UPDATE: I've got through 4 swims 3 runs and two cycles with the Tomtom multisport (bike + run w/HR).
Thoughts so far;
Run: Works fine - better than carrying a phone. Neat features like setting 'laps' (i set every km) which buzzes and lets you know your split which i like.
Swim: Works ok? Still getting into the swing of my swimming and i've found if lengths are anything less than a full start to finish effort it wont record the length. Should you find yourself Doris-dodging as I have (sometimes busy pool) and have to stop/slow a lot to swerve, this can either not count the length or count it twice if you have a good strong start again in the middle of a length. Seems fine when completing full lengths uninterrupted.
Bike: Worked fine but not convinced the battery life is adequate for anything further than an Olympic distance tri (TBC). Using HR on first ride the stated 10 hours of use battery lasted 1 hr 45.. reading Tomtom documentation afterward advised this is probably when we stopped for coffee and i left the device out of range of my hrm. Apparently the battery usage is MUCH greater while searching for connected Bluetooth devices. My second ride was without HR for 4+ hours and coped well. Clear screen for speed and easy touch buttons to flick through Speed, Total Distance, avg pace etc.
All in all a few more longer rides req'd to fully test with HR but happy I've not spent more so far as it's doing the trick well. Upload to strava/elsewhere is easy too just open the Tomtom sports app and it'll sync then upload your activities automatically.
LemonCowboy, I just stumbled across this forum while idly contemplating this issue for myself and noted your post above and here. I recognize the thread is old, but perhaps my information might be valuable to someone somewhere. I think there are multiple potential solutions available. Here's how I handle it:
I use a Garmin Fenix HR watch and have my cadence and speed sensors connected to the watch.* The watch feeds the information post-ride to the Garmin app on my Android phone. The Garmin app then ports the data to Strava, Endomondo, MyFitnessPal and Virgin Pulse (an app my employer contracts with for earning money for exercising - keeps the sheep healthy and gives me the money to buy expensive adult toys).
Strava feeds another app called Charity Miles, which allows me to turn each ride into a donation to the charity of my choice.
Endomondo is my repository of all exercise data since I ride bikes, trikes, sail, hike, run, walk etc. Strava is a bit limited and doesn't cover 1/100th of the activities Endomondo covers.
MyFitnessPal keeps me from overeating and is the reason I've lost 70 pounds.
I still find myself contemplating the cycle computer idea, but I haven't convinced myself. Power drain on the watch is not that bad except in areas with weak GPS signals. At the same time, even on my most isolated sections of the New York State Erie Canal trail with the watch in cycle computer mode for 8 to 10 hours, I don't think I ever dipped below 20% remaining after starting the day with a full charge. Since the thing can fully charge in the time it takes to enjoy a nice dinner somewhere, power has never been an issue.
As for the map functions of a cycle computer, that's about the only aspect that has me interested. My phone is perfectly fine for that purpose right now, but after retirement there's a part of me that would like to ditch the smart phone for a dumb phone with hot spot. There's less chance of annoying people wasting my day that way. In that scenario, I'd want the cycle computer to take over map duties. It remains to be seen (6 years) if I really feel so strongly about the issue that I decide to carry through with it. After all, putting the smart phone in airplane mode rather solves the problem nicely too.
*As a side note, I'm a 3-wheel recumbent rider as a well as a biker. For 3-wheel recumbent users, DO NOT buy the package deal Garmin speed/cadence sensor. You need the two to be completely unique, individual. There's something shared about the package deal and on a recumbent, with the cadence sensor out front, and the speed sensor on the rear wheel, they won't pair together with the watch or a cycle computer. I don't pretend to know why. I only know multiple attempts with multiple devices proves it to be the case.
