Garmin Forerunner 201 user reviews

3.0 stars

"Good Product when it works" on December 26, 2004

Pros: Compared to the nike triax elite and sunnto t6, it is relatively cheap. I was able to get it on ebay for about $45 less than retail. Gives very accurate distance and pace readings. Easy to use and although appears bulky, when you put it on is actually qu

Cons: The biggest problem with it is that the GPS signals are weak, on cloudy days or areas where there are an abundance of trees, it does not get the signal, even worse is that the timer will stop as well so even if you know the route and distance you are runn

4.0 stars

"Set your run free" on December 18, 2004

Pros: This product has everything the normal runner needs. I am happy to have a wearable GPS unit. I have read a lot of reviews that keep saying, "Why doesn't it have a heartrate monitor?" "Why doesn't it have an MP3 player?" "It isn't in color?" Good Lord! The

Cons: The only complaint I have is the serial cable but I can live with it. I do wish that the cable was longer though, but I can get an extension for that.

4.5 stars

"Not perfect, but better than any other" on January 20, 2006 by gusad1960

Pros: Size, readability, battery, PC link,

Cons: Poor GPS tracking

Summary: First of all, this is the best of what is out there today (unless you want to lug a 5 lb GPS meant to ride on the dashboard of your car).

Tremendous aid to any runner/biker. I run 5 yrs using a pedometer and one cannot expect any accuracy better than 5%. I've used the 201 for 2+ yrs/3000 miles and it is within 2% MOST of the time. There are instances where it will worse, especially in narrow streets or under tree cover (summer). I agree that it is not tremendously accurate for race day, but my results where a lot better than those reported by another reviewer (a couple of examples: 13.5 miles on a half marathon, and 6.5 miles on a 10K race). It almost ALWAYS errs on the + side. As for features, it works really well. Big display, good backlight, really watertight, training assistant. I wish Garmin would improve the gain on the GPS antenna, although they may be limited here to keep its size reasonable. The new constellation of GPS satellites that the US gov't started launching in late '05 may help get the accuracy to below 1%. The PC software is another cool thing that allows one to track all the runs & bike outings. It'd be nice if it would keep these in separate logs. Also, there are a number of third party programs that will take the Forerunner data and map it on a street or satellite map showing the path you've taken in your workout.

4.0 stars

"A must have for runners and training athletes." on July 3, 2005 by d_enslen

Pros: Lightwieght, big numbers for easy reading on the run. Great for training and just leeping track of your workouts. Download to your computer and analyze your workouts.

Cons: Pace is inaccurate at times, but the averages keep this in check.