Garmin Edge 500

fiestaman

Hi, can anyone recommend one of these. Are they worth the money? If i was to buy would it be better to spend the €50 or so more on the 705. Any info appreciated.

Raam

I like the 705 cos of the maps, but they can cost extra again. The 500 is more of a race computer. Looks neat and has the same functionality as the 705 apart from the mapping.

ednwireland

edge 500 is fine if you dont want maps - had mine a year now cant fault it

my garmin dashboard
http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard;jsessionid=F7BB9CDDC1BECA0490F9D7A2AF07CE39?cid=9007068

havent got the cadence sensor or heart rate monitor with mine

kellt

+ 1 for edge 500 who needs maps in ireland unless your planning 200k +. great features everything that youll ever need

Cookie_Monster

agree with above, buy one with a heart monitor at least though, it's totally worth it

Lumen

I lost my 705 recently and replaced it with a 500.

The extra screen of data on the 500 is useful (I have a powermeter), but otherwise I think I preferred the 705, even excluding the mapping functions.

The 705 screen is easier to read in sunlight and it has a much more attractive finish - the 500 looks like a child's toy. While earlier versions of the 705 firmware and mounts were godawful, since I replaced it under warranty last year it's been pretty flawless.

The mapping functions on the 705 work better abroad than they do in Ireland.

I have an Android phone which is much better at navigation than the 705 (faster and more accurate, and knows which Brittas I'm aiming for), but obviously it's a bit tricky to cycle whilst reading the map on the phone. Maybe a headset would work better, what with audio directions.

Anyway they're both good (now) but having made the switch to the 500 I do miss my old 705.

piobhan

I ordered this at the weekend, from the advice of felow memebers, seems to be the business
http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php/2337/garmin-edge-500-heart-rate-monitor---speed-cadence
Should have it by the weekend :cool:

seamus

Was thinking about saving up for a 705 myself, but I guess kellt is right. If I do get lost, I have my iPhone with a satnav app that I can refer to. I have gotten lost a few times, but I don't know if that justifies buying the 705.

Lusk Doyle

seamus wrote: »

Was thinking about saving up for a 705 myself, but I guess kellt is right. If I do get lost, I have my iPhone with a satnav app that I can refer to. I have gotten lost a few times, but I don't know if that justifies buying the 705.

Of course if you do get lost the 705 has a "go home" function to guide you back!

Dermot Illogical

I haven't used the 705 so can't comment on it, but the 500 is excellent. I got it with cadence and HR, and it gives me all the info I need.

Raam

I love the map feature on the 705. If I am heading down the country to an area that I am not familiar with, then I map out a few routes the night before, slap em into the phone and then just ride, knowing that I ain't gonna be scratching my head after 70km wondering how on earth I am gonna get home. It's great for exploring all the non major roads.

Daegerty

Foretrex 401 + bike mount might be worth looking at. Less of a bike-specific device

ashleey

If you know your course in advance you can upload it to your garmin 500 and it will then warn you if you go astray even without maps as such. Uploading courses via garmin training centre software is a whole new thread of course but it can be done. I tend to find that creating a course from a previous activity in training centre is the most reliable method

Raam

I use Bikeroutetoaster. It uploads directly to the unit. With my old 305 Forerunner I used to just follow the breadcrumb trail, which is what the 500 will have. It did a job, but not as well as when you have a map as reference. I still manage to take wrong turns even with the maps.

ashleey

Mine had a brain freeze on Sunday after trying to use a route that I had put in from bikeroutetoaster but after a reset it restarted on the route ok. I must have done something wrong.

Lumen

ashleey wrote: »

If you know your course in advance you can upload it to your garmin 500 and it will then warn you if you go astray even without maps as such...I tend to find that creating a course from a previous activity in training centre is the most reliable method

So the Garmin 500 is an excellent device for guiding you along a route that you already know. :pac:

Dermot Illogical

The 500 is an excellent recording device. For navigation look elsewhere..

skerry

I toyed with the idea of splashing out on the Edge 800 but went for the 500 in the end. Glad I did, honestly don't think I would've found any use for the navigation feature unless I was touring in another country or something. 500 with the HRM and cadence gives me everything I need in a nice compact device. Tonnes of options for information you want to display. Can connect power meter too. Think Handtec are around the cheapest you can get. Hadn't dealt with them at the time I got mine so got Evans to price match as I had dealt with them before. All in all a great little piece of kit.

fiestaman

Thanks lads. So you can download a route and then it will point you in right direction. Think il order up at the weekend:)

C3PO

RT66 wrote: »

The 500 is an excellent recording device. For navigation look elsewhere..

Perfect description!

Roadrat

Got the whole shebang at Total Cycling -well worth it.

ednwireland wrote: »

edge 500 is fine if you dont want maps - had mine a year now cant fault it

my garmin dashboard
http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard;jsessionid=F7BB9CDDC1BECA0490F9D7A2AF07CE39?cid=9007068

havent got the cadence sensor or heart rate monitor with mine

ashleey

Lumen wrote: »

So the Garmin 500 is an excellent device for guiding you along a route that you already know. :pac:

Precisely. Unless of course you can instantly convert the 'breadcrumb' trail to road numbers while cycling at 30 km/h and also making sure you don't crash into your mate whose wheel you are sticking to

ashleey

It is useful if you need warning of steep hills or sharp bends mind you.

For some reason, the Garmin Training Centre application seems to reject imports of GPX files from mapmyride (for example the Tour de Kilkenny 110k route) but if I import the very same file into bikeroutetoaster and then save as a TCX file and then import it to Training Centre and then send it to my Edge 500 it works fine. Maybe it's the Mac that is the problem. Nevertheless, it's a bit ridiculous.

furiousox

You can convert gpx to crs files here, then export them to your garmin via the training centre software.

http://www.gpsies.com/upload.do?uploadMode=convert

ashleey

furiousox wrote: »

You can convert gpx to crs files here, then export them to your garmin via the training centre software.

http://www.gpsies.com/upload.do?uploadMode=convert

Thanks for this.

It is about time that Garmin did away all this conversion nonsense maybe?

Captain Havoc

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Of course if you do get lost the 705 has a "go home" function to guide you back!

so the thieving git that steals it can go to your house safe in the knowledge you're not home.

Garmin 500, I have, I like, I still haven't used the HRM or cadence though.

ashleey

I might get the HRM for spin classes though (at my age, it's getting to be important)

piobhan

Mine arrived today with hr monitor and cadence, will try it out the weekend