garmin edge

gazeds

Any thought's on the best value for money garmin edge.

slowbike

depends what you want it to do ...

if you want it to prop the door open then go for the cheapest you can find on ebay - or just get a block of wood.
if you want it to show you maps, turn for turn directions and connect via your phone to show friends & family where you live then you need the 810.

iron-clover

Yup, it does entirely depend on what you're going to use it for.

I bought an edge 500 for training and logging rides- I still haven't had the time to use all of its training features. It also gives very simple route guidance if you upload a TCX file to it from Ride with Gps, but you do have to keep a good eye on it and have half an idea of where you're going. It was ideal at the time but now I'm leading lots of group rides I think an Edge 800 with OS maps would have been a wiser investment now. On the bright side the Edge 500 display is as clear as they come either day or night

I probably wouldn't be too bothered by the 510 though- the screen is harder to read in bright sunlight and I'm not sure the phone connectivity would be worth it. The 810 seems better for pairing to a smartphone with its larger display, but you pay for it with reduced battery life.

StillGoing

I don't get any reduced battery life with my 810? Battery life is easy enough for 100+ rides and no worse than my old 705.

drlodge

The 800. Does everything you need a bike computer to do, and cheaper now the 810 is out.

sadlybiggins

I went for the 500 with HRM and cadence when there was a good offer on about a year ago. For me, it wasn't worth going for the 800/810 as I wouldn't use the map options very much and I wasn't bothered about the touch screen and bluetooth which are the only real upgrades on the 510. Overall, I'm very pleased with it. As others have said, though, only you know what you need it for.

wandsworth

Yes, depends what you need it for. I have the 500, which is great - does HRM and cadence (if you buy the sensors), and has configurable screens. It's also a nice size and weight, kind of like a pebble. The 510 and the 800's are a fair bit bigger. They have bigger screens too, of course, but still look a bit bulky. I think the 500 is the sweet spot between functionality and size, but then I don't need the maps.

drlodge

I would agree with the above posts - if you don't need the map then the 500 is a good bet. If you do need the maps, then its the 800.

I feel the 510/810 aren't really a worthwhile upgrade on the previous models, and I've heard stories of the 810 being quite buggy.

bobones

Have them both and much prefer the 510 over the 500.

wandsworth

bobones wrote:

Have them both and much prefer the 510 over the 500.

What's better about it? (Genuinely interested in the comparison, not challenging you.)

Tiberius007

Just bought a Garmin 800 performance bundle (Cadence/HR Monitor) on Amazon for about £235, and its great. Best price I could find.

Big step up for me in terms of functionality. Been looking at these for some time and finally took the plunge and glad I did.

Think its going to really help my training in the summer. And can add maps later.

kajjal

Since I don't need maps the 500 has worked really well and the screen setup is very flexible.

slowbike

Maps for the 800 and 810 can be got from Open street maps for nothing - you just need a memory card.
Get the routable ones with contours.

Tiberius007

Slowbike wrote:

Maps for the 800 and 810 can be got from Open street maps for nothing - you just need a memory card.
Get the routable ones with contours.

Thanks for the advice.

Sprool

do the touch screens work when you've got cycling gloves on?

apreading

yes, they are resistive rather than capacitive so will work with anything putting pressure on them. means they are not quite as responsive but much more practical.

ivanoile

What are good alternatives to Edge 500? My Edge has given up on me,and I don't want another one.
Maybe Edge 510 but price and touch screen is not very attractive :oops:

navt

I got the Edge Touring because I get err, lost? Simple computer for speed, cadence, HRM.

bobones

ivanoile wrote:

What are good alternatives to Edge 500? My Edge has given up on me,and I don't want another one.
Maybe Edge 510 but price and touch screen is not very attractive :oops:

I got a 510 when my 500 packed in. The touch screen is actually OK, but there are also 3 physical buttons for on/off, lap and stop/start. One of the problems I had with the 500 was that the buttons became unresponsive and the rubber surrounding them wore away to nothing so this less frequent button use is going to help longevity.

The 510 user interface is also far superior: you can display more fields on one screen and it makes swapping between bike and activity profiles a breeze. The screen is easy to read: just leave the backlight on permanently.

Bluetooth linking to the Garmin Connect Mobile app is a nice feature for up/downloading rides, workouts and courses from GarminConnect without having to plug the device into a computer. I haven't used LiveTrack and can't see me doing so so I have nothing to say on that.

The latest 510 firmware (2.90) also seem to have fixed all the major bugs so the device seems to be working as designed.

I definitely would not like to go back to a 500 after using the 510.

arran77

If by best value for money we mean cheapest then it's got to be an Edge 200, I've got one and it's perfect for me as I don't want fancy navigation maps or the extra connectivity that the more expensive versions have.

bobones

If you're at all serious about training then you'll want cadence, heart rate and maybe power sensors so the 200 doesn't quite cut it. Instantaneous speed from the 200 will also be dodgy since it relies on GPS alone whereas the ANT+ capable head units can use a wheel sensor for precise measurement of speed.

imposter2.0

bobones wrote:

If you're at all serious about training then you'll want cadence, heart rate and maybe power sensors so the 200 doesn't quite cut it. Instantaneous speed from the 200 will also be dodgy since it relies on GPS alone whereas the ANT+ capable head units can use a wheel sensor for precise measurement of speed.

You may 'want' all that stuff for serious training, but you don't 'need' it. I have a 200 and the speed readings are simply not an issue - in fact, they are pretty much identical to my old Cateye unit with a wheel sensor.

ivanoile

bobones wrote:

ivanoile wrote:

What are good alternatives to Edge 500? My Edge has given up on me,and I don't want another one.
Maybe Edge 510 but price and touch screen is not very attractive :oops:

I got a 510 when my 500 packed in. The touch screen is actually OK, but there are also 3 physical buttons for on/off, lap and stop/start. One of the problems I had with the 500 was that the buttons became unresponsive and the rubber surrounding them wore away to nothing so this less frequent button use is going to help longevity.


I definitely would not like to go back to a 500 after using the 510.

Thank you for reply,good things is I don't need cadence and speed sensor nor HRM so the unit itself would be cheaper.But prices of Edge 510 are damn high,very similar to Edge 800.So the Edge 800 has caught my eye,then again I love Edge 510 conectivity to smartphone :roll:
Will be lookin' at some used units