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Replacing a Edge 520 with a smartwatch?


briv

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For cycling only, the 520 is more than sufficient.

 

I had an apple series two that gave up the ghost with a cracked screen lately. It was great for logging the odd run ( odd, because i don’t run) counting steps and sleep tracking.

 

I subsequently ordered a Vivoactove 4 to replace the smart watch. I’m hoping the extended battery life and less vulnerable screen makes it last longer than 3 years.

 

There is a compromise with each device. Not one that does everything perfectly. (Kinda like choosing as DS moto)

 

Nothing wrong with the 520. It’s a very powerful little gps. If you are looking to changing your SW, I would look at garmin, they have some nice options in the Venu range, or as I mentioned the vivoactive, albeit “older model” 

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Also, keep in mind.. a smart watch have fitness features and a fitness watch smart features. I’m yet to find a watch that does both functions equally. I currently have the Apple series 5, mostly used for sleep tracking, but the heart rate monitor not that great + 18 hours battery life.

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I am with you on this one. I have a forerunner 45 and its a nice piece of kit recording almost the whole day and night, but it has its drawbacks with regard to cycling. If one want to peek at speed/heart rate or anything in particular that is possible with the watch, you have to take extreme care. As a mountain biker, opportunities to read is not always possible at the time you want to read. Rattling down a slope or negotiating a muddy trail requires one to focus on your line and getting the angle to read on the wrist is just looking for pain. If on the other hand you had a Edge, just like a car a quick glance down and you're sorted.

I recently started a training program from Garmin and it requires me to ride at certain HRs for certain durations. It is just not working well enough with the Forerunner. Struggling up a loose slope trying to maintain a level 4 HR zone is near impossible with the forerunner. My Edge is old school and all the new data fields are not available, but I can clearly see how the Edge would trump the forerunner if I follow a program like this on my bike. My problem is I have the Edge 500 and it is still working fine. I have the Forerunner and it too is working fine in all other areas and to have these small upgrades does not justify the expense for a new Edge.

One thing though. Although there are many opinions about the accuracy of the heart rate monitoring differences between the wrist based watch and the chest strap for the Edge, for me, the strap is a problem and one of my more important measurements I look at is the heart rate. I do not need it to be as accurate as a monitor in a hospital and I did my own comparisons. It is more than good enough for me to easily see where my condition and exhaustion level is with a couple of percent error either way, but that strap....it is not working for me. 

 

If I was in the OP's shoes I would stick to the edge 520.  Simply because he says he just records his rides.  For cycling the edge is simply better. When I replaced my old Polar 3 or more years ago, I had to decide a watch or the Edge.  I decided that for cycling the Edge wins hands down and I still think that today.  

 

That being said I bought my VivoActive 3, 2 years ago and love the watch and love the data it captures in my daily routine and my indoor swimming.  But when I get on the bike I take the Vivoactive off and let it take a rest of a few hours.

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Can all the garmin watches do this? How do you tell the watch to use the chest strap instead of the wrist sensor?

I think most Garmin watches will pair with a ANT+ strap - they used the tech for a long time before finally incorporating BTLE as well. Won't work with the older Polar WIND straps or most Polar straps in general - only the H7, H9 and H10 BTLE straps that I know of.

 

In terms of telling it to use the strap - you add it as an accessory in the watch and when you start an activity, it looks for it and uses it. If you forget to put it on or the batteries die, it will default back to built-in optical if it has that. Quite seamless.

 

What Garmin have you got?

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I think most Garmin watches will pair with a ANT+ strap - they used the tech for a long time before finally incorporating BTLE as well. Won't work with the older Polar WIND straps or most Polar straps in general - only the H7, H9 and H10 BTLE straps that I know of.

 

In terms of telling it to use the strap - you add it as an accessory in the watch and when you start an activity, it looks for it and uses it. If you forget to put it on or the batteries die, it will default back to built-in optical if it has that. Quite seamless.

 

What Garmin have you got?

Thanks.

edge 520 and forerunner 30.

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That Forerunner has no support for external sensors it seems according to this:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/09/hands-on-garmins-new-forerunner-30-running-gps-watch.html

 

 

– No support for sensors (not HR strap, nor footpod, not speed/cadence sensor)

 

Which is very weird, as apparently, it predecessor had support for it :(

 

Your 520 has support for ANT+ sensors only, no bluetooth it seems.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/07/garmin-edge-520.html

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....

 

One thing though. Although there are many opinions about the accuracy of the heart rate monitoring differences between the wrist based watch and the chest strap for the Edge, for me, the strap is a problem and one of my more important measurements I look at is the heart rate. I do not need it to be as accurate as a monitor in a hospital and I did my own comparisons. It is more than good enough for me to easily see where my condition and exhaustion level is with a couple of percent error either way, but that strap....it is not working for me.

 

Comparing the hart rate data from my Garmin watch (wrist based) vs the strap based hart rate of the 520 I found the following.

 

 

When starting out, there seems to be slight lag on the watch ...

 

When doing short hard bursts the watch shows a higher peak value ...

 

 

More importantly ... when riding at a steady pace, both shows a steady rate, typically 5 to 7 bpm difference .... hardly an issue for mere mortals. (And, no, I have no idea which of these would be more accurate)

 

 

I do follow a friend's Strava account. From the data I can ser when she left the strap at home, when running. Somehow her hart rate is more eratic, and about 10 to 15bpm lower than with the strap. She is a triathlon athlete, and her programs are based around hart rate zones. Actually scary to see how proper athletes USE this technology !!

 

For the rest of us .... both does the job ...

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