When it comes to cycling i'm a bit of a technophobe. Electronic gruppos, gps, computers I would never put on my bike. When I want to ride somewhere new, I look up and write my own queue-sheet (I've never gotten lost, even on long rides). I don't have a powermeter, and don't plan on getting one anytime soon (although it'd be interesting to see what my numbers are). I leave my phone on standby and only use it for emergencies. Maybe I'll wait until gps technology advances a few generations and becomes more affordable, but for now I'm just enjoying riding my bike, and I don't need any batteries.

Yeah I agree. Garmin is decent, but way way overpriced and overrated. Just use a regular cycle computer and use your smartphone maps app if you get lost.

CRC has the 800 for £231.74 - as I said: roughly comparable. If you want to save some more, the 500 is £131.31.

The 810 is £326.16 - sure, you are paying extra to have the latest, just as you pay the Apple tax to have an iPhoe 5.

The 810 has only been available at limited outlets for a scant 6 weeks, most shops haven't even seen a delivery yet, so it is still going to be full price.

As for the phones, I don't know a single person who buys their phones outright, let alone from ebay, so to quote £239 for the purchase is misleading.

Similarly, the Nuvi comparison is a red herring. An in-car GPS is competing with phone GPS units much more directly than a Garmin Edge of any iteration. Power is not an issue for the phone, function is everything. And it is a pure navigation tool.

Especially in 2013, the question of "why a Garmin?" will become more valid. If you are fine with using your phone, there are plenty of new Bluetooth hr and cadence monitors and corresponding free apps coming to market. The ones I've tested are worthy competitors. If nothing else, the new Garmin offerings are a sign the company is wavering in it's dominance. After a week testing it, I didn't see anything in the new 510 that is truly an upgrade. If anything, the larger size and a touch screen that doesn't always respond well to sweaty, salty hands are reasons to stay away. The OP's questions will only be echoed more as time goes on. But hey, riding bikes is fun, so there's that.

The Nexus 4 is £239 direct from Google, not misleading.

I don't know why the Nuvi comparison is a red hearing? They can operate on battery, and they have to a drive a 5" screen. The internals past the screen are of a similar constitution, and they use the same mapping service.

My bad - too early in the morning!

Battery life on the Nuvi is irrelevant as most, if not all the time, it'll be plugged in. It only has to do one thing, navigate, not record speed, distance, HR etc. it has no other function other than to direct you to a destination. It doesn't have to be weatherproof, nor shock resistant, so of course it's cheaper.

Come to think of it, imagine if that £239 Nexus was waterproof & shock resistant. How much bulkier, heavier & more expensive.

Huh? "misinformation"? "Belgium thread"? Do you have any idea what you're talking about or do you just make stuff up? "Clearly don't read up" is clearly ignorant guesswork presumably intended to be insulting.
Here we are on page 5 and apart from pointing to a test in a rude and offensive manner you've had nothing to contribute but insults.
Lets see, Mark Twain, 6 posts. I'm guessing that's an alias for a regular poster who for some reason feels offended about something. Am I right?

_________________
r o y g b i v

The GPS radio in an iPhone is nowhere near as accurate as the one in a Garmin. I've never had issues with Garmin data accuracy, but I've seen lots with the iPhone 5 personally and on my mates' setup. Bluetooth is also not optimized around battery life for this application. ANT+ is much more energy efficient as it isn't intended to carry the volume of data Bluetooth does. ANT+ is optimized for the data transfer rates (which are much lower in this application).

"Why a Garmin?" Is a pretty bold statement. I'd counter with "Why an iPhone?" Smartphones are poor bike computers.

Oh the irony.

Nothing is made up. It's all there, if you looked...

The OP set the tone for the thread, I just carried it on. You ask yourself who set the 'insulting' ball rolling.

After a year or so of lurking, enough was enough and decided to register. As 'far out' as that might seem to you. And I've contributed more than insults, so I guess I can again ask you "Do you have any idea what you're talking about or do you just make stuff up?".

My the standards have dropped in WW land.........

2 days in and much of your contribution has been derogatory. The guy made a lighthearted comment, even putting a little at the end. But instead of taking it in the manner it was so obviously meant, you responded in a derisory manner.

no wonder many longer standing members post less and less......

And I think this one has run its course. Getting a little too snippy

_________________
Baum Ristretto, Baum Mondrian Corretto & the '89 Merckx! | "If you could eat it in one sitting, hold your line." | twitter.com/Tinea_Pedis