Looking to get a GPS for my bike and wondering whether I should go for a Garmin 800 or 810. (I tried a forum search, but while I saw lots of “what GPS” posts, most of which recommended the 800/810, I couldn’t find anything comparing the two.)

I definitely want the maps and turn-by-turn navigation, so that rules out the 500 series, but can’t see why the 810 is so much more expensive than the 800? I know it has Bluetooth, but I assume there must be more to it than that to justify the quite significant increase in price?

I will be looking to get the Performance pack, so will be using it with HRM and cadence sensors, but I won’t be using power sensors. It will be for road use only.

Any help much appreciated.

AFAIK the mobile phone integration via bluetooth is the major improvement, and it does sound cool – although as DCRainmaker points out they’ve missed a trick here as they could have done much more with it. Basically it just lets you sync activities/courses with Garmin Connect without plugging it into your computer via USB. There’s also live tracking and some kind of weather info available via your mobile.

I think there’s also been a minor UI upgrade. Cool features, but not enough to convince me to go for it over the 800 (especially as they were really cheap over Chrimbo!)

I ride solo a lot, and especially at night, so the live track gives me comfort that i would be found if i had a big off.
For me, that makes it worth buying over the 800.

This is of course subject to mobile coverage

If you want live track and you have mobile with you anyway there are apps that do same including garmins own one. Probably get better battery life out of the mobile as you wouldn’t have to be running Bluetooth.

I went for the 800 myself, I could see the advantage of uploads without having to connect to a PC but not worth the price difference though.

Thanks all. Looks like I’ll go with the 800 then.

I ride solo a lot, and especially at night, so the live track gives me comfort that i would be found if i had a big off.

Yeah, that would be appealing, but I always take my phone with me anyway, so have that covered.

If you want live track and you have mobile with you anyway there are apps that do same including garmins own one. Probably get better battery life out of the mobile as you wouldn’t have to be running Bluetooth.

I do always ride with my phone in my saddle pack and currently use that for tracking my rides, but I’m really looking for turn-by-turn navigation and don’t want to mount my phone to my bars in case I damage it in a spill. (Not that I’d want to damage a £200 Garmin either, but you take my point.)

Having used both 800 and 810 quite a bit I have to say that my mobile phone lasts *a lot* longer now that I’m not using (for example) Endomondo tracking and using the LiveTrack thing on the 810 instead.

Also like the fact I don’t plug it in after every ride (it synchs wirelessly to Garmin Connect and then to Strava automatically via tapiriik.com) which, although probably placebo, makes me feel happier about battery cycles etc. The 800 used to feel like its battery dropped off a cliff, the 810 doesn’t seem be like that. Probably just my imagination but hey.

Aside from all that, the 810 behaves pretty much the same as the 800 in my view. They’ll probably bring out a 820 (900?) before long anyway and the render the niggles (there are some) of the 810 irrelevant.

Oh, and the weather thing has never worked (and I don’t seem to be alone!) but hasn’t bothered me unduly!

HTH