Magellan brings Cyclo GPS computers to the US

Finding traction in Europe and Australia, Magellan comes stateside

The Magellan Cyclo 505 offers a variety of navigation options in a color touchscreen computer

Courtesy

Ben Delaney

Published: May 20, 2014 at 3:30 am
The Magellan Cyclo 505 offers a variety of navigation options in a color touchscreen computer - Courtesy
Magellan's Cyclo 505 comes preloaded with maps - Courtesy
The 'Surprise Me' feature lets you find new routes by selecting your preferred time or distance - Courtesy
You can also tailor how and where the Cyclo computer guides you with ride preferences - Courtesy

Magellan, a GPS company with auto, outdoor and mobile products, is bringing its Cyclo 315 and 505 GPS cycling computers to North America. With hopes to capture some market share from Garmin, Magellan has a robust product with the Cyclo 505, which it claims was first to include a Shimano Di2 gear display (ahead of the Garmin Edge 1000), as well as offering features like Bluetooth Smart, ANT+ and WiFi connectivity, and iPhone and Android support.

The Cyclo 315 will sell for $349 as a smaller kit and $429 as a bundle that include heart-rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor. The Cyclo 505 will sell for $429 alone and $499 as a bundle.

Both units come with road maps and turn-by-turn navigation functionality for the US and Canada.

Both units feature 3in color touchscreens.

In addition to the standard performance cycling computer metrics (variations on speed, distance, time, altitude, power, heart rate, etc.) and navigation features to chosen locations, the Cyclo units also have a 'Surprise Me' function that gives you three loops based on time or distance, with each rated for difficulty.

The 'surprise me' feature lets you find new routes by selecting your preferred time or distance: the 'surprise me' feature lets you find new routes by selecting your preferred time or distance - Courtesy

One notable feature is the WiFi connectivity. Once in range of a wireless signal after a ride is completed, pressing 'WiFi sync' pushes any saved routes and data to the rider's Magellan Cyclo account. From there, (once configured) those rides can be automatically pushed to Strava.

Riders who have either an iPhone or Android smartphone can connect their phone via Bluetooth so that text messages and call alerts pop up on their Cyclo screens, where they can control the music on their phones.

Another novelty is the ‘Shake n Share’ feature. If two riders have Cyclo computers, they can wirelessly share saved routes by shaking their computers so both can follow the same navigation.

BikeRadar expects to have a test unit soon, and will report back on our findings.

You can also tailor how and where the cyclo computer guides you with ride preferences: you can also tailor how and where the cyclo computer guides you with ride preferences - Courtesy

Ben Delaney

Contributor

Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.
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