Garmin Forerunner 201

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 35 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 6 stars

  Good for training but not race day

  by on January 12, 2005

  Pros: Relatively small and compact - good for those indivudals who travel on business; Useful when running in a new location; Clear display with good backlighting when needed

  Cons: Recently ran a marathon with some tree cover but mostly clear view of the sky. The Forerunner indicated a distance of 27.2 miles at the end of the marathon - a 4% error (error grew linearly throughout the marathon). This limited the usefullness of the pac

  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  Good Product when it works

  by on December 26, 2004

  Pros: Compared to the nike triax elite and sunnto t6, it is relatively cheap. I was able to get it on ebay for about $45 less than retail. Gives very accurate distance and pace readings. Easy to use and although appears bulky, when you put it on is actually qu

  Cons: The biggest problem with it is that the GPS signals are weak, on cloudy days or areas where there are an abundance of trees, it does not get the signal, even worse is that the timer will stop as well so even if you know the route and distance you are runn

  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Set your run free

  by on December 18, 2004

  Pros: This product has everything the normal runner needs. I am happy to have a wearable GPS unit. I have read a lot of reviews that keep saying, "Why doesn't it have a heartrate monitor?" "Why doesn't it have an MP3 player?" "It isn't in color?" Good Lord! The

  Cons: The only complaint I have is the serial cable but I can live with it. I do wish that the cable was longer though, but I can get an extension for that.

  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Not perfect, but better than any other

  by gusad1960 on January 20, 2006

  Pros: Size, readability, battery, PC link,

  Cons: Poor GPS tracking

  Summary: First of all, this is the best of what is out there today (unless you want to lug a 5 lb GPS meant to ride on the dashboard of your ...

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  Summary: First of all, this is the best of what is out there today (unless you want to lug a 5 lb GPS meant to ride on the dashboard of your car).
  
  Tremendous aid to any runner/biker. I run 5 yrs using a pedometer and one cannot expect any accuracy better than 5%. I've used the 201 for 2+ yrs/3000 miles and it is within 2% MOST of the time. There are instances where it will worse, especially in narrow streets or under tree cover (summer). I agree that it is not tremendously accurate for race day, but my results where a lot better than those reported by another reviewer (a couple of examples: 13.5 miles on a half marathon, and 6.5 miles on a 10K race). It almost ALWAYS errs on the + side. As for features, it works really well. Big display, good backlight, really watertight, training assistant. I wish Garmin would improve the gain on the GPS antenna, although they may be limited here to keep its size reasonable. The new constellation of GPS satellites that the US gov't started launching in late '05 may help get the accuracy to below 1%. The PC software is another cool thing that allows one to track all the runs & bike outings. It'd be nice if it would keep these in separate logs. Also, there are a number of third party programs that will take the Forerunner data and map it on a street or satellite map showing the path you've taken in your workout.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  A must have for runners and training athletes.

  by d_enslen on July 3, 2005

  Pros: Lightwieght, big numbers for easy reading on the run. Great for training and just leeping track of your workouts. Download to your computer and analyze your workouts.

  Cons: Pace is inaccurate at times, but the averages keep this in check.

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  A must for inline, cycle & jogging

  by on January 12, 2005

  Pros: Good GPS tracking. Download route taken to logbook, export route from logbook in XML, plot route taken on a map or high altitude photo.

  Cons: Does not also upload of waypoints or route via the PC interface.

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Great device for runners

  by on December 30, 2004

  Pros: Has GPS functions for tracking and marking your trail for future use. Helps me monitor my speed plus keep a track of my time and distance. You can set up the electronic buddy to run with you so you can maintain the pace you want. Maintains a history of yo

  Cons: The PC software must be downloaded. Although I haven't tried inputing my info into the computer, the serial port transfer has to be seriously slow.

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Looses GPS easily

  by on February 10, 2005

  Pros: Loaded with features and easy to read screen.

  Cons: Looses signal easily even in clear unobstructed view of the sky.

  1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  I've used this for years

  by Petervisor on January 6, 2012

  Pros: Totally reliable. The battery is still like new, and doesn't drain when I put it in storage for a few months. The display and buttons are a little bit bigger than most. Screen can be illuminated. Good handlebar mount.

  Cons: Much bigger than most others, so better suited to cycling than running. GPS altitude readings are consistent, but generally accurate to 25 feet (On one stretch of my ride by the ocean it always tells me I'm 12-15 feet below sea level).

  Summary: I really like my 201, and I won't replace it until it dies. But I would have thought that the price would have come down a bit since I ...

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  Summary: I really like my 201, and I won't replace it until it dies. But I would have thought that the price would have come down a bit since I bought mine.

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• 8 stars

  Great product. Perfect for running anywhere outdoors.

  by p2sue on June 11, 2008

  Pros: Rechargeable with long battery life. Virtual running partner is very handy.

  Cons: Takes quite some time to acquire gps signal lock. It has no problem once locked on though.

  Summary: I love my Garmin Forerunner because I can go anywhere and run wherever and I will always know how far I've gone and my pace. I can customize the ...

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  Summary: I love my Garmin Forerunner because I can go anywhere and run wherever and I will always know how far I've gone and my pace. I can customize the display settings too.

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