Triathlon - My Garmin Forerunner 310XT/ Quarq Cinqo review

So now that I've had it for almost a month I wanted to follow up about my experiences with the Forerunner 310XT and the Quarq Cinqo since not many people are out there using it. Here's my personal experience...

1. Fit/Finish

A definite improvement over the 305 I think. Form factor is nice, the buttons have a much better feel, the display is bigger. There have been some complaints about its "huge" size, but it's no bigger than the 305 from what I can tell.

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I'm also using the Quick Release kit, which includes a separate band and a bar/stem mounting bracket and a plastic watch band. At first I was a little disappointed because I loved the nylon band in the 305's quick release kit, but I realized that the design of the 305's band would rip many a wetsuit. The 310XT's quick release band is a much lower profile and is easy to slide a wetsuit sleeve over... the 310XT snaps in and out of the band and the bike mount with a 90-degree turn and a very positive-feeling click--more secure than the 305 setup.

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The QR kit also makes for easy bike mounting. I used a Profile Universal Computer Mount to mount the 310XT where I can see it, right between the extensions. Seems aero enough since the airflow between my hands couldn't have been that smooth anyway. So far the location hasn't been a problem in terms of data drops, etc. (more on that later).

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http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p85/dr_pete177/DSC01055.jpg

2. Menus/Settings: It's a bit more user friendly, with a nice backlight and animated scrolling between screens. The menus are a little more intuitive, and the ANT+ settings for each sport can be brought up separately. Works well.

2. Swimming: I know it's a vagary of the GPS system, but there's no GPS in the water. I have found, though, that programming my swim workouts into Garmin Training Center and using the watch for intervals, etc. has been nice. For OWS you might not lose your signal but the distance measurements are waaaay off, to the tune of 20-30% per some reports.

3. Running: Basically the same as the 305. I do think the new HR strap slips around a bit less, so that's a plus. Otherwise the functionality is the same as the 305.

As an added bonus, the new Foot Pod fits in the midsole of Nike + shoes, which I own, so that's nice.

4. Cycling with power: This really couldn't have been any simpler. The Quarq Cinqo was a breeze to install, mainly because I had a SRAM GXP bottom bracket already. The only "trick" is installing the cadence magnet. I used the epoxy putty that was included because it worked a little better with my frame's shape. Total installation time for the Quarq, magnet installation included, was about 20 minutes. I didn't even have to adjust the front derailleur when I went from the Force crankset. Aesthetically the S900 crankset is a nice fit with the rest of the Force group.

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http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p85/dr_pete177/DSC01058.jpg

Pairing with the Cinqo took all of 30 seconds. No problems at all. Just go to the "ANT+ Power Meter" submenu under bike settings and change "do you have a power meter?" to "Yes." The 310XT picked up the Quarq right away.

There's been a lot of talk about data sampling with the unchangeable "Smart Recording" scheme. I was assured by the folks at Garmin that the power data would sample at 1 second intervals and that has, in fact, been the case. I did notice one funky thing in the data files, though--more on that in a sec.

There was some talk that if the 310XT is too far from the Cinqo that it wouldn't pair or gather data, and that hasn't been the case for me--for the most part. The only time I had an issue was while riding on the trainer and watching a movie that was being streamed from my Wifi network. No issues on the road so far.

5. Data Processing: This is the only place where I've been a little annoyed, but it's minor stuff. Keep in mind that I'm using a Mac.

The ANT Agent does seem to work pretty well, but if you don't want to send directly to Garmin Connect and you don't want to use Garmin Training Center, the process is painful. The ANT agent dumps the .tcx files directly into a folder that's buried deep in the Library. Once I figured out where it was, I made an alias to the folder and stuck it on my desktop--Voila. Instant access to all the downloaded .tcx files so I can send them to trainingpeaks.com. The TP device agent will not send 310XT files directly. Hopefully there'll be a way to do that with a future software update.

As I mentioned, the data files do sample at 1 second intervals, but the speed, cadence, and HR are "smart" recorded. So it fills in the blanks between speed/cadence/HR measurements by repeating the last measurement with a new value for power output.

One weird thing, though: The speed data (as measured by GPS in my setup) seems a bit wacky. Every 3-5 seconds there's a weird data drop that's apparent here...

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p85/dr_pete177/WKO310xtscreengrab.jpg

If you look closely, every 4th-5th speed measurement dropped the speed from 25-26 on that interval down to 6! Needless to say that screwed with the average speed in WKO+. When viewing in TrainingPeaks or GTC the average speed is correct but in WKO+ it's much lower. So I guess it's just a WKO+ thing, but it's still irritating.

Overall, though, I'm very pleased with the 310XT and the Cinqo. The only big minus in my eyes is the lack of accurate GPS functionality in the water. Best idea I can come up with is a ANT+ GPS receiver that clips onto the goggles or is integrated into a swim cap, but that may not work either. Who knows.

The other gripes are thankfully software/firmware problems that are easily addressable, so I'm encouraged. Overall a very good product.

Do you see any weird behavior when you're coasting? My combo (admittedly different with 705/cinqo) seems to show constant power and cadence on downhills that are obviously not real.

Nice review! Have you tried RaceDay for the MAC? Bike looks great!

Great to hear of your positive experience. Thanks for sharing! :thumb:

I just received my 310xt on Monday and just completed my first test with a brick session, sans Cinqo. I really like having all the data in one place for both run and bike. I don't have the QR kit yet as the store I purchased from was out but seeing yours now really makes me want it. :rolleyes:

I should hopefully have my Cinqo today so I can see how bad I really suck. :D

hmmm garmin is silly, they make a product for triathletes but don't make it easy to mount on an aerobar... hmmm...

setup looks cool though, assuming my pocket gets a little deeper i might think of that in the future.

Nice review! Have you tried RaceDay for the MAC? Bike looks great!

I've looked at it but I'm waiting for the version that lets you view all three sports under the same athlete. Per the developer, this should be in the next version sometime this summer/fall.

And thanks--the bike is WAAAAAY beyond anything I could ever "need" at my level, but damn is it fun to ride real fast. :)

Thanks for sharing, Doc! I was curious how things were going.

nice! i'm so tempted by the 310. some guy on my local craigslist bought one, ended up losing his job, and is selling it for around 50 bucks less than new. i have a 305 now.


those dips in the speed are unusual. they look pretty consistent, too. i'm interested to hear the cause and/or a fix. i'm also curious about the comment regarding using a system other than garmin's for data transfer. is it pretty much the same hassle as with the 305?

nice! i'm so tempted by the 310. some guy on my local craigslist bought one, ended up losing his job, and is selling it for around 50 bucks less than new. i have a 305 now.


those dips in the speed are unusual. they look pretty consistent, too. i'm interested to hear the cause and/or a fix. i'm also curious about the comment regarding using a system other than garmin's for data transfer. is it pretty much the same hassle as with the 305?

No, the data transfer is super slick on the 305 because TrainingPeaks has their own "device agent" software that links directly with the 305.

i just use the garmin tc, i heard from somebody tp was difficult with the 305 so i never even bothered. i'll have to try it today after my run then.

i like that bar mount on the bike.

Dr Pete- If you were using it in a race, how does it go from Swim to T1 to Bike to T2 to Run... I hear it is one touch to toggle from swim to bike to run I think, but does it account for Transistions?

Almost looks like the speed dips are related to the action of altitude reading.

Dr Pete- If you were using it in a race, how does it go from Swim to T1 to Bike to T2 to Run... I hear it is one touch to toggle from swim to bike to run I think, but does it account for Transistions?

My way? Set up "auto multisport" with transitions.

I hit start within a few seconds of the swim start so I'm not fidgeting at the horn. Coming out of the water, I hit lap, which starts my T1 time, then I take the watch off the wristband and hold it in my hand while I take off my sleeves. Once I hit transition, I grab my helmet/glasses with one hand and slap the 310XT onto the bike mount with the other. Hit Lap on the way out of transition, and that starts the bike.

Back at T2, pop the watch off the bike and onto the wrist--easy while jogging. Hit lap to start T2 at some point. Hit lap on the way out of transition, and lap again at the finish.

I have to say that was a great review, thanks for taking the time and putting in the effort to objectively rate a purchase in which cost may have colored the judgment of a lessor man. That not withstanding the speed errors and the subsequent effect on the accuracy of the mean would drive me nuts. Can you edit those errors after you upload the data into your computer? Oh and your bike, I better not let my bike see me looking at your bike or it will think I am cheating.

I have to say that was a great review, thanks for taking the time and putting in the effort to objectively rate a purchase in which cost may have colored the judgment of a lessor man. That not withstanding the speed errors and the subsequent effect on the accuracy of the mean would drive me nuts. Can you edit those errors after you upload the data into your computer? Oh and your bike, I better not let my bike see me looking at your bike or it will think I am cheating.

The speed is kind of a secondary thing, and is ultimately superfluous data when you have cadence and power. I suppose if you were trying to work on aero position it would be helpful but for measuring effort, etc. it kinda doesn't matter. Oddly enough, this little "feature" hasn't been consistently showing up, and I'm still trying to figure out what causes the drops.

Yes, the files can be edited, but I'm too lazy to do that.

One issue I did discover, though--the multisport files from the 310XT are useless in WKO+ and other software, and in Garmin Training Center there's still no way to look at power data. This is REALLY annoying. I have a file from my last race that I'm trying to figure out how to "split" into the swim/bike/run components so I can log it in TrainingPeaks and I'm having no luck.

FWIW, though, I'm definitely enjoying racing with a power meter--it keeps you focused on a constant effort and gives you the guilt trip of staring at a zero when you're coasting... Last weekend I had a PR bike split at 23.0mph for 19.5 miles...

Update after a couple months of use:

After a couple months of use I'm kinda irritated by the 310. If I didn't have a power meter on my bike I'd probably just shelve it and go back to the 305.

-Too many problems with the ANT stick.

-You can't look at power data from any "multisport" workout right now because GTC doesn't show you power.

-The firmware update took 26 tries to actually work.

-Whenever the ANT Agent starts up, it tells me there's a new version available and asks me to download it, even after I've downloaded the new version and installed it -- 4 times.

For a Mac user, this thing has become irritating as hell. And since all it does with any accuracy in the water is measure time, I'd say stick with a 305 unless you have a compelling reason to switch, and right now having an ANT+ Power meter is the only reason I can think of.

I don't have any real gripes about using it during a training session or race, but all of the data processing/uploading/software and firmware update stuff is a tremendous PITA.

Thank you for the update. I will stick with my Forerunner 305.