Sorry Ladies: A Review of the Garmin Edge 705
I say that I'm sorry to the ladies because once their men read this review, they will be going out and purchasing this product. Deal with it, ladies. I'm sorry.
I really wasn't sure I wanted the Garmin Edge 705. That's because they are kind of pricey, and when you get right down to it, it is just a toy (or so I thought). But I've been wanting a GPS for our trip to San Diego, and for the times that we go on road trips in Lisa's car (my car comes equipped with a built-in DVD navigation system). Then, I was talking to my friend Zach of Brittany, who works at a bike shop, and he was able to get me a smoking hot deal on the deluxe model.
The 705 comes in several configurations. You can get the base model, with just the GPS and a heart rate monitor. Or you can get a stepped up model that adds cadence. The deluxe model comes with cadence and a pre-loaded SD card with maps of the US and Canada. If you have a lot of money to spend, you can add a power meter to your bicycle, and your Edge will monitor your power output.
Originally I wanted it because I was always getting lost on bike rides. Usually I would only get lost when I was on the road and didn't know the area. But it happened a lot, and I wanted a computer that would give me turn by turn directions on how to get back to where I started. So I bought it for the mapping system, but the best part is the training helps. You can choose from several different screens to view, including two different bicycle screens, and the bike screens allow you to view up to eight different criteria at once. You can choose from dozens of measurements from speed, average speed, time elapsed, etc. The mode button scrolls you through the map, the bike computer screen, and an elevation screen that charts your current elevation, your percent grade, and how many total feet of climbing you've done for the day.
You can also go to www.mapmyride.com and find maps of rides others have charted, and download them to your Garmin. I was able to find every day of FreeWheel, and download the maps to my GPS. No more paper maps for me.
When you're done with your ride, you come home and hook the Garmin up to your PC using the USB cord provided. It uploads all the data to your computer on a free web site, and charts out all of your workout on the screen. Here is a link to my 20 mile ride today. This is the best feature of the unit, because it brings up a Google map of your ride, charts of speed, heart rate, elevation change, and cadence. There are many more features available, but I am still learning them all. I know that you can race against a virtual opponent, you can race against yourself by using data from a previous ride, and you can ask the Garmin to design workouts for you.
The book says that the batteries should last 15 hours—plenty of time for most riders. Some online reviews have said that the battery does not last that long. I can't say, but my experience has been that the batteries last a long time. When you're on your bike in the sun, the display is plenty bright on the lowest level. Its only when indoors, at night, or on a cloudy day when you would have to brighten the screen, and thus use more battery. It uses lithium-ion batteries, which do not develop a memory, so you can charge it up as often as you need to.
This is not a cheap toy...I mean, fitness tool. The base model goes for $499, but I found it on www.gearlink.com for $389. The deluxe model is going to cost you close to $700. A lot of people spend more than that for six months of gym memberships. Not me. My money is on the Garmin Edge 705. And by the way, don't pay anyone to install it, its really easy.
If you can spare the cash, I would put this at the top of your list.
I really wasn't sure I wanted the Garmin Edge 705. That's because they are kind of pricey, and when you get right down to it, it is just a toy (or so I thought). But I've been wanting a GPS for our trip to San Diego, and for the times that we go on road trips in Lisa's car (my car comes equipped with a built-in DVD navigation system). Then, I was talking to my friend Zach of Brittany, who works at a bike shop, and he was able to get me a smoking hot deal on the deluxe model.
The 705 comes in several configurations. You can get the base model, with just the GPS and a heart rate monitor. Or you can get a stepped up model that adds cadence. The deluxe model comes with cadence and a pre-loaded SD card with maps of the US and Canada. If you have a lot of money to spend, you can add a power meter to your bicycle, and your Edge will monitor your power output.
Originally I wanted it because I was always getting lost on bike rides. Usually I would only get lost when I was on the road and didn't know the area. But it happened a lot, and I wanted a computer that would give me turn by turn directions on how to get back to where I started. So I bought it for the mapping system, but the best part is the training helps. You can choose from several different screens to view, including two different bicycle screens, and the bike screens allow you to view up to eight different criteria at once. You can choose from dozens of measurements from speed, average speed, time elapsed, etc. The mode button scrolls you through the map, the bike computer screen, and an elevation screen that charts your current elevation, your percent grade, and how many total feet of climbing you've done for the day.
You can also go to www.mapmyride.com and find maps of rides others have charted, and download them to your Garmin. I was able to find every day of FreeWheel, and download the maps to my GPS. No more paper maps for me.
When you're done with your ride, you come home and hook the Garmin up to your PC using the USB cord provided. It uploads all the data to your computer on a free web site, and charts out all of your workout on the screen. Here is a link to my 20 mile ride today. This is the best feature of the unit, because it brings up a Google map of your ride, charts of speed, heart rate, elevation change, and cadence. There are many more features available, but I am still learning them all. I know that you can race against a virtual opponent, you can race against yourself by using data from a previous ride, and you can ask the Garmin to design workouts for you.
The book says that the batteries should last 15 hours—plenty of time for most riders. Some online reviews have said that the battery does not last that long. I can't say, but my experience has been that the batteries last a long time. When you're on your bike in the sun, the display is plenty bright on the lowest level. Its only when indoors, at night, or on a cloudy day when you would have to brighten the screen, and thus use more battery. It uses lithium-ion batteries, which do not develop a memory, so you can charge it up as often as you need to.
This is not a cheap toy...I mean, fitness tool. The base model goes for $499, but I found it on www.gearlink.com for $389. The deluxe model is going to cost you close to $700. A lot of people spend more than that for six months of gym memberships. Not me. My money is on the Garmin Edge 705. And by the way, don't pay anyone to install it, its really easy.
If you can spare the cash, I would put this at the top of your list.
How did you get the 705 for $389 from gearlink? I just checked and they are selling the cheapest version for $499.
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Resist: Great question, and I'm glad that you picked up on that. You see, I love a bargain, and it happened that on the weekend I purchased my 705, Gearlink was having a crazy sale, and I was able to purchase it for $389. And it was the stepped up version, not the one regularly priced at $499. I would have purchased it several weeks before, but decided to wait and see if anyone put it on sale, and sure enough, Gearlink had a great sale, with no exception items, and I was able to cash in.
Be patient, wait for it, and you can find a good deal on the 705 somewhere.
Thanks for stopping by!
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i've got one of these and love the functionality - have seen some reductions in prices too - worth checkinh the website out http://www.garmin.co.uk/edge/
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The battery is not Lithium-ion. Lithium Polymer
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Thank you, Mark. You are correct.
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