920XT; Garmin 510 "during a tri" Questions

Using the 920XT it tri mode is your best option for racing. You put it in tri mode, select whether you want to include transitions (I include them) and hit start at the beginning to the race. Then all you have to do is hit the lap button when entering and leaving transitions (both times) and hit the start/stop button again at the end of the race.

The watch will automatically cycle through swim, transition, bike, transition, and run each time you hit the lap button. During the race, the watch will display any/all data you set up for each individual sport (while you are in that sport). At the end of the race you can see data for all legs of the race and transitions times. Hope that makes sense.


Edited by mobey 2016-02-14 3:21 PM

Triathlon mode on the 920xt is pretty simple, but practice with it a little, even just walking outside, just to get used to it.

Set it up, hit lap as you enter transition, hit lap again exiting transition. It will automatically change from swim to transition to bike to transition to run when you do this.

Personally I used to use my 310xt for the entire triathlon using the quick release kit. I'd swim with it in the swimcap, then attach it to the bike with a quick pop n twist, then do the same thing leaving. If you're concerned about transition times, then you can wear the band without it most of the race, but personally I'd grab the band in T2, then attach that as I start moving with the 310 in my jersey pocket, then attach it to see my data right away.

Now that I have upgraded to the fenix 2, I wear that on the wrist for all 3 sports, but still have the 310xt on my bike, less messing around with stuff in transition, and I have data right in my face on the bike, and worst case scenario I have redundant data on the bike of one of my devices fail, which has not happened to me in a race, but has happened in training, and to friends while racing.

So, if you miss one transition "in" or "out" (one button push).........everything would be a mess, I assume?

My main reason for asking about the 510 was to ask if it would go into sleep mode (if it has one....I don't know) that would time out in the time it took me to get from transition set up to when I hit the start button (in T1).

Correct on missing hitting a lap causes the numbers to be messed up, one 70.3 I had a 2.5 hr T1, however it is not the end of the world. Personally I use my 910 xt for the entire race but I keep my edge on the bike in sleep mode so it has all my bike info, I just find it easier to read that during the race than looking at my watch. When I am done with the race I just delete the bike ride from my edge unit so they both don't show up in Garmin Connect.

Yeah, but if you're looking at your watch a lot, you'll quickly realize the mistake, and hit the button, and then still get your real time pace, heart rate etc.

You might just not have your full run or bike split for afterwards, or not be sure exactly how much longer you have, depending on how long it took to notice.

Thankfully it hasn't been an issue for me yet

Do you set your 910 on "Run"? I don't care a thing about my swim "data". It's just a time thing (and run mode will give me that). On the bike, the 510 will give me HR, elapsed time (on bike) and pace. If my 920 is on run from the start, it'll give me HR, pace on the run. That's all I really want. If I know the pace, the elapsed time is a given.

I might look into the tri mode for the OLY and HIM. I've even considered not wearing anything for the sprints. I DO like having the info on the bike, though.

I keep my watch in autosports mode the entire race, so I have double information for the bike segment (I just delete one of them)

I've always used the regular swim/bike/run.

Nice to see after exactly how long each segment was, and have an accurate starting place for the run, as well as know exactly how far int othe race I am etc.

I got out of tris for several years. I've only done a handful, and I never had a cycling computer the first go-round. I appreciate hearing how you guys (and gals) do it. My thinking is......the race timing co. will have my splits. Starting/stopping every transition seems like a PITA, TO ME. I guess I should do it though, before I say that. I can't even remember to start/stop the 920XT in Masters swim.....so I just leave it on the entire workout.

The other option I'm thinking of (for sprints) is just using the cycling computer to know where I am on the course (which mile).....and just using elapsed time on the 920XT. ONLY reason I'd take the 920, if I went this route, is for backup....in case there's an issue with chip timing. I'll do at least one sprint like this, this year....and if I like it I probably won't bother with the gadgets on sprints any more. I know when I look down at my Garmin in a 5K ...that my HR is redlined. Ditto a sprint (or, it should be).

Just remember with watches like the 910/920,fenix you don't hit start stop, you just hit the lap button. Once you practice it a few times it does become an non-issue (although like I said I forget to hit the button periodically).

Last iron distance tri I did had timing mats everywhere, but I only got a swim/bike and run split.

The transitions had been combined with one of them, and if you care to know which, then you would have needed something to show your times on each leg.

If you don't care, then obviously that doesn't matter.

And yes, it's just a matter of hitting the lap button as you cross a mat, not starting and stopping a lot.

I have had issues in the pool before too, but so far not in a triathlon.

using the watch in triathlon mode rather than run mode for the swim will give you prettier data aside from time. It will calculate pace/100m as well as stroke rate, if either of those are important to you. You can prob calc pace/100m after the fact, but it's a lot easier when it's embedded in your data. And there's no way you could calculate stroke rate without the watch for a full tri leg.

The rate may be important to you if you watned ot use the information to help modify or enhance your training by using a tempo trainer to replicate racing tempo, or imrpove upon it. Pace or time only gives you just part of the information that will be helpful.