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Garmin’s Edge MTB is built with DNA from the brand's Edge 5-series bike computers, sitting between the 540 and 550 when comparing specs.
The most obvious difference is the rugged exterior, with its rubberised edge reminiscent of the classic Nokia 5210 phone, which my mates and I used to fling across the school playing fields as a youth. This gives the MTB Edge a slightly more blocky and bulky aesthetic than the Edge 550.
The other differences that separate the Edge MTB from the Edge 550 are functionality-based.
Two additional profiles have been added to the Edge MTB – Enduro and DH, on top of the usual Road, Gravel, MTB and Indoor options.
When using these profiles, the unit increases its recording frequency (how often it determines your GPS location) during descents, to give you even more accurate reporting of your speed, location and airtime.
As per the Edge 550, the Edge MTB uses buttons, rather than a touchscreen, and features a 54mm screen.
The Edge MTB is priced at £339.99 / $399.99 / €399.99.
Garmin Edge MTB features
The 54mm (2.13in) colour screen, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass that's said to be scratch-resistant, is held in a 77x50x19mm body, which weighs 59g.
The left side of the body holds the up/down and power buttons, the base the start and lap buttons, and the right features menu and return buttons. The rubberised outer edge encases these buttons to help prevent water ingress.
The unit is rated to IPX7 waterproofing – should you drop it in a metre-deep puddle, you should be able to leave it there for up to 30 minutes with no ill effects.
The ‘X’ in IPX7 means the dust resistance is either untested or unspecified.
The usual quarter-turn Garmin bracket attachment is on the rear, but it's lacking the contacts to enable it to connect to Garmin’s external battery.
The battery, charged via a USB-C port, is said to offer 14 hours of life in regular use, or up to 20 in battery saving mode – not quite enough for a 24-hour solo attempt.
This is less than the ‘up to 26-hour’ battery life of the Edge 540 – a unit with the same screen. The 550’s reported 12-hour battery life is likely lower, thanks to a higher-spec screen, but its battery saver mode boosts it to 36 hours.
Connectivity-wise, ANT+ and Bluetooth are supported, with the unit ready to connect to accessories such as compatible power meters, heart-rate straps and your phone. Additionally, Shimano Di2 and SRAM AXS components can 'talk' to the unit.
There’s 32GB of internal storage and 100 routes can be listed in there, along with 200 waypoints of your favourite locations.
It lacks the WiFi connectivity of the 550 and the latest posh Liquid Crystal screen (also found on the Garmin 1050), keeping the Transflective TFT screen found on the Edge 540.
The box contains the usual out-front mount, a couple of band-on options and a top-tube mounting plate, to help keep the unit from being damaged in a crash.
Garmin Edge MTB performance
I’ve come to the Edge MTB after years of using Garmin’s touchscreen 8-series and 10-series computers.
Using the Garmin Connect app helps with setup, and I’ve had no issues connecting the head unit to auxiliary hardware – heart rate straps, power meters, phones or watches. The connections have been quick and stable.
The provision of buttons, rather than having to flick through menus with my fingers, brings both positives and negatives.
On the plus side, there are no issues with wet, muddy or sweaty screens, with the buttons working as advertised regardless of how mucky the conditions are. There’s just enough of a ‘click’ from the buttons that they’re OK to use with summer and mid-thickness winter gloves.
Once used to the buttons’ actions, I haven't had any problems navigating the, at times, long-winded menus. In fact, the lack of lag makes moving through options quicker and less frustrating than with a touchscreen.
It can also feel a little too involved, with screens moving from one to another, popping up information when it deems you need it, or beeping at you at any opportunity. Work out what you need and then delve into the settings because these can mostly be turned off.
Where the buttons fall down, in my opinion, is when it comes to manipulating the map – touchscreens work better when you can move things around with your fingers. As such, navigation is trickier with this system, although I personally won't be going back to maps.
This combines with my other main dislike of the unit: the small screen isn’t really up to prolonged, tricky navigation.
The colours, brightness and resolution of the screen are as good as larger units, however the screen is too small to have a broad enough overview of the map when you’re in a space with many potential junctions or features.
This is compounded by Garmin’s frustratingly obstructive notifications that tend to pop up when you least need them – namely when you’re a bit lost and the computer decides to tell you this, too.
As such, when heading out on rides where I'm following an unknown route, I favour the larger devices.
What the Garmin Edge MTB is good at, though, is being a ride-tracking device.
The GPS signal is fairly quick to locate, and while deep mountainous forests can pose a problem for the receiver, for the most part, the computer does a great job of locating you on a map.
As with other Garmin devices, the range and display of ride data are rich and customisable, and the training, nutrition and hydration prompts are genuinely useful if that’s your bag (they can be turned off).
In essence, the Edge MTB is as good as the Garmin 550 when it comes to being a bike computer.
Specifically for the mountain bikers
The addition of the DH and Enduro modes (along with the rubberised case) is what separates the Edge MTB from other models.
The Enduro profile is going to be useful if you take racing seriously or want to be able to simulate your race day out on the trail.
The function requires you to press the Lap button to separate uphill or liaisons from descents, and you’re presented with data split neatly (on the device, or in the Garmin Connect app/website) into climbs and descents.
This data can then be filtered into only climbs or descents, showing various bits of information, including the Grit (how hard the section of ride was) and Flow (how well you rode it – in its simplest terms).
During the descending portions of the ride, the Edge MTB records data at a higher rate to provide better-quality information on your performance.
The DH profile is similar to the Enduro profile, but climbs are automatically discounted from the ride data – no clicking of the Lap button is needed here.
As such, this is one to use only if you’re on uplifts or chairlifts (unless you really don’t want your climbing performance recorded).
Once again, the data presented for the descents is measured at a higher rate, and the results given are relevant to descending on a mountain bike.
While the Grit and Flow scores are created algorithmically and, frankly, just a bit of fun, you also get all your jumps recorded, providing distance, speed and hang time.
In use, the DH profile works fairly well. However, it’s not foolproof.
With no manual override, any ascents in your descent are likely to trigger it to believe you’re on an uplift (and thus recording will stop), and vice versa.
For example, a recent day at BikePark Wales saw the computer recording the slightly descending portion of the uplift road, taken in the van.
Is this problematic? Likely not for the bulk of riders, but it’s something to be aware of.
Starter’s orders
Garmin’s other feature is the Timing Gates functionality, used when we were testing whether a 90s DH skinsuit is faster than modern kit.
This enables you to set pre-determined points on a track – when you pass through them, the device will record the time from the start.
It’s a useful feature if you’re using a track for testing, because you can set the gates and return to them in the future.
The only downside is the gates need to be set while you ride, rather than in advance, so you need to perform a test run.
You also need to set the direction of travel on the map, using the buttons, which is a little fiddly.
Foresee the trail(s)
The Garmin Edge MTB comes loaded with Trailforks’ library of trails.
These are displayed on the map, but are perhaps most useful with the ForkSite functionality.
If you stop on a trail or road, in an area where there are mapped trails, the computer will list and show the location of nearby trails.
These are rated by difficulty, length and elevation, as well as any directionality they may have.
The improved ForkSite function on the Edge MTB will also give gradient profiles for any selected trail.
Using this functionality would be easier with a larger touchscreen. However, for riders new to an area and looking to explore, it's useful regardless.
The usual Garmin features
On top of these, the usual Garmin navigation and safety features are provided.
LiveTrack enables contacts to track your location, while Incident Detection can send emergency alerts in the event of a crash.
The unit will connect to Varia lights and radars, too.
When it comes to navigation, the in-built software can generate routes, loops or ways home, including using data via its Trendline software – analysing popular routes taken by other Garmin-using riders, pre-loaded into the map.
Garmin Edge MTB bottom line
The Garmin Edge MTB is a neat device for mountain bikers who’re dedicated to tracking their rides and want a little more MTB focus from the data on offer.
However, as a navigation device, I would pick a larger-screened model from Garmin’s range and fit a rubber protector to it. The latest computers from Garmin (those ending with a ‘50’) have the MTB features found on the Edge MTB included, although at a higher price.
The unit itself seems pretty much indestructible, especially when kept out of the way on the top-tube mount provided in the box.
The specific MTB features all work well, although their use is at times a little bit more fiddly, thanks to having to use buttons rather than a touchscreen.
It’s also a very viable unit for road and gravel riders who want a fairly comprehensive, but smaller computer – the bulk of the features you need are included on the Edge MTB.
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