Garmin Edge 800 or Mio 305

Rockhopper66

I was hoping someone maybe able to give me some advice on which is the best device out of the Garmin 800 or the Mio 305? Since Santa did not bring one in my stocking, I've noticed these units heavily discounted in the January sales.
I know that the Garmin is supposed to have a rather fiddly menu system and the Mio's display doesn't look as slick.
If anyone has any experience of these or is there a model I've not thought of, then please could you reply. I need a GPS that does turn by turn and these are the only ones I've found!!!
Thanks
Rockhopper66

teisetrotter

Funny I am looking at the same thing. I am looking at the base systems as I can't see what a heart monitor or a cadence monitor gives a rank amateur. I can feel the damn heart working like a hammer on the hills telling me to be fitter!

I am leaning towards the Garmin. Handtec have these at £250 and at present I am seeing the MIO305 at only £30 less, but that includes maps (but for the Garmin you can get the free download). Some of the reviews I have read on the MIO are not so complementary either and the interesting features are not working so well yet .... but they are improving rapidly apparently.

Going to play with them at Evans and then decide ......... but I'll probably follow the crowd and go Garmin. baaaaaa baaaaaa!

daviesee

Just to counter Teisetrotter, I have the Garmin 705 and am very definitely a rank amateur but the two functions that I find most beneficial are cadence and heart rate.
I have a tendency to grind out too big a gear at a low cadence so burn out on long runs. The cadence monitor tells me to drop a gear. I also have the tendency to take it too easy on the flat and push myself too hard on the hills and the heart rate monitor regulates that.
YMMV. :P

jonomc4

yep cadence and heart rate are the two I use most.

I just picked up an Edge 800 performance road pack (basically all I need for ever - maps, hear rate, cadence speed and navigation) and it was £338 (for sale at Evans and cycle surgery) - where it not for the sale I would have probably gone for the Mio.

teisetrotter

Mmmmm, seems I have some things to learn. I tend to do cadence by sensing naturally that the power is becoming to much to sustain the speed (and I know the better I get the more that power will be), so I change down. On the long steep climbs ..... it's a matter of survival.

Either way this seems to be the cheapest place:
http://www.handtec.co.uk/satnav-gps/cyc ... acturer=67

captain_kirk

This website may be useful:
http://www.satnav-discounts.co.uk/tomtom-go/garmin-edge-800.htm?gclid=CJLblqjrwbQCFebLtAodrBEA8A
Gives a good comparison of prices over a few websites.

teisetrotter

Any more thoughts on your side? I am still umming ahhing.

I must ask on here the benefit of a cadence sensor though ..... just can't see it myself .... but others disagree.

sketchley

I have one of these (305 GB and Ireland with HR and Cadence). There is lot it does well. There is some stuff it doesn't do at all, for example there is no lap function (well none I can find). I'd suggest checking carefully what you want and don't want and compare with the Garmin 800 features before you buy. The new update to v2 has improved things somewhat. I particuarly like the ability to share route planning with other users simply by shaking the device to transfer using ANT+ transmitter. However this is only useful if several people in group are using ther same device.

I did have problem with updating to v2. The first part of the update (firmware) was fine, device rebooted then started updating map and software. The update appeared to completed but stopped with the screen grey after appearing to update the software and map. However when starting the device I got an error 200 and it simply rebooted. When I restarted Mio Share and plugged the device back in it said I needed another update (City Map), this happend twice more before it said it had succesfully updated. The total time taken here was at least 2 hours, so don't do this 10 mins before going on a ride! However, when trying to start the device I got an application error, a search of the faq on mio's webstite said to quick format the system drive and start again. That resulted in another 2 hours going through the the update again. This time the device started fine but I could not enter any addresses or see any roads on the map. Again the Mio FAQ had some advice, this time to leave it plugged in to Mio Share and wait until the missing files were replaced. This didn't work even having been left over night. So I went through the whole thing again including the quick format. Same result.

This morning after starting the process the return the device to Mio for repair as they didn't know what was up. I reduced the firwall level on my Virgin Media Super Hub from High to Low (default factory setting). Plugged the device into Mio Share and it then did replace the missing files and it now works fine. It's odd that Mio Share gave no error messages in relation to being unableto download files plus there were no logs on the Virgin Media Super hub showing blocked files either! I suspect this might also be the reason why the updated kept stopping unless I unplugged and plugges back in, although I'm not going back to check. So if you get these kind of problems check your firewall!

Downward

I'm getting the Error on the Navigation/Following a Course. Tried the Surprise me function on the way home from work but nothing nada nothing worked
Formatted it a 2nd time and downloading the updates for the 3rd time now. Just got Mio share to work for the 1st time too and sent over some tracks/courses tonight but still not working.
Giving it another go and then it'll be on to mio helpdesk. Bit crap if you can't even send over saved routes