guys, what are most of u using now, i just sold my Garmin 800 basically it was overkill for what i needed and being a strava slut it seemed to miss out loads of segments!! tamping like!! 😉
ive been using my phone plus a using a power back charger so its doesnt drain my battery.
BUT im feeling the need to buy another device?
can any of u (geeks) give me the pros and cons behind it all?
chris

Most phones are not that accurate compared to a proper gps device, although some will say different.
I did a comparison test today, both were pretty much similar on most segments, but the phone was sometimes quite a few seconds faster on some and then nearly half a min slower on others!
The phone also managed to miss some segs too.

If you don’t need maps, just get a small Garmin or Bryton device. They can be had quite cheap second hand on ebay.

Plus, phones can be useful in emergencys, but not if the battery is nearly flat from running strava!

I’d look at the Garmin Edge 20 (or Edge 25 if you want heart rate/cadence). Its rather small and simple, not too expensive. Should work fine for recording a track. It can connect to your phone to upload to Garmin Connect/Strava.
Should be pretty accurate. Though note it uses ‘smart recording’, so may cut corners a bit on twisty paths. For Strava segments, probably better to get something that records 1 point per second.
And only 8 hours battery life, maybe not enough for long rides.

How much did you get for the 800? Might have been a bad sale if you are replacing it. Can’t think of a situation where having a phone tracking was better than the 810

Garmin 25 has Bluetooth too so it will work with Garmin Connect on a smartphone, for the price difference I wouldn’t bother with the 20.

Im using a Samsung S4 but syrava keeps ‘occuring a problem’ and missing out chunks of a ride. Im half way through a ride now and it lost gps 3 miles ago causing strava to mark a dead straight line from when it lost gps to when it re gained it.

Luckily my mates selling me his Edge 200 next week.

I think with phones you need to seperate two things, GPS chip quality and app quality/stability. You can have the best/most sensitive chipset in the world but if the app you are using is a buggy bag of shit it’ll end it tears. I use an iphone6 and the wahoo fitness app and its very stable and pretty accurate.

Anyway, it’s not like Garmin have a great track record for stable firmware either…

cheers lads, think it was a mistake selling my 800 when i think about!
any of you used the Tomtom watch?

any of you used the Tomtom watch?

Yes, used to have Garmin Forerunner, now the TomTom Multisport, and it’s good. Bluetooth sync to my phone, small enough to use as a watch, nice user interface.

Used to use strava on an htc sensation. Various issues with battery life and phone meltdown. Just switched to a tom tom multi sport which I am finding rather good and provides hrm feedback for running.

any of you used the Tomtom watch?

Yes here as well (multisport), though mainly for running. Bluetooth sync still flaky on Android (some devices better than others). Appears more solid on apple devices. The watch itself is great, if they can fix the android sync issues then it would be even better (some of there issues might be because I’m using a lollipop phone and there are known bluetooth problems)

Is there any actual evidence that a Garmin is more accurate than a phone? Most seem to assume that the Garmin is more accurate, but is there any actual difference apart from a Garmin 500/800 can be set to record every second?

I use MotionX on the iPhone and its very accurate.
Better in fact than the Edge 305 I have to the point it’ll be in the classifieds soon.

Is there any actual evidence that a Garmin is more accurate than a phone?

6 hours into the ride when the screen is black on the phone the GPS is much more accurate. I get less a more fluid track than the zig zag the phone used to do. But for nav I can have the screen on all the time no hassle.

I find my phone (S4) is just as good as my 800 if it’s in a jersey pocket, and a heck of a lot more convenient. It depends where you put it, if your phone is buried in your bag with a load of tools,clothes and bag obscuring it’s view it’ll be rubbish. Similarly someone tested a forerunner watch against an edge and the watch was much better as it get’s a better view of the sky than the edge obscured by your torso.

Not navigating = phone, fine.

Navigating. Garmin Dakota 20 with barometric altimeter and takes an SD card (£110 on ebay brand new warrantied UK seller) + free contour maps from talkytoaster + £2 bar mounts off ebay, all you need really.

6 hours into the ride when the screen is black on the phone

Really depends on the phone. My old S4 mini, definitely. My X3 compact, I did a four hour ride this weeknd (with Strava running and nothing else – eg wifi, BT – turned off) and it was only down to 80%

As for accuracy, I find that nowadays, there doesn’t tend to be much difference – I’ve got an 800 now and previously had a 705 and Etrex H.

Navigating as you ride is where Garmins, etc win IMO.