The new garmin edge 520plus - disappointing?

kingstongraham

https://explore.garmin.com/en-GB/inreach/

That's where the market for this is. If you are in the middle of nowhere on land or sea on a regular basis. Limited appeal to road bike riders.

Machoman121

I had the 130 for a few days - and returned it because i couldn't get any navigation cues - just breadcrumbs using RidewithGPS. I learnt later through the garmin forum that one has to use the garmin connect for the navigation cues. I tried using the garmin connect and it's the worst piece of software i've every come across. I"m not sure what garmin was trying to to with garmin connect but couldn't find the mapping/navigation to save my life - and i looked and looked.....when i did find it once (and couldn't get it again the next time) I tried to do a segment but i think you need a nuclear physicist degree or similar to operate this thing. I seriously think Garmin Connect was designed by someone who hates garmin and wants to push everyone else to a Wahoo unit.

thegreatdivide

Machoman121 wrote:

I had the 130 for a few days - and returned it because i couldn't get any navigation cues - just breadcrumbs using RidewithGPS. I learnt later through the garmin forum that one has to use the garmin connect for the navigation cues. I tried using the garmin connect and it's the worst piece of software i've every come across. I"m not sure what garmin was trying to to with garmin connect but couldn't find the mapping/navigation to save my life - and i looked and looked.....when i did find it once (and couldn't get it again the next time) I tried to do a segment but i think you need a nuclear physicist degree or similar to operate this thing. I seriously think Garmin Connect was designed by someone who hates garmin and wants to push everyone else to a Wahoo unit.

I think were looking at an issue with the user, not the Garmin!

Loads of YouTube tutorials on mapping and downloading in Garmin Connect - it couldn't be more simple.

The 130 is advertised as a stripped down GPS that's closer to the wearables rather than the 520 and up.

Basically you got into a strop and sent is back.

redvision

KingstonGraham wrote:

https://explore.garmin.com/en-GB/inreach/

That's where the market for this is. If you are in the middle of nowhere on land or sea on a regular basis. Limited appeal to road bike riders.

Exactly. I assume this is is the technology the Garmin rep indicated they are working on incorporating in to future gps devices (including the edge series).

You are wrong about the limited appeal to road bike riders though. Ride anywhere between the Welsh marches and the west coast of Wales and you will have large stretches without any phone signal. Traffic flows are relatively quiet (apart from holiday times) and there have been occasions where i have passed just 1 or 2 cars over a 100mile ride. Any accident in such a location is exactly why sat phone connectivity is just as appealing to road riders as it is to trekkers, mountain bikers, explorers etc.

champson

This is interesting, I was suprised at how small they have managed to get the GPS transceiver. If they can get the subscription down to a couple of quid per month then maybe there would be mass appeal.
I think the trick garmin have missed is the capability to link the head-units to a simple small nokia type phone via bluetooth. I have one of these in a saddle bag for emergencies. Like others, I don't want to take my £800 phone on the bike really.

pblakeney

I have had mobile phones for 18 years. I have never lost, broken, or cracked any of them. From what I see that is a rarity. But then I don't carry mine in my trousers back pocket. Jinxed now!

mfin

redvision wrote:

You are wrong about the limited appeal to road bike riders though. Ride anywhere between the Welsh marches and the west coast of Wales and you will have large stretches without any phone signal. Traffic flows are relatively quiet (apart from holiday times) and there have been occasions where i have passed just 1 or 2 cars over a 100mile ride. Any accident in such a location is exactly why sat phone connectivity is just as appealing to road riders as it is to trekkers, mountain bikers, explorers etc.

You say he's wrong about the limited appeal to road bike riders then go on to explain scenarios which are limited appeal.

If garmin packed all this tech into a bike computer it wouldn't sell, they need mass market appeal not niche appeal functionality. It would be like making a tupperware for a lunch box that also has clip on cutlery, a few people will think it's great and it won't sell.

Garmin have a very wide range of products, and that kind of sat call tech might be applicable to some of their product lines, but not for bike computers. No way. If you think their new devices would have that kind of tech you're not thinking straight, and probably because you've convinced yourself it's a good idea so then assume it is. Now, if you look at the Apple Watch and the advent of software sims, in many years when prices tumble, something along those lines for existing cellular might happen but it will be years and years away.

redvision

mfin wrote:

redvision wrote:

You are wrong about the limited appeal to road bike riders though. Ride anywhere between the Welsh marches and the west coast of Wales and you will have large stretches without any phone signal. Traffic flows are relatively quiet (apart from holiday times) and there have been occasions where i have passed just 1 or 2 cars over a 100mile ride. Any accident in such a location is exactly why sat phone connectivity is just as appealing to road riders as it is to trekkers, mountain bikers, explorers etc.

You say he's wrong about the limited appeal to road bike riders then go on to explain scenarios which are limited appeal.

If garmin packed all this tech into a bike computer it wouldn't sell, they need mass market appeal not niche appeal functionality. It would be like making a tupperware for a lunch box that also has clip on cutlery, a few people will think it's great and it won't sell.

Garmin have a very wide range of products, and that kind of sat call tech might be applicable to some of their product lines, but not for bike computers. No way. If you think their new devices would have that kind of tech you're not thinking straight, and probably because you've convinced yourself it's a good idea so then assume it is. Now, if you look at the Apple Watch and the advent of software sims, in many years when prices tumble, something along those lines for existing cellular might happen but it will be years and years away.

See the bold above. That's why.

And as mentioned previously, it's only a matter of time before smartphones are genuine rivals to the current range of existing bike gps computers (as soon as battery life is improved) so this is very likely the reason garmin, lezyne, xplova etc are investing in developing such a product (if you believe the reps, who claim as much).

noodleman

But the bold bit above is Just explaining a limited appeal scenario?

redvision

noodleman wrote:

But the bold bit above is Just explaining a limited appeal scenario?

But a very significant appeal scenario.

Plus removing the devices reliance on a phone wouldn't just be for emergency situations. It could also include the livetrack (with no signal loss).
Another minor plus would be the ability to upload the ride to any training app automatically without needing 4g/3g reception or WiFi.