I’d promised a “triathlete’s user manual” this weekend (the Fenix manual runs to 17 pages, compared to the 910 XT’s 45, while having twice as many features to explain). But I think I will wait until after IM CDA, to give the watch a full spectrum of usage. Instead, a few additional points. First, a correction – the watch weighs only 1.5 oz/45 grams, not the 8 oz I stated.
Next, this watch probably uses the same bike/run software as the 310 and the 910, and the same swim software as the 910, so if you have one of those and are satisfied with it, you’re really don’t *need* to upgrade. But you might consider it if you *have* to have one or more of the additional features in the Fenix2 firmware and hardware:
- Appearance: this basically looks like a Timex Ironman watch on steroids; not nearly as tri-geeky as Garmin’s earlier tri-specific watches. I wear mine all the time now.
- Trekking/hiking/climbing functions.
- Ski/snowboard/XC functions.
- Trail running features
- Thermometer (the others don’t have this? at least not stated in any promo material I’ve seen). Not useful except when skiing, as it will just tell you the temperature at the surface of your skin, not the air. It comes with a big elastic strap for wearing over a ski jacket.
- Bluetooth connectivity. Be warned this works smoothly and automagically with iOS (iPhone/iPad devices, but not nearly so well with Android, and not at all with, say, my MacBook laptop. Also be aware that ANT+ and BT can NOT be on @ the same time, so you can NOT use the PM functions AND send your location in real time to others (via iPhone) simultaneously.
- Footpod-less cadence, based I assume on the accelerometer. Oddity here: instead of recording every other foot fall (e.g., 90 rpm), it records every step: 180. But the swim records each time the arm wearing the watch pulls through, so instead of the 15-16 sol I count for myself, it records 8.
- VIRB camera connectivity. Garmin makes a “sports cam” GoPro competitor called VIRB
- Esoteric running info: Ground contact time, vertical oscillation, recovery time need until next run, VO2 max assessment, race time predictions.