Garmin Forerunner 205 Blue GPS Receiver

I bought this product in order to enhance my running and bicycling performance, although I am primarily a runner. I love the fact that it constantly keeps track of my pace, and that you can set routes and training laps. The virtual partner is also a great feature to keep you on pace if you are trying to achieve a certain time on your run. I also like the fact that after you set in your personal data, it will approximate the amount of calories burned during the workout. This is my second GPS device. The first was a Timex. I loved it, and the one feature it has that is better than the Garmin is average pace (unless I haven't figured out were to find it on the Garmin). I liked that, because on long runs, you invariably stop, and go faster and slower throughout the course. The Garmin also seems to have a much greater satellite connection capability. I was constantly losing signal with the Timex. The charger is a great feature as you do not have to change the batteries in the watch or the GPS device. Additionally, the Garmin is all in one, whereas some older devices are two pieces; one for your hip or arm, and the other for your wrist. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase and feel that I got a great deal on Ebay. There are a lot of features that I have not yet explored, and look forward to taking advantage of them.

I have only been using this GPS for a couple of weeks but so far, I am very happy with it. I use it for Running and Horseback Riding (not crazy about the "Other" icon, but oh well...).

I am just starting to run again and find that the constant feedback really helps me stay motivated and focused. The flexibility of being able to modify the data fields is great. I can see what I want, when I want.

For riding, I like being able to track a trail ride, including distance and elevations. It's great for conditioning and hill work with the horses.

The Training Center software is also very helpful and easy to use. I do wish that it had as detailed street mapping as my Garmin Nuvi and there are some other ways I'd like to be able to look at the data, but maybe I just haven't figured that out yet.

I have to say that I got an amazing deal on mine with makes the value even better, but even at list price, this is a great device.

Happy trails!

I bought my Forerunner 205 about a month ago and have used it many times while running. I have been training for half marathons with the goal of a full one next year to qualify for Boston. I had been frustrated because I never knew exactly how far or how fast I was running. The Forerunner gives an accurate distance and average pace. I set it to automatically record lap stats every mile, so at the end of the run I can review how I did for each phase. Displaying my route on the map (linked to Google Earth) is also useful and entertaining. Now I can run a different route every day and still have accurate stats.

The device appears to be well constructed and this series is much more compact than the previous iterations. I don't feel like I have a laptop computer strapped to my wrist. Satellite acquisition is good and I keep the signal when trail running with heavy tree canopy. I do lose the signal when running under an over pass, but that does not seem to degrade the accuracy overall.

There are some weaknesses. The instantaneous pace readout fluctuates a lot, so it is difficult to use for constantly monitoring your speed. It would be better if they would average over a few seconds of readings. Maybe in a future version. Related to this problem is elevation change information in the data summary. I just did a run along the shore at Grand Cayman. Dead flat. The 205 told me that I had gained and lost over 800 feet in elevation. The problem is that any fluctuations in reading get added up. You can see real trends on the graph when you download to your computer, but it uses the elevation change to calculate calories burned and thus grossly overestimates. If I were eating according to what it tells me I expend calories, I would be very fat!

In choosing the 205 I also looked at the 305. The main difference is that the 305 has a heart rate monitor and can interface with a cadence meter for your bike. I have a heart rate monitor that I rarely use and a computer with cadence on my bike already, so I could not justify the extra cost of the 305. I am happy with my choice.

Overall, I am very happy with the 205. The inaccuracy in instantaneous pace and elevation change are annoying, but I still get accurate overall stats for my run. Being able to download the information to my computer allows me to keep track of my progress.

I love this watch! Though calling it a watch is like calling a Mercedes a car. It makes keeping up with workouts as easy as it could possibly be. My wife and I run hills on Tuesdays, do a light day on Thursdays, our long runs on Fridays and a normal run on Sundays. Before the Garmin, we had to limit ourselves to predetermined, premeasured courses so we would know how we were doing for time and pace. With the Garmin, we no longer have to stick to tracks, parks, and other places we've run a million times. We can just go to a spot we like, start the watch, acquire sattelites, and take off running.

Just Friday we needed to do about 4 miles to begin preparing for a 10k we're doing in a few weeks. We went to a neighborhood we'd never run in before, started the watch and at about 2 miles, started heading back in the general direction of our car. We wound up running 3.98 miles. Close enough.

One day last week we decided to change up the routine and ride bikes that day. A quick change of the settings and the Garmin was in bike mode and we were off and riding. Easy as it gets.

The training center software is fantastic. At one glance I can review which days I did what activities, and get very specific details about each run. On the graph, I can see pace, elevation, speed, and grade, while the detailed totals at the top of the frame give me distance, time, average pace, average speed, top speed, calories burned, and total amount of ascent and descent. There is even a place to type your own notes about a particular run. One of my favorie features is a very detailed map of your run which allows you to choose any data point (like a particular hill or intersection) and when paired with the information on the graph, see exactly what was going on. And when I say detailed, I mean it. Friday before last, we were running down a section of street that is normally pretty deserted at that time. For some reason there were a few trucks coming down the street so we zig-zagged into a parking lot and ran the edge of the lot about 10 feet from the road we would normally have run on. When I got home I loaded the run and zoomed in on that part of the map. You could plainly see where we had altered our course! That is a sensitive receiver!

I became interested in the 205 after I saw a friend's 405 a few weeks ago. In my opinion the 205 is just as useful, just not nearly as cool looking. So I like the 405 better, but not $200 (or more) better! The 205 is a fantastic tool, especially for the $$!

I have only been running for a number of months but once i bought this watch there was a very noticable improvement to my running. Before running with this watch i was unable to pace myself effectively and would fall short of my running target. Within a week of using this watch i was able to perfectly pace myself for the long runs of marathon training programs and noticed an improvement in my stride as well. I could tell when my pace fell behind and could associate it with my stride faultering. This watch is a must have for anyone that likes to run or is training for any race. It is very comfortable despite its size and functions flawlessly. The only trouble i have ever come across is not realizing i had it on when i got into the shower after long runs! The software accompanying the watch is incredible and gives more information than i thought possible. I cannot imagine needing the 305 version unless specifically for the heart rate monitor.

Quick Review:
Extremely Useful Training Information
Comfortable and Sturdy Design
Precise and Flawless Function