Garmin edge -are they worth their cost

If you want mapping and ride data then theGarmin Dakota is a great alternative at £188. It isn't as neat or slick as an Edge 800, but it does take AA batteries (a distinct advantage on multi-day rides). It can use a HR strap and Cadence monitor, and will collect and display all your ride data which you can save online or on the PC using the same Garmin software as the edge. I plan routes on Bikeley or use the Cycle Journey Planner and download to the device. I get all the mapping free (both UK and Europe) which has been brilliant. I have ridden so many new routes since having this it has been worth every penny.

The main thing I think it can't do is the training partner thing. It is also about twice as fat as the 800 so not as elegant (not a big issue for me).

As above, if you don't want mapping then the Edge 500 is enough. If money is no object then maybe the Edge 800 is best, though for me, the internal lithium battery of the Edge (that will deteriorate like your mobile phone one does, and is not user replaceable, and needs mains input every day on tour) would still make the Dakota, which runs for about 2 days on 2 NiMH AA's which I can then swap out, is better for me.

Worth it if you use it / want it I guess. I love the mapping for planned rides, and the cadence / heart monitor for winter turbo training.

You can pick up a brand new 705 with HR monitor for just over £200 from the likes of handtech - not as bling as the £300 but functionality wise just as good. I would find it hard to go back to a basic bike computer now.

Or, if you just want to collect data, Forerunner 305 (inc HR strap) £99 from Amazon. Might want to add cadence sensor +/- £30. 10 hour battery life, all the data, Garmin Connect etc and you can use it for running, hill walking (with the Track Back function), has the pesky training partner, gym, snowboarding etc You can load point to point routes too. Great value and bulletproof.

Depends on what you want it for. I wouldn't spend that much for HRM/cadence since I don't really need them. I also don't use those training functions like virtual partner or anything since all my training is actually done on a turbo (with power).

However, I do have a 705 and never go out without it simply because of the mapping. With the city navigator maps you really just plan a random route and go for it which is amazing for me. The 705 is much cheaper now with the release of the 800 by the way.

I've got a Garmin 500 with HRM and cadence sensor and its used for every ride and turbo session. I use it with Sporttracks and Garmin Connect to analyse my training and to share my training data with my coach. The cadence/speed sensor is very useful for turbo sessions. The course function gives a breadcrumb trail which as the poster above says is useful if you know roughly where you're going and just need a reminder now and again. I wouldn't go back to a normal cycle computer now.

If I was buying again I'd go for the 800 for the larger brighter screen as the 500's screen is lacking in contrast and can be hard to see sometimes. The full mapping and turn by turn guidance of the 800 would be useful for following new training routes or for guidance in sportives where the signage is a bit dodgy.

There's a new sound track at the end of sportives these days- the sound of multiple Garmins being switched off.

You're probably right i.e. money better spent elsewhere. I've had the 305, currently got the 705 which I use only for the powermeter compatability. The maps can be useful if you get stuck, but to be honest I've always found an OS paper map to be far more useful if I'm exploring. Cadence function is useless IMO, really cannot understand what people use this info for

My Edge 205 is near the end of its life, keeps cutting out, one of the buttons no longer works and I can no longer reset it
I will be replacing it without a doubt, probably with a 800, as I feel lost if I dont have a Garmin on my stem!
I know its not needed most of the time but I like to be able to see ride data as I ride and also to download and store on Sporttracks.
It all adds to my enjoyment.

Brin,

If you want it for navigation more than training info then look at the etrex series. I have just got an Etrex Vista HCx for an impending LEJOG trip and its brilliant. I load tracks onto it from bike route toaster and then follow the tracks on the gps. It has allowed me to go much further and to unfamiliar places that I probably would have got lost at just trying to remember the route! Think it will work out cheaper than an Edge gps too. Mine was £210 inc the city navigator cd. Let me know if you want any more info on it.

I absolutely love my 705. If you like riding new routes or cycle in other countries the maps are awesome so long as you work out a planned route on your PC before. Yesterday I tried a new ride without having loaded the route beforehand, and going back to a few printed pages from googlemaps just reminded me of the pre-Garmin days - frequent stops and U-turns on poorly signed roads :evil:

For data, battery life, ease of use and reliability it beats anything else I've had - Suunto, Polar

For a final endorsement, in a roundabout way, my 705 fell off my bike at 25mph last night. Not great that the plastic attachment on the handlebars broke (it gets a lot of cobble-abuse in Luxembourg and had lasted over two years), but the unit has only the slightest scuff and still works fine. I was dreading hearing the crunch from the car following me, but I got lucky 8)

I usually ride alone & find the virtual partner essential in preventing me going into trundle mode.

I've had a Edge 205 for a good few years now and while it's not essential (what bike computer is?) it has really added to my enjoyment of cycling.

I use MapMyRide to plot new routes (I've 124 routes plotted in my area), convert the route to a .crs file and use it for navigation purposes. After my ride, I log ride stats using Sportracks which lets me monitor things like weekly and monthly distance totals, trends in my average speed etc. I then export the ride to Google Earth which gives me good overview of where I've been and where I've yet to go in the area. This all adds to the interest and stops me getting bored with the same roads.

On midweek evening rides I tend to ride the same shorter routes for training purposes. In this case, I use the Edge training partner which encourages me to work harder and ride a faster time.

I even take the Edge out with me when I go for a run...

I've become so used to the Edge that when I temporarily mislaid it a couple of weeks ago, I was struggling to get out! I hate to think of the day when the 205 gives up the ghost and I'm forced to buy a replacement.

I have an edge 500 and have found it very useful for making me worry about my average speed etc.

i worry about it more, not sure that it's made me any quicker. but it looks pretty and does capture practically all the information you could wish for. I didnt want mapping so an 800 wasn't appropriate (or available at the time of purchase) for me.

i usually plan my route using how i feel, wind direction, voodoo etc prior to leaving the house.

Garmin connect is fantastic, particularly with my FR60 as it's entirely wireless. That's my biggest grumble, having to plug the Edge 500 in to upload via USB is a pain in the arse.