Garmin Edge 500 - Intermittent Problem
11-14-12 | 05:14 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,075
Likes: 0
Garmin Edge 500 - Intermittent Problem
I've had my Edge 500 for a couple of months now. Works really well. Lots of fun data to look at, etc.
Anyway, a couple of days (Sunday) ago I had a chance to go for a ride, so I headed out on my usual route. Within a couple of minutes (maybe even less), I was hearing the beeping of my HRM alarm. Usually I don't hear that unless I get overly-aggressive on some hills along the way, or sometimes early in my ride and I get stuck at a long traffic light I'll get a lowHR alarm. This time though it was reporting over 185 bpm - way over my max of about 170 (I don't think I've ever gotten above 170 before). Anyway, I attributed it to poor connection of the chest strap, since I didn't wet it before I put it on, and it was cold enough I probably wasn't sweating too much. Eventually it started reading about 125 bpm, which is about where I would have expected it to read at that point. If that was the end of the story I wouldn't be posting, but wait there's more . . .
Towards the end of the ride, I looked down and noticed my current speed was 0 mph. Now I don't claim to be the fastest person on 2 wheels, but come on, I WAS moving. I got off the bike and fiddled with the magnet and speed sensor. Cadence was working, but no matter what I did, nothing showed up on the speed. Eventually I gave up and headed on home. When I got home and stopped the timer, I noticed that the elapsed distance was correct for the ride I just did, but the max speed was a bit different from what I was expecting. Apparently I topped out at 104 mph! I guess I picked up a bit more speed on those downhills than I had thought (and on a fixed gear too - must have been really spinning).
The next day I went on another ride that I've done before, and the Edge 500 worked flawlessly from beginning to end.
Any ideas what happened on that one ride? Anyone else get their max speed into triple digits?
Thanks for any insights.
KB
Anyway, a couple of days (Sunday) ago I had a chance to go for a ride, so I headed out on my usual route. Within a couple of minutes (maybe even less), I was hearing the beeping of my HRM alarm. Usually I don't hear that unless I get overly-aggressive on some hills along the way, or sometimes early in my ride and I get stuck at a long traffic light I'll get a lowHR alarm. This time though it was reporting over 185 bpm - way over my max of about 170 (I don't think I've ever gotten above 170 before). Anyway, I attributed it to poor connection of the chest strap, since I didn't wet it before I put it on, and it was cold enough I probably wasn't sweating too much. Eventually it started reading about 125 bpm, which is about where I would have expected it to read at that point. If that was the end of the story I wouldn't be posting, but wait there's more . . .
Towards the end of the ride, I looked down and noticed my current speed was 0 mph. Now I don't claim to be the fastest person on 2 wheels, but come on, I WAS moving. I got off the bike and fiddled with the magnet and speed sensor. Cadence was working, but no matter what I did, nothing showed up on the speed. Eventually I gave up and headed on home. When I got home and stopped the timer, I noticed that the elapsed distance was correct for the ride I just did, but the max speed was a bit different from what I was expecting. Apparently I topped out at 104 mph! I guess I picked up a bit more speed on those downhills than I had thought (and on a fixed gear too - must have been really spinning).
The next day I went on another ride that I've done before, and the Edge 500 worked flawlessly from beginning to end.
Any ideas what happened on that one ride? Anyone else get their max speed into triple digits?
Thanks for any insights.
KB
11-15-12 | 11:25 AM
#2
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,951
Likes: 14
Garmin Edge units occasionally will record an erroneous position and show ludicrous speeds and/or distances. I don't think this is what happened in your situation. If you moved the magnet past the sensor quickly back and forth a few times when you were fiddling with it, you might have recorded a high speed...but who knows. Go to the Edge forums at Garmin to get more info and advice: https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?219-Edge-500
Also, max HR depends on the individual, and it's extremely difficult to achieve. 180 is within normal for many people past 60 (I'm 60 and mine is 183). That said, HR straps to at times record erroneously high readings which can be due to poor contact with dry skin in cool conditions, pickup of static electricity from flapping jerseys, etc.. Again, the Garmin Edge forums offer more info.
Also, max HR depends on the individual, and it's extremely difficult to achieve. 180 is within normal for many people past 60 (I'm 60 and mine is 183). That said, HR straps to at times record erroneously high readings which can be due to poor contact with dry skin in cool conditions, pickup of static electricity from flapping jerseys, etc.. Again, the Garmin Edge forums offer more info.
