While the new Garmin Edge 800 is “the ultimate touchscreen GPS computer for training touring and on the trail”, it does cost well over £300 which for many is a considerable amount of money.
While it does everything you ask in classy Garmin style, we thought we’d give you a quick reminder of the Garmin range in case you can’t justify the price tag, or your nearest and dearest won’t let you!
Could he out run the satellite?!
The Edge Range of Computers:
Edge 800’s touchscreen display is rugged enough to stand up to the elements, yet sensitive enough to respond to the tap of your gloved hand. Switch training pages or pan and zoom the map with just a tap. The bright, sunlight-readable colour display is easy to view in all lighting conditions. Just don’t let its good looks fool you — Edge 800 is waterproof to IPX7 standards and can withstand hard knocks and scrapes it might endure in mountain biking environments.
There are Edge 800 bundles available to suit your style of riding include mapping options for navigation on and off-road and performance options with heart rate and speed/cadence sensors.
Recommended if:
- You want/need the best computer out there.
- Love gadgets and follow a structured and planned training regime.
- Check out our review here.
A “GPS-enabled super cycle computer” –
Sharpen your cycling performance with Edge 500, a lightweight GPS-based cycling computer for performance-driven cyclists. Loaded with data, Edge 500 tracks your distance, speed, location and elevation with high sensitivity GPS. Add an ANT+ compatible heart rate monitor, speed/cadence sensor or compatible power meter for a finely-tuned analysis of your ride.
The Edge 500 attaches easily to the stem or handlebars of your bike with its low-profile bike mount. The Edge attaches easily to the mount with a simple quarter-turn.
When you’re ready to ride, just power on your Edge, acquire GPS satellites and go. Edge 500 features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix satellite prediction to calculate your position faster.
For you if:
- You like to track your training and monitor HR and Cad.
- Navigation while out isn’t so important.
- You’re planning on purchasing an ANT+ power meter.
It sounds a bit cruel to say it’s an older design but in reality it is. Though when you first open the box it is still a flashy piece of kit.
Sitting neatly on your stem it will happily guide you around the lanes and the colour screen, the 705 is available with the HR strap and Cad sensor. The 605 is a ‘do what it says on the tin’ GPS computer.
Once finished, they can all be plugged in/synced with a computer to download your data and view it on Garmin software or Garmin connect to share your routes with friends and on Facebook for example.
Add maps and find motivation with this. The GPS-enabled cycle computer comes loaded with everything you need to make the most out of your ride. Get cycle computer data and mapping detail, all from one compact, easy-to-use device. You even can store, analyse and share your stats for the world to see with Garmin’s online training community. With a colour display and ultra-cool training features, Edge 605/705 has it all.
- Garmin 605: GPS computer (not ANT+ of HR/Cad compatible).
- Garmin 705: GPS computer with ANT+ capability and HR/Cad package available.
- Both have colour screens and will add a whole new level to your cycling.
The Garmin GPS watches:
The Forerunner’s are predominantly a GPS watch unit for runners and walkers to track their routes and monitor HR while out and about.
They do have some merit to cyclists though. I’ve been using a 405CX for a couple of weeks now and have been impressed. From turning on, going riding, downloading the data and sharing the info on Facebook it was a breeze (I was expecting some glitch but there was nothing, no software issues or wireless problems).
The top level Forerunner watch: The evolution of GPS-enabled training. This sleek sport swatch tracks your time, distance, pace and heart rate, then wirelessly sends the data to your PC for later analysis. The 405CX features heart rate-based calorie computation and comes with a fabric wrist band option suitable for smaller or larger wrists. With a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and HotFix satellite prediction, the Forerunner 405CX locates your position simply, quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and near tall buildings and trees.
To use the watch, simply tap the touch bezel to change screens without fumbling for a button.
Being ANT+ compatible you can pair it with a speed/cadence sensor to turn it into a great bike companion as well as a run companion.
Forerunner 110:
From £150 the 110 can be found in many guises. Men’s colour schemes, pink for women and a unisex version.
A great way to track your training on foot or bike. It’s GPS-enabled, so it knows how far and how fast you run – with no bells or whistles. There’s virtually no set-up required, so you can just press start and run or walk with it. Forerunner 110’s data-friendly display makes it simple to read on the run with the all-important time, distance and average pace always there when you need it.
The basic one doesn’t include a HR strap (it can be added afterwards) while the bundles do.
Personally I think a HR strap does involve you more. When looking back at your data you can see which hills/efforts really tested you and also if you’re trying to train within certain zones these can be seen.
Garmin have developed and produced some of the best class leading GPS computers there are. While the 800 is magnificent in what it does, the other models in the range are by no means ‘second class’. If you do want a GPS, Garmin deserve some real attention and given the choice, you should choose wisely! Let us know if you’re unsure of what to get, we’ll do our best to help.
