Garmin Edge 305 SUCKS!

[ChrisH]

Equally important (particularly for Mountain Bikers and J Augustyn) is the ability to give rescue teams the GPS coordinates of exactly where you have fallen off the mountain.

[geotrails]

the first question to ask is why you want a gps system in the first place.

personally they are nice to have' date=' but actually not needed.

[/quote']

 

And gears on bicycles are also nice to have, but, actually not needed

[Deep Section]

I like the 500 and will consider it when I'm in the market ...?

 

 

 

 

I have one been shipped at the moment. This review sold me on it.

 

http://dcrainmaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/garmin-edge-500-in-depth-review.html

 

 

 

If your interested in getting one read it, it is long but a straight forward point of veiw.

 

 

[Slowbee]

 

Slowbee' date=' you're either a road rider and / or you are unable to grasp the benefits of GPS.  Even if you're a road rider take note of the following:

 

1)  With the Edge, you can digitize a route you would like to follow using Google Earth.  Convert the KML file into a course and upload it to your Edge device.  Bingo, you have a course which you can follow.

 

2)  You can create virtual training partners and race against them

 

3)  Even if you're a road rider who knows where his going, consider the following.  With a Polar device how do you know where you are reaching your maximum heart rate.  With a GPS based device you know exactly where you are at a particular heart rate and what sort of slope you're on.  This has massive implications for understanding your training performance.  Ie - at what point up a climb am I reaching my Lactate Threshold. 

 

4)  Even Polar has started to incorporate GPS into their instruments  

 

 

[/quote']

 

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lets get something straight. If you want to insult me, send

me a pm and I will drop you my phone number and you can call me. Otherwise I

can call you and we can talk about it on the phone.

 

 

 

But READ my post ..

 

 

 

"the first question to ask is why you want a gps system in the

first place.

 

 

 

personally they are nice to have, but actually not needed"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. not needed for most people doing mountain biking/ road riding (and you

mentioned you need the edge .. so most GPS units wont work)

 

 

 

2. why on earth do you want to race a virtual thing when you can race your

mates and its so much more fun

 

 

 

3. Does it matter if you know where you are when your HR or lactate goes bang ?

It went bang, doesnt matter where it does ... it did.

 

 

 

4. and so what ? it just costs more ...

 

 

 

So why do you need a GPS system ?

 

 

 

[Slowbee]

well tried to reply and the pc goes boom.

 

 

[Slowbee]

lets get something straight. If you want to insult me, send me a pm and I will drop you my phone number and you can call me. Otherwise I can call you and we can talk about it on the phone.

But READ my post ..

"the first question to ask is why you want a gps system in the first place.

personally they are nice to have, but actually not needed"



1. not needed for most people doing mountain biking/ road riding (and you mentioned you need the edge .. so most GPS units wont work)

2. why on earth do you want to race a virtual thing when you can race your mates and its so much more fun

3. Does it matter if you know where you are when your HR or lactate goes bang ? It went bang, doesnt matter where it does ... it did.

4. and so what ? it just costs more ...

So why do you need a GPS system ?

and your point about gears is dead right .. why do you think guys ride single speeds ?

Slowbee2010-01-22 14:38:54

[geotrails]

Hmmm - touchy - truth hurts. 

 

The discussion is around the Edge 305.  I would think the Edge 305 is not a GPS system, but a cycling computer with GPS functionality.  As required by the Epic rules, you can easily disable the GPS and use it as a cycling computer.  However, the advantage of GPS is self evident as I am sure most on this thread will attest to.

 

Why race a virtual thing?  Well what if your mates are to slow - its not much fun whipping them day in day out and what if you want to set higher goals as a group?

 

It does matter where you bonk, you need to know how far it is from home.

 

Why ride gears, they just cost more!   Well some people are just modern day luddites and we love them for it. 

 

But seriously, if you've ever mountain biked pine plantations (where all the trees look the same), you will know how important it is to have GPS functionality. 

[Slowbee]

geotrails ? truth hurts ? still waiting for the pm by the way.

 

but if you cant find your way round the forest without a GPS you should not be there. it makes the getting lost sooooo boring if you can get home.

 

but to try and get some refocus - my point is a GPS is a tool. For most people its a gadget tool, a nice to have. For others its a must have, but not because it helps with training - but because they like looking at maps to see where they have been.

 

gears on the other hand (for me) are an total need. I couldnt get out my driveway without them.

 

[Tankman]

slowbee you broke the thread!

[Slowbee]

Tankman, have pm'ed a mod to help out.

 

as an aside tankman - why do you have a GPS ? do you need it ? or is it a nice to have ?

 

 

 

[geotrails]

To get the thread back on track.  Deep section posted a link to an excellent  Edge 500 review .  Read it and the benefits of GPS become apparent - even to a triathlete!

 

You know the old adage about something being so good that its illegal.  Well why does the Cape Epic ban GPS tracking - because its so good?

[Slowbee]

no they ban it because they dont want cyclists to go back and ride the routes and abuse private land. and that is the exact purpose of a GPS, to find things (right geotrails?).

 

The point still remains - its a very usefull tool. I would have it at a guess that most people who have a GPS system use it only to map their routes (and the cell phone technology come in handy).

 

It comes back to what I first asked when you jumped horse. What do you want to use it for?

 

For most people a normal cycling computer is perfect.

 

[Slowbee]

this is actually funny, because I broke the thread - I have to read it in explorer and get updates - but use firefox to type the msg'es.

 

 

 

[Christopher Brunsdon]

 

I like the 500 and will consider it when I'm in the market ... 

 

 

 

 

I have one been shipped at the moment. This review sold me on it.

 

http://dcrainmaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/garmin-edge-500-in-depth-review.html

 

 

 

If your interested in getting one read it' date=' it is long but a straight forward point of veiw.

 

[/quote']

 

Thank you Deep Section. Just read the blog and the 500 is exactly what I'm looking for. Has everything I need.

 

Mind has been made up on this. Will be getting the 500 (one day )

 

[Slowbee]

whats the price on a 500 ?

 

 

 

[geotrails]

no they ban it because they dont want cyclists to go back and ride the routes and abuse private land. and that is the exact purpose of a GPS' date=' to find things (right geotrails?).

The point still remains - its a very usefull tool. I would have it at a guess that most people who have a GPS system use it only to map their routes (and the cell phone technology come in handy).

It comes back to what I first asked when you jumped horse. What do you want to use it for?

For most people a normal cycling computer is perfect.
[/quote']

All the more reason to use GPS, so that people know where they are riding so as not to trespass.  All land has rights and obligations attached to it, and its about time that mountain bikers started respecting those.  Contrary to the short sighted view held by Cape Epic organizers, GPS can assist in ensuring that we respect those rights and obligations.  Instead of banning GPS, why not simply ban the people who abuse rights and obligations (such as getting land owner permission, paying permit fees and not littering!)

 

Talk about contraditions, the very people who ban GPS tracking from the Cape Epic, break their own rules by allowing it for the leaders and publishing the tracks on a live website.  All the top finishers in the 2009 Epic should actually have been disqualified if we go by the Cape Epic rules!