GPS Computer Needed, which one?

[AllAboutRides]

I have the old Edge 500, which is a great little device. Just keeps on going and going and going. Battery life is this little fellow's strong point - something in the range of 17 hours, which is perfect for something like 36One, Baviaans etc...

 

I also have the Edge 810 - pretty much the perfect GPS/cycling computer out there. It's tough, robust, packed with features which help pass the time on those long and lonely summertime rides. Battery life isn't bad - you'll get around 14 hours if you set it up correctly.

 

Finally, I have the Edge 1000 - very much the Ferrari of head units - sleek, sexy, and oozing style. A few more features, some cool integrations with your phone etc. Nothing says pro wannabee better than sitting with this baby on the table at a coffee shop. Twelve hours of battery life should be enough for coffee shop to coffee shop hopping.

 

The last two both have the new Strava integration, which is a total pain in the butt - turns every ride into a race (so much so that I've turned mine off).

 

I think the bad side with Live Strava Segements is that you need to be premium Strava subscriber? Nit worth paying that....to sync my device when I get home makes me more excited to check the PRs with a cold one in the hand!

 

Edge 810 / 1000 is what I'm looking at, will do more research as I dont want to pay that kind of money and Im not using all the features

 

Thanks for help!°

[Overlord]

Might want to have a look at the Sigma Rox10 as well. Does everything a Garmin 810 does at a fraction of the cost.

 

http://www.starbike.com/weightweenies/blog/?tag=garmin-edge-500-vs-sigma-rox-10-0

[kosmonooit]

Garmin 500. Anything above that is just fluff. 

 

Unless you mtb .. quite a few events now provide gpx route files which help keep you on track and generally the maps can be very handy, also bigger screen to visualise your progress, data etc. I had a 500 for years, it was great, but loving my 800.

[Maniax]

I'l have a garmin 500. Brilliant. The only feature from the bigger units I would have liked is the wifi uplink. But at half the price of the bigger units, i dont mind using the usb way. Everything I need, want and will never use is included in the 500.

I've even seen some 500's in the pro peloton this year still. It still remains probably the best cycling computer made. Light, small, robust, you can set it up the way you want. (I dont mind the non-touch screen. The buttons work fine).

The intergration with Garmin.connect and Strava is brilliant for a data junkie like me.

There are great bargains out there. I picked mine up new for 2.5k.

[keithbe]

Check out dcrainmaker.com the guy has the best, detailed, reviews of sport gadgets.

[Hennie VR]

I will deffff not looking furhter than Garmin.

 

Can you import an old activity (race) on the 810 and race against it?

 

Yesterday afternoon I uploaded a 5k run course on my Edge 810 to check if I can "race" against it (it's the first time I did this).

 

Firstly it gives you audible alerts before you have to turn somewhere and when you have to make the turn. 

 

As for riding/racing against your previous effort: Yes you can. The virtual partner shows you the time and distance that you are ahead/behind and if you really want to push yourself you can even speed up the virtual partner on a % basis.

 

Further to the above it will also show you the elevation graph of the course so you know what is still to come but the best of it all is that it will show you two dots on that graph. The dark blue dot is your current effort and the light gray dot is that of your virtual partner so you can physically see where you are and where he is. I thought this is quite a cool feature   

 

Note: The course I uploaded is a course I have run previously and not one that I created on Garmin Connect. I'm not sure if it will show you a elevation graph if you create your own route on GC.

 

Ps. I don't normally run, but sometimes I do experience a moment of madness and I go for a run, afterwards I regret it for a few days and then I'm cured for a while 

[EmptyB]

810 does everything you need, fantastic device!

[slickjay007]

_{Unless you going to take up cycling seriously i would opt for a Garmin Edge200 or Edge 20. You get great value for your money. Easybike online store have most Garmin models at very competitive prices.}

 

_{www.easybike.co.za}

[Pure Savage]

I have clocked up 35 000 km on my garmin edge 705, the knobbie in the middle is a little sticky sometimes and I have lost the SD card cover. 

 

But for 8 years of service I am still on my original heart rate strap, cadence monitor etc. 

 

I have gone through about 4 slide on mounts as the plastic gets old after a while. 

 

I get about 8 hours of battery life from the old girl, but if I am riding for that long I am going too slow ( I can charge it on the go for my everest attempt.)

 

It has all the metrics the new ones have, it has maps with turn by turn navigation which helps when I venture past the M5.

 

Therefore I can vouch for the quality of the garmin range.

 

*Forgot to add an actual point to my ramblings*

[Hennie VR]

_{Unless you going to take up cycling seriously i would opt for a Garmin Edge200 or Edge 20. You get great value for your money. Easybike online store have most Garmin models at very competitive prices.}

 

_{www.easybike.co.za}

 

Define: taking up cycling seriously.

 

We all take our cycling seriously. Some people may look at us and think we are Weekend Warriors or Funriders, but in our minds we are all serious competitors. If I can beat the time I achieved on a previous race then I consider myself as taking my cycling seriously, and I will put in vast amounts of training and effort to achieve this...........it's madness I tell you     

[Pure Savage]

Define: taking up cycling seriously.

 

We all take our cycling seriously. Some people may look at us and think we are Weekend Warriors or Funriders, but in our minds we are all serious competitors. If I can beat the time I achieved on a previous race then I consider myself as taking my cycling seriously, and I will put in vast amounts of training and effort to achieve this...........it's madness I tell you     

 

I think a lot of people miss the point of cycling stuff. Regardless of its usefulness or need for the product, if it gets you cycling more then its an amazing investment of money.

[shaper]

I'l have a garmin 500. Brilliant. The only feature from the bigger units I would have liked is the wifi uplink. But at half the price of the bigger units, i dont mind using the usb way. Everything I need, want and will never use is included in the 500.

I've even seen some 500's in the pro peloton this year still. It still remains probably the best cycling computer made. Light, small, robust, you can set it up the way you want. (I dont mind the non-touch screen. The buttons work fine).

The intergration with Garmin.connect and Strava is brilliant for a data junkie like me.

There are great bargains out there. I picked mine up new for 2.5k.

There is an easy and cheap way to upload without having to USB via computer, you do not even have to wait till you get home to use your computer.

 

if you are on an android phone, download the app Garmin uploader and buy a OTG cable to connect your garmin 500 to your phone.

 

Upload your latest workout using the app to the phone via the cable, then export to garmin connect from the app via your phones data.

 

http://www.sportablet.com/mobile-garmin-uploader.html

 

I do it after every ride, plug my 500 into my phone with the cables, app automatically recognizes the garmin and runs.  A couple of button clicks later the info is uploaded to the garmin website and sync to strava, takes less than 5 mins

 

My Samsung is Ant+ (think most android phones are), so also works with my garmin 910XT to upload via Ant+ after a run.

 

The app can be downloaded via the play store

[Hennie VR]

I think a lot of people miss the point of cycling stuff. Regardless of its usefulness or need for the product, if it gets you cycling more then its an amazing investment of money.

 

The more you pay for it, the more guilty you will feel if you don't use it, thus it will get you on the bike..........Well that's how it works in my case 

[RocknRolla]

_{Unless you going to take up cycling seriously i would opt for a Garmin Edge200 or Edge 20. You get great value for your money. Easybike online store have most Garmin models at very competitive prices.}

 

_{www.easybike.co.za}

 

 

Hmm another person telling me i'm not a serious cyclist....

 

Is the universe telling me something??

[slickjay007]

I definately mixed my words ... sorry all! I cycle 3-4 times a week so i dont consider myself a serious cyclist in the sense that i would need all the features of a high end GPS device .... just saying

[Hennie VR]

I definately mixed my words ... sorry all! I cycle 3-4 times a week so i dont consider myself a serious cyclist in the sense that i would need all the features of a high end GPS device .... just saying

 

No need to be sorry. My reply was very "tong in the cheek"

 

There are plenty of features on the devices these days that we don't need, but they are nice to haves and they can make your cycling a bit more interesting for a while. Are you losing out on anything...........probably not. It's a lot like any electronic device these days (cellphones especially). Plenty of features we don't need or want but still they are added and still we want the latest and greatest. It intrigues the human mind and that is why manufacturers sell their products.

 

In the end it all boils down to budget I suppose. Buy the best you can afford?