Update: We managed to get our hands on the Global Trainer before it hit the UK shops. You can read our review of the Timex Global Trainer here.

Today, Timex announced the release of the latest addition to their GPS watch range, the Timex Ironman Global Trainer.

With waterproofing capabilities to a depth of 50 metres, it is easy to see that Timex will be launching the Global Trainer in direct competition to the Garmin Forerunner 310XT, the only true Triathlon GPS Watch on the market today.

As well as being waterproof, the watch also provides real time speed, pace and distance information which are provided via the built in SiRFStar III module.

The Timex Global Trainer also has a customisable display which lets the user decide on which functions they would like showing at any time, the watch face can incorporate up to 4 functions at one time meaning a wealth of information can be readily available to the user. Although whether someone in the middle of a race will have time to view and process four different sets of information is another matter.

The watch comes with ANT+ wireless which means that it can be used in conjunction with timex bike sensors and heart rate monitors. More impressively, it can also be used with third party heart and bike monitors. This flexibility is a big plus in our view as it means a users existing technology isn't rendered redundant.

In our view, this is a smart launch by Timex.  The waterproof capabilities of the Timex Global Trainer means that swimmers, triathletes and ironmen will now have a genuine alternative to the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.  While we rank the 310XT very highly, competition in the marketplace is always good for users and Timex's announcement has just doubled the number of Swimming GPS watches on the market today.

The Glovbal Trainer will start shipping in May 2010 at a yet to be disclosed price.

Edit:  Well May has come and gone with no sign of this watch.  Timex have now stated that the release date will be September 2010.

No related posts.

At a basic level, gps watches, foot pods and pedometers all tell you exactly the same thing - how far you have run.  In fact, if you can remember where you ran then you don't need any of these, as websites such as mapometer or mapmyrun let you plot your route and tell you the distance you have covered.

The main differences between the three is in the level of technology which is attached to each and the additional information they also tell you.

The most basic is a pedometer.  The simplest versions count your footsteps, so if you know roughly how long your stride is you can work out what distance you have covered.  This isn't a particularly accurate way to measure distance and can be out significantly in terms of distance on a medium to long run.  For example, its well known that your stride length shortens when you get tired, so the distance you cover for a set number of strides will be shorter than when you started out on your run.

The next level of technology come into more advanced pedometers (which are also known as footpods).  Footpods work by counting your footsteps and the acceleration of your feet to calculate how fast you are running.  By using this information, together with the time you have run for, they can then work out the distance you have covered.   One advantage of footpods is that they can be used on indoor running tracks.

The most advanced technology is used in GPS watches.  These use the same satellites as the car satnavs and work out where you are now and how far away you were since they last looked and work out the distance and speed this way.  Because of the technology which is used in GPS devices, these watches can provide lots of additional information, for example split times or your expected finish time or the pace you need to maintain to make a certain time.  For this reason GPS watches are our preferred choice of technology.

No related posts.

Normally, when you ask someone which type of watch is best it comes down to the personal preference of the user. As a result if you ask a number of people for their view you will receive a number of different answers and recommendations.

The answer to the question of which is the best triathlon and/or swimming GPS watch on the market is a little different though.  While Timex have a number of Ironman GS watches on the market which are all very good, the winner in this category is easily the GARMIN FORERUNNER 310 XT

The reason is simple, the Forerunner 310XT is the only totally waterproof GPS watch on the market today.  This means that you can hit the water for the swim leg with total confidence that your watch will still be functioning when you transition into the bike stage.  For this reason alone, the Garmin is head and shoulders above its competitors and is a MUST BUY for triathletes, ironmen/women and swimmers.

The following video shows the various functions of the 310XT

Click here to view the embedded video.

The watch comes with all the essential features you would expect in a GPS watch with a heart rate monitor including running/cycling/swimming pace, splits and lap times, distance covered, heart rate per minute and calorie usage.

As with all of the Garmin Forerunner series, the 310XT also comes with Virtual Training software which allows you to program your race or training distance into the watch and the time you want to do achieve.  The watch will then pace you against this time to show you in real time if you are on track to hit your goal time.   This is a great function for helping you beat your personal best and makes sure you don't go to hard to early.

The cheapest place we have found the Garmin 310 XT is at Amazon.co.uk, where it is around £50 cheaper than most other retailers. The following links take you direct to amazon where there are also a number of reviews to help with your decision.

Garmin Forerunner 310XT

Garmin 2009, Electronics, £233.00

- without Heart Rate Monitor

010-00741-01 - Garmin Forerunner 310XT with Heart Rate Monitor

GARMIN, £262.00

- with Heart Rate Monitor

Garmin Forerunner 310XT GPS Watch w HRM Triathlon    £190.00

GARMIN FORERUNNER 310XT 310 XT GPS HRM HEART RATE WATCH    £225.14

GARMIN FORERUNNER 310XT GPS PREMIUM HRM 310 XT WATCH    £236.19

No related posts.