Garmin 705 Q
 

I'm new to the world of fancy pants bike gadgets. I was going to get a low-end garmin so that I could have the HR data and a way to schedule workouts (beep at me for intervals) but if I can get a good deal on something better, maybe I should go for it?

What are your likes and dislikes of the 705? I do not use a powertap at this time but I suppose this would give me the options. My main wants are for recording workout data and also for map recording.

with all the garmins, whats really nice is the ability to do auto lap trigger based upon your position. This makes for a nice lap-to-lap break down during crits and RR's.

I have the 305, and I really like it, however, i am thinking about going with a powertap pretty soon, and don't want to lose some of the garmin features which I'll lose if I use the powertap head, so I am thinking upping to a 705.

I guess I'm not sure what the question is... I like mine. :thumb:

Dislikes: data drops

Are you using the new firmware?

Nickel if you're at Marty this weekend see me and I'll let you toy with my 705. I'm officiating on the moto.

I like how it's a very powerful tool and expandable to a powermeter.

I hate the lack of a useful manual for navigating it's enormous feature list.

From the usual UK sources it can be had ~$400, but you'll need the map disc (~$80/Amazon) to use the mapping features.

Overall I'd buy it again.

There are two reasons to get the 705 instead of the 305:
1. You want to use it for navigation.
2. You want to use it with a power-measuring device.

If you don't need one of those functions, then just go with the 305.

3. You want the battery last long enough for a 10+ hour ride without recharging.

Yes, I thought about that after I made the post.

Also the screen is much bigger and is easier to see, especially at night. And the controls are easier to operate while riding. And the unit has much more data storage for rides.

:thumb:

Hopefully the new firmware fixes the data drop issue!

Changes from version 2.60 to version 2.70:
Improved data recording in once per second mode
Added ability to set averaging method for power and cadence
Removed cadence filtering for power meters
Made improvements to try to prevent spurious Auto Pauses
Fixed distance and bearing display to work on Saved Rides list
Fixed issue with trying to read files that start with '.' that caused problems with Mac communication
Fixed issue where random characters were displayed in list before course names loaded
Fixed issue with speed targets not working properly in Advanced Workouts
Fixed occasional issue where a corrupted history file could be created
Added Venezuela and Australia-Lord Howe Island time zones
Updated automatic Daylight Saving Time for Auckland, New Zealand, time zone


two HUGE updates! Now we get something other than NZAP!

cool - what are the new options for the power averaging?

Include zeros or not. It affects both cadence and power averaging. It is in the settings > data recording screen. I can verify that it works...

The new 705 firmware seems to have fixed the locking up while on the map screen

No. You should buy my used 305.

My only concerns with swapping to the 705 are the need to keep it charged. Do you always keep it plugged in until you ride or can you let it sit a day or 2 and ride and still be fine? Also a lot of bad stories about the mount breaking.

It holds its charge just fine. I never really charge mine though, I just plug it into my computer to download the data after a ride and usually just leave it plugged in for a while. It charges from the computer. My wife doesn't ride as often and it will sit for a few days between rides and it doesn't cause any problems.

The mount isn't very good but it doesn't break without warning. I ignored the warnings and lost mine. Just pay attention to it and if it starts getting lose replace it.

If anyone is looking to use the 705 and a powertap with WKO+, it has one very useful feature over simply the PT headunit--altitude readings concurrently with other statistics.