Official Running Thread

[Greg Bobkin]

It may already be on this thread...... BUT recommendations for GPS watch/wearables please!!!

Criteria:
Not apple
Under £200
Strava compatible
Suitable for a lady*





*wifes crimbo present

I've got a Garmin Forerunner 620 and it's brilliant. Probably does far more than I ever use on it, but I love it. That one might not be for you, but I would definitely go down the Garmin route – there are loads!

 

[Pembury]

I've just had a quick google and although chunky they appear to come in a wide range of colours, so that should be FINE ;-)


Do you use it as a general activity monitor as well as for running?

aaaand swimming too?

Just add that the garmin Fenix is multisport..Uploads to strava etc etc.. But maybe a bit over budget.. I think all Garmin watchs are less expensive without the heart rate monitor.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Blimey! It's cold out there. Still made it out today because I'd set myself a target of running another 10 miles by the end of the month. Not so much fussed about the 90 miles in November, but it brings 1,000 miles run in 2016. It's my benchmark nowadays and I'm chuffed that it's done with a month to spare. With apologies to all those still on the injury bench and the treatment room – hope you all manage to make it back out there soon...

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1466229552

 

[Guinness Boy]

The FR235 is excellent - I've had it since launch and it's been on my wrist ever since. My proper watches, such as my Omega, have been shut in a watch box ever since.

It may not be a specific swim watch but it will do the job just fine: http://runreporter.com/running-gear-reviews/forerunner-235-swimming/

Quick follow-up, someone has put together a swim app for the 235: https://apps.garmin.com/es-ES/apps/f134a024-6ee4-47d3-8aec-3a397e3c9733

Now that's very interesting! I wish I'd known that in France. I didn't run a lot but swam plenty.

 

[knocky1]

Thanks [MENTION=24635]Greg Bobkin[/MENTION] and congrats on the 1,000 miles. Talking of cold my mileage is frozen on 667 from August and won't increase this year. Still my highest annual total ever. Will aim for 1,000 in 2017.
Should have landed in Kathmandu this morning for 5 weeks trekking but got all money back on flights and looking forward to going next winter.

 

[Bozza]

HANG ON.....aren't you apple crazy?

Do you pair the FR235 with your phone and use it for notifications etc or just for fitness stuff?

Apple Watch was, as far as I'm concerned, shit.

That said, they've sorted it out with Series 2 and I'm contemplating switching to the Nike one. In fact between the post you quoted and this one I was just taking a quick look at the pricing for the Nike Apple Watch and seeing how much my FR235 would likely fetch on eBay.

But, yes, I do use the 235 for notifications. It works well enough - a quick glance at my wrist when it buzzes to tell me I have a text etc. I'll say that the watch feels ever so slightly slow in general operation, in that when you press a button there is what feels like a very small amount of lag before the screen changes. It's no problem at all in usage, however, and I suspect it's not that the watch is under-powered from a CPU perspective and more that it is, I assume, an e-ink display. The beauty of e-ink is that the thing lasts for days and days and days between charges so it's a decent trade-off.

 

[soistes]

You can get a Forerunner 235 for £200.
http://pricespy.co.uk/product.php?p=3376682
I'd endorse the other favourable comments on this one

 

[Pembury]

I've got a 235 and they are absolutely brilliant. Step counter and heart rate monitor without strap as standard which will allow strava "suffer scores" as well as the more genteel step per day targets. Nice layout and very comfortable. They are, however, quite chunky (given it's for a lady) and you won't get one for under £225.

Whats the battery life like on the 235?.. My 310xt is needed more regular charges ..maybe 3 times a week or more

 

[Bozza]

Whats the battery life like on the 235?.. My 310xt is needed more regular charges ..maybe 3 times a week or more

I don't think I charge mine more than once every 10 days or so. I certainly reckon it lasts over a week.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Whats the battery life like on the 235?.. My 310xt is needed more regular charges ..maybe 3 times a week or more

Hard to say for me as I'm not running much. Just using it as a watch / activity tracker means very low battery life and a charge once a week max. When I was running 3 times a week I was charging it three times a week as I just downloaded the run at the same time

 

[Bozza]

A shamelessly affiliated link to the 235 in the girly colour scheme at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fCbzy6

Men: http://amzn.to/2gwr0EU / http://amzn.to/2fPZx2L

 

[Bozza]

Hard to say for me as I'm not running much. Just using it as a watch / activity tracker means very low battery life and a charge once a week max. When I was running 3 times a week I was charging it three times a week as I just downloaded the run at the same time

You don't need to plug it in to anything to download runs and get them into Strava, just open the Garmin Connect app on your phone and it will do it all for you via Bluetooth.

 

[Nathan]

A shamelessly affiliated link to the 235 in the girly colour scheme at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fCbzy6

Men: http://amzn.to/2gwr0EU / http://amzn.to/2fPZx2L

Sorry [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] it is £20 cheaper from Blacks.

http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/232522-garmin-forerunner-235-gps-watch-frost.html

 

[Bozza]

Sorry [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] it is £20 cheaper from Blacks.

http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/232522-garmin-forerunner-235-gps-watch-frost.html

You're now banned from NSC. Sorry.

 

[JCL666]

A shamelessly affiliated link to the 235 in the girly colour scheme at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fCbzy6

Men: http://amzn.to/2gwr0EU / http://amzn.to/2fPZx2L

DONE

Thanks everyone for your help/advice!!!

Sorry [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] it is £20 cheaper from Blacks.

http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/232522-garmin-forerunner-235-gps-watch-frost.html

I hate you.

literally clicked on Bozzas, purchased it AND THEN YOU COME ALONG

 

[Bozza]

DONE

Thanks everyone for your help/advice!!!



I hate you.

literally clicked on Bozzas, purchased it AND THEN YOU COME ALONG

Go back to Amazon now and cancel your purchase.

Or, if you can't, just buy one from Blacks and then send the Amazon one back.

 

[gullshark]

Apple Watch was, as far as I'm concerned, shit.

That said, they've sorted it out with Series 2 and I'm contemplating switching to the Nike one. In fact between the post you quoted and this one I was just taking a quick look at the pricing for the Nike Apple Watch and seeing how much my FR235 would likely fetch on eBay.

But, yes, I do use the 235 for notifications. It works well enough - a quick glance at my wrist when it buzzes to tell me I have a text etc. I'll say that the watch feels ever so slightly slow in general operation, in that when you press a button there is what feels like a very small amount of lag before the screen changes. It's no problem at all in usage, however, and I suspect it's not that the watch is under-powered from a CPU perspective and more that it is, I assume, an e-ink display. The beauty of e-ink is that the thing lasts for days and days and days between charges so it's a decent trade-off.

I bought, used for a month and subsequently ditched my Apple Watch Series 2 as a running watch - the built in activity tracker doesn't give the metrics I want (the map on the App doesn't even show mile markers...) and using iSmoothRun or another running app just feels clunky as the display takes a couple seconds to wake and update. Also, to start/stop you have to swipe or force touch which involves bringing your wrist up which may or may not activate the screen at the time.

I now have gone back to using iSmoothRun with a 20 quid pebble watch and a HRM strap.

 

[JCL666]

Go back to Amazon now and cancel your purchase.

Or, if you can't, just buy one from Blacks and then send the Amazon one back.

haha already done cancelled it!!

 

[Bozza]

haha already done cancelled it!!

You utter *******.

 

[Simgull]

Well that's one of my 2017 targets sorted. Berlin Marathon ballot successful. September 24th 2017.