Advice on Head Unit / Software

I understand what you want to do and why. Such functionality would indeed be valuable. I am not aware of any of the power meter handlebar computers that do what you want. However, you might want to explore some of the iPhone power meter apps. I don't know if you have any programming skills, but I think some of these have the ability to run custom scripts. For example, here is an iPhone power meter app: wahoofitness.comwahoo rflkt plus iphone powered bike computer.htmlOpen ↗

I get what you want but I think there are a few technical hurdles here.

In regards to programming I do use Garmin Connect and my 810 head unit. I find it perfectly functional although the drag and drop system is SH*******TE from garmin but once its done it is only some small time wasted.

I like the TACX programming software and also the Cycleops virtual training software they have good visualizations of the plans.

I don't know if you are using a turbo or you mean for the road in specific. I think this becomes a monumental challenge on the road because of the changeability of the terrain. I would say many just pick a route that suits the workout and be done with it.

Id say I'm happy now with picking a careful route and then Using my TACX ergo trainer with TTS4 to control the Ergo resistance in slope or watts. But that's a £500 bit of kit which depends heavily on budget allowances.

Either way if the workouts are so specific that they have to be stuck to the watt then id recommend something like an ERGO Trainer with appropriate software that makes its main money from giving users the ability to customize and pre-program a "workout".

I see a workout on the turbo and a ride on the road. 2 different things. Unless you live somewhere like Florida say then you can do a workout on the road but you also become a niche and niches always mean effin hardwork to get exactly what you want.

So, today you can do what I seek in Garmin Training Center and Garmin Connect (and if the reports are to be believe the SRM PC8 and software will have the ability as well) - is that what everyone else is doing? Or does everyone else not bother programming in interval-type workouts? In the end, it is just a guide, it is not essential. If you know your workout by heart, and keep a close eye on clock for timing, you don't need the device to tell you when to do move into each step, how long to do it for, and at what intensity. Is that what most people are doing? Or do all of you use Garmin products and use the two products I mentioned above?

I'm just trying to wrap my head around why it is I can't seem to find much discussion on this - maybe I am just using the wrong keywords in my searches.

-Neil

I use Sport Tracks plus the Garmin Fitness plugin to create workouts easily (X min warmup, Y min on, Z min off, repeat Z times, etc.) But my version of Garmin Training Centre does it too, under New Workout. Doesn't this work for you? Or am I completely missing the point of what you want to do?

First to answer your questions: Yes, today I use Garmin Training Center (GTC). But because they have stopped updating it, I am getting a lot of quirks. For examples:

- If I add workouts to the calendar in GTC I will subsequently find the calendar going competely nutty and putting ALL workouts on all dates where I had only one or two workouts previously scheduled - not sure what triggers this. So, for now, I no longer use the calendar in GTC.

- If I delete a workout in GTC it will come back when I next sync with the device. So, I have to manually go to the file browser, navigate to the workouts folder and delete the workout in question. Recently I did this, and despite me deleting it, it still came back. So, now I delete all workouts in the folder and then re-synch GTC.

- GTC continually asks me whether I want to send data from program to device or device to program, despite the fact that nothing has changed. I recently lost all of my bike info in the unit on two separate occasions, I believe, because I answered incorrectly (but this is a guess on my part - not sure why I lost bike data - have had unit for 1.5+ years and this was the first occasions of that - but I did recently switch to Mac from Windows, so not sure if defect in Mac GTC)

- I'd say I have 1 to 2 other issues as well that are not coming to mind at the moment. But, in the end, they have abandoned GTC. They apparently see Garmin Connect (GC) as the answer - and despite trying it (consciously trying to make it work for me) twice, I simply can't accept it as a solution. It is too unwieldy, the process is slow, I can't duplicate a workout and then tweak it, etc etc etc. I'll put it bluntly - if GC were my only option to programming a Garmin device, I would stop using Garmin head units completely. I feel that strongly about it. Right now, I am only still with Garmin because I of GTC - but the handwriting is on the wall. Clearly it is headed for the junk heap. Perhaps by the next Edge unit it will no longer work with GTC at all. I am about to purchase a new bike w/power meter and so I need to decide what direction to go. Money is no object (so to speak) and so SRM was my choice until I discovered recently they don't even the concept of programming workouts. That floored me and made me realize I need to stop assuming and start researching. And that is when I discovered that no one seems to discuss this topic. (no posts I could find anyway)

So, to return to your comments - So Sport Tracks allows you to program a workout and you can download it to your Garmin Edge? I did not know that - I assumed (there I go again) it was like Training Peaks or WKO+ and it just analyzed the data coming out of the head unit. This is good to know, thanks!

Yes, you need the Garmin Fitness plugin though.

GTC does the constant synching with device/programme thing to me too, annoying as hell! I don't use the calendar, I guess if I were programming workouts very specifically I would probably not have many and use them over and over and/or just tweak them rather than schedule them into a calendar. But that's just me.

The ST Garmin Fitness plugin is nicer than GTC in my opinion, nicer interface. But it doesn't have a calendar capability I don't think. Give it a try though and see what you think. It's free to try both ST and the plugin I believe.