Looking to buy a GPS for some awesome excursions this fall - does anyone have any suggestions or old ones I could buy? I’ll probably go with the Edge 510 or 500 because I’m looking to buy only 1 in the next decade or so, but do these have any technological advantages over earlier models like the 200? (I don’t really care for heart rate or power or things like that, but temperature would be nice.)
Are there any other models that are worth taking a look at?
Cheers and see you in the winter!
The main thing you want to make sure is that it is ANT+ compatable. I don’t know if the 200 is. I used to have the forerunner 305, but when I got a powermeter since the 305 doesn’t have ANT+ it wouldn’t pick up the data.
I’m not sure about the 510, but the 500 has everything I’ve needed.
I too have the Edge 500, but If you don’t care about HR or Power, you should definitely consider the Garmin Edge 200–it’s basic, but it gets the job done as a GPS.
It’s only around $130ish compared to the $300ish of the Edge 500/510 (whose only real plus is the HR/Power with Ant+, a color screen, and a barometer for more accurate altitude readings). With the 510, you’d be paying double the price for features you’re not going to use…
One thing: what do you want GPS for?
The 200 and 5x0 are great for logging where you go and reporting speed.
Navigation on the other hand is very limited. You need to use a website that can export tcx files, and then you can have cue sheets and a “map” which simply consists of the line you are following. They do not have maps, streets, and such, so if you diverge from the path, you’re on your own.
If you’re looking for navigation, the edge 605 will give you that without the ant+ compatibility, or the 700/800 lines with ant+, but they are much more expensive. Otherwise, you can find smartphone mounts for the handlebars, which would allow you to use a smartphone as gps. The battery life is terrible typically, but if you need it at times only, it will do the job. Or you can buy a non-bike-specific one, but they are typically bulkier.
Finally, there’s the Garmin edge touring which came out last week, but seems pretty cool (and is in the same price range as the 500: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sports/cycling/edge-sup-sup-touring-plus/prod143677.html
Thanks guys for the advice!
The main purpose of the GPS will not be for logging where I go but rather preventing me from getting hopelessly lost. I want to be able to leave for a ride having an idea of where I’d like to end up but not having to plan beforehand how I’m going to get there. I tend to get lost even when I have directions, so I’d like there not to be just a blank screen when I leave the path!
I took a look at the Edge Touring, and it seems to be exactly what I’m looking for…is anyone else planning on trying this one out?
I’ve been using my phone for things like that, but then I need to fish it out from my pocket, wait for the gps to find me and so on, and it’s slow if I’m out of the country and it can’t use the data plan to get a rough idea of where to start the search from. It can’t be left on to have a faster start, since it consumes the battery too quickly…
I have an edge 800, and yes it was very expensive, but it is great for navigating. I even use it in my car for navigation regularly. Also ANT+ compatible, comes with heart rate monitor, etc etc. i don’t know anything about the touring model, is that like the edge 800 but without ANT+?
The touring doesn’t have ant, the touring plus does, but the main difference is in interface I believe. The touring has a map based interface, find local rides, follow trail, use dirt roads?, etc, but doesn’t have the training interface, all the power modes, TSS, etc.