Garmin 800 or 810

cerv50

Seriously considering pulling the plug on either an 800 or 810 this afternoon but am unsure which one to go for. I don't need an HRM or cadence sensor and understand you can download maps from the internet?

Is the extra cost (albeit only £56) worth paying for the new technology or stick with the old and trusted version?

richa

The Open Source maps are fine.

Full comparison:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/catalog ... duct=69043

The main differences are :
Connected features via smartphone: YES
Compatible with Garmin Connect™ Mobile: YES

If you will use your mobile to download courses, upload ride files then maybe worth the extra. I do use this feature, but I could certainly live without it.

paul_smith_srcc

I have the 810 and the smartphone App that syncs the phone to 'Connect Garmin' website then via Bluetooth onto the Garmin 810 is quite good. So you can plot a route on 'Garmin Connect' and send that to the Garmin 810 without having to plug it into you computer, vice versa when you get back from a ride you can send the App data from the Garmin 810 to update the 'Connect Garmin' website, you can also study the data via the App itself on your Smart Phone without having to turn your pc on.

I know not having to plug the unit into your pc each time was just one of the reasons a colleague wanted one, as he uses an Apple Mac and iPhone, in the past he found that 'Apple' do not exactly make life that easy when he was using a Bryton GPS system connected via USB to his Mac, so syncing the 810 with the Garmin Connect iPhone App was a big 'plus' for him.

On the downside Garmin Connect course planning needs to be improved, cycle specific routing for example, currently sharing that with runners and potentially sending a cyclist the wrong way down a one way street or around a roundabout is not acceptable; if they've bothered to design a Cycling Specific unit and want us to use Garmin Connect syncing via Bluetooth then cycling specific routing as far as I'm concerned is a must have.

Paul Smith.

cerv50

Is the screen quality different between the 2 models?

If I could turn back time I would have bought an 800 to start with. In the 2 years I have been cycling I've had a 200 and now use a 500 but feel the need for maps these days.

I don't currently have a smartphone so not sure this would be necessary (only thing it could be useful for is the wife to track my whereabouts when I go out alone), but I know one day I will have to come out the dark ages and get one.

paul_smith_srcc

cerv50 wrote:

Is the screen quality different between the 2 models?

If I could turn back time I would have bought an 800 to start with. In the 2 years I have been cycling I've had a 200 and now use a 500 but feel the need for maps these days.

I don't currently have a smartphone so not sure this would be necessary (only thing it could be useful for is the wife to track my whereabouts when I go out alone), but I know one day I will have to come out the dark ages and get one.

Where a Smartphone is quite good is that it stores your planned routes, so should you lose the stored routes on a tour you can re sync the routes back onto the unit. Plus a Smartphone will these days normally also have a GPS, a handy back up when the 800 or 810 crashes; which every so often they do.

Paul Smith.

richa

Screen quality is same/similar I believe. If you don't have a smart phone then go for the 800.

Definitely read these reviews before you buy:
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/08/garm ... -look.html
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/01/garm ... eview.html

RDW

I have the 800 and am pretty happy with it. Usually I plug it in to top up the charge when I get home anyway, so connecting it to the PC rather than the dedicated charger is no great hardship. Screen quality on the 800 and presumably the 810 is just OK, though- you don't get anything like the resolution or touch responsiveness of a modern smartphone (if I stop to look at a map in detail, I'll get the phone out every time - zooming, scrolling and searching are that much nicer and less fiddly, and of course the large screen helps a lot). But the Garmin screen is fine if you use it for routing like a car GPS, etc, and the free maps are good, e.g.:

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

Of course, since you have a 500 already, one option would be to just get a cheap but apparently excellent phone like the Moto G, for about half the price of a Garmin with mapping...

StillGoing

The other advantage of the 810 is the live track function that allows people you invite to trace you on the ride. Useful for the wife to know you're safe and well and still moving rather than lying in a ditch having been cleared up by a myopic motorist, and for cycling buddies to know you're almost with them if you are cycling over to them to start a ride.

stueys

Personally if you value the phone connectivity than that's the only reason to go 810. Otherwise save a bug of cash and go 800. It was a very minimal upgrade, which probably suggests something bigger isn't far away.

dw300

As you asked Cerv .. I went for the upgrade (or downgrade from loosing the buttons) as I like to plan my routes before I go out. It's great for traffic free riding and finding new roads on your doorstep, and you avoid those rides where you suddenly find yourself asking .. why am I on this dual carriageway?

Got mine part-ex for my 500 .. essentially paid about £180 for it.

Map my Ride does (did?) live tracking if you do end up with a smartphone.

chrisaonabike

philthy3 wrote:

The other advantage of the 810 is the live track function that allows people you invite to trace you on the ride. Useful for the wife to know you're safe and well and still moving rather than lying in a ditch having been cleared up by a myopic motorist, and for cycling buddies to know you're almost with them if you are cycling over to them to start a ride.

Given that it doesn't do this without having a phone to sync with, you can do nearly all this on a phone.

I use this.

StillGoing

The question was the advantage of the 810 over the 800, not what alternatives there may be.

RDW

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

Given that it doesn't do this without having a phone to sync with, you can do nearly all this on a phone.

Yes, since most phones you are likely to buy can handle live GPS tracking by themselves, the feature does seem a bit superfluous! But perhaps the battery life is better? Does running the Garmin app on the phone, talking to the 810 GPS via Bluetooth, use less juice than running GPS tracking directly on the phone? I think my phone would probably need an external battery to keep the GPS going for an all day ride.

slowbike

Paul_Smith SRCC wrote:

I know not having to plug the unit into your pc each time was just one of the reasons a colleague wanted one, as he uses an Apple Mac and iPhone, in the past he found that 'Apple' do not exactly make life that easy when he was using a Bryton GPS system connected via USB to his Mac, so syncing the 810 with the Garmin Connect iPhone App was a big 'plus' for him.

Just so you know ... I have no problem using any of my Apple Macs for connecting the Garmin Edge 800 to Garmin Connect or Strava using USB.
My wifes Garmin 810 sometimes doesn't mount the drive straight away, but once it is mounted (just leave it alone) it connects fine - I believe this to be an issue with the 810 rather than the Mac as the Edge 705 had no problem - just like my 800 ....

slowbike

RDW wrote:

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

Given that it doesn't do this without having a phone to sync with, you can do nearly all this on a phone.

Yes, since most phones you are likely to buy can handle live GPS tracking by themselves, the feature does seem a bit superfluous! But perhaps the battery life is better? Does running the Garmin app on the phone, talking to the 810 GPS via Bluetooth, use less juice than running GPS tracking directly on the phone? I think my phone would probably need an external battery to keep the GPS going for an all day ride.

The advantage of using the GPS to track rather than the phone is that it frees the phone up from having to find it's own location - although it does use bluetooth instead - it does seem that the phone battery lasts longer - trade off is that the GPS battery doesn't last as long (as you're now running bluetooth too).

Tracking is fine, as long as the phone has a data signal - it's a bit annoying that it can only pair with one phone - it would be handy if it could pair to two phones and then use the one with a data signal!

stueys

My missus uses Find My Friends to track me on my rides, free ios app. Works very well, doesn't seem to drain the battery over and above just having the phone on. Of course she doesn't get the live feed of my heart rate and speed but I suspect she's not concerned ;-)

overlord2

Basic elements of the 800 & 810 are the same. I have the 800 its a good piece of kit. Personally I would have it with the HR and cadence otherwise its features you are missing out on. And pretty much a must if you TT.

Also invest in a good mount the Garmin ones are a bit rubbish (but work).

northpole

I'm dreaming of the day Garmin sits down and looks at how an iPhone works and transfers some of the functionality across to the next model (whenever that may be!).

Really fed up with the number of times I set off on a planned route and lose the prompt to turn left/ right/ etc - haven't been on a ride yet when this feature hasn't dropped off. Doesn't seem to matter whether I design the route or if I download from a sportive site or map my ride. None of them work for the duration of the ride, normally failing within the first half hour.

As for it being a dedicated cycling gps - I particularly did not enjoy a recent experience where, following the route crashing in the middle of nowhere, I selected the Home function only to find myself approaching an access ramp to a major dual carriageway on which cyclists are prohibited. Thankfully I had my iPhone and google maps saved the day!

The battery just about lasted for what became about a 10 hour ride, but it was on the limit.

If you must have one, I'd buy the cheapest option unless the few new features on the 810 are essential to you. Set the remainder aside and hope there will be a 900 along in 2014 which works....

Peter

StillGoing

Then you need to check the settings for turn by turn. If it keeps dropping GPS signal then either you're unfortunate to be surrounded by black spots or the item is faulty. Either way, a black spot any device will struggle and if it's faulty send it back for exchange. I've never had any such problem as you describe with either my 705 or my 810. Yes in a black spot you may occasionally lose signal temporarily, but the unit soon recovers. On a 100+ ride out to the east coast on roads I'd never seen before my unit gave turn by turn indications without failure.

Very often the issue with Garmin devices is the user rather than the unit. The lack of clear instructions ( and Apple are one of the worst manufacturers to supply equipment without instructions) with the device is to blame for this.

northpole

Sorry to disagree but I seem to have a bit of a Garmin curse on me. My 705 failed (kept switching itself off mid ride for no apparent reason) just outside warranty and, rather than pay £100 for an exchange unit I bought the 800. That has suffered the turn prompt failure on every ride I have used it in numerous locations and I have also suffered from the speedo auto pausing/ not registering movement/ speed/ distance for no apparent reason. I ended up switching off the cadence sensor as someone suggested there can be a conflict between them. Yet again I am out of warranty and I doubt Garmin will be in the least bit interested - certainly the chaps at Cycle Surgery weren't each time I tried to speak to them about it.

I would be delighted if my Garmin products worked as I hoped they would, as I'm sure you are with yours. So far, they have failed miserably.

There is a fundamental difference between Apple and Garmin not having decent instructions - in my experience Apple products are extremely intuitive and most people quickly grasp how to operate their products. They also have an extensive network of retail outlets with technical assistance should you have any concerns or problems. If only the same could be said of Garmin.

Peter

DiscoBoy

If you don't need the ant+ features, have you considered the new "touring" model?

cerv50

DiscoBoy wrote:

If you don't need the ant+ features, have you considered the new "touring" model?

Need Ant+ for the HRM and cadence sensors, but thanks anyway