Sprenzy Shopping Blog

Garmin is on a roll these days. Today, they announced two new cycling computers, the Edge 605 and Edge 705, scheduled for a December 2007 release. From the Garmin blog…

“Cyclists, you spoke up and we listened. You wanted color, you got color. Mapping and more navigation? Check. What about being able to monitor power output on the same device? Impossible? Hardly. And try this on for something completely new: Wireless, unit-to-unit data transfer. No, we’re not pulling your chain. We proudly present the Edge 705 and the Edge 605.

The Edge 705 represents several breakthroughs in cycling technology, including power compatibility and wireless unit-to-unit connectivity. Through collaborative efforts with SRM, Quarq and other experts in mobile power diagnostics for bicycles, Garmin for the first time gives cyclists the opportunity to monitor GPS position, power, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude and gradient on the same display. And Edge 705 users will be able to share their information – including saved rides, waypoints and workouts – with each other through ANT+Sport wireless technology.”

I’ve been using the Garmin Edge 305 for over a year and I love it. There were only a few features (navigation and power output) that I wish my Edge 305 had. It looks like Garmin granted my wishes with the Edge 705. Comparing the specs, the improvements of the Edge 705 over the Edge 305 are…

• Improved battery life, up from 12 hours to 15 hours

• Larger screen size and resolution (176 x 220 pixels) along with a color screen

• Mapping and turn by turn navigation

• MicroSD card slot for adding map detail and storing workout data

• Power output with third-party ANT + Sport-enabled power meters

• Wireless unit-to-unit data transfers

Unit-to-unit data transfer is interesting, but I would prefer to wirelessly transfer my workout data to my computer. It’s strange that this feature is included in the Forerunner 50 but not the Edge 705. However, I am really excited about the third-party power meter integration. Power output is by far the best training method on a bike. And I am curious about the size of the power meter solutions and how they will mount to a bike.

With the larger screen size, the Edge 705 is slightly bigger and heavier (16.9 g more for the weight weenies) than the Edge 305. The new units are also more expensive. The list price for the Edge 705 is $540 - $709, depending on accessories. There is currently a $75 rebate on the Edge 305 and expect the price to drop further with the release of the new Edge units.

I’ll report more on the new Edge models as it gets closer to their release date. GPS position, navigation, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude, gradient and power, what more can you ask for in a cycling computer?!?!

If you are thinking about buying a Garmin Edge 305 or Forerunner 305 but are hesitant due to the price, you can now get a $75 rebate on an Edge 305 or $50 rebate on a Forerunner 305.

Just sign up for the PowerBar newsletter and you’ll get the rebate form. The rebate offer is good if you purchase a Garmin Edge 305 or Forerunner 305 between June 1, 2007 and November 30, 2007. The rebate paperwork must be postmarked by December 30, 2007.

I’ve been using an Edge 305 for the last year and love it as a cycling computer and training tool. Here is my previous post on the Edge 305. An added benefit of owning a Garmin fitness product, is the ability to upload your training data to MotionBased (MB), where you can further analyze the data. I am completely addicted to MB and can’t wait to upload my data after each bike ride.

Over the last year, the cost of an Edge 305 and Forerunner 305 has dropped almost $100. With the $50 Forerunner 305 rebate, I’m seriously considering getting it to track my running workouts.

Although the current Forerunner is a big improvement in form factor over the previous models, I still think the Forerunner is a little large for a wrist-mounted device. I have to remind myself that it’s a GPS fitness device, so a size comparison to a normal running watch isn’t appropriate. I’ll probably end up getting a Forerunner 305 because I love uploading and tracking my workouts in MotionBased so much.

Do you run, bike or workout alone? If the answer is “yes”, do you carry emergency contact information in case you get injured in an accident? What will happen if you are seriously hurt and can’t communicate your medical conditions? The solution is to wear a Road ID. From RoadID.com…

“If you are a runner, cyclist, triathlete or just a person who doesn’t sit on the couch all day, Road ID is for you. This awesome piece of gear not only looks good but it could save your life. In the event of an accident, if you can’t speak for yourself, your Road ID will. Available in 5 different styles. It’s not just a piece of gear - it’s peace of mind.”

The 5 different Road ID styles are the Wrist ID, the Shoe ID, the FIXX ID (dog tag), the Ankle ID and the Shoe Pouch ID. I’ve seen many magazine ads for Road IDs over the years and I always thought it was a brilliant product, but I only recently bought the Ankle ID. Road ID products are very well made and are extremely convenient to use. It definitely beats the plastic bag which contains my driver’s license and business card with emergency contact information. The major problem with the plastic baggy approach is it’s hidden in a pocket and may not be quickly seen or accessed by emergency personnel, whereas, a Road ID can be seen easily.

Getting injured on short run or on your daily bike route can happen suddenly and unexpectedly. I’m sure you’ve seen or read tragic news stories of people being injured whose identity is unknown for several days. There are many testimonials on RoadID.com about the effectiveness of Road ID products. Here is one example…

“I never thought that I would be hit by an automobile while cycling. I was wrong. The accident occurred when I had to exit a riding trail due to construction. A driver of a truck failed to see me and struck me on my right side. I was unable to effectively communicate and answer the paramedics’ questions. Fortunately for me, I was wearing my Road ID. It gave them the information they needed to contact a family member and to get my medical history.”

If you know a runner, cyclist or an active person, tell them to get and wear a Road ID. Better yet, buy the person you care about a Road ID. If you don’t know which Road ID style is right or what information to place on the ID, you can get a gift card and let the recipient choose the right one.

I hope I will never have to put my Road ID to use, but it’s peace of mind for me and my family that they will be contacted in case of an emergency. It’s such a simple but effective product. One that could save your life, so don’t leave home without it!

May is National Bike Month and May 14th - May 18th is Bike-to-Work Week. So save some gas next week and burn some calories on your bike. If you aren’t a regular cyclist, here is some good advice from California Bike Commute…

1. Determine your route to work - The route you drive to work may not be the same one to bike to work. First, choose roads that have wide outside lanes or paved shoulders. Collector streets (those that are at the half mile mark between major streets) are often a good choice. Second, drive the route during your normal commuting time to determine potential traffic problems. Third, bicycle the route on a weekend to examine the road surface for potential problem intersections and the approximate time it will take you.

2. Talk to your employer - Inform your supervisor that you will be commuting by bicycle. Ask where the bicycle can be parked during working hours, and what, if any, advance arrangements need to be made.

3. Check out your bike - Make sure your bicycle is in proper working order. Not only should all the mechanical parts be in good repair (e.g. brakes, tire, gears) but the bicycle should be adjusted properly for seat height, handlebars, etc. If you do not have a helmet, borrow one or buy one. If you will be riding at night, you need and must have a light.

4. Dress for the Occasion - Wear a helmet. It’s also a good idea to bike in comfortable cycling clothes; either pack a bag with your work clothes, or bring your attire the day before you cycle (so they won’t get wrinkled). Also make sure you have a place to change and freshen up, and keep a “kit” of toilet articles and a towel at work.

5. Pump Up - Make sure your tires are properly inflated. If they are low, it will make riding more difficult.

6. Don’t cycle on an empty stomach - You will need energy for your ride, so eat a good breakfast and take along something to eat along your way.

7. Get an early start - The first time you bike to work, allow yourself a little more time than you think you will need. If you tested the route on the weekend as suggested you will know the approximate time it takes. BUT remember, rush hour traffic may slow you down.

Here are some key pieces of equipment you should pick up if you don’t own them already…

1. Bike Helmet - Please don’t get on your bike without one!

2. Commuter Bag - I prefer bringing in clothing the day before you ride to work, but check out one of these bags if you need to carry clothing and gear.

3. Cycling Vest - Bright colors are best. Be seen to be safe!

4. Bike Pump - Properly inflated tires will prevent flats and reduce rolling resistance. Also, a mini-pump is useful if you flat on your ride.

5. Bike Light - If you are commuting in the dark, lights are a must have.

If you need specific advice on gear or equipment, leave a comment or submit some feedback. Also, check out the special events during National Bike-to-Work Week in your community. If you commute in the Bay Area, Thursday May 17th is Bike-to-Work Day. You can win a bike or other prizes by registering at 511.org. More importantly, find out where the energizer stations are that offer refreshments and giveaways.

As someone who logs more mileage on my bike than in my car, I encourage you to bike to work. You’ll be able to save some gas/money, burn some calories, reduce traffic and CO2 emissions by simply pedaling your bike to work!

If you read my review of the Garmin Edge 305, you know that I love my GPS cycling computer. Whether you own a Garmin Edge or Forerunner, the Garmin Training Center (GTC) is the supplied software to download and analyze your workout data. While GTC is adequate and a necessary evil, it’s pretty bland and boring. I can only look at squiggly lines for a short time. The GTC graph below is from a recent bike ride, which shows heart rate, elevation and grade over distance.

An alternative and more useful storage and analysis tool is MotionBased (MB). MB is a web application that allows a member to upload GPS track data and mashes it up with Google Maps. Let’s take a look at the free version, MotionBased Lite. After creating an account, workout data can be directly uploaded from a supported GPS device with the use of the MotionBased Agent. The uploaded activity is then sent to your MB Inbox where you can name the activity, categorize it by type and add a comment. After submitting the activity, it is stored in your Digest, which is a listing of all of your activities.

Activity Dashboard

From the Digest, you can access the activity dashboard, which displays a summary view of your workout. The summary shown below is a road bike ride with high-level data, Google mapping and elevation profile. This ride can be viewed publicly. You can then drill down and analyze the data by time, distance, speed, elevation, heart rate and laps. MotionBased also retrieves the weather from the nearest airport during the activity. It may not be the exact temperature or wind conditions experienced during a workout, especially with many micro-climates like the Bay Area, but it’s beneficial data provided by MB.

Map Player

The map player “replays” the route taken during an activity showing time elapsed, distance, speed, altitude, grade and heart rate at each location on the route. Currently, it only works in Internet Explorer with Adobe SVG viewer. The functionality could be very useful and entertaining, but there are many usability issues that render it ineffective. However, the new beta player, which shows up randomly, is a much improved version that works across browsers. Here is the MB Player for the ride shown above. There are still several UI/usability issues, but it’s a big upgrade.

TrailNetwork

From MB, “the TrailNetwork is the community-oriented section of MotionBased where customers can access activities posted by other members. It’s a growing database of activities and routes created by MotionBased customers. The TrailNetwork may be used to discover new activities or to review results of activities for virtual competition.” Unless an activity is marked private, all of your workouts will be displayed in the TrailNetwork. Additionally, each user has a public activities page. Here’s mine: public activities - Chuck415.

The community feature is the best part of MB. You can view and download route information from other members in your area or get new courses while visiting other cities or countries. It’s a great way to find the routes that are popular with the locals. Additionally, you can share your public page and XML/RSS feed with friends to keep them up to date or to simply motivate each other.

Google Earth

If you have Google Earth, you can export an activity and re-live it with a bird’s-eye view. I don’t know how helpful this feature is, but I definitely enjoy it. It’s a great way to share a run or ride with friends. And on days I’m suffering on my bike, I have more fun watching the replay on Google Earth than the actual ride.

Pricing

With the free version, MotionBased Lite, an unlimited number of activities can be uploaded or accessed, but only the 10 most recent workouts have the dashboard. Upgrading to MotionBased Standard allows dashboard access to all activities, sorting/filtering of the Digest, Saved Reports, the Analyzer and no ads. Check out the MB product features for a description of all MB features. MotionBased Standard is $11.95 a month or $95.40 for an annual plan.

Summary

MotionBased is a great web-based service to store, track and analyze your GPS workout data. With MB, you are able to:

• Upload activities and store your history on MotionBased where you can remotely access it from anywhere
• Perform more post-workout analysis than the Garmin Training Center software
• Visualize activities on Google Maps or Google Earth
• Share workouts with friends or view activities from other MotionBased members
• Export any public activity in GPX or CRS file format, which can be loaded as a course on your GPS device

My primary issue with MB is the UI of the site. I think MB can make major changes to improve the site usability. Still, it’s a wonderful service for anyone with a fitness GPS device. The free service, MotionBased Lite, provides all but a few features that paying members receive.

I upgraded to MB Standard because I want to analyze all of my previous activities. Now, I’m addicted to MB and I can’t wait to upload my GPS data after each ride. Between my Garmin Edge 305 and MotionBased, my training is absolutely blissful.