giving up on garmin-replacement ideas?
10-04-16, 07:05 AM
#26
I'm doing it wrong.
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Man, I guess I am just lucky.......knock on wood.
I have a Edge 1000 and a 500 and a stages PM and really haven't had much issues out of either of them. If the Garmin fails to upload via Bluetooth right when I end the ride I open up the Garmin app on my phone and it starts the upload. That's about the only issue I've had out of the three units. Well, if the battery is low on the stages it starts getting hinkey.
I have noticed that if I have a lot of rides stored on either the 500 or 1000, that the time it takes to upload via Bluetooth or using GarminExpress will be longer and sometimes extremely long. Plugging into the 'puter and erasing those activities freshens the unit up and will make it run quicker with uploading
I have a Edge 1000 and a 500 and a stages PM and really haven't had much issues out of either of them. If the Garmin fails to upload via Bluetooth right when I end the ride I open up the Garmin app on my phone and it starts the upload. That's about the only issue I've had out of the three units. Well, if the battery is low on the stages it starts getting hinkey.
I have noticed that if I have a lot of rides stored on either the 500 or 1000, that the time it takes to upload via Bluetooth or using GarminExpress will be longer and sometimes extremely long. Plugging into the 'puter and erasing those activities freshens the unit up and will make it run quicker with uploading
10-04-16, 07:06 AM
#27
Vain, But Lacking Talent
Could the problem be with the iPhone? I have an Edge 25 and it uploads rides to Garmin Connect (which uploads them to Strava) as soon as a ride finishes, but my phone is an Android. I've heard that Apple Bluetooth is different from the rest of the world. I know you can't use Bluetooth OBDII dongles with iPhones.
Then I got an Android phone. ZERO issues since then. Absolutely not a single failure to upload or connect or anything.
Garmin firmware updates are generally awful, but it looks like my main gripe may have been with Apple rather than Garmin.
10-04-16, 07:24 AM
#28
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Bummer on your issues. My 500 that I have had for probably 6 years has been fantastic, no issues. The new "upload to GC which is synced to Strava" thing is obnoxious, but it has worked for me thusfar. My Garmin Forerunner watch works fine that way as well, bluetooth upload to phone (Garmin Connect) and the ride is up on Strava minutes later.
10-04-16, 08:32 AM
#29
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FYI I use my ELEMNT with an iPhone, and when the ride ends, it's up on Strava usually before I have a chance to get my phone out my pocket and check it. Yesterday, I finished my ride, looked at my phone and had a notification for kudos on the ride already!
I can't say I've ever had significant issues with the iPhone's Bluetooth implementation. I know that some people are reporting issues with iOS 10's Bluetooth though.
If Garmins are having issues with iPhone, I'd suggest to look to Garmin, not Apple honestly, unless the issues have just started with iOS10 upgrade.
I can't say I've ever had significant issues with the iPhone's Bluetooth implementation. I know that some people are reporting issues with iOS 10's Bluetooth though.
If Garmins are having issues with iPhone, I'd suggest to look to Garmin, not Apple honestly, unless the issues have just started with iOS10 upgrade.
10-04-16, 09:14 AM
#30
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If anyone is dissatisfied with a Garmin 820 and wants to try a Polar V650 then send me a PM and we can work something out.
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10-04-16, 09:24 AM
#31
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I have an Edge 705. Older than dirt. And the upload process is wonky... but I think I figured some stuff out:
1) Garmin support went through with me on the phone and we wiped all the settings and reset the device. That fixed the wonkiness where partial rides would be missing, or some rides wouldn't upload w/o errors.
2) I _think_ that the device doesn't process it's raw/native date into tcx files until you plug it in... then it processes them all before presenting the USB drive. By allowing that unsaved data to accumulate forever w/o uploading, I think I inadvertently made it more flaky. I have been uploading data more frequently, and haven't had problems lately (last 3-4 months).
Someone I work with has much newer garmin stuff, and his is set up so that it automatically uploads as soon as it sees a wifi connection. He loves it. It seems to work. I wonder what happens if it sees wifi before my ride is done (do you get 2 rides, one before one after?? I dunno) but he reports no issues with it. It may require his bike unit to talk to his watch unit, or maybe it requires a newer (or higher end) bike unit than he has.
But I suppose getting it all set up to auto upload (via wifi) when the bike rolls into the house would solve most of your problems, maybe with a newer garmin?
1) Garmin support went through with me on the phone and we wiped all the settings and reset the device. That fixed the wonkiness where partial rides would be missing, or some rides wouldn't upload w/o errors.
2) I _think_ that the device doesn't process it's raw/native date into tcx files until you plug it in... then it processes them all before presenting the USB drive. By allowing that unsaved data to accumulate forever w/o uploading, I think I inadvertently made it more flaky. I have been uploading data more frequently, and haven't had problems lately (last 3-4 months).
Someone I work with has much newer garmin stuff, and his is set up so that it automatically uploads as soon as it sees a wifi connection. He loves it. It seems to work. I wonder what happens if it sees wifi before my ride is done (do you get 2 rides, one before one after?? I dunno) but he reports no issues with it. It may require his bike unit to talk to his watch unit, or maybe it requires a newer (or higher end) bike unit than he has.
But I suppose getting it all set up to auto upload (via wifi) when the bike rolls into the house would solve most of your problems, maybe with a newer garmin?
10-04-16, 09:32 AM
#32
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I have an Edge 800 but only use it as a display, I don't upload rides from it anymore. It's going on 6 years old. I've heard Edges have gone downhill since then in terms of bugginess and reliability.
I also have a Garmin watch. It's made by a different division than the Edge units. Still has GPS, talks to my power meter, etc. I've got hundreds of activities on it (bike rides, swims, hikes) and they've all uploaded without a problem. I mean 100 % of the time. Kind of surprising to read about all the trouble people have given my experience.
I also have a Garmin watch. It's made by a different division than the Edge units. Still has GPS, talks to my power meter, etc. I've got hundreds of activities on it (bike rides, swims, hikes) and they've all uploaded without a problem. I mean 100 % of the time. Kind of surprising to read about all the trouble people have given my experience.
10-04-16, 09:37 AM
#33
Senior Member
Someone I work with has much newer garmin stuff, and his is set up so that it automatically uploads as soon as it sees a wifi connection. He loves it. It seems to work. I wonder what happens if it sees wifi before my ride is done (do you get 2 rides, one before one after?? I dunno) but he reports no issues with it. It may require his bike unit to talk to his watch unit, or maybe it requires a newer (or higher end) bike unit than he has.
But I suppose getting it all set up to auto upload (via wifi) when the bike rolls into the house would solve most of your problems, maybe with a newer garmin?
But I suppose getting it all set up to auto upload (via wifi) when the bike rolls into the house would solve most of your problems, maybe with a newer garmin?
10-04-16, 09:40 AM
#34
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Garmin is THE standard. If you think Garmin is bad then you are in for a big surprise using anything else. Your only other viable alternative is Polar which has its own host of issues and quirks. Having spent years on both Polar and Garmin... Garmin is the lesser of two evils.
10-04-16, 09:56 AM
#35
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Someone I work with has much newer garmin stuff, and his is set up so that it automatically uploads as soon as it sees a wifi connection. He loves it. It seems to work. I wonder what happens if it sees wifi before my ride is done (do you get 2 rides, one before one after?? I dunno) but he reports no issues with it. It may require his bike unit to talk to his watch unit, or maybe it requires a newer (or higher end) bike unit than he has.
10-04-16, 11:06 AM
#37
well hello there
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so i've finally had it with garmin. bought an edge 510 about 3 years ago for essentially 2 reasons.
my (then) iphone 4 drained the battery to high heaven when running strava to track rides and
that particular phone had gps issues...esp in canyons or metropolitan dtown areas...so wanted
something more accurate.
the garmin edge 510 has been accurate, has been great with battery life and has an easy,
adaptable readout. no issues there. the issue is the uploading of rides-whether via bluetooth
or plugging into the computer. the garmin express/connect thing is a pita and doesn't always
work, resulting in "dropped" rides that i hafta enter manually. The ride always registers on the
actual 510 unit with all applicable stats when i check "last ride." the inability to transfer rides to
strava (or even the garmin connect app) happens about 25% of the time and doesn't seem to be
influenced by ride length, distance, terrain or time.
this is my 3rd edge 510. it is my 2nd replacement one after contacting the company about the
originally purchased one and its subsequent replacement. the other two had different issues
(no backlighting, randomly turning off, long periods of freezing). so it's been 3 years with essentially a
new or refurbished (no charge) one every year. none of the units has suffered what i would call a
compromising incident of water immersion, dropping, crash, etc. have already performed the various
"boots" to reset the unit without avail.
really dislike the entire garmin connect/garmin express interface. seems hokey and laborious.
looking for something to replace the garmin so as to be able to easily upload rides to strava but also
has good battery life and is accurate. weatherproofing is nice but lack of is not a dealbreaker.
will continue to rock the garmin as a during the ride computer but have little faith in it transferring info.
in the few solely strava rides i've done with the newer phone-iphone 5s-the gps seems more accurate
but battery drain still is an issue. really like to do one 5+ hour ride a week so considering adding a
portable recharging unit for the phone.
anyone really like their non-garmin setup for accuracy, battery life, dependability and ease of info
transferral to strava? i'd love to hear about what works for you. thanks!
my (then) iphone 4 drained the battery to high heaven when running strava to track rides and
that particular phone had gps issues...esp in canyons or metropolitan dtown areas...so wanted
something more accurate.
the garmin edge 510 has been accurate, has been great with battery life and has an easy,
adaptable readout. no issues there. the issue is the uploading of rides-whether via bluetooth
or plugging into the computer. the garmin express/connect thing is a pita and doesn't always
work, resulting in "dropped" rides that i hafta enter manually. The ride always registers on the
actual 510 unit with all applicable stats when i check "last ride." the inability to transfer rides to
strava (or even the garmin connect app) happens about 25% of the time and doesn't seem to be
influenced by ride length, distance, terrain or time.
this is my 3rd edge 510. it is my 2nd replacement one after contacting the company about the
originally purchased one and its subsequent replacement. the other two had different issues
(no backlighting, randomly turning off, long periods of freezing). so it's been 3 years with essentially a
new or refurbished (no charge) one every year. none of the units has suffered what i would call a
compromising incident of water immersion, dropping, crash, etc. have already performed the various
"boots" to reset the unit without avail.
really dislike the entire garmin connect/garmin express interface. seems hokey and laborious.
looking for something to replace the garmin so as to be able to easily upload rides to strava but also
has good battery life and is accurate. weatherproofing is nice but lack of is not a dealbreaker.
will continue to rock the garmin as a during the ride computer but have little faith in it transferring info.
in the few solely strava rides i've done with the newer phone-iphone 5s-the gps seems more accurate
but battery drain still is an issue. really like to do one 5+ hour ride a week so considering adding a
portable recharging unit for the phone.
anyone really like their non-garmin setup for accuracy, battery life, dependability and ease of info
transferral to strava? i'd love to hear about what works for you. thanks!
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10-04-16, 10:12 PM
#39
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Although it's frustrating to lose a ride due to a bug, it seems harsh to base your trust on an entire company on one bad event. I admit, I never use the Wahoo Fitness app though, I used Cyclemeter on the iPhone.
For the record, I own an ELEMNT and it's a fantastic device. Regular updates from Wahoo have taken it from strength to strength. There remain a few known issues (for example with SRM power meters), but given the rapid release of updates and great support from Wahoo, I expect them to go away soon, as well as many new features to be added in the future.
I've been using Wahoo devices for years and have had nothing but positive experiences with them as a company.
For the record, I own an ELEMNT and it's a fantastic device. Regular updates from Wahoo have taken it from strength to strength. There remain a few known issues (for example with SRM power meters), but given the rapid release of updates and great support from Wahoo, I expect them to go away soon, as well as many new features to be added in the future.
I've been using Wahoo devices for years and have had nothing but positive experiences with them as a company.
You're making a false assumption. The fact that the Wahoo Fitness app lost my important data was not "one bad event"---it was the straw that broke the camel's back in a long series of events beginning with the buggy Wahoo RFLKT which Wahoo all but abandoned when their development team moved its focus to the ELEMNT (this is what Wahoo has explained to their development partners). Some of their partners stopped carrying Wahoo products because of poor support.
So far, my experience with Wahoo tech support has been poor. They don't read well and ask inane questions that are already answered in user communication. Then they just stop responding. With respect to losing my century ride data, I have root-level access to my smartphone and was able to provide them with the full set of cached data files that the Wahoo Fitness app collected. They have everything they need to duplicate my situation and find out what has happened to the ride data and whether or not it can be recovered. But their tech support staff doesn't appear to know what to do with it---it needs to be sent to the programmer(s) who wrote their app to sort out. But I haven't received one word from them about it.
Why would anyone with high requirements for a cycling computer trust a company like Wahoo?
What exactly do you have connected to your ELEMNT? How many and what kind of BTLE devices? How many and what kind of ANT+ devices? How many miles have you ridden with this setup?
I've logged many thousands of miles. I'm using a Stages Cycling power meter (BTLE), a Scosche Rhythm+ HRM (BTLE), a Topeak PanoBike speed sensor (BTLE), and the Wahoo RFLKT (BTLE). If I get a dedicated cycling computer, I'll no longer need the RFLKT but I will be adding a SRAM Red eTap system in the future.
I wish the Wahoo ELEMNT were a viable alternative to Garmin---but my experience so far with Wahoo, the company, says "NO!"
Regards, RoadLight
10-05-16, 06:37 AM
#40
Senior Member
Sorry you had so many issues. I've had very good experience with Wahoo and their support (the little I've needed it). Let me tell you what experience I have with Wahoo.
In September 13th, 2013 I bought Wahoo RLKT, and used it on all my bikes continuously for thousands of miles and including quite a few century rides. It has been used with an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 6. I ran the RFLKT using Cyclemeter Elite, which IMHO is superior to Wahoo Fitness app. On the first ride I had an issue with it displaying a low battery, I emailed Wahoo and they sent me a key to install a beta firmware. That fixed it. After that it was essentially flawless.
What exactly do you have connected to your ELEMNT? How many and what kind of BTLE devices? How many and what kind of ANT+ devices?
These all have worked fine for me, with the RLFKT/iPhone/Cyclemeter combo and now with the ELEMNT.
How many miles have you ridden with this setup?
I wish the Wahoo ELEMNT were a viable alternative to Garmin---but my experience so far with Wahoo, the company, says "NO!"
You know the one big difference between you and I? Android vs iOS. In my experience all this stuff works way better with iOS than on Android. I'll bet Wahoo would probably admit that too. Supporting all the different platforms/variations of Android must be a support nightmare, and unlike iOS that has had good BLE support since 2011 and the iPhone 4S, Android's support has been spotty until recently.
I would speculate that that may be the reason why Wahoo decided to go with the ELEMNT rather than a "super-RFLKT". Being it's own computer takes out a lot of issues.
Last edited by dr_lha; 10-05-16 at 11:45 AM.
10-15-16, 09:32 PM
#41
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I've got a Garmin Edge 520. I don't love it or hate it. I find it quite an annoying product to use, and it could be way better. Read my review here.
I think that Garmin ought to be careful, someone like Stages or Shimano could easily come into the market and do much much better for a lower cost.
I think that Garmin ought to be careful, someone like Stages or Shimano could easily come into the market and do much much better for a lower cost.
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