Racing with Sense

[t.parker]

I returned my Sense some time ago so I decided to borrow another one from my friend, who stopped using it due to issues, and run a virtual half-marathon with it. Here's a word of warning - always have a backup device when you want to capture your race. Here's why:

- Acquiring GPS just didn't work, I was a few minutes in - no GPS. It had to connect eventually but if it was a real race event you want the GPS to connect at the start. Are you going to wait on the start line waiting for Sense to (maybe) connect to GPS? 🙂 (looking at the data, it took the first 30 minutes to acquire GPS connection)

- The GPS signal has been lost several times in the open sky (Garmin had no such issue all the way).

- It chopped 1.6km (whole mile) from the distance

- It chopped an additional 5km in the final map due to GPS signal loss (didn't affect the run distance, GPS doesn't contribute here).

- HR was more or less ok. I was running in high-aerobic below LT so my HR was pretty stable all the time, Sense seems to deal with it well enough.

- The battery lasted long enough (I haven't checked the battery after the run but lasted ~2hrs).

I'm not looking for troubleshooting (already too late for that, isn't it?). It was just an experiment, how reliable the device would be during such an event, and well, it wasn't. If you decide to use Sense in the race:

- have a backup

- if Sense causes issues during the race, just let it go, not worth frustration. (if you have a backup)

- remember, the distance is not computed using GPS, you may actually start running before GPS is connected and still get the distance and the map will be chopped. However, if you use GPS for automatic stride calibration (which will happen after the run) it may affect later the stride length (at least I think so). This may affect the distance of your next run.

One interesting thing is that my own Sense never experienced GPS issues like that (I actually praised GPS of Sense on this forum).

My opinion hasn't changed. Fitbit devices are not runner's watches and Sense proved that to me. When you need to work on that one particular event, it may fail you as it failed me.

[Giampi71 · Accepted solution]

Hello @t.parker , 

I really really wanted to love Fitbit for running/racing.

When few years ago I purchased my Fitbit Ionic (I was one of the early adopter paying lots of money to have imported from the US) I was initially very happy although it was a little bit weak in terms of running features. However the precise heart rate sensor was really a good motivation to keep it. Unfortunately my enthusiasm vanished when I discovered that Ionic measured the distance using steps rather than the GPS that, although not precise like my former TomTom, wasn't that bad.

My Ionic died after 8 months and I replaced it with the Adidas version that was as disappointing as the original version (and died only after 3 months).

I then moved to Polar Vantage V (I now use Vantage 2).

When the Sense was released I immediately test it to see if the distance algorithm bug (because it IS a bug, not a feature) was finally address and I was really disappointed (although also for me the GPS sensor is actually very good).

But what I was astonished about is the terrible HR sensor, I don't have words to describe it, just see for yourself.

I want to highlight how incredibly close the Optical sensor of the Polar Vantage V and the chest strap H10 are. This is the perfect example to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to make a good optical sensor and it is very fair to compare two different technologies.

But Sense HR is totally BS (sorry I can't describe it better).

Still I would like to be inclined to say that Fitbit are generally a better choice for general fitness oriented people while Polar (and Garmin and Suunto, to say few examples) are more from dedicated sport man.

But Sense HR is actually a random number generator in all cases so it fails to provide meaningful data during the daily life. And the fact that it is on the market since more than 6 months and nothing has been address is very worrying about the dedication that Fitbit has to improve its products despite what mods are saying.

My wife is now happily use my Sense as above but she cares about time and notification, not exactly the perfect example of a Fitbit user.