Garmin edge 500 top tips anyone?

fat bloke

I got one of these recently and I'm just getting to grips with it. Used it last sunday but it just recorded the whole spin in one big chunk, so I can't delve into the detail and see what my average speed/hr etc were over any specific distances, just the whole spin.

Firstly - if I want to change the splits, so that it I can track my progress over every 1 km or every 5 km's or something like that, how do I do that? Cos is seems you can't retrospectively parse the data on garminconnect.

Also, if there are any killer functions or tips/tricks that you know now and wish you'd know all along - care to share?

niceonetom

Yes, you can set it to auto lap every 1km or 5km or whatever. You can also set it to auto-lap by position so every time you roll over the same spot it'll start a new lap - that's very useful for racing where you're almost always doing a circuit. You just have to press the lap button once as you cross the finish line for the first time.

C3PO

niceonetom wrote: »

Yes, you can set it to auto lap every 1km or 5km or whatever. You can also set it to auto-lap by position so every time you roll over the same spot it'll start a new lap - that's very useful for racing where you're almost always doing a circuit. You just have to press the lap button once as you cross the finish line for the first time.

I'm not 100% sure but I think my 500 automatically records laps once you re-pass the starting point?

Captain Havoc

RPL1 wrote: »

I'm not 100% sure but I think my 500 automatically records laps once you re-pass the starting point?

I set mine to cover a certain distance in ten minutes. At the moment it's set for 26kph which is 4.33km, so every 4.33km it tells me how long I took.

Cookie_Monster

You can set it by dist, time or location iirc.

THere so much functionality available, you really need to sit down with the manual and play around with it. Connect it to your PC and install the software, makes it easier to change somethings. Enter all your stats and it'll record calories etc a bit more accuratly.

Best thing IMO is the near infinite number of option for the layout of the screens, you can have 1-8 items displayed on each screnn and can totally customise what you see.

For example, on my front page I have:

Time taken
Dist
Speed
Time of Day
Gradient %
Cadence
Heart Rate

Wheely GR8

Excuse this off topic post ,was wondering if the backlight can be left on and if so how long the battery lasts ?

Thanks.

thebouldwhacker

It depends on the software/program/site your using. I use ride with GPS and strava

Wheely GR8

Sorry whacker ,I mean the Edge 500. I have an old edge 205 and the backlight can be left on and the battery lasts a few hours.

I'd like the heart and temperature reading function of the edge 500 ,I was out tonight and wasn't sure how cold it was ,it happened to be in the minus.

Plastik

FB, press and hold the lower button on the left hand side and you'll find all the various options in there in terms of lapping, types of recording, and the various options that you can use to set up the screens. I've the manual here if you need it but it's easy, you're tech savvy, 30 minutes fannying with it and you'll have it rocking how you like. I've mine set to lap every 10k. Also, Strava

Wheely, the back light can be set to constantly on, press and hold the bottom left button and you'll find it under the display options. It uses very little extra battery.

I've my three screens like this
1. - Use this one the most
Distance
Speed
Avg. speed
Cadence
Grade %
Time of Day
Elapsed Time

2. - use it as a 'totals' screen for looking at after a ride - if I'm ever arced
Total Ascent
Avg. cadence
Avg. HR
HR % Max
Calories
Avg. lap
Temp

3. - if I'm training on my own
Speed
Lap speed
HR
Lap HR
Laps
Current Lap time
Cadence
Lap Distance

Leroy42

Or you could just press the lap button each time!

Why go to all the hassle of setting automatic laps. Unless you are sprinting, or completely maxed out how much more effort is it to press a button.

And apart from an interval session/crit race, can't see the point of automatic lap

Beasty

Leroy42 wrote: »

And apart from an interval session/crit race, can't see the point of automatic lap

Can work very well in TTs. I set mine for every 4km in 10m/16km and 25m/40km TTs. I basically look to average certain speeds and power outputs in each segment, and can compare performances on the same course much more easily if I've already broken the ride down into smaller segments

MediaMan

If you care about accurate absolute (rather than relative) elevation data for your spins then, as best I have been able to figure out from other posters you need to either:

1) Wait forever on some open ground for the Edge to get an accurate elevation fix from the satellites (takes longer and needs more satellites than a position fix)
-or-
2) Before you ride, enter the actual known elevation of the place(s) you will be hitting the start button (see the manual for how to add elevation points). You can do this from the comfort of home using Google Maps as a reference.

Otherwise the Edge will likey start with an inaccurate absolute elevation value. It will also maintain that initial inaccuracy throughout the recording session (so that the elevation gain/loss is not messed up) even if it later gets a better elevation fix from GPS or other elevation points. Mine has told me I was 25m below sea level in Eniskerry!

If like most people you only care about elevation gain and loss then you can ignore all this as the Edge does a good job on elevation changes due to its barometric altimeter. That is unless you hit some severe changes in weather en route, which can be corrected after the fact on Garmin Connect etc.

(A curiosity - you can blow or suck on the holes on the back of the Edge, which is where the altimeter is, and temporarily change the elevation reading by 100m or so!)

manwithaplan

MediaMan wrote: »

(A curiosity - you can blow or suck on the holes on the back of the Edge, which is where the altimeter is, and temporarily change the elevation reading by 100m or so!)

It has the same effect on partners

g0g

Couple of random thoughts from me:

1) I tend to leave the Garmin on my bike outdoors for a while before heading off. Gives it a chance to get a signal if you turn it on plus I find the elevation point is more accurate if the unit is at outdoor temperature as opposed to thinking it's 10C higher for the first few KM. Maybe the two aren't linked but I think they might be.

2) If having elevation inaccuracy problems you can "set" points outside your front door and it adjusts when you pass through them.

3) Keep in mind some of the display options can't be set if you only give them 1/8 of the screen - e.g. the graph showing if your HR is going up or down. I think it might be the same for the graph plotting your altitude when doing courses, but I've never used courses on mine.

4) Not sure if it's automatically on by default (don't think it was on my Forerunner 305 previously) but make sure to turn on the setting whereby it notifies you with a beep if you start moving without pressing "Start" - avoids being a few KM down the road and realising you've lost out on stats!

5) To save myself the hassle in the future, as I upload files to Garmin Connect I also save the ride file on my PC for future reference. It's useful if for example you switch to using Strava or similar at a later stage. It's not easy to transfer your history between websites so I try to keep my own copy of each file.

-K2-

The barometric altimeter is not temperature compensated so if the device goes from a warm house to a cold exterior then the altitude readings can drift off during the ride.

Quick solution: if it's cold outside put the Garmin into the fridge for 10 minutes before heading off.

Similarly, if you stop for cake during your ride, sticking the Garmin in your pocket can cause the altimeter to give crazy readings when you put it back on the bike.

triggermortis

I load mine onto both the garmin and strava sites as there are features on both I like but haven't decided which I prefer.
Mine was preset with the auto-lap set at 5Km which I initially didn't like, or know how to switch off, but now I use it to give me a rough idea of how I'm doing. If I lap in less than 10 mins, I'm happy as thats 30Kmh. Doesn't happen a lot though

Cookie_Monster

MediaMan wrote: »

If you care about accurate absolute (rather than relative) elevation data for your spins then, as best I have been able to figure out from other posters you need to either:

the garmin connect website also corrects it, though this can throw out some odd results at times

bedirect

There are very good videos on you tube. It's easier than reading the manual I set mine that it only records moving time not total time. Download it to your PC on a regular basis.

NeedMoreGears

If you load onto strava you should be able to certain portions of your ride from the segments other people have set up.

It's worth copying the .fit files onto your PC for backup ; they are on the Garmin under the activities folder.

If you really want to, these .fit files can be opened in EXCEL and hours of endless fun await if you want to fool around with the numbers.

One particularly wet and miserable day I put the data from the Sean Kelly Tour into it and after some messing about found I had hit a new 20 minute heart rate level. I also found how lousy my best twenty minute climb was.

dvntie

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

You can set it by dist, time or location iirc.

THere so much functionality available, you really need to sit down with the manual and play around with it. Connect it to your PC and install the software, makes it easier to change somethings. Enter all your stats and it'll record calories etc a bit more accuratly.

Best thing IMO is the near infinite number of option for the layout of the screens, you can have 1-8 items displayed on each screnn and can totally customise what you see.

For example, on my front page I have:

Time taken
Dist
Speed
Time of Day
Gradient %
Cadence
Heart Rate

Bingo that's my front page too :-) have another with hr and cadence only for the turbo