metalheart44

My Garmin 500 and GSC-10 speed and cadence sensor are showing some age and in the near future I plan to upgrade/change to another option. Take this a my brainstorming with the hope of getting some input from others here who might help me to think through the issues.

I have limited needs for data, but heart rate, cadence, speed, distance, and compass heading are things I monitor the most, especially heart rate and cadence. Grade during climbs and total elevation gain is also very desirable. Sometimes I have a need for directions, but that is seldom and then I use my phone. I use my iPhone SE with the Glympse app for live tracking so my wife knows where I am. I am a reluctant user of Strava, mostly as a backup to Garmin Connect to keep track of totals, but I do occasionally get hooked into segments as a means to see how I am doing over time. In the near future I plan to get the newer Shimano D-Fly unit so I can monitor Di2 battery level and gearing. And, I use a Wahoo Kickr on those days when I don't want to ride outside.

With those uses in mind, my choices for a computer seem to be (1) Garmin 520 (2) Wahoo Elemnt or (3) iPhone with the Cyclemeter app. I believe most of my uses would be met by any of these choices, even the iPhone SE, which has so far shown incredible battery life and I believe it would last on most of my rides (2.5 - 5 hours). The Garmin 520, is well a Garmin and a known quantity that seems to be stable. The Element is getting more stable from what I read and most of the functionality I need seems ok, although issues about sensor dropout seem to pop up every so often. Since I already have an iPhone and my wife is a confirmed user of Cyclometer and it seems to work fine, but I do not think it has the Di2 integration of the Element and Garmin 520.

Sensors are another issue. I am less than happy with the GSC 10 because I put my bike in and out of the car and the sensor transmitter unit often gets knocked out of place and it is a pain to get repositioned so that it does not touch the spokes. The Wahoo RPM and Cadence sensors seem fine and would work with any of the computer/phone choices. The newer Garmin speed and cadence sensors that do not use magnets seem attractive and can also be used with any of the computer choices. I am favoring the Wahoo sensors because they just seem less obtrusive.

The Element seems to have a slight advantage because I use a Kickr and can use that to control it. But, the phone does the same thing and I would not have to buy a new computer. Choices, choices.........

Steve B.

Some random thoughts.

- For $300 you'd think the Elemnt would have a color screen.

- I like that Wahoo does a lot of setup via the app on a smartphone. Of course if you don't use a smartphone you are kind of SOL, but you have an iPhone so should work.

- You say you don't use data, yet uses Strava and Connect ?, puzzled as to ultimate goals.

- A lot of folks have issues with Garmins, 810's as well as 520's, but I also see lots of posts with Wahoo problems as well. Possibly Wahoo is better at fixing problems and releasing updates. Not sure as I've had luck with my Garmim 810.

- There might be a new Garmin 820 out in the near future. I suspect this is the case as there have been photos and as well, some dealers are discounting the 810 to around $310 -$320. That's pretty close to a 520 @ $299 and I grab an 810 if that was the case. The 810 has Di2 integration as BTW.

a1penguin

The old style Garmin sensors are pretty fussy. I have the new style cadence and speed sensors. The cadence sensor goes on the crank and the speed sensor is rubber banded onto the rear hub. No problems in over 5k miles. My 500 is still working and I'm not sure what I'll do when it finally fails. The $200 price point is a sweet spot.

metalheart44

I might just opt for the newer style Garmin sensors and wait till the 500 dies and then assess the state of the market.......

Seattle Forrest

What does this mean, about the 500? I agree about the GSC. (I got a pedal-based power meter which reports cadence, so I gave mine away, couldn't be happier. My bike goes in the car a lot.)

I have an 800. A year and a half ago I bought a Garmin watch, which I use on the bike. It stays on my wrist when I ride and the 800 is still on my stem, giving some basic info. But the watch is what uploads the ride, it captures a lot more data which is important to me, it gives me turn-by-turn directions on FS roads, etc. It also tells me what time it is when I wake up in the middle of the night, and tracks my runs and hikes, so it was a natural, great fit for my needs. If your 500 still works, that might be an option worth exploring. There are a lot of cool watches from many vendors these days.