Will the 705 improve my training data?

hopper1
hopper1 Posts: 4,389
edited January 2010 in Training, fitness and health
I have a Powertap (wired) set up, on my bikes.
I think I get sufficient info out of it from my rides. Question is, why are so many people using the Garmins, too.
Will a 705 work with the 'old', wired Powertap, and if so, what else can it tell me, that may be of some use?
Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!

Comments

  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    The 705 is ANT+ so will only work with the wireless powertaps. I use mine with an SRM, the main benefit (for me) being the ability to program and save training sessions using wattage, i.e. 2x20's
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    APIII wrote:
    The 705 is ANT+ so will only work with the wireless powertaps. I use mine with an SRM, the main benefit (for me) being the ability to program and save training sessions using wattage, i.e. 2x20's

    You still have to ride them though eh? :wink:
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    First off, your wired p/t will not give power to an edge 705 or 500.

    I think that if you use wko with your powertap, then that's all the information you need, so I don't think adding a Garmin will do that much for you training wise.

    That being said I bought a Garmin 500 because I already had a wiresless powertap. Also the little yellow computer was a lower spec version and I was fed up of switching between screens. Tbh I haven't gained any valuable training info. from the gps side of things.

    Besides if you want accurate elevation data, have a look at Alex's virtual elevation spreadsheet, it really is quite brilliant.

    Hope that's saved you a few quid. :)
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    APIII wrote:
    The 705 is ANT+ so will only work with the wireless powertaps. I use mine with an SRM, the main benefit (for me) being the ability to program and save training sessions using wattage, i.e. 2x20's

    You still have to ride them though eh? :wink:

    Hey, I did one on Friday :D
  • BeaconRuth
    BeaconRuth Posts: 2,086
    I use the Garmin 705 with my SRMs. TBH I barely use half the functionality that I could because I have zero interest in anything to do with routes or virtual training partners etc - but if mapping routes and devising new routes floats your boat, then you could be using it for that. Personally I'm always a bit mystified by people's fascination with GPS - it all leaves me cold. I only bought the 705 for the power-reading capability.

    One plus about the 705 is that you can display just about anything you want to simultaneously, with up to 8 data fields at a time - the display is completely flexible. Something I'm finding really handy just at the moment is a rolling 30-second power average, so there's no need to focus purely on the fluctuating real-time power when trying to do controlled efforts on the turbo.

    Ruth
    http://www.rutheyles.co.uk/
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Thanks, BeaconRuth, you see things similarly to me, in that GPS leaves me cold, too.
    I have quite enough data on the Powertap readout, I only really use Av. power and Cadence, all the others are handy for data, after the ride.
    Just saved £250 :wink:
    Now, back to the sales sites... :roll:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    BeaconRuth wrote:
    Personally I'm always a bit mystified by people's fascination with GPS - it all leaves me cold.
    It comes into it's own when riding in unfamiliar areas (ie a 125 mile solo ride I did in Switzerland last summer) , riding off-road routes without stopping to look at maps all the time etc.

    For use with a powermeter only, I'd avoid the Garmin - there are lots and lots of tales of woe on the Wattage forum from people experiencing glitches (although to be fair my 705 has behaved itself pretty well to date).

    Save up for the new Cycleops Joule head unit when it is released in a couple of months - that looks like a step up for powermeter users.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    Bronzie wrote:
    BeaconRuth wrote:
    Personally I'm always a bit mystified by people's fascination with GPS - it all leaves me cold.
    It comes into it's own when riding in unfamiliar areas (ie a 125 mile solo ride I did in Switzerland last summer) , riding off-road routes without stopping to look at maps all the time etc.

    For use with a powermeter only, I'd avoid the Garmin - there are lots and lots of tales of woe on the Wattage forum from people experiencing glitches (although to be fair my 705 has behaved itself pretty well to date).

    Save up for the new Cycleops Joule head unit when it is released in a couple of months - that looks like a step up for powermeter users.

    I don't know, I think that's a little unfair, Garmin always has teething problems when they introduce new stuff but as I see it that's the price you pay when they get their products out first and have products which imo are much better than everyone else's Do you know of any device that's comparable to the 705 for example?

    The joule is a an example of this, weren't they (garmin 500 and joule) both announced at the same time? I've had my 500 for almost a month now, when will the joule be out...?

    As for the joule, what is it offering that's a step up? I've heard rumours of if, tss and np being on it, but what is that going to add to a training ride? Great stuff to download and look at after but needed when training? Each to their own though I suppose. Finally I've seen rumours that the Jouule will be approx £300 :shock:

    Then again, I should say, I'll see as I'm talking about a product that's not out yet.
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    edited January 2010
    chrisw12 wrote:
    I don't know, I think that's a little unfair, Garmin always has teething problems when they introduce new stuff but as I see it that's the price you pay when they get their products out first and have products which imo are much better than everyone else's Do you know of any device that's comparable to the 705 for example?

    The joule is a an example of this, weren't they (garmin 500 and joule) both announced at the same time? I've had my 500 for almost a month now, when will the joule be out...?

    As for the joule, what is it offering that's a step up? I've heard rumours of if, tss and np being on it, but what is that going to add to a training ride? Great stuff to download and look at after but needed when training? Each to their own though I suppose. Finally I've seen rumours that the Jouule will be approx £300 :shock:

    Then again, I should say, I'll see as I'm talking about a product that's not out yet.
    £399 with HR :shock:
    I've just read that Bob Tobin is about to offer wireless conversions for the 'old' Powertaps... Ho humm....
    Maybe a 705 plus a conversion. I'd have to pay £162 for a new CPU head anyway!
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    hopper1 wrote:
    chrisw12 wrote:
    I don't know, I think that's a little unfair, Garmin always has teething problems when they introduce new stuff but as I see it that's the price you pay when they get their products out first and have products which imo are much better than everyone else's Do you know of any device that's comparable to the 705 for example?

    The joule is a an example of this, weren't they (garmin 500 and joule) both announced at the same time? I've had my 500 for almost a month now, when will the joule be out...?

    As for the joule, what is it offering that's a step up? I've heard rumours of if, tss and np being on it, but what is that going to add to a training ride? Great stuff to download and look at after but needed when training? Each to their own though I suppose. Finally I've seen rumours that the Jouule will be approx £300 :shock:

    Then again, I should say, I'll see as I'm talking about a product that's not out yet.
    £399 with HR :shock:
    I've just read that Bob Tobin is about to offer wireless conversions for the 'old' Powertaps... Ho humm....
    Maybe a 705 plus a conversion. I'd have to pay £162 for a new + head anyway!

    Why not just get the garmin 500? I've got one on order as I don't really use the maps on the 705, so I'll get rid of it when the 500 arrives. Garmin have sorted out all the bugs as far as I'm concerned, no data drops, spikes, etc anymore, and they do keep adding features like the rolling 30sec average power. Agree with the previous poster about the Joule, I can't really see that it adds much, for the price. And it looks like it was made by Tomy.
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    APIII wrote:
    Why not just get the garmin 500? I've got one on order as I don't really use the maps on the 705, so I'll get rid of it when the 500 arrives. Garmin have sorted out all the bugs as far as I'm concerned, no data drops, spikes, etc anymore, and they do keep adding features like the rolling 30sec average power. Agree with the previous poster about the Joule, I can't really see that it adds much, for the price. And it looks like it was made by Tomy.

    Is it really worth selling a used 705, to pay +/-£200?
    Would it not be cheaper to just not use the maps bit, or is there something else to the 500?
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    The 705 is very bulky, so I'm just after a smaller head unit really. Wiggle had a deal of the day before xmas where they were £180 inc. cadence and HR, so that lured me in :cry: I think the 705 will go to a friend of mine on a long term 'borrow'
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    I have a chance of a new 705 at £250.
    I'm not a lover of the map thing, but the screen seems to be a lot better than the CycleOps CPU.
    So, if I get my Powertap converted, I'll need a new 2.4 CPU, so may well get the Garmin 705... :? :roll:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    APIII wrote:
    The 705 is very bulky, so I'm just after a smaller head unit really. Wiggle had a deal of the day before xmas where they were £180 inc. cadence and HR, so that lured me in :cry: I think the 705 will go to a friend of mine on a long term 'borrow'

    I didn't want/need thr hr/cad so got one for 165ish plus a free garmin jersey as well. When I put on a few kg, I'll be ready for my first sportive now I've got my replica top. :)
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    hopper1 wrote:
    I have a chance of a new 705 at £250.
    I'm not a lover of the map thing, but the screen seems to be a lot better than the CycleOps CPU.
    So, if I get my Powertap converted, I'll need a new 2.4 CPU, so may well get the Garmin 705... :? :roll:


    No, no, no ...you may as well get the 500 for less than £200.
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    I can't find it with HRM at under £200... :cry:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    wiggle: 175 if you're a platinum customer, surely everyone's reached platinum. :roll: that's without hrm though.

    So questions are.

    1) Do you already have a hrm and is it ant+.
    2) Do you need a hrm if you have a power meter. I know I've ditched mine and I'm so glad I did.
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    chrisw12 wrote:
    wiggle: 175 if you're a platinum customer, surely everyone's reached platinum. :roll: that's without hrm though.

    So questions are.

    1) Do you already have a hrm and is it ant+.
    2) Do you need a hrm if you have a power meter. I know I've ditched mine and I'm so glad I did.

    Dunno... I have a Polar HRM and also the HRM that came with the Powertap...
    Will any of them work?
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    Polar definitely not, not sure about the older ones that came with the p/t :?:
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Well, they're definately wireless.... :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!

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