I have the 305 edge for my bike and I was thinking about upgrading my running watch so that I could have gps without having to carry the big Timex gps device on my arm and so that I could have distance, heart rate, calorie count, and pc download capability, while not spending too much money. Since I already have the garmin hr strap, I would just get the watch, footpod, and ant for my pc. The added bonus is that it can pick up my garmin cadence sensors already on my bike, so that in a race I can just keep track of time, pace, distance etc. on the watch the whole time.
Any thougths on this equipment? Thanks.
No takers on the forerunner 50 review? I’d love some input.
You mention gps in your initial post. You are aware the 50 has no gps capabilities? The 50 has its place in the Garmin lineup, but there are limitations. The 50 has an eight hour total limit for recording activities (those in history and current). Another limitation is you still cant swim with it. The 50 has cycling features and it has running features (though these settings are pretty much limited to calorie burn rates, accessory pairings, and speed/pace info), but it does not have a multisport feature. To change which sensors the unit is reading from (ie to move from bike to run) you have to cycle through the screens to get the unit to rescan for accessories. Settings cannot be changed on the fly. And finally, the screen size is pretty small and has less visible fields than the other fitness models. The positives: it’s small, lightweight, inexpensive, can work both indoors and out (and some people prefer footpod/cad sensor info to GPS), has an interval timer (although not connected to the training screen), zone alerts, wireless data transfer, and can be worn as an every-day watch. In summary it’s a pretty basic, few-frills unit which might be enough for/appeal to fitness users. The FR305 remains (among the current garmin devices available) IMO the best option for the multisport athlete.
Thank you for your review. That is an interesting comment about not being able to automatically cycle over (no pun intended) to another sport on the fly. I was wondering about that. Yes, the gps was a slip. I was aware that it was foot pod activated.
I was looking at it for its low price and relatively good functionability in the price range, as I just spend big money on the 305 edge last year. Is there anything else in the 100-150 price range that can give you more of the multisport functionability, that you know of? Thanks.
Are you looking to not use your Edge on the bike, or just for something to supplement it. Don’t mean to talk you out of the 50 if it matches your needs/budget, and it can be a nice supplement to the Edge. As there is swimming involved in most tris that I know of:), the biggest roadblock for me regarding the 50 for MS athletes is that you cant wear the thing start to finish (cycling through the screens to switch accessories doesn’t take anything more than a second or two–you aren’t changing options at all, you just need to switch of the timer and then back to it for a rescan–so it’s just one of those minor gripes of mine). The 100-150 price range is a little sparse for options other than the 50 (with similar functionality). With the looming release of the 405 though, I’m guessing you may be able to get a really good deal on the 305 (either new or on e-bay). I’ve always liked Polar units, but once you get up to a unit that supports footpods and cycling, for that money I prefer Garmin (and GPS AND footpod options). Just wish they’d produce something waterproof. Sorry not much help.
Thank you all. I just orderd the 50 from amazon. I got it for 122 - 30 (took out a amazon card) - 25 (with amazon points) for a total of $67. I figured for that price, I can’t go wrong. I like that it will give me heart rate, distance, cals, time, and pace, all in one, plus sync it with my computer wirelessly. I have the Timex GPS watch right now that I can’t use with my Timex hr monitor, won’t give me cals, and I have to wear that big bulky box on my arm. So for the money, I think it is a great value. I need to ask again about this waterproof thing. Does this mean I can’t wear it at all in the pool or are you just saying it doesn’t record distance etc in the water? Thanks again.
Another limitation is you still cant swim with it.
Haven’t had mine in the water yet – but are you sure of that?
Garmin says it’s water resistant for 30’ continuous. My HIM swim will take less than 35 minutes, and hopefully my arm is going to be going in & out of the water during that time.
p.s., I like mine. Switched from a RS100 to get the computer upload / pace / cadence features.
It probably won’t do anyone any good to say I’ve used the 50 for a half IM, but I have, so you CAN do it. That said, I took a risk. Here’s why. You’ll note a couple items (from the Garmin manuals and specs): Both the 305 and 50 state they are water resistant for 30 minutes continuous (at one meter, static test, ie not swimming–swimming exerts more pressure on the watch than a static test). They both have a rating of IPX7. The 50 states not to operate the buttons while immersed and the 305 goes even further to state this product is not intended for swimming. Now I’m not a math major or anything, but pretty sure that this is one of those story problem situations: if a (305) = c (IPX7 water resistance rating) and b (50) = c (IPX7 water resistance rating) and c says this product is not intended for swimming, and don’t press button while submerged, using the 50 in the water swimming poses as much risk as the 305 (and should not be done). You may be fine for the half, you might not. The 50 is small enough to fit under a full sleeve wetsuit, so if you have one I’d take the extra precaution of making sure it gets tucked up under the rubber (which will probably help you get the wetsuit arms off quicker anyhow). It’s certainly not an everyday swimmer and I’d make sure you dry it off soon after your workouts. I’ve had water under the screen on three forerunners (1 201, 2 305s–I’m a little rough on my equipment), all but one (the 201) of which eventually dried out. Sorry. Like I said, really wish Garmin would come out with something that was better than a gamble while swimming.
BTW the footpod alone retails for over 100 dollars, so at $67 you’re practically making money on the 50.
So, the answer is, it should be ok for a sprint, probably an olympic, maybe a half if you are fast, but not an Ironman.
I’m also excited for the cadence feature. I’ve been wanting to work on cadence for years but never really wanted to do the metronome thing. Does anyone here use that feature?
So, the answer is, it should be ok for a sprint, probably an olympic, maybe a half if you are fast, but not an Ironman.
“Should” and “probably” should probably read “might”, “may”, or “possibly”. I’d hate for you to get water damage to your unit and look back at my post (if that is indeed what you are doing) as the source for the go ahead on water proofing. I don’t think the risk of water damage by swimming is lessened a great deal by how little the amount of time you spend in the water is (The 30 continuous minutes spec’ed by Garmin is for static immersion). I don’t personally recommend any of the current garmin units for swimming without some manner of protection. It’s more a swim (with your unit) at your own risk situation.
As an attorney myself, I appreciate your disclaimer :-). So noted.
I’m also excited for the cadence feature. I’ve been wanting to work on cadence for years but never really wanted to do the metronome thing. Does anyone here use that feature?
Why can’t you use the cadence feature that came with your Edge 305?
I’m using the 50 mainly to continue to track my HR, distance, and pace as I transition at T2 to the run while wearing the same HR strap.
Sorry. I meant work on my run cadence. I will likely use it with my cadence sensor on my bike. Does anyone know if I can operate both the watch and the edge at the same time without conflict?
Yes, you can operate both at the same time, even sharing the same accessories (HR, CAD sensor). As a side note re accessories: a real nice thing about the footpods that come with the 50, aside from the fact they are much smaller than the first generation ones, is that they turn on automatically with movement so you won’t have to remember to power it on when making your transition to the run (you’ll still need to cycle screens though). The first gen pods would power down after a period of inactivity and you’d have to remember to turn them on in T2.