GPS Watches

Noplacelikeloam 4/25/2022 3:08pm
4/25/2022 3:08pm Edited Date/Time 4/25/2022 3:10pm
I had the Fenix 6 for a while and now have Epix 2. I have previously had Whoop, Apple, Polar. So it depends on what you want to do with it? Are you serious about training or want to really keep tabs on your activities and geek out with the data? Garmin would work well. Its accurate, adaptable and doesnt dumb it all down, doesnt require 10 apps to try and sync together. And the battery lasts! But if you just want a fancy watch, its completely overkill and expensive.

Personally I found Whoop to be completely inaccurate as did many others and too generic to be useful in training alone. Apple was well Apple, flawless at everything but more of a smart watch than an outdoor watch. And Polar just didnt have the level of functionality I wanted. Is the Epix 2 worth it? For me, yes. Its a compromise between a Fenix and an Apple Watch and it looks beautiful.

GPS accuracy is also second to none and makes the Apple watch hard to live with when you go back and forth.
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pinkrobe
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pinkrobe 4/25/2022 4:45pm
4/25/2022 4:45pm
I got the Garmin Forerunner 945 a few years ago, as it had the same functionality as the top end Fenix at the time (i.e. power, BT, music, messaging, O2 sat), but at a reduced weight. I have narrow, spindly wrists, and heavy watches tend to rattle around unless I cinch them crazy tight. Regardless, the 945 does everything, has killer battery life and the firmware updates seem to have stabilized. The only thing that would be nice to have is solar charging, but I can live without it.
brash
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brash 4/25/2022 5:01pm
4/25/2022 5:01pm
freebiker wrote:
Isn’t the watch going bye bye cause cell phones have all the same technology?
skymanatee wrote:
Eh I used to do that. It was fine when my phone was small. New phones are big and expensive. Also, if you are a strava...
Eh I used to do that. It was fine when my phone was small. New phones are big and expensive.

Also, if you are a strava racer (unfortunately, like myself) dedicated units are supposed to be better. They sample GPS at a constant rate whereas, *from what I have read on the internet*, strava tries to use your accelerometer and velocity to determine when it needs to sample your location because it could tell you changed direction.
Other way round I find. I've done a few test to see if my iphone or garmin watch was "faster" so to speak for segments, the iphone usually had a faster time by a second or two.

For some reason the altitude measurement for the phone is also way more generous, you get 10% free vertical meters you probably didn't do lol.

I record my rides with my watch for the heart rate recording mostly, but I'll still bring my phone because I seem to crash a lot! Few times the wife has had to pick my broken body/bike up from somewhere Sad
tkl.tango 4/25/2022 5:03pm
4/25/2022 5:03pm
Amazfit T-Rex 🦖, rugged great battery life (1wk)compared to pricey smart watch, well priced. Performs well enough with multi sports function. Hands down for 1st timer!
tkl.tango 4/25/2022 5:04pm
4/25/2022 5:04pm
Primoz wrote:
I started off with a Xiaomi/Amazfit Stratos 2. It was fine, but then I wished for something maybe more sport oriented. I went with the Garmin...
I started off with a Xiaomi/Amazfit Stratos 2. It was fine, but then I wished for something maybe more sport oriented. I went with the Garmin Instinct Solar, which was a great watch, except that the barometer simply did not work. Apparently the issue is the fact that the port is on the underside, where it gets covered by the skin... Instinct 2 solves this.

I'm not running a Coros Apex 46 mm.

Preface, I wanted to offload GPS tracking duties from my phone for battery reasons (and for accuracy, running the phone in the pocket under my thigh didn't give a good GPS reception). Once I got the Stratos, I started using it for notifications as well with my phone on silent/vibrate 24/7 for the past few years. Plus the 247/ HR monitoring and sleep tracking.

The Stratos, as mentioned, was fine, but at the end the battery died on me (I left it on the charger for a few weeks when COVID started off and I was working from home, my bad) and I did wish it had more battery life.

Other than the mentioned barometer issues, the Instinct was great, no touchscreen, black and white screen, good battery life (~2 weeks of notifications and daily HR monitoring with 0 activities, charged it once on Madeira when I did Trans Madeira, consisting of all the travel and 5 full-day bike days), button interface, etc. But the barometer not working (and I mean _NOT_ _WORKING_ for me) brought me over the edge.

Took the plunge with the Coros and I'm really happy. For 350-ish € you get a sapphire screen, Ti bezel (and back) and a plastic casing (very little of it showing), a button interface and, no activities, about 18 days of battery life (half of the battery was eaten up by the backlight last time I checked the stats while not having any activities on it). The tracking appears to be good on it, it shows notifications, has a timer so I know when to pull out the tea bag, etc. And it's quite slim, which fits my noodly arms/wrists nicely.
The best 'review' for it would be that I don't notice it, it just works. Same goes for the Instinct bar the barometer issue.

App wise (checking the 24/7, sleep and activity data, though for the latter I use Strava...) the Coros is the worst, has the least details in the data and is the most clunky. Garmin's was nice, but it did not connect to Google Fit, but Coros' app doesn't as well - Xiaomi's/Amazfit's is the only one that did. App wise it was also OK, easy to use, can't say much over it.

Try amazfir T-Rex
mtbschrader
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mtbschrader 4/25/2022 6:32pm
4/25/2022 6:32pm
Falcon wrote:
^ Nic, can you run the watch by itself, without a phone paired to it? (Or with a paired phone left in the car, for instance?)
I've been starting to look at these watches and want to know that as well. Hoping to leave phone in car/home plus no bike computer. Just ride or run with watch only.
Primoz
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Primoz 4/25/2022 10:04pm
4/25/2022 10:04pm
freebiker wrote:
Isn’t the watch going bye bye cause cell phones have all the same technology?
The watch as a time keeping piece. It's not going bye-bye, it's gone.

The watch as a fitness tracker? Stronger than ever and likely getting stronger. Plus it's an accessory to the phone. Casual active people will likely keep using their phones, but I guess they quickly get on the GPS tracker bandwagon once they get serious with the sport they chose.
Primoz
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Primoz 4/25/2022 10:09pm
4/25/2022 10:09pm
Falcon wrote:
^ Nic, can you run the watch by itself, without a phone paired to it? (Or with a paired phone left in the car, for instance?)
mtbschrader wrote:
I've been starting to look at these watches and want to know that as well. Hoping to leave phone in car/home plus no bike computer. Just...
I've been starting to look at these watches and want to know that as well. Hoping to leave phone in car/home plus no bike computer. Just ride or run with watch only.
Which watches require a phone to be present to work? Honestly I don't know about any, except in the case you have a watch that doesn't have a GPS and gets it from the phone. But that's true mostly for the lifestyle, fancy smartwatches, not fitness trackers.
Karabuka
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Karabuka 4/25/2022 11:37pm
4/25/2022 11:37pm
brash wrote:
Other way round I find. I've done a few test to see if my iphone or garmin watch was "faster" so to speak for segments, the...
Other way round I find. I've done a few test to see if my iphone or garmin watch was "faster" so to speak for segments, the iphone usually had a faster time by a second or two.

For some reason the altitude measurement for the phone is also way more generous, you get 10% free vertical meters you probably didn't do lol.

I record my rides with my watch for the heart rate recording mostly, but I'll still bring my phone because I seem to crash a lot! Few times the wife has had to pick my broken body/bike up from somewhere Sad
I've tested my old Samsung phone vs friends Fenix with barometric sensor a couple of times when we rode together and the phone was constantly adding 15-20% of free gained altitude. Phone calculates the heigh using GPS signal and obviously doesn't do that great, or it could be GPS chip designed that way as it is mostly used for different purpose than being a good sports tracker
Adr!@n
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Adr!@n 4/26/2022 12:52am
4/26/2022 12:52am Edited Date/Time 4/26/2022 12:57am
I have a Garmin Forerunner 45, mainly because I could pick it up for the equivalent of about $50 brand new. If/when I get a new one, I'll aim for either the Instinct (which I think looks great) or an older Fenix for the right price.

Edit: I had a Garmin with a touchscreen before and it was a horrible experience. Sleeves and water would trigger the screen and stop my activity tracking mid ride.
lkubica
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lkubica 4/26/2022 3:36am
4/26/2022 3:36am
Instinct Solar. Instinct 2 is cool, but currently twice the price of Instinct which is hard to justify, but it has payments and more training options (training effect which are missing on the v1). Battery life is a killer and works great. Note that the Solar has better sensors (GPS, Pulse and Ox). No live segments on Instinct or Instinct 2 which may be important for some. Great watch in general.
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Primoz
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Primoz 4/26/2022 7:42am
4/26/2022 7:42am
A few people have mentioned the Instinct up to this point, has nobody else had problems with the barometer (erratic height and the like)?
bizutch
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bizutch 4/26/2022 12:19pm
4/26/2022 12:19pm
Suunto 9 is on sale in the Outlet portion of their site if you don't have an ExpertVoice /USA Cycling/ IMBA membership.
Just_this_guy 4/26/2022 1:14pm
4/26/2022 1:14pm
I've been using the Amazfit T-Rex for a couple years - very reasonable price compared the big names, the battery life is pretty amazing (2-3 weeks), and I find it pretty comfortable. I have no comparison in terms of accuracy vs other watches, but overall I've been very happy with it.
lkubica
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lkubica 4/26/2022 10:45pm
4/26/2022 10:45pm Edited Date/Time 4/26/2022 10:48pm
Primoz wrote:
A few people have mentioned the Instinct up to this point, has nobody else had problems with the barometer (erratic height and the like)?
You mean altimeter. Measuring height with barometer is as accurate as often watch will autocalibrate (which means taking the GPS coordinates and finding initial altitude from some database, which would also require internet connection I guess???). Honestly, I was not paying much attention, but I know the altitude I live on and it's most often deadly accurate, sometimes like 2m off for some time and then gets back to perfect. Calibration requires GPS signal. So I assume I would always autocalibrate when using GPS during activity.


lkubica
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lkubica 4/26/2022 11:46pm
4/26/2022 11:46pm
Did some digging and for me the instinct measures altitude with accuracy of ~15m for history of my rides. I don't know if it's good or bad, I do not care really.
Primoz
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Primoz 4/27/2022 4:42am
4/27/2022 4:42am Edited Date/Time 4/27/2022 4:42am
In my case there was lag - arriving at the top, getting ready for the descent, there was a jump in altitude once I took off in the altitude vs. distance chart (time-wise it was smooth of course). On the descents, if I stopped midway through, I'd have an up to 100 m vertical jump in the alt-dist. graph because it was lagging so much. And on a local 5h ride from home to home, I arrived back home (at the same spot) 200 m higher than I took off.

There were also problems with the altitude being choppy I think.

The altimeter/barometer issues are quite well/widely known actually... A friend of mine is on his 3rd Instinct because of the issues and I sent mine back for a refund as getting a new one likely wouldn't fix it.

As I mentioned, Instinct 2 moved the barometer port to the side of the watch, supposedly that was the issue (I doubt it was the only issue in my case). And mentioning my issues to my roadie friend was met with a response along the lines of 'yeah, Garmin, everything they offer is shit'... Dunno...
amonas
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amonas 4/27/2022 12:33pm
4/27/2022 12:33pm
Amazfit stratos 3. I could not ask for more.
Verbl Kint
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Verbl Kint 5/6/2022 1:09am
5/6/2022 1:09am
I have been on an Instinct for close to 2 and a half years now. I have had a couple of big crashes on it, and after the second one, the "floors climbed" counter doesn't seem to be as accurate anymore. Everything else works fine though (GPS, altimeter, step counter, lap counter, sleep tracking, digital compass, etc).

I used to wear it daily during the first couple of years of the pandemic to track steps, floors climbed, and sleep (needed it during the lockdowns).

I like the unubiquitous Gshock-style looks particularly since it doesn't scream crossfit-bro like other fitness watches out there (e.g. my old Suunto).

I've tried other watches in the past like the aforementioned Suunto, Amazfit, Xiaomi, and Fitbit. I will probably be sticking to this Instinct until it dies on me.
amonas
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amonas 5/14/2022 3:03am
5/14/2022 3:03am
for those of us who have been around for a while, there was a time we had only our Casio watch on us. But having a GPS device made things better. We are now able to track our progress, spot new tracks, help the community...you name it. There is no point in being afraid of technology and change. Simpler times were not better times...
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5/14/2022 5:56am
Think back when you first rode a bicycle...did you ride a bike so you could “track progress” or “help” the “community”? No one did. We did it for fun. No one is afraid of technology, some of us choose to unplug it and get back to simpler times and connect with surroundings and actually have fun because they WERE better times.
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Primoz
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Primoz 5/14/2022 6:47am
5/14/2022 6:47am Edited Date/Time 5/14/2022 6:50am
The Best Skier on the Mountain wrote:
I have a no electronics policy on my body and bicycle.
Try it. It is A LOT more fun without it all.
No mobile phone to bail you out when you have a mechanical miles from home? Or if there's an emergency if you crash?

Regarding better times, those were also the times when we didn't have forums where people could preach about not using technology enabling them to participate in said forums.
tybez
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tybez 7/18/2025 7:42am
7/18/2025 7:42am Edited Date/Time 7/20/2025 4:12pm
amonas wrote:
for those of us who have been around for a while, there was a time we had only our Casio watch on us. But having a...
for those of us who have been around for a while, there was a time we had only our Casio watch on us. But having a GPS device made things better. We are now able to track our progress, spot new tracks, help the community...you name it. There is no point in being afraid of technology and change. Simpler times were not better times...

Yeah, GPS watches have changed the game for cyclists. I used to ride with just a Casio too, but now I track every ride and explore new trails with ease. Picked up my Garmin from FactoryOutletStore at a decent price, worth every cent. Simpler times were good, but not better!

storm.racing
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storm.racing 7/19/2025 8:53am
7/19/2025 8:53am

Been on a Garmin Fenix 6 for almost 5 full years i think. Still works great minus the occasional hiccup with elevation trippin out. Might swap to the Fenix 8 soon.

bizutch
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bizutch 7/20/2025 1:28pm
7/20/2025 1:28pm

I am STILL on the same Suunto Spartan Trainer 3 years later. They have service centers that like to repair these things. Glass has been replaced in the past.  Considering putting a new battery in myself.  But probably just buy a new Suunto & repay the quality with loyalty.

ballz
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ballz 7/21/2025 1:15pm
7/21/2025 1:15pm
storm.racing wrote:
Been on a Garmin Fenix 6 for almost 5 full years i think. Still works great minus the occasional hiccup with elevation trippin out. Might swap...

Been on a Garmin Fenix 6 for almost 5 full years i think. Still works great minus the occasional hiccup with elevation trippin out. Might swap to the Fenix 8 soon.

Consider the Enduro 3. Not only is it enduro (sweet!) and cheaper, it has the new software of the F8 line while being way way lighter and more comfortable to wear IMO. Plus the battery lasts forever, which is nice, and you can see the IPS display in daylight.

notthatbryan 7/22/2025 3:37am
7/22/2025 3:37am

Garmin Fenix has always worked well for me. I had a Fenix 5 for years and my current Fenix 7 is a couple years old now and still running perfect. The dual band GPS is nice for MTB where tree cover can interfere with reception. 

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