Getting the most out of your Garmin

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby MichaelB » Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:51 am

Well, finally did it last night. Transferred a course to the Edge 500, renamed it (what a PITA that is ...), and set off for a ride last night. Followed the instructions, and it worked as advertised :D

Was slower up the hill though so that wasn't a problem, and all the pre-course ride data is also saved as per normal.

However .....

It didn't quite do what I THOUGHT it would, in that ;
# - it doesn't record a 'lap time (or any other data) of the course that you rode - not that it advertised that it would)
# - if you are slower than the course time set for VP, then when the VP gets to the end, the time difference disappears, so you don't know what the total end difference was
# - it is a bit jumpy as far as the time/distance differences go, but not really an issue

At the end of the day, it's a pacing tool, and if you want to record a time up a climb/loop, you still need to set a lap marker at the start and finish.

The other good thing that I realised (RTFI michael :roll: ) is that you can have a whole lot of courses in there, and just pick which one you want to do on a particular ride.

So thanks to Valley Forge and davidk for your assistance and info :D :D

User avatar
im_no_pro
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 6028
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:29 pm
Location: Geelong

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby im_no_pro » Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:23 am

Thanks for that, might have to spend some time setting this up myself. Would be nice if VP stayed until you finished the course, but cant have it all I s'pose :wink:
master6 wrote: Moderators are like Club Handicappers; I often think they are wrong, but I dont want the job.

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby MichaelB » Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:39 am

im_no_pro wrote:Thanks for that, might have to spend some time setting this up myself. Would be nice if VP stayed until you finished the course, but cant have it all I s'pose :wink:
It's a good pacing tool, and that's about it, but it still pushes you !!!

User avatar
ValleyForge
Posts: 1831
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby ValleyForge » Fri Feb 18, 2011 9:39 am

On my 705 if I beat the VP I get little lame ass fanfare and a "You Win" banner. If I loose I get a "VP Finished" banner. No split, just its all over.
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby MichaelB » Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:40 am

ValleyForge wrote:On my 705 if I beat the VP I get little lame ass fanfare and a "You Win" banner. If I loose I get a "VP Finished" banner. No split, just its all over.
OK, next goal is to beat the VP up the hill :D

User avatar
Mustang
Posts: 1572
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:20 am
Location: Little Mountain Qld
Contact:

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby Mustang » Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:51 am

Just noticed my "av moving speed" (Garmin 500) on the Garmin Connect report was too low. The speed on the report is "av speed". It appears "average moving speed" is not available, so when you get a puncture it will pay to turn your timer off, otherwise you will end up with a ride report like this :x
Distance Goal 4000km
70 years young.

User avatar
snark
Posts: 581
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:35 am
Location: Geelong, Vic

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby snark » Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:02 am

Mustang wrote:Just noticed my "av moving speed" (Garmin 500) on the Garmin Connect report was too low. The speed on the report is "av speed". It appears "average moving speed" is not available, so when you get a puncture it will pay to turn your timer off, otherwise you will end up with a ride report like this :x
I don't have my 500 in front of me, but there's an option for auto-pause buried in the menus. I have mine set to auto-pause if my speed drops below some figure (5km/h rings a bell). My average speeds on the Garmin Connect website are "average moving speeds".

Cheers,
Simon.
Phil Liggett, TdF 2011, Alpe-d'Huez: "I reckon tonight in hindsight he may have won the Tour de France tomorrow."

User avatar
ValleyForge
Posts: 1831
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby ValleyForge » Sun Feb 20, 2011 1:25 pm

snark wrote:
Mustang wrote:Just noticed my "av moving speed" (Garmin 500) on the Garmin Connect report was too low. The speed on the report is "av speed". It appears "average moving speed" is not available, so when you get a puncture it will pay to turn your timer off, otherwise you will end up with a ride report like this :x
I don't have my 500 in front of me, but there's an option for auto-pause buried in the menus. I have mine set to auto-pause if my speed drops below some figure (5km/h rings a bell). My average speeds on the Garmin Connect website are "average moving speeds".

Cheers,
Simon.
+1 This works well. So if you or a mate gets a puncture - stop. If you are waiting for stragglers - don't circle the roundabout! Stop! Using the button will break the ride, so auto-pause (AT) 5km/h is the way to go.
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

User avatar
three214
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:11 am
Location: Geelong, Vic

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby three214 » Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:41 pm

ValleyForge wrote:
snark wrote:
Mustang wrote:Just noticed my "av moving speed" (Garmin 500) on the Garmin Connect report was too low. The speed on the report is "av speed". It appears "average moving speed" is not available, so when you get a puncture it will pay to turn your timer off, otherwise you will end up with a ride report like this :x
I don't have my 500 in front of me, but there's an option for auto-pause buried in the menus. I have mine set to auto-pause if my speed drops below some figure (5km/h rings a bell). My average speeds on the Garmin Connect website are "average moving speeds".

Cheers,
Simon.
+1 This works well. So if you or a mate gets a puncture - stop. If you are waiting for stragglers - don't circle the roundabout! Stop! Using the button will break the ride, so auto-pause (AT) 5km/h is the way to go.
My auto-pause is set for "when stopped", but I notice that as I am riding up to the red lights, I drop my speed down to catch the lights, and this is probably not helping my average speed.
I think I will have to change to "below the 5km/h" setting to try and keep things a bit more accurate.
I don't know how much difference it would make but on todays ride I went through around 50+ sets of traffic lights, so slowing down, then stopping at even a quarter of them would probably add a couple of minutes at a slow speed, trying not to have to come to a complete stop and unclip.
Image

User avatar
pagey
Posts: 185
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:09 pm
Location: Rowville Victoria

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby pagey » Sun Feb 20, 2011 7:31 pm

I set my auto pause to 2km. seem to work fine for lights etc
cheers
Pagey


Image

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby MichaelB » Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:00 am

Mine is set to when stopped. I'm not that fussed about overall speed. On a good day it's good, on a bad day it's slower. Meh.

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby MichaelB » Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:05 am

MichaelB wrote:Well, finally did it last night. Transferred a course to the Edge 500, renamed it (what a PITA that is ...), and set off for a ride last night. Followed the instructions, and it worked as advertised :D

.....
And now a second course has been added !!!

Did a ride to the EoH Bollards on Sunday, and set a cracking time too (well, for this well padded rider. Course transferred to Edge and now have 2 to do. Norton Summit is the next one, and will add Greenhill Rd soon too. :D

User avatar
ValleyForge
Posts: 1831
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby ValleyForge » Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:17 am

Meant to try and make a course online with two timed sections to see if it works. I think it would work if the course was discontinuous, as the VP only gets updated when you are on the course.

Along with my other 100 projects.....
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

User avatar
Mustang
Posts: 1572
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:20 am
Location: Little Mountain Qld
Contact:

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby Mustang » Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:24 am

On checking the auto pause it was OFF, previously it was set to 5kph.
Distance Goal 4000km
70 years young.

User avatar
randyrob
Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:12 pm
Location: East Vic Park, WA

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby randyrob » Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:20 am

Best thing i've done since i got my Garmin was sign up to http://www.strava.com/!
Go fast and stop hard, it'll never catch on!

User avatar
chucknitro
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:30 pm

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby chucknitro » Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:54 am

randyrob wrote:Best thing i've done since i got my Garmin was sign up to http://www.strava.com/!
+1 Awesome bit of work and takes full advantage of all the information available. I don't think their "power" calculations are gospel but they are interesting all the same.
2018 Canyon Endurance SLX DB 9.0 DI

User avatar
ValleyForge
Posts: 1831
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby ValleyForge » Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:55 am

chucknitro wrote:
randyrob wrote:Best thing i've done since i got my Garmin was sign up to http://www.strava.com/!
+1 Awesome bit of work and takes full advantage of all the information available. I don't think their "power" calculations are gospel but they are interesting all the same.
Surprisingly good. I don't like the weak privacy settings, but hey, on a regular ride I'm placed second on the leader board! What I really want is to compare virtual rides over a course - to see where I'm lagging and where I make up time.

I also noted more than a few posters have mentioned spikes either in HRM and the cadence. Just replaced battery in cadence sensor and spikes have stopped. Also the HRM spikes stoped when I swapped to the premium (soft) HRM strap.
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby MichaelB » Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:18 am

Just a couple more points in using the VP lately that might be of some benefit.

Found that if you start a ride (and don't intend to do a 'course'), you can actually select a course mid ride and whilst you are moving (carefully).

Also found that if you ride up a course (Eagle on the Hill in Adealide in this case), and then ride down the same way, it gets confused and keeps coming up with the message that the "Course is found" and that "You are off course" the whole way down. No issue, but annoying.

Oh, and finally managed to keep ahead of the VP for the 1st time :lol: , so it was good to use as a pacing tool !!!

lgbran
Posts: 91
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:07 pm

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby lgbran » Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:32 pm

rapt with garmin edge 500. how do you get the spoke magnet really tight. despite tightening it as much as i can it doesn't take much to move it

User avatar
ValleyForge
Posts: 1831
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby ValleyForge » Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:54 pm

lgbran wrote:rapt with garmin edge 500. how do you get the spoke magnet really tight. despite tightening it as much as i can it doesn't take much to move it
The two grooves are different - one for blades and one for round spokes. Make sure you have it in the right one. I've got magnets on blades, normal spokes and old-school double butted stainless steel ones. None of them have magnet slipping problems.
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

gooldin
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 3:49 pm

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby gooldin » Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:01 pm

Axel Brawn wrote:I've got a Edge 500 and its been playing up a little lately. I'm getting huge speed spikes in most of my rides like 175kph...

Last night the speed was all over the place - it might have had something to do with the cloud cover? I have a speed sensor on the rear wheel as well so I'm not sure what the issue is...

HR is always spot on though and cadence seems accurate.

Perhaps some sort of large antenna strapped to my helmet might work??


I've now got a 500 and just had a few problems with heart rate spikes at the start so I must start wetting it first.

But as for speed, with my last wireless computer (non gps) I noticed if my iPhone was anywhere near it the speed would jump from one weird speed to another 32.5, 70, 24, 106.5! I tested it again and again and it was definitely the phone. i'd sit the phone on the bench, then sit the computer on it and it'd go crazy, then take it away and it would go back to zero! God knows what this is doing to our brain when on the phone!!
Cheers,
Kev

triangle
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:32 pm
Location: Perth

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby triangle » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:12 pm

Be sure the heart rate monitor strap is on nice and tight. I never had spiking problems till a couple of weeks ago but I have lost about five kilos and the strap had become a bit looser on me so tightened it up and no spikes since.

User avatar
randyrob
Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:12 pm
Location: East Vic Park, WA

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby randyrob » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:23 pm

Also i've found on cold days when my body isn't producing enough sweat, I just lick my thumb and wipe the contacts it works a treat.
Go fast and stop hard, it'll never catch on!

Baldy
Posts: 1669
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:55 pm

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby Baldy » Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:09 pm

ValleyForge wrote: What I really want is to compare virtual rides over a course - to see where I'm lagging and where I make up time.
If you are looking at a segment, on mine there are 3 tabs below the map. Elevation, Performance and Comparison. The last one compares you with the fastest time[KOM :roll: ] You can see where you might have got unlucky with a set of lights or other road crossings. Also shows just how slow I am going up hill :oops: :lol:

But I like it, I find it good motivation to beat my pb for some sections. I would not bother doing that myself so its great it does it all itself.

3 Month trial code : vamoscycling2011

User avatar
three214
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:11 am
Location: Geelong, Vic

Re: Getting the most out of your Garmin

Postby three214 » Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:22 pm

Just finished uploading my data to Garmin Connect and I see there is a firmware upgrade available for Garmin edge 500 (version 2.7)... has anyone had any issues when getting a firmware upgrade?
Also, using Garmin connect, is there anyway to click on the map to check my "performance" at that point, i.e. speed, heart rate, elevation etc. I know I can do it by clicking on different points in each chart, but is there a way to have all points 'aligned' with a single click on either a chart or on the map?
Thanks
Image

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users