Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance

In the collective imagination, we sometimes think that professionals benefit from special equipment, more advanced than ours and that their needs are totally removed from a normal practice, even that coming from a passionate practitioner. On the occasion of a few days spent on the sidelines of a stage in Calpe in Spain with the professional team Groupama – FDJ, the opportunity was given to 3bikes.fr to check what the interactions were between these different actors at the level of a GPS meter like Garmin (used by the team) and what the other areas of improvement of the brand's products were

Text: Olivier Dulaurent – ​​Photos: Garmin, Facebook Groupama FDJ, Facebook Garmin, Facebook Jumbo Lease a bike

To directly address this question that we sometimes ask ourselves and to put an end to another preconceived idea, it must be pointed out that Garmin is a partner of the Groupama – FDJ team. In concrete terms, this is characterised by the provision of GPS counters – we are talking here about endowmentn – but in no case is this agreement accompanied by financial participation.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
The Groupama – FDJ team in stage in Calpe, breaking in his new bike and fine-tuning the settings on the equipment

In fact, and as for this collaboration, there is a real exchange between on one side Jérémy Roy, former rider of the professional team now responsible for Partnerships and Technical Developments at Groupama – FDJ and on the other side Matthieu Lagrange of Garmin who is among other things responsible for cycling products for the brand. It should be noted that over a full season, the exchanges between Jérémy and Matthieu are not very frequent. They are limited to explanations to meet a specific need in the event of problems or advice on products. Maxime Schneider is responsible for partnerships within Europe, meaning he manages the one with Groupama – FDJ as well as the one with the other professional teams.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick Step Team) checks his Garmin data
Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Filippo Ganna here in training, also uses a front light associated with his Garmin computer

If Jérémy Roy rarely asks for his contact at Garmin, it is precisely because his position in the French team requires him to answer the majority of the riders' questions.

On the stage of December in Calpe, the discussions were enriching with the different members of the staff and some riders, notably Valentin Madouas who came with his personal trainer within the team, for a conference with stagiaires participating in the “Like a Pro” stay alongside that of the professional team riders. All the information on this stage are available HERE.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Valentin Madouas in the effort… and very accessible outside of the bike fortagand his experience at the very highest level
Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Stefan Küng is known for being particularly picky about his equipment.

In the discussions, on the Garmin side some information was rather surprising since runners use more functions than imagined. Indeed, on the one hand it is obvious that the data directly related to performance and output performed which constitute the different information on speed, time, elevation and of course those concerning the different power measurements (over 3 sec, over 10, average, normalized, etc.) are widely used. But on the other hand, other functions are actually used by runners, whether in training or in competition. The example of Thibaut Pinot, recently retired from the professional pelotons, was cited (him and others) really used the GPX track, thus moving from one screen to another such as for example the power data on the climb and the trace on the descent. This allowed him to know in advance the closing bends and in general all the changes of direction, an asset in the event of a rapid descent, especially in poor visibility and if the wind is blowing strongly.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Thibaut Pinot was an experienced user of his Garmin, both for the data linked to his performance and for the GPS track he followed on the descent.

Another particularly popular function is that of Climb Pro, in addition to data directly linked to the difference in altitude. This feature allows you to display on the screen all the characteristics of a difficulty as it appears under the cyclist's wheels: profile, length, average and maximum slope, distance to the summit, everything is there. If the cyclist also follows a GPX track, the difficulty in question is listed among the others on the route. For the amateur cyclist, this is an excellent tool for managing their efforts during the climb as well as during the ride. But even the pros have adopted this asset.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Climb Pro, a very powerful asset for managing your effort on climbs and knowing where to go on the climbs to be done during a route like here for a third ascent (with 14 climbs in total)

Overall, however, Garmin reports that the Feedback from professional cyclists is more complicated "live" due to the short time they have. The exchanges may seem more opaque at first glance because the staff present may tend to "filter" and in the case of Groupama - FDJ, it is Jérémy Roy who collects the information from the runners before transmitting it. Conversely, on the running side, the athletes are moretage alone (without a structured team around them) and the dialogue is more direct. In another category of cyclists, Matthieu Lagrange praises the exchanges with certain ambassadors like Steven Le Hyaric, an ultra-distance cyclist whose use is particular and who pushes certain functionalities of the device to the maximum while providing valuable information to the R&D sector.

To stay in the performance register, Please note that professionals use the 840 Solar model. and not the 1040 Solar with the larger screen and superior features but 48 g heavier (133 g vs. 85 g). At the professional level, every gram counts!

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
The 840 Solar model and its 85 g
Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
The 1040 Solar model and its 133 g

Constantly improved products

Improving existing products is in Garmin's DNA, which spends a large part of its budget on R&D, with no less than $834 million dedicated to this area in 2022, which represents around 20% of turnover (see table below for the evolution of the budget over the years).

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance

Much of the brand's work is done on the intuitive side. And designers keep this goal in mind to transform it into It's complicated to make it simple and they also explain that this is one of the successes of the Apple brand. As a corollary to this research, Garmin knows very well that if some only use 10% of the device's capabilities, 100% of the requests must be there.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Groupama – FDJ rider sets off
Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Laurence Pithie, white jersey of best young rider, surrounded by his teammates, on stage 3 of the Tour Down Under

However, Garmin is looking to go further than the requests. For example, below are some of the brand's new features that were not real requests from athletes:

-Stamina, which ultimately constitutes the level of the runner's tank.

-Climb Pro, as described above. Recently, this feature uses all the possible map file even if the GPX track is not integrated into the device. Cyclists can thus know precisely the climb they are tackling, even if it is the first time.

-The Varia radar/light which allows you to be seen by motorists while indicating to the cyclist how far away the car is. Here, it is moretagand the response to a need for security, rather than a real demand formulated in this way by cyclists.

-Live Track

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
Even professionals, like Jumbo Visma riders here, use the Varia rear radar

In addition, other existing aspects are being improved. For example, the Vector power sensor, the first versions of which were not satisfactory, with returns to after-sales service and random measurement accuracy, or the creation of routes on Garmin Connect, which has become more precise and intuitive while allowing easy gateways with other applications such as Strava.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
On long outings, a Garmin counter allows you to manage your effort by monitoring numerous parameters

So, the search for improvement is constant, such as the integration and development of the processor and the coding. Here, everything is thought out in advance. which can give rise to periods stretching over one to two years for a new product. Conversely, a lighter development remains possible, such as, among many others, displaying a screen for 15 seconds longer than usual for a given function.

To participate in this development, a “simple” user can become a beta-testeur by using future software in its practice. Registration can be done directly on the site or on the Garmin forum. This is necessarily accompanied by precautions for use related to possible bugs, which do not however harm use but which may occur during the tests. On this subject, professional cyclists do not have the time to do this "work" and generally they always use a product validated beforehand. More generally, they prefer not to bother with a product that does not work, which could even give a bad experience, not encouraging them to continue with the brand or the product.

Directly linking a use of advancetagAnd beyond cycling, a story can be told about the development of a feature for runners: Garmin decided to use LED lighting for its watch. In use, user feedback has been beyond expectations. Initially, the athletes wanted a physical button to turn it on, with the possibility of having white or red lighting, as well as obtaining a perfectly waterproof finished product. The developers quickly realized that these specifications, which were a priori easy to meet, led to consequences that were more complicated than expected to satisfy. It was necessary to call on LED suppliers for energy and power, two essential aspects, therefore for the battery which had to be carefully selected. Then, how to integrate the sunset so that, if necessary, the light would come on. Another step consisted of obtaining a stock of LEDs. Finally, extensive research concerned the integration of an external battery in order to triple the autonomy. In the end, the trailers Ultra distance runners in particular are fond of this product, but the "genesis" took many months of improvements and various research.

Garmin and professionals: constantly improving performance
The watch with LED lighting has proven to be very popular in use.

So, in a global way Garmin is playing on many fronts to succeed in improving its products. For today's cyclist, the information provided by a Garmin meter is numerous. First of all, it concerns safety (Varia radar or Livre Track potentially), but also the creation and monitoring of a GPS track, the collection of data allowing training with "live" information linked in particular to power, or even to the management of one's effort (Climb Pro and Stamina). If these contributions implemented on the meters over the release of new models are not the work of professionals directly, the latter use the improvements immediately during their practice. And If all the professionals explain that "it's moving faster and faster", it is obvious that the overall progress of the information given on the GPS counters also plays a certain part in this.

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Olivier Dulaurent

- 48 years old. – Freelance journalist in the written press and the Internet since 2004, author of Le Guide du Vélo Ecolo (Editions Leduc, November 2020), State-certified cycling instructor, supervisor of stagcyclists since 2005 and cycling coach - Current sports practices: cycling route and mountain biking (occasional: running) - Strava: Olivier Dulaurent

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