Amazon.com Reviews
Average Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars
The following review received 87 helpful votes out of 97 total votes:Review Date: 2006-02-17"A GPS that cannot tell you where you are!"Starting with some positive comments, the unit itself (hardware) is nice, it's slightly larger (thicker) than a standard mobile phone and feels sturdy. The screen is clear (but small) and buttons feel nice and are well placed. The unit has the new SirfStarIII technology for increased sensitivity, e.g. under tree cover, and my limited experience until now is that the reception is indeed good.
So not a bad unit, but it should be understood that this unit is set up as a trip computer, and not as a navigation unit (although it does have some navigation options). It has some nice options like racing a virtual partner, which are well documented on the Garmin web-page. What the web-page does not make very clear though is:
- It cannot give you the current position!!!
- It does not have WAAS/EGNOS for better location precision
- It does not have the "Upcoming turn feature" that the Geko has
As a trip computer it has the following limitations:
- The speed it gives fluctuates significantly more than with a normal (simple) cycle computer with a wheel sensor.
- The height fluctuates so much that the grade it gives is completely useless (note that the Edge 305 should be better as it has a barometric sensor as well). Also, the total ascent and descent will systematically be too high. In a test I left the Edge for two hours in the same place, and had it record every second. Minimum height was 51m, maximum height 84m, total ascent 215m, total descent 218m, and maximum speed 3.5km/h.
The included Garmin training center software works okay, but is very limited:
- You cannot combine tracks (to upload to the Edge e.g.).
- You cannot compare more than two tracks.
- It only exports data in Garmins own (and uncommon) .hst file format
Also note that if you want to overlay your track onto a map, you will need other software. The user manual (printed out) isokay but also very limited.
The Edge comes with a rechargeable battery that is not user exchangeable (tip: instead of using the car-charger, it may be possible to use a universal USB car charger and the supplied cable at a fraction of the cost. Note however that I have not yet tested this).
I mainly bought this unit to map mountainbiking tracks in order to be able to combine the best trails into some nice routes, and then use the Edge to find the routes. Using some third party software, this is possible, but it should have been much easier. I assumed I would be able to use it together with a map while hiking, and was very (and unpleasantly) suprised to learn that I bought a GPS that cannot tell me where I am.
I am still hoping that Garmin can do an update of the firmware (I am using version 2.30 now) such that the unit gives the current location (ideally with an option for different grids). Without this option, two stars is all it gets from me.
2 stars The following review received 31 helpful votes out of 33 total votes:Review Date: 2006-03-26"Very cool, very useful, and very informative"I was a bit dubious about swapping out my regular cyclocomputer, especially for the extra dollars. Could something like the Edge 205 really give me that much more than the distance, speed, and time information I usually acquired with my $30 computer? Well, after a few rides with the 205, I can say that I'm a fan. The thing went on in a jiffy, works like a charm, and gives me all sorts of information I didn't have before. Wonder why that hill is so tough? Well, dummy, it's 13% grade. Didn't know that before. Wonder how much of that ride was spent ascending? Oh, about 1/3. Didn't know that before. How much climbing did I do on that ride? Oh, about 2,500 feet. Didn't know that before. And all this from a ride I've done at least a dozen times, and one I consider to be a "throwaway" training ride. A very cool, useful, and informative device. Well done, Garmin. 5 stars The following review received 15 helpful votes out of 15 total votes:Review Date: 2007-05-11"Great for what it does"This is a great little gadget. There are things it does really well, things it does not so well, and some things it doesn't do at all. I won't bother repeating all the features you can see on their web page. Instead, I'll stick to those things that I really like about the unit.
*Configurable data fields - there are dozens of fields you can display at any one time, both at the overall and lap level, and you can display from two to eight at a time. Showing five, for example, allows you to select a single field to take up the upper half of the display (I use this for Grade) and the remaining four fields take up the lower half.
*Multiple screens - There are two main display fields that you can easily toggle while you're riding, and there are numerous other screens when you are in other modes.
*Virtual racing - This has to be my favorite feature. You can save a route as a course, and race yourself against it. The unit will guide you along the course, but the real benefit is seeing how far ahead or behind you are of your previous ride. This is great for improving times on hills or routes that you take often.
*Viewing someone else's course - The free version of Garmin's MotionBased website lets you see others' routes, which is great if you're planning a ride with someone. You can run through the route and watch the map and hill profile while viewing the telemetry. Knowing that your riding partner consistently does 13mph on 6% grades makes it easy to judge if you can keep up.
What this unit isn't is a full featured GPS device in the sense that it has maps and will guide you nicely to your destination. It has no maps, nor any provisions to download them. The closest thing it has is the virtual races, which will guide you along your route, but it's not terribly helpful. The software that comes with the device is serviceable, but it is limited in its capabilities and looks like it was written in 1995. Still, it does present the data its gathered in a useful and understandable way.
I have not experienced the location or speed fluctuations of other users, although accuracy does diminish when I'm cycling in steep valleys or under heavy tree cover.
I chose the 205 over the 305 because I already have a Polar 720, which has a heart rate monitor and a cadence sensor, and the other differences were too subtle to shell out the extra money for. If I didn't already have an HR monitor, I would definitely go for the 305. I should also note I'm a recreational cyclist that tries to get in 75 miles a week for the purposes of getting into shape and losing weight. I'm not sure how valid these comments would be if I was doing serious cycling, so bear that in mind.
To be sure there are things I wish it had or did better, but for the price I'm really happy with it. 5 stars The following review received 14 helpful votes out of 14 total votes:Review Date: 2007-06-11"Addressing accuracy concerns..."I got my 205 this weekend, and after reading reviews here, I was concerned about the accuracy, especially when elevation is involved. To this end, I left my Cat Eye Mity 8 on the bike for the first ride so that I could compare the two. Before I actually used the Edge on the bike, I updated the software from the Garmin website. There are two updates you need to install - the GPS firmware, and the device firmware. The ride I went on was a 33 mile road loop, 5000ft to 6150ft, with a 6 mile, 3% average grade hill.
Speed: I was worried that the speed of the GPS would lag, but it updated as fast as the Cat Eye, and was more precise, since the Cat Eye only shows speed in increments of 0.5 mph above 20 mph.
Distance: The GPS recorded a distance of 33.32 miles, and the Cat Eye recorded 33.66 miles. I think that matching each other within 1/100 of a mile per mile is pretty amazing. On the open road (in NM roads can get pretty open), GPS accuracy was reported as 8ft to 10 ft - that's less than two bike lengths.
Elevation: The elevation seemed more or less accurate, and the curve drawn in the software is very smooth. The percent grade seemed very accurate, and matched percent grade that I calculated using TOPO! elevation profiles.
Calories burned: Without a heart rate monitor, I think this estimate is bunk. It's unclear if it uses percent grade in the estimate, and I have a hard time imagining that I burned 2000 calories on that 33 mile ride. On the other hand, it's a great excuse for a post ride burrito.
Software: The software (on my Mac) is easy to use, and displays information in a useful manner. It is a one step operation to make a route into a course, and one more step to put the course on the GPS. When you "Do the Course" (Garmin's term), it shows you a map, a compass, your virtual riding partner, or an elevation profile. Note that there is no elevation profile when you are not "Doing a Course", but that seems OK to me - after all, you can look behind you to see what you just climbed up. You really want a profile to show you how close you are to a summit or flat, and that is only possible when the entire route is known ahead of time (i.e. a "course").
Issues: There are some issues. Just like my old ETrex, the map never centers itself well on the screen. The Lap and Start/Stop buttons are sensative, so you need to be careful not to hit them if you do something like stretch over the stem while riding. The USB port cover is indeed a pain to get fitted correctly. The screen is harder to see, especially in dim light, than my Cat Eye is.
Other Notes: The Edge 205 comes with two bike mounts, so don't order two extras for three bikes, like I did. Also, the water bottle that comes with the 205 is twist open to drink, so it's not a bike bottle. Sort of dumb, but then who buys this thing for the bottle?
Bottom Line: I have no regrets about buying the Edge, and no regrets about getting the 205 rather than the 305. I'll be taking my Mity 8 off the bike tonight. 5 stars The following review received 12 helpful votes out of 15 total votes:Review Date: 2006-03-08"A Great Training Device for Bikers"I think the last reviewer said it best. Garmin set out to make a bike computer that blows away the competition. And they succeeded. As long as you understand that this is not your typical GPS device, with detailed maps whose primary function is to let you know where you are and keep you from getting lost, you will not be disappointed. The device gives you all the great features that you would expect from a high end bike computer; And then it gives you a whole bunch more.
By using GPS you can keep track of where you went and use that data later to compare with previous rides. You can also map out your rides in detail after they are complete with Google Earth. The included training center software is good, but not great. The Motion Based website is a great addition (Though the EDGE is not compatible with the website yet) and between the two you should be able to analyze your data to your hearts content.
It is an excellent training device and is very accurate. It acquires satellites very quickly and seems to keep track even in narrow canyons and pretty dense forests. It can also be used while hiking. It is very customizable and allows you to read as much or as little data as you want and you can set up that data any way you like.
I first attempted to gather data like this with a Forerunner 201. That was a mess. That device provided one frustration after the other. Garmin appears to really have looked at the negative reviews that followed their initial Forerunner devices and really created a fantastic device that is truly created with the biker, not a runner, in mind.
So any complaints? Just a few minor ones. The bike mount that comes with it is pretty cheesy. It is held on with zip ties. For $250 dollars I would like to see a little more. The bike mount you can purchase (for about $15) for the Forerunner is so much better. I hope they eventually upgrade that. The Flap that covers the USB cable port on the back of the unit is a pain as well. It is very hard to seat it properly. A little bit of patience and perseverance and you do eventually get it right. Other than that the device is great and highly recommended.
5 stars |
