Not sure if this has been asked already, but a search didn't turn up any answers.

I have a Forerunner 305 that I have had since around Christmas, but this evening was the first time I have really used it for cycling. Due to nagging health problems, this evening was the first time I have done a ride in over six weeks.

I knew I couldn't go far, but I just wanted to get a few miles in before it got dark. Anyway, to make a long story short, my Forerunner 305 says I did 4.23 miles, but my mind says that it wasn't that far. My ride consisted entirely of residential streets with not much tree cover, so I'm sure it was in good connection with the satellites.

I guess my question would be this...when out in the open, so to speak, is the Forerunner 305 pretty accurate? Has anyone had any major distance discrepancies, or does it match up pretty well with a bike based odometer?

Thanks in advance for any info y'all can provide.

AJC

I have a Garmin Edge 305 (very similar technology to the Forerunner) and I think it is very accurate. Does Google Maps give you a much different distance than the Garmin?

My Forerunner 305 has been pretty accurate for me. I've looked at the last several rides using the "View In Google Earth" option, and the overlays have been lining up extremely well with the roads and trails.

I used it to log my route during some orienteering events, and noticed a few small skips or inaccuracies, but that was stuffed in the bottom of my hydration pack in a thick forest, and all the offs were shorter than my actual path, not longer.

Had mine for years before it got run over by a SUV. It's very accurate. Let me tell you if you get a bike mount, don't trust it. It will let go of the 305 if you jar the bike hard like when hitting a rut. I still think it's one of the best things Garmin ever made.