what kind of Garmin should I buy?

For less than $200 you can get a forerunner 305 at about $150. Another option for a watch type HRM an FR60 with a footpod is $199 or $129 without footpod. The new 310 XT is $349-$399 so it's over your budget.

I have a forerunner 305 and love it.  I think I saw it on sale at Best Buy for 129 recently.  Will track Running, Biking and also has a Multi-Sport feature so that is pretty cool.  It will switch from one event to the next by hitting the lap button.  So if you are doing a brick session.  You can set the event order as bike, transition, run.  It also has decent software that comes with it to log your progess.

For your $200 budget you can get the FR305, the cadence sensor for the bike and the quick release mount. That's the route I went.

I have yet to come up with a practical application for the foodpod.

running cadence, very useful to track if you're trying to become a more efficient runner.

Not at all. There is no "more efficient" running cadence, any more than there is a "more efficient" cycling cadence.

Edited by the bear 2009-08-19 8:53 AM

I agree with Forerunner 305 and also purchasing the bike mount and cadence sensor. This is my setup. I now have only one HR strap, and my data displays on the bike when I'm on the bike, or I move it to my wrist if I'm doing a run. In a race it's part of my transition to pop it off the bike and onto my wrist.  (I get the wrist strap on while I am riding - usually in the last couple miles.)

I have found that the Garmin makes a much more reliable HR monitor than the competitors. I haven't had a false reading or failure to read at all since I got the 305.

I agree with the Garmin 305

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor

Affordable and reliable.

You can do that with a bronze membership.

As stated, 305 with cadence and quick release kit.  You could also look at buying the Forerunner 50 kit that includes the footpod and sell the watch, hrm, and ant stick to recover some of the cost and may come close to getting the pod for free.

I am working on a 305 walkthrough/review and should have it up in the next day or so on my blog.  I also posted a walkthrough on how I mounted the bike mount since I had aero bars and it did not mount as it is designed because there was no room.

Looks like the consensus is that the Forerunner 305 is the way to go. Thanks to everyone for your input!

305 here as well

Does the 305's heart rate monitor strap have a user replaceable battery?

 I bought a polar HRM also, and after a few months it stopped working...and I'm going to have to send the strap back to get the battery replaced by polar (aggravating)... So I was thinking about moving up to the garmin also... I just want to make sure I can replace that battery first.

Thanks,

Aaron

Only reason to get a 310 would be if you're planning on buying a power meter or doing an IM in the near future. Otherwise 305 rocks the house.

And yes garmin strap has a bat cover that you can open. Mine has lasted over two years of use so far.



Edited by Khyron 2009-08-21 9:45 AM

Since it appears the 305 is the way to go for that price range, I'm going to attempt to hijack this thread with an add on question. 

If you were currently training for a HIM or just finished your first, planning on attempting your first IM with some other HIMs in the training plan as well over the next year.  Does the 405/405CX give a triathlete any other features over the 305/305 that would justify the extra cost?  Would the step up from 305 to a 310 be worth it?

The 405 is for style, cause it's smaller. That's it. Forget it.

305 -> 310 is worth it IF you want to wear your garmin for the whole IM. The 305 bat won't last.  I had a wrist pod thing with a portable charger attached to my 305 (WITH charging bracket) - I looked like the terminator. If you're fine wearing a normal watch and then just using a bike comp for the bike and your 305 for the run, that's fine too.

If you have a ANT+ power meter then the 310 is also worth it.

My IM is done so I will keep my 305 for next year (Half-IMs only) and get the 310 or whatever flavor of the day for IMC the following year.

310 does NOT give HR in water, nor does the GPS work properly. It's strictly for timing.

Where'd you get the "wrist pod charger"?

And running with such of thing sounds absurd.  But I'm planning on doing an ironman next year.   I'm thinking of going watch-less for the swim, using the 305 w/ battery charger on the bike, and then having plenty of battery left for the run.

Well the theory was to use it for the bike, which would keep the 305 charged, then just have the watch for the run. Lots of people have done it by putting the charger on the bike somewhere, but I don't even have room for the 305 let alone the charger.

Staples/Office Depot carry them typically.

http://www.officedepot.ca/a/products/581663/Energizer-Energi-To-Go-Instant-Cell/

This new one looks better (and it's smaller):

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4312783&CatId=1028

Agree with the forerunner 305.