Timex Announces Road Trainer GPS–New Cycling Computer

This morning Timex announced their latest ANT+ enabled GPS cycling device – the Road Trainer GPS/Road Trainer 3 (the exact name is being finalized).

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The RT3 is a full featured GPS based cycling computer that can track your ride track, provide real-time information and then upload it to Training Peaks afterwards.  Like the triathlon focused Timex Global Trainer, this unit features ANT+ data support which allows you to connect to speed/cadence sensors, heart rate straps and power meters (including SRM ANT+ enabled power meters).

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Like the Global Trainer, the unit will offer all of the same hands-free features includes Auto Start, Auto Split, Auto Stop and Auto Resume.  The goal of these primarily center around automatically engaging or disengaging the unit when you start travelling – feeing you from remembering to hit the pause/start button each time.  Auto Lap will create laps/splits on a predetermined time/distance basis (i.e., every mile).

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New to RT3 is a barometric altimeter, allowing for more accurate grade and elevation data while riding.  Most non-cycling specific GPS units usually offer GPS based altimeters, which while accurate in many scenarios – isn’t as good for giving grade specific information – hence the benefit of a barometric altimeter.  In conjunction with that, a temperature sensor has been added – to be able to finally proclaim that you really did that 8*F ride…and lasted more than 3 minutes.

The unit features 5 customizable screens/pages, each with up to 6 pieces of information displayed.  Data fields can be customized with speed, distance, grade, heart rate – as well as the usual lap and avg variants of those stats.  In general, if a feature or function is available on the Timex Global Trainer, you’ll see it on the Road Trainer (obvious exception being running support). You can see below the display in a 6-data field scenario:

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The RT3 is IPX7 waterproofed, which means it can withstand immersion in water up to 1 meter deep (3ft) for up to 30 minutes.  For cycling, this is more than sufficient – as I’d expect that if you or your bike is 3ft underwater for 30 minutes straight…you probably have other issues on your hands.

The unit has an 18-hour battery life and is rechargeable via mini-USB, where the port is located on the rear of the unit.

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The unit also includes a backlight using the Timex standard INDIGLO – for night riding (seen above in photo turned on).  From a size perspective the unit is virtually identical to that of the Edge 500 or latest Joule (2011 version).

The Timex Road Trainer will be available in February 2012 for $250 – including an ANT+ heart rate strap.

Since Timex just announced it about an hour ago, so I haven’t had a chance yet to take it out on the road yet – but if you’ve got questions, I’ve got access to the engineers here – so feel free to drop them below.  More details to come!

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14 Comments

  1. Ihsan

    Interesting product from Timex, and with that price point, they could swipe quite a hit on the Edge 500 sales.

  2. Will it be able to show TSS, NP, IF in real time?

  3. Weight? Sampling interval? GPS acquisition time? How many options for display (Garmin has 3 “pages”, for example)?

  4. Anonymous

    looks like a Chinese knockoff of the edge to me

  5. Roy

    Yes, will this have proper cycling metrics? IF, NPwr, TSS. If so how are the power zones calculated, Coggan? Battery life?

  6. Anonymous

    Data collection frequency? Memory?

  7. Is Timex going to be start selling Timex-branded HRMs and Speed/Cadence sensors that look oddly similar to those from Wahoo and now 4iii?
    Thanks for the review, Ray. Keep up the good work!

  8. I would really like for you to give it a spin on your bike when you come back. At this price point, I’m really keen to lap this up.

  9. Tom

    Is it any easier to hit the lap button on this thing?

  10. looks 99.9% like the globalsat GB-580B

  11. Anonymous

    Is there any Debian linux O/S support, and is there a method to get firmware updates using Linux.

  12. What I want to know is, does this Timex RT3 have course function like Edge 500? This is the function I want with Edge 500, but unfortunately many problems with Edge 500 come from using this function.

  13. Anonymous

    Any updates Ray?? Saw you tweeted a pic of it from a ride this morning–would love to see more on that!

  14. Anonymous

    I agree with Bottle, comment 12, The Garmin Edge 500 course feature has been ruined by Garmin after the firmware update 2.60 in December 2010, Garmin should have fixed this 4 firmware “fixes” ago. Regarding ‘Courses” The Garmin Edge 500 does not do what Garmin claims it can do.

    If the Timex Road Trainer RT3 GPS Bike Computer can display a simple course line reliably I will buy one and return my new Edge 500 as not fit for purpose.