Garfield2010 Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 Hi all.......... I am looking at buying a watch for Ironman training and racing.......... Currently there are a few options from Polar (RCX3, RCX5, RS800CX), the Suunto Ambit and then some offerings from Garmin as well........ Which will be best suited to my needs? I am the following:- - Mainly a runner and biker........... - I already have a decent speedo/cadence-meter on my bike so this watch will be on my arm the whole race - HR monitoring and accuracy is most important - I dont want a watch that "jumps" around in terms of this or other data - My budget is around R4,000 (please also let me know which stores are the best for buying these)? Any suggestions? Thx!
Seeker911 Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 Wish I had a budget of R4k. My Garmin 305 is so BIG I could very well use it as a weapon of mass destruction. I will have to wait for December to see what my bonus looks like and just how much of that will go on my kids varsity fees. Anyway must just say I have been most impressed with my garmin 305 so if I were you I would be looking in that direction except for something smaller.
mojopup Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 Look at the Suunto. Polar tends to jump and loose signal. (Gave mine away eventually and have friends who had the same experience.) Suunto is uber reliable and the technology is really great. Also look at the offerings from Bryton (good value for money)
Blackadder Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 (edited) The Garmin Fenix is being offered at R4,200 by Cape Union Mart: http://www.capeunionmart.co.za/search/default.php?q=fenix Edited October 29, 2012 by Blackadder
Garfield2010 Posted October 29, 2012 Author Posted October 29, 2012 OK cool. Seeker I also have an issue with a big watch especially in the swim. It gets stuck and sometimes scratches upon making contact with other competitors teeth and skulls. Ok so the million dollar question.......... Where can I find the best priced Suunto Ambit?
Garfield2010 Posted October 29, 2012 Author Posted October 29, 2012 The Garmin Fenix is being offered at R4,200 by Cape Union Mart: http://www.capeunion...ult.php?q=fenix This is nice. But is it not more aimed at trial runners / walkers than IM? I would like to think that this watches focus is on route finding etc.
JGR Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 Garf get a bryton cardio 35 - its like R2k and does the trick. Did a race with it this weekend and worked a charm. The watch is really small (as is the screen) but if you have a bike computer already and will wear on your wrist then it will fit your needs. Suunto, 310 and 910 are really big watches. Timex also do a IM watch for about R3k but it is also quite bulky. Mid range forerunners are good but not water proof
camerons Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 I've got a Garmin 40something. It is brilliant but is let down by a 6 hour battery life when in use. This makes it less than ideal for IM racing as it only last half (depending on how fast you are) the race. In the races I've done I've had to use two and switch in transition which is crap. So... my point is whatever you get check the battery is good enough to last you an entire race or buy two.
JGR Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 I've got a Garmin 40something. It is brilliant but is let down by a 6 hour battery life when in use. This makes it less than ideal for IM racing as it only last half (depending on how fast you are) the race. In the races I've done I've had to use two and switch in transition which is crap. So... my point is whatever you get check the battery is good enough to last you an entire race or buy two.Good point - only 310, 910, ambit, TIMEX last long enough for a full IM
Garfield2010 Posted October 29, 2012 Author Posted October 29, 2012 Garf get a bryton cardio 35 - its like R2k and does the trick. Did a race with it this weekend and worked a charm. The watch is really small (as is the screen) but if you have a bike computer already and will wear on your wrist then it will fit your needs. Suunto, 310 and 910 are really big watches. Timex also do a IM watch for about R3k but it is also quite bulky. Mid range forerunners are good but not water proof Cool let me have a look!
niklasvm Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 I would go Garmin 310xt or 910xt. I have a 310xt and it does the job extremely well. 20 hour battery life, works brilliant for cycling, running and swimming. I was also worried about the size but i haven't had an issue. ADe and maruszewski 2
maruszewski Posted October 29, 2012 Posted October 29, 2012 I would go Garmin 310xt or 910xt. I have a 310xt and it does the job extremely well. 20 hour battery life, works brilliant for cycling, running and swimming. I was also worried about the size but i haven't had an issue.i have the 910xt best ever!!
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now