Looking to get a tri watch for as cheap as possible. The Garmin 50 with HR monitor, footpod and bike speed / cadence sensor seems like it may do everything I want. Does anybody have any experience?? I have a few questions…
Website says waterproof to 30 meters which tells me I can swim with it. If I put on the HR strap in T1 will the watch pick it up on the fly if it has been operating since the swim?
Will the watch pick up the bike speed / cadence sensor on the fly?
Does the bike speed / cadence work like a typical cycling computer? Is it accurate?
Does the footpod provide accurate pace and distance measurements? Will the watch pick it up on the fly (T2)? How many split / lap times can be recorded?
To get it to pick up HR after the swim you’d need to hit the mode button to take it out of “Train” mode, then go back. This starts the scan for equipment over again and it would pick up your HR transmitter. I think four presses of the mode button takes you out of Train mode and then back. Probably could do it very quickly after you practiced it a few times.
Same as above, I’d just get on the bike, then press the mode button 4 times and it would re-scan and find the HR monitor and the speed/cadence sensor.
Works the same as any other wireless bike computer; you shouldn’t have any problems there.
To pick up the foot pod in T2 you’ll need to do the four presses of the mode button one more time. The foot pod is pretty accurate as long as you calibrate it.
I use SportTracks, which I think is great software.
After saying all that I have to admit I don’t race with the Forerunner 50. My HED3C wheels aren’t real friendly for mounting the sensor magnet. I wear it for swim workouts and strength workouts only. The only other gripe I have is that the start/stop button is easy to press by accident if you wear it on your left arm during strength training - if you do any exercises where your wrist is fully extended, you can hit the start/stop by accident. So I make sure it’s on my right arm for those workouts. I mostly bought mine because I got it for $50 and wanted the foot pod for my Forerunner 305.
The speed/cadence is accurate, and I found the footpod to be very accurate if you calibrate it for each pair of shoes you use. It is a pain to switch from bike to run, too many presses. I also didn’t like only having 2 lines of data displayed at a time. I got rid of mine and bought the new FR60 which I like much better.
To get it to pick up HR after the swim you’d need to hit the mode button to take it out of “Train” mode, then go back. This starts the scan for equipment over again and it would pick up your HR transmitter. I think four presses of the mode button takes you out of Train mode and then back. Probably could do it very quickly after you practiced it a few times.
Same as above, I’d just get on the bike, then press the mode button 4 times and it would re-scan and find the HR monitor and the speed/cadence sensor.
Works the same as any other wireless bike computer; you shouldn’t have any problems there.
To pick up the foot pod in T2 you’ll need to do the four presses of the mode button one more time. The foot pod is pretty accurate as long as you calibrate it.
I use SportTracks, which I think is great software.
After saying all that I have to admit I don’t race with the Forerunner 50. My HED3C wheels aren’t real friendly for mounting the sensor magnet. I wear it for swim workouts and strength workouts only. The only other gripe I have is that the start/stop button is easy to press by accident if you wear it on your left arm during strength training - if you do any exercises where your wrist is fully extended, you can hit the start/stop by accident. So I make sure it’s on my right arm for those workouts. I mostly bought mine because I got it for $50 and wanted the foot pod for my Forerunner 305.
Thanks for the detailed response. Does the stopwatch function continue to operate while pressing the mode button 4 times or does it reset?
The speed/cadence is accurate, and I found the footpod to be very accurate if you calibrate it for each pair of shoes you use. It is a pain to switch from bike to run, too many presses. I also didn’t like only having 2 lines of data displayed at a time. I got rid of mine and bought the new FR60 which I like much better.
Does the FR60 do everything as the 50? Waterproof, HR, run pace/distance, bike speed/cadence, etc? Thanks.
The speed/cadence is accurate, and I found the footpod to be very accurate if you calibrate it for each pair of shoes you use. It is a pain to switch from bike to run, too many presses. I also didn’t like only having 2 lines of data displayed at a time. I got rid of mine and bought the new FR60 which I like much better.
Can’t swim with the FR60…correct?
You can swim with it, and it does everything the 50 does & more. It’s more similar to the 305, except it doesn’t have GPS, uses footpod/speed-cadence sensors instead. More customisable display, auto-pause, 3 lines instead of 2, mode switch is easier.
“The only other gripe I have is that the start/stop button is easy to press by accident…” Incredibly frustrating, this has happened to me in training and racing. For this reason alone, it’s virtully worthless.