Smart watch help

troyzer

Hi all,

Starting to get serious about my road bike now.

I got an a Trek Domane Al-4 before Christmas on the bike to work scheme. Which rapidly turned into bike to shed scheme. But now I'm unemployed and it's sunny out so it's turned into bike to interview scheme.

I'm enjoying it despite still being far too heavy to get any serious distance, I struggle for more than a few kms.

Anyway, I'm looking at getting one of the Bontrager sensors and pairing it with a smart watch/activity tracker. I've been looking at getting a smart watch for a while anyway for the gym. I didn't know it could also double up as a cycling computer which is why I'm more keen on getting it.

So I'm looking for something which can pair with the Bontrager with no fuss, give me some really good cycling data but is also excellent for swimming, lifting, rowing etc. I don't run so I can skimp there.

Anyone have any ideas?

So far I'm looking at the Garmin vivoactive 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Active.

strmin

I have TomTom Spark 3. Basic, heart rate monitor is way off but GPS is good. Accurate distance and speed recording.

Bought Garmin vivoactive 3 for my missus. Better heart rate sensor, more features and looks fancier, but last ride we did together, my watch recorded 71km (correct) and Garmin vivoactive 3 only 44km. Must have lost GPS signal.

Anyway, depending on how much cycling you are planning to do, I would recommend cycling specific computer.

Macy0161

Garmin 735xt is on offer quite frequently now, if you want what Garmin consider a proper multisport watch. Actually the 935xt is probably around reduced too, since Garmin launched the 945xt. It really depends on budget. The 935xt would have the quick release kit so you could use on a garmin mount for the bike. I don't think the 735 has the quick release kit.

Can't vouch for any of them, but have been happy enough with my 920xt that I've struggled to justify the upgrade which is really just for optical heart rate for me, especially as I have a bike computer now as well.

ED E

On the bike GPS is what matters. The sensors are 10%, GPS 90%, unless you spend a chunk of change on a power meter.


On a watch GPS use hammers battery. Some do better than others but a 3day watch on bluetooth mode is a 0.5 day watch on BT+GPS.



As somebody who's been on the smartwatch train since the first gen (Moto 360) i'd really recommend discrete units. Wahoo for the bike, Android Wear for the wrist (forget Tizen).

Macy0161

ED E wrote: »

On a watch GPS use hammers battery. Some do better than others but a 3day watch on bluetooth mode is a 0.5 day watch on BT+GPS.

I still get a week out of my 920xt, with sometimes 3 runs (so 3 hours hrm and GPS), and a few walks of an hour plus (HRM/GPS), plus bluetooth connection always on? They must have seriously got worse, given the age (model and in my use) of my watch, unless optical heart rate really adds to battery drain?

cletus

I have a vivoactive 3, it replaced an old forerunner 110. Love the watch, especially for running. I have used it to record cycles as well, and downloaded an app for it called DW Maps, which allows for basic turn by turn navigation.

My only issue with the watch and cycling, especially for the map, is that it's on your wrist. I'd much prefer something mounted to the handlebars.

I'm trying to decide between buying a the handlebar mount for the watch (in which case you lose any heart rate info), or buying (second hand) a dedicated unit like the Edge 520. I don't really care about power output all that much, but I like to monitor my time and distance, and I'd really like to have turn by turn navigation.

I suppose what all of my rambling amounts to is, if you don't intend to use the smart watch for any activity other that cycling, it might be worthwhile looking into bike specific computers

ED E

Macy0161 wrote: »

I still get a week out of my 920xt, with sometimes 3 runs (so 3 hours hrm and GPS), and a few walks of an hour plus (HRM/GPS), plus bluetooth connection always on? They must have seriously got worse, given the age (model and in my use) of my watch, unless optical heart rate really adds to battery drain?

Ok I was behind on my reading, with 1Hz tracking DCR gives it 24hrs which is rather good. Take back what I said.

troyzer

Cheers for the info so far.

Let me just clarify the order of importance to me:

1) General activity tracker. Lifting and swimming is my primary exercise. Tracking these properly including calories, heart rate, VO2 max etc is very important. As I said before, I don't do any running. So I don't need any running functionality.

2) Cycling. Like I said, I'm doing well to get more than a few kms at the moment. I can't justify a dedicated computer yet, maybe eventually. So for now I just want something accurate that can hook up to the Bontrager and give me some basic stats: speed, cadence etc. I'm not bothered with power output or anything like that, I'm not training for competitions. Nor do I care too much about map functionality or anything like that. Just stats.

3) Smart watch. Don't really care about this. Getting texts etc on the watch isn't important to me but handy enough.

Macy0161

You won't get swimming heart rate from optical as far as I'm aware. Garmin have a swim hrm, which I assume works with any of their xt models, as it works with my 920xt.

Fwiw, calories from swimming with and without hrm tracked pretty closely. However, the 920xt only calculated calories for drills with the hrm.

ED E

The calorie estimates are pretty meaningless from all vendors. Wouldnt bother with them.



You won't need to "hook up" your watch to your bike, from you wrist it'll provide HR and D/S/T. All you'll miss is cadence which for low mileage non serious cycling is no real loss at all.

Macy0161

ED E wrote: »

The calorie estimates are pretty meaningless from all vendors. Wouldnt bother with them.

My n=1 is that (with HRM) the Garmin estimates worked when I was losing weight - between diet and exercise, I lost weight as expected. Depends on having fairly accurate zones set, so not just 220-age. Without hrm, I'd agree.

Cionn

I have the vivioactive 3 great watch and I use it for heart rate while I cycle. There is no reason you can't pair a heart rate chest strap when the watch is on a bike mount. I am going to move from mine soon as I want to get a forerunner, I am doing more running than biking these days. Battery life on the V3 Amazing, and it charges really fast. I had a Samsung watch before and that was a piece of garbage.

troyzer

Cionn wrote: »

I have the vivioactive 3 great watch and I use it for heart rate while I cycle. There is no reason you can't pair a heart rate chest strap when the watch is on a bike mount. I am going to move from mine soon as I want to get a forerunner, I am doing more running than biking these days. Battery life on the V3 Amazing, and it charges really fast. I had a Samsung watch before and that was a piece of garbage.

I'm leaning very heavily towards the Garmin at the moment.

Does it definitely work with the Bontrager?

RHJ

If you are getting a Garmin watch, I'd recommend the 245 or 645 (if you want garmin pay) I had a Vivoactive 3, and although it was good, I found the touchscreen hard to use outside especially during the rain in my opinion on a sport watch buttons, are essential.

As for sensors, I can't speak for Bontrager, but I can say I've had no issues with connecting to my Polar chest strap or Stryd footpood.