Edge 500 for Running
 

I've been cycling and racing for a while, and I'm just starting to get into running for the off season. I'm not interested in getting a seperate Garmin for tri's just yet, but am curious about the calorie tracker on the 500.

Since the 500 takes things like your bike's weight into account with your own weight and other data to calculate calories, would the calorie tracker be off when running compared to being used on the bike?

I know many folks dispute the accuracy of Garmin's calorie tracker in the first place, but if the count on the bikle is assumed to be standard, I don't know if running would be any different.

Any other insight or comments on using the 500 for running? Thanks all.

Can't comment on the calorie tracker but I can tell you the edge connects to the satelites much quicker than the forerunner 405. I frequently have to wait 15 minutes+ for that thing to connect. The only bad thing about using the edge for running is it doesn't display your current running pace or average pace. If you could get it to display pace I'd use it for running over the forerunner...

I went the other route and got a forerunner first. It's the 305, which means it can't come along with me on the swim, but that's what laps are for? It works for me on the bike, because now I don't find myself staring at data on the ride and will only take occasional glances to check HR, HR Zone, mph, time elapsed, time. And then it can easily be transitioned into the run segment with a few button presses or press if you're on a multisport brick. Only $108 too~ Compared to the $300ish for a 310xt that can go in the water.

It also has two separate profiles for your running and biking (weights).

I've used mine for running. You can buy a wrist strap adapter and use it almost like a watch.

It's the 310XT quick release system. You can get it on amazon. Use a heart rate strap and your calorie tracker will be more accurate.

Check this thing out: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=142&pID=90671 I might end up picking this up and selling my other gps stuff. Here's a review: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/10/g...th-review.html

20 hrs battery life
Power meter compatible
Does run pace
Can use for both road and mountain biking (doesn’t have the crappy mount system of the edge)
Does swim stuff

No - the 500 doesn't know whether you are riding or running so the calorie counter will run regardless. You can create a new bike profile and set the bike weight to 0 or 1 pound.

I turn off the GPS and just use it as a HRM. I throw it in my iPod fanny pack and go.

You don't really need a calorie tracker to calculate calories burned while running. 1 Cal/kg/km provides a sufficiently accurate measure of your calorie consumption and it's independent of pace.

The problem is that the Edge will think you're still cycling, and if you run at say 10km/h, it will think you're riding very very slow and under-calculate your calories drastically - even with an HRM.

The old Forerunners allowed you to switch between cycling and running mode for this very reason, and would calculate calories based on the actiivity you're doing. But the Edge was designed strictly for cycling and doesn't have that feature.

I have an Edge 500 on the bike, and a forerunner 110 (one of the newest ones). Both sync up to my HRM at the same time. So I can ride, jump off my bike, push start on my forerunner, and run. Then I just add the calories at the end.

This is exactly what I was thinking would be the case. Since you have both, have you ever compared their numbers by using them on a run?

That looks like one helluva device! I already sent a link to my girlfriend in hopes that she gets it for me for Christmas.:D I'd get it for myself, but I'm planning on buying her a Macbook Air as a college graduation/Christmas present. There won't be enough $ left over to spoil myself too.

The calorie counter on Garmins is notoriously inaccurate anyway.

I believe the algorthym on the 500 is supposed to be better.

But its still going to a very rough estimate at best for cycling, and it would be totally off running for the reasons stated above.