garmin vs polar

[Guest colonel]

If you wanna look like a wannabe richboy poser with a thing the size of a doorstopper on your bike go with Garmin if you want something that helps you train correctly and is 1/4 of the price go with Polar.

 

When you ride you know your route so you wont get lost so dont bother with a Garmin. You also dont see any Pro teams with Garmin you see them with Polar, Suunto etc or a Power Meter(althou that is another topic totally) WHY? Cause they know the route and dont want a something the size of a ouma rusk on their bike.

[bob_the_builder]

 

If you wanna look like a wannabe richboy poser with a thing the size of a doorstopper on your bike go with Garmin if you want something that helps you train correctly and is 1/4 of the price go with Polar.

 

When you ride you know your route so you wont get lost so dont bother with a Garmin. You also dont see any Pro teams with Garmin you see them with Polar' date=' Suunto etc or a Power Meter(althou that is another topic totally) WHY? Cause they know the route and dont want a something the size of a ouma rusk on their bike.

[/quote']

 

 

[fandacious]

.... a Power Meter(althou that is another topic totally)

 

haha... was waiting for your powermeter chirp

[hagar]

 

If you wanna look like a wannabe richboy poser with a thing the size of a doorstopper on your bike go with Garmin if you want something that helps you train correctly and is 1/4 of the price go with Polar.

 

When you ride you know your route so you wont get lost so dont bother with a Garmin. You also dont see any Pro teams with Garmin you see them with Polar' date=' Suunto etc or a Power Meter(althou that is another topic totally) WHY? Cause they know the route and dont want a something the size of a ouma rusk on their bike.

[/quote']

dont eat ouma rusks just get the bran one from woolies they taste much better

[jmaccelari]

I had a Polar S725 with several cadence and speed sensors (for my several

bikes - it got expensive). When the Edge 305 came out, I bought one and sold

all my Polar stuff.

 

I love the Edge 305 and have just purchased an Edge 705 - an even better unit.

 

So to compare:

Garmin Edge 305 Pros: (I won't compare the 705 'cos Polar just ain't in that market)

- I use no sensors - I just cable tie the mount onto a bike and it's ready to use (no

  cadence, though: see cons)

- no magnets to set up and maintain! I don't bother putting on the speed sensor.

- grade display

- up to 8 different simultaneous readings on two screens (I use one for total and the

  other for lap - fantastic for the Epic)

- profile and trail: very useful for MTB (where _did_ I go?)

- nice, big easy to read display (larger size is good sometimes!)

- our club has the MTB rides on the Web, I can download them and follow a route I

  have never ridden before. I also digitise in the races I do and it tells me when the

  turns are (I stopped our group from taking a wrong turn at the Carousel last year).

  Don't laugh at the fact that it knows where you are and where you should be going...

- easy to use interface (I don't have to go scrolling through 5 screens to find what I

  want)

- waterproof and easy to clean for MTB rides

- you can replace the batteries in the HRM strap and cadence sensor yourself

  (no trips off to Polar).

 

Garmin Edge 305 cons:

- 9 hour battery life;

- the cadence sensor eats batteries (1 a month at  the rate I cycle - 18hrs/week);

- the mounts are a bit flimsy and expensive to replace.

- no temperature readout

 

Weight and size are not an issue.

 

As I stated, I now have an Edge 705 and I will be buying a power meter for it. I can

choose which one (unlike Polar) as it supports the ANT+ Sport protocol, which is

becoming an industry standard. I also use it on my motorbike (it gives me directions,

too!). Try and do that with a Polar.

 

Do I miss my Polar? Yep - it was a "bling" watch to show I was a "serious" cyclist...

 

[bob_the_builder]

 

dont eat ouma rusks just get the bran one from woolies they taste much better

 

I don't think colonel has a prob with the taste... It's the size he has an issue with

 

[hagar]

 

I had a Polar S725 with several cadence and speed sensors (for my several

bikes - it got expensive). When the Edge 305 came out' date=' I bought one and sold

all my Polar stuff.

 

I love the Edge 305 and have just purchased an Edge 705 - an even better unit.

 

So to compare:

Garmin Edge 305 Pros: (I won't compare the 705 'cos Polar just ain't in that market)

- I use no sensors - I just cable tie the mount onto a bike and it's ready to use (no

  cadence, though: see cons)

- no magnets to set up and maintain! I don't bother putting on the speed sensor.

- grade display

- up to 8 different simultaneous readings on two screens (I use one for total and the

  other for lap - fantastic for the Epic)

- profile and trail: very useful for MTB (where _did_ I go?)

- nice, big easy to read display (larger size is good sometimes!)

- our club has the MTB rides on the Web, I can download them and follow a route I

  have never ridden before. I also digitise in the races I do and it tells me when the

  turns are (I stopped our group from taking a wrong turn at the Carousel last year).

  Don't laugh at the fact that it knows where you are and where you should be going...

- easy to use interface (I don't have to go scrolling through 5 screens to find what I

  want)

- waterproof and easy to clean for MTB rides

- you can replace the batteries in the HRM strap and cadence sensor yourself

  (no trips off to Polar).

 

Garmin Edge 305 cons:

- 9 hour battery life;

- the cadence sensor eats batteries (1 a month at  the rate I cycle - 18hrs/week);

- the mounts are a bit flimsy and expensive to replace.

- no temperature readout

 

Weight and size are not an issue.

 

As I stated, I now have an Edge 705 and I will be buying a power meter for it. I can

choose which one (unlike Polar) as it supports the ANT+ Sport protocol, which is

becoming an industry standard. I also use it on my motorbike (it gives me directions,

too!). Try and do that with a Polar.

 

Do I miss my Polar? Yep - it was a "bling" watch to show I was a "serious" cyclist...

 

[/quote']

 

and you still have guys asking you to pass the ouma so that they can dip it in their coffee.

they say the 305 is waterproof but i would never take it on my dive for kreef amongst the klep

 

suppose its just personal prefrence and what you want out of your cycle computer

[jmaccelari]

"Doing Trans Baviaans or the Epic with the Garmin is impossible"

 

Really - I've just completed the Epic using a Garmin Edge 305. I can send you the

tracks if you like?

 

All I had to do was charge it every night. The 9 hours battery life was no issue -

the longest I rode for was 8. The cut off is 10 hours. Notice, that my quoted battery life

is not the actual limit, just what I have pushed it to.

 

The 705 theoretically does 15 hours.

 

 

[bob_the_builder]

 

 

and you still have guys asking you to pass the ouma so that they can dip it in their coffee.

they say the 305 is waterproof but i would never take it on my dive for kreef amongst the klep

 

 

Nevermind that, would you take an ouma diving, or dip the garmin in your coffee?

 

[Guest colonel]

JMac: Did you get a free tin of Frisco with that purchase? How much did you pay for the Garmin? The average person has 2 bikes MTB and Road so the little magnet things + your Polar is alot cheaper than your garmin and the battery life is about 1,5 years or more.

 

Here are some of my answers to the Pros:

 

- profile and trail: very useful for MTB (where _did_ I go?)

 

A: Polar does the same it gives you a profile and you know where you went cause I highly doubt you pulled up to a forest out of the blue and said "Cool Im going riding"

- nice, big easy to read display (larger size is good sometimes!)

 

A: You riding not reading Ive never felt the urge to take the Sunday Times with me on a training ride. You right Large is sometimes better, Mrs C has been telling me that for years now

- our club has the MTB rides on the Web, I can download them and follow a route I  have never ridden before.

A: Most routes have markings

 

 

I also digitise in the races I do and it tells me when the  turns are (I stopped our group from taking a wrong turn at the Carousel last year).

 

A: I would never of done that I wouldve let them go and won my group

Don't laugh at the fact that it knows where you are and where you should be going...

 

A: We should give them to all the miss guided youths and Political People as they have no idea where they going with the country.

 

- easy to use interface (I don't have to go scrolling through 5 screens to find what I  want)

 

A: Set your Polar on the setting you want for when you ride so you see what you want. Revert to Sunday Times response.

- waterproof and easy to clean for MTB rides

 

A: I shower and swim with my Polar and it dries really quick aswell.

- you can replace the batteries in the HRM strap and cadence sensor yourself  (no trips off to Polar).

 

A: I send my driver to Polar so no trips either.

[hagar]

 

 

and you still have guys asking you to pass the ouma so that they can dip it in their coffee.

they say the 305 is waterproof but i would never take it on my dive for kreef amongst the klep

 

 

Nevermind that' date=' would you take an ouma diving, or dip the garmin in your coffee?

[/quote']

there are some nice ouma's out there but you need to look for them

 

[Guest colonel]

I also use it on my motorbike (it gives me directions,
too!). Try and do that with a Polar.

 

A: Do you not have road signs and stuff like that where you live?

 

On the Polar bike deal, incase you dont know I own a MX team and my guys ride with their Polar watches during training and practices to see what their bodies are doing as that is what it is meant for and they know where they are going the track is marked like the streets of SA and the MTB routes in the forest.

 

Please refer to Polar on right wrist below:

 

colonel2008-04-24 09:18:35

[hagar]

oh yes forgot to mention the 305 comes with software called map source . Its pc based and has a map of sa streets and say you are looking for a certain address you have the ability to search for the street name in the database.

 

once you have found it you can then create a gpx file and download that to the unit and use it to navigate by means of waypoints. the garmin dont talk to you like the other fancy units but just beeps when you are approaching the waypoint and indicates in which direction you should go.

 

so it can also be used off the bike if needed so i would say its quite a useful little "rusk"

 

[JasonW]

As I stated' date=' I now have an Edge 705 and I will be buying a power meter for it. I can
choose which one (unlike Polar) as it supports the ANT+ Sport protocol, which is
becoming an industry standard. I also use it on my motorbike (it gives me directions,
too!). Try and do that with a Polar.
[/quote']

 

Bear in mind that the only power meter currently compatible with the 705 is the SRM. Power Tap does not work with it. The new Qark will work with the 705 (when it comes out).

[jmaccelari]

 

Bear in mind that the only power meter currently compatible with the 705 is the SRM. Power Tap does not work with it. The new Qark will work with the 705 (when it comes out).

Nope - it ain't the only one. The iBike beat the SRM to market. So there are currently two

compatible options, with a third (the Quarg CinQo) due to be released next month.

 

[JasonW]

Sorry, you are quite correct. Not sure that the iBike is really an option given its issues.