I’m DC RAINMAKER…
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
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Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
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5 Easy Steps To The Site
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In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
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Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
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Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
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My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
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The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
Tag Archives: Garmin Edge
Garmin Edge 1050 In-Depth Review: Brilliance or Battery?
As has been the trend for the last 2 years at Garmin, they’ve apparently grown tired of people complaining about their display tech looking like it’s from 1987. Following various Garmin watches getting brilliant and responsive AMOLED displays, it’s … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 540 Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
Garmin’s Edge 540 is part of a twofer of new cycling GPS units, alongside the touchscreen enabled Edge 840 that was concurrently launched. These two units are nearly identical in software features and functionality, while their core hardware difference is … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1040 (with Solar) In-Depth Review
With Garmin’s introduction of the Edge 1040 Series they’ve become the first GPS bike computer to not only add solar panels to it, but also add multiband GNSS, dramatically increasing the accuracy of the GPS tracks – especially in tougher … Read More Here
Tuesday Tidbits: Starbucks Card on Garmin Edge/Watches, COROS Mojito, Zwift Hardware Survey
It’s Tuesday, and there’s been a handful of things I’ve been meaning to post some quick tidbits about. Items that slipped out over the last few days (or weeks) but didn’t really deserve a full post of their own. But … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1030 Plus In-Depth Review
Like with most Garmin products that tack on a ‘Plus’ designator, the changes from the Edge 1030 to the Edge 1030 Plus aren’t earth-shattering. In fact, the Edge 1030 received overwhelmingly more changes last summer when it got a massive … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 130 Plus In-Depth Review
When the Edge 130 came out a bit over two years ago, I think there was general confusion on where it fit in the Garmin lineup. While I don’t think that confusion was understood by Garmin initially, consumers presumed it … Read More Here
How to: Install Free Maps on your Garmin Edge
Got a Garmin Edge and want to install maps on it while you travel? Here’s the quick and easy steps to get free maps ready and installed. Read More Here
Garmin Edge 530 Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
Your complete rundown and review on the new Garmin Edge 530 and all the new features, from ClimbPro to mountain bike metrics, and how it compares to the Edge 830. Read More Here
Garmin Edge 830 Cycling GPS In-Depth Review
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Edge 830 after a month of usage. Plus, how it compares to the Edge 530 and other Garmin cycling units. Read More Here
Garmin’s New $249 Edge Explore Full Mapping & Navigation Bike GPS: Everything you ever wanted to know
The Edge Explore is quite possibly the best deal in a bike computer that Garmin has ever made. The question is: Can you live with the features cut from i? Read More Here
Garmin Edge 130 In-Depth Review
The Edge 130 aims to blend a mid-range GPS bike computer with the size of a more typical budget GPS computer. Does it pull that off though? I dig into all the details on this simplistic but feature filled unit. Read More Here
Hands-on: Garmin Edge 520 Plus with Mapping
Today’s multi-pronged release of cycling gear by Garmin is probably the company’s most decisive yet at fending off competitors to its lucrative head unit business. And in some ways, they’re probably even undercutting their own high-end head units to stave … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1030 In-Depth Review
** Update: The Edge 1030 has been superseded by the Edge 1030 Plus. Check out the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus In-Depth Review here for the latest info** After over three years, Garmin has updated its flagship GPS navigation computer with … Read More Here
Hands-on with Garmin’s new Edge 820 with mapping
Today Garmin announced their latest cycling computer – the Edge 820. Well, actually, they announced two cycling computers: The Edge 820 and the Edge Explore 820. The Explore is simply the dumbed down version of the 820. While the Edge … Read More Here
Hands on: Strava and Garmin introduce on-device Live Segments for Edge series
Note: As of August 25th, 2015 Garmin has now released firmware updates for the Edge 510, Edge 810, and Edge 1000. You can use Garmin Express (desktop app) or the Garmin Webupdater (also desktop app) to install these. In addition … Read More Here
The new Garmin Edge 520: Everything you ever wanted to know
Today Garmin announced their latest bike computer, the Edge 520 – priced at $299USD. This GPS-enabled unit instantly becomes the most advanced bike computer that Garmin has ever released, adding support for a flotilla of new features. But fear not, … Read More Here
Hands-on with Garmin’s new Edge 20 & Edge 25 GPS units
Today Garmin has rolled out two new bike GPS computers, the Edge 20 and Edge 25. These products add to what has seemed to be a near monthly (or more) cadence of new products from the company within the fitness … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 1000 In-Depth Review
Back in April Garmin unveiled their latest and most expensive cycling computer to date – the Edge 1000. The unit would be bigger than any previous unit, as well as add a number of new features – like included maps. But would it be worth the $600 price tag?
For the past month I’ve been poking at the new unit, getting plenty of rides in all sorts of locales and testing grounds. As such, I’ve got a reasonably good idea on where the unit shines and where it stumbles. And based on that, I’m here to give a pretty clear rundown of what I like and don’t like about the unit (and trust me, I have plenty of opinions this time).
To be clear, Garmin sent me over an Edge 1000 to start testing with until retail availability. Like always, I’ll be shipping that back to them in Olathe, Kansas in the next few days and going out and getting my own via regular retail channels. That’s just the way I roll.
Lastly, at the end of the day keep in mind I’m just like any other regular athlete out there. I write these reviews because I’m inherently a curious person with a technology background, and thus I try and be as complete as I can. But, if I’ve missed something or if you spot something that doesn’t quite jive – just let me know and I’ll be happy to get it all sorted out. Also, because the technology world constantly changes, I try and go back and update these reviews as new features and functionality are added – or if bugs are fixed. So – with that intro, let’s get into things
Unboxing:
The Edge 1000 comes packaged up in two varieties. The first boxed version comes with mostly just the unit (+ some mounts). Whereas the bundle comes with the base unit, then the speed sensor, cadence sensor, and heart rate strap.
After cracking open the box you’ll find a slew of plastic bags with parts in them. In this case, I had the bundle version – so I’ve got more plastic baggies than the non-bundle version.
Post-baggie removal process you’ll have the following collection.
Along the top row is the Edge 1000, the out-front mount (+tool/adapters), and the heart rate strap/pod.
Along the bottom row is the manual, then the cadence sensor bands, the speed sensor & cadence sensor, a bunch of standard mounts, and the micro-USB cable for charging/downloading.
Running through all the pieces briefly, the transmitter pod will pop-in the heart rate strap. The unit is the HRM3 premium strap, with the post-July 2013 firmware, so it’ll pretty significantly reduce heart rate spikes and dropouts.
Next you’ve got the out-front mount, along with two little bar adapters in case you have differing handlebar sizes. Additionally there’s a small tool seen above, plus a lanyard that you can use to further secure your Edge 1000 to the handlebars.
If the out-front mount isn’t your thing, then you’ve got two standard quarter-turn mounts that can be used on a stem/handlebars, as well as a plethora of rubber bands (only two needed per mount).
Next is the ever-exciting micro-USB cable. This is the same type of cable that’s used for virtually all non-Apple phones.
Then we have the speed sensor and cadence sensor. The speed sensor is in the upper left, and the cadence sensor in the lower left. The rubber bands are for the cadence sensor. I’ll dive into that more later.
Finally, there’s the unit itself – but, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!
Size & Weight Comparisons:
When it comes to size, the Edge 1000 takes the cake for the largest cycling computer I’ve seen to date – at least from a dimensional standpoint:
(Left to right sizing: Edge 1000, Mio Cyclo 505, Polar V650, Edge 800/810/Touring, Edge 510, Edge 500/200)
Even comparing it to just other Garmin devices, it’s quite a bit bigger in height and width:
However, it is a fair bit skinnier in depth:
But, if you were to compare it to the latest iPhone (5s), then you’ll see it’s still some bit thicker, even excluding the mount:
When it comes to weight, the Edge 1000 is the heaviest Garmin unit to date, but not quite the heaviest cycling computer on the market:
A look at Garmin’s new ANT+ Speed & Cadence magnet-less sensors
(** Update: These sensors have since been updated. Check out the newest generation Garmin Speed and Cadence Sensor V2**) While these sensors were announced a month ago at the same time as the Edge 1000, photographic information about them has … Read More Here
First look at the new Garmin Edge 1000
(Please Note: My Full In-Depth Review is now available and published here!) Today, Garmin announced their latest cycling unit – the Garmin Edge 1000. Unlike some expectations however, the Edge 1000 doesn’t directly replace the 15-month old Edge 810, but … Read More Here
Hands on with the new Garmin Edge Touring GPS bike computer
Today (well, technically last night, just barely) Garmin announced the latest addition to their bike computer lineup – the Garmin Touring. I had a chance to spend time with the product team last April and give them a bunch of … Read More Here
Tip of the day: How to display your name and phone number on your Garmin Edge
A few days ago a reader tweeted me an interesting little tip that I hadn’t seen before. It allows you to specify a startup message that’s displayed to the person turning on your Garmin Edge unit (hopefully you). And in … Read More Here
How to download free maps to your Garmin Edge GPS
The Garmin Edge series of cycling computers is roughly split into two categories: Those that have a mapping function, and those that don’t. Mapping in this case means that the units also have routable navigation – just like your car … Read More Here
Garmin Edge 510 In-Depth Review
The Garmin Edge 510 is the Garmin’s latest cycling GPS computer to holistically track and manage your cycling workouts and races. It aims to build upon the Edge 500 that was released about three years ago. I’ve been using the unit for some time now and have a pretty good idea of how it stacks up against not only the older Edge 500, but also the other units in the marketplace.
Is this $329 unit worth an upgrade over past units, especially at a $75+ premium? And how do the new connectivity and social sharing features work out? Let’s dive in to find out.
Because I want to be transparent about my reviews – Garmin sent me a final production Edge 510 unit to test out, though, it’s been running beta and release candidate firmware. In the new few weeks I send them back to Garmin and then go out and get my own (to be able to support y’all in the comments section down the road). Simple as that. Sorta like hiking in wilderness trails – leave only footprints. If you find my review useful, you can use any of the Amazon or Clever Training links from this page to help support future reviews.
Lastly, at the end of the day keep in mind I’m just like any other regular athlete out there. I write these reviews because I’m inherently a curious person with a technology background, and thus I try and be as complete as I can. But, if I’ve missed something or if you spot something that doesn’t quite jive – just let me know and I’ll be happy to get it all sorted out. Also, because the technology world constantly changes, I try and go back and update these reviews as new features and functionality are added – or if bugs are fixed.
So – with that intro, let’s get into things.
Garmin Edge 810 In-Depth Review
The Garmin Edge 810 is a cycling GPS with built in mapping navigation that aims to build upon the previous edition of the unit, the Edge 800. I’ve been testing the unit for a while now, and have a pretty good grasp on how well it works and how the new features and functionality pan out.
Is this $499 unit worth the cash though? And are the new features enough to make you want to upgrade? The answer might surprise you.
Because I want to be transparent about my reviews – Garmin sent me a final production Edge 810 unit to test out, though, it’s been running beta and release candidate firmware. In the new few weeks I send them back to Garmin and then go out and get my own (to be able to support y’all in the comments section down the road). Simple as that. Sorta like hiking in wilderness trails – leave only footprints. If you find my review useful, you can use any of the Amazon or Clever Training links from this page to help support future reviews.
Lastly, at the end of the day keep in mind I’m just like any other regular athlete out there. I write these reviews because I’m inherently a curious person with a technology background, and thus I try and be as complete as I can. But, if I’ve missed something or if you spot something that doesn’t quite jive – just let me know and I’ll be happy to get it all sorted out. Also, because the technology world constantly changes, I try and go back and update these reviews as new features and functionality are added – or if bugs are fixed.
So – with that intro, let’s get into things.
Unboxing/Components:
While I received a final production unit, the unit sent to me for testing did not have the final box with it. So I’ll circle back for a proper unboxing once I’ve got a full retail kit.
Of course, I still have all the components and what’s included – so let’s dive into that.
The Edge 810 looks identical to that of its older sibling, the Edge 800.
In fact, the only visual difference between the two units is the outer case styling has “Edge 810” on it.
Like the 800, this unit features three buttons. On the left side, you’ve got the power button, which also controls the light/display options, as well as allows you to access sensor state information such as ANT+ connectivity and smartphone connectivity (as well as weather).
On the front of the unit, there are two additional buttons. The bottom-left button is for setting a lap, while the bottom-right button is for starting and stopping an activity (as well as pausing/resuming).
If you turn it over, you’ll find the USB port (mini-USB), as well as the MicroSD card for loading maps (or to use as additional storage):
The touch screen itself hasn’t changed any from the Edge 800. It’s still a full color, resistive touch screen, which means that it works just fine with gloves and the like (unlike your smart phone).