Garmin Has Added the Gear Tracking Features I’ve Been Wanting for so Long.
If you track your runs (and bike rides, and all other physical activities) with a Garmin device, you’ve probably already discovered its equipment tracking features. That’s how I realized I’d run over 1,000 miles in my favorite Nike running shoes .
Until recently, that’s where the usefulness of the equipment tracking feature ended. But in a new (free) update, Garmin added a ton of new features, including one I’ve been dreaming about since I bought my first pair of trail running shoes.
Equipment tracking is now available for more than just shoes. If you ride a bike, you can track them as part of your gear or even individual components, such as a frame or tires. Other trackable equipment includes skis, surfboards, boots, boats, skates, and wheelchairs. These new tracking features are available in the Garmin Connect mobile app, which was released with a software update for several Garmin watch models .
What’s new in the Garmin app update?
The Garmin Connect app (the mobile app that syncs with your Garmin watch or other device) has updated features for the Gear section, which you’ll find under the More menu in the lower-right corner of the app.
New features include:
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More types of gears
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Photos and explanations for each equipment entry.
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Database of existing brands and models.
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Automatic transmission tracking is more detailed.
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You can create “collections” of equipment that are used together.
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Now you can view your equipment statistics on your watch.
Garmin’s new gear tracking feature is exactly what I needed for my trail running shoes.
When I switched from Coros back to Garmin last year, I missed one little feature: in the Coros app, I could set a default shoe for my regular runs and a different shoe for trail running. Previously, Garmin only allowed me to set one default shoe.
The new update provides functionality similar to my Garmin, but with much more granularity. You can now choose to automatically add a specific piece of gear to any activity your watch can track. For example, I can still set shoes to automatically add to “all running,” and it will work just like before. But I can also set my favorite (dirty, torn, and long-suffering) trail running shoes as the default for trail running, and my new, good Nike Downshifters (goal: 1,000 miles) as the default for regular “running.” If I have shoes I keep in my treadmill bag, I can set a separate shoe as the default for treadmill running.
Collections help you manage multiple pieces of equipment.
Garmin now offers “collections” of gear you can use together. For example, for your bike, you can combine your favorite tires, frame, and so on. Just as you can automatically add individual items to specific activities, you can also designate a collection as the primary collection for a specific activity. For example, a collection including your running stroller and city running shoes could be automatically added to all your city running activities.
You can view and change settings directly on your watch.
Currently, the watch doesn’t have a comprehensive list of your current gear (I was hoping for a review), but you can see your gear options in the “Assets” section. Select an activity—for example, “Running”—and you’ll see which shoes or gear are assigned to it by default. If you want to change the default settings, you can scroll down and select a different shoe or not register any shoes at all. When viewing each pair of shoes, you’ll see a bar showing how many miles you’ve run in that gear compared to the lifespan you specified.