So i recently got myself a new bike which has motivated me to do more riding. As a result i have started using Strava more on the Iphone but i am starting to doubt its accuracy with regards to vertical metres and also just general tracking. Decided to treat myself to a new toy so started looking at Garmins.

Few questions,

1. Should i bother buying the better ones with mapping functions or just buy the 510 and use that? I like to think that at some point i will download GPX files to it and follow them but not sure how easy they are to find on the internet and also whether its a particularly useful feature.

2. Should i bother spending the extra 50 quid for the heart rate monitor or is it something i may use once or twice and then get bored of?

Any advice, comments or anything that may help me decide?!

Also dont really want to buy something now and find it way out of date in 6 months time.

Thanks

Started life with a 500 wasn’t long before I wanted an 800 (mapping). Got an 800 worked a treat. Recently got a 810 slight improvement in function but essentially same as 800.
1000 – no idea, HRM yeas for me but tbh I pair mine up with a PM.
Don’t think I have ever downloaded a GPX file, I use mapping for creating my own routes when I go to unfamiliar places. I recently moved to the Chilterns didn’t know the area but mapped rides then load it onto garmin- hey presto off I go.

I recently upgraded from the 500 to the 810. I use the mapping whenever I’m somewhere new – the route creator in Strava is a great way to get a GPX for where you want to go.

I had a look at the 1000 and it’s quite big. Too big for my liking,

You can skip the HR monitor. If you needed it you can add it later.

The advantage of the mapping functions is that it allows you to follow or create routes. For me it meant I got to a lot of places by the better routes. Note you will need a SD card with map on it, I’d recommend the OS one. Route mapping software also uses your SD card map. The basic map only comes with major roads.

Strava and phone is accurate enough. Why spend if you don’t need to?

I’ve had 800 for some three years and loved it. I’ve just bought a 1000 as I want the ability to upload my data to iPhone whilst I’m on holiday. I also use the mapping functions on off roads.

Should you buy? Depends on what you want to do. Plot and follow new routes to explore on off road, train, follow others routes etc from Internet then yes. If it’s to be just to upload to strava for the odd ride, stick with your phone.

I’m not sure regarding the altitude accuracy of the GPS chip in an iPhone, altitude/elevation is the hardest bit for any GPS device to get right.

1. Only you know whether you need mapping. My wife’s an 800 so I decided to get a 510. If I’m out with her then we’ve got the maps on the 800, if I’m out on my own then I’ll know where I am if I’m riding in the NW of England or the Dales, not sure about other parts of the country. The maps are fine but compared to paper maps they are like having blinkers on – you only get a km or two around your current location so you have to scroll (in the right direction) to find a junction say 5km ahead. GPX files (and their cousins TCX files) are easy to generate using mapmyride or bikeroutetoaster. TCX files have the “Turn left in 100 metres” hints. On the 510 I found them a bit of a faff to follow without maps – if you overshoot a junction and turn round the hint still says “Turn left”. I did try following an off-road route but it was as easy to follow the signposts at each road crossing TBH.

2. I find the HRM useful (the cadence meter is also useful) but it really does depend on what you want to get out of the device. If you go for a long steady road ride then you can set up your heart rate zones and use them to pace yourself but for off-road stuff I wouldn’t bother unless you are aiming to race.

I got my 510 two years ago and it still works fine, there was a firmware upgrade so that you can use the Garmin Virb cameras with it and I think there’s another firmware update so it’s still being supported. The features on the newer models are only worth it if you are going to use them.

On the MTB as a non-racer, HRM is a bit of a novelty for me. On the road bike I find it a lot more useful, probably because I haven’t done as much road riding so I don’t know how hard I can push for longer rides. Cadence is also useful on the road bike, so I reckon go for the bundle with the HRM and sensor included.

If you don’t want to bother with HRM / Speed / Cadence isn’t there a cheaper version? Edge Touring 200 or something?

I’ve got a 510, and decent maps on my iPhone which on balance is probably easier to use and cheaper than an Edge 810.

Thanks for all the useful replies, makes me think that the 1000 is not necessary. Also makes me think i dont need the heart rate monitor just yet eithier.

With regards to the Sd card and OS maps. I live in Austria, do the cards come as per a sat nav, so UK and then western europe or is it more regional specific?

I am more drawn to the 810 as the price difference is not so high and i am concerend that i may end up missing the plotting a route feature if i decide to travel anywhere else.

Incidentally i have been using strava with iphone for few years out here now ( with short rides but lot of vertical metres) and it was only recently with comparing rides with someone that had a garmin that made me doubt the accuracy, purely with vertical metres, the iphone always seems to exaggerate.

Thanks again

On today’s ride there’s 5% difference between the elevation recorded on my wife’s 800 and my 510. If there had been another rider with us then they’d have a different value. On occasion my 510 has shown over 10% extra elevation gain for the same ride.

The Garmin’s use barometric data as well as GPS data to work out elevation.

Garmin premium hrm’s are 40 quid at wiggle atm, so decide on that later. I’ve found the navigation on the 510 to be pretty useful if you roughly know where you are, but don’t want to miss turn.

Strava and Garmin dashboard has an option to correct your elevation against the surveyed hight. No idea how accurate that correction is but to be honest I’m not that bothered ??

Go to the garmin home page to find the right SD card map for your area.

http://www.garmin.com/en-GB

For maps, you can download some for free from OpenStreetMap, then just copy them onto an SD card. This website is good: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

it was only recently with comparing rides with someone that had a garmin that made me doubt the accuracy, purely with vertical metres, the iphone always seems to exaggerate.

Yeah, this isn’t always a good thing though – I get more KOMs with the iPhone!

So last night i ordered the 810, got it from bike-discount.de for €362 euros for the unit and the performance and navigation bundle, so comes with all sensors and the city guide memory card. For the extra 20 euros over the performance bundle seemed worth it.

With the strength of the pound over the euro just now worked out at around £260 posted free which i thought was pretty reasonable.

Thanks for all the advice, hopefully it is what i want it to be!!

Cheers

bit late but the mapping on the 810 is one of the features that makes it for me, out on Sunday in a bit of a confusing lot of woods with multiple identical looking track, the tracks were on my maps and we used it to link through to the exit and avoided a few false turns, seems simple enough but sped up the ride.

I tend to flick between the stats and the map screens a lot on longer rides and like to keep up with where I am etc.

For me it comes into it’s own when racing, I’m not serious but I’ve done some multi day events and just having a pacing and goal to hit really keeps me going. Look at some of the mounts, using a SRAM out front one and need another as I’m swapping between bikes. It held on fine on the 110kph drive home yesterday as I forgot to take it off the bike.