Just starting to think about getting a Garmin Edge of some sort but not sure what to get. I'm not riding with power and don't anticipate doing so and I won't be syncing it with any other gadget other than a computer so I'm thinking that I should exclude the 810 as the best choice. I'm thinking the 800 might be the one for me but still not sure. I see that for an additional charge, "maps" is included. What exactly does maps mean? Don't want to pay for something I don't need. Thanks for any input.

500

Have you ever used a GPS in a car or on a smart phone? That's maps, and what you would want an 800/810 for.

The 200/500/510 function more along the lines of a traditional bike computer, but they can function without magnets and sensors if you don't need heart rate, cadence and speed indoors. And in addition, they record your ride for viewing on a computer.

510

Yup. And the mapping ones have the ability to download a route off the web (a site like ride with GPS) and give you a line on the moving map to follow, and turn-by-turn. So you can discover routes in areas you don't know, without getting lost. Finally, they allow you to navigate back to a specific point (like "back to start") so you can ride routes you know, then leave them to explore without fear of getting lost.

They are very cool. Because of my Garmin (a 605), I've found and downloaded dozens of new favorites.

Well, what confuses me is why do I need to pay more for the "maps" feature? It's a GPS after all, so why wouldn't the cheaper 800 model direct me where I need or want to go? I don't even know if what I am asking makes sense or how to ask the question. Then it looks like you can add a SD card; does that mean one would need this only if going to a foreign country?

Ah, yes you do need to buy maps for different regions, not unlike many auto GPSs. I'd suggest reading this review: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/01/g...th-review.html to decide of you need/want the 800/810. He's pretty thorough and also has similar review of almost every other type of athletic electronics.

I would recommend the Garmin Edge 500 because you get just about everything you need. It doesn't have the maps feature, but other than that it performs great in everything else that it has to offer. It has more battery life than the 800/810, and a hell of a lot cheaper. I have had mine for a year and a half and love it and I my wife has the new 810 and for the money its not my cup of tea. It also comes as a bundle or just the computer.

I would recommend going on ebay and buying an Edge 500 from someone on there, a few of the guys I race with have to have the latest and greatest anything so they're constantly selling and buying new stuff for their bikes that have less than 500 miles on them. Having said this I'm sure they're are plenty of people like them, either way I always find great deals on ebay.

if you don't need the latest, ebay can yield a great deal on a 605 or 705 (with the maps) or even an 800 (now that the 810 is out). I've been trying to justify upgrading the 605 to an 810. Can't figure out how to, yet.

The 705 and 800/810 display zoomable maps with street names. The 705 (and I assume the 810?) comes with a pretty useless "base map" that only shows a few major highways.

You can purchase maps from Garmin, or you can download free Open Street Map files and copy them to the Garmin. Here's my instructions for doing that with a 705.

The maps are the main reason I got my 705. It's easy to draw a route in ridewithgps.com, then copy it to the Garmin. I don't have much luck using "routes" so I always download a "course" .tcx file. The purple line of the route shows on the map as I ride.

You can upload routes to any GPS computer for turn-by-turn directions. They can also generally direct you back to where you came from using breadcrumbs. The difference is whether they can render maps. The Edge 510 and 810 are the same and differ only in mapping. Whether or not you need maps is a rather personal decision and depends on things like familiarity with the area you ride.

If I were getting one I'd get the 810. There are a lot of little country roads where I live that I'm not familiar with, so turn by turn and an actual map would be nice. It would also be nice to have while on vacation in unfamiliar areas.

200 will do the basics.

I'd recommend an old-stock 500, or the new 510. I have mates with the 200 and they say they are barely adequate, whilst the 800/810 is a bit more than simply 'basic' and may be more than you need.

cheers

I'm a little confused.

Maps should be obvious. You get maps. Like with roads on them. If you ride in places that you aren't familiar with, those can be helpful. In addition, you get navigation capabilities, where the unit will tell you how to get somewhere and avoid highways.

The maps are data, it's like buying a book or computer software. You can have the unit that knows where you are, or you can have the maps that know what's nearby. Two different things. You can buy just the hardware, and put free OSM maps on it.

I'm not sure if a power meter should be the deciding factor.

Thanks for the link, I really enjoyed reading the reviews!

I know what a map is, I was just confused that the base unit wouldn't have the GPS capabilities one would want. The DCrainmaker website as referenced in post #7 explains this issue quite well. Don't know why the base unit wouldn't give detailed map info for a given country but that's the way it seems to be. I do believe that whether one is looking to use a power meter would be the deciding factor in deciding between the 800 or the 810 models; I'm not so the 800 would seem to be the better choice for me.

The 800 would do fine. All you need as far as maps are either the appropriate card from Garmin containing the maps for your region or getting a micro SD card, downloading open source maps onto it and using that. You need the card no matter where you go because the base maps on a Garmin don't contain street-level information, as bike GPS devices are a bit different than car ones in that regard.

I've been using a 605 for 3 years now, and, while I love it, I'm actually thinking about downgrading to a 500. The 605 is about twice as big and twice as heavy as the 500. The 500 has all of the features that I actually use.

I didn't realize when I bought my 605 that I would have to pay another $85 for a map to make it work...I think that's what Garmin banks on to a large extent. Not only do you have to buy the map, you have to buy one every year if you want the latest data. And while I paid the $85 to buy the map, I've never once used a map on the road. I mean, how much time can you spend following a triangle while riding in traffic?

500, under $200 at PBK.

Not advocating one one way or another on buying the map card, but you don't need to follow the map screen to know where you're going. You can keep it on the main data screen showing all your info (direction, speed, mileage or whatever you have in your preferences) and it will "beep" and give you a text prompt just before you need to turn.

You must know something that I ignore.
I see it listed for $244.

Garmin is in the business of selling maps as well as in the business of selling GPS units, that's why maps are extra. Like others said, openstreetmap maps are free, work reasonably well (with the exception of occasionally showing roads where, in real life, you find an unpaved cowpath, and not knowing about all locked gates), and it only takes some jumping through hoops to get them working with Edge.

You seem to be confused with regard to the power meter. You can use a power meter with any Edge except possibly the 200. It most certainly works with the 800, which was the high end unit of choice for power meter equipped cyclists for years before 810 came out. If you really don't expect to have a power meter a year or two from now, you can also consider battery powered hiking Garmin units (eTrex 20/30).

PBK 500. $189 https://www.probikekit.com/bicycle-co.../10779728.html

Plus you get a free inner tube! (?)

That's without HRM strap and wheel/cadence sensor.

IMO: Go with the 800.. if you carry an iPhone, they have the "Find My Friends" apps which will still let your loveones track your location. Unless you want to be disreet of where you are going.. Anyway, reason why to choose 800 over 500s.. If you are going with group rides that drops slow riders. And if you are in places that you are not familiar with, that GPS mapping feature helps a lot. If you have an iphone with a mount, then you can go for the 500. You can't ride to get turn-by-turn directions while the phone is in your back jersey pocket.