I don't get it. I picked up a forerunner 305 wrist gps reciever about 1.5 years ago, for about $130 if I remember [off Amazon]. This thing has given me great service. But it's designed more for runners than cyclists, so I've been watching to find a upgrade along the way.

But it seems to me that Garmin has gone backward in the forerunner line, and new models have so many problems for new users [like sweat causing erradict operation etc]. And they appear to be much harder to read.

In the meantime, the units designed for cycling are all too damn expensive. I like the wristwatch design anyway, since I can use that on all five of my bikes without having to transfer over any bar attachments etc.

Sure, I'd love to have the mapping function of some the newer cycling models, but I can't justify the prices.

In the meantime, I'm really puzzled how the forerunner 305 seems SUPERIOR to anything Garmin is putting out now, especially considering price level. But even if forking out the extra bucks, I don't see the improvement.

What justifies the pricing on these units anyway [sans the mapping]. Better accuracy perhaps? The 'grades' and 'elevations' on the 305 I ignore; not even close most of the time. But everything else, spot on. I mean, for $130 I got this.

I have a 405cx that I originally purchased for running. Aside from the battery draining overnight, which a firmware upgrade fixed, I've never had the issues with the 405cx that other people have had. I use it for biking, but the battery life isn't very good; I think mine only lasts 5.5/6 hours anymore.

What about the 310xt if you need a replacement and want something to wear on your wrist? It has up to 20 hours advertised battery life (comparable to the the Edge 500) and does everything the Edge does except it doesn't display temperature. If you use a heart rate strap with your 305 it should work with the 310xt, which means you'd only need the $200 model versus the $250 model that comes with the strap. Until August 31st Garmin is running a promo where you can trade in your old Garmin for a $50 rebate on a new Forerunner through their Girls Can Run program.

The fact that enough people are willing to pay it.