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Polar RC3, Polar's first-ever integrated GPS watch, and the Timex Run Trainer 2.0 have been side-by-side tested by the Heart Rate Watch Company recently as a test of two of the best new GPS watches.

"These are two of the best new GPS based products released in the past six to 12 months with the Timex Run Trainer 2.0 having just arrived in the past few weeks," says Rusty Squire, President of the Heart Rate Watch Company. He adds, "They are both great running watches but the Polar RC3 holds the edge for cyclists, while the Timex Run trainer 2.0 holds the edge for runners."

Bike Versus Run Versus Everything Else

Where the evaluation gets tricky with these two watches is not the side-by-side run comparison but in the cycling and other sports feature category. "The Timex Run Trainer 2.0 is without even a question the better running watch, the vibration alerts and the whole package is impressive," says Squire.

The Polar RC3 is the better duathlon watch for the run and bike crowd because of its features and time orientation toward both minutes per mile and miles per hour according to Squire. "We admit this is a bit of an apples to oranges comparison but since normal, everyday people do these types of comparisons it is valuable to the extent that it helps explain this to the buying public," says Squire.

In the bike the Polar RC3 will connect to a Polar WIND cadence sensor. The Timex could be used to bike but solely for distance and heart rate which most serious cyclists won't consider adequate according to Squire. Cycling watches are a different animal and require different metrics.

Our Bottom Line

"The Timex Run Trainer 2.0 is probably one of the finest GPS running watches to come along in a long time but it is just that, a specialists watch for running," says Squire. He adds, "The Polar RC3 is more of a generalists watch for the multi-sport types that cross-train a lot between run, bike and other outdoor sports."

The Polar RC3 Tour de France has added a GPS based altimeter added over the original black version according to the Heart Rate Watch Company.

"GPS based altimeters are useful and while they won't be as dead-on accurate as a barometric altimeter they will tell you while cycling or running how much climbing or descending you have completed", says Rusty Squire, President of the Heart Rate Watch Company.

The Polar RC3 Tour de France is the official training computer of the 100th Annual Tour de France that begins in July of 2013 but, just like the Tour de France it is available for a very limited time only.

"The beauty of this GPS watch is its ability to do most every major cycling and running metric well including speed, distance heart rate, pace, cadence, altitude and more", says Squire.

BLACK SCREEN CONTRAST

Some of the black screens coming out in the past year boast enough contrast to work fairly well in bright sunlight, unlike screens of just a few short years ago. "The [ http://suuntoambit2.com Suunto Ambit 2] is one such screen and the Polar RC3 Tour de France seems to have the contrast as well", says Squire.

The Polar RC3 Tour de France is IPX7 water resistant, so while it will do well in an all-day rainstorm it isn't meant for swimming according to Squire. This is a run, bike and any other outdoor sport type of GPS watch says Squire.

ELITE ATHLETE TESTED

"Our elite Nordic skier Brandy Stewart used one all winter for her training and racing and really liked it", says Squire. He added, "Chief tester John Yarington tried it our and felt it was a good product also for the duathlon, run and bike crowd".

The Polar RC3 Tour de France is now available at the Heart Rate Watch Company.