I’m looking for a heart rate monitor with GPS that I can use for running and strap round the bars on the bike. I’m not keen on the Polar ones with the external GPS module. Anyone have any better recomendations? Budget is around 200.
Cheers!

You should be able to get a second hand Garmin 405 forerunner with HR mointor easily for your budget.

I am assuming with that suggestion you don’t want it for navigation?

Nope, just to track speed and distance and monitor HR. They look pretty bulky. How do they wear?

Garmin forerunner 210 FTW

310XT.

…albeit £20 more than your budget.

Review.

Forerunner 305 – no question

another thread here

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/gps-for-running-and-cycling

The 210 looks a bit more compact. Why the 305 over the 210?

Got the 305 off amazon for £100 – great piece of kit. Doesn’t wear big.

It’s great for pre-planning work-outs etc. I find the pace much easier to work from than HR – especially in races (running).

Currently using it with Sport Tracks to download to.

The 305 is too bulky and old tech if you don’t need navigation.

Another recommendation for the Forerunner 305 – it’s a bargain at the £100 or so Amazon are doing it for now. It’s not the smallest of watches but I don’t find it too bulky when worn on the wrist and it also works well as a bar mounted cycle computer.

What phone do you have? A lot of Android and iPhone apps have gps tracking units and can get a Bluetooth hrm that will link to phone.

I have the 310xt and have found it very good for tracking training – via Garmins training centre – maps route and all stats. Can also be used through the winter on the turbo to set intervals etc. Use it to set pace in races.

+1 for the FR305. It’s cheap at £100 from Amazon, the bar mounts are cheap (£10), it works with a cadence sensor if you want to use it on a road bike and it has auto-multisport for tri/duathlons. I run, cycle and do the occasional duathlon and the 405 is therefore useless to me. I’m only planning to upgrade to a 310XT because of the much longer battery life (20h on the 310 v 10 on the 305).

+1 for Sporttracks, too.

So with the 305 you can pre plan routes and add cadance at the expense of being massive compared to the 210?

What phone do you have? A lot of Android and iPhone apps have gps tracking units and can get a Bluetooth hrm that will link to phone.

The iPhone apps are ok for short rides, but battery life suffers badly using the GPS and mine was almost flat after a 2 hour ride.

So with the 305 you can pre plan routes and add cadance at the expense of being massive compared to the 210?

Not tried pre-planning routes however I’ve got one of the cadence sensors and it works fine with the 305.

Comparison here

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare.do?cID=141&compareProduct=83280&compareProduct=349

So with the 305 you can pre plan routes and add cadance at the expense of being massive compared to the 210?

If you are going to be using for routing then always go with the bigger screen.

Have a read of DCrainmaker’s review of the 210, has some good comparison shots of the 210 and 305.

Maybe this helps:

Comparison Linky…

Edit: Great minds Uplink, great minds 8)

hmmmm, thanks for that. Looks like I’ll actually have to chose one now!

It might look big, but it’s not heavy. I’ve certainly appreciated the larger screen when out running – you don’t have to squint at it!

Don’t forget the 305 is loads cheaper too……..

I got an Edge 500 for £206 in premium fabric HRM strap and speed/cadence sensor… stores LOADS of data

it is for a bike mount, but you can get a strap to mount it on your wrist – screen is better than the watch based ones

For the record – and I wanted to know – I tested the battery last night

My 305 lasted 13hrs 13mins 10sec from being switched on, located satellites and the timer started