Good alternative to Garmin Edge 810?

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kojtl1000
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by kojtl1000

I am considering Garmin Vector pedals on my road bike and need a new cycling computer as well that is ANT+ compatible.
I definitely like the functions of the Garmin Edge 810 with its maps and navigation. But the more reviews and user experiences I read, the more scared I get of buying this computer.
Also, the lack of certain features (f.e. no Bluetooth 4.0) makes me think this thing is based on older technology.

So the question now is if there is going to be an upgraded Edge soon, or if there is a good alternative from a competitor that has similar functionality to the Garmin Edge 810 (so ANT+ compatible to use with the Garmin Vector Pedals)?

rijndael
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by rijndael

The 810/510 are fairly new units, I doubt they'll get replaced in the near future.

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rmerka
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by rmerka

FWIW I've had zero problems with my 810. Maybe I'm one of the few, I don't know? Maybe people that don't have problems with it don't complain as much on the internet.... Also it works great with the Vectors!

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53x12
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by 53x12

I really like my Edge 510 and haven't had any problems to date (knock on wood). Does everything I need out of a bike computer. If you don't want to shell out the extra bucks for the 810 and/or don't need the features of the 810, the 510 is another great option.
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

newnan3
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by newnan3

I havent much of any problems with my 810 either....

It did shut off when i was trying to do routable maps once but they never happened again.

The only problem ive really had is that my power meter tells me im weak and slow.... :(

davidalone
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by davidalone

as with anything in the electronics industry, trying to stay ahead of the curve is silly and gets you nowhere.

look at what we have now in cpomputers and phones. they barely last a year before being considered 'obselete'.

the best advice is to buy what you need, when you need, at the best value.

do you NEED bluetooth 4.0 now? probably not. vector dosen't use blutooth 4.0 ( although it potentially could). there arent very many cycling accessories out there using bluetooth 4.0. will you need bluetooth 4 in future? unlikely, too. if you're using a vector, it should last you awhile. at least 3-4 years ( unless you itch to change.)

For me, the hot money right now is on the older edge 800s. it's essentially the same as the 810 ( 810 has a slightly better GPS chip, and connectivity to your phone to upload rides and what not.), but unless you want to be constatnly draining your battery on your smartphone and have people track you and have all your rdies uploaded where the world can pick it apart, there no real point aboout the newer 810 versus the 800. you can piuck up older 800s NOS for a good price now.

other alternatives include the bryton rider 60 ( good value, IMO) and the O-synce navicomp. but I think the 800 is still where the value is at.

in the coming years I won't be surrised if smartphones supplant cycling computers. you could easily put in a GPS, ANT+, bluetooth lite into your smartphone and build a bikemount for it, then write a training app. in fact now that we have things like strava, I don't think it's very far away. someone just needs to build a killer training package into a phone for biking into a cleverly sized smartphone and I think cyclists would be all over it.

lannes
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by lannes

my 810 performs flawlessly with the latest firmware, I think many of the problems have been related to earlier firmware versions.

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53x12
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by 53x12

davidalone wrote:
For me, the hot money right now is on the older edge 800s. it's essentially the same as the 810 ( 810 has a slightly better GPS chip, and connectivity to your phone to upload rides and what not.), but unless you want to be constatnly draining your battery on your smartphone and have people track you and have all your rdies uploaded where the world can pick it apart, there no real point aboout the newer 810 versus the 800. you can piuck up older 800s NOS for a good price now.



That is the feature I enjoy the most out of my 510. My wife can track me and knows when I am heading home so she can gauge how far away I am from arriving. Very useful if we have plans later that day. Also for her own sense of concern as she knows where I am incase something ever happened to me.

I also really like that my ride is uploaded before I am even in the house. No need to turn any computer on. No need to find a cable. No need to open a program. I am done. Time to move on to the next thing.

Also the battery draining isn't an issue. With data streaming on phone, blue tooth and gps on my phone probably averages 6-9% battery use per hour while connected to my Garmin. Not bad at all as I never leave house without a fully charged phone.

If you are concerned about phone battery draining, why would you want to use your phone as a bike computer with ANT+/BT 4 adapter connected to it? I would want those two things seperate.

davidalone wrote:
in the coming years I won't be surrised if smartphones supplant cycling computers. you could easily put in a GPS, ANT+, bluetooth lite into your smartphone and build a bikemount for it, then write a training app. in fact now that we have things like strava, I don't think it's very far away. someone just needs to build a killer training package into a phone for biking into a cleverly sized smartphone and I think cyclists would be all over it.


Smartphones already have GPS and many of them already are ANT+ capable. Just buy the Garmin ANT+ adapter for your phone. Plenty of cycling apps for the phone you can use at this point if that is your thing.
Last edited by 53x12 on Wed Oct 23, 2013 2:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

rijndael
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by rijndael

53x12 wrote:That is the feature I enjoy the most out of my 510. My wife can track me and knows when I am heading home so she can gauge how far away I am from arriving. Very useful if we have plans later that day. Also for her own sense of concern as she knows where I am incase something ever happened to me.
I solved this problem before I got an 800, http://www.locatemydroid.com

You can grant her access and she can track you by remotely activating the app's tracking ability. I wouldn't get an 810/510 for this feature alone.

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53x12
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by 53x12

rijndael wrote:You can grant her access and she can track you by remotely activating the app's tracking ability. I wouldn't get an 810/510 for this feature alone.


I would if looking at a new computer. It also provides live stats that a phone tracker app can't do. Not to mention the other benefits the 510 has over the 500. GPS is better, the temp is better calibrated than the 500 I used prior to my 510. Altimeter also works better from my experience. Plus you can get live weather over the next few hours on the 510 without having to stop and pull out the phone if you forgot to check before leaving the house.
Last edited by 53x12 on Wed Oct 23, 2013 2:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

rijndael
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by rijndael

53x12 wrote:Not to mention the other benefits the 510 has over the 500. GPS is better, the temp is better calibrated than the 500 I used prior to my 510. Altimeter also works better from my experience. Plus you can get live weather over the next few hours on the 510 without having to stop and pull out the phone if you forgot to check before leaving the house.

Right ... that's why I said "I wouldn't get an 810/510 for this feature alone."

If it does other things that you value, great. But from a pure tracking ability, that is easily solved with other gear that you probably carry anyway.

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53x12
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by 53x12

Does the droid tracker give the ability to see speed, power, heart rate, elevation, cadence...etc. My wife actually likes seeing those data points and has mentioned that several times. So whatever makes the wife happy makes me happy because I get more riding time. ;)
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

rijndael
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by rijndael

Happy wife - happy life.

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53x12
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by 53x12

I also forgot to mention the GPS/GLONASS (810 doesn't have GLONASS) chip is unbelievable. Within 3-5 seconds of turning on it has a GPS signal, even in my basement. The 500 I used was rubbish in comparison.
"Marginal gains are the only gains when all that's left to gain is in the margins."

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FIJIGabe
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by FIJIGabe

rijndael wrote:
53x12 wrote:That is the feature I enjoy the most out of my 510. My wife can track me and knows when I am heading home so she can gauge how far away I am from arriving. Very useful if we have plans later that day. Also for her own sense of concern as she knows where I am incase something ever happened to me.
I solved this problem before I got an 800, http://www.locatemydroid.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can grant her access and she can track you by remotely activating the app's tracking ability. I wouldn't get an 810/510 for this feature alone.


iPhones have this built in with Find Friends. The point of the tracking software isn't necessarily only to find you, but to see where you have gone and what you have done. My wife doesn't want me riding on certain roads where I live. A combination of past experiences (two crashes on that stretch) and high speeds (65-70mph). She wants to know if I've ridden there, and tracks my ride while at work. She can also see if I'm out pushing hard, or just having an easy ride.

The only problems that I consistently have with my 810 revolves around the mapping feature. Sometimes, the software starts a route, and immediately wants to send me back to the beginning, and without fail, if I try to get the unit to take me back to start, the unit will hang and I will eventually need to restart it. That being said, it's pretty good at helping me find where I am, and where I'm going.

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