When you think of the Garmin Forerunner 405, or any forerunner watch for that matter, you immediately think of running as its main physical activity. This line of thinking is perhaps further supported by the name in which the runner is already mentioned. While you would not be wrong in thinking this way, the Garmin Forerunner is actually a very capable GPS powered watch even in other activities.

One of the activities other running where using the Garmin Forerunner 405 is ideal is cycling. You can connect the Garmin Forerunner 405 and its sensors to your bicycle and you could track your training progress just as if you were running.

Here are some of the things that you can notice or expect from the Garmin Forerunner 405 while you are cycling:

A very intuitive menu:

When it comes to running watches, or in this case, cycling watches, having an easy to use and intuitive menu is critical. After all, you want to be able to focus on your cycling and not be distracted by your running watch.

In this regard, the Garmin Forerunner 405 performs well. It has a very interesting method for selecting menus. There are two hard buttons on the right and four places on the bezel for menu selection. You then perform circular motion on the bezel to be able to select items from the menu. This intuitive method is like the one used for the popular music player called the iPod.

This is quite incredible because I just need a few gestures to be able to see the data that I need or change the functionality of the watch.

Difference with other cycling computers:

A difference that the Garmin Forerunner 405 has with other cycling computers is in the way that they would track your data.

Most cycling computers would usually rely on getting the circumference of your wheel to be able to get the distance travelled between two points. On the other hand, this Forerunner uses GPS technology to be able to compute your distance.

There is no trouble with either method since the difference is usually just around 1-2%. This is not bad at all when it comes to tracking data.

Virtual Partner:

One thing that you can find very nice with the Garmin Forerunner 405 is the virtual partner feature. The virtual partner screen shows an imaginary cycling buddy that can help keep you company or pace you while you do your activity.

The virtual partner can help give cyclists a visual representation of how you are progressing on your target times or distances. This is great when you are doing your solo runs, or do not have a “training buddy” to do your activities with.

As you can see from these features, the Garmin Forerunner 405 can perform quite well when you use them for cycling purposes. This just shows how varied the situations or activities wherein this GPS enabled running watch can help your training.

Once you have purchased a Garmin Forerunner, you would be able to easily use it’s features to improve your training. It is relatively intuitive and very easy to use, so you should have very little problems while using it for your physical fitness needs.

Everything you need is at the touch of a button, and the menu is very contextual. In case you have additional questions, the included instructions manual in the Garmin Forerunner kit would be able to handle them.

With that said, there are actually some additional things that you could do to enhance your training experience while using the Garmin Forerunner. These are some additional tips that you could follow so that your time with the Forerunner would be fun, enjoyable and free from any untoward incidents:

You can customize the data fields:

One of the most overlooked features of the Garmin Forerunner line of running watches is that you can easily adjust the data fields that are showing in the screen. Through a few  clicks and adjustments in the settings, you would be able to customize the data that it shows to match the kind of training that you are doing.

You can easily set it to data fields that reflect important data about running then quickly change it to fields for cycling if you are doing interval training. This allows the Garmin Forerunner to be your all around watch for whatever your training need is.

It needs some cleaning and care too!

Yes, the Garmin Forerunner is one tough running watch. It is built to be durable enough to withstand tough environments. However, it would do well if you still did some care and maintenance for it right it is used.

You should remember to wipe the metal contacts at the back of the watch after your training. This is because the sweat that builds up over time may lead to corrosion which could cause problems in the watch’s hardware.

You can use a clean cloth for removing the traces of moisture. If there are already some gunk build up in the watch, then you could use a rubber eraser to wipe them off.

The Customer Service of Garmin

Just in case you have some questions about your running watch or worse, had a watch that suddenly stopped functioning, you can easily call Garmin and ask them about what they can do for you.

There are some people who had watches that broke down, and had replacement or fixed watches that were sent to them in as little as two to three weeks.

Many of the runners, both the serious ones and the weekender types, have probably heard of one of the running watches in the Garmin Forerunner line. However, not all of them are willing to purchase it because they are afraid that it would just be a waste of money. They do not think that spending that much for a running watch is worth it.

I think that the people who are not using the Garmin Forerunner are missing out on a lot of things that it can offer. To help alleviate the fears that the Forerunner is a bad outlay, here are some reasons why the Garmin Forerunner is a sound investment for the runners;

It is able to provide accurate data even after repeated uses:

This is important for serious runners. If you are running with a running watch that is not able to accurately provide consistent data as you use it, then your training data would be quite misleading.

If the running watch would suddenly become inaccurate, it may show you as having suddenly improved your pace or speed even if you are just going at the same rate. This would be a big issue for people who really want to monitor their improvement, as the split seconds and even short dances all factor in their progress.

It is durable:

When you purchase a Garmin Forerunner, you are getting a running watch that would last you for nearly all of your runs. You would not have to worry about it breaking down and needing replacement because it was not able to handle the intensity of your training.

If you would think of the number of running sessions that you can do with a Garmin Forerunner running watch, then the price that you have paid for it is surely worth it! It would be a better choice than just getting a cheaper watch and having to replace it time and time again because it keeps on breaking down.

It has the capability to upgrade both hardware and firmware:

Another reason why people are afraid to invest in a Garmin Forerunner running watch is that they are scared that it would become outdated or unable to match up with newer features that other watches would come out with in the future.

However, the good thing with a Garmin Forerunner is that you could easily upgrade both its hardware and software to be able to handle more features, as well as remove the bugs in the programming.

For hardware improvements, you could just purchase the various accessories that come out for the Garmin Forerunner that would enable it to expand its features. There are heart rate monitors, cadence sensors, and other gadgets that would help make it more suitable for other activities.

The software updates are handled by the very easy to use connection between your Garmin Forerunner and your computer.

Based on the reasons stated above, it would be easy to see why purchasing a Garmin Forerunner running watch is a great investment for runners and other sports enthusiasts!

Garmin Forerunner watches are constructed from the most durable materials. They are made to withstand the intense physical activity that you do with your training. That’s why all the models, from the Garmin Forerunner 205, 305 or the 405, are great partners for any kind of training discipline. If they are properly maintained, they will not wear down even if you are running the farthest distances, or encountering the harshest of environmental conditions.

With said, you would be able to see just how important it is to maintain your running watches. While the Garmin Forerunner 405 is constructed to be as durable as possible, there are always situations wherein you would need to do some work to ensure that your Forerunner is in tip top shape.

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A Garmin Forerunner running watch would definitely help you in improving your training. Depending on its feature set and capabilities, a good running watch would be able to track advanced data which would help in your analysis of what you need to do to advance your current skills. Of course, it would not be able to do it if you do not use it effectively.

Using a Garmin Forerunner running watch effectively would mean being able to set its features so that all you would have to do is run. You must prepare your running watch beforehand so that you would not have any difficulty and can just focus on your training.  The good thing is that preparing your Garmin Forerunner running watch is actually not that difficult, you would just need to fiddle around with some settings and you would be on your way to better training.

Some of the ways to prepare your Garmin Forerunner watch beforehand include:

Update your training programs:

You can simply connect your running watch to the computer so that you can download the latest programs that could improve your current training regimen. These programs can be from other runners who are doing similar training to what you are currently engaged in or from running experts who are willing to guide you for better performance.

Once downloaded to your running watch, it would automatically set the parameters of speed, distance, pace and time goals that you have to reach in order to accelerate your progress. Of course, before downloading anything, you have to ensure that you find a training that is best suited for you.

Set data fields:

One of the nice features of the Garmin Forerunner running watch is that it allows you to easily customize the data fields of the running watch before you run. This means that you have the capability to set the watch so that it would only display the information that is pertinent to the training that you are currently engaged in.

For example, if you are doing some basic running then you can just set the watch to display only speed, distance, pace and total time. However, if you have a cycling session coming up on the next day of your training, then you can change the display to indicate cadence data as well.

You should do this beforehand so that you can immediately see the data that you need while you are training. You would not become confused or bothered with fiddling about the menu while you are running (or cycling) and can just focus on the task at hand.

Charge:

Last, but perhaps the most important, is that you have to remember to charge your Garmin Forerunner. It would be quite useless for you to have a full featured watch if it cannot run at all because it does not have any batteries.

Before running, you should check if your Forerunner still has batteries and if it would be able to last the length of your training.

By following these tips, you would be able to gain the full benefits of the Garmin Forerunner running watch while you are training.