Garmin Edge 305 : any real experience/ reviews?

yaya

Looking to possibly change from the iPhone Cyclemeter App to a dedicated GPS, mostly so that I can programme a corner by corner long routes and also use the garmin Connect service

There are plenty of used 305 on eBay as people upgrade to the 800 so I'm wondering if there are any real pitfalls to lok for such as battery life, signal reliability (the iPhone/s weakest points) etc.?

Appreciate any advice, thanks!

gkerr4

the 305 is a great device but there are some issues on older machines (mine included - bought in early 2007).

the battery connnections are springs which eventually fail and cause the device to momentarily lose power over bumps and switch off.

there are a number of fix guides on the internet showing how to take the 305 apart and at least re-instate the "springyness" or preferably solder the battery connections.

My unit does my head in - you will look down and it will have switched off missing part of your ride then it has re-set some measured items when you re-boot. If it does it a few times a ride it is very annoying.

I'd buy a new one if i were you (and I am also)

the 305 is a great training device and bike computer.

BillyMansell

I had one for a few years and was very happy with it but have now upgraded to the 800.

I did find that you had to turn it on 10-15 minutes in advance so it could acquire satellites and ensure it gave a true GPS track when I uploaded it to the pc when I got home, otherwise the first few miles would be as the crow flies. Mind you, the 800 isn't perfect with its occasional wayward waypoints.

One problem I encountered with the 305 was the very occasional locking up where it wouldn't power up. This happened only four or five times in the time I used it and was resolved by pressing the Mode and Reset buttons and then Power.

Oh, and the older handlebar mounts were pretty poor - the 305 was held on my winter bike by an elastic band after the retaining clip broke.

I've still got the 305 - just haven't got round to selling it yet.

Muztard

I rate my 305. Been using it for about 18 months in conjunction with Garmin Training Center, Garmin Connect and Endomondo.

markshaw77

gkerr4 wrote:

the 305 is a great device but there are some issues on older machines (mine included - bought in early 2007).

the battery connnections are springs which eventually fail and cause the device to momentarily lose power over bumps and switch off.

there are a number of fix guides on the internet showing how to take the 305 apart and at least re-instate the "springyness" or preferably solder the battery connections.

My unit does my head in - you will look down and it will have switched off missing part of your ride then it has re-set some measured items when you re-boot. If it does it a few times a ride it is very annoying.

I'd buy a new one if i were you (and I am also)

the 305 is a great training device and bike computer.

^^^This

I am about to get a new Edge 500 to replace my 305 as I am sick of it cutting out (I may then try and do one of the internet fixes before selling it on the cheap as there is nothing else wrong with the unit)

Other than the battery connection issues, the 305 is a great device. As long as you are willing to spend some time ahead of a ride planning and annotating a route, you can get it to do turn by turn directions (albeit without a map for confirmation) and it obviously does all the GPS tracking/recording too.

I also love the virtual partner facility for regular training ride which I do mostly solo - it is really good motivation and keeps you focused

gkerr4

ooh - i'd forgotten about the 'virtual partner' facility - great if you have a regular, short circuit route for fast training - like round a park for example.

it really is a good bit of kit - i don't want to put you off with tales of battery disconnect, but i'd probably look for a discount seller of new kit rather than 2nd hand - particularly off ebay where sellers might not be as 'open' about the units issues!.

I'm not selling mine, not yet anyway - but you might be worth PMing the guy above who is getting a 500 and see what deal you can come to - it needs opened up, but at least you know that!

vs

My unit does my head in - you will look down and it will have switched off missing part of your ride then it has re-set some measured items when you re-boot. If it does it a few times a ride it is very annoying.

You can get it replaced free of charge as long as you have the right serial number; if yours is cutting out you will have the right serial number - see the Garmin site.

I have had mine changed and the new one (still the old design) has been fine.

gkerr4

vs wrote:

My unit does my head in - you will look down and it will have switched off missing part of your ride then it has re-set some measured items when you re-boot. If it does it a few times a ride it is very annoying.

You can get it replaced free of charge as long as you have the right serial number; if yours is cutting out you will have the right serial number - see the Garmin site.

I have had mine changed and the new one (still the old design) has been fine.

really? - even though it is 4years old?

any links to the area of the garmin site you mean?

FoldingJoe

I've had my 205 for about 4 years and never had any problems with it cutting out, so not sure if this is only applicable to 305's.

As all have said above, great device for simple GPS tracking. As mentioned, it does take a while to get an accurate GPS lock, so give it a good few minutes before yo start to make sure it gets an accurate reading.

Virtual partner is great, and I've just started using Garmin connect, which is so much better than Training Centre.

markos1963

I got a 305 this year (NOS from Merlin, £130) and it has been great until recently when the screen for no reason changed it's colour and became invisible. I'm now awaiting to hear from Merlin/Garmin as to what is going to happen.

yaya

All good point here folks, I'll have a look at the battery issue.

Hadtec sell refurb bundles for £171, which is a lot more than what I was hoping to spend but maybe that's a better option!

Saying that, they do the 500 bundle for £185...hmm...

gkerr4

yaya wrote:

All good point here folks, I'll have a look at the battery issue.

Hadtec sell refurb bundles for £171, which is a lot more than what I was hoping to spend but maybe that's a better option!

Saying that, they do the 500 bundle for £185...hmm...

I wouldn't pay £171 for a refurb unit.

the 500 looks good at £185 - i have yet to establsh whether the 500 is actually a like-for-like revised spec 305 (which is, of course, discontinued now)

robdaykin

my 6th Edge 305 is up for sale on the classifieds, fresh from Garmin, never switched on.

Which kind of says it all. I was an early adopter, and they could be great, but I find they die. Frequently. Then Garmin replace it for free whilst denying that it has design flaws.

The 2 most common issues are that the battery comes loose (badly designed clips) and buttons shear off internally and stop working (badly designed mounting). Sometimes both happen in rapid succession.

Rob

Muztard

Wow, I've been really surprised by all the bad reports!

Other than losing a few of rides as I'd let the battery run down before I'd exported/uploaded the ride my has been faultless over approaching 150 rides.

No doubt it will die tomorrow :roll:

robdaykin

I use mine daily, and 6 months (average life) =~ 250-300 rides. So maybe not tomorrow...

Avezius

FWIW, I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 (watch) & love it. I just wrap it around my handlebars & does everything I want.

Primarily bought it over a dedicated bike unit because it was £100 new on Amazon (rather than £180), with all of the same features, but for running as well & all you lose is a little screen real-estate. I could also live without the cadence initially too which kept the price down. Doubles as a running device too.

Admittedly my friends all went for the edge equivalents (Edge500).

kettrinboy

Not all the 305,s suffered the bad battery contact issues, had mine for four and a half years now, around 23,000 miles logged and used on/off road and its never switched its self off once,ive had an 800 for five months now but i,ll always keep my good old 305 as a back up, i cant say ive ever had any real issues with it, so a really good piece of kit in my experience.