Garmin Vector 3s Calibration

Not sure if anyone else has had this issue when it comes to calibrating the Garmin Vector 3S (single sided left based), but within the TR app when I select calibrate is it necessary for it to read 0 every time? I find that it takes multiple tries to calibrate the pedals every time to finally get a 0 offset. I’ve resorted to just doing a 0 offset using my garmin head unit instead as I never have to redo it until I get a 0.
Also I guess a follow up question would be whether it’s necessary if someone were to just use the TR app, to calibrate the pedals, if 0 is required or say the first time you do it and get a -2 offset?

Hi there,

I have these pedals and they are awesome.

But to your question, a zero offset is not required. The offset value is just used in the TR software to adjust the power value it receives.

Well done for calibrating each time, I often forget!

Ok perfect thanks for the reply. Just wasn’t sure.

I would disagree and say it is crucial every time, in my experience.
I only have the Vector 2 pedals and recently moved them to my trainer bike to make use of powermatch with my Kickr and ensure I’m training using the same power as I’ll use outside in the summer. I had similar issues calibrating in TR last weekend to the point where I thought it just wouldn’t work so started a workout and power was basically all over the place. Now a couple of caveats - I don’t have a Garmin head unit so didn’t calibrate using that method either and secondly it was first ride after installation. Anyway I stopped workout and persevered calibrating in TR and as soon as it had calibrated the workout worked fine. Since then I make sure I calibrate before every workout and the process has improved. I still get some weird corruption in the text that shows previous date of calibration but once the calibration completes the date is readable again until I close the pane and re-open.

Curious then when you calibrate your vector 2’s if it takes you a while to get 0 or you just calibrate and take whatever number it says right off the bat?

I’ll calibrate multiple times to get close to zero. Doesn’t have to be right at zero, but it should be pretty close, say no more than 5W. Most I’ve ever had to do is four runs and that was when I mindlessly did the first one clipped in (-359!!).

I’ll check tonight before my workout but pretty certain if it’s going to calibrate it goes to zero, it does take quite a while for the calibration to complete though - I think first time I just got impatient thinking it wasn’t going to calibrate.

I’m slight confused. Will zero offsetting (calibration in the TR app) affect avg. and nominal power in TR?

Ok thank you.

I believe by not calibrating, or zero offsetting, every time it would be possible that the power that is displaying may not be truly accurate, thus would affect the overall accuracy of the data.

Ok, tonight was a bit weird but maybe explains previous problems.
Pedals tonight were picked up as Garmin Vector 2 S tonight and had a different ANT+ id. I figured this must mean only one pedal was being read, probably down to batteries but hadn’t expected id to change or pedal name to change to the 2 S.
Anyway batteries replaced in pedals, calibration seemed quicker and definitely read zero.

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