byrnemm

Anyone seen/have Timex's new cycling gps? It's available on amazon but information is hard to find. For the same price as a Garmin 500 you get the heart rate monitor included, but I don't know if that's enough to tip the balance against a product that's so well established.

Product Features
Real-time Speed, Distance, Grade, and Heart Rate
Quick and Reliable Signal with SiRFstarIIITM GPS Technology
Location, Elevation, and Temperature Data
Compatible with ANT+TM Speed and Cadence Sensors and Power Meters
Reveiw Maps and Performance with Online Software Powered by TrainingPeaksTM

There's also an official youtube video.

Hopefully someone here has used one and can chime in.

fstshrk

If it only works with training peaks, it's a non starter.

byrnemm

I heard on a podcast that it works with other websites, but they didn't say what kind of file it creates. TrainingPeaks is just their Garmin Connect equivalent.

fstshrk

I own a Timex Global Trainer GPS Watch. It only works with training peaks and it is a massive pain in the neck to get data from training peaks website to runkeeper or strava.
Because of this, I will never buy another Timex product until they open up the data format.

bikepro

If it uses ANT+, it captures data in FIT format. Does it connect to your computer via USB, if so it is treated as a normat USB device. There may be other software products that read FIT files directly. For instance, Garmin's Training Center application, a free download from the Garmin site, can import a FIT file. You might get a copy and try.

jmX

Why do you say that? It's quite easy to record ANT+ data and save in whatever file format you want. Some devices save tcx, for example, or save in a totally custom format. It may very well use .FIT files (and it probably does) but it certainly isn't a requirement just because ANT+ is involved.

antmeeks

I'm happy to see that we've now got this Timex and the GlobalSat because competition is good and will hopefully push Garmin to lower prices and make product improvements more quickly.

saratoga

I've got one of those giant things also. It is a pain to use... plus when the battery dies, the clock has to be reset.

bikepro

You might be correct. However, I don't think they would save the data in TCX format on the actual bike computer since TCX is in XML format. XML is good for exchanging data, however, it creates a much larger file due to the XML format. The FIT format is very compact and better suited to quickly storing data in real-time on a device with limited storage. FIT is the standard format for ANT+, TCX is a format developed by Garmin for transferring data between GPS devices/software. I'm currently developing a cycling software package -- currently it will import data from TCX files and others. I plan to add reading data directly from the .FIT file.

RT

Is this you?

.FIT file repair tool

If it is this easy, I would buy the Timex, assuming all metrics were converted and not just GPS data.

bored117 

Wondering Timex just licensed Garmin... it looks like cosmetically changed 500 to me... Even button locations are same for same type of buttons!

byrnemm

Garmin and Timex started in business together, then Timex got out and Garmin took over the market.. that was years and years ago. Now Timex wants back in.

ibis_ti

I don't think so, but I'm 99.9% sure it's the same as the Globalsat 580P/F. I just ordered the globalsat version.(which I think does support gpx). It could be that globalsat is also the oem builder for the garmin 500.

jmX

You may be right. Both also have 18 hours of battery life, and they both use a web plugin called "somethingConnect". Internally I wouldn't be shocked to learn they are the exact same. The software looks nearly identical as well with only minor changes.

bikepro

No. However this looks like a usefull tool. I'm sure it will convert all information in the FIT file. I'll test it on my Edge 500 FIT files and let you know.

bikepro

I just did a quick test of this. It can be used to convert a FIT file to TCX. It converts everything.

bikepro

I does look just like my Edge 500. A rebranded Garmin? If so, you should be able to upload data from it directly to Garmin Connect.

RT

hmmm. HMMMMM. An alternative.

And TCX is the only format that Strava allows that includes HR info.

bikepro

When you connect the device to your PC, does it show up as a standard USB device?

bikepro

Perhaps, but only if the Timex unit appears as a standard USB device and you are able to view the FIT (assuming it stores them in FIT format) files in File Explorer -- as the Edge 500 does. If, on the other hand, it connects to a USB port, but you cannot see the device in File Explorer, you're locked into the provided software and whatever export capabilities it provides. The latter is the case with the PowerTap head units. They connect via USB but you have to use the PowerAgent software to read the data from the device.

jmX

Incorrect. I upload everything to Strava using FIT files. HR, power, cadence...it all shows up fine.

antmeeks

The Timex Cycle Trainer 2.0 is not on Timex's website, nor are there any sites I could find that fully enumerate it's functionality and features.

Just seems like it's available from a bunch of web retailers with very little, if any, product info.

Hopefully Timex will dedicate some resources to this product, because the current marketing "effort" inspires very little confidence.

Yes, it's cheaper than the Edge 500, but that becomes an irrelevant comparison if it can't do everything the 500 does.

For instance, a critical, must have feature for me is Courses - even the lowly Edge 200 has this.

However, it doesn't appear from anything I've read that the Timex has some facsimile of this feature.

It looks promising, but I think buying this product now would be jumping the shark.

simnorm

It's on the canadian website. It ships with the HR belt, just need to add speed/cadence sensor.
https://www.timex.ca/Cycle-Trainer-20...P1246.aspx?l=e
https://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...rainer-2.0.jsp

antmeeks

Yeah, still extremely light on the details... Compare those product pages with the one for the Edge: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=160&pID=36728 - multiple photos of different angles, multiple screenshots, full enumeration of features, detailed specifications, list of included accessories, etc. etc...

RT

All good points. At least we know there soon may be a broader market. I sold my Garmin 500 a year ago as my phone did more than the Edge did for much less.