Garmin is kicking off a How To series for the Edge 705 bike GPS and Computer. Sure they are basic, but that's the point. Think of it as the video based version of the fold out Quick Guide that comes in the box anyway with these things. I reviewed the Garmin Edge 705 a year ago just before the Tour de France and liked it a lot. If I could justify the price for yet another GPS in this household, I would have snapped it up in an instant. Watch this video and it will offer up related videos that teach about HRM and starting up the Edge for a ride.
If you aren't following the Tour this year, you should. It should be exciting with the return of Lance, and a very competitive Team Garmin/Slipstream with their impressive depth of riders.
Early Reader Feedback on the Forerunner 405CX - "Loving my new toy"
Thanks to reader Brie for leaving this comment about her new Forerunner 405CX. Looks like it's time to hit the road, get out and run. Thanks Brie for dropping by GPSLodge.
"Just got the 405cx yesterday and just to let everyone know...it's awesome! I'm a small woman and the included small size velcro wrist strap is perfect and makes this bulky watch incredibly comfy! My husband immediately put his Polar 625x back in the box and ordered a 405cx to match! How cool is it to have a GPS on your wrist? One down side I found out was that the new 405cx won't be able to upload to Garmin Connect till about late May but that's what you get for buying right out of the shoot - the desktop software works great so I don't know if I'll even use the Garmin Connect web software but FYI.
I don't think there is really that much difference between the 405 and the 405cx but I'd have paid the extra $20 for the new wrist straps anyway and I like blue. I do kind of miss how my Nike+ used to over-estimate my calories burned...oh well, one less yogurt per day won't kill me I guess :) I am having too much fun creating all kinds of interval/time/HR runs and now I can't wait to just go run them!
I bought this after my half marathon last weekend because my husband is a huge believer in knowing your heart rate at all times and he is convinced I'm going to drop dead if I don't know mine. I never cared before but now I'm a total data hound. It only took two days and now I'm trying to figure out exactly how many ounces of sweat I lose per mile. Progress?? Perhaps. Anyway, loving my new toy - we're getting along just fine now that I have watched every video on youtube about how to program and run it - critical since it doesn't come with an instruction book that tells anything but how to charge it."
Garmin Forerunner 405CX - New Calorie Counting Fitness GPS
Garmin announced the new Forerunner 405CX also today as a top of the line intelligent fitness device that uses a complex algorithm to help you accurately count calories burned while working out. The unit not only features the same great, attractive GPS-based capabilities, but also a new calorie counting feature that uses an algorithm that detects changes in your heart rate during aerobic activity to better calculate the end result. The Forerunner 405CX still keeps the thin profile and a touch bezel to control the system that is so popular with the very watch-like high tech device.
The Forerunner 405CX should be available tis summer, and will be on display at the Boston Marathon in a couple of weeks.
Garmin Forerunner 405 with ANT+ is now Mac Compatible
The Garmin Forerunner with ANT+ is now Mac Compatible. The ANT+ plug in is now available for the Mac, making the power of easy sync'ing and workout management easier for the Mac crowd. You can just cruise over to the Garmin website to sign-up for your free account download the plug-in. The Forerunner 405, with its touch sensitive bezel and its wireless HRM data connection is a powerful and pretty cool workout management tool. With 35 data fields to view, the Forerunner 405 is packed with information for all of the data hounds, but is easy to use at the same time.
Garmin is continuing to invest in the sports and fitness segment with the launch of the Garmin FR60 sportwatch (read: No GPS in there) that ups the ante from the Garmin Forerunner 50 watch that first brought the Garmin name to an entry level sports watch product. Fashioned after the Garmin Forerunner 405, the new FR60 has a sleek body, and is packed with some features that will allow it to compete well in the sports watch category.
Two versions will be offered: The Black FR60 sportwatch will come with a heart rate monitor (HRM), and footpod (The men's version in red and the woman's version in lilac include just the HRM), which offers a wireless connection to monitor the number of paces you have taken in your workout. The HRM is of course wireless too. The beauty of the unit is that the wireless capabilities run over Garmin's proprietary ANT+ system that offers short range low power consumption communication. They are including the ANT+ Stick that is a USB dongle/stick thing that you plug into your computer and when you want, you can wirelessly sync the Garmin FR60.
The Garmin FR60 in Black - with footpod and Heart rate Monitor will list for $199, while the Red or Lilac versions - with the heart rate monitor only will retail for $129. The Garmin FR60 will be available this spring.
Jake from Garmin has the bead on getting your new Forerunner 405 to help you with your new year resolutions and goals. Goals are an apparently easy way to lay out some milestones and measure your way to getting there.
Team Garmin has had a pretty good year, and on November 22nd in Boulder CO, you could meet the new Team Garmin and enjoy a bit of the festivities that will come along with the event. One cool thing is that you will have a chance to win a Felt F1 bike - the team racing bike, including all of the extras that come along with a racing bike of this caliber, minus the chase vehicle and of course the team manager who will change a flat for you on the ride.
More at Garmin Blog where there is news and links to interviews from members of the team and their reaction to the Tour de France 2009 route.
RunKeeper for iPhone - Fitness Tracking Using iPhone's GPS
I came across this cool little application the other day on the iTunes store and thought I would pass it along. The RunKeeper
application uses the iPhone's built in GPS tracking to record your fitness outings; runs, bike rides, hikes, etc. to measure performance. The simple interface is easy to use and grabs some nice stats; total distance, pace, time as well as showing you your speed performance in a bar graph to easily understand how you are doing. Another nice feature is that you can pause your run in the middle if you need to stop mid-workout for a phone call, stop light, or to tie a shoe. Of course since it's the iPhone, you can listen to your iTunes music as you go too.
Runs can be saved in the iPhone, but are also uploaded to the RunKeeper website, where you can log in and see your run superimposed over a Google Map. The image below is an example of the current capabilities. According to the RunKeeper website, future releases may include the ability to superimpose the run on the Google Maps right on your phone.
RunKeeper:
is available for $9.99 at the iTunes Apps Store
Team Garmin & Special Edge 705 for the Tour de France
Not only did all of the riders in this year's Tour de France on Team Garmin Chipotle get an Edge 705, but they used them to their advantage by specially programing them with key information. According to Bike Radar, the team pre-programed the units with key sprint locations, feed zones and King of the Mountain locations. Pretty cool stuff.
Garmin Garage - New Garmin Icons for Tour de France
The Tour de France kicks off tomorrow and Garmin is there with their newly sponsored biking team; Team Garmin. Garmin co-sponsors the team with Chipotle the burrito kings of franchisedom. Well, sure enough, just in case you can't bike up the Alp d'Huez yourself, you can download these icons for your Garmin GPS and pretend that you are ahead of the peleton. If you are more of the Race to lunch type, you can also download that burrito and slap it on the screen.
The Garmin Edge 705 is a great little Bike computer/GPS unit that brings data capture to a new level. With the ability to capture not only bike computer information, but to combine it with location specifics, wrapping in the wireless data capture of a heart rate monitor and a cadence meter, the Edge 705 rocks. By GPS standards, the unit is small, maybe not small in the bike computer world, but unless you are climbing the Alp d'Huez during July, you won't notice the added weight. The Garmin Cycling Team must think they are great - the Tour de France starts Saturday for them - Good Luck!
The Edge series has been around for a couple of years, but the Edge 605/705 series made two huge leaps in capability. The Edge 605/705 now offers mapping and in my mind this was a big disadvantage of the original 205/305; something that is worth paying up for in the 605/705. I think it makes all the difference. The Edge is also now in color, which as a veteran of the original Garmin eTrex monochrome days, I can say that without a doubt, the change makes a huge difference in the readability of the screen. It makes a difference on the trail with an eTrex and makes a difference on the road with a color Edge.
Finally, the Edge 705 offers wireless sharing; an innovative feature that I think is a total luxury, and one that I have been wanting for a long time across a lot of Garmin models. When you are hiking or biking, being able to show up and immediately share what the route plan is with everybody there is a huge deal. In this case though it means that you need a lot of like-minded friends who also see the value of dropping a few hundred bucks on a GPS enabled bike computer. For those of us here at GPS Lodge, we think it's totally justified.
Team Slipstream is now Team Garmin; the name change happening and announced as they are making plans for the Tour de Tours. The sponsorship and backing by the fitness GPS manufacturer has stepped up and is going big time to the biggest biking event in the world.
The Edge 705 will be used during the race, and hopefully we will get some insight into their performance as they might just upload some of the data online during the race, giving a little insight into what it's like to be in such great shape and to ride such a grueling race.
The Edge 705 represents several breakthroughs in cycling technology, including power compatibility, wireless unit-to-unit connectivity and the ability to monitor GPS position, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude and gradient on the same display. And Team Garmin will be able to share data - including saved rides, waypoints and workouts -through ANT+Sport™ wireless technology.
I like the Garmin Edge 705 that I have in for review right now, and it appears that I am not alone. Wired Mag has a review up of the Edge 705 calling it the Holy Grail for cycling enthusiasts, and for good reason. The thing grabs a signal, dumps a ton of information your way, tells you where to go and when you are done, allows you to analyze the data collected from the heart rate monitor, the cadence sensor and if you are really into it, you can get power readouts if you add a compatible powermeter. The sensors are all wireless and the edge is smaller than a deck of cards.
REI has a pretty big sale every year, and if you're already a member, you might just want to swing by to grab a Garmin Forerunner. These are the best prices I have seen on these items. Sale is from May 2 - 11.
The Forerunner 205 grabs satellites and allows you to train with the benefits of gathering a whole lot of data including where you have been, pace, time, etc. The data syncs back to your computer through Garmin's Training Center where you can track your data. The Forerunner 305 adds a wireless heart rate monitor. See the Garmin website for more on the Forerunner.
Also, if you are buying something at full price that's not already on sale, you can use this code May 2-11, and it's good for one item per REI Membership. Not a member? It's only $20 for a lifetime membership; what the heck?
Garmin Edge 705 - How To Video Series
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