Computer Choice
 

I'm becoming a bit unhappy with Cateye computers. I just started looking into the Garmin line, specifically the Edge 500. What I think I know is that the benefits of this high dollar accessory is not clear to me.
The main benefit I see for me is having all of the data which I use in training being available on one screen, as opposed to having a completely separate unit for heart rate. I think I like the recharging, simply because it's a simple plug in charge approximately every 3 days or so. I guess this also might be a downside, as I don't have to worry about recharging my Cateyes. I don't believe I'll have a use for the maps feature. I've never needed a feature like this in the future and don't anticipate in the future. If the need comes up, I can always add the function later.
The barrier I'm coming up again is the price. It looks like the average price for the unit plus cadence and heartrate is going to be around $350. I am interested in how many are using the unit, and if so, what benefits are you deriving, which I might be missing. Is this just simply a toy for technology geeks or for cyclists with money to burn. I guess I fit both definitions!

The biggest advantage to Garmin units for me is the ability to upload the route and ride data after the ride, not the information displayed during the ride.

I can see the time coming, when "network externalities" have occurred and everybody has a GPS on the bike, where you show up for the organized century ride, and instead of getting a map and cue sheet, you dowload the route from a wi-fi or bluetooth appliance when you register, and away you go. Maybe you can even do that now (you can download onto your GPS from your computer the night before), but so far I've been a later adopter of this technology. I'm waiting for the device that occupies minimal space on the handlebar/stem, is totally waterproof, and can go the distance in PBP (or at least go for at least 16 hours between battery changes).

In the meantime, I've been very happy with the cheaper ($25-35 range) Sigma computers. I place a very high premium on reliability, and Sigmas have been very reliable over the past fifteen years; I've only had two or three of them fail or reset unexpectedly. I used a Cateye for about a week and stopped using it when I found it was way too easy to reset. Just touch the wrong button and all the data is gone! Very poor human factors engineering. With a Sigma, you pretty much have to want to reset, and it's a process of first resetting the current setting, then holding on to reset everything. I also like being able to see the text in German. Things seem somehow more precise and efficient! "Hier ist der exactisches Fahrzeit, dummkopf!" The -06 series (2006 and later) series speedo is accurate to .5 km; the current -09 series is accurate to .1 kmh!

L.

+1. I hardly look at the Garmin (Edge 305) during a ride. I used to even have a 2nd computer with numbers big enough for my tired eyes. Now i just use a larger display setting on the Garmin.

As an engineer, I love all the data.

Charging the unit isn't generally a problem, but getting on the bike to discover dead batteries because you've forgotten to charge or that the wire wasn't connected can be quite annoying. I have been meaning to get one of those external USB battery pods for the many cases where I forget to charge.

If you don't want to navigate with reference to landmarks the 500 should do fine. The 500 will take you from one GPS point to another. If you want to also be able to reference landmarks and surface features then you need something like the 705 or 800.

I have a 705 that I use on bike, car and gym. It gives me all the operating data I need and also does a very good job navigating with the maps that came with it. A very useful and comprehensive device.

My only problem has been with their customer service. But I bought from REI whose whole being is oriented around service so it has worked out

I've been using the Garmin Edge 500 for a few months now and love it. Uploading the data and having access to it is great. In addition, I have a mount on all four of my bikes and can move it to what ever bike I want to ride without having to change anything, like tire size. It is expensive, but for my uses, well worth the price. I do not use the heart rate monitor feature or cadence.

I replaced Cateye computers on my bike with the Edge.

curdog, have you looked at the Garmin 800? If you're an iPhone-ish kinda guy, you might like that one, especially as a self-admitted tech geek w/ money to burn.

Just a suggestion from someone still using an Avocet 20. :D

From what I could see, the 500 would more than meet my needs. Thanks for the recommendation though.

Garmin edge 305 and my problem was the amount of data you can have displayed at one time. All those screens with minute no's for my tired eyes. So I set it on the 2nd bike to show current speed and HR. Thats all I really want to see on a ride. The rest is still being recorded though.

Get home and I can download the data from the Garmin and then see how badly I have done up the Minimal slopes that wore me out.

Took me many years to buy one one but it is either one Garmin for all my bikes or a separate computer with wheel size etc set up for each bike.

+1

I should add that once I had my 705 it wasn't long before I found new uses that I hadn't thought of before purchase. Also, the Map Naivigation function has been far more useful than I would have thought.

I've got mounts on each of my bikes. When I take it to the gym I just use the heart rate monitor function so I turn off the gps and zip tie it to the spin bike with cheap, cheap zip ties. On the bikes I use industrial zip ties that are strong. Even so they aren't very expensive.

But, it really isn't convenient for running, skiing, or such. I can put it inside the top flap of my pack and it will record position and profile data for me to download later. But, I've not discovered any good way to put it on my body somewhere so it can be used real time. For that I think one of the 305 models would be best.

I have considered the Garmins but at the end of the day am happy with my Polar computers.

http://www.polar.fi/us-en/products/i.../cycling/CS200

I have a Garmin Edge 500 and really like it. One of my favorite uses is the ability to get lost and remember where I went. When I get adventurous and take the unfamiliar road and then another, it's easy to get a little lost on the back roads not too far from my home. When I take one of these uncharted trips and discover something I love and want to revisit, I can look at the download and plan another route that would take me back again. I can also note on the download what I liked about the trip. When I can't figure out where I want to ride on a day, I can look at my history and come up with ideas.

I've had the 705 for a couple years and love it. It is handy to have one computer that fits on all the bikes.

I do a lot of out-of-area touring and love the maps and ability to find restaurants, bike shops, etc in unfamiliar surroundings.