 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 | ||||||||
 | Speed and Distance Monitor Review |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
| Speed and Distance Monitor Review |
|||||||
| "You now have three great choices for running and cycling speed and distance
monitors. Read this article to decide which is right for you."
|
Reviewed by Jim Dotter, President, Biometrics, Inc.
In this review, we'll show you three options for high performance training systems. Each system can monitor your heart rate, altitude, speed and distance for both running and cycling. And, each has a PC interface and software to allow you to download your workout data and show graphs of the workouts .
Here at Biometrics, in addition to developing PC Coach training software, we sell HRMs and other products to create complete training system solutions. One service we provide is to advise our customers on the right choice of training tools. In the past it was an easier job, as there were few choices on the market. If you wanted a system as defined above, the answer was the Polar S625X. This monitor is still an excellent choice, and the correct monitor for many athletes. But for those who like to shop and compare, there are some new speed and distance systems on the market, making life a lot more interesting. With the introduction of the Suunto t6, and the Timex Trail runner, athletes have more choices, and some exciting new features to consider.
 |
 |
 |
Am I unbiased and capable of a fair review? While I’d like you to buy from us, I am not financially motivated to direct you towards one model over the others. Our company, Biometrics Inc., is an authorized dealer of all three models. In addition, we are a 3rd party software vendor (PC Coach software is compatible with Polar and Timex, and we hope to be compatible with Suunto soon). Since it has been on the market much longer, I should admit that I am familiar with the Polar system in much greater depth. The Suunto and Timex systems are new, but I have engaged in a full court press to learn their intricacies as well as my publishing deadline will allow. There you go – full disclosure .
Why have I chosen these products to review and compare? There are several other interesting products that should perhaps be on your radar but don’t fit into this comparison. Three that come immediately to mind are the Polar RS200sd, Polar S720i, and the Suunto X9i. However, each lacks an essential part of the system described in my first paragraph. The RS200sd does not have cycling functions, the S720i does not have running speed and distance, and the X9i lacks heart rate. Follow the links above to learn more about any of these products, but if you want a robust system with heart rate, running speed and distance, cycling speed and distance, altitude, and the ability to download a graph of your workout to the PC, your best choices are the Polar S625X (or S725X), Suunto t6, and the Timex Trail Runner. Life is full of tradeoffs. I chose these three models to compare because they can all be said to satisfy my requirements. If you read this article and still have questions about any of these models, call our hotline at (303) 448-9400.
How many products are compared here? The title lists four, but the answer is really three. The Polar S725X, newly released, is not really a new product but rather a new packaging combination. Cosmetic differences aside (it has a carbon-fiber look, instead of black), it is the same product as the S625X - packaged for cyclists. (The S725X is packaged with the cycling speed sensor and handlebar mount but without the running footpod. ) The footpod, (which is included packaged with with the S625X) can be added to the S725X system. All of Polar’s cycling sensors can also be used with the S625. In terms of features and capabilities, the S625X and the S725X are identical (although the S725X costs a bit more). In this article, we will refer to the S625X, but know that what we say would also apply to the S725X.
Your decision distills down to this: which company offers the best platform today? Software can be improved with future releases, and there are some options for adding components later, but your initial investment of the watch is the big one, and it locks you into one system.
Don’t look for a single “Editors’ Choice” winner here in this article. All three of these products are viable, well - engineered, high-end performance tools. Each one will be the best choice for certain users. It all depends on which features are more important to you. IIf you only have 5 minutes to make your choice, be my guest and skip to the summary at the end of this article. But if you are shopping for a high-end monitor, you should plan to spend some time comparing these products and perhaps even talking with us about them. They represent a significant investment, and they are different enough that there are important tradeoffs. You’ll spend a lot of time with it your monitor as you train through the year. If you make the right choice and get a tool that fits your needs, price differences will be less significant through its lifespan. We will compare these products using many different criteria:
Before we dig in, know that both the Suunto T6 and the Timex Trail Runner are new products, both being released in the past few months. Both companies have a good history, discussed later, and both are improving on technologies already in the market, so large parts of these systems are already proven. But since they are new products, we have not had as much time to become familiar with them. But in the time we have had, they appear to be good, solid products from great companies. So read this review, look at the pictures, make your choice, and be aware that we’ll let you swap your watch out for a different model if you change your mind when you get it and return it unused.
This author’s bias - I like products that hold together as a complete system. Daily use without bumping into problems ranks high. In this high-end category where so many features are packed into all the products, individual features generally rank lower in importance. To me, the feature comparison list does not tell the whole story.
I won’t presume to tell you which of the categories below are more important. I list them in my favorite order. First stop is the underlying technology. Two approaches are offered. The first is direct physical measurement by speed sensors for bike and run; the other, GPS technology. I will compare the trade-offs of these two approaches. Later, we will consider features and system design. Differences here translate to a major difference in capabilities. Later, we focus on the three companies. These are all strong, reputable companies who have shown a commitment to high-performance training tools. But there are differences. From there we dig into a long list of details and features . We have tried to cover all the significant features, so this gets long in spots. Fortunately, there are a a lot of features to cover.
Polar and Suunto offer a footpod for collecting running speed and distance, bike attachments for cycling speed and distance, (also cadence and power options in the case of Polar), a chest strap for heart rate, and a built-in altimeter based on barometric pressure. The Timex system is based on GPS technology, offering speed and distance in any activity plus heart rate, altitude (obtained from the GPS satellites) and additionally, latitude and longitude data plus compass heading after several steps in one direction. The Timex system, unlike many other GPS based systems, shows running pace in minutes/mile. That plus the heart rate data means it is suitable to the task I defined in the opening paragraph, where many other GPS systems are not.
The underlying technology for the Polar and Suunto models is identical: speed and distance on a bike is by a traditional wheel magnet and sensor. Altitude is obtained based on barometric pressure, temperature compensated. Speed and distance running is based on a footpod accelerometer technology from Dynastream. This has been well wrung out and works really well for most purposes. Both Polar and Suunto are using a 3 rd generation footpod. It is pretty darned accurate right out of the box for most runners, and it can be calibrated to be even closer.
The footpod does not mind tight curves, which can throw off a GPS, and it adjusts well for uphill and downhill running. It clips securely to your running shoe, runs on one AAA battery and is light enough not to be noticed. It doesn’t care about trees or tall buildings; it always gives you a number. It does not report walking distance accurately however, unless calibrated for that, (in which case the running will be way off). For more on the footpod technology, see the Dynastream whitepaper on Speedmax technology. The bottom line on the footpod is this - it is pretty accurate, especially when you run at steady paces. It is less accurate for interval sessions at the track, since there is a lag time between when you start sprinting and when the monitor picks up the change in speed.
The Timex Trailrunner is based on GPS technology that has some real advantages. The primary one is this: It is completely accurate without calibration; the altimeter does not drift with incoming weather. Unfortunately, GPS systems also have some disadvantages. If you get into dense trees or tall buildings, you lose the GPS satellites until you re-emerge. This can cause a minor disruption, or major - depending on whether you are running by just a few trees, or in the thick of the forest.
With the Timex, you can keep put the watch in speed/dist mode and just look at your running pace, cycling speed, or speed at any other activity, along with heart rate, elapsed or lap time, all the usual items that you expect in a training tool. Since it is based on GPS, and not a "running" or "cycling" sensor, you can use the Timex to display and record your speed data for a variety of sports. Cross country skiing, kayaking, skiing - all can be monitored with the Timex (as long as trees are not an issue.) The one sport it can not monitor is swimming, as the GPS unit is water resistant, but not appropriate for swimming.
The fact that Timex has GPS data also lends itself to some interesting features based on location data. Timex has a "navigation mode", to help you determine where in the world you are in terms of latitude and longitude - although here the display can be a bit daunting. Imagine seeing this on your watch face:
N 39^56’19.9”
W105^15’27.6”
which says that you are currently located at:
39 degrees, 56 minutes, 19.9 seconds north
105 degrees, 15 minutes, 27.6 seconds west
This means, in English, that you are at the Mesa Trail trailhead in Eldorado Springs, Colorado. As you can see, this feature could be very valuable if you are on a hike, and you have a topo map. It's probably less important if you are on a run, and just want to know your speed and distance.
Another feature the Timex GPS allows is the ability to capture your location data during your run, later to download and (by using a 3rd party websites) create a map of your workout. Again, this is a really cool feature, and of these three systems, only the Timex has it. What you have to consider is how often would you want to do this, and is it more important than some other features you may lose by choosing this system - such as recording your lap times. For the rest of this review, we will not dwell on the location data, but consider the Timex in the context of a speed/distance/altimeter for any activity, which makes it a more direct comparison to the Polar and Suunto systems.
To continue to page 2 of this review, click here.
To go straight to the summary of this review, click here.
Call 1-800-522-6224 or visit the |
