What’s the point of 165?

FlowState said:

I love MIP because I like to be able to glance at my watch during a hard workout and see my stats instantly without waiting for the screen to light up.

The same.

MarkC said:

Had I known what I know now, despite reading/watching lots of comparison reviews, I would probably have bought a 255.

So... have been researching the 255 more tonight and have learned that the 255 does NOT include training readiness (265 does).

So, I probably have bought the right Garmin watch for me (for now).

I'll try and collect my thoughts and do a separate write up for why I chose the 165 and how I'm getting on with it 2 months in. Hopefully it will help someone else with their choice.

PXB47 said:

I road run through a fairly rough town at 4am daily, so music is not an option

Oh wow I thought I was the only one who ran at crazy hours. I started running at like 10 - 11 PM when I was travelling for work before the pandemic, and during the pandemic I developed a habit of running after midnight (sometimes as early/late as 2 - 3 AM), just bc even at 11 PM, random ppl out for a walk would be jumpy if you ran within 100 metres of them. (The early pandemic was a crazy time.) Only difference is I usually run in pretty safe neighborhoods, except for certain parts of Brooklyn a few times.

If you tell people you run at 11 PM, they usually look at you like you're crazy, but at least in 2019-2020 NYC (pre-pandemic), I always saw a couple of people running by the water, and sometimes 1 person running on a track. Kinda wonder if ppl still do that today. Even today in Toronto, I'll still see one or two ppl running around 11 PM, but never after midnight like me. I try not to run crazy late anymore, for various reasons. (Safety aside, it seems counter productive because I don't get enough sleep.)

Also, I was one of the people who swore I'd never run with music. It's still just a nice-to-have. Obviously I don't use music during hard workouts, and for all my other runs, I use music maybe 10% of the time. I find music actually makes running harder in some ways, bc it diverts my attention.

I also don't really *need* maps tbh. The main reason I got a nicer Garmin after starting out with a basic Garmin was for navigation. I'd always be getting lost on my long runs, and while the 3rd party app for navigation was decent, built in navigation is a lot better.

Now that I have a nicer Garmin, all the training stats and bells and whistles are nice to have, but I'm pretty sure none of it has anything to do with whether I get better or worse at running. The main factors for me are diet, weight , weekly mileage, and hard workouts.

4684381 said:

FlowState said:

I love MIP because I like to be able to glance at my watch during a hard workout and see my stats instantly without waiting for the screen to light up.

The same.

Unfortunately for us, Garmin has (correctly) deduced that this is not something they can use to market their running watches. rip mip long live amoled

Hi FlowState, those factors are important for sure. I’ve found over the years that it is what you CANNOT do that gives you the best clues to your overall state of well-being. My focus at the moment is completing a perfect sit-rise test, I have encountered many problems along the two year journey toward achieving it, including, would you believe, wasted toes. Yes, that’s right, because I developed an efficient flat footed gait for running over the years, I was no longer getting up on my toes day to day. Good to hear from NYC, I have just finished reading The Bonfire of the Vanities and for some reason I’m suddenly in love with the place.

I’m not from nyc but I did travel there regularly for work for a few months before the pandemic. Sorry to hear about your toes — hope they’re ok now. 

There are a couple of running nerd metrics I do like to look at, such as cadence, stride length and HR, but ultimately as a hobby jogger, all that really matters is pace (and staying injury free). 

Funnily enough I don’t really think of Garmins or Apple Watches as devices that will help me stay healthy overall, although I know that’s how they’re marketed. To me a smartwatch just gives me nice to have stuff for the running nerd in me. I guess I look at steps and intensity minutes, but I really don’t think anyone needs a watch to stay healthy and fit. 

I wish they had put Garmin pay on the 55 and a less pixelated display. Also 'resume later' would have been nice.

Maybe not priced right but the watch is great. I'm Instinct x2 user myself but it was a perfect gift for my girlfriend who is a runner, great size, music on the go, beautiful touch screen (I hate touch screen on watches), good battery life, latest sensors and more data that she can ever need.

Just because the watch is not a perfect match for you because it doesn't have  aperfect set of festures for you doesn't mean it's not a great device. It's a solid device for anyone but most demanding users imho.

I like the 165, it's a very nice watch. For me it sits between the 55 and 255 with a mix of features. Amoled isn't my 1st choice for a sport watch, but it looks nice.