Garmin Connect, Explore 2 and Instinct 2 Experimentation

Garmin connect isn’t as smart as I thought. I thought that if I used the Explore 2 with a heart rate belt, that I would get training status and training readiness. For a week I was tracking with the Explore 2 as my primary tracker. Data is missing.

It’s a shame that it doesn’t work as expected because if I could wear a normal watch while cycling, rather than the instinct 2, then I would avoid tracking the same workout twice.

At the moment when I go for a bike ride I track with the Garmin Instinct 2 and the Explore 2. If both save the track then I have a primary and backup device. I trust both to work well so I no longer feel the need for a primary and backup device. By tracking with the explore 2, alone I would not need to discard or delete data on one device.

I had the Explore because I wanted a convenient way to navigate with the bike. I got the Explore 2 because I wanted to have more granular information about the climbs I have done this summer, on the bike. With the old GPS I had some info but it wasn’t as concise. With the Explore 2 it is.

I switched from the Instinct to the Instinct 2 because I wanted more training data, at an affordable price. The Instinct 2 costs less than 150 CHF and the Garmin Fenix watches cost from 800 CHF onwards.

And Finally

Now that I know if this weakness I know to track bike rides with the Instinct 2.