Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - my garmin edge... a users review (please add your reviews, too!)

i rode my old bike yesterday that still had the polar sensors on it... but i also took the edge...

speed was usually dead on or very close... mileage was the same (maybe off by .1)...

calories... now i know that garmin needs to revamp their calories.... the edge was over by almost 150 calories at the end! at first it was only about 10... and it switched back and forth as to who was ahead.. the edge or the polar... then i had a fast descent... the edge jumped WAY ahead (cuz, of course, my speed was up).... i did have a short, but steep climb and some other elevation gains.. but the edge calories never came back down to where the polar was... as long as garmin uses SPEED to calculate their calories.. they are never going to be anywhere near accurate...

calories... now i know that garmin needs to revamp their calories.... the edge was over by almost 150 calories at the end! at first it was only about 10... and it switched back and forth as to who was ahead.. the edge or the polar... then i had a fast descent... the edge jumped WAY ahead (cuz, of course, my speed was up).... i did have a short, but steep climb and some other elevation gains.. but the edge calories never came back down to where the polar was... as long as garmin uses SPEED to calculate their calories.. they are never going to be anywhere near accurate...

Is there any way to get to the calorie calculator to use the HRM data like Polar and others do? I agree that calorie calculations based only on speed are pretty useless on hilly rides.

I had my first problem with my 305 yesterday. Went out to ride and the darn thing wouldn't turn on. I had just fully charged it that morning so I new it had juice and it should work. I didn't have time to screw with it so I put on my 301 and went on my ride.

Found on motionbased to do the mode/reset thing and it did finally turn on then. But when I uploaded my history to the training center it wiped 3 days of history off the Edge.

In know there's others on motionbased that have had the same problem, has anyone here had their edge do this? If it does it again, I guess I'll call Garmin and ask to have it replaced.

Based on my experience with Garmin's auto navigation systems i.e. 2720/2730, they are very quick to release units with software that is not completely rugged. They then quickly follow up the release with multiple firmware updates that fix problems and frequently add features. It is also clear that they have some hardware component issues i.e. altimeter failures. This one is hard for me to understand since based on the forums I have read this seems to be pretty prevalent and you would think some level of unit QC would have caught the problem prior to release. They don;t call it the bleeding edge for nothing, early adopters always suffer.

Early adoptors do suffer, I agree. But as an early adopter of every version of the Handspring/Palm Treo (except the Windows-based 700w) and a lot of Garmin's stuff over the last few years, I can tell you that it's worth it. I am sure that Garmin is working on the fix. Its staff follows these discussions fairly closely, and the calorie-issue thing is all over the motionbased.com board. My guess is that we'll see something in the next month or so tied to using the HRM. At least I can hope . . . . . .

Early adoptors do suffer, I agree. But as an early adopter of every version of the Handspring/Palm Treo (except the Windows-based 700w) and a lot of Garmin's stuff over the last few years, I can tell you that it's worth it. I am sure that Garmin is working on the fix. Its staff follows these discussions fairly closely, and the calorie-issue thing is all over the motionbased.com board. My guess is that we'll see something in the next month or so tied to using the HRM. At least I can hope . . . . . .

i've also emailed them about the calorie thing..

Can anyone give advice on which mapsource software to purchase for use with the 305. Also where can mapsource be purchased?

The Map Source City Navigator v7 is their current distribution that they supply with their auto units. I have this from my 2720 and it plugs in just find to Training Center.
See: http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/citynav.jsp

I've had my Edge 305 Bundle for 2 weeks now. Got great pre-release bundle price from TigerGPS of $290 including shipping :D Took them forever to get 305's in stock and then forever to ship mine, at least it seemed forever. However it worked great out of the box.

The only problem was CAD battery. Battery was shipped the correct way around but as a result it was dead. Took some fooling around and a pain since I had already mounted the CAD in order to get the battery out and a fresh one in. 305 recognized the CAD right away with the new battery. CAD mounting was easy on my Seven Axiom.

All other setup was smooth. The 305 came with the latest firmware and TC. I got 2 bike mounts for the 305 in the box - is this normal? Means I now have no need for old cyclometers on both my bikes and I get consistent data capture! Just missing an extra CAD (saw one on eBay went for $56 - way over retail) (do I shop too much on eBay?).
I just found the second display page today! Upto 16 different data fields - wow. Although given my older vision I find I need to set each page at 5 fields or I spend unsafe amounts of riding time finding the data field I want.

Alright - its cold in Maryland but I already have 7 trips with my Edge at over 2 hours per trip. At first I was doing 1 second data points but MotionBased didn't like an upload of over 3.5 hours. I now do Smart sampling and the datasets are much smaller but seem just as accurate. Comment below from MotionBased tech support:

Your activity has 13,553 trackpoints because you set it to track every second along the way. The maximum number of trackpoints for the Edge is 13,000 so you exceeded the max and got lucky that you didn't run out of memory.
None of MB is built to work well with that much data. Not that it can't be, but up until now we have rarely seen more than 2,000 trackpoints per activity. We'll change the system to allow more since the Edge will be used by many

I have had no altimeter problems.

I am using TC with the registery hack. TC is a little obscure in its user interface but after I got the maps going I don't think I'll buy the MapSource software. Good prices for older MapSource on eBay.
MotionBased is great and I've downloaded to Google Earth to share group rides.
I really like the SportTracks. ST data display is very useful and you can backup ST history nicely.
Great that these programs acquire weather information, but often from a non-local reporting site. Wind speed and direction have to be manually entered.

What a great device - love it!

Good news on using the edge in the rain. I got caught in a rain storm Friday 15min into my hour ride. It rained moderatly heavy throughout the rest of the ride and edge did not miss a bit. No dropped speed, CAD or HR. I'm happy about that since down here I end up getting wet about 15% of my rides in the summer.

The bad news, I came in too fast into the traffic circle a block from my house and lost the bike out from underneath me. Managed to slide on my left side leaving a bit of skin behind. Some minimal scratches to the brifter and pedal and no damage to the edge. Man I hate crashing, it hurts! Anyway, I'll be more carefull in the turns in the rain from now on.

Ouch, good thing you're OK after that.

That brings up something else that I think could be good with the Edge...it can act as sort of a "black box" during a crash. You can look back at the log and find out exactly how fast you were going when you wiped out.

If you have an encounter with a car and the computer lives, you could use the logs in court to say "Here I am travelling down the road at 35MPH*, which is the speed limit on this road, and I was struck from behind, showing not only that the car was negligent as far as keeping distance from me, but that he was driving with excessive speed.

*not that I ever manage to hit 35 for long, but it's a good example.

Yeah, in fact I did look and I was going about 15mph when I went down. My HR stayed up though :>)

Does the speed/cadence sensor have much of a range? Would it be able to reach from the back of a tandem to the captain (front) position? Or, would I have to mount it somehow by the front crank?

I've had my bundle for about 2 weeks. Had to tinker with the CAD just a bit. I agree with some of the above comments regarding the calories. It is simply off. Compared with my polar 725x, I would say almost 15%. A very cool unit. The customization of the screens is very nice and the virtual race vs. past rides is also fun. If it could only talk back on training rides. :D

no... no navigation... no turn by turn.... no mapping.... the only thing it does is draw a line to show the route you've taken.. but no streets.. no map.... nothing like that at all....

Regarding the Edge's navigation features (or lack of it), as a mountainbiker, I don't need turn by turn directions from a sweetvoiced lady or mapping with streetnames :)

What I do need is basic navigation, like the Garmin GPS 60 does. That is, after loading a trail recorded by someone else, following that trail using basic arrow directions from the Edge. Can anyone tell me if the Edge provides this using Courses, Laps or Routes?

I have not really used the unit for navigation but based on my limited experience I can't really see how it would be good for this. Routing requires straight line waypoints and I think it would create very complicated directions and may require too many points even for a simple course. The course function is nice since you can see a map of where you are at on the course and race against previous time but there are no references on the map and if you had not been through the course before trying to follow the map while riding would slow you down considerably. Others may have a different perspective.

Does the Edge 305 have a repeating countdown timer by any chance?

I was looking at the Edge and the Polar 720 and 725. Decided on none of them. The Edge doesn't tell you your max HR until you download the info on the computer. The 720 won't record your total elevation gain on the ride, and the 725 doesn' t have the auto start/stop feature.

I didn't read the whole thread, but will the 305 give you your total elevation gain over a ride? All the other stuff looks sweet..but thats one feature I NEED. :)

I didn't read the whole thread, but will the 305 give you your total elevation gain over a ride? All the other stuff looks sweet..but thats one feature I NEED. :)

Yes, it does.

--Steve

Yes, it does.

--Steve


Terrific. How am I gonna sneak this one past the wife.... ;)

Could anyone who has this unit post a few pics of it mounted on your bike? Thanks!!!!!

Could anyone who has this unit post a few pics of it mounted on your bike? Thanks!!!!!

Here are some close up pictures.

Here are some close up pictures.

God, that Edge does look sharp in there, very nice big screen

Is the only difference between the edge 205 and 305 the HRM or cadence option?

Is the only difference between the edge 205 and 305 the HRM or cadence option?

And no Altimeter... Total Ascent and Total Descent...

And no Altimeter... Total Ascent and Total Descent...



Damn! Those bastards. 305 seems to be on backorder everywhere..

Damn! Those bastards. 305 seems to be on backorder everywhere..

Did you try Page Computers? It's $250 plus $40 for the speed/cadence.

Did you try Page Computers? It's $250 plus $40 for the speed/cadence.


Got a link? Thats $100 cheaper than anywhere else.

Can you dump the data into a Mac, either using the included software or with some third-party app?

Thanks.

First off, hello everyone! I have been following this thread as I am interested in the Edge 305 myself. I'm just waiting for the software to become MAC compatible before I make the purchase.

As for your question Jakey, here are the 2 links i have found on http://www.pagecomputers.com/

Edge 305 w/ HR monitor only (http://newsite.pagecomputers.com/store/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Unclassified&category%5Fname=32g32c302s1287&product%5Fid=983353) ($247.45)

Edge 305 w/ Cadence sensor only (http://newsite.pagecomputers.com/store/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Outdoor+Gear&category%5Fname=88g88c455s1854&product%5Fid=983352) ($269.15)

They are not offering both HR monitor and cadence sensor in one package. Personally, I'd go with the HR package and buy the cadence sensor for $40.00 from amazon or something similar. It would still cheaper than buying the complete package from somewhere else.

Thanks! And I have a Mac as well...but luckily I also have a PC...so I might just get one anyway. ;)

Can you dump the data into a Mac, either using the included software or with some third-party app?

Thanks.

Not at the moment. At least that is what I have gathered from my research. Garmin and Motion Based have both stated that their programs will become MAC compatible in spring of 2006. Although Motion Based might already be a step ahead of the game with their online setup being MAC compatible. I'm not too sure. I've gotten mixed results in my research. So any time now I hope! I am waiting for this to happen myself before I go ahead and make the purchase.

First off, hello everyone! I have been following this thread as I am interested in the Edge 305 myself. I'm just waiting for the software to become MAC compatible before I make the purchase.

As for your question Jakey, here are the 2 links i have found on http://www.pagecomputers.com/

Edge 305 w/ HR monitor only (http://newsite.pagecomputers.com/store/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Unclassified&category%5Fname=32g32c302s1287&product%5Fid=983353) ($247.45)

Edge 305 w/ Cadence sensor only (http://newsite.pagecomputers.com/store/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Outdoor+Gear&category%5Fname=88g88c455s1854&product%5Fid=983352) ($269.15)

They are not offering both HR monitor and cadence sensor in one package. Personally, I'd go with the HR package and buy the cadence sensor for $40.00 from amazon or something similar. It would still cheaper than buying the complete package from somewhere else.

Actually you can also buy the cadence sensor from page computers.

http://newsite.pagecomputers.com/store/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Unclassified&category%5Fname=32g32c302s1287&product%5Fid=998789&MSCSAuth=E643FF728F825C96AE54FD4E74A9047A4C06535A2A22DBEAB892C8B60DE6C24F26E2BEB3AE8E206BA659233FAF5 73E977E40DC531760A03E0E1D22261A5D401C660D73430735B87C80346EABEE72FEF9FA34A7DAD9D2425DBBFBA6AB16A577E 76E69C3AC211D4C997300140A2A450EBD8ABFC1BEB689DAECFDB05EAFB22BF161338202E70FE4ED0E

Just ordered one. Awww yeah. Just got the HR... $260 with shipping.

Just ordered one. Awww yeah. Just got the HR... $260 with shipping.

dude that's awesome. again, the motionbased.com greatly enhances this product. BAM!

Just ordered one. Awww yeah. Just got the HR... $260 with shipping.

Thats a smokin' price! Almost too good if you know what I mean. Get back to us when you receive your 305 and let us know how everything is.

And no Altimeter...

That's wrong; the 205 does have an altimeter, but it's based on GPS. The 305 has both GPS and barometric altitude.


Total Ascent and Total Descent...

True that the unit itself does not display total ascent and descent, but, once plugged into the PC, the 205 also has those data fields recorded and displayed.

Thats a smokin' price! Almost too good if you know what I mean. Get back to us when you receive your 305 and let us know how everything is.


Yeah, I dunno how they can sell them so much cheaper than everyone else..but hey, I'll take advantage of it. Guess I need to read the whole thread to figure out everything I need to do though...reg edits and stuff? ...yay. Other than motion based, are there any recommended map programs I should get or anything?

My review: this thing rocks!

One question; where's the stopwatch? For instance mid-ride you come to your favorite hill and want to time yourself up...on a std computer you just break out the stopwatch and hit it. On the edge I'm thinking there may be something you can do with the lap feature to record and extract this but not sure yet. Ideas anyone?

That's wrong; the 205 does have an altimeter, but it's based on GPS. The 305 has both GPS and barometric altitude.

True that the unit itself does not display total ascent and descent, but, once plugged into the PC, the 205 also has those data fields recorded and displayed.

Then the book that came with my Edge is wrong.. Since, I do not have a 205.. I just went with what was stated in the manual...

If the Edge 205 has all of that... then I should have purchased it because I do not use Cadence and HR anymore...

My review: this thing rocks!

One question; where's the stopwatch? For instance mid-ride you come to your favorite hill and want to time yourself up...on a std computer you just break out the stopwatch and hit it. On the edge I'm thinking there may be something you can do with the lap feature to record and extract this but not sure yet. Ideas anyone?


Just hit the lap button...

It starts at Lap 1... so at the bottom hit the Lap Button to start Lap 2... then at the top hit the Lap Button again to start Lap 3... Thereby, allowing you to view the Hill as Lap 2...

I understand that the Edge is quite configurable. Is it possible to set it up such that it displays a large speed readout rather than the little window depicted? I notice in some of the ads, it shows elapsed time at the top in much larger numerals than the other readings below, and I would like to know if speed can be substituted and made the large numerals. I would like to use it while racing, and when time trialing my vision falls off a bit due to tunnel vision, and I need larger speed numerals. Thanks.

I understand that the Edge is quite configurable. Is it possible to set it up such that it displays a large speed readout rather than the little window depicted? I notice in some of the ads, it shows elapsed time at the top in much larger numerals than the other readings below, and I would like to know if speed can be substituted and made the large numerals. I would like to use it while racing, and when time trialing my vision falls off a bit due to tunnel vision, and I need larger speed numerals. Thanks.
You can set it up so that Speed is the only thing displayed if you wish. You can select from 1 to 8 items being displayed and then what each specific area is displaying. So you can put speed anywhere you want. Great computer. :D

Oh super, thanks Grasshopper.

Oh super, thanks Grasshopper.
Oh and in case you didn't know you can also have 2 different bikes set up in case you want it to display different info when on the TT bike or on the Roadie...and it comes with 2 mounts...since I don't TT currently I have it on my roadie and my commuter...because we all need speed, HR, altimemeter etc when on the commuter. :D

Oh and in case you didn't know you can also have 2 different bikes set up in case you want it to display different info when on the TT bike or on the Roadie...and it comes with 2 mounts...since I don't TT currently I have it on my roadie and my commuter...because we all need speed, HR, altimemeter etc when on the commuter. :D

I'm sold, thanks! :)

Anyone know where to get just an additional bike mount? I have looked and can find cadence kits but no bike mount kits. . .? Thanks.

Anyone know where to get just an additional bike mount? I have looked and can find cadence kits but no bike mount kits. . .? Thanks.
Try the source...but they are like $13. http://shop.garmin.com/accessory.jsp?sku=010%2D10725%2D00

Anyone know where to get just an additional bike mount? I have looked and can find cadence kits but no bike mount kits. . .? Thanks.

After a quick google search

http://www.getfeetwet.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=010-10725-00

http://www.megagps.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=825