Sorry if this isn't a question that has been addressed but I am need some cleared up. I just finally took the plunge and ordered a Garmin 1030 bundle. I love my 520, been great but screen is too small for my old eyes and needed to do something besides I just wanted to a reason to buy a new toy. 520 will be sold off.

Anyways the question is are the maps on the unit preloaded or do I need to download them from Garmin's website? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for north America maps I guess.

thank you!

Preloaded, but occasionally Garmin pushes an update.

thanks]

Make sure when you design your screens on your new GPS you don't overload them Five fields is pretty readable, on the acre and a half screen you just bought. 8 or 10 fields will leave you squinting at the fine print on that postage stamp.

I have I think 5 on my 520 and boy that is tough, so I am hoping the same 5 on the new 1030 will be ok.

On my 1030, I set up an extra screen with 5 numbers. The digits and letters are 7.5mm, 0.3 inches tall. Fewer items just increase the white space, I think.

My usual screen has 9 items. One across the top, a bit larger: this is also 7.5mm / 0.3 inches, then two columns of 4: these are 5.3mm, 0.2 inches tall.

An experimental 6 item screen makes four full-width 7.5mm rows, and a bottom pair of the 5.3mm, two columns, one row.
And 7 items is 3 full width 7.5mm, and 5.3mm two columns, two rows.

The titles for each data item can be hard to see, it's a small, thin font. But with 5 items or so, you'll know what they are. I have 2 extra screens, each with 10 items of less-used data, like total elevation, timings, averages, etc. Then I do need the titles to remind me what each one is. The 1030 has a ton of choices! But it's an easy setup, using the touch screen to select them.

You can swipe sideways with your thumb to switch screens, so you can have more large sized data on another screen. (It took me some practice to get it to flip over consistently.)

Need reading glasses?
I've been using stick-on readers on my cycling glasses for years. (I have a prescription insert, just for my distance vision, with a +2 stick-on for reading the Garmin. I have bifocal glasses off the bike.)

Hydrotac is one brand. I cut one lens in half with a razor knife, then trimmed a little. It sticks on with a drop of water, and won't come off, even rinsing under the faucet. I could peel it off with a fingernail.
So just the handbar area is in close focus, perfect!


Riding glasses, with prescription insert, with reader stick-on:

I have a general reading prescription of about 1.75 or so.

My 1030 is set up with the main data screen having 7 metric showing
Speed
Distance
Ride Time
Gear - Avg. Spd.
Temp - Time of day

The 3 primary upper metrics are a larger text than the 4 remaining. I can read all of it.

I have 7 data fields on the page I use most often, on my wrist watch.

It's really not a problem. I generally only want to know one thing at a time. And I've had it set up this way for a while, so I know where to look for whatever that one thing is.

Having more fields means not having to switch pages very often, which means more of my attention is on the road or trail.

I have 5, I was incorrect....

Screen 1:
Speed
distance
HR
Cadence
power

Screen 2:
time lapsed
time of day
weather
elevation

Profiles
I have two bikes with separate profiles, and a trainer profile--this has the GPS turned off. I made a hiking profile, but the 1030 just won't work when walking, it reports about half the distance I walked.

Changing screen data fields:
This can even be done while riding (but don't get too distracted, stopping would be a good idea!) Press and hold the data field. Now you can press a different data field on the screen and swap the two positions. Or press the triangle in the top right of the field box and go through the menus of all data items. Select a different one to plug in there. Easy.



Road bike screens:
I mostly use the map screen, switching to screen 1 or screen 4 as needed.

Screen 1:
--- MPH ---
timer | distance
3s power | heart rate
30s power | cadence
grade | time of day

Screen 2:
The route map with speed and 3s power at the bottom.

Screen 3. I check this occasionally while riding: Dist to destination works great when I have a route loaded.
dist to next | NP
dist to dest | kjoules
HR | avg speed
total ascent | max speed
battery% | temperature

Screen 4: elevation chart. ( I turned off the built-in climbing popup notifcation screen, I don't like it. this one is better)
If a route is loaded, this shows the previous 0.5 mile elevation chart, and the upcoming 1.5 miles. It's really nice to see that the next climb is short and steep, and then there's a long downhill. I know when I can go all out or have to save some for later. Really helpful on fast group rides.
It shows the current grade and 10 sec power at the bottom.

Screen 5: also for climbing. I'll only use this on long climbs where pacing will help. I like to press the Lap button before a huge climb to see how far and how long I've climbed on it.
grade% | power
VAM | lap distance
30s VAM | 10 sec power
HR | 30 sec power
Cadence | lap timer
The VAM climbing rate has huge swings, it's not very useful. And 30 sec VAM doesn't help too much either.

does the garmin remote work with the 1030? I assume it does but that is how I change screens with the 520. I really like my little handlebar remote.

the 1030 arrives today and I can't wait!!

I had never heard of the remote before now. Garmin's page says it's compatible with the 1030

Nice! The remote is awesome, or I think it is. Has three buttons, and there is a button just for scrolling though the data screens. One button for the "lap" feature the and the third is customizable. Got it on fleabay for like $20 and I am glad I did it. Its something you don't think you would use until you have one. I really love mine.

I see where its compatible with most of their head units.
thanks!

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/146078

My handlebar already resembles Captain Dashboard. I can't imagine why I'd want to add something else to it.

Slightly more seriously, I do try (a) to minimize staring at electronics while riding and (b) to maximize changing hand position to keep from locking my elbows and hurting elbows, wrists, and shoulders. I figure swiping what's already there helps with both of those goals.

Curious where you mount it ?.

I understand that you find it useful, not sure I would. When I ride my Di2 equipped bike I can use the buttons on top of the 8050 levers to do essentially the same thing - scroll back and forth on the screens, or however I program it. I rarely do this, mostly as I find the buttons take an effort to push with my thumb and at that point it’s as easy to just swipe the screen. YMMV in essence.

the remote might be useful, but I also fail to see where I would mount it. If I had it, maybe I could turn off the touch screen. Which is very annoying

I mount mine on the tops just at the edge of the bar tape area so I can put my thumb over quickly to hit the button. I have big hands too so that is another reason I really like it. I tried rigging it on the hoods so when riding I could switch it there but it wasn't very good.

If you check the roadcc link below that is how I have mine mounted.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=...AAAAAdAAAAABAF

Now I want an ant+ headlight so I can use the remote with it

that is my next purchase I am saving for the headlight/taillight deal. A buddy has just the taillight warning system and works awesome. I want it.

Could you describe what screen 1 means?

3s power | heart rate - What is this measuring?

30s power | cadence - Same thing, what is actually measuring

Thanks for your help, just trying to understand.

”3S” is power over 3 seconds, “30s” is over 30 seconds.

Heart Rate is from the HR sensor, cadence is pedal strokes per minute from the cadence sensor.

So these numbers for power over time are not connected to the numbers on the right? (cadence, HR)

Power is a different function and I assume RM has a power meter/pedal/hub. HR is your heart rate generated from a heart rate monitor you wear. Cadence is as described. Possibly the 1030 can generate other information based on these assorted performance sensors, don’t know, don’t use them.

Garmin 1000 here with screen use of:

Speed
Cadence
HR
Grade
Time

If I had a power meter I would add a sixth field.

As for the time, which to some would seem a waste, I use it for turn around guidance on out and back and in gaging in the short time of the year good sunlight left in regards to heading back, etc.

I have 3 screens ‘active’ on my Garmin 1000 and swipe between them as needed during a ride. I only have four per page so I have nice big numbers.
I might replace cadence with HR depending, but mostly I review my HR data post ride and rely on the power meter data in ride.

screen 1
speed
duration (time)
power
cadence

screen 2 (for climbing or strava segments on hills if you have Strava Live enabled)
speed
power
ft climbed (lap)
hill incline %

screen 3 (misc. stuff)
total distance
distance to next turn
Temperature
time of day