About a month ago my second Sigma PC 15 heart rate monitor died. The second one in two years. The watch part works, it just stops talking to the heart rate data. I’ve tried replacing the batteries in the strap, and it was still unreliable so I was trying to decide between another PC 15 (cheap and basic) or upgrading to a Suunto (sexy but expensive) or a Garmin.

Basically I just want something  that will tell me how long I’ve been doing a particular thing, and somewhat keep me honest with my effort level. Yes, I’m aware that heart rate is so subjective and fluctuative and so 1992 as a training tool. But i don’t have an inflated sense of self-importance to feel the need to track my power. And having gone through my whole heart problem two years past, I still find it reassuring to look down and see a healthy number.

After much hemming and hawing, I chose the Garmin 405CX. It fits on my wrist. I could go running with it if I was traveling. I could go skiing with it, etc. A part of me wasn’t too excited about the gps data. What if it turned out that my four hour rides only consisted of 6 miles? I’d be crushed with how slow I really am.

Anyway. This thing is a royal pain in the arse. Today was my 4th attempt at using it, and the closest I’ve come to succeeding. Behold, my trip by bike to the toy store to pick up a birthday present:

The bevel is extremely difficult to use, defying all natural instincts of how one should interact with a touch interface. The menus and processes make no sense at all. There are far too many steps to begin collecting info on any ride, and make one mistake while navigating the menus and you’re pretty much stuck in some sort of Garmin Menu hell. You might as well wait until the battery runs out and lets you start fresh again.

The quick start guide that comes with the watch was straight forward enough to set a few preferences, but doesn’t even begin to teach you how to use the thing. Hopefully I’ll get over this learning curve eventually, and then i’ll publish the Garmin 405cx user guide for dummies.