What is it ? - Garmin have gone all out on performance this time. The Garmin Edge 500 is NOT a mapping / routing device like the Edge 605 and Edge 706 ARE. The Edge 500 is designed for the serious cyclists that wants to track speed, distance, calories, pedal cadence and optional POWER. The Garmin Edge 500 uses ANT + communication protocol - this means it will work with ANY other ANT + devices including Power Tap and Vector Power Pedals.

GPS functionality? It uses GPS HotFix for quick and accurate speed and distance calculation. It also STORES where you have been - this means you can download to Garmin Training Manager or other FREE to use GPS analysis sites like www.sportstracklive.com to reivew, SPEED, DISTANCE, CADENCE, POWER, ALTITUDE and HEART RATE

The Garmn Edge 500 is about HALF the size of the Garmin Edge 605/705 (length wise). It has a nice big clear display which is completely user configurable. The user can choose between 1 and 7 segments on the display - you choose what you want to see…

You can also race against yourself from any previously saved COURSES… ride a circuit - save it as a COURSE.. then next time you’re out doing that course.. race against yourself… perfect

Available now from heartratemonitor.co.uk

BHIP comment : Take the new Polar FT4 and add Polar Energy Pointer with textual guidance telling you whether you are “FITNESS IMPROVING” or “FAT BURNING” - plus an improved memory holding daily and weekly summaries (similar to Polar FT40/60) plus ability to download training data to Polar personaltrainer.com website (via optional FLOWLINK). We highly RECOMMEND the Polar FT7 for the cardiovascular exerciser who wants to BOTH - keep fit and manage weight loss - with added ability of optional PC download.

For those who want to know if they’re improving their fitness or burning fat. So if you want clear training guidance and an easy start to heart rate-based training, the FT7 is for you.

• The EnergyPointer tells you if the main effect of your training is fitness improvement or fat burning
• Displays calories burned
• Comes with comfortable textile transmitter and has coded heart rate transmission to avoid cross-talk
• Connects to your online training diary at polarpersonaltrainer.com with optional Polar FlowLink
• All self change batteries

Click images above to get the full details of Polar FT7 heart rate monitor

The Polar FT4 replaces the old Polar F4

It has heart rate zone control, calories, time of day, average heart rate

Key features

So you want to train within a specific heart rate zone - you want to keep a track of calories burnt and you want a unit you can wear throughout the day as a normal time of day watch ? Then the Polar FT4 is for you. Simple to use, essential features no gimmicks - no thrills.

For those who want basic heart rate-based features to keep their fitness training simple. Just grab it with you, put on the comfortable textile transmitter, and Polar FT4 tells if you’re improving your fitness.

• Shows when you’re improving fitness based on your heart rate
• Displays calories burned
• Comes with comfortable textile transmitter and coded heart rate transmission to avoid cross-talk
• All self change batteries

 Click images for more information on Polar FT4 heart rate monitor

This is a limited edition run of PINK and BLUE Garmin FR60 heart rate monitors. They are being sold BUNDLED which means they come with the new soft PREMIUM heart rate belt - the Micro Foot POD - USB PC stick and all necessary software (download free from Garmin.com website)

The Garmin FR60 is proving massively popular. From our tests we LOVED it - just one criticism - you can’t switch from foot pod to bike pod without having to press buttons… you didn’t have to do this on the Forerunner 50 …. other than that 8.5 / 10 for Garmin ….

What would I go for between an FR60 and a Forerunner 50 ??

Virtual Partner on FR60 is nice, stlye is nice, build quality is better, PREMIUM soft HR belt is GREAT… just wish it had multisport changeover between PODS and auto update of displays (pace to speed etc)

Garmin Forerunner 50 heart rate monitor still available from here

The Garmin FR60 is a fitness watch with automatic PC sync, gym equipment compatible (ANT+ compatible devices), wireless heart rate monitor, coin cell battery, Virtual Partner. Some versions include foot pod. Available in black or red for men; black or lilac for women

Good question. In a recent email - this was my reply:

Any of these :  the Garmin Forerunner 405CX , the Polar RS800CX RUN or the Suunto T6C would make perfect marathon training tools. They are truly excellent units that all have the ESSENTIAL features that any heart rate monitor / speed distance training device should have like - AUTO LAP - MUTLIPLE countdown timers, Stopwatch with LAPS and SPLITS and full PC download.

The Garmin has the advantage of being an “all in one unit” - no foot pod or separate GPS unit, PLUS, it has the very useful VIRTUAL PARTNER feature (you tell it how far and in what time.. it paces you along to help achieve your objection). However, it is quite bulky and needs regular charging. The PC software is ADEQUATE, but not very analytical. There are no FITNESS TEST options. Garmin Forerunner 405CX here

The Polar RS800CX RUN has better software, far more analytical (see here for examples of Polar Pro Trainer 5 screen grab). The Foot POD is VERY SMALL and lasts over 200 hours, so no charging hassle (it also provides LEG cadence and STRIDE LENGTH). You also have a FITNESS test (OwnIndex - provides a VO2 max figure) and an over training test (Polar OwnOptimizer - tells you on a scale of 1 - 9 if you are under / over trained) - Polar RS800CX RUN

Then, there is the Suunto T6C with FOOT POD. This has the advantage of REAL TIME TRAINING EFFECT, telling you just how hard (aerobic fatigue) a session is. Suunto TRAINING EFFECT is great to help recognise patterns of over / under training. Suunto T6C available here

I have used them all - and would be happy if I had to stick to just one…..

If you like DATA analysis and want to keep long term PC graphs for comparison and you think an over / under training feature is going to be useful, then I’d suggest either Polar (post exercise over training test by way of 5 min lying and 5 min standing test - Polar OwnOptimiser) or Suunto T6C (realtime over / under training by way of TRAINING EFFECT).

If you want to train with realtime VIRTUAL PARTNER, then the Garmin is going to be great. Now with IMPROVED calorie burn formula.

This new unit has a VASTLY improved CALORIE algorithm

Previously GARMIN did not use heart rate while calculating calories, just speed and distance data

The new Garmin Forerunner 405cx gps uses a more accurate formula to give representative calorie burn for session by session comparison