Which garmin bike computer to get?

Over the Bars

Over the Bars

Well-Known Member
Never had one before which one should I get? They are pretty much all on sale this week everywhere. What features are necessary, buttons vs touch screen?? Help me out please.
 
Dc rainmaker has good writeups on most of the models. I found the Edge 830 to be good enough for my needs, even though it’s a slightly dated model at this point. It has a Touch screen, syncs via the Garmin connect app on my phone, and can load the Trailforks base maps. I don’t use any of the other features, just want to record my rides and see a route on the map (with all of the other trail in the background for reference).
 
Note the recommendations say meets their needs. First decide your needs. Garmins are good at recording your ride, but so is your phone. If you want to download someone's route and use the Garmin to follow that route you will be disappointed. Garmins fail at navigation.
I tried first a 530 then an 830 and was more frustrated than satisfied. If all you want to do is replicate what Strava on your phone does, a model 830 is fine. If you want to follow a route, go Hammerhead Karoo.
 
i would say you want that touchscreen, i tried a 530 and absolutely HATED the button only navigation.

That said, the *40 series has WAYY better navigation than the *30, not that i think the navigation was bad on my 1030, but the 1040 actually reroutes correctly based on the basemap (i assume all the *40 series got this improvement)
 
Robin said:
I went from the 8 series to the 5 series and I can honestly say I miss the touch screen/ease of that. I also thought getting a newer Garmin with TrailForks would be a game changer. It's really not - I still pull out my phone a lot to verify.
Click to expand...
Yeah I used trail forks on my fenix and it kinda sucks it would constantly tell me I missed turns and then never put me back on the route
 
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Fire Lord Jim said:
Note the recommendations say meets their needs. First decide your needs. Garmins are good at recording your ride, but so is your phone. If you want to download someone's route and use the Garmin to follow that route you will be disappointed. Garmins fail at navigation.
I tried first a 530 then an 830 and was more frustrated than satisfied. If all you want to do is replicate what Strava on your phone does, a model 830 is fine. If you want to follow a route, go Hammerhead Karoo.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty heavily invested in Garmin at this point but thanks for the suggestion
 
I have not tried navigating on other platforms, but I was not a fan of the Garmin navigation either. I do not use the turn-by-turn option, but having a planned gpx loaded and displayed on top of the Trailforks trail layer gets the job done for me. Yes I have to pay attention to the turns, but it’s not an issue for me.

The imprecise nature of mapping trails plus the inherent lower gps accuracy of being in the woods makes trail navigation pretty difficult IMO. I’d love to be proven wrong if one of the other systems does it well.
 
Have the touch screens improved? I started out with an 800 and the touchscreen was great all the time except with heavy winter gloves.
When that one died I replaced it with a 820 and the touchscreen was horrible on it. It would freak out when I sweat on it and would be basically unresponsive. I eBayed it within a couple months of getting it and got a 520 plus.
Now after about 8ish years of having it the rubber on the side buttons are wearing through so much I had to put electrical tape on it so I don’t lose the buttons.
Not sure if I want to replace it with a 540 or 840.
Are the solar ones worth the hype?
 
I couldn't get along with the 800 series touch screens. Replaced it with a 530 and an Edge Remote so I don't need use the buttons when I'm riding.
 
mwlikesbikes said:
Have the touch screens improved? I started out with an 800 and the touchscreen was great all the time except with heavy winter gloves.
When that one died I replaced it with a 820 and the touchscreen was horrible on it. It would freak out when I sweat on it and would be basically unresponsive. I eBayed it within a couple months of getting it and got a 520 plus.
Now after about 8ish years of having it the rubber on the side buttons are wearing through so much I had to put electrical tape on it so I don’t lose the buttons.
Not sure if I want to replace it with a 540 or 840.
Are the solar ones worth the hype?
Click to expand...

I have the 1040 solar and it makes a difference. But it some the order of 10%ish (6-10min/hr of sun) improvement on your average day so maybe not worth the added cost for your average guy who only rides a couple hours at a time
 
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