Polar S625x

Chris Humphreys
Reviewed: 09 March 2006

VERY VERY CLEVER!

Excellent software
Convenient Footpod
Customisable Screens
Light

Poor transfer of data
Industrial Styling

Overall an excellent product. It is far better to be training in the zone than be running blindly for many kilometres. The Polar really helps on that. It is very powerful and user friendly. Getting the data off the watch and onto your PC is a must but is time consuming and can be hit and miss.

ZAFIRIS KAYIOPOULOS
Reviewed: 09 March 2006

GREAT ON FLAT

GREAT GAGGET FOR RUNNING AND TO WEAR OFF TRAINING.VERY SIMPLE TO USE.

WHAT ABOUT WHEN RUNNING UP AND DOWN(HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)I MISSED MANY KMS.

GREAT GRAPHS ON PC AND CAN USE INDOOR.

Simon Wade 2
Reviewed: 09 March 2006

SUPERB

Accurate and clear face, audible interval training

none so far

I have been using the S625X since September 2005 as part of my training for the 2006 Jungle Marathon. I have found the information it provides along with ease of use truly excellent and it has aided my progress no end

James Millar
Reviewed: 08 March 2006

FANTASTIC

It doesn't rely on GPS signal so your data doesn't get interrupted. And you can use it indoors on a treadmill.

Calibrating it against my handheld GPS I found its accuracy 1-2% on road.

Downloading data couldn't be simpler.

Get a spped / cadence sensor for 1-2 bikes : switch from bike to run with one button.

See profiles of your routes.

A large array of programmable training sets.

Use for bikes or running. Very accurate when tested against my handheld GPS. The altimeter lets you see a profile of your run. Interval / Sets

It cannot self-calibrate for multi-terrain.

Bike speed sensors are sometimes scarce - £30 each.

Data once dowloaded onto the computer is locked into the software. It would be nice to have a straight forward log comparing same routes / routines to see progress.

Excellent - I hate running without it. If you like to keep a log and see performance over time, it will also work in the gym / treadmill. Software is not analytical enough.

golf runner
Reviewed: 08 March 2006

625 REASONS TO BUY

Not only is this a good tool to measure your speed and distance, it is also excellent at measuring your improvement over time. I have found this to my benefit over the last year.
This is can be seen with the OwnOptimizer, fitness test and Recovery measure.
OwnOptizer tests your HR at rest and when standing and compares it with previous readings. It then tells you whether you should go out on that hard run or change to an easy session. The same as your body is telling. I love it as an excuse for not doing those dreaded tempo runs.
The fitness test can be carried out every couple of weeks and is a measure of your Vo2max. As your fitness improves so should your vo2max.
The Recovery measure takes your heart rate at the end of the excercise and then again two minutes later. The drop in HR should be quicker as you improve over time. I use this after every training excercise and it is a real motivator for the next run.

The Altitude and ascent reading are not alway accurate. Having said that these do not bother me as I do not use them as part of my training records. However this may be of some concern to fell runners.
Distance measurement was inaccurate initially but after a manual adjustment I managed to get it within 1% accuracy. Good enough for me. It does vary slightly on different runs but so does my Garmin. The food pod does use batteries quite quickly and I have had problems where the battery seems to run out a lot quicker after the pod has got wet from a beach run. I am beginning to record the time between battery replacement to confirm or disprove this comment.

Although I have not given all 625 reasons to buy this piece of equipment, I have to say I love the information it gives me. This is a very powerful tool and a must for data seekers if you are patient enough to sit down and read the manual and you like to vary your training.
If you are a person who likes a simple life then this is may not be the best for you. But if you dont buy one you will never know what you are missing.