Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Good head unit for being connected out of T1?
Quote | Reply
I’m very late to the power party - last summer was my first year racing with power (P1 left only pedals). I picked up a used Garmin 500 - very cheap because the screen cracked in the mail.

I would get a signal and pair it with the pedals while setting up transition. Sometimes this was fine, but often I had to mess around while riding to connect to satellite and the power meter. Super obnoxious.

Obviously a cracked screen is indicative that more may be broken internally. I’m getting a new head unit this year - thinking the 520 because it would play well with the Forerunner 35 I’m getting.

Is the connection thing typical? Will a 520 be better for that?

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
Quote Reply
Re: Good head unit for being connected out of T1? [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I have a 520 and it seems to work good for this. Pair PM, calibrate it, and then "start" ride in transition prior to swim (need to have auto pause on). Then just grab the bike and go in T1. If your sensors are no longer paired, the quickest way to resolve this is usually to just turn the head unit off and on real quick. You'll lose maybe 30 seconds of data.
Quote Reply
Re: Good head unit for being connected out of T1? [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
When I used a garmin 500 I turned it on before the race, made sure my PM connected to it. When I got to the bike from the swim I just hit the start button and it worked normally.
Quote Reply
Re: Good head unit for being connected out of T1? [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
jaretj wrote:
When I used a garmin 500 I turned it on before the race, made sure my PM connected to it. When I got to the bike from the swim I just hit the start button and it worked normally.

Same here, just disable the Auto Power Down. I turn on and connect my Garmin 500 before leaving transition and it's ready to go when I finally get out of the water

Try not to drown / rock the bike / hobby-jog
Quote Reply
Re: Good head unit for being connected out of T1? [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Why pair in T1? The PM should be paired once (at home) and should never need to do it again - it should connect to your head unit automatically once you spin the crank to wake it up. I can't even imagine trying to pair in transition with hundreds of other PM that are active around...
My routine is this:
- de-activate the power saving option thing so it never turns off automatically
- start the head unit, let it find satellites, connect to previously paired sensors etc.
- go swim
- come back into T1
- hit start

MI_Mumps wrote:

I would get a signal and pair it with the pedals while setting up transition.

What's your CdA?
Last edited by: trailerhouse: Nov 26, 18 8:45
Quote Reply
Re: Good head unit for being connected out of T1? [trailerhouse] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Poor description on my part. Not actually pairing it in T1 (although sometimes it had trouble finding it). Turning off the power saving option is a great idea.

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team
Quote Reply
Re: Good head unit for being connected out of T1? [MI_Mumps] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I have had a 520 for almost 3 years. It has worked 100% in races for me. This is what I do:
  1. Pre-race: turn the 520 on, let it get its GPS lock, enter the menu and select my "Race" activity, connect to the PM, and do the PM calibration.
  2. Pre-race: turn the 520 back off
  3. T1: Turn my 520 back on as soon as I arrive at T1
  4. T1: Put my bike junk on and run out of T1
  5. T1: At the bike mount line, I select my race activity again and push the start button

I never do anything special or unusual to keep the 520 and PM connected (like turning it on and leaving it on from pre-race). It simply works.
Quote Reply