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I've been using an Edge 810 for 5 years and I don't know why I've persisted with it for so long.
Every 6 months or so it throws in a new problem that takes my hours on end to solve. At the moment its not connecting to my computer.
Not long ago I had to solve an other issue where it would constantly fail at startup.
There is also constant on-going smaller issues which never seem to end; like piss poor blue tooth connectivity to smartphone. 99% of the time they just don't recognise each other and the Bluetooth facility just doesn't get used unless there's no other way around it.
It also crashes every so often.
It's one big HEADACHE all too often
I say its a FAIL and time for the BIN
I've decided I've had enough and seen that there are higher end ones available - Are they really any better at the above or do they just come with loads of extra Roadie features which I don't care about and still dogged with the same awful old problems ????
I only use it for Mountain Biking.
Navigation against a GPX on a Map, Recording a GPX, and displaying my Speed and Distance, and that's it, all the extra features that are very Road based I couldn't care less about.
Consider an Etrex. The "leisure" /hiking Garmins seem to suffer fewer issues than the Edge series.
Are the ETrex not heavy though and don't mount to handle bars without these adaptors which might not work ??
Just remembering back to when I had an old one ages ago and never really could work out how to make much use of it.
Garmin don’t do a ‘basic’ model that does what you and lots of others require. I’m with you I want decent base maps, easy to import and run gpx files, time and distance. Plus AA batteries like the Etrex. I have an etrex - it’s bombproof but not that user-friendly and still has too many features for mtb.
One day somebody will make a good, basic gps that does just this (not holding out much hope!!).
Clearly something has gone badly wrong with my Garmin.
I'll have to make do with replacing it with something similar. Not ideal but what else can you do if nothing is up to it.
I've just seen the price of a new Edge 810 - £280!! For that load of shit again! I just checked and my Edge 810 was only purchased 3 1/2 years years ago!
Do I want to be paying that every 3 years for a map!
What model is the most similar to the Edge 810 without costing the Earth for what is just a map and a Strava recording device ????
The Edge 520 is much cheaper will it do the same thing ???
I really don't need all those extra options that only appeal to serious Road racers and if all it means is not getting some of them then I'd be glad!!
Edge 530?
TBH though I've gone back to paper maps for real navigation with my phone recording strava and using komoot/maps.me for position finding. Even if you dont want to risk your nice phone, £250 buys you a much better android device than it does garmin. Only downside is you will probably need an external battery for rides over 5-6 hours.
If I was tempted to spend another £250 on navigation aids it would be on a stack of 1:25k mapping (which comes with free downloads of the digital versions).
A low res unresponsive 2.5" handlebar display is fine on the road but just doesnt cut it off road for actual navigating beyond following a gpx and even then its a pita as there isnt the contrast or colour resolution to pick out a purple line against the greenish grey lcd.
Edge explore for me. I've had mine ooh, 4-5 months and it's not done anything weird. Navigation and recording, so far just works.
It's nice to be able to create Strava routes and have the phone pull them automatically from Strava via the phone and not have to sync up with cables.
I've an Edge 530 - it's a great device (battery life is huge) but I think it may struggle to meet your navigation/map requirements.
Anything without a touchscreen is going to be clunky to look at maps. It does have Trailforks baked in which works well when you want to confirm that some narrow path heading into the woods is actually the top of the trail you want.
I've got OS maps on my phone so use that when I need to actually see where I am.
Have you considered a non-Garmin option?
I switched to a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt a couple of years ago and am very pleased - it does all of the "good" stuff that the Garmin did, but without the annoyances of crashing mid-ride, touch screen being a pain to work etc.
Seems like you have been unlucky as I haven’t had any problems with my 810 over the 5 years I’ve had it.
My boss has been using a Bryton unit successfully for ride recording and navigating, so might be worth looking for one to fit your requirements.
Edge explore
Edge Explore
Edge 530 here, trailforks app installed which shows anything within a set radius of current location( anything on trailforks obvs) and pretty happy with it so far, even found a couple of trails ive ridden past for years without realising they were there. It does seem to suffer with the Bluetooth issues the op mentioned though and I've had to reset it twice after uploading through the phone instead of WiFi when I got home as it wouldn't switch on the nxt time I tried to use it. Afaik the 830 has the same features but has touchscreen, 530 doesn't but is a fair bit cheaper, both have a MTB setting which some will like ( counts jumps, jump distances etc), personally I'm not fussed but no regrets buying it
The 530 isn't without its problems. Mine has a habit of failing to power up. You have to plug it in to get it to switch on . Not a huge issue at home but a pain if you stop for a while at a cafe or whatever, and isn't really good enough. It also has issues with bluetooth pairing with the phone from time to time. couple that with issues with Vector 3 pedals now deciding that they fancy recognising each other intermittently during a training session then it all adds up to a frustrating experience.
As a nav tool I've found it pretty good to be honest, but only if you have your GPX downloaded first, rather than following a map.
I've an Edge 520, not sure what extra the 530 has over it. You can load different maps onto the 520 but it's got limited memory so you have to work out which part of the country you want loaded - this is a bit convoluted: you go to Garmin's portal onto OSM maps and select the tiles you want (up to a maximum of between 45 & 50Mb (the web site tells you how much your current selection uses). Once you've done that, you fill in a form with your email address and click "generate" a few minutes later you get your map in your inbox. Then you load it onto your 520 but it has to have the same name as the existing map.
Once it's on there, there's no scrolling or zooming, you just get a set zoom level with your current position in the middle. So this means you sort of have to know roughly where you are and hope that the trail/road you are after is in view.
I'll follow TCX files (with turn by turn) on the road but I don't use the 520 off-road except for the occasional local loop where I know where I'm going. Bluetooth is easy to set up and so far has just worked.
For off-road I use an Oregon 600, lots of memory (I've got two UK maps, France, Iceland and Finland loaded), large touch screen, scrollable and zoomable, runs off AA batteries including rechargeables. Have got 20hrs use out of a single set plus you can change batteries mid-ride without losing your existing ride's data, you just press the start button again.
Edge Explore.
It still has some bugs, but fewer than most Garmins, and I’ve not found Wahoo to be without significant problems either. The Explore is the least bad unit I’ve ever used, though.
I’ve just seen the price of a new Edge 810 – £280!! For that load of shit again!
Sure, but new prices for old stuff are often silly. I recently bought an 810 for about £90 on eBay, boxed with all mounts, CityNavigator and Ordnance Survey maps, and even an HR I think. And there were a fair few around at a similar price.
Edge explore is probably a good shout. But get on to Garmin, tell them you are unhappy, you are having problems and you don't think it is fit for purpose. I've had a couple of issues with various devices since I first bought an 800 in 2012. Being polite but assertive has got positive results. They are actually quite helpful - would be better if things just worked though.
I'm considering the Garmin Edge Explore - I need to get this sorted quick because riding with no maps and GPX sucks and I'm stuck without at the moment!!
Just a quick question before I order though, What's the screen size on the Edge Explore compared to the Edge 810 ??
The Edge 810 is on the small size and if it's any smaller than this I'd be worried about it being too hard to see!
Also does it have a screen that shows you your speed and distance or is it just stuck on map mode all the time ???
Edge explore screen is larger
Explore is larger, don’t get it confused with the smaller and less well-regarded 820 Explore.
I have the 810 and the Explore and the only remotely useful thing (for me) that the Explore lacks is ride profiles. But then I find multiple profiles can be at least as much faff as they are useful.
And yes, it has configurable data screens, same as virtually all Garmins. (And you can of course show speed and distance on the map screen.)
Thanks for the info I'm going to get the Edge Explore
Thanks for the info I’m going to get the Edge Explore
Don't. Get the Edge 820, full version for £150. Edge 820 £150
I got one last week and its very good. Others have had problems with the touchscreen but with the latest firmware its absolutely fine.
Don’t. Get the Edge 820
But it has a significantly smaller screen at 2.3” (the Explore is 3”), and the OP wants larger than his 810 which is 2.6”. I’ve tried going back to 2.6” with the 530 and the 810, and the difference is noticeable. 2.3” would seem tiny.
IMO there’s no benefit to the 820 unless you’re into training data or you’re struggling to find the extra £30. If you want maps and navigation and basic ride data then the Explore is better suited.
Good to hear that the touchscreen is better now—but how does it fare with thick gloves or in the rain? The Explore does well I’m both cases.
I phoned Garmin support when I was having problems with my 810 (now resolved with firmware update) and they said if that didn't work, to phone them back and they would give me a 30% discount on a new 830. Might be worth a shot
It looks like there was a firmware update for the Vector 3 pedals this week which appears to have rectified all the problems. Frustrating that this had happened in the first place as training to power became impossible. A fair old list of fixes that show the damn things were unusable.
Fixed power and cadence spikes over ANT+ and BLE
Prevent pedals from getting unintentionally unlinked
Fixed right sensor missing error appearing during a coast
Fixed power spikes due to missed messages from the right pedal
Fixed large balance drop outs
Fixed issue where power would go to 0 Watts over BLE
Fixed power spikes while coasting over BLE
Fixed power spikes when BLE connects while riding
Fixed potential cadence spikes after a short coast
Improved pedal wake-up detection
Improved communication to Garmin Connect Mobile
I just updated my Vector 3 software last night with the Beta update. Let’s hope that has solved the sporadic pairing to my 520 issue.
I’m looking for a Garmin for following routes will have a look at the Explore, cheers guys
Interesting & timely thread...
I've got a Fenix 3 for everyday wear (which works great) and have just bought a SH 810 (which won't sync with Garmin Connect!). I was fed up of taking my Fenix off my wrist and attaching it to my bars (1st world problems!) so I got a cheap SH 810 for all the basic functions.
All I really want is something that'll track my route, let me know the time and most importantly my HR. I've got a bit of a dodgy ticker at the moment so have been advised to keep my HR at MAF levels...hence the need to see my HR. I prefer having something on my bars (hence the 810) as opposed to glancing at my wrist with all the usual hilarious falls and spills that ensue.
To answer the OPs query and suggest an alternative. For navigation, I've always relied on my iPhone with the OS app and a yearly licence for both 1:50 & 1:25. It's maybe a little excessive in terms of cost but it comes in very handy for all the stuff we get up to as a family. You can 'save' huge areas of map to the phone too which allows you to access the maps without having to have a signal. Couple the phone with a quad-lock phone case and bike mount and Bob's your auntie Fannys uncle.