Garmin

Garmin f?nix 7S

| Richard

I’ve been using a Garmin f?nix 3 Sapphire for quite a while now; it’s a big, chunky lump of a fitness watch but then it is feature-packed and suitable for many forms of exercise.  I also have an Apple Watch Series 4 which works really well, but doesn’t measure blood oxygen levels like my wife’s latest one does.

I pair it with a heart rate monitor that clips to a strap you wear around your chest and then shower and dry it after exercising. We bought my wife a Garmin Forerunner 735XT a few years back and that has heart rate measuring built in (like the Apple Watch).

Now that we’re splitting our time between the UK and Fuerteventura I’m having to cart the Garmin back and forth, so I decided to leave it there where I work out more and use the Apple Watch in the UK. That’s not perfect because I then have to manually add each one to Garmin Connect.

So for my 60th birthday, Alison has bought me the new Garmin f?nix 7S, choosing the smaller S model so it’s not as chunky and large, especially as it encourages you to wear it 24/7 to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep tracking, etc.  It’s early days yet but the results are fascinating. I expect over the next few weeks it should get to know me properly and calibrate all its reports around me.

Garmin f?nix 7S

Watch Out!

| Richard

So Apple has today announced its new Apple Watch.

Now previously, I’d said I was going to get one when they came out, pairing it with my iPhone 6 to do all sort of smart watch stuff but with the added health and fitness features. But I’ve changed my mind.

Instead, I’ll be upgrading my Garmin Forerunner 410 to the new Garmin Fenix 3.

Why? Well the Apple Watch isn’t capable of acting as a standalone fitness device as it relies on a Bluetooth connection to your iPhone for WiFi (understandable) and GPS (no, just no). Add to that the battery life of the Apple Watch being “up to 18 hours” (yeah, right) as opposed to the Fenix 3’s 6 weeks (!) and it’s a no-brainer. On my run-commute, linkage to my iPhone 6 isn’t a problem, other than battery life for any devices, but on a fitness/general run, I don’t want to have to have the iPhone strapped to my arm. No, I’d rather rely on the watch’s own GPS noting my distance.

And the Fenix also links via ANT+ to my footpod, heart rate monitor and bike cadence to measure a range of metrics. And the Apple Watch isn’t even waterproof!

Price? Well like for like (ish) you’re looking at £899 for the Apple Watch and £450 for the Fenix 3 Sapphire. Half the price.

Fettling

| RM

Well this year’s Eurothrash to Austria is now getting closer so I’m making final arrangements for kit and making sure the Sprint is ready to rock.

The wiring issues were swiftly resolved by Jack Lilley - who I was very impressed with and will now be using for all my Triumph servicing, etc. – as they found that the blowing fuse was actually a problem with the accessory lead I’d bought a while back and the lack of power to the topbox was indeed down to Metropolis Motorcycles completely failing to fit the additional wiring harness when they prepped the Sprint for me when I bought it.

Ali now has heated gloves and a heated inner jacket from Keis - very good gear, it must be said – although I’m slightly disappointed that the gloves can’t be powered from the jacket if the heavy duty temperature controller for the jacket is fitted. No idea why, either. Obviously when we pack these, it will ensure that the Austrian Tyrol remains at tropical temperatures whilst we are there…

I’ve also sourced some new straps for the Kriega luggage I used for the Pyrenees Eurothrash last year so that I can strap a US-10 or US-20 to the tank. I need to see which one will work best with the Garmin and the other controls.

I also got hold of a 30 litre waterproof rollbag from Givi that can be strapped onto the Sprint’s topbox with some nifty ROK straps if we need the extra luggage capacity over the 117 litres we already have in the topbox and panniers.

So I think at the weekend, we’ll have a rehearsal to see how much stuff we can pack, where and how, and see if we do need to think about using the rollbag and the US-20 after all. I want to avoid wearing a rucksack if possible. Last year I had 20+10+10+35=75 litres and that was more than ample for me.

As for entertainment, well the new Garmin links to my iPod that’s now under the seat our intercom seems to work well, although we haven’t tried connecting to Yox’s or Purge’s headsets yet for bike to bike stuff.

Corralejo Midday Run

| Richard

So we took our running gear out to Fuerteventura but in the end only managed to do one run … at midday … in the heat and humidity. What do they say about mad dogs and Englishmen?

Wet and Windy

| Richard

Just before Autumn arrived in Wigan, I ran my route again, made more difficult by the 50mph crosswind and the threat of rain. Here’s the fly-through:

In other news, Garmin have accepted my Forerunner 410 is faulty and it’s been sent back for exchange. We’ll see how long it takes…

4 Mile Thames Path Run

| Richard

I decided that I should go for a quick run this afternoon to make up for a mahoosive meal at Nando’s in Epsom last night – we won’t mention the cake and jelly at IKEA Croydon {shudder} – and knowing that it’s pasta and partying tonight.

So I chose a nice and easy 2 mile jog. I felt fine a mile into the route so carried on, and the same after a mile and a half so I decided I’d head on to the 2 mile mark before turning back. Worked well, I think.

London Sky Ride

| Richard

As part of my new fitness drive, I took part today in the London Sky Ride: a loop from Tower Bridge to St James’s Park and back plus the two miles or so each way along the Thames Path from my apartment to Tower Bridge. Here are the stats:

It was looking overcast when I left but by the time I reached Tower Bridge, it had started raining and by the time I was on the route itself it was lashing down. The route was still very busy indeed with many cyclists not being aware I was coming up behind them fairly swiftly despite the regular stops to allow pedestrians to cross. By the time I was halfway around the ‘course’, I was absolutely soaked to the skin and my canvas Adidas trainers were full of rainwater and squelching – eeyyoo!

Not quite sure how I managed speeds of 112.8mph – see charts – or a max. speed of 64.8mph – see summary – but the rest is pretty accurate!

On my way home, I had an ‘off’ on the now-slippery Thames Path, landing heavily on my bad shoulder and also banging my head on the block paviors. Maybe a bike helmet might be a good idea after all? I crashed with sufficient force to buckle the front rim too, so I’ll need to get that fixed soon too.

Garmin i3 Dead … Just Over a Year Too

| Richard

Yes one year and a few days after I bought the Garmin i3 satnav unit, it’s effectively knackered.

The USB connector is also the port for charging the unit on the move and unfortunately the connector is only located by four tiny soldered points and as it’s plugged in when in the car and then out to remove it for security and then plugged in to update the Points of Interest (speed camera locations, for example), etc. (repeat ad infinitum).

The trouble with that is that – as in my case – the connector eventually gives way as it did for me on 2nd September and the unit cannot then be updated or charged, so I ended up spending a fortune on batteries on a recent round trip to Scotland.

It’s a real pity as the unit was fabulous.