Garmin Fenix 3 for cycling activities

bianchimoon

Anyone use the Garmin Fenix 3 for cycling instead of other head units? Just ordered one for hiking etc, but will probably use on bike as well, If anyone does, what mounting methods to bars do you use?

Man Of Lard

I do and I leave it mounted to my wrist...

bendertherobot

Wrist. It's very useful on the wrist. It's there if you want it but you don't feel a slave to it.

bianchimoon

I take it you're both pleased with the performance? Reviews seem very positive. Are there any outstanding apps/widgets you use on it for cycling or just the software that's with the device? TIA

Man Of Lard

A couple of ConnectIQ apps/datafields I tend to keep coming back to (most of them are to get more than 3 fields displayed on screen)

Battery Gauge: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/4370 ... 0924eb4bfa
Dozen Cycle: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/e8a4 ... 1fcb964305
10 field Data: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/150c ... f9680c9d25
Cyclists charts: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/82e3 ... bda597efc0

bianchimoon

Man Of Lard wrote:

A couple of ConnectIQ apps/datafields I tend to keep coming back to (most of them are to get more than 3 fields displayed on screen)

Battery Gauge: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/4370 ... 0924eb4bfa
Dozen Cycle: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/e8a4 ... 1fcb964305
10 field Data: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/150c ... f9680c9d25
Cyclists charts: https://apps.garmin.com/en-GB/apps/82e3 ... bda597efc0

thanks, appreciate the reply!

bendertherobot

I just use stock! Pretty much a speed, distance, average and time taken type of person so that does me. HR on second screen and climbing on 3rd. May check them if I stop but otherwise all about the recording.

fenix

+1 with Bender - just stock functions for me.

I occasionally download routes into it and can follow them pretty well just with the watch on the wrist. It's very obvious if you've gone off trail.

Planning the routes is the hardest thing. Quite easy to pick a route off a map that doesn't really work for bikes on the ground....

bendertherobot

I'm trying to finish my Fenix 3 review, hopefully the next few days. I can't match DC rainmaker on length and some features so it will always be a case of 'every day user.'

But I'd rate it as the best thing I own apart from my Sonos stuff.

bianchimoon

bendertherobot wrote:

I'm trying to finish my Fenix 3 review, hopefully the next few days. I can't match DC rainmaker on length and some features so it will always be a case of 'every day user.'

But I'd rate it as the best thing I own apart from my Sonos stuff.

be interesting to see, post on here when you have uploaded - cheers

bendertherobot

Will do. It needs to be an epic as, well, there are about a billion screens.

Any unit that has stand up paddleboarding as an option does mean it takes some time to explain things.

letap73

The fenix 3 ultimately functions as my watch. As mentioned previously it functions very well as a cycle computer recording all types of trip data like where you have been, average speed etc and will work with heart rate monitors, power meters very successfully. The non sapphire glass version of the Fenix 3 was available on the sports pursuit site for circa £250 - although I do not think this the case now. Battery life is excellent and when not recording GPS related activities can last for a number of weeks.

If you had lots of money the new Garmin Fenix 5x looks amazing but it is very expensive. It has maps loaded on to it - if its OS maps then it works perfectly for hiking as well as for cycling. Battery life is supposedly even better which would make it astounding albeit at a much higher price and a tad bulkier than the Fenix 3.

MAWglobal

I use my Fenix3 for cycling on and off road, running, pool swimming and open water swimming, and of course triathlons (well. one so far!) which is what you get if you put all of the above together.

Cycling, I also use it to guide me on routes. Recent upgrades to the OS mean it alerts you to "turns" ahead of making a turn- so anything more than about a 45 deg variation is vibrates and pops an arrow up. It doesn't have maps so can't give true turn-by-turn but it's an acceptable approximation. And TBH I found it fine before it did the turn prediction- sure now and again the displayed plotted track can be ambiguous (e.g. taking a right-hand-fork when the road also bends to the right after), but even if you go off course it vibrates like a lunatic and warns you on the screen.

Personally I find the baro altimeter sensor/function a tad unpredictable; I need to dig in to the settings to check what it's doing right now, but occasionally it fails to register any altitude change at all, though GPS was working the whole time. Worst case you can do a height correction post-upload.

About twice in 1 year I've had notable position glitches, but that's nothing compared to what my phone used to do!

It's quite bulky but you probably know that- I have to wear it over the top of base layer sleeves, and if I wear it as my day-watch to work, some shirts I have to undo the cuff to get the sleeve over it. But that's the price for a stellar battery life!

To fill in the other gaps: it's ok at pool swims, but tends to interpret arm movements when not swimming as swimming. The solution is just keep swimming! Open water it loses GPS periodically but then it's submerged for half the time so that doesn't surprise me- but as long as it has a lock at beginning and end of swimming the guesses inbetween aren't going to be far away; running it's spot on; multisport works well but you have to remember to hit LAP at the right time- within Garmin Connect it recognised my triathlon as a single event, analyzable by each discipline, but Strava only recognises separate events for each.

It syncs quickly to the phone app, which bounces on activity to strava. The only apps I've downloaded are watch faces! The data available mid-ride is more than sufficient- I use about 2 of the 8 or so switchable screens. Mid activity you can only display one of the 2 default watch faces (digital or analogue) but being realistic they're easier to read than the custom faces so no hardship.

I love it.

bianchimoon

great review, really appreciate the feedback, looking forward to it living up to expectations!

bianchimoon

letap73 wrote:

The fenix 3 ultimately functions as my watch. As mentioned previously it functions very well as a cycle computer recording all types of trip data like where you have been, average speed etc and will work with heart rate monitors, power meters very successfully. The non sapphire glass version of the Fenix 3 was available on the sports pursuit site for circa £250 - although I do not think this the case now. Battery life is excellent and when not recording GPS related activities can last for a number of weeks.

If you had lots of money the new Garmin Fenix 5x looks amazing but it is very expensive. It has maps loaded on to it - if its OS maps then it works perfectly for hiking as well as for cycling. Battery life is supposedly even better which would make it astounding albeit at a much higher price and a tad bulkier than the Fenix 3.

I agree the 5 would be my choice, but can't really justify the price tag (double what I've paid for the 3 i would think

bendertherobot

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/01/11/garmin-fenix-3/

the really rather excellent, and surprising, Fenix 3

bianchimoon

bendertherobot wrote:

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/01/11/garmin-fenix-3/

the really rather excellent, and surprising, Fenix 3

cool looking forward to reading fully this evening, FYI got mine from blacks for that £290 cheapest price.. so on the nail there

LukeTC

Really good review, making me wish I just had more patience and waited another month instead of getting my Vivoactive HR (which I really like so far but at the end of the day, doesn't look as nice as the Fenix)

stu-bim

HAve one almost a year now and like the other owners above, completely love it

Wear it every day, only comes off for shower and charging

Contemplated getting the quickfit straps for the new fenix 5x but at USD 150 for the metal and still need to buy a silicone at USD 50 (no point on quick release on one if you still have to screw other) it is probably not going to happen

964cup

I have a sapphire HR. I use it as my watch (and indeed smartwatch) and also for recording commutes and casual rides. It talks to all my bike sensors, records accurate GPS tracks and has good battery life. Downsides:

You can't use the quick-release kit with the HR model as the cradle blocks the HR sensor
You can't easily see your speed or HR when moving (not an issue on commutes, but important for Z2 rides and things like that)
The HR is indicative at best - use a chest strap if you want anything more than a guideline
Battery life is significantly affected if you leave bluetooth on all the time and therefore get all the smartwatch features as well as instant upload to Strava. It's about an order of magnitude of difference - say 2-3 days of autonomy including an hour a day of riding, versus a couple of weeks without bluetooth.

It's also very good as a step-tracker and I use it to record things like back-country skiiing very successfully. However I still use an 800 for navigation and "proper" rides.

bianchimoon

Had mine on for 3 days now, very impressed. Still lots to learn. Excellent review Bendertherobot!

bendertherobot

So, it's going to be £499 RRP. Wow. Don't expect that below £400 anytime soon I guess. (that's the basic model)

bianchimoon

bendertherobot wrote:

So, it's going to be £499 RRP. Wow. Don't expect that below £400 anytime soon I guess. (that's the basic model)

I made the decision that the 3 for £290 was better value, only plusses I can see for the 5 topographic maps? slightly better battery life? I'll wait for you to review it BTR

bendertherobot

You'll be waiting a while! Unless they send me a review sample! (I will ask though).