Garmin Forerunner 201 Wrist-Mounted GPS Fitness Computer
Amazon.com Review
Combining powerful performance-tracking features with a GPS receiver, the Garmin Forerunner 201 offers runners and hikers a unique way to track their exercise regimens and goals. Unlike its main competitor, Timex’s BodyLink sport monitoring system, the Forerunner 201 integrates the GPS receiver into a single body (BodyLink has separate housings for watch and GPS).
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At first, the device felt a little bulky on my wrist, both in weight and in size (it measures 3.26 by 1.71 by 0.69 inches). But it really is light enough (less than 3 ounces) that it felt comfortable and transparent. I did, however, position the band a bit higher up my arm to ensure full mobility of my wrist, as the length of the Forerunner tended to get in its way.
The large display–with equally large, easy-to-read characters–helps you avoid having to squint at the readout. Just a quick glance at your numbers and you’ll maintain your training concentration. The six rubber buttons on the front of the chassis are easy to access (unless you’re wearing bulky gloves). I easily got the promised 13 hours out of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. At the end of the day, I’d just recharge it for around two hours and it would be ready for me the next morning.
While this is definitely a workable GPS receiver, the Forerunner is slim on overall GPS features–which is not to its detriment (think of it as a performance monitor with a dash of GPS). That said, the Forerunner was able to pick up a GPS signal just about wherever I went outside (though it had very slight hiccups in the center of downtown). But if you’re looking for a full-fledged tracking device, the Forerunner isn’t for you. (You’ll want to start with a basic GPS unit like Garmin’s eTrex.)
The Forerunner 201 has a variety of helpful tracking, monitoring, and navigational features. The History function enables you to view your workout statistics broken down by individual days, cumulative weeks, or your entire workout history (if you track different workouts during the same day, they’ll be broken out as different laps). You can even view a map of your route. And much like other GPS units, you can save waypoints (called “locations” in Forerunner parlance) to mark the coordinates of a place you want to return to later.
Most interesting is the Virtual Partner mode, which enables you to set goals for a workout which will then be completed by a digital character displayed on the Forerunner’s screen. You can then see how far off the time, pace, or distance you are of your virtual training buddy’s; your digital character even stops when you do (though the buddy keeps on going). I found that, unless you’ve got a good idea as to your pace or distance, you’ll have a couple of trial-and-error training sessions to get in sync with your buddy. I cut short my first attempt after my buddy got so far ahead of me that he disappeared off the screen (which I’d like to believe was not due to my woeful pace).
I was disappointed at not having the LogBook software, which enables you to keep a journal of your exercise activities (it was not available at the time of this test). But overall, the Forerunner 201 is a very useful exercise-monitoring system that will be prized by anyone involved in serious physical training. –Agen G.N. Schmitz
Auto Menu: Timer pauses when you stop running. Auto lap logs your performance over a predetermined distance. |
History: Review training history by day or week. |
Map: Navigate back to the start or to a stored location. |
Virtual Partner: Set time, pace, and distance goals, and train with a “virtual partner.” |
Pros:
- Loaded with performance-tracking features for the serious athlete
- GPS functionality a bonus, especially in referring back to previous routes
- Virtual Partner feature offers a fun, competitive way to keep you concentrated on training
Cons:
- Lack of Logbook software at time of test
- Virtual Partner feature takes some trial-and-error adjustments
Buy Garmin Forerunner 201 Wrist-Mounted GPS Fitness Computer at Amazon
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August 28th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
3.0 out of 5 stars
good companion
I like having this along with me while I run. The only thing that I miss in this model (as opposed to the 301)is that when you input your personal data it isn’t as specific as…
August 28th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Overall the Forerunner 201 works well for bicycling, although I wouldn’t discard my conventional bike computer for several reasons:
1. In Speed mode (vs. Pace mode) there’s no option to average out the readings, and the unit is too sensitive to motion. With the GPS mounted on a bike and the bike at a complete stop, tiny motions of less than 1 cm continuously trigger the autostop/autostart, so it keeps beeping and accumulating elapsed time and distance. Setting the Auto Pause threshold to a non-zero value mitigates this problem at a slight risk of false pauses.
2. The % grade (custom) readout is highly erratic. If you’re moving too slowly (less than 5 mph), even if you’re burning your lungs on a climb, it may read 0% or even a negative number like -3%! Seems like there may be a math underflow bug in the algorithm when the vertical displacement is too small over successive readings.
3. The altitude reading is not credible when you don’t have a clear view of the sky. The unit seems to extrapolate from the last trend it had to “update” the readout, rather than indicating that it’s unable to read the altitude. I was on King’s Mountain Road (SF Peninsula) under tree-cover, came out into an open spot and the altitude reading jumped by over 500 feet when the GPS got an actual reading from the satellites. There are 2 stretches like this on the climb, and it happened both times.
Enabling Auto Lap in the Training Assistant mode sets the GPS to record trackpoints (time, latitude, longitude and altitude), supposedly at fixed distance intervals, the finest preset value being 1 mile. At firmware version 3.40, the current track can hold 3000 points, with the oldest points being overwritten by the newest when you exceed 3000.
You might think this means you can go 3000 miles without losing any data, but it seems to sample more often than at 1 mile intervals. I’ve found that after about 7 hours, I start getting my oldest trackpoints overwritten. The only way around it is to remember to stop the timer, reset, then start the timer: this starts a new track (the previous track is still in the unit’s memory until you clear History).
The Windows-only Forerunner Logbook application downloadable from Garmin’s website is able to download tracks and display (a) speed or pace vs. time, (b) map of the route (from timer start to timer stop), (c) altitude vs. time. There were some goofy data for my most recent ride which showed me exceeding 80 mph(!), probably caused by gaps when the GPS signal was too weak to register. The Logbook application can also export the data as an XML file where each data sample contains Zulu time, latitude, longitude and altitude (in meters, regardless of your settings on the Forerunner or in Logbook). However, the format seems not be recognized by any program (including Forerunner Logbook; i.e., it doesn’t know how to read the XML file it wrote!), making it of rather dubious value. Garmin’s more recent Training Center (again Windows-only) app does better. GPSBabel (and MacGPSBabel) can now translate LogBook’s XML to other formats, including HikeTech (see below). With your track data in GPX format you can use, FlightTrack (Mac OS X) to make dynamic 3D maps overlaid on digital terrain models; and the web-based GPS Visualizer (www.gpsvisualizer.com) to overlay tracks on hi-res satellite/aerial photos, generate elevation profiles and generate kml or kmz files to load into Google Earth (download from earth.google.com, Win 2000, XP, OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.x only).
I found the pins securing the wrist strap impossible to budge with a screwdriver, as stated in the manual. I had to take it to a watch repair shop where the repairer used a “jeweler’s band pin removing tool” — with some careful effort — to pop the pins in order to remove the wrist strap. So it seems you either leave the wrist strap on or off (or buy the jeweler’s tool): it’s too difficult to switch around.
Why is Garmin still stuck on serial port interfaces? USB has been around for a few years now and is much easier to deal with. It would also be friendlier if you didn’t have to use the charger cradle in order to connect to a computer. The standard charger sold in the US is 120v only. It wouldn’t have cost much more to design a universal 120-240v charger for worldwide use. Garmin’s MSRP for their 240v version is an outrageous $32.90! (It can be found mail-order for around $20.)
The owner’s manual is pretty minimal. It doesn’t explain the elements of the Map Mode display. Perhaps it works well at walking/running speeds, but on a bike I can’t pay attention to the road and simultaneously focus on its tiny symbols. And on most rides the display is too small to cover the range of the entire route without the waypoints/auto lap points overlapping.
Once again we Mac (and Linux and even Win 95) users are ignored by a manufacturer when it comes to software support. The only way to update the firmware is with a Windows PC because the firmware is wrapped up inside a Windows-only “Updater” executable. On a Mac, you can use a serial-to-USB adapter cable and Virtual PC running Windows 98 or later to update the firmware. You may have to install a Windows driver from the manufacturer of the adapter cable. In my case, I also had to tell Virtual PC that COM1 was the “usbserial0″ port on my Mac.
For Mac OS X, I found a set of 3 shareware programs from HikeTech.com to be useful. They are: (1) Link2GPS for transferring waypoints to/from the GPS and downloading tracks from the GPS; (2) TopoDraw to display tracks as a 2-D map (you can even overlay tracks on digitized maps as long as you have at least 3 waypoints you can identify on the map to establish its scale and relationship to the track data); (3) gpswrite to chart altitude vs. distance, speed vs. distance. The 3 programs work together using files in GPX format.
NEWER ALTERNATIVES (at higher prices, of course): In 2006, Garmin has 2 newer lines of sports-oriented GPS units. The Forerunner 205 is a wristwatch unit with all the features of the 201, a smaller-but-higher resolution screen, and more sensitive GPS circuitry and faster satellite sync. It comes with a 120v/60Hz charger only, no international version. There’s a model 305, which adds a heart-rate monitor. Another new series is the Edge, aimed squarely at cyclists. The 205 is the basic model, the 305 the higher-end one, which adds cadence and/or HRM and a barometric altimeter. The Edge series has a larger grayscale screen, better sensitivity and faster satellite sync, and offers a 240v/50Hz charger as an optional accessory.
August 29th, 2009 at 3:16 am
1.0 out of 5 stars
OLD TECHNOLOGY! – for $45 more get the 205/305!!
I bought this watch ~7 years ago when it first came out. It was head and shoulders above the Timex product with the remote arm pod and I would have rated it 5 stars back then…
August 29th, 2009 at 5:17 am
After giving it a full charge, 3 hours, I took it out for a test drive. For the first 30 minutes I could not pick up a signal in Miami. I did a hard reset and it picked it up within 3 minutes. Went for a 3 mile run around a local 9-hole golf course, heavily ligned with trees, and to my amazement never lost contact with the signal. Was extremely accurate in measuring the distance and having a pace time allows you to really push yourself. Backlight can be kep on during the whole run – great feature for night running – or 2, 1, .5, .25 minutes. Much smaller than I expected. Love the display. Would recommend to anyone who runs, jogs, walks for exercise.
August 29th, 2009 at 7:22 am
The Forerunner 201 is proving to be very helpful in adjusting my runs without a training partner. While I prefer running with another person, it’s hard to find someone at the right time who wants to run the same pace that day. Features on this unit like the virtual training partner help me overcome that issue.
NOTE FOR IMPROVED SIGNAL/ACCURACY: On my first several runs, the unit lost signal about ten times over four miles. The solution was to have the Forerunner “Autolocate” the satellites again.
To run Autolocate again, turn the unit on indoors and cover it with your hand to prevent it from finding any satellites. After a minute, the unit will ask if you are indoors. Answer “No.” Then it will ask if you’ve moved the unit more than 100 miles since the last use. Answer “Yes.” This causes the unit to reacquire all available satellites.
Take the unit outside and position it in an open area. This time I made sure that it was clear of any obstructions (30 feet from the house) and put it on a tree branch about eye height. After about 15 mintues it had acquired more satellites than the first time.
When I power it up now, it acquires the signal in about a minute and I have yet to lose signal on a run.
August 29th, 2009 at 9:25 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
garmin forerunner 201
The Garmin Forerunner 201 has already improved running for me, not only do I know how far I have ran, I know how fast I have been running, and even have reference points for where…
August 29th, 2009 at 9:38 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works great
I used it the whole time I was in Iraq just to see how I improved on my runs and how long they were. It works great without a flaw.
August 29th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
1.0 out of 5 stars
unrealiable
This damn thing just quit working in the middle of my runs. Very frustrating. Just outside the 1 year warranty period the damn thing just stopped working, or rather it worked…
August 29th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent Watch for Reasonable Price
This is a great watch for stepping up your training regimen. It can sometimes be a little off in calculating pace and distance – but not that much.
August 30th, 2009 at 3:01 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Garmin Forerunner 201
Entry level watch but it does all I want and alot more! Owner’s manual easy to read, easy to find numerous functions available.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:45 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
MNWolf
I gave my wife one of these a few years back. We found I was borrowing it so much that we ordered a second one. It’s great for monitoring running or biking endeavors.
August 30th, 2009 at 11:46 am
3.0 out of 5 stars
Garmin Forerunner 201
Worked well in wide open spaces but easily lost GPS signal if running on trails or in city. Also, battery stopped charging after 11 months.
August 30th, 2009 at 11:53 am
4.0 out of 5 stars
hard to charge after a while
I am absolutely addicted to my Forerunner 201. After a year or so, the contacts became worn off, so it was difficult to charge.