Anyone use one?
Need a new gps and get on with Garmin. My old 800 has died in many ways. Just recieved a 520+ and it just doesn''t do what i want. Maps are poor and no SD card slot to add any. Garmin help docs are so vague. It doesn't even tell me how to find a menu page.
Still want enough tech to talk to power meter etc but maybe the Touring is easier to add maps to.
Your thoughts?
No phones suggested please.
Edge Touring gps.
Re: Edge Touring gps.
Recent discussion: one experience with an Edge Touring and some other thoughts, including mine:
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=139790
Jonathan
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=139790
Jonathan
Re: Edge Touring gps.
I had one and sent it back.
1. The display was a bit too small for me to read, on the bike, without glasses. I only need glasses for reading, and don't want to wear them when cycling. Whereas the Osmand display on my iPhone, for instance, is big enough to read without specs.
2. You can't search by full postcode. In fact it seemed a bit clumsy.
Those might not be issues to you. As I wasn't convinced I would keep it, I didn't give it a really thorough trial, as I wanted it to be in returnable condition. If you have good eyesight, and if you're going to use it to import GPX files from elsewhere, it might well be fine.
1. The display was a bit too small for me to read, on the bike, without glasses. I only need glasses for reading, and don't want to wear them when cycling. Whereas the Osmand display on my iPhone, for instance, is big enough to read without specs.
2. You can't search by full postcode. In fact it seemed a bit clumsy.
Those might not be issues to you. As I wasn't convinced I would keep it, I didn't give it a really thorough trial, as I wanted it to be in returnable condition. If you have good eyesight, and if you're going to use it to import GPX files from elsewhere, it might well be fine.
Re: Edge Touring gps.
Cheers both. I popped up in that thread but it didn't really go anywhere.
Display is tolerable on the 520. Dont want a sat nav. All i need is the ability to use OSM mapping and pre planned routes from a navigational point of view. However it must have enoygh performance based stuff to allow me to see power. Involvement with phones is just a complication .
Battery life on Touring appears to be less. Walkingbased ones dont seem to have the cycling specifics and i will need to buy a batch of handle bar mounts i think.
Display is tolerable on the 520. Dont want a sat nav. All i need is the ability to use OSM mapping and pre planned routes from a navigational point of view. However it must have enoygh performance based stuff to allow me to see power. Involvement with phones is just a complication .
Battery life on Touring appears to be less. Walkingbased ones dont seem to have the cycling specifics and i will need to buy a batch of handle bar mounts i think.
Re: Edge Touring gps.
Were you happy with the 800? The Touring is basically an 800 without the sports software, the Touring Plus has ANT (Is that what you need for a Power meter?), neither have Bluetooth (Does the 800?) If you liked the 800 and don't need the sports stuff, you'll like the Touring, if you didn't like the 800, you won't...
I have two Touring Plus, the 2nd as a back up and to do longer rides without charging, I use in the simplest form, load a GPX track, turn off routing, just follow the pink line. I've used them occasionally to direct me somewhere reasonably close, Campsite, Railway Station, Supermarket... they do that fine, though my expectations are not high. The second one was sold cheap as the owner described it as basically junk, I did a factory reset, re-loaded the mapping, set it up as I like and it's been faultless.
The Touring is an old model, have you seen someone still selling them? The replacement is the Explore, I don't know how they compare.
I have two Touring Plus, the 2nd as a back up and to do longer rides without charging, I use in the simplest form, load a GPX track, turn off routing, just follow the pink line. I've used them occasionally to direct me somewhere reasonably close, Campsite, Railway Station, Supermarket... they do that fine, though my expectations are not high. The second one was sold cheap as the owner described it as basically junk, I did a factory reset, re-loaded the mapping, set it up as I like and it's been faultless.
The Touring is an old model, have you seen someone still selling them? The replacement is the Explore, I don't know how they compare.
Re: Edge Touring gps.
mattsccm wrote:Cheers both. I popped up in that thread but it didn't really go anywhere.
Display is tolerable on the 520. Dont want a sat nav. All i need is the ability to use OSM mapping and pre planned routes from a navigational point of view. However it must have enoygh performance based stuff to allow me to see power. Involvement with phones is just a complication .
Battery life on Touring appears to be less. Walkingbased ones dont seem to have the cycling specifics and i will need to buy a batch of handle bar mounts i think.
Sorry, I've just read PH's post and realised that what I bought was the Edge Explore, not the Touring.
Hope I've not misled you. Though as he suggests maybe it's the Explore you're thinking of?
Re: Edge Touring gps.
I've had an Edge Touring Plus for some years now. Didn't realise they were still on sale. I load OSM maps fine.
It can be odd over route calculation from a GPX, and often fails, but it still leaves me with a track on-screen that is all I really need, so I haven't worried much. It links to a heart monitor but not to speed/cadence sensors, which I think is what is meant by this:
So pretty sure it doesn't link to power meters. One consequence is that, because I have sensors on some bikes for other reasons (Zwift etc.), I sometimes get Garmin Connect recording more than one activity at the same time (because the sensors don't link up and hence send separate feeds, that are recorded as separate rides). That's a bit silly if you ask me; Connect ought to have enough logic to work out that I can only do one thing at once. But this is a fine point.
Battery life is OK but not great. Gets me round a 100km Audax but not 200km. I'm starting to carry a power pack when ride times are heading towards double figures (in hours). I got a mount off eBay that will hold one of those pencil-shaped ones somewhere near the GPS on the bars. Garmin do external battery packs for some models of course, but at eye-watering prices.
DC Rainmaker's reviews are well thought of.
It can be odd over route calculation from a GPX, and often fails, but it still leaves me with a track on-screen that is all I really need, so I haven't worried much. It links to a heart monitor but not to speed/cadence sensors, which I think is what is meant by this:
PH wrote:The Touring is basically an 800 without the sports software, the Touring Plus has ANT (Is that what you need for a Power meter?), neither have Bluetooth (Does the 800?)
So pretty sure it doesn't link to power meters. One consequence is that, because I have sensors on some bikes for other reasons (Zwift etc.), I sometimes get Garmin Connect recording more than one activity at the same time (because the sensors don't link up and hence send separate feeds, that are recorded as separate rides). That's a bit silly if you ask me; Connect ought to have enough logic to work out that I can only do one thing at once. But this is a fine point.
Battery life is OK but not great. Gets me round a 100km Audax but not 200km. I'm starting to carry a power pack when ride times are heading towards double figures (in hours). I got a mount off eBay that will hold one of those pencil-shaped ones somewhere near the GPS on the bars. Garmin do external battery packs for some models of course, but at eye-watering prices.
DC Rainmaker's reviews are well thought of.
Re: Edge Touring gps.
Just realised that the Edge Explore is the current model. It lists Ant+ so I guess it will talk to a power meter or smart trainer. Anyone got one?
Re: Edge Touring gps.
mattsccm wrote:Just realised that the Edge Explore is the current model. It lists Ant+ so I guess it will talk to a power meter or smart trainer. Anyone got one?
DC Rainmaker reviews (link) cover a lot of this. Some GPS have Ant+ but it only covers selected devices, e.g HRM, cadence, etc
Regards
tim-b
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philvantwo
- Posts: 1730
- Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm
Re: Edge Touring gps.
Don't bother with the edge explore, battery life is terrible, returned mine after 18 months as the battery life was about 3hrs.
Got 30% off a new edge 830 with a speed sensor 2 thrown in. Battery life on the 830 is far better, 7 and a half hours riding over the weekend used 20% battery.
Still use my 800 now and again and I've got a brand new unused one still in the box!
Got 30% off a new edge 830 with a speed sensor 2 thrown in. Battery life on the 830 is far better, 7 and a half hours riding over the weekend used 20% battery.
Still use my 800 now and again and I've got a brand new unused one still in the box!
Re: Edge Touring gps.
philvantwo wrote:Don't bother with the edge explore, battery life is terrible, returned mine after 18 months as the battery life was about 3hrs.
Just because your item was bad doesn't mean you should put others off buying that particular model.
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philvantwo
- Posts: 1730
- Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm
Re: Edge Touring gps.
Go on the Garmin forum and read up about the Edge Explore on there, the battery issue is a known problem. Hence Garmin specification states the battery life as "up to 12 hours"
Unless you've bought one how can you comment on something you know absolutely nothing about ??
Unless you've bought one how can you comment on something you know absolutely nothing about ??
Re: Edge Touring gps.
I have an edge Explore, I think it is really useful if you need a turn by turn gps. You can import pre planned routes into it as well. Very easy to use and very accuate.
Last edited by Thatsme on 15 Sep 2020, 7:16pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Edge Touring gps.
That's one important aspect. The other is a small range of performance things.
My 800 is fine but falling to bits.
My 800 is fine but falling to bits.