Garmin Edge 500 GPS Review - BikeRadar

I have the 305 and use the follow course feature, where you have a line to follow like a map that only has your route line on it with no other information. You can use a previous ride for this OR pre-plan a course using mapping websites or sofware.

I have not been able to find out whether this new model has this follow course feature with a map-like course graphic. Does it?

There are no maps or map graphics whatsoever. It's almost all numbers. I say almost because it will graph your HR and elevation grade. When you upload your data it shows where you've been on a Google map.

I've had this model for a couple months. It records a lot of information. Works with ANT+ power meters, HR strap, and a cadence/speed sensor. Personally, I don't trust speed calculated by GPS. Having the sensor is puts my mind at ease, and I see my cadence.

I love this updated unit over the 305. The interface is cleaner and easier. It's smaller. Easy to attach and remove. And costs less.

Giant Pete - yes you can pre plan or run a course from history. - though I haven't used this aspect yet

So the only purpose of the gps on this seems to be to see where you`ve been afterwards.One might as-well just get an ordinary bike computer for £50 or an edge 305 which has route guidance.

If you shop around, for an additional $100-125 you can grab a Garmin Edge 705 with ANT, HRM, Cadence, turn by turn full map routing and you can view your Watts on the screen with a compatible power device, iBike, SRM, etc.

Personally when I first heard of the Edge 500, it was WTF, no map or tracking?! I wasn't too impressed with this overpriced bike computer. I'll keep my Edge 305 for another couple months thank you.

Mean while, I still have the Edge 705 in my purchasing plans for this year.

I just wish that it came in more colours than just baby blue.

I will caveat this by saying that I don't have one, but I believe that the review is incorrect when saying that there are no mapping features.

If you look at the images for the 500 on the Garmin website (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=160&pID=36728#imageTab), it's clear that it has a mapping feature similar, if not identical, to what the 305 does. While it's not the turn-by-turn directions that the 705 can do, you can upload courses (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=160&pID=36728#specsTab) created by something like bikehike and follow them graphically as you do on the 305 today. In addition, the 500's integration with HRM, cadence sensors, power meters, and half the price of the 705 (MSRP) make it a very compelling buy who don't need turn-by-turn directions.

I think that the 500 is the actual successor to the 305 and very close to being a 705 without turn-by-turn directions.

The 500 has everything the 305 has and a few more features such as longer battery life. I've just upgraded so I have been through all this. The screen is certainly clearer and the backlight is better given it's white for night rides. The Satellite pick up is miles faster as the 305 I used to have to leave outside for a minute or so before i set off and quite often the altitude took a few miles to set itself.

The only complaint I have is the start button was better placed on the 305 at the front as it's on the side, a minor point but if you're using it for laps it's a pain especially with winter gloves on.

Apart from that definitely a good upgrade and neither has turn by turn mapping, not something I need as I pretty much know the rides where I live and if I'm riding away generally it's a sign posted ride anyway.

The 305 has turn by turn directions.

Thanks nebhale. Apparently I overlooked course mapping.

I look at it like this, the 500 is the successor to the 305 and is intended for racers, who know the route. The 705 is good if you're touring or headed into unfamiliar territory.

The 500 is smaller, lighter, and a lot cheaper than the 705.

I use both the 705 which I've had for about two years and the 500 which I've had since Jan.

The 500 is purely for racing and as described is for riders that know where they are going.

It's a great tool for anyone that likes to look at numbers and track where they have been (via garmin connect which uses google maps).

I must say though mine did only come with two bike mounts, I bought the cadence and HR. version, my 705 came with two mounts??

My only gripe with this product is the fact that you struggle to mount the unit on a TT machine, I mounted my 705 between the aero-extensions as it uses zip ties to mount (I copied the garmin slipstream team way of mounting) as the 500 uses 'O' rings it's a little more awkward using this method (zip ties around the bars and o-rings around the zip ties) but it is possible (just) although I'm not sure how stable it will be, time will tell!!

The price is fair, The amount of data you can have displayed (3 screens that can display between 1 & 8 data fields) is mind blowing compared to other units, The HR graph feature is a nice addition (as long as you set up your zones on garmin connect).

I must admit I am a great fan of Garmin products, this is a great piece of kit and if you have the money to spare I'd recommend it. I also see Trek is building bikes with in built ANT+ compatible sensors into the chain stays so this could be a common thing in the future.

Unless you want mapping and you have the money you should get one, you won't be disappointed.

I've now been through two Garmin Edge 500s, both had the LCD crack from the inside - the first from a jarring impact when the bike hit the ground in a cross race, the second on a mild mountain bike ride (no fall or impact this time, just the forces of hitting bumps and light drops was enough to twist the flimsy frame and crack the LCD). My 705 held up extremely well under much worse conditions. The 500 is great on the road bike, but it's not built for anything offroad. More detail on my experience: http://www.veloepic.com/2009/12/garmin-edge-500-vs-edge-705/

New colours for Edge 500 are due to come out mid May 2010. One in Garmin team colour and one black / white.

Maximum speed is available from firmware upgrade 2.2

Course routes can be uploaded to the 500 from Garmin Training Center. You get a 'breadcrumb' trial to follow, elevation profile of the route, distance and time behind/ahead of the virtual partner and some basic turn directions.

I have had a edge 500 for one month now and as it is my first gps I cannot compare it to other units, I`m happy with the edge500 it is easy to use and install ad as for the durability it survived a big crash that put me in hospital with a fractured scapula and out of action for 6 weeks its siting on my desk waiting to go.

I have just bought an Edge 500 and updated the firmware to v. 2.4 straight away so while I have no experience with earlier models. But my unit supports courses drawn as a bread crumb trail. While the native file format is .fit you can copy a more common .tcx file to the courses folder on the edge and next time you access the course on the unit it automatically converts the course. So there is no need for cumbersome conversions on various websites...

Waypoints or rather course points - I dont really know the difference - can be added in Training Center software. The waypoints will only show up when you actually start the course. This took me quite a while to figure out...

Having my Edge 500 Neutral Edition (the white/black version) for the past couple months has been great. The only issues I have had are the unit turning off while using the courses feature (and thus uploading the ride to GC fails, happens only once or twice) and lately the GPS max speed has logged in at over 100mph. However that happened for only 3 rides, and now works fine. I am confused by the article when it says Max Speed is no longer available - it is on mine, and my Edge 500 is updated to the latest firmware.

I was excited about replacing my Polar 725 with the Garmin Edge 500. Loved the GPS feature with mapping my rides. The basic functions seemed to work fairly well - distance/speed/cadance/altitude however the main feature that attracted me to the Edge was the ability to map and download courses to it. That feature has a huge problem in that once every 2 or 3 rides the Edge 500 will freeze while following a course, forcing me to do a master reset (pressing all 4 buttons at once) which results in a total loss of ride data. Contact with Garmin Support has not been pleasant and they refuse to acknowledge there is a problem (yes, I am running the latest software), even after I discovered that many other users have had the same problem on the Garmin Forum. Do some research before purchasing a Garmin Edge 500, it is broken!

If you don't need the Course feature, I would rate it a '4 stars'...

Got this Garmin Edge 705 and its the biggest piece of crap I have ever used.

Having just spent an hour figuring out my Garmin, I can only conclude you're are better off getting a car one and cable tieing it to your bike- this bike version is rubbish.

Fundamantaly, the Garmin Edge 705 (the supposedly better version) cannot take you to an address of choosing, or easily to to a GPS coordinate.

The instruction manual (page 13) refers to a 'Where to > Find Places > Address' option. - so you can input an address and use the machine to get there.

- However, this option of 'Address' does not exist (only 'Favourites' and 'Cities' are given as options. So the fundamental purpose of typing in an address and navigating to it cannot be met.

So it may be a nice little novelty to track your route and share it with people on the net, or find out how fast your heart is beating whilst training, or more appropriatly when you get frustrated with your Garmin....

But this Garmin bike computer has only helped me with only two route options - back to Wiggle, or the recycling bin.

This Garmin GPS computer that doesn't have a simple address input or co-ordinate inputer should be navigated straight back to China for recycling.