Recommend a sports watch for triathlon training?

joeKel73

I did my first triathlons last year and upping my training this year now and have signed up for a few over the summer. I love my GPS logging and data visualisation/analysis.

For cycling I've been using my phone (Samsung Galaxy S3).
For running I've been using a Lidl GPS computer (light, small but awkward to transfer and crop).
And I've been using nothing for swimming.

So I'm considering getting a sports watch that will be waterproof and suitable for all three. I don't want to spend a fortune though so preferably under €100 and I'm happy to go with second-hand.

Can you recommend any cheap but reliable and accurate models?

I was looking at some used Garmin Forerunner 410s on eBay...?

sconhome

To be honest unless you can pick up a Garmin FR310xt second hand you won't get a GPS watch that will do all three sports and even at that the swim functions are non-existent in that watch.

crx===

Sunnto Ambit2 expensive but very good. You get what you pay for.

http://www.suunto.com/products/?sports[]=7005&page=0

Review here.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/04/suunto-ambit2-review.html

Hope this helps.

mossym

AKW wrote: »

To be honest unless you can pick up a Garmin FR310xt second hand you won't get a GPS watch that will do all three sports and even at that the swim functions are non-existent in that watch.

ah go on, tell him what you really think he should buy.

68 lost souls

Amazon have the 310XT halfprice at the moment http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Forerunner-310XT-Sports-Monitor/dp/B0025VKUPM

sconhome

mossym wrote: »

ah go on, tell him what you really think he should buy.

Don't you know it!!

But a budget is a budget and the watches at the cheap end of the GPS market (New) are ungainly (Soleus, Timex, Lidl....) awkward things to work with and extract data from.

J o e I started with a simple HRM and MapMyRun like so many around here (maybe not the HRM) and went from there. Unless you really really want GPS you are very limited with your budget.

Much as I dislike online discounters that price for the 310xt is excellent value and should give you years of service at least until something new and shiny and tempting comes on the market

Doeshedare

Seems as if delivery to ROI is restricted

68 lost souls

AKW I totally agree, I worked in retail heavily effected by online discounters for 5 years and especially from your position I understand them but it is a great price on sale, naturally I would suggest going to you for it but the budget must.

Doeshedare you can porbably use ParcelMotel to get around the delivery. http://www.parcelmotel.com/

I used it this week for some 3d printer filament no hassle. If it weren't for the fact that I just bought 4 new tyres for the car and Im off training for a few weeks I would be ordering one myself.

Doeshedare

Thanks - using the Parcel Motel NI address seems to have worked. I always feel a little dirty buying locally available stuff this way. I did buy my runners at AK (Ballymount) tho I swear and I promise to get my tri shorts locally too.

sconhome

68 lost souls wrote: »

AKW I totally agree, I worked in retail heavily effected by online discounters for 5 years and especially from your position I understand them but it is a great price on sale, naturally I would suggest going to you for it but the budget must.

Doeshedare wrote: »

I always feel a little dirty buying locally available stuff this way.

Appreciate the sentiments but don't beat yourself up.

A bargain is a bargain and at that price for the 310xt J o e should be all over it to be honest. There is no B&M store that could come within an asses roar of buying in at that price either.

tunney

mossym wrote: »

ah go on, tell him what you really think he should buy.

Hasn't that already slipped release date now?

mossym

tunney wrote: »

Hasn't that already slipped release date now?

i think that's only so they can correct the aquatic animal deterrent feature.

sconhome

tunney wrote: »

Hasn't that already slipped release date now?

mossym wrote: »

i think that's only so they can correct the aquatic animal deterrent feature.

For some reason I'm reminded of this pair of comedians :rolleyes:

joeKel73

Thanks for the suggestions so far. The Garmin FR310xt looks absolutely huge, I was hoping for something a bit more compact.

I've since seen blogs/posts where people have put water resistant running/cycling watches into their swim hats with good results. I don't require advanced swimming features but would like to be able to map out swims in the sea. Anyone here doing that?

sconhome

J o e wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions so far. The Garmin FR310xt looks absolutely huge, I was hoping for something a bit more compact.

I've since seen blogs/posts where people have put water resistant running/cycling watches into their swim hats with good results. I don't require advanced swimming features but would like to be able to map out swims in the sea. Anyone here doing that?

All current GPS watches are that size to be fair. Only other option is to go with separated watch and pod but that is a whole other discussion and budget blower too.

Cheapest option would be Polar (there I mentioned it!) RS200 with a G1 pod, but the pod is fugly & massive. There is always a risk element of losing the pod / watch if the hat splits of comes off in the water.

Oryx

J o e wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions so far. The Garmin FR310xt looks absolutely huge, I was hoping for something a bit more compact.

I've since seen blogs/posts where people have put water resistant running/cycling watches into their swim hats with good results. I don't require advanced swimming features but would like to be able to map out swims in the sea. Anyone here doing that?

I've heard of that too, but didn't try it when I had a garmin 405. (Do not buy a 405. In fact, don't take one if it is given away)

I have a 910xt which is above your budget, but while it doesn't seem much smaller than the 310, fits grand without a problem.

mossym

the 410 you mentioned is primarily a running watch, can be used for cycling, but i wouldn't bring it anywhere near the water. not water resistant.

unfortunately, most of the ones that cover all 3 sports are aimed at triathletes unsurprisingly, and they tend to like lots of info, hence they have big screens.

catweazle

J o e wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions so far. The Garmin FR310xt looks absolutely huge, I was hoping for something a bit more compact.

I've since seen blogs/posts where people have put water resistant running/cycling watches into their swim hats with good results. I don't require advanced swimming features but would like to be able to map out swims in the sea. Anyone here doing that?

Turn off the follow roads feature in mapmyrun and map it out over the water in satellite view, my route in Annaghdown turned out to be quite accurate when I stuck the Garmin in the hat to double check it

The 305 you will pick up one second hand for less than a 100 and i have heard its ok to have out in the water

Seanie_H

crx=== wrote: »

Sunnto Ambit2 expensive but very good. You get what you pay for.

http://www.suunto.com/products/?sports[]=7005&page=0

Review here.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/04/suunto-ambit2-review.html

Hope this helps.

I have an Ambit 2 and I love it.

I was a Garmin Forerunner fan before trying the 910. My local pool is 16 metres but the 910 doesn't do indoor swimming under 20 m. Swapped it for the Ambit 2 and am delighted with it.

The Garmin Fenix looks good but like the Ambit, they're a small fortune and difficult/impossible to justify.

Dilbert75

Got the 310xt a few weeks ago from Amazon and got the quick release kit too - so I have a base on my watch strap- one on the bike and I could put another on the back of my goggles strap. Just a quick release between each sport. Haven't tried it swimming yet but happy with it otherwise.

tech232

I have a Fenix 2 for about a month now and so far the best watch for me and I've had my share , 910xt , Ambit etc
For Tri it's missing a QR but not something I needed as I have a Garmin on my bike .

joeKel73

Thanks all for the advice.

Out of interest I put my Lidl GPS computer into an underwater camera housing yesterday and tethered it to the back of my wetsuit. It did surprisingly well in the water;



But admittedly it gave me a few knocks in the back of the head in the rough water! :rolleyes:

So after a lot of deliberation I decided to take the plunge and go for a 310XT. It's more than I had planned spending but the Amazon deal does look like great value. A deciding factor is my Lidl GPS computer wouldn't have stayed alive for some of the longer cycles like the Ring of Kerry which I have coming up.

68 lost souls wrote: »

Amazon have the 310XT halfprice at the moment http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Forerunner-310XT-Sports-Monitor/dp/B0025VKUPM