Why would you not want a watch that can accurately count your laps in the pool, that can track your distance and route in open water, that can track your time and pace running, and so on? What is the logic in having a separate watch for each event, when a multisport watch can track your swim, T1, bike, T2 and run for a triathlon?

Because I do 4 or 5 different sporting training/exercise activities that are useful to track metrics. What's the alternative? Having 4 or 5 different devices, one for each? That seems like a huge waste, or I'm not really understanding the question.

Frankly, I don't look at mine on the bike. I have my Garmin Edge for that. I do use it for swimming and running. In race mode, it's an easy 1 button push to change between swim, T1, bike, T2, run...so the whole race is captured in one file. I look at the watch occasionally on the run.

I'd actually prefer having 3 separate devices for SBR, but it's cheaper and more convenient chargingwise to just have one device.

Swim logging with Garmin is a nice plus, but nowhere near as useful I've found compared to the run and bike speed and power metrics.

I got along fine with the older Garmins that had no swim tracking, and swim tracking def has not dramatically improved my swim logging or performance. I figure I just might as well use it since my watch has it. I wouldn't upgrade just for swim tracking if you already have good B+R devices. (I upgraded because of the much-greater convenience of bluetooth phone uploads as compared to connecting a physical cable from watch to computer. Even if that only takes 1 minute total to sync, that's like 300 minutes of my life gone down the drain per year just on waiting on device syncing - was wayyy more worth it for me to just pay for the new device.)

I don't want a different device for each sport, that would be a waste of money.

My watch works fine for everything I do, cycling, running, skiing, swimming. Is it perfect for all? No, but its like the jack of all trades but master of none deal. Works for what I need it to.

I use the following modes on my Coros:
Run
Trail Run
Hike
Bike. I have an older head unit on my bars for speed and distance.
Open Water Swim
XC Ski
Flatwater (for kayaking)
Triathlon. Records all three as separate activities, and transitions, but don't have to reset watch between each.
Multisport. Same as triathlon but can do duathlon, swim/run, or any combination.

So anything that is outside and logs GPS movement and then syncs to Strava.
I use Zwift for treadmill and indoor cycling.

Indoor swimming is useless. No watch will figure out a kick set and accuracy is meh at best. I log all my swims to Strava manually.

because most people here are triathletes?

I'm not running anymore, knees aren't holding up, so I'm using my Garmin 910xt watch as a head unit now with the quick release kit. Is it perfect? no, but it collects data just the same as anything else. I don't really feel like shelling out hundreds of $$ for a separate device that really won't change anything about now I ride.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Like everyone else has said...."Why would I want 2 or 3 devices, if one will suffice?" None of these things are exactly cheap.

That said, I did get an Edge 130 this year. My eyes have gotten old, and I can't read the watch very well while riding. I can see it fine in the pool and running...but, not so well on the bike---its at just the exact wrong distance for my near/far contact prescription---too far away for my near-eye (unless I'm aero), and too close for my far-eye.

I also like having a single UI/UX to work with. Garmin seems to do a decent job of keeping their buttons mostly consistent between devices. But, subtle differences can be a pain in the ass, when in the middle of a training session.

Also, there are multi-sport watches, and multiple-sport watches. Multisport, allows recording a tri (or du) as a single event including transitions. Multiple Sport devices can only record a single sport in a FIT file, but can do different sports. I have a multi-sport watch (920xt) so that I can record races, specifically.

Swim, bike, run, ski and golf.

I really do use my watch everyday for tracking steps.

I cycle to work with it as it logs my mileage and use a head unit on my bike on the weekends.

The golf element is a real golden add on for the garmin watches for those that play - it makes the watches such good value for all these sports.

Skiing is a bit of fun to track your speeds and distances when i get away once a year.

I'm probably in the minority...but, I went to the trouble of creating swim workouts on Garmin and load them into my watch. I'm terrible about counting lengths, and I can't read the pace-clock b/c of my eye-sight. I also tend to do a fair amount of USRPT style swimming---using the watch for tracking allows me to have a record of where I failed in a USRPT style set.

I date back to the days of RS-232 dongles, and IRDA watches, or worse plain old paper logs...the auto-upload, bluetooth workflow (for 920xt and later devices) is a godsend. I still have a wired power-tap on the backup bike (RS-232 -> USB, manual download to CSV, manual upload to TP, merge with Garmin data), ugh. That's a ball-bust.

I guess I’m out because I want a real bike computer for cycling. Not a watch. Thanks for the replies.

I have a Garmin 945 watch, and it actually works great as a bike computer (non-nav) when mounted either between aerobars or with one of those 'out-front' clamps which puts it about 5 inches in front of your road bike bars.

I originally thought I'd want a separate bike computer for larger size, but turns out the watch works great mounted in these positions, no need for me to get a separate device. Even the Varia works great with it.

I use my 830 on the bike for racing and training. While racing I use my 945 to record everything and even though I have it on during a race, I'm looking at my 830 while riding.

Its that whole swim, bike, run thing

Ahh. The perfect amount of ST snark. Thanks. Very helpful.

For me, aside from the having one device instead of three, etc. I guess during a triathlon I like being able to see my overall time elapsed when on the run.

I guess for me recording swimming is not important so looks like a Multisport watch isn’t up my alley. Thanks.

The first thing you need to do is clarify your definition of "multisport" so everyone is answering the same question.

The typical definition of a multisport watch is a watch that captures all three triathlon disciplines as a single activity.

Almost every fitness tracker these days can capture swimming, cycling, and running as individual activities.

Triathletes need a multisport watch if they wish to capture their races as a single race and activity.

I use my watch to capture my training swims and runs, and I use my bike computer to capture my rides. When I race, I use my watch to capture the whole race.

Right. If your using your bike computer and not wanting/needing to record your swims, hikes, golf, etc., then you only need a watch that records runs. Much less expensive than a multisport watch.

I use mine for swimming (pool and OWS) and running, with the occasional long walk or hike. Not only am I pretty bad at counting laps, I'm really bad at remembering the different steps and rests for the swim, and I'm not that good at remembering my planned running intervals. I use the bike computer and often just leave the watch off for biking.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

Same here. When just riding, I use my Edge 500 (or whatever new GPS unit I'm currently testing) to record my rides, but during races that just gets used as my dashboard while my 920XT records the entire race...

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

Modes I use on my Garmin 935:

Run
Bike
Indoor Bike
Mountain Bike
Treadmill
Trail Run
Hike
Walk
Swim
Yoga (and Breathwork)
Strength
Row Indoor
Stair Stepper

I just ordered my first "multisport" watch. Mostly because it connects to the GPS collar on my bird dog... I don't run or swim anymore, so it is more of a bike and hunt watch for me.

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Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes

I really like simplicity. Having a watch that can track all my activities is the simplest method I’ve found. $150 for a Polar Vantage M that can track swim, bike, run, and has triathlon mode. Battery life is suitable for my needs. No issues with having to remember a bike CPU and corresponding charger.

I use a Timer Ironman watch for swimming and running.

Wahoo Bolt for the bike.