After about a year of use, it began dropping out during a ride. Garmin replaced the strap and suggested a few changes:
(1) Even though instructions said the strap could go in the washing machine, the spin cycle might fold it and break the wires. Now I just remove the module and soak the strap in the sink while I shower after a session, adding a few drops of dish detergent once a week.
(2) Buh Bump electrolyte cream on the electrode patches before each session.
(3) Leaving the module off the strap until the next session may increase battery life.
Electrode patches may be bubbling slightly after a year on the replacement strap. So far it has worked perfectly, but I got a new strap just in case. I do 5-6 sessions a week, fairly heavy use.
I was looking to upgrade from a Garmin 920XT, and after doing my research, I determined that the Fenix 6 fit my needs as an athlete. I am please with the ease of use and the features the watch offers. I like the color of the band (orange) and the overall look of the Sapphire version. While the battery life is sufficient, I like to using all the features on the watch, and that reduces the time between charges significantly. I am still finding my sweet spot when comes to features I want to use all the part/al/none of the time. Overall, I am very happy with the watch.
As winter falls upon Wisconsin, I have been training (biking & running) indoors more often. The profiles allow me to set certain data fields for indoor biking vs ones I want for the open road. I used to use my Garmin watch for the bike, but having a head unit is a great improvement. Being cheap I utilize Garmin Segments, creating ones to mimic Strava segments, which then allows me to race against them. This feature alone makes the purchase worth it for me. I had been trying to take the crown on particular segment all summer and with the real time feedback, I smashed it by 20 seconds. We don't have many "climbs" in Wisconsin, but I could see how that new feature would be very useful after using it just two times. I had a couple issues with losing connection to my Garmin Vector pedals, but since the latest update, that has improved. Connects well with other sensors: heart rate strap, speed/cadence sensors on my other bikes. Nice to have decent mapping as well. I find the menu arrangements slightly different than other Garmin products. I also sometimes wish I had spent more for the touch screen model.
I wasn't sure I *needed* another HRM, but I have gotten increasingly frustrated by data dropouts. I thought it was related to my battery, but despite changing it (in all three modules), I continued to have issues. I decided to buy the granddaddy of all HRMs, and WesternBikeWorks had the best price (as they often do). When I received the HRM, I was a little confused. I didn't realize that this module does not detach from the strap. It paired quickly with my head units (using Ant+) and I have used it several times since then. I have had no data drop outs, from what I can tell. Previously, my HR data was full of holes, but now I have a nice solid graph. Care for this one is a bit different - you rinse it after each use, then hand wash after every 7 uses or so. Replacing the battery will be easy - just peel off the yellow thing and it will become obvious. I like that this HRM measures running dynamics (still exploring this) and I'm finally getting consistent HRV readings. For me, it's worth the premium price.
