User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Out of Date Technology
As you can probably tell from my title, I’m a bit dissapointed with the Garmin Edge 605. First I realized that NO maps come with the edge. You must buy them for around $100 each. (I don’t really call the included freeway maps relevant to a bike computer.) Anyway, you must find the “Trainer” application on their web site. When you run it, it has all the sophistication of software written for PCs in the early 90s. It also crashes often just like the 90s software. (To be fair, it says you can install Google earth to see your tracks on top of Google maps.)

Last week I purchased a Droid Motorola phone. I found a free app under the “Market”, in Lifestyles category called “My Tracks”. This app tracked my route as well as the Garmin, and it has better maps, I just tap a menu item to send it to my google account. If you are thinking of buying a Garmin or any handheld GPS you should really consider instead just buying a Droid. Don’t fool around with multiple devices especially while biking.

Now here’s a “however”: I have no mount for the Droid for my bike. It just goes where I always keep my cell phone. So this could be the clincher for sticking with the separate Garmin GPS. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts that bike mounts for the Droid will be showing up soon.

After using the Droid and My Tracks, Garmin has some major catching up to do.

4 Stars Great gadget
This is a great exercise computer/GPS. I had a bicycle shop install it but in watching the process installing on your own does not seem difficult. It is easy to use with plenty of video clips available on Garmin’s site and Youtube to help out. Use any number of websites to plot a course and easily download to the unit. Only gripe: the unit does not exactly follow the course you map out and has you making turns where you did not indicate because it is looking to take the fastest route. Be sure to check out Edge’s minsite on Garmin: [...].

4 Stars Pleased
I like the unit, but Garmin is just confounding. The unit itself is nice. Only missing feature, for me, is that it does not tell me the current temperature. But I was blown away by all of the data that you can get from it.

Oh yeah, there’s so much data that I am disappointed in how limited the unit’s views are. They give me a standard data view, but you only get 1 page. What I’d like is the ability to create 1 or more pages and then as I am riding I should be able to cycle between them. You can already cycle between data / map / elevation – but I want multiple data pages (2 would do it for me).

As for Garmin – man what a confusing mess. They have so many software options (Base Camp, Training Center, Map Source, and website Garmin Connect). But the biggest complaint I have is the maps. I get that the maps are their bread and butter, but it is very confusing as to how and what to purchase, and in what form factor. Also, very bummed that I have to spend $100 every time I want the map updated for the unit (I have the Citi Nav North America SDcard as well as the Great Lakes 24K Topo card).

All in all, however, I say thumbs-up.

Oh, and I am using heart rate monitor and cadence sensor – all works goods.

5 Stars Garmin Edge 705
I absolutely love this purchase! Very easy to install and use. I particularly like the integration with Training Center. Routes and performance can be uploaded to a computer and compared to other rides. Very cool. The map on Training Center leaves much to be desired, but the ability to overlay over Google Earth is nice.

4 Stars Serious bicyclists need this, but be aware that you will need tech supp
An odd mix of positives and negatives:

Pros:

Incomparable data graphs of numerous measured parameters during your ride, permitting quantification of training beyond anything even dreamed of a couple of decades ago.

All the other well-known advantages of GPS to display current location and to be able to plan routes and courses (as well, of course, as showing details of ridden courses).

The variety, choice, and arrangement of displayed measurements (the `fields’) are just amazing. Essentially, you can put on the screen virtually whatever you want and wherever you want it, and the screen is high resolution (as is required, to be sure, for detailed maps).

Heart-rate and cadence are reliably detected. Heart-rate is intelligently smoothed (but will detect tachycardia).

Tech support is US based and, therefore, native English speaking (unfortunately, it is needed far too often).

Battery life is good enough for a very long ride – I suspect easily over 10 hours (if back-lighting is not over-used).

Cons:

No temperature sensor

Barometer does not permit user calibration, thereby insuring that it can only be accurate in the accident of exactly the right weather (as atmospheric pressure, which it is actually measuring, varies with the weather). Why the maker would have done this is incomprehensible. Since the weather changes constantly, the indicated `elevation’ changes, even though you have not moved. Moreover, because there is no temperature sensor, the barometer transducer cannot be temperature compensated, inducing the inevitability of yet another error in that measurement. Consequently, I was able to watch the elevation drift from plus 150 feet to minus (!!) 200 feet in the space of a few minutes (the actual elevation was 245 feet). Finally, it is quite possible to have the device show a difference in altitude for the beginning and end of the ride of over 50 feet, even when you start and finish at the same place (with no perceptible change in weather)! At the very least, the user should be able to calibrate the instrument at the start of a ride (provided, of course, that he knows the elevation at that starting point). This would help ensure that `elevation’ (altitude) measurements at any point on the ride will be reasonably accurate.

The user manual is woefully inadequate. Example: you are told that, at a rate of 1 second intervals for route recordings, the device will begin to overwrite previous data after about 4.5 hours (without warning!). You are encouraged to `reset’ the device after 4 hours. What you are not told is what happens to your data in this circumstance (it turns out that, fortunately, it is saved!). Example: There is virtually no explanation of how `calories’ are calculated. If you are not using a power sensor, this number has to be interpolated from some algorithm. There is no information about this whatsoever in the manual and, you can obtain virtually nothing on this subject from Garmin tech support even over the phone! (I personally believe – admittedly, without quantitative proof – their calculation for calories burned to be grossly inaccurate, perhaps by as much as a factor of 2 too high.) Example: the `save location’ feature has 3 choices: “Avg”, “Max” and “OK”, none of which is explained in the manual. And I could go on with many other issues.

Copy/piracy protection for their maps is so obsessive that even their own staff cannot easily circumvent it in the (inevitable) case where copying is necessary. In my own case, I had to replace my 705 with another, but since I had already downloaded my (purchased) North American DVD of maps, I was unable to unlock the map without 3 hours (!) of telephone assistance from technical support. ! This is supposed to be called customer service?? There just has to be a better way…

The “Training Center” software, available as a free download from their web address, does not permit any user designation of units to be used in the graph, just how coarse or fine, for example, one can plot any particular variable (such as slope, or what Garmin calls `grade’) – it just arbitrarily chooses the ordinate, and cannot be changed. ? Surely Garmin can do better than this.

In sum: I have not tried other competitive models (or even know that they exist). As a cycling computer, this thing is amazing, blowing away the pre-GPS varieties, yet at the same time it is disappointing. With a bit more effort, especially with software and documentation, Garmin could have had something truly awesome. As it stands, it is a major achievement, but the user is made to feel uncomfortably dependent on tech support due to the poor documentation.

Buy/More Info

Garmin Edge 705 GPS Enabled Cycling Computer Includes Heart Rate Monitor is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Garmin 12-Volt charger compatible with Edge and Forerunner 205/305.

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Garmin 12 Volt Car Charger for Edge Forerunner is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Trainer. Navigator. Edge 705 pushes you to do your best, then shows you the way back. This GPS-enabled cycle computer knows no limits. Get heart rate, cadence (select models), turn-by-turn directions (data card preloaded with maps is required), power data ? the works. Even share your data with other Edge 705 buddies after your ride. All wireless with a color display, this is no ordinary cycle computer.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Serious bicyclists need this, but be aware that you will need tech supp
An odd mix of positives and negatives:

Pros:

Incomparable data graphs of numerous measured parameters during your ride, permitting quantification of training beyond anything even dreamed of a couple of decades ago.

All the other well-known advantages of GPS to display current location and to be able to plan routes and courses (as well, of course, as showing details of ridden courses).

The variety, choice, and arrangement of displayed measurements (the `fields’) are just amazing. Essentially, you can put on the screen virtually whatever you want and wherever you want it, and the screen is high resolution (as is required, to be sure, for detailed maps).

Heart-rate and cadence are reliably detected. Heart-rate is intelligently smoothed (but will detect tachycardia).

Tech support is US based and, therefore, native English speaking (unfortunately, it is needed far too often).

Battery life is good enough for a very long ride – I suspect easily over 10 hours (if back-lighting is not over-used).

Cons:

No temperature sensor

Barometer does not permit user calibration, thereby insuring that it can only be accurate in the accident of exactly the right weather (as atmospheric pressure, which it is actually measuring, varies with the weather). Why the maker would have done this is incomprehensible. Since the weather changes constantly, the indicated `elevation’ changes, even though you have not moved. Moreover, because there is no temperature sensor, the barometer transducer cannot be temperature compensated, inducing the inevitability of yet another error in that measurement. Consequently, I was able to watch the elevation drift from plus 150 feet to minus (!!) 200 feet in the space of a few minutes (the actual elevation was 245 feet). Finally, it is quite possible to have the device show a difference in altitude for the beginning and end of the ride of over 50 feet, even when you start and finish at the same place (with no perceptible change in weather)! At the very least, the user should be able to calibrate the instrument at the start of a ride (provided, of course, that he knows the elevation at that starting point). This would help ensure that `elevation’ (altitude) measurements at any point on the ride will be reasonably accurate.

The user manual is woefully inadequate. Example: you are told that, at a rate of 1 second intervals for route recordings, the device will begin to overwrite previous data after about 4.5 hours (without warning!). You are encouraged to `reset’ the device after 4 hours. What you are not told is what happens to your data in this circumstance (it turns out that, fortunately, it is saved!). Example: There is virtually no explanation of how `calories’ are calculated. If you are not using a power sensor, this number has to be interpolated from some algorithm. There is no information about this whatsoever in the manual and, you can obtain virtually nothing on this subject from Garmin tech support even over the phone! (I personally believe – admittedly, without quantitative proof – their calculation for calories burned to be grossly inaccurate, perhaps by as much as a factor of 2 too high.) Example: the `save location’ feature has 3 choices: “Avg”, “Max” and “OK”, none of which is explained in the manual. And I could go on with many other issues.

Copy/piracy protection for their maps is so obsessive that even their own staff cannot easily circumvent it in the (inevitable) case where copying is necessary. In my own case, I had to replace my 705 with another, but since I had already downloaded my (purchased) North American DVD of maps, I was unable to unlock the map without 3 hours (!) of telephone assistance from technical support. ! This is supposed to be called customer service?? There just has to be a better way…

The “Training Center” software, available as a free download from their web address, does not permit any user designation of units to be used in the graph, just how coarse or fine, for example, one can plot any particular variable (such as slope, or what Garmin calls `grade’) – it just arbitrarily chooses the ordinate, and cannot be changed. ? Surely Garmin can do better than this.

In sum: I have not tried other competitive models (or even know that they exist). As a cycling computer, this thing is amazing, blowing away the pre-GPS varieties, yet at the same time it is disappointing. With a bit more effort, especially with software and documentation, Garmin could have had something truly awesome. As it stands, it is a major achievement, but the user is made to feel uncomfortably dependent on tech support due to the poor documentation.

5 Stars Garmin Edge 705
I absolutely love this purchase! Very easy to install and use. I particularly like the integration with Training Center. Routes and performance can be uploaded to a computer and compared to other rides. Very cool. The map on Training Center leaves much to be desired, but the ability to overlay over Google Earth is nice.

4 Stars Pleased
I like the unit, but Garmin is just confounding. The unit itself is nice. Only missing feature, for me, is that it does not tell me the current temperature. But I was blown away by all of the data that you can get from it.

Oh yeah, there’s so much data that I am disappointed in how limited the unit’s views are. They give me a standard data view, but you only get 1 page. What I’d like is the ability to create 1 or more pages and then as I am riding I should be able to cycle between them. You can already cycle between data / map / elevation – but I want multiple data pages (2 would do it for me).

As for Garmin – man what a confusing mess. They have so many software options (Base Camp, Training Center, Map Source, and website Garmin Connect). But the biggest complaint I have is the maps. I get that the maps are their bread and butter, but it is very confusing as to how and what to purchase, and in what form factor. Also, very bummed that I have to spend $100 every time I want the map updated for the unit (I have the Citi Nav North America SDcard as well as the Great Lakes 24K Topo card).

All in all, however, I say thumbs-up.

Oh, and I am using heart rate monitor and cadence sensor – all works goods.

3 Stars Out of Date Technology
As you can probably tell from my title, I’m a bit dissapointed with the Garmin Edge 605. First I realized that NO maps come with the edge. You must buy them for around $100 each. (I don’t really call the included freeway maps relevant to a bike computer.) Anyway, you must find the “Trainer” application on their web site. When you run it, it has all the sophistication of software written for PCs in the early 90s. It also crashes often just like the 90s software. (To be fair, it says you can install Google earth to see your tracks on top of Google maps.)

Last week I purchased a Droid Motorola phone. I found a free app under the “Market”, in Lifestyles category called “My Tracks”. This app tracked my route as well as the Garmin, and it has better maps, I just tap a menu item to send it to my google account. If you are thinking of buying a Garmin or any handheld GPS you should really consider instead just buying a Droid. Don’t fool around with multiple devices especially while biking.

Now here’s a “however”: I have no mount for the Droid for my bike. It just goes where I always keep my cell phone. So this could be the clincher for sticking with the separate Garmin GPS. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts that bike mounts for the Droid will be showing up soon.

After using the Droid and My Tracks, Garmin has some major catching up to do.

4 Stars Great gadget
This is a great exercise computer/GPS. I had a bicycle shop install it but in watching the process installing on your own does not seem difficult. It is easy to use with plenty of video clips available on Garmin’s site and Youtube to help out. Use any number of websites to plot a course and easily download to the unit. Only gripe: the unit does not exactly follow the course you map out and has you making turns where you did not indicate because it is looking to take the fastest route. Be sure to check out Edge’s minsite on Garmin: [...].

Buy/More Info

Garmin Edge 705 GPS Enabled Cycling Computer Includes Heart Rate Monitor and Speed Cadence Sensor is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Every Garmin product is designed to meet the most demanding standard: customers’ satisfaction. That’s why Garmin equipment is manufactured to give you reliable service for years to come, with intuitive features you can grow into over time – all at a price you can afford.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Perfect Fit
I bought this mount to allow me to use my Edge 305 on a second bike. The mount was identical to the one included with the Edge 305, so everything fit perfectly.

4 Stars Garmin user
The mount is straight forward but can be mounted 90/180 degrees differently. This one is as good as the original one, now used 2 years.

1 Star Terrible mount for great bike computer
I guess Garmin isn’t reading reviews on Amazon or just doesn’t care that they’re making a piece of junk. If the only way to secure a very expensive computer to a bicycle is with a cheap piece of (overpriced) plastic, then the computer should at least come with a short tether, so it doesn’t get lost when the plastic attachment unit inevitably breaks. If I didn’t like everything else about the 705 so much, I’d advise against buying one, just for this reason.

5 Stars Garmin replace parts do their job.
So you’ve broke your tab off too? Yeah I have had to replace 2 of them. Why five stars then? I suppose there is still no better replacement, so of course they are the best tool for the job. I am more gentle now.

4 Stars Works Well … So Far
OEM bracket broke after 1 year – for whatever reason. This one work fine so far, but I don’t get the same level of reassuring click when the unit engages, so I always pull on the unit to make sure it really is in. So far it is …

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Garmin Edge Handle Bar Mount is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Edge 205, bike mount, Training Center CD, A/C charger, USB PC interface, quick reference guide, and owner’s manual.

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Garmin Edge 205 GPS Bicycle Computer is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Digifit(TM) Connect communicates with a variety of fitness sensors to enable integration with the iPhone and iPod touch. Digifit Connect collects fitness data from multiple devices and forwards it all to iTMP’s iPhone applications. iTMP’s Digifit Ecosystem allows you to track your health and fitness information. Upload your health and fitness information to TrainingPeaks.com or eNewLeaf.com.
ADDITIONAL HARDWARE REQUIRED www.digifit.me/HW

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars iPhone Digifit Cardio App
I wanted to start with the Cardio App, since I have a Garmin heartbelt, but no foot pod. I downloaded it from the iPhone Apps Store. It is $20 for a year subscription. It was easy to pair the heartbelt with iCardio. Then I launched iCardio and walked around the house. It picked up the heartbelt no problem. So later on, I went for a run. I had not set up my workouts, so I just used Quickstart. It logged heart rate, max rate, average rate, time in zones, and calories burned. When I got back, it was ready with a summary of my workout – and ready to send it to a website – except I didn’t have a website to send it to. I am hoping Digifit will have its website ready soon. I’m going to get a footpod now and upgrade to iRunner.

5 Stars Getting Digifit
I bought the Garmin Heart Rate Monitor and Garmin GSC 10 Speed Cadence Sensor for Edge and Forerunner Series (010-10644-00) to go with my Digifit Connect. Thankfully the speed and cadence were easy to install and pairing was a snap. I am the type of person who likes numbers; I like to see my distance, heart rate, and calories being burned. All these metrics are tracked by my iBiker app and help push and motivate me through my workout. The iBiker app along with the accessories have been instrumental in kick-starting my workout routine for summer. I am glad I made the purchase!

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Digifit Connect Fitness and Health Accessory for iPhone and iPod Touch Compatible With ANT Interoperable Sensors Such as the Garmin Heart Rate Monitor Foot Pod and Bike Speed and Cadence Sensor as Well as the Spinning Star Trac Cadence Sensor and Tanita BC 1000 Weight Scale is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Edge 305 with heart rate monitor, bike mount, Training Center CD, A/C charger, USB PC interface cable, Quick reference guide, and owner’s manual.

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Garmin Edge 305HR GPS Navigator and Bicycle Computer With Heart Rate Monitor is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Trainer. Navigator. Edge 705 pushes you to do your best, then shows you the way back. This GPS-enabled cycle computer knows no limits. Get heart rate, cadence, turn-by-turn directions, power data (from ANT+TM-enabled third-party power meters) – the works. Even share your data with other Edge 705 buddies after your ride. All wireless with a color display, this is no ordinary cycle computer.

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Garmin Edge 705 GPS Bike Computer With Topo Maps is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Amazon.com Product Description Whether you’re prepping for your next century ride or want a more accurate way to measure your performance on the trails, take your training to the edge with the Garmin Edge 305HR GPS-enabled Personal Trainer and Cycle Computer. The Edge 305HR is easy to use, requires no calibration, and features customizable screens and data fields to meet your needs. Measuring speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb, descent, and more, the Edge 305HR will help you to always know where you are and how far you’ve gone.

Main menu. View larger.

Bike computer display. View larger.

Course with elevation profile. View larger.

The Edge 305HR with heart rate monitor is the ultimate GPS-enabled fitness partner for cyclists. View larger.

With a built-in barometric altimeter and heart rate monitor, the Edge 305HR goes a step beyond its little brother–the Edge 205. The altimeter delivers extremely accurate elevation readings, and a chest strap monitor sends your heart rate data to the 305HR via a robust wireless transmission. In addition, the 305HR is compatible with the Garmin Speed/Cadence Sensor. This optional, self-calibrating wireless sensor attaches to your bike’s rear chain stay and delivers speed and pace data while you train.

The Edge 305HR couldn’t be easier to use. Simply take it out of the box, snap it into the included bike mount, and hit the road. The high-sensitivity GPS receiver knows your position in tree cover and canyons, making the Edge 305HR an extremely reliable navigation device. And with the customizable cycle computer, you can select from up to eight different data fields for continuous feedback. Garmin goes well beyond typical cycle computers by integrating GPS technology for basic navigation. In addition, the Edge 305HR gives you the ability to overlay your ride data onto a course map and even “race” a virtual partner, making your training fun while helping to push you toward your goals.

The included PC-based Training Center software gives you the tools to create workouts, manage and download courses, and create a detailed post-ride analysis that charts your performance and measures your speed, distance, climb, descent, and heart rate data against varying terrain, elevation, and more. And with the Edge 305HR ‘s built-in USB interface, it’s quick and easy to upload and download information.

The virtual partner screen depicts a digital cyclist (representing your desired speed) in relation to your real-time speed. From this set of data the icons will show how far ahead or behind you are from your digital competitor. The Courses feature allows you to race against a recorded course to try and match previously set speeds at every point along the way.

Training in urban areas can be tricky, and undesirable traffic can skew training data. To help remedy this problem, Garmin has included an auto-pause function that pauses the training timer when you slow down below a specified speed and resumes when you speed up again so you can focus on your ride, not on your data collection. And with the auto lap function, this smart little device automatically triggers a lap every time you pass a specified location or travel a preset distance.

With its sleek, waterproof design (the Edge 305HR meets IEC 60529 IPX7 standards, which means that its components can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes), the 305HR is the perfect companion on any bike, and it attaches to either the stem or handlebars. This lightweight device (88 grams) is powered by an 800mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery and delivers an average of 12 hours of use per charge. The rugged case frames an easy-to-read, large, backlit display that makes it a breeze to view the data fields. So whether you’re racing against your virtual partner, fighting to shave precious seconds off your old record, or training for the next big race, the Edge 305HR will help to monitor your progress and make you a better cyclist.

What’s in the Box
Edge 305 with heart rate monitor, bike mount, Training Center CD, A/C charger, USB PC interface cable, Quick reference guide, and owner’s manual.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Overpriced
For what it does, the cost is excessive. Map is hard to use. No streets at all.

2 Stars Power on problem
I’ve had the 305 for 11 1/2 months now with no issues, and now it fails to power on. Up until now it has worked nearly flawlessly. This unit was not abused, dropped, emersed in water or put through anything negligent. Just normal usage – 75 to 100 miles a week – mostly dry rides. I was very happy with the unit – it has all the features that I need for basic cycling without the 705 bells and whistles. I’ve tried the FAQ’s at the Garmin site and the unit does respond (reset + mode) – but only with it hooked up to a computer via a USB cable. Without the cable, nothing! I searched the web and it turns out the power on issue is a common problem (among other problems). I will attempt to contact customer support to see if they’ll fix or replace this unit, otherwise, beware before purchasing the Edge 305!

1 Star Dead On Arrival
The unit arrived and my first thought was “this has been repacked”. Usually, electronics have a protective plastic cover over the LCD, this one didn’t.

Then I charged it up and it indicated that it was charging. The next morning, it indicated that it was completely charged. I unplugged it from the charger, tried to turn it on and nothing happened. I’ve tried the published method for resetting it…still nothing. It’s literally a paperweight.

I had timed the arrival with a big mountain bike trip this weekend. I’m very disappointed

I’m going to contact Garmin and Amazon tomorrow to see what to do. I’m fairly certain that a working unit will be great (according to my friends who own them) and a 1 star rating may seem unfair, but they need to take lump for this quality control issue.

5 Stars Track your progress
This is actually the second Edge 305 that I have owned. I bought one in January and recently lost it because I did not make sure that it was securely clipped into my bicycle mount. I would recommend this to anyone that likes to keep track of details and improve performance. Everything you need is here. It tracks heart rate, distance, speed, time, elevation, cadence and maps your ride automatically using GarminConnect or MapMyRide websites. This particular one only had the heart rate monitor in the box. I would recommend getting the one with the speed and cadence sensors also. Mounting it to the bicycle was a breeze and the heart rate monitor just clips around your chest. If you get the box with the other two sensors they are a little trickier to place, but not too bad. I like that it is wireless except for the connection to the computer which is a standard UB connection. I have also used this during hiking and snowshoeing excursions to monitor my performance and map my hikes.

4 Stars big improvement over 205
this unit is great, especially for the price that amazon offers. key additional features relative to 205 are autopause and barometric altimeter. heart rate monitor is fun too. definitely worth the extra money. Would give top marks for service also. The unit started behaving erratically about 90 days after purchase. I sent a note to amazon support, got a quick response with contact info for garmin support, sent a note to them and received a quick response with simple, clear instructions to reinstall the units firmware. works great again.

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Garmin Edge 305HR With HRM is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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Garmin Edge 500 Bicycle GPS Unit / Cycling Computer.
Garmin Edge 500 Cycling Computers. Sharpen your cycling performance with Edge 500, a lightweight GPS-based cycling computer for performance-driven cyclists. Loaded with data, Edge 500 tracks your distance, speed, location and elevation with high sensitivity GPS.
Heart Rate: Optional.
GPS-Enabled: Included.
Cadence: Optiona.l
Wireless: Yes.
Color: Gray.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Just what I expected
The Garmin Edge 500 is just what I expected it to be. I think it was the most anticipated GPS/cycle computer from Garmin. It’s small and pretty does the all the things (and some more) that you expect a cycle computer to do. To begin with the size of the computer was a little larger that what I expected it to be, but having said that, it fits perfectly fine on my handle bar stem and note I have a short stem (80 mm). I did my first ride with it a while ago and it was pretty much ready to go from the box it arrived it in. It did not have any difficulties acquiring sattelites, and easily paired with the Garmin Heart Rate monitor and the Bontrager Duotrap cadence/speed sensor. Did not see any drops in signal during my ride, something that I would see with the previous Garmin that I had. You have three screens which you can 8 fields of data per screen. So you can monitor 24 data sets real time during your ride. There are far more options than I can list here, just to keep it short it’s a plenty.

I personally am upgrading from a Forerunner 50 and I think this is just great! I think that everyone will be pleasantly surprised by the capabilities of this device except for the Edge 705 owners who will feel it is a downgrade for the lack of maps (which it is).

5 Stars Garmin Afficianado. This does not disappoint.
I was looking for a reliable, water resistant, bike computer that has no wires and actually works. I have used a variety of wireless units in the past with mixed results. I bought two of these to put on a new, high-end, tandem. We didn’t want wires hanging on the bike. The functionality of a GPS can be difficult for many. I understand that. If you want maps and route guidance and such, you might want the 605 or 705. I have some experience with the Garmin screen technology on those units. I cannot see the screen well enough. For me the software is intuitive, but I hate to say it will be easy for anyone else. I have been using hand held and automotive GPS units for years. This is just another evolution. In the end this one is the right size and gives me the features I want. I got the one without the cadence sensor and without the heartrate. I just need a few basic functions. This one does it without too much bulk.

4 Stars Pricey, But Works Well With Small Footprint
This unit is remarkably small and performs as advertised. I like the ability to customize the fields which the unit displays. It has 3 “pages” that you can scroll thru while biking with all kinds of cool info such as speed, max speed, avg speed, vertical climb rate, temperature, heart rate, calories burned…just about anything you could possibly want to track.

You can download software updates and upload data to track ride history. Neat feature.

This unit is NOT a car-type navi system, however, with maps and turn-by-turn directions.

On the negative side, wazzup with the price? Seems overpriced to me. $149 – $199 would be more in line with other electronics of similar technology innovation.

Also, the buttons are on the side of the unit, not the top, which makes pushing them a bit awkward while biking. As other reviews stated, the logic in programming the unit is a bit obtuse and complex. Why not be able to program the unit via Garmin’s website using simple point and clicks?

5 stars, but price and programming cost this model 1 star.

5 Stars The Perfect Bicycle Computer
This little GPS system takes all the best elements of a bicycle computer and puts it into one small, easy-to-use device. It’s basically ready to go once you get it out of the box and put it on your handle bars, and it being a GPS system is much more accurate than any bicycle computer. Plus it allows you to use garminconnect where you can store all your data and previous routes and rides, as well as see your routes on google earth. This is an excellent way to analyze your progress and reach higher goals since you can set goals on the website where it’ll give you a percentage of your goals completed.

Any information you would like to know while on your ride is equipped on this device (traveling time, distance, time of day, speed, average speed, cadence, HR, elevation, percent grade, temperature, calories, elevation gained, elevation lost, vertical climb speed, and a couple dozen more), and it’s fully customizable to allow you to place on the screen what information you want to see during your ride. This is what bicycle computers were supposed to be like all along.

5 Stars review
Great Product!

Instructions leave a lot to be desired for novice computer people. Very unclear instructions about downloading data to computer and which program is best to use. . vague at best and inadequate at worst.

Thanks

gary Johnson

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Garmin Edge 500 GPS Bicycle Unit is a post from: Cycling Computers Reviews

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