I can’t count the number of times someone has told me that I had to buy a Garmin. The looks of sympathy I used to get when people saw that I only had a Polar (Tour de France version, I’ll have you know) were a notch above ‘annoying’.
So, are you happy now?
In the photo above:
1. A Garmin Vector pedal-based power meter.
2. A Garmin 510, because it was in stock and I need to change my computer now.
3. A glass of wine, to make the €1800 outlay go down easier.
If I figure out how to get everything installed, expect a review pretty soon.
The Vicious Cycle 
So will Strava still estimate you power numbers or will it upload data from your Garmin? Interesting to see how close the Strava estimates are…
Good question, Terry. From the friends I have with ‘power’, it looks like they just display the numbers from Garmin.
From what I have seen the Edge510 will record the numbers from your Vector pedals and those figures will be loaded into Strava. No more estimates.
Sorry about the cash outlay Gerry but hey what else did you want to do with all that money. As you know I’m in the same boat with my Polar and I hope to get a new Garmin 500 bundle neatly wrapped under the Xmas tree. That said, I’m going the stages route, less money and about the same results. Dark Side “Here I Come”
Cheers
Pierre
Pierre, at least least I know I’ll be in good company with this switch. Hope Santa knows which bundle you’re looking at!
Gerry, I have a love hate with my Garmin(s). Usual pattern for a Garmin is that it works for a bit and then starts acting up. You go to their web site, read around, do an upgrade and then have a paper weight. I still like mine though.
Enjoy!
The most expensive paperweight I know of, if you include the pedals. I’ve been with you when you’ve let slip an expletive or two towards your Garmin.
Wooh 1800 yo.yos ?
Good Merckx man ! isn’t that a Colnago
there’s no hope for you Gerry….
I feel the same way, Roan.
I’m curious to see how they work out for you during L’etape. Last year my Garmin spent the first hour telling me it had detected another heart rate monitor (at which point it stopped displaying my heart rate as it was confused), then another, and another. It continued until I disabled it during a climb.
The upshot for the Vectors is that there should not be too many of them out there yet, so no need to stress. 😉
When your Garmin fails you can always fall back on IpBike 😉
Thanks, John…and how did I know you were going to say that 😉
Well done Gerry. I’ve been considering a Vector purchase since the HR. By coincidence I was reading DC Rainmaker’s (VERY, as usual) detailed review last night. Look forward to hearing how you get on with them. I’m sorely tempted – may have to be a Christmas present to myself!
I have a Garmin 800 – generally reliable unless it’s very wet when the gradient barometric measure gives up.
I’ve got it on the bike now and I see the sun is out again. I might give DC Rainmaker’s review one more browse, then get out and see what kind of power I’m not producing these days.
I also have to make the Polar to Garmin switch. I finally gave into the peer pressure and will be switching from HRT-based training, to Power-based and it seems Garmin are the gold standard. Unfortunately, it’s like saying goodbye to a long-time friend, as I’ve been riding with some form of Polar HRT device for the past 27 years. Hell, most marriages don’t last that long.
Fools and their money are easily parted
At least I don’t have the emotional attachment you have, Rob. You’ve had a good run, you and Polar. But sometimes you just have to know when things aren’t working anymore, I guess.
Impressive expenditure. I’m glad to see that my holiday money has gone to a good home.
No, your holiday money has already been spent on beer and pizza, TP.
Lots of beer and pizza, I might add.
hihi, exactly same setup as mine… Also have an old Garmin 705 (with maps–good for when I’m in unfamiliar places). Only problem I have with the 510 is that the new Mac OS doesn’t recognize it, so I have to resort to the PC… Curious to see how you’ll like the power data. It is addictive but it keeps you honest.
The timing of your comment was good yesterday, Jan, because I got a text from my LBS just afterwards, telling me the Vector was in. I hesitated a bit before making the trip, since it was so expensive. Better be worth it!
Supposedly one thing to be careful with Vector: always carry enough spacers so that the pedal never rubs a crank arm. rainmaker also says torque is important–so I had my LBS install them–but they said that on YouTube Garmin does not fuzz with torque. I was thinking about getting a torque wrench but haven’t … yet.
Hi Gerry, Congrats on coming over to the dark side. I love my garmin. Are you going to post all your data? You know you can invite fellow garminers to view your data. We’d all keep you honest. Really.
I haven’t even thought about the data yet, Luc. I’ll sign up for Garmin Connect after my ride today and see what it’s all about. I shall invite you to view the damage though, you can be sure of that!
About time. Congratulations! Now we’re expecting a real-time feed on your daily ride progress, and detailed analysis of you left leg’s urge to out-do the right leg.
You have the legs mixed up, K! It’s going to be interesting to see, actually, how much I favor the ‘good leg’. More soon.
I imagine Shoko is going to get one helluva Christmas present!
by the way…3 letters..SRM
cheers and good luck
She’s asking for an apron. I think I can ‘just’ afford that now.
Gasp! I’ll bet it was a big glass!
No, I just had a few of them 😉