I’m going to purchase one of those units. I currently have a Cateye double wireless on my bike. Does the Garmin 910xt get speed info. from GPS satellites or the speed/cadence sensor? Also, does anybody use a separate unit for speed/cadence in combination with the 910t?
It gets speed information from GPS, though I do not own a speed/cadence sensor but I assume you could change it to read speed from that but why buy something you don’t need?
So you’re not getting any cadence info?
If you have a ANT+ speed and cadence sensor like the garmin GSC 10 the 910 will read from those units if you wish. It will not read from the cat eye you have.
I do not use cadence so correct. You can buy the cadence/speed sensor with a 910 bundle or separate if you want to. The watch only gives four data fields per page but you can set it up to scroll in between pages if you want more information displayed. But the gps does speed well enough that I did not bother buying a sensor. Also I’m going to assume you’re riding a TT bike since this is slow twitch; a good way to ride is having the watch flipped around so it’s on the inside of your wrist. That way when you are in the aeros it is very easy to see the data on the watch.
Thanks! I will keep using my cateye for speed And the Garmin unit for** recording** HR, speed, etc…
Yup, that’ll work just fine, but if you are ever interested in combining the two…the GSC-10 (speed and cadence sensor) is often under $40. And then, you can specify whether it takes the displayed speed from GPS or the wheel magnet. Another bummer, is that you will not be recording cadence if that matters to you.
I’m going to purchase one of those units. I currently have a Cateye double wireless on my bike. Does the Garmin 910xt get speed info. from GPS satellites or the speed/cadence sensor? Also, does anybody use a separate unit for speed/cadence in combination with the 910t?
I used to use the sensor for speed data, but it’s really overkill. I just use the GPS now, fewer moving parts to add to the equation. I also have mine paired with an SRM so the cadence comes from the crank via ANT+. I think you will find you do not need the Cateye comp, IMO.
The difference is speed is pretty negligible for training and IMO racing. I generally don’t see an avg. speed difference of over .1 on a 30-50 mile ride. That number may increase slightly with more stops. However, you can adjust the speed at which the Garmin 310xt or 910xt pauses… If you stop a lot in traffic, set it at 5-6mph and don’t worry about it. I have a garmin speed cadence sensor I used for trainer road before I had a power meter but I never set my garmin to use speed from it. I did however have my old cycling computer with speed set up on my stem, while using a forerunner 10 strapped to my handlebars to record my rides. The difference in real time speed was basically none. The difference in avg. speed as I said was .1 maybe .2 mph. Just a reason to push harder to prove to your buddies you’re faster 
only comes into play for me on Strava, and even then its just a number.
My first thought was not to be concerned with recording cadence but the more I think about it…maybe I should.
“However, you can adjust the speed at which the Garmin 310xt or 910xt pauses… If you stop a lot in traffic, set it at 5-6mph and don’t worry about it”.
I will like that feature. My old cateye from the 80’s had a stop feature which I could hit as I approached a stop sign. That would help my avg. speed up when I had to slow or stop often. Sometimes I shoot for a certain avg. speed on a particular course.
You can do that with a garmin as well. Although a few times i forgot to hit start again so i stopped doing that. .it sucks losing 10 miles on any given trip due to operator error.
I agree; Garmin 910 is all you need and wearing it flipped around the wrist is key or get the bike quick release and the quick release wrist band to mount it on the bike. Convenient if you are just going out for a ride…but I have specific tan lines only cultivated by that 910 block of plastic on my wrist! If you are obsessed with data as you ride, the 4 data outputs per screen is limited compared to what a 510/810 can offer, but it records everything you need if you care more about the data post-ride. I display speed, avg speed, heart rate, and power.
Cadence is good to have if you have a fixed training loop…otherwise too many factors to compare for it to mean anything. Unless you are intentionally trying to improve your cadence, it’s generally going to be about the same for each ride depending on your ingrained habits. When I moved my cadence up to 90+, however, it was helpful in marking my progress and changing how I ride.
If the 4 data screens are not enough, remember that you can auto-scroll between multiple screens.
I like to see: total distance, total time, instant speed, instant cadence, instant heart rate. Bummer, 5 fields. I set two screens up identically, but on one is HR and the other is cadence. It scolls back and forth. And since those numbers don’t change second to second, who cares if you have to look back in a bit?
(That said, I bought a 500. I still only use 6 fields, but I like having 2 really big so I can see those very clearly with a quick glance.)
"(That said, I bought a 500. I still only use 6 fields, but I like having 2 really big so I can see those very clearly with a quick glance.) "
Hmmm…big numbers. I’m 53 and require reading glasses most of the time. Any other “old guys” use the 910xt?? How well can you see the display?
Go to EMS, REI, or a Local bike store and get the units in your hands and play with them (YIKES?!?!!!) Seriously, we can all keep feeding you info and you can infer whether that sounds good or not, but it sounds to me like you really just need to go try this stuff out in person. Find a knowledgeable person in the store and bend their ear for a while.
I must say that the 500 was better for cycling specific training. I liked the larger screen and miss it when I’m on my bike.
That said, I sold my 501 to get a 910 as I use it for all three sports and rarely, if ever think I made a mistake ditching the 501. I use 3 data fields and rotate the screens if needed.
If you’re doing multisport the 910 is a great device.
This is good for me. My old Garmin died and the sensor for my Cateye got lost (long story) at basically the same time. So you guys use the 910 as your only bike computer? And how good is the quick release / bike mount setup? I’ve looked at it online but you can never really tell. Is it sort of cludgy or is it pretty tight? I have to stare at that thing for countless hours so I want the right tool for the job.
I have the 500 and 910xt.
The display on the 910xt is clearer and easier to read when on the road. The 500 is more affected by glare and has less contrast.
The 500 has the option for more data fields per screen but that just gets confusing as you have to remember what field is what and the text that describes the field is miniscule and unreadable when on the move.
I have the quick release mount for the 910XT. It attaches solidly to my base bar and the connection to the head unit is solid. The connection to the watchband has room for improvement, just search the threads for 910’s lost during the swim.