Is the Garmin Edge 500 worth the money?
I like the heart rate aspect, and the altimeter. But I'm not sure if the extra features are worth it, also, if anyone thinks I should get the Edge 800, let me know.

Advise... Go

it was worth the money to me because i like and use its features and found the price reasonable.

the answer will be highly personal for you depending on whether you like those features and find the price reasonable.

i dont know what you were expecting here.

its a well made, versatile, fairly pricy toy.

ANT+ support is nice if you have or plan to acquire a PM

Yes

Depends how much the money is worth to you. I like my Edge 800 (when it works) but don't use all the features. The mapping is rarely useful, but, when I ride out in some places I don't usually go, it can be handy. I never use the "virtual training partner" thing ... but the rest of the unit is still useful. If you won't need mapping in the unit, the 500 is cheaper and smaller. You can still create maps from your rides after the fact. For a lot of people, the data these things give you is useful, "but not during the ride."

I really like knowing how much climbing I've done at the end of a ride.

I was mostly going for people's personal opinions on it, or a comparable product. I do like the features, I mostly just wanted other people's opinions.

the course function could work better but most of the time you already know where you're going so you don't care.

Other than that, the Edge 500 was totally worth it.

It's been invaluable for me as a motivational tool and also to be able to record my rides "for me," since all I have to do is plug it in and download. Unfortunately, it's also become a gateway drug for me as well since I now have a Powertap wheel being built up for me.

I HAD the 500, but switched to the 800.

I liked the 500, but two things soured it for me:

1. The display is smaller AND of a much lower quality than either the 705 or 800. No night mode (white numerals on black). A dingy bluish background. Clearly, the display is where Garmin skimped, compared to the other current and past series. To read the display required me to concentrate on it - focus in. The displays on the 705 and 800 can be read at a glance, even with six data displays on the screen.

2. The grade % / altimeter has a lot of lag (compared to the 705 or 800) and is sometimes wildly inaccurate. At times it would indicate a downward grade when I was on a steep climb and vice versa. Essentially worthless. On the 705 and 800, the grade % readout is quick and accurate. Very trustworthy.

I have loved my 500 - had it two years and it's easily the best bike computer I've owned, that coming after 2 years with the 305. I don't need the map functions so size and functions are perfect for me.

@ FlashBazbo: I know everyone sees differently but I'm not sure where you get the display comments. I find the 500 screen easy to read and a big improvement over the 305 and easily as good as or better than the data display on the 705. Granted it is a smaller display, but you have 3 customizable screens, so if you don't try to put too many fields on one screen, it's fairly large type. Have you tried using it with backlight always on? I find it makes the display that much easier to read.

yeah i agree with between rides

ive never had issue with night reading or with general readability

My Garmin 500 is my favorite toy.

I got one a month ago and highly recommend it.

I like mine. I especially like the Garmin connect feature that logs my rides, shows me elevation profiles mileage etc. On one ride a felt like crap and couldn't figure out why. I got home and downloaded my data, went from about 75 degrees at my house to 92 degress about half way through my ride, which (coincidentally) is where I started feeling like crap. It was good to have that kind of feedback.

An awesome tool. Multiple bikes, hr, cad, pwr, recording of training makes it the most powerful small computer ever.

If you need gps based training data, garmin has a near monopoly position in the market, so you really don't have much of a choice other than picking either the 500 or the 800.

But in this day and age of $199 Kindle Fire and high res color display in $200 smartphones phones (unsubsidized), it really is a shame that garmin can't do better than these two devices with better display and better CPU and software. So from that perspective, none of the garmin devices are worth the money.

Love my 500. Have had it a year and wouldn't trade it for the world. I have the HR and cadence and they are important to me.

I have my iPhone if I ever need GPS directions. I'd get the 500 again in a heartbeat.

If you're shopping, the Edge 200 is supposed to be available shortly at $150 or so. See if it will work for you. Biggest difference is no Ant+ support

The main reason to do the 705 or 800 is the ability to do navigation -- if you want the Garmin to tell you how to get somewhere. I have a 705 and never use that. A 500 would have been fine for me, but I found a 705 for almost the same price as the 500.

I found some information from another thread that the x00 series has better GPS chip than the x05 series where it locks onto the satellite quicker and more accurate. I have both the 705 (bought way back) and the 500 (last year), I would say the 500 is a superior cycling computer, just without the navigation features which I have never used in all the years I owned the 705.

best product i have ever had. ever.

a lot of it is because it is so easy to use, as far as uploading/viewing data, changing settings, etc..

you just plug in the dang thing and it does all the work. pretty amazing for such a high tech device.

when i plug in something like my countour helmet camera it takes 2 hours of screwing around to get the video from it, so i don't even use the thing anymore. the edge is so smooth and easy that it's like second nature, not another gadget you need to fudge around with and make your simple bike ride more complicated than it needs to be. that's why i love it. other companies need to take note.

love mine. Came from iphone / android / cateye combo.

Thanks for this comment... I have an android now and I was considering a cheap cateye for a dashboard. My wife has one and it works well for her.

I ran my phone exactly once as a dashboard (using Runkeeper) and it nukes your battery to have it always on. If it's not always on, then you might as well stuff it in a jersey pocket. Plus the bar mounts are not awesome and you can knock it off with your knee, a huge bump, etc.

I don't need directions because I never wonder, and if I did I would just look on my phone. This thread helped me decide to save up for a Garmin 500.

I really like mine. Much better than the previous Planet Bike Protoge computer

It's a great piece of kit, even better with the heart rate and cadence combo! Used to use a Cateye and my phone prior to upgrading to the 500

That's the first I've heard of that. My 705 locks quickly and seems to be dead-on all the time when I look at the maps after I ride. MUCH more accurate than any of the phone apps I've used. If its off, its not by much.