Bike computers w/ buttons
 

I have had the Garmin Edge 500 for more than 10yrs.(released in 2009). Because, It has buttons, not touch screen. Today, The power button got mashed in somehow. I would like to keep using it, but. Any ideas how I can fix this?

I suspect the button isn't tracking as cleanly as it used to. Push the button in, wiggle left, let go and see if it comes up. If not, try wiggling right, then up, then down. One of those is probably the magic combination.

The button is somehow, now, recessed. Meaning, how to pull it back out.

There is a piece of hard rubber like material that you are pressing on that actuates the switch. It's not part of the switch. Has it simply worn down to where it is difficult to press. Or gotten soft from age and chemicals such as hand lotion and sunscreen?

If the switch below the button is still working, then you might be able to rig something. I've seen threads on Garmin Forums, BITD when they had the Edge 500 sub-forum, that showed users fashioning a make shift button to fit. How long it worked for them I don't know. Essentially you just will have to make something that will sit proud of the case so you have something to push on again.

If you do decide to get a new Garmin Edge, don't go for the models with buttons only. I made that mistake when I replaced my Edge 500 with a Edge 530. I found out that there are so many new features on the 530 that I'd like to have use of during a ride. However getting to them with button pushes was too intensive and required too much attention to get to them while riding. So I tended to ignore a lot of nifty little features.

Now that I have a Edge 1050 with touchscreen those features are a cinch to get to while on the bike and pedaling.

If you end up needed a replacement, I highly recommend the Coros Dura. Uses a very useful jog wheel and buttons, OR can use a touch screen. $250, runs 120 hours on a battery charge and longer when you are getting good solar charge,

Garmin released the 540 in 2023, and. The 550 in 2025. Why do I mention those models, specifically. Any model above that, is. Either button-touch screen, or touch screen-only. I can't use touch-screen, due to problems eye-hand coordination and fine-motor skills. Because of lifelong physical health issues.

Additionally, I am not bothered by the expansive number of features. It would just be, where. I would have to pull off somewhere. To be able to go through all the features.

Looks like you could pick up a working Garmin Edge 500 on eBay in the $30 to $50 range. Might make more sense than trying to fix what you have.

I was beginning to think,that.

If you just need a tiny little bump on top of a piece of flexible rubber on the GPS case to make the GPS you have function better, if you have any thin weather stripping that has adhesive on one side, you stick a tiny little bit of that on top of the spot on the one you have to give you a little bump to press on.

I put two little bumps of weather stripping on the back of my helmet to keep my cold weather goggles strap from slipping off of my helmet.

I have a twist grip shifter on one of my bikes. The round knob can be hard to grip at times, I have used Shoe Goo to make three little beads on the round shifter to give it some extra bumps for me to get better grip to turn it.

Point being is if you need a bump to press on, there are ways to make a little bump.

Update: My 85yr.-old father is buying me the Garmin Edge 550 for my birthday(5-16)!!!:speedy::D

Congrats.

maybe get 2 while you're at it? I recently crashed one of my gopro8s which I like a lot. I fly them from kites sometimes. renewed units are getting harder to find. the crashed one still works fine but I bought another & I'm just storing it ...

I like the idea of hanging an action camera on a kite!

Some people like the buttons (Garmin still offers the button models for a reason). The touch screen is more of a benefit for navigation (in my opinion).

$50 isn’t than much but the battery life for something that old might not be too good.

The 500 is a great unit (it’s just old).

The newer models (>= 530) are much better for navigation, if you have any interest in that. (Avoid the 520 line if you are interested in navigation). The newer units won’t be too much different from the 500 if you are only interested in the 500 features.

If you want to get a 500 equivalent, maybe look at the 130.

If you aren’t invested in the Garmin ecosystem, you might consider looking at other companies.