I already have a Garmin Edge 800 for bike duties but I’ve just started getting into my running.

After discovering the Connect App I’ve decided I’d like to see my runs along side my rides, I’d like something with a built in HRM and Bluetooth to save plugging into the laptop after every run.

I don’t need anything fancy as it’ll only be worn when running and when riding my local loop. I was looking at the FR 35 but I’ve spotted the FR 30 and can pick one up for £99.

Would this do for what I need?

Thanks.

Yes

DC Rainmaker has a summary here, with the features missing on the Forerunner 30. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/09/hands-on-garmins-new-forerunner-30-running-gps-watch.html

Main difference are less training features, eg intervals.
Also it doesn’t transmit your heart rate with Ant+. With the Forerunner 35, it could transmit heart rate to your Edge 800. This isn’t possible with the Forerunner 30.
And shorter battery life it seems (8 hours vs 13 hours).

But if you just want something simple to record your runs, it should work fine.

Thanks!

I’d use the 30 when I’m on my local loop etc in place of my 800 so wouldn’t need the Ant+ feature.

Longest local rides are only a few hours maximum so battery life shouldn’t be an issue.

Thanks again gents.

The Vivosmart HR+ is only 30GBP more, and you get 24/7 HR monitoring which may or may not be of interest. (Personally I think it is both interesting and useful, but YMMV…)

This one mogrim?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B071G156J6/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515957326&sr=8-2

Thinking about it, I can’t wear a watch during the day as the majority of my life is spent elbow deep in machinery and electrical stuff.

I like the look of this one for running and riding using the same watch. Also a smartwatch. Anyone used one of these: Garmin Vivoactive Smartwatch

I’ve got a vivoactive. I don’t run very often but it works fine for me.

I got the Forerunner 35 for Xmas. Only wear it for running and riding. Great little watch and does everything I want. Very easy to read even when struggling to breath.

Menus are very straight forward and it picks up the gps within seconds.

I’ve got a vivoactive HR, it’s great, just a bit ugly. I’m thinking about getting a vivomove HR when they finally come out and keeping my vivoactive for mountain biking/running etc.

I have a Vivoactive HR. It works fine for uploading data to Strava. The Garmin software is functional, but not amazing. Battery life is very good, 5 days in normal use.

Went for the 35 in the end. Set up 9 hours after I ordered it (thanks amazon prime).

Can link it to my Edge and no touch screen to accidentally set off.

My missus has the (original) Vivoactive and loves it. She’s got small lady wrists and the Vivocative HR would look silly. Note that it only does heart rate via a HR Strap rather than having it built into the watch (tho this is why it is so slim and small). She wears it all the time and sport wise uses it to log all her running.

it picks up the gps within seconds.

Hmm, that is my only complaint with my FR35, the GPS pick up is slow, particularly in built up areas. Bar that it’s cracking and does exactly what I need it to.

Mine in suburban Bristol picks up the GPS in about 20 seconds.

bluearsedfly – what is it like after a week of use? Thinking of getting a FR35

Really chuffed with it tbh.

Battery life as advertised, had a few short runs and a couple of rides and it’s only needed topping up. GPS tracking seems accurate, heart rate almost identical to my edge 800 and chest strap, phone alerts are handy and I don’t even notice I’m wearing it now. It picks up GPS within 10–20 seconds and the connect app is packed with more info than you can shake a stick at. Thought it looked a bit fugly at first but I think some of that is down to not wearing a watch for years.

Picked up some tempered glass screen protectors off amazon for around a fiver so I tend to keep it on most of the time now.

Glad I went with the 35 as it has more preset activities (the 30 has less but you can manually alter them in the connect app history) and it can connect to my 800 as pointed out above.

One annoying thing is, once fully charged, it tends to drop to 3/4 then 1/2 charged within a day but stays there for the next few days. I topped it up on Friday night and it’s currently showing 1/2 a charge after the weekend and a couple of rides. I’m not sure if the plug symbol on the display is supposed to change once fully charged?

I’ve also learnt it can be worn fairly loosely on the wrist and still achieve good heart rate readings.

Battery thing might be that it needs fully discharging once in a while for the battery percentage to be accurate.

Cheers for the feedback I think I will need to make a purchase!

What is the point of connecting the watch to the Edge ?

What is the point of connecting the watch to the Edge ?

HRM as the watch has a built in HRM (ableit they may not be accurate when cycling compared to a chest strap)so you can display the hear rate on your edge in front of you.

And *I think* it saves plugging the 800 into a PC to upload your activity *pure speculation*

Either way, only need my Edge for navigation now.

Ooh, I have an Edge 800 and an Forerunner 35, didn’t know you could link them, how does that work? I like the thought of uploading the 800 via the watch without a pc if that’s possible?

I love the 35 btw, simple, easy to use, although I find the GPS link up a bit unreliable – sometimes its within 5 secs and other times I’ve entirely missed recording parkrun as it took more than 10 mins, and the starter wouldn’t wait for my watch! (understandable…)

Garmin watches don’t really connect to Edge units in any exciting sense. The ones that have optical heart rate monitors (most of them, at least) can broadcast the HR signal via ANT+, which an Edge unit can receive. Many people find that a bit unreliable though. You certainly won’t be able to do anything much more exciting than that with an Edge 800 I’m afraid.

With more modern Edge units you would connect the Edge to a phone via bluetooth, and that would take care of uploading ride data without a PC. (Some do that via WiFi if you want / don’t want to use phone data.) A watch is not involved in that process though.

I’ve had a few Garmins, and just replaced a very old FR10 with a FR235. as always their hardware is well executed and very nice, as always their software appears to have been designed by the part time cleaner.

Thanks for that Gray, it makes more sense I have to say – I couldn’t see how they would link, but was excited if they could!

Does anyone know if you broadcast your HR to your Edge from a FR35 if the watch is no longer supposed to record the HR?

I went for a ride yesterday with my FR35 and broadcast the HR to the Edge but for the duration of my ride there is no HR history on the watch. If that is the case I would be best of just starting an activity on both and then deleting one from my feed when I get back (from the edge) so that it keeps my HR history. I only need the edge in front of me for directions and quick info anyway.

I’ve tried that – not sure about the watch, but I can see a complete record of my HR through the activity on Garmin Connect

Yeh I have the HR record it just loses it from the 24 hour monitoring section in Garmin Connect. I would have thought it was intelligent enough to display it in both but maybe I am expecting too much!

Vivoactive HR here, great bit of kit for running and biking, but disappointingly it died a watery death yesterday, a mere 2 weeks out of warranty. Hopefully they’ll do the decent thing….

I have found the HR transmission to other devices so unreliable as to be totally useless on my fenix5.