Garmin Forerunner 255 : 4 New Cycling Features Are A Welcome Addition

ByOlsen Ia

Garmin have just released their next generation fitness tracker, the Forerunner 255. This new device builds on the success of its predecessor, the Forerunner 245, and retains all of its cycling features. However, Garmin has also added 4 new cycling features that are sure to improve the user experience. In this article, we’ll take a look at these new features and see how they can benefit you as a cyclist.

8 Cycling Features Have Been Carried Over to The Garmin Forerunner 255

The Garmin Forerunner 245 had 8 cycling features, all of which will be carried over to the Garmin Forerunner 255. To say the least these 8 features weren’t too bad and were in fact pretty good.

For what it’s worth it gave really gave good information to the user while they were cycling. The main aim for the Forerunner 245 was to make sure that people who enjoyed cycling had all the information they need right in front of them.

Here is a list of the 8 cycling features that will be carried over.

  • Available cycling profiles, biking and indoor biking
  • Alerts, which will trigger a alarm when a milestone is achieved such as heart rate, calories, distance etc..
  • Courses
  • Race an activity
  • Compatible with Varia vision
  • Compatible with Varia lights
  • Compatible with Varia radar
  • Speed and cadence support.

The Forerunner 245 at the time was more suited for a runner. Looking at the cycling features its fairly light. But there was enough in there to really help a cyclist. I think that’s important to remember when we see the new Forerunner 255. The Forerunner 245 was good, but the Forerunner 255 is going to be great.

3 New Cycling Features Are A Welcomed Addition To The Garmin Forerunner 255

You could say that the Garmin Forerunner series has been rebranded. The latest edition in the new Forerunner 255 will now be suited for multi sport. The new features will definitely be very useful for people who wish to push their performance.

Here are the latest cycling additions to the New Garmin Forerunner 255

  • New cycling profiles : Mountain biking, E-biking, Mountain E-biking
  • FTP better known as functional threshold power, and is compatible to a Garmin accessory
  • Compatible with Vector and Rally, and is compatible to a Garmin Accessory
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As you can see, some very nice handy additions to the new Forerunner 255. These features were normally reserved for Garmin’s higher end watch’s such as Fenix or Epix. Garmin did mention that they went heavy on the features, and they did.

The New Cycling Profiles Would be Very Useful

Im not surprised that E-biking was included into the cycling features. Just recently Apple watch released new updates earlier in the year to its cycling features. So did Samsung Galaxy to include E-bike profile into their Fitness tracking. Garmin’s heart rate monitor is very reliable.

However I am very sceptical on how the built in algorithm will be able to decipher if the user is cycling on an E-bike or not. In the Apple watch, they mention that their watch will notice the subtle changes in movement, and heart rate variation to track E-biking.

Which makes sense, when you are not actively moving heart rate decreases, legs stationary less movement. If the road gets bumpy, the watch will “know”. Im not sure if the Garmin watch’s algorithm tracks E-biking the same way. So I just wanted to share this in case you ever wondered this.

The new mountain biking, and mountain E-biking profiles are a very welcomed addition. I think this was more so that they can now appeal to a wider audience. These two profiles will be great for people who like to go off road, and get a little bit dirty.

Is the E-biking profile useful for a person doing multi sport? It can be, but I think the more important question is, how accurate is the E-biking profile? If its not accurate then it wouldn’t be useful for a person doing multi sport. Maybe useful to get recovery workouts in your program? Multi sport can be quite taxing on the body, training smarter is always the best approach to build up your capacity.

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What is Functional Threshold Power and it’s Benefits

Functional Threshold Power or FTP is the highest average power that you can hold for one hour. Now before we get too excited, this isn’t going to be an easy number to come by. And once you have your FTP, its not set in stone, its a number that will constantly change as you train and get fitter.

FTP is a more accurate way to measure your true cycling performance, and its a number that you can use to gauge your training. For example, if you are doing an interval session and you are supposed to be riding at 85% of your FTP, but you find yourself riding at 95% of your FTP, then you know that you need to back off a little bit.

FTP is also a number that you can use to compare your performance with other cyclists. For example, if you are riding with a group of friends and you want to see who is the strongest rider, you can compare your FTP with theirs. The rider with the higher FTP is the stronger rider.

There are a few different ways to measure your FTP, but the most common way is to do a 20 minute time trial. You ride as hard as you can for 20 minutes and then you take your average power for those 20 minutes and that is your FTP.

Garmin has now made it possible to measure your FTP directly on your watch with the new Forerunner 255. This is a very handy feature for cyclists as it takes the guesswork out of measuring your FTP. All you need to do is ride for 20 minutes and then Garmin will do the rest.

The benefits of knowing your FTP are numerous, but some of the main benefits are that you can gauge your training, you can compare your performance with other cyclists, and you can use it to set goals. If you are a competitive cyclist then knowing your FTP is essential, but even if you are just a recreational cyclist then knowing your FTP can be very helpful.

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The Garmin Forerunner 255 is Compatible with Vector and Rally Pedals

The Garmin Forerunner 255 is compatible with Vector and Rally pedals. This means that you can use the Forerunner 255 with your existing pedal system to get all the benefits of the new features.

The Vector pedals are very popular among cyclists, and they offer a number of advantages over other pedal systems. Firstly, they are very easy to install and they offer a very tight seal. This means that you are less likely to have problems with your pedals coming loose during a ride.

Secondly, the Vector pedals offer a very smooth ride. This is because they have a higher level of resistance, which makes them perfect for road cycling. Finally, the Vector pedals are very durable and they are built to last.

The Rally pedals are also very popular among cyclists, and they offer a number of advantages over other pedal systems. Firstly, they are very easy to install and they offer a very tight seal. This means that you are less likely to have problems with your pedals coming loose during a ride.

Secondly, the Rally pedals offer a very smooth ride. This is because they have a higher level of resistance, which makes them perfect for road cycling. Finally, the Rally pedals are very durable and they are built to last.

The Forerunner 255 is compatible with both Vector and Rally pedals, so you can choose the pedal system that best suits your needs.

Final Conclusion

All in all, the Garmin Forerunner 255 is a fantastic fitness tracker for runners and cyclists alike. It’s packed with features that will help you train smarter and more efficiently, and it’s also extremely user-friendly.

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line fitness tracker, the Forerunner 255 is definitely worth considering. Thanks for reading!