Advice On First GPS

iamStewart

So, I desperately need some advice on buying my first bike computer/GPS.

I started cycled about half way through this year after a long time away from the bike just as a sort of weekend activity to do with my father, but it has turned into far more than a weekend hobby. I am now taking the sport quite seriously and doing 3/4 rides a week, as well as entered a couple of sportif events in December.

Up until now I have just been using the iOS Strava app to log my rides and training, which I will admit is a great tool, but I feel I have reached the stage I actually want to be able to analyse my ride on the go, not just waiting to see when I get home how fast or far I've gone. It must be said that I do find Strava's elevation and speed calculations to be wonky more often than not.

I have a shortlist of 3 GPS' I'm interested in and suit my budget and I've listed a couple of questions next to each device hoping that the forum can help me decide:

1) Garmin Edge 500 - I like the price tag, especially for the bundle, seems the best deal. Just wondering if they still release any firmware or have they left that behind with the release of the 510? Do you guys think it might be getting a bit dated?

2) Garmin Edge 510 - Really like the screen and contrast from what I've seen of it. The addition of GLOSNASS seems great, but don't know if the added price is worth the seemingly trivial additions to the price tag.

3 O-synce Navi2Coach - Don't know much about this device, but have been reading really great reviews on it online, just don't see what it can offer that Garmin can't. Also, a bit of unknown brand here is South Africa.

Sorry this post is so long. Only realised now. Thanks so much in advance for your help!

nwns88

See my thread below. I would avoid Garmin, the mounting tabs can break off and they won't help you if it's over 12 months old. Shame because apart from that and the poor customer service the 500 is a really good unit.

meanredspider

I think I saw a post to say that Amazon are doing the 500 for £127. I think, if that's the case (and you don't want navigation) I'd go with the 500. The GLOSNASS is useful if you move around a lot (different countries etc) because else the Garmin can take ages to find satellites in a new place.

iamStewart

Navigation is definitely something I don't need/can't afford at present. I know the areas I will be riding very well.

Anonymous

I have a 500 and a 1000.
I used to think I would replace the 500 with another 500 if it broke, and that the 500 was the ideal value Garmin.
I now think the 510 is worth the extra and the one to aim for if poss.

Bigger/better screen and faster satellite lock is worth it alone IMO, but what you don't have, you don't miss, so 500 would be fine if you really want to keep the cost down.

You can also get a skin for the 510. Never ever saw one for the 500.

rs6mra1

My view is go with the 510. It would enable you to upload your data & view it wirelessly. There is the Glonass as you mentioned. Lets face it the 500 is a bit dated. And ask yourself the question: would you regret spending the difference between the 500 & the 510....................

alex222

My 500 is the best cycling purchase I have made. Great piece of kit.

Neil_aky

If you just want to track your rides go for the 500, you will not regret it - it just works and will link up to all the ANT+ accessories you will ever need.

As for firmware updates - it doesn't need any - it already works fine and your computer just sees it as another drive for syncing so will work with any operating system present or future!

coulddobetter

Picked up a 500 second hand . Best thing I can say is it gets on with the job perfectly . It came with a protective skin .it's hardly slow finding satellites , on a par with my garmin in car.cadence sensor fitted and paired really easily too. All you need if maps not required , will follow a breadcrumb trail accurately. Screen more than adequate. Ok as with all tech stuff things move on but the 500 is certainly not obsolete.

stueys

I'd go 810. Being able to navigate on the fly if you want to try a new route or are in a new place is worth the price premium.

iron-clover

I've got a 500, and I think I'll always keep one handy even if I do end up getting a higher model for navigation in the distant future.
The original 500 has a screen that's really easy to read and takes little power to operate- the 510 has an OK screen but I can never read them as clearly (friends units off the bike). It can also display a greater variety of information than you can possibly ever need and set up different screens for different things if you want.

Also, for super long rides the 500 is one of the few devices that can keep on running without charging- I did a ride that lasted 9 hours of solid cycling, with about 2 hours stoppage time and my unit was the only one amongst phones, 510s and 800s that was still running- and some of the others had been put on a portable charger half way round (we had a support van).

You can put fairly decent navigation onto the 500 with a breacrumb trail with turn point notices- use RideWithGPS and export as a tcx file rather than a gpx and it'll give you the distance to the next turning off of the road you're on. They have updated the firmware and keep releasing new ones as they release more kit such as the Vector pedals. An instant bonus was the drawing of where you've gone on the navigation map so if you do lose the route horribly you can carefully retrace your steps.

I wasn't sold on the speed/ cadence sensor- it was OK while it worked but mine did pack in within 6 months and if it does fail mid ride the unit stops recording until you go through the settings and remove the sensor option. The softstrap HR monitor also failed soon after so now I only use my unit with an old style HR strap (far more reliable than the new version) so it's not the end of the world if you can't find a bundle to buy a unit with.

dinyull

If your not bothered about having a Garmin....I managed to pick up a Bryton Rider 20 from Bike24 for £50 delivered in October.

http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;menu=1400,1420,1421;product=47719

This has HRM and cadence sensor too and will give you everything a Garmin 500 has, minus the breadtrail directions and being able to customise the screen options.

Considering the performance pack for the 500 is about £130 more, it's a steal. Mine has been spot on so far, covered about 500 miles with it and massively impressed. Battery life is brilliant too, only charged it fully once aside from it getting a bit of charge when uploading to bryton/strava.

pastryboy

Re: the Bryton

Does it fit into a standard garmin quarter turn mount? (some garmin mount son ebay seem to say they're compatible)
What if I want a cadence sensor for another bike, will any ANT+ sensor work?
Can you tell it you have different bikes, if so, how many?

Thanks

Lambda

Just tried to put my Bryton 20 on a SRAM mount and it works though it didn't fit in the standard Garmin 800's bar mount

keezx

The Bryton 20 is a nice little device but the battery let me down after 2 years and I threw it away.
Not recommendable.

dinyull

At that price, the Garmin (£180 w/performance pack) would need to last over 7 years to get the same value.

At £50 it's unbeatable, unless your want/need mapping data.

dinyull

pastryboy wrote:

Re: the Bryton

Does it fit into a standard garmin quarter turn mount? (some garmin mount son ebay seem to say they're compatible)
What if I want a cadence sensor for another bike, will any ANT+ sensor work?
Can you tell it you have different bikes, if so, how many?

Thanks

Sorry, I only use on 1 bike and use the standard Bryton mount. Think I've read on here the people have used other ANT+ sensors without any problems but can't confirm.

kajjal

A handy setting on the 500 is it can be set to update position every second. Useful for twisting off road trails and handy enough on road to. Other devices don't update this frequently so worth checking.

DKay

I had a Bryton Rider 20 and thought it was an ok bit of kit and ANT+ capability for £50 was just amazing. However, I thought it was pretty user unfriendly and changed it to a Garmin 500 bought from Amazon for £90. The Garmin is so much easier and less faff to use, but the Bryton was way faster locking-on and didn't suffer from slow updates under overcast skies.