Garmin Edge 1000 to launch at Sea Otter

Hi-res colour touchscreen, smartphone connectivity and preloaded maps

Courtesy

Published: April 9, 2014 at 11:00 am

The Garmin Edge 1000 is being unveiled this week in California. It will carry over many of the training features of the Edge 810 and the navigation features of the Edge Touring, as well as adding a few new options in a higher-resolution display.

The Edge 1000 features a 3in touchscreen display with full-colour 240x400 resolution, compared to the Edge 810's 2.7in display with 160x240 resolution. Claimed battery life is up to 15 hours.

The Edge 1000 will be available in the UK from May 2014 for £439 alone or £499 as a bundle.

The garmin edge 1000

Video: Garmin Edge 1000

Edge 1000 Training – similar to Edge 810

Taking a cue from Strava, Garmin is offering Edge 1000 users the ability to find and compete on segments created on the Garmin Connect site. A later software release will allow users to plan rides using multiple segments, Garmin said. In the meantime, riders can compete against their previous best or the segment leader's time with the Virtual Partner feature. Riders can also be notified when a Garmin Connect segment is coming up.

When used in conjunction with the newly remodeled Garmin Connect site and a Bluetooth-paired smartphone, Edge 1000 users upload and download ride data, and let friends and family track their ride progress in real time.

In addition to pushing data out, riders with a smartphone can pair it to the Edge 1000 to view incoming calls and text message alerts on their handlebars.

The garmin edge 1000 has a new 3in touchscreen: the garmin edge 1000 has a new 3in touchscreen - Courtesy

The Garmin Edge 1000 has a new 3in touchscreen

Edge 1000 Navigation — similar to Edge Touring

As with the Edge Touring, the Edge 1000 comes loaded with maps and points of interest, such as parks and trails. Riders familiar with a Garmin vehicle GPS will recognise the turn-buy-turn features.

It is unclear how well the navigation features will work for cycling-friendly routes. Riders can enter a target distance – how far they want to ride – and the Edge 1000 will offer up to three routes, with the opportunity to review the elevation profiles before choosing. But unlike vehicle GPS units that have huge databases of road maps to pull from, with defaults being larger roads, the world does not yet have a comprehensive source for ideal bike routes. BikeRadar will test this feature and others as soon as we receive a demo unit, and we will report back.

The garmin edge 1000 boasts the navigation features of the edge touring with more training features: the garmin edge 1000 boasts the navigation features of the edge touring with more training features - Courtesy

The Garmin Edge 1000 boasts the navigation features of the Edge Touring with more training features

Edge 1000 display and compatibility – lots of options

Garmin is hoping the Edge 1000 will gain traction with road, mountain and touring riders, with a 3in touchscreen that works with gloves and in the wet, the company says. An ambient light sensor lights up the screen when riding at night or even when going into a tunnel. Riders also can set the Edge 1000 horizontally for a wide view in addition to the standard vertical mount.

As with the Egde 810, the Edge 1000 can be paired with ANT products such as heart rate monitors, power meters and speed/cadence sensors.

The Edge 1000 is compatible with the latest Shimano Di2 electric systems (that have Shimano's D-Fly system), displaying the current gear on the screen.

Check back soon for a full review of the Edge 1000.

Despite the larger screen, the garmin edge 1000 looks to be a bit thinner than the current edge 810: despite the larger screen, the garmin edge 1000 looks to be a bit thinner than the current edge 810 - Courtesy

Despite the larger screen, the Garmin Edge 1000 looks to be a bit thinner than the current Edge 810