Garmin Vector 3 Accuracy

Tibulus

Invested in a 3s earlier in the when I started using in drove my training peaks account crazy. Every easy hour cycle was a new power record. The accuracy was so out that it could not be conceived as correct. 

I do a lot of my turbo on a wattbike, so I have a good idea where I am power wise. So I know I cant hold 450 watts for 60min in Z2 which were the results from the s3. 

Garmin support were terrible. Tried every delay tactic. Which I was surprised with, when I had a head unit issue before they were excellent. 

Eventually the shop changed them for me. 

For the past few weeks I had been happy with the replacements, the results were reasonably close to what I would expect. At the weekend done a lactate test with coach and discovered that the s3 is 30% out on his power meter. This is well outside the design limits of the 3s. 

Has anyone else have similar issues?

Chumpski

Tibulus wrote: »

Invested in a 3s earlier in the when I started using in drove my training peaks account crazy. Every easy hour cycle was a new power record. The accuracy was so out that it could not be conceived as correct. 

I do a lot of my turbo on a wattbike, so I have a good idea where I am power wise. So I know I cant hold 450 watts for 60min in Z2 which were the results from the s3. 

Garmin support were terrible. Tried every delay tactic. Which I was surprised with, when I had a head unit issue before they were excellent. 

Eventually the shop changed them for me. 

For the past few weeks I had been happy with the replacements, the results were reasonably close to what I would expect. At the weekend done a lactate test with coach and discovered that the s3 is 30% out on his power meter. This is well outside the design limits of the 3s. 

Has anyone else have similar issues?

The Vector 3 have had a lot of issues, I think us early adaptors got screwed.

Mine had constant power dropouts and crazy spikes, It turned out the batteries were not making contact properly with the spring contact,

Putting some cardboard under that spring in both pedals fixed it for me but not impressed at all having spent the money I did on them.

Do yourselves a favor and buy any other pedal power meters.

ED E

Considering people regularly report being on their fourth or fifth Garmin computer I'm not sure why anyone would hand over so much dosh for any of their cycling products, especially in a space with lots of competition.

Quigs Snr

Pedal Powermeters. Just say no.

For everyone who has no issues, there are two people who have.

Just get yourself a power2max ngEco or older type S and forget about it.. great service too.. a buddy destroyed one by overtorguing a battery cover to the point that he split the whole electronics casing.. they replaced the unit at a crash repair price of 290 as it was out of warranty. I have a few of them at home.

Macy0161

Not very swappable though. I looked into the power2max and powerbox, and my head ended up melted (as only know the basics of mechanics) trying to work out what I needed and needed to do to convert from Shimano BB and Cranks.

fat bloke

Macy0161 wrote: »

Not very swappable though. I looked into the power2max and powerbox, and my head ended up melted (as only know the basics of mechanics) trying to work out what I needed and needed to do to convert from Shimano BB and Cranks.

They still haven't sorted that out? I'm the same. Go to the site, try to buy, walk away scratching my head.

We've two, three-year-old sets of vector2's in the house that have been uneventfully reliable and dependable.

I wouldn't call them swappable though, not unless you're in very good form and have plenty of time.

Quigs Snr

Id swap a crank based powermeter easier and quicker than a set of vector 2s for sure. Large bike collection.. have powermeters on 7 of them... various types...gave up on anything that's not crank based some time ago.

nordicb

I was on the waiting list to get vector 3's, but changed my mind and got powertap P1's pedals, glad I did (sort of). I read often Garmin releases too many raw products, which made me cautious about buying anything new from Garmin, unless that product has been on the market for a good while.

Generally speaking, I think that pedal meters are probably not the best option, because (mind you this is my personal experience):
- I think they change the way you pedal for worse - hard to explain why, but I find myself mashing pedals to get the power targets.
- You are limited with pedal system choice, I like Shimano system.
- Stack height, vector's are good here, but P1's are terrible.
- Power transfer - I could be wrong, but during high power outputs I don't feel power going to the wheels as if there is some sponginess in the system. Swap pedals and voila. Maybe pedal axle is made to bend under load so the strain gauge can do it's job? Don't know...

As someone mentioned, if I had a choice now, I would get crank or hub meter now.

godtabh

nordicb wrote: »

I was on the waiting list to get vector 3's, but changed my mind and got powertap P1's pedals, glad I did (sort of). I read often Garmin releases too many raw products, which made me cautious about buying anything new from Garmin, unless that product has been on the market for a good while.

Generally speaking, I think that pedal meters are probably not the best option, because (mind you this is my personal experience):
- I think they change the way you pedal for worse - hard to explain why, but I find myself mashing pedals to get the power targets.
- You are limited with pedal system choice, I like Shimano system.
- Stack height, vector's are good here, but P1's are terrible.
- Power transfer - I could be wrong, but during high power outputs I don't feel power going to the wheels as if there is some sponginess in the system. Swap pedals and voila. Maybe pedal axle is made to bend under load so the strain gauge can do it's job? Don't know...

As someone mentioned, if I had a choice now, I would get crank or hub meter now.

If you use the dual sided versions you can check out pedal smoothness etc. Just need to train yourself for good pedal stroke technique.

I've the FSA powerbox. I'd swap that quicker than I'd swap most other things.

Quigs Snr

godtabh wrote: »

If you use the dual sided versions you can check out pedal smoothness etc. Just need to train yourself for good pedal stroke technique.

I've the FSA powerbox. I'd swap that quicker than I'd swap most other things.

And the FSA Powerbox is a rebranded Power2Max Ng Eco. Considering one myself for a cheap option for a training bike.. any issues with it ?

Macy0161

fat bloke wrote: »

They still haven't sorted that out? I'm the same. Go to the site, try to buy, walk away scratching my head.

Pretty much. It was for a newish bike, so apart from being clear as mud, I could at least work out it was going to be a new BB and new crankset replacing a new bb and crankset (albeit I could probably recoup some by selling).

The other bike I wanted to swap a power meter with, I've probably done enough km that I'd be less concerned about that, but to be able to swap it's still new bb, and then I'd really want a compatible none power meter crank set as well, so it was rideable. Costs kept adding up for the "cheap" option to the degree I think it was getting close to a shimano compatible option iirc. If/ when I need a new crankset/ BB, I'll probably think about it again as the single sided I went with could stay on the other bike.

I went crank based single sided, and I'll suck up the limitations of doubling one side, even if I'd prefer total or dual sided. I can swap it quick enough, but I am a bit concerned about rounding the bolts (more user error potential), so I haven't been doing it too often yet.