Hi all.
I'm about to post this on my website.
Roger
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Review of Nike Triax Elite HRM/SDM
Short version: I've used it for two months. It's not perfect, but it
works well. I like it.
Good experiences
- Distance/pace works great. This is the main reason I bought it. It's
way accurate enough for me.
- Programmable workouts work pretty well. The other reason I bought it.
It is surprisingly compelling to have a wristwatch that tells you what
to do.
- Works well on a Mac.
- Mostly reliable (see below for exceptions).
Bad experiences
- Crashed once half way through a 10 mile run. Completely reset, lost
all data. Annoying as heck. Nike tech support said change batteries. I
didn't and it hasn't crashed since.
- Lost data on sync once. Software complained about corrupted data and
then wiped the entire contents of the watch.
- HRM data is often wrong at start of workout. Chest band needs to be
on very tight or it registers much too high until I work up a sweat. In
this respect it seems less sensitive than my old Polar HRM.
Nits
- Display doesn't let you see more than one stat at a time. I'd like to
see total distance, total time, and heart rate at the same time.
- PC software desperately needs more aggressive curve smoothing for
pace and heart rate data. It's far too jaggy now--pace jags up and down
by more than a minute over every few minutes of run time. Even if that
is accurate, it's useless to see.
- PC software could stand general improvement. I know this is fantasy
but the PC software would surely be better if Nike let users mess with
the source. And why is Triax spelled "Traix" in a couple of places?
Wishlist
- Vibration alarm (like a cell phone). I often miss the audible
end-of-stage warnings, particularly when wearing earphones.
- More display configurations.
- More flexible charting. Full screen should really be full screen on
my big screen.
Random
See mailing list at Yahoo Groups:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/niketiming/