Mountainbike & fenix - Questions regarding metrics w/o powermeter, etc.

Hey, I'm still exploring best datafields etc. for my f7 and MTB. But, I'm already disappointed with the MTB dynamics. Point being, we are riding enduro. So, my 15 km ride is probably 80% fire road climbing and 20% ACTUAL riding downhill. And I thought Flow and Grit stats can be isolated per segment, which I have created for most of places I ride. Nope...Kind of stupid, I don't want flow stats messed by fire road riding, I want to see my progress on those exact segments over time. Seems like segments aspect is really neglected by Garmin. Back to your question though: I suggest to get a chest HR sensor and a mount to put your watch on handlebars. Typically, I'll have few datascreens: 1 for real time stats: speed, HR, timer, distance. 1 for accumulated stats: max speed, average HR, total ascent/descent etc. And something training related: aerobic/anaerobic, stamina etc. Finally: map for navigation. 

You could use this datafield with a cadence sensor to get estimated power: apps.garmin.com/.../d1bca88c-0454-478f-b13e-620a5d01ba6d

AlexZ131 said:

Hey, I'm still exploring best datafields etc. for my f7 and MTB. But, I'm already disappointed with the MTB dynamics. Point being, we are riding enduro. So, my 15 km ride is probably 80% fire road climbing and 20% ACTUAL riding downhill. And I thought Flow and Grit stats can be isolated per segment, which I have created for most of places I ride. Nope...Kind of stupid, I don't want flow stats messed by fire road riding, I want to see my progress on those exact segments over time. Seems like segments aspect is really neglected by Garmin. 

There seems to be "Grit" and "Flow" metrics per lap - could this be a solution to your problem? Showing the metrics per lap, and starting a lap once you point your bike down the hill?

AlexZ131 said:

Back to your question though: I suggest to get a chest HR sensor and a mount to put your watch on handlebars. Typically, I'll have few datascreens: 1 for real time stats: speed, HR, timer, distance. 1 for accumulated stats: max speed, average HR, total ascent/descent etc. And something training related: aerobic/anaerobic, stamina etc. Finally: map for navigation. 

Thank you for your suggestions. I got the handlebar mount with the watch, and a Polar H10 strap as well. Plus I have a Polar Verity Sense since last year. My current thinking is to use the f7 for casual riding w/o additional sensors and simply wearing the watch (as I would just like to collect the basis load, don't need precision there). I'd use the Verity Sense optical sensor for longer rides with a backpack. The Verity Sense is pretty good at collecting heart rate info, unless you aim to do intervals & sprints, etc. And then the H10 chest strap plus handlebar mount when I want to push it.

Got my first ride in last night - rather casual riding. But I tried the H10 chest trap to see how this goes, plus I dug out an old Garmin ANT+ speed sensor (must be the first version that you would simply attach to your front hub - probably from 2018 or so? New battery and of we went... :) ). Reviewing the data I saw a "Stamina" graph as well - interesting! I thought you need power for that. Might be the case that you just need to have a VO2max data point - I still have data from 2019 when I rode road bikes w/ powermeters.

As mentioned in my reply to AlexZ131 I got a "Stamina" reading last night. So I am not sure if one needs to have a powermeter in order to use the feature. "Stamina" could be interesting for my upcoming MTB marathon.

BTW - anyone successfully using Strava Segments on the f7? My KOM collection shrunk to single-digit numbers in the last years, with so many stronger riders using Strava now (and the ocassional E-Biker snatching a segment...). But I still like to use segments as a kind of intervall training.

Stamina does not need a powermeter, but it will be far more accurate if you would have power.

i used segments on the forerunner 945, worked as it should so there should be no problem on the fenix 7 i think.

anyone successfully using Strava Segments on the f7

Strava Live Segments work just fine on the f7.

Tried the Strava Segment and snatched some new PRs - new gadgets make you fast!

I guess there’s no way to configure the segment page to show the heart rate? At least I didn’t find a way to configure, and the manual is very brief on segments.