405/405cx for that matter), I'd suggest you visit the Garmin forums (forums .garmin .com) and take a look at the posts by various owners who are having similar hardware/software related problems so you can make an informed decision.

    Edited 5/1/11 - At this point my Forerunner 410 has become totally unreliable. I had taken it to Nashville to use during the Country Music Marathon yesterday. It had been fully charged and shutdown before I left. When I turned it on an hour or so before the race, it immediately said "low battery" and shut itself down. I charged it again when I got home. This morning it read 100% charged and I shut it down. This afternoon when I tried it use it, it again said "low battery" and shut itself down. I've again contacted Garmin about the problem. Maybe they'll replace it this time instead of just suggesting things like firmware updates and charge/discharge cycling.


    6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
    Catastophic software/hardware issues
    This review is from: Garmin Forerunner 410 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (3.5" and 5.25" disks)
    Feature-wise this is an excellent watch. However, as other reviewers have pointed out, some of the units suffer from catastrophic issues with software reboots and the battery meter. As a result, I would strongly discourage readers from buying this watch. I observed the first symptoms about a month after buying the watch. It would reboot unexpectedly. About three months later the reboots were immediately followed by false battery meter reading. The meter indicated 0% charge even though the watch was really close to 100% charge. The watch would then stay on for days, but during workouts frequent and annoying low-battery warnings were displayed as the system erroneously measures the battery at 0%.

    The latest firmware upgrade does not fix the issue. I called Garmin support. They are certainly aware of the issue as they already documented procedures to recommend to users to alliviate the problem. Multiple users, including me, have reported on forums that these procedures do not work. Garmin did not acknowledge this was a software problem and explicitly stated that they have no open bugs related to the issue. They said this only happens to a very small fraction of the units sold. The only conclusion is that this may be a hardware issue and readers are better off not running the risk of buying a busted unit.


    8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
    Great running watch
    This review is from: Garmin Forerunner 410 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (3.5" and 5.25" disks)
    Had the 405. The 410 finds satellites faster and the bezel is better when wet.

    Program intervals, and you can focus on your training without touching the watch. It will tell you exactly what to do when. The gps is very accurate and you get great statistics. My training got a boost.

    Most Recent Customer Reviews

    Nice Training Toll
    I could not have enought time to test all features, but after some days using the watch, main functionalities are almost intuitive and are designed by sports experts.
    by Ricardo

    Beware - cannot be returned to Amazon after purchase!
    I purchased the 410 on Amazon after a fair amount of internet research and trying one on for weight at a big box retailer.
    by bibini@hotmail.com

    Garmin ForeRunner 410 with HRM
    I have been running with a iPhone 3GS (with RunKeeper) for about a year. The iPhone GPS tracking is OK, but not accurate enough.
    by SpaceRanger

    Nice, until it died and had to return it.
    This was my second Garmin. I bought a 305 last year and had to return in less than a month as the battery wouldn't last longer than 2 hours. This year I bought this 410.
    by G. Kauppila

    Garmin Forerunner 410
    I have this item for two weeks now and so far I can say I'm pleased with some watch outs. The watch is small and lightweight (considering it has a GPS) and the basic functions...
    by Rodrigo Suriani

    Garmin Forerunner 410
    Pros: Very fast to locate sattelites, easy to navigate in the menu.

    Cons: Cannot calibrate the Bezel sensitiveness, sometimes it`s needed to turn more than a cycle to...
    by heo

    A bit better than OK.
    I like this watch. I wish I could love it. I've been using it for a few months. The functionality is OK enough and has been rather handy. I kinda recommend it.
    by Stinky

    New user satisfaction
    I think this is a fantastic product. I live abroad and I had a Timex bodylink before but the lack of support and unavailability of spare parts for the model I had, made the...
    by Diego F. Trujillo

    Utter confusion and a short battery
    I bough this watch with American Express points and thought i got a real bargain. Wrong. I had the Garmin 210 GPS watch which was simple and intuitive but really just for...
    by vermooti

    Watch is amazing ---- Software is horrible
    Garmin knows GPS. Garmin does not know software. I spent weeks installing and reinstalling the software with the "ant" USB stick to try to get my data to upload.
    by J. Grant

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Garmin Forerunner Quick Release Kit


Manufacturer : Garmin
Model : 010-10889-00
ASIN : B000ONDECY
Price : 25.45$
Last Price : 14.42$(Discount 43.33988212%
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Product Description

  • The quick release mount allows the Forerunner head unit to be popped off the wrist strap and attached to the handlebar mount quickly.
  • Includes handlebar mount and wrist strap with quick
    Most Helpful Customer Reviews

    80 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
    Excellent!
      
This review is from: Garmin Forerunner Quick Release Kit (Electronics)
This kit contains a velcro wrist strap with a sturdy plastic mounting clip. The original strap pieces are permanently removed using the supplied tool, then the strap pins are replaced into the 305 body. The pins can then clip into the mount on the velcro strap, or the identical part of the bike mount. Removing the unit from the bike and putting it on your wrist, or vice-versa, takes less than 5 seconds.

The reviewer who said you have to take several minutes to re-attach the original wrist straps after taking the 305 off your bike seems to have failed to grasp the concept; the velcro strap *permanently* replaces the original straps.

The only potential downside I can think of is that the clip on the velcro wrist strap could hang up on long sleeved clothing, like a wetsuit, so triathletes will want to put the strap on during T1. Other than that, this is a very handy piece of kit!


21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
Quick release kit a hit!
  
This review is from: Garmin Forerunner Quick Release Kit (Electronics)
Bought the kit to mount the Forerunner 305 on my handlebars. It was simple and puts the buttons where they need to be. It is much more convenient and safe to look at the bars instead of turning my wrist and head to see it on my arm. More importantly, it keeps the sweat off of the contacts on the rear of the unit and that has to help.


19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Very useful accessory
This review is from: Garmin Forerunner Quick Release Kit (Electronics)
I am very pleased with this accessory for my Garmin 305. I find that this cloth and velcro wristband is more comfortable and adjustable than the plastic one that comes with the 305. You do have to get used to the release mechanism, but once you do it is easy and quick. It's great to be able to use the 305 as a wireless bike computer.

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Nice kit
I have used this quick release kit to mount to my bike and it has come in handy. It takes a little thought if you are going to mount into a tri bike as the plastic handle bar...
by M

Quick Release Kit
Complements the 305 well. This is my second Strap because after 4 years of daily use the velcro wore out.
by mara-tri-guy

Flawed Design - Don't buy!
The wrist strap plastic mount is sewn to the fabric creating a perforation in the plastic that weakens the mount.
by S. Leonard

NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
MY FORERUNNER 305 HAS JUST BEE RUN OVER BY A CAR AFTER COMING OUT OF THIS ITEM...DO NOT BUY IT.

After reading the reviews of others who this has happened to I decided...
by spearear

Garmin 305 quick release bike/run kit
A must for anyone who has the Garmin 205/305. This kit gives you the option to switch from running to biking effortlessly.
by Kevin Nicholson

Works well
I agree with many of the other positive reviews for this product. It is functional and makes switching between using the Forerunner 305 as a bike comp and running watch easy...
by Shigi

A very expensive wrist band with no watch - get the mount instead
I loved this for about 3 months of Ironman training until I was running in the Houston marathon and realized my expensive GPS and Heart Rate training device had suddenly and...
by Watch Loser

Awesome
I am so happy with the garmin kit I should have done it sooner. the band is so much better than the original and the bike mount is easy to use.
by Rachel A Homan

Garmin 205/305 optional mounting kit
This kit opens the gate for leveraging the use of your Garmin 205/305 GPS. Now you can use your Garmin both for running/hiking/walking and biking (perhaps even motorcycling).
by johnscarf

Likes to "pop" out of the mount
Avoid this quick release kit if you participate in events. This morning I lost my Garmin 305 because it popped out of the wrist strap while I had my jacket on and was carrying...
by Run4Fun

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Timex Global Trainer Speed and Distance with Heart Rate GPS Watch


Manufacturer : Timex
Model : T5K444
ASIN : B003P65RVI
Price : 360$
Last Price : 203.9$(Discount 43.36111111%
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Amazon.com

Get pace, speed, distance, and more on your wrist. With SiRFstarIII GPS technology and ANT+ compatibility, this Ironman Global Trainer GPS watch from Timex records your performance across several dimensions--including pace, speed, distanc
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
Bummer
  
The watch standing alone is a great item. I love the customization and all the great things this watch is able to do. However, knowing now that it'll cost me $120/year just to view the data from my workouts I would not have purchased this watch. When you upload the data to the website Training Peaks, it is clunky and difficult to navigate. The lack of customization in your personal account completely contrasts with the way in which this watch works. You are able to use a free account to view your data, but this is almost useless because any of the important data you would want to track is only available in the premium account for $120/year. I had owned the Suunto T6C and even though it was not GPS it had a much better interface and way more data I could track - there was no website to go to. All in all I am very disappointed that I spent all this money just to have a mileage counter on my wrist.


82 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
Buy a Garmin
First let me say that I'm a seasoned triathlete (3 IM's) and I also have the Garmin 405. While the 405 has been a great watch, the shortcomings it has is that I can't swim with it, and when I work out and it's humid, sweat can find it's way to the bezel and it'll start beeping like mad. That is what prompted me to get the Global Trainer. I can swim with the watch, and don't have to worry about it going beeping crazy.

Few points on each watch:
Global Trainer:
-The functionality is great, and I can set up each sport with a variety of data, ultimately splitting the screen into 1,2,3, or 4 pieces of data like heart rate, pace, distance...
-It's fairly easy to use on the fly. Tracking splits, or going from a bike to a run is very easy
-It's comfortable for being such a huge watch
-Acquiring the satellites was relatively quick
-The display doesn't look very polished. When in time mode (non-gps) it's like looking at a stop watch.
-Downloading data to a PC is a joke. It's fickle, and even when you have the device agent up, and the watch connected, it's a trial in patience. This is where the 405 beats the Global Trainer hands down. The Garmin will transfer data automatically, and do it without having to connect the watch to a cable.
-Included software with the Timex is functionally minimal. You can pay $19.99 a month for a "enhanced" version of the training center, where Garmin will give you much of the same functionality for free.

Overall, the Timex is a huge disappointment. My recommendation would be wait for a future version where they have the kinks worked out, and don't nickle and dime you to see your training data after you've already plopped down a few hundred dollars.


44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
No Go: Very weak GPS and Proprietary Workout Software is an Issue
The specs of the watch are really good, but it is when you start using it that one realizes that the Timex Global Trainer does not perform to expectations.

Firstly, the GPS in the watch, although it uses the same chip as that of the Garmin Forerunner, the performance in the Timex Global Trainer is extremely inaccurate. i.e. it takes an average of 5-7min to lock the satellites, unlike other devices, which can lock satellites in matter of seconds. Also, once a session is recorded and loaded onto a map (such as Google Maps), one can appreciate that the tracking of the device is very inaccurate. I have seen distance reading erros of up to 12% (e.g. you run 10miles and the watch says you have run 8.8miles!!) , which is very very bad. Other GPS watches only have a 2% error max accuracy (i.e. Garmin). I have checked this issue on the internet and other user reviews on Timex's Global Trainer GPS show this same issue. I have sent the watch to Timex, got it replaced for a new one, and the same issue persists. Timex hasn't got a solution to this.

Secondly, the workout data downloaded from the watch to the PC is proprietary and can only be used on the TrainingPeaks website. Forget about exporting you data to other better and cheaper websites such as MapMyRun or WorkOutLog. This wouldn't be a problem if TrainingPeaks had a good system, but it is slow and in many occasions it won't load 100% of the workout information (plenty of software improvement is needed on their side). TrainingPeaks has a cost of c. $20/month, while other websites only cost $20/year. The Free version of TrainingPeaks won't show you all of the information from your watch (e.g. HR zones, Cadence Zones, Power Zones, etc).

Conclusion: The GPS is a no go. On a spec basis the watch is not that expensive against competitors but if you include the cost of the software to visualize your workouts you need to add $+120/year, and thats another no go. I have bought the Garmin Forerunner 310xt, Garmin is better value for money and you are not stuck with proprietary software that doesn't work!

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Love this watch! 1 year and counting...
I really don't understand the negative reviews. This watch rules!

The negative:
A lot of reviews seem to be complaining about the download function.
by daniel

Excelent Product
The only reason I'm giving a 4 star is that you can only download your workouts to trainingpeaks.com wich is a very good page but all the good features are available for an extra...
by Yanca

Good product
Product of excellent quality.
Did not like after trying to climb the paths on the site, and know that
there are benefits for paying.
Otherwise, I'm happy!
by Diego88

what could be improved?
I really like this watch. The plastic watch lens should be made of scratch resistant glass. The GPS works good but sometimes it takes up to 10 minutes to acquire satellite...
by Michal

timex gps watch
Great watch...Lots of options to see on display which i love. Getting the gps to find the satellite does take about 2-5 minutes...So far i don't have a problem with this watch..
by ma

Great training tool but timex support is awful
I got the Global Trainer as a Christmas gift, and did not use it until April.
The watch broke (USB download not working) in early August and was sent to Timex for a warranty...
by Watch Collector

Timex
Product received in excellent conditions, well packed and in excellent timing.
I'm overall satisfied with Amazon and with this product. Thanks
by Euge

Returned after 3 weeks
At first, this seemed like a great buy. The HR monitor was relatively comfortable, the watch was very easy to customize and intuitive, and it fit well.
by Homes

Good for cycling . . . somewhat
OK, so I purchased this from a store other than Amazon as they were having a fantastic holiday sale (sorry Amazon). Anyway, it does what I wanted it to do.
by M. Heintz

Without a doubt, the best GPS HRM around
Make no mistake, if you are someone who is serious about your training, this is the HRM for you. During the process of training for triathlons for almost 10 years and completing 2...
by Dori L. Orwig

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor


Manufacturer : Garmin
Model : 010-00863-30
ASIN : B0045ZPVB4
Price : 299.99$
Last Price : 249.99$(Discount 16.66722224%
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Product Description

Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
Great GPS Watch - Excellent size for Woman's Wrist
This review is from: Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Electronics)
Bought this watch as a gift for my wife. I've had the Garmin Forerunner 205 for 2.5 years and my wife had been interested in getting her own for some time. The thing that was holding her back was the size of the 205. It just didn't fit comfortably on her wrist. The 210 solves that problem with it's compact size and actually offers more features than the 205 (heart rate monitor and interval support). The 210 is so small I would actually consider is reasonable to wear around as a regular men's sport watch (unlike the 205 it is easy to display time as the primary screen rather than buried in a sub menu).

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the USB connector / recharging cable. The watch has 5 points on the back used for downloading data and charging and to connect it to the computer or power plug you have to use an odd proprietary clip that clamps down on the front and back of the watch. You have to be very careful to line up all 5 of the contact points otherwise charing won't work. I'm guessing they didn't use a standard mini-USB for reasons of water resistance, but the clip is not easy to connect to the device and it can slip off of the watch easily. My 205 has a cradle that the watch sits in, I'm not sure why Garmin went away from this approach, but the cradle is clearly preferable to the clip.

If you can get over the clip for charging I highly recommend this watch.

As a side note we also considered the Garmin 110, but did not purchase that because it doesn't offer real-time pace information. That was a deal breaker for me. If you are considering the 110 spend the few extra dollars for the 210. You won't be sorry.


19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Great GPS watch, easy to use, easy to train/race with
  
This review is from: Garmin Forerunner 210 GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Electronics)
After my IMTX training buddies finally convinced me to invest in a Garmin Forerunner, I decided to go with the 210. I did a lot of research and I liked the functionality and look of the 210, and went with that. I bought mine online at REI (had some gift cards) and it came with free standard shipping, and got here just in time for my race last weekend.

So it arrived on Sat and my race was on Sunday morning. It charged fully within a couple hours, and it took me only a few minutes to figure out and complete the initial set up. Another minute later and I had all the basic functionality figured out. On race day (sprint du), it found the satellites very quickly, less than a minute. The run portion was in a park, not on Google-able roads, and the 210 worked as well as I had hoped. It was easy to check my pace, my heartrate and distance without distracting me from the race. I love how it beeps every mile (you can change the default lap distance), but the beep is not too loud to be considered annoying.

I went for another 8mi run at the local park trails and did 3 loops (also a non-Google-able route), and it worked GREAT! Satellites were found in about 10sec. After the first loop, I stopped the 210 while I took a moment to de-layer (it was chilly but I warmed up quicker than I thought). Then re-started it again - no issues there. My pace was easy to track and the mileage seemed to be very accurate.

I connected the 210 to my computer when I got home - VERY easy to figure that out and install the necessary software. Within about 5min, I had connected and was able to see my run data, from the race and my training run.

Very good GPS watch, very fun and easy to use - highly recommend for anyone who wants to make running more fun, or who is as fascinated by data as I am.


15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
Nice GPS fitness watch
This is a pretty-well featured GPS fitness watch with a few key upgrades from the forerunner 110 (instant pace, footpod support, intervals). There is a detailed review of the 210 and most of the other Garmin sports GPS units by DC Rainmaker on his blog (thank you!). I spent several weeks reviewing and comparing different models, brands (Timex, Mio, Polar), features and bought the 210 because it seemed to offer what I needed/wanted. I had considered getting the 405 now with the lower pricing but after reading the reviews about the bezel sensitivity, I decided against it. It seems the 410 might have solved the bezel issue, but was a little pricy for me. Having instant pace with the auto-lap feature is great. It picks up satellites quickly. It does take a little more care in lining up the charging clip with the contacts on the back of the watch. I am disappointed there is (1) no support for the bike wireless cadence/speed sensor (2) no auto-pause (3) No auto-scroll. Surprising as these are all on the lower-priced FR60 (no GPS, though). Hopefully Garmin will add these features in a newer model. satisfied overall and it does what I want for the most part, but not perfect.

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Garmin Forerunner 210 initial thoughts
I recently purchased the Garmin Forerunner 210 running watch. I have been running about 17 miles a week since this spring and just completed a half marathon this past weekend.
by Jesse Peterson

Free to Roam
I'm no elite athlete but I trained for a marathon last year without a GPS device to help me track my distance.
by K. Brothers

Garmin Forerunner 210: A Marathon Must Have!
This product has changed my running game dramatically. There was never any self doubt approaching this race.
by Amanda

Very good for me, maybe not so much for you.
I bought my Garmin Forerunner 210 with heart rate monitor (HRM) from REI during the retailer's last sale, unsure of whether I would even keep it.
by someguy254

Very buggy. When it does work, it's great.
Summary: Experienced HR monitor user finds this system the most buggy of all the garmin or polar systems. Decent system, when it works.
by aurumracing

nice watch, heart rate monitor flakey
GPS watch works as advertised. The heart rate monitor is flakey and sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
by seikoh46

Do not buy
I would give this zero stars if I could.
I cannot believe Garmin charges over $250 dollars for this watch.
by Jeffrey J. Howard

Exercise in Frustration--Quality FAIL
I am on my fourth Garmin in 18 months. The Forerunner 210 wins the prize because it lasted an entire week before it lost ALL functionality.
by EE

Sometimes Dependable
Purchased the first Garmin Forerunner 210 on the advice of my fitness trainer. After ten uses indoors, I attempted to synch the watch with my PC.
by pasquadd

Amazing watch
Excellent watch, I recommend.
You can easily dowload the software and analyze all the stored data ( distance, average heart rate,speed, etc ) . It's amazing.
by Tom

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