Garmin will add Game-Changing Features for Downhill Mountain Biking

Source: @JohnW, thank you

TL;DR – 5Hz Data Recording and 10 Timing Gates per Series to be added

Garmin is about to roll out an interesting update for downhill mountain biking enthusiasts – higher frequency data recording at 5Hz and the ability to record at timing gates on (race) routes. These features will enhance the precision of fast-paced downhill stretches, providing riders with deeper insights into their performance.

The details so far are sketchy, but there are two known features: MTB Timing Gates and increased precision recording for MTB.

I assume the two are linked and should materialise as something like this…

New Feature: 5Hz Data Recording

Garmin’s new 5Hz data recording feature enables five additional data points per second compared to the existing 1Hz GNSS/GPS recording. Thus, high-speed downhill sections can now record more accurate tracks.

5Hz Data Recording also Increases Battery Consumption

Garmin appears to be fine-tuning this new mode so that it only activates when descending quickly, thereby conserving battery in your regular riding mode. The feature appears to be unavailable when running a battery-saving mode on your device.

5Hz Data recording: Why now?

I’m not sure if this frequency of GNSS position capture was always possible. Perhaps it’s been recently enabled with Garmin’s switch to the Synaptics GNSS chipset.

As background, there are issues with the number of records the FIT file format can store per second. When recording HRV/HR, a maximum heart rate of 250 beats per minute (bpm) is supported due to the 5 Hz recording frequency limit. I imagine the FIT file schema would apply the same limit to any other data, explaining why this GNSS recording feature also supports 5Hz.

Note that this does NOT mean that accuracy is to 0.2 seconds (5×0.2=1.0sec).  The five records can be recorded at arbitrary intervals; therefore, the timing accuracy is limited to the clock time, not the recording frequency. ie from a Google search, accuracy could be ±1 ms (0.001 seconds) if triggered at the right point.

There are no Edge Devices with Synaptics Chipsets.

Exactly so! They use Airoha. How can this new feature be utilised in mountain biking with a Garmin Edge?

This new feature is about to be released, and I imagine the launch would coincide with the Edge 850/550. Other intel corroborates a new Edge release in June or July.

If the 5Hz recording only works with Synaptics chipsets, Fenix 8, its derivatives, Instinct 3, and Forerunner 970/570 could get it too.

More on Timing Gates

Context: Garmin has already released a feature to the Forerunner 970 called “Auto Lap by Timing Gates”, used to align your recorded lap times of a running race with official course mile/kilometre markers. This feature has an unusual name for its intended use. I believe, because it is intended for other uses…like MTB racing…ie a feature that has Timing Gates 😉

Anyway, there IS a mountain bike-specific feature called timing gates about to land.

It looks like you can create up to 10 timing gates. But HOW you place them is where it gets interesting.

The gates are placed by GPS position on the watch/edge. You stand at the gate and face the direction of the course, then press a button to create the gate as part of the series. You then add up to 9 more.

Triathletes: Any triathletes listening in will now be paying attention. This feature could easily be adapted to set GPS positions of up to 4 transition gates for triathlon to complete Garmin’s multiport feature puzzle, giving proper timing to auto-multisport.

Road Riders: You should already be able to autolap by GPS position when riding loops. It’s a longstanding Garmin feature.

I’m unclear how the Edge/watch will use the Gate Series. It seems that you choose the Gate Series in the same way you would a course and ride it, rather than adding the Gate Series selection as an option to your MTB profile.

Take Out

I like the innovation that Garmin shows here. They’ve conducted their market research and are adding two features that will be utilised – three, if you include the Triathlon Timing Gate I speculated about.

I question how accurate the timing will be under trees. It’s one thing to collect more data points, and another to collect them accurately. When travelling downhill through trees on bumpy terrain, GNSS accuracy is likely to be more challenging to obtain, so it remains to be seen how accurate the route and timings will be.

Last Updated on 29 January 2026 by the5krunner