I have to be honest, when it comes to my hobbies and interests, I'm a bit of a tech geek. I love getting my hands on the best technical equipment. For skiing, I've got a great altimeter watch. For playing music, I've got a great stereo and headphones. For cycling, I like to get my hands on the best cycling computer. I’ve had a whole bunch. Started out with a cheap Echowell, moved up to a Polar CS200cad and then had a Blackburn Delphi 6.0. The Polar was particularly good with easy functionality and good heart rate options. But they lacked the depth a GPS cycle computer offered.
When I look for a cycling computer there are 5 specific things I look for.
Each of these will get a rating out of 10 to give it an overall score out of 50.
Let me say right off the bat, I was not a fan of the Edge 705. I thought it was too large and bulky, it wasn't particularly user-friendly and having a map on the screen was unnecessary. It hit me as something only a touring cyclist would by to find their way around a foreign country.
Garmin took their sweet time to realise this and do something about it but I’m glad they did. The Edge 500’s compact size and weight helped capture the more serious racers whilst still offering full GPS functionality and appealed to the more recreational cyclist through its vast array of information available.
1. Set-up
Set up is relatively simple. I bought mine with the speed and cadence sensor, which, like all speed and cadence sensors, was a bit of faff to install but relatively straight forward. Once I got it all lined up and the magnets attached in the right areas, it all worked perfectly. The mount for the head unit is a little worrying though. It’s fastened down by two rubber bands, which is great if you are one who moves the computer around a bit (using or not using clip-on aero bars, etc.) but it feels a bit flimsy. Every time I go to press a button, I always find myself holding the head unit in place out of fear of it falling off.
Pairing up all the sensors such as the heart rate strap and the speed and cadence sensor is also pretty easy, provided you follow the instruction. I don’t have any myself but apparently pairing up any third-party ANT+ sensors is also pretty straight forward.
Score: 8.5/10
2. Screen/data options
This is perhaps the best thing about the 500. It has three screens of data with up to 8 possible data fields per screen. Choosing the fields for each data screen is done fairly easily and the option of changing the number of fields you display per screen is particularly good. I have six on the first page with all my most used right data (speed, distance, ride time, heart rate, time of day, average speed) and eight of the second and third pages. Scrolling through the screens is as simple as pressing a button but you can also set it to auto-scroll which would be great for racing.
Different people set up their screens differently. In reality, you don’t need 24 data fields when you’re rising. I find I’ll use all the data on my first screen and occassionally check fields on screens 2 or 3 when asked about something or when interested. Mostly you can look all this stuff up on your computer when you get home. Some people use one of the three screens depending upon what kind of riding they’re doing. For example, one might be for racing, one for riding on the flat and one for riding in the hills.
Score: 10/10
3. Useability
Using the 500 whilst out on a ride is also fairly straight forward. Four buttons are used for various reasons. Clockwise from top left, you have the Power/Light button, the Start/Stop button, the Lap/Reset button and the Page/Menu button. The Power/Light button obviously turns the unit on and off by pressing and holding. Whilst the unit is on, a quick touch will operate the backlight, which I must confess is fantastic, very bright and gives a clear sharp view of the screen in the dark. You can adjust how long the backlight stays on for in the menu. The Start/Stop button operates the timer of the unit. When setting off on a ride, hitting this button means when you start moving, the computer will start recording data. By stopping the timer you can take out parts of your ride that you don’t want recorded. Also, for racing, I have the ‘Start and Lap’ option of the AutoLap feature turned on. When you press the Start/Stop button, it takes a GPS position. Each time you pass by the point again, it records a lap. This is a fantastic feature, particularly when analysing races or training afterwards to look at your weak points and fast laps. The Lap/Reset button is used to mark laps and reset your computer to record a new workout. When the ‘Mark and Lap’ option of the AutoLap feature is turned on, you use the Lap/Reset button to mark where the lap starts. Once you’ve finished and stopped the timer, you can store your workout data and reset your computer by holding down the Lap/Reset button. The Page/Menu button allows you to scroll through your data screens (short press) or scroll through the settings menu (long push).
In my opinion, the button layout for the 500 is great. All are clearly labelled and have clearly defined roles, so you can’t accidentally reset your workout halfway through (like I have done numerous times on my old Polar). The buttons are a little hard to press though, particularly on the move, and any action taken by the unit does have a small time lag. If I had one criticism of the units useability, its that the settings and history menu is a little difficult to navigate. I’ve had my 500 for close to a year and even I have problems finding things sometimes.
Score: 9/10
4. Battery Life
I’ve heard some horror stories of batteries running out after only 200km but so far I haven’t had any troubles. However, it does zap through battery fairly quickly, particularly if you are using the backlight a lot. I can get perhaps 500-600 km out of mine before its out of juice. However, when comparing that to other cycle computers, its dismal. The batteries in my Polar lasted well over a year, for instance.
Score: 4/10
5. Computer Connectivity and Software Suites
I must admit, before the 500, I hadn’t had a computer with computer connectivity. Also, I’ve seen some of the third-party suites that are used for powermeters like Powertap, which are very impressive. Garmin comes with the generic Garmin Connect website, which is a pretty good source of information on your rides. However, they still don’t have a plugin for Google Chrome, which is used by a lot of people (myself included) which can get extremely annoying. Also, it’s range of analysis is pretty limited. For that, you can use the free software Garmin Training Centre which gives you an added level of analysis and the ability to create your own custom workouts. However, it is almost unfathomable to the inexperienced. I consider myself pretty computer literate but even I struggled to work it out.
Like Powertap or SRM, you can load your data using third-party software. I’ve heard Strava is pretty good but I’ve never actually tried any. Anyone heard of any others? However, often you have to pay for this software or sign up with a credit card to use it.
Score: 7/10
Overall, the Edge 500 is a great tool both for training and racing. But for the battery life and an improved software suite, this would be the perfect cycling computer for nearly anyone.
Overall Score: 38.5/50
When I look for a cycling computer there are 5 specific things I look for.
- Easy set-up
- Screen/data options
- Useability
- Battery life
- Computer connectivity and software suites
Each of these will get a rating out of 10 to give it an overall score out of 50.
Let me say right off the bat, I was not a fan of the Edge 705. I thought it was too large and bulky, it wasn't particularly user-friendly and having a map on the screen was unnecessary. It hit me as something only a touring cyclist would by to find their way around a foreign country.
Garmin took their sweet time to realise this and do something about it but I’m glad they did. The Edge 500’s compact size and weight helped capture the more serious racers whilst still offering full GPS functionality and appealed to the more recreational cyclist through its vast array of information available.
1. Set-up
Set up is relatively simple. I bought mine with the speed and cadence sensor, which, like all speed and cadence sensors, was a bit of faff to install but relatively straight forward. Once I got it all lined up and the magnets attached in the right areas, it all worked perfectly. The mount for the head unit is a little worrying though. It’s fastened down by two rubber bands, which is great if you are one who moves the computer around a bit (using or not using clip-on aero bars, etc.) but it feels a bit flimsy. Every time I go to press a button, I always find myself holding the head unit in place out of fear of it falling off.
Pairing up all the sensors such as the heart rate strap and the speed and cadence sensor is also pretty easy, provided you follow the instruction. I don’t have any myself but apparently pairing up any third-party ANT+ sensors is also pretty straight forward.
Score: 8.5/10
2. Screen/data options
This is perhaps the best thing about the 500. It has three screens of data with up to 8 possible data fields per screen. Choosing the fields for each data screen is done fairly easily and the option of changing the number of fields you display per screen is particularly good. I have six on the first page with all my most used right data (speed, distance, ride time, heart rate, time of day, average speed) and eight of the second and third pages. Scrolling through the screens is as simple as pressing a button but you can also set it to auto-scroll which would be great for racing.
Different people set up their screens differently. In reality, you don’t need 24 data fields when you’re rising. I find I’ll use all the data on my first screen and occassionally check fields on screens 2 or 3 when asked about something or when interested. Mostly you can look all this stuff up on your computer when you get home. Some people use one of the three screens depending upon what kind of riding they’re doing. For example, one might be for racing, one for riding on the flat and one for riding in the hills.
Score: 10/10
3. Useability
Using the 500 whilst out on a ride is also fairly straight forward. Four buttons are used for various reasons. Clockwise from top left, you have the Power/Light button, the Start/Stop button, the Lap/Reset button and the Page/Menu button. The Power/Light button obviously turns the unit on and off by pressing and holding. Whilst the unit is on, a quick touch will operate the backlight, which I must confess is fantastic, very bright and gives a clear sharp view of the screen in the dark. You can adjust how long the backlight stays on for in the menu. The Start/Stop button operates the timer of the unit. When setting off on a ride, hitting this button means when you start moving, the computer will start recording data. By stopping the timer you can take out parts of your ride that you don’t want recorded. Also, for racing, I have the ‘Start and Lap’ option of the AutoLap feature turned on. When you press the Start/Stop button, it takes a GPS position. Each time you pass by the point again, it records a lap. This is a fantastic feature, particularly when analysing races or training afterwards to look at your weak points and fast laps. The Lap/Reset button is used to mark laps and reset your computer to record a new workout. When the ‘Mark and Lap’ option of the AutoLap feature is turned on, you use the Lap/Reset button to mark where the lap starts. Once you’ve finished and stopped the timer, you can store your workout data and reset your computer by holding down the Lap/Reset button. The Page/Menu button allows you to scroll through your data screens (short press) or scroll through the settings menu (long push).
In my opinion, the button layout for the 500 is great. All are clearly labelled and have clearly defined roles, so you can’t accidentally reset your workout halfway through (like I have done numerous times on my old Polar). The buttons are a little hard to press though, particularly on the move, and any action taken by the unit does have a small time lag. If I had one criticism of the units useability, its that the settings and history menu is a little difficult to navigate. I’ve had my 500 for close to a year and even I have problems finding things sometimes.
Score: 9/10
4. Battery Life
I’ve heard some horror stories of batteries running out after only 200km but so far I haven’t had any troubles. However, it does zap through battery fairly quickly, particularly if you are using the backlight a lot. I can get perhaps 500-600 km out of mine before its out of juice. However, when comparing that to other cycle computers, its dismal. The batteries in my Polar lasted well over a year, for instance.
Score: 4/10
5. Computer Connectivity and Software Suites
I must admit, before the 500, I hadn’t had a computer with computer connectivity. Also, I’ve seen some of the third-party suites that are used for powermeters like Powertap, which are very impressive. Garmin comes with the generic Garmin Connect website, which is a pretty good source of information on your rides. However, they still don’t have a plugin for Google Chrome, which is used by a lot of people (myself included) which can get extremely annoying. Also, it’s range of analysis is pretty limited. For that, you can use the free software Garmin Training Centre which gives you an added level of analysis and the ability to create your own custom workouts. However, it is almost unfathomable to the inexperienced. I consider myself pretty computer literate but even I struggled to work it out.
Like Powertap or SRM, you can load your data using third-party software. I’ve heard Strava is pretty good but I’ve never actually tried any. Anyone heard of any others? However, often you have to pay for this software or sign up with a credit card to use it.
Score: 7/10
Overall, the Edge 500 is a great tool both for training and racing. But for the battery life and an improved software suite, this would be the perfect cycling computer for nearly anyone.
Overall Score: 38.5/50
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