Difference between Garmin edge and Garmin 60csx

[chris99]

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase a garmin gps but I am having problem's in deciding the best and differences between all of the Garmin sets. Is there a dedicated Garmin gps for cycling?

[rickwiggans]

Yes. The Edge series. Take a look at Garmin's site, you'll pick up the differences there.

[andrew_s]

Compared to hiking/general outdoor GPS like the 60csx or Etrex, the cycling Edge series are smaller (and therefore screen too), incorporate cycling functions such as cadence, heart rate, power meter linkage (depending on model), and have a number of training type functions like comparing your pace against a previous ride of the same circuit.
They also all use internal non-replaceable rechargeable batteries, with a battery life in the region of a full day's ride (12 hours or so). If you forget to recharge, you are stuck whilst waiting for it to charge. If you want to ride longer between recharges, you have to rig up some sort of external battery pack.

Me, I'm not interested in cadence, heart rate or training functions, so I use a 60csx or Etrex with rechargeable AA batteries that last 2 or 3 days riding and can just be swapped for fresh when run flat.
(I've two because the switch on the 60CSx broke, and having had to break the seals to mend it, I didn't trust it to be waterproof any more (not actually had any problems so far).

[Mick F]

The Edge series is a bicycle computer that is GPS enabled. They will do Satnav but you need the 605 /705/800 for that.

The good thing about them is that they are self contained and will log your rides. If you upload them into Ascent or SportsTracks, you can see your performance, where and when you've been, check how you've ridden it, and generally keep a record.

The Satnav functions are a bit basic, but by uploading routes and courses, you can follow a chosen route. This is great if you team it with BikeRouteToaster or similar. I use mine loads of times to follow a pre-determined route.

As Rickwiggans says, check out the Garmin site.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=160&ra=true
but it looks like they only do the 500 and 800. though there is a "discontinued" page
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=166


Wiggle have more:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?s=garmin+edge

[Davos119]

I'm lucky enough to have an Edge 800. But even second hand it was pricey. When you look at the capabilities of GPS enabled smart-phones and some of the bike specific apps and mounts you can now get for them, I think the 800 looks expensive for what it is (the screen is really quite low res compared to what you see on most phones these days).

But having said that, if you can afford one, I still think it's worth it. Of course if you don't have a smart-phone and have no desire to get one, then the Edge (or something like it) is a no-brainer. But even if you do, then the battery life, convenience of the bike mount, size, water resistance and flexibility when used with something like bikeroutetoaster is hard to beat. I've bought some unnecessary gadgets in my time and this certainly isn't one of them. I absolutely love it.

I'm not overly worried about the internal battery. The last long ride I did was 8 hours 43 minutes and at the end the battery was on 46%. For multi day rides, I do have the kind of external power pack andrew_s is talking about. The drawback of that is that it's also expensive (the price of it would buy you a fair few AA batteries), but it's not inconvenient to carry and it comes with a solar panel which means you're pretty much good to go out into the wilderness for weeks on end (if it's sunny!).

There are lots of options with GPS, but I would say if its main use will be for cycling, then a cycling specific unit will be the best bet.

[zoxed]

...When you look at the capabilities of GPS enabled smart-phones and some of the bike specific apps and mounts you can now get for them...

Important disadvantages of smart-phones is low battery life (with GPS and screen on full time) and weatherproofing.

[skicat]

Another often overlooked difference is the number of GPS channels a device has. This effectively means the number of satellites the GPS is capable of receiving and basically the more satellites the more accurate your position will be. Most smart phones use three whereas a dedicated GPS such as a Garmin employ 12-channel receivers. Smart phones get round the limitations somewhat by using AGPS (Assisted GPS) which uses the cell-phone location information to help, but of course you probably won't have cell-phone coverage either when you're out in the wilderness. Bottom line is smart phones are fine for general use in suburbia where accuracy is less important but for anything mission critical you would really not want to rely on one. If you're an out-in-the-wilds sort of person you'll probably want to have a dedicated 12-channel GPS with you, in addition to your paper map and compass of course.