Smart watch for navigation

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Smart watch for navigation
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flag neongreen
Posted: Aug 10, 2022 at 11:45 Quote
I'd like to know what reasonably priced smart watches you all are using for navigation and ride tracking. I'm not looking to spend $900 on a Garmin Fenix 7+sG4X Prada edition, and I'm not looking to get a bike computer.

Here's what I'd likei it to do:
1. Track rides on strava
2. download GPX tracks to the phone and use them offline
3. maps would be cool
4. reasonably accurate heart rate data and general health tracking
5. it should be able to tell time

Third party apps to achieve these goals (particularly map and nav) are ok by me,

I actually just got a Garmin Vivoactiv 4 from REI. It doesn't really do the GPX tracks or maps thing. Apparently there are 3rd party apps, which have not been working well. So I'm thinking of returning it and getting a Galaxy Watch 4, which seems to have decent strava and komoot integration.

Thoughts?
flag BenLow2019
Posted: Aug 10, 2022 at 12:01 Quote
I can't speak to the Fenix 4 but I have a Fenix 5 and it does all your asking about.

To get GPX tracks loaded to the watch you have to sync with Garmin Connect. If you have a Fenix then having Garmin Connect on your phone is a must. You upload a GPX in your account on the Garmin Connect website and create a "Course" from it there. Now that Course will be available to you on the phone and your watch when you sync it.

FWIW - I've used the courses on the watch for navigation and thought it was mediocre at best. The watch face is just too small to feel right. Even though it can zoom in and zoom out I never felt like I had enough in my view so I always resort to looking at Trail Forks on my phone instead when I'm curious about where I'm at on a trail.

When I'm doing serious navigation I use a dedicated GPS device - I have a Garmin OREGON device and it's been worth it's weight in gold when I'm in the boonies. I don't trust the phone in those situations and I expect the phone battery will die too.
flag brianl
Posted: Aug 11, 2022 at 12:29 Quote
I have a Forerunner 45 syncing to Connect on my phone but I'm not sure about navigation, so check the specs to see if they do what you need. They're recently on sale $200cdn.
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