Finest Garmin bike computer systems

Bike computer systems are extremely helpful instruments for monitoring and guiding your bike rides, whether or not you keep on with pavement or journey on the paths. Garmin presents a full vary of bike computers, however fortunately, there are fewer choices than you may discover in Garmin’s watch and fitness tracker lineup. Nonetheless, there are many selections for a variety of budgets and wishes, so you can also make positive to seek out the Garmin bike laptop that is finest for you.

All of Garmin’s head items present at the least fundamental experience and efficiency knowledge, together with mapping and navigation instruments. Nonetheless, relying in your chosen mannequin, the show sort, dimension, specific features, and worth will, naturally, differ.

Finest Garmin bike laptop general

Garmin’s newest bike laptop is a critically spectacular gadget with a protracted record of options, making it my favorite bike computer throughout any model. To begin, Garmin lastly addressed probably the most widespread complaints about Garmin bike computer systems: the outdated show expertise. The newest Garmin bike laptop includes a vibrant and shiny liquid crystal show that appears far more trendy. The touchscreen could be very snappy and responsive, making it really feel reasonably like a smartphone.

Past appears, the Edge 1050 can also be filled with helpful options. It presents a built-in speaker that features as a loud bell and notifies you of hazards on the street because of crowdsourced info, very similar to Waze does. There’s additionally an Incident Detection function and the flexibility to be notified if a member of your group experience has an incident.

The Edge 1050 presents extremely correct multi-band GNSS for exact location, mapping, pace, and distance knowledge throughout your rides. The big show makes it straightforward to make use of for navigation, with turn-by-turn instructions and easy accessibility to routes.

The one draw back is the brilliant show does affect battery life, but it surely nonetheless supplies 20 hours of battery life in demanding conditions (Multi-GNSS Multi-Band, all of the sensors, LiveTrack enabled, map web page on fixed show, and course following). At $700, it is an costly bike laptop, but it surely’s laborious to beat for critical cyclists on the lookout for a feature-rich, exact software.

Finest Garmin bike laptop for battery life

Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

Lengthy battery life with photo voltaic charging

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a complicated bike laptop with photo voltaic charging capabilities to increase battery life. It presents a sturdy record of options for navigation, efficiency, and security with a large show that makes it straightforward to see info throughout your rides.

Execs

• Glorious battery life with photo voltaic charging
• Comes with a number of equipment
• Massive show is simple to learn in all situations
• Numerous efficiency and navigation options

Cons

• Photo voltaic charging is simply helpful in particular conditions
• Show appears a bit outdated

For some, prolonged battery life is extra essential than a vibrant, fancy show. The Edge 1040 Photo voltaic sits simply above the Edge 1050 when it comes to worth however presents greater than double the battery life when utilized in sunny areas. The show is a transflective TFT touchscreen constructed with Garmin’s Energy Glass. Together with two photo voltaic panels above and under the show, the gadget will get roughly 40 hours of life in considerably demanding use instances with minimal photo voltaic charging. Sunny rides would fare even higher, promising as much as 50 hours of life.

Learn our overview

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic supplies intensive battery life with a protracted record of options, however the show is a letdown.

The Edge 1040 Photo voltaic presents helpful navigation instruments, together with turn-by-turn course and the flexibility to sync routes from Strava and different platforms simply. It additionally warns you when you’re coming as much as a busy street or tight flip, even when you aren’t following a route. Just like the Edge 1050, it options multi-band GNSS for extremely correct location knowledge and the flexibility to pair coronary heart charge sensors and energy meters.

As anticipated from a top-tier Garmin bike laptop, you may have entry to a sturdy record of efficiency and coaching instruments. That features stamina insights, so you may get an thought of what kind of tempo you possibly can keep in your route and coaching standing to assist gauge in case you are over or under-training. You’ll get on-device each day prompt exercises and might even add an occasion to get adaptive coaching instruments. It is a dear software, but it surely’s price it for these critical about efficiency.

Finest Garmin bike laptop for most individuals

Garmin Edge 540

A steadiness of options and worth

The Garmin Edge 540 is a mid-tier bike laptop with a coloration show and button-only controls. It presents loads of navigation instruments, adaptive teaching, and multi-band GNSS for correct knowledge in your rides. 

Execs

• Loads of navigation instruments
• Appropriate with adaptive coaching
• Works with extra sensors
• Correct location knowledge

The Edge 540 sits roughly in the midst of the Garmin bike laptop lineup. It presents a steadiness of worth and options that’s ideally suited for many riders. It supplies much more knowledge than the smaller Edge 130 Plus, with full restoration and coaching load lined. You may have loads of metrics to your experience, together with energy compatibility and indoor bike coach management. It presents multi-band GNSS for correct location knowledge, and the colour show helps navigation with turn-by-turn routing and re-routing.

The smartphone connectivity supplies LiveTrack, cellphone notifications, and far more, whereas connectivity consists of Wi-Fi for updates and syncing with out a cellphone connection. Plus, there’s Bluetooth and ANT+ for connectivity to different sensors, including to the instruments you possibly can benefit from. It supplies as much as 26 hours of battery life, which is a lot lengthy for most individuals.

The most important draw back for some is that the Edge 540 would not have a touchscreen. It is button management solely, which is without doubt one of the massive variations between this unit and the costlier fashions. The two.6-inch show can also be smaller than the opposite choices, although it nonetheless presents sufficient actual property to simply see the map and your stats throughout rides.

Finest finances Garmin bike laptop

Garmin Edge 130 Plus

Fundamental however succesful

The Garmin Edge 130 Plus sits on the entry level to Garmin’s bike laptop lineup. It’s compact and light-weight, with a monochrome MIP show. Although the options are paired down in comparison with costlier choices, it presents all the mandatory experience stats and coaching options for cyclists who do not want something fancy. 

Execs

• Compact and light-weight
• Navigation with flip prompts
• ClimbPro function for hilly areas
• Loads of connectivity choices

Cons

• Monochrome, non-touchscreen show
• Restricted mapping instruments

The Garmin Edge 130 Plus is Garmin’s entry-level bike laptop. It is a compact and light-weight unit that provides you the important particulars about your experience. It has a GPS and altimeter, so it presents route monitoring and a few navigation. Nonetheless, it is not multi-band, so it will not be fairly as exact as costlier fashions. Just like the Edge 540, the Edge 130 Plus is button-controlled solely, although it has a monochrome display screen.

There is no mapping on the gadget, so it is a breadcrumb path solely from imported routes, with notifications of when to show. It should route again to the beginning, however there isn’t any re-routing provided whenever you enterprise off beam. The altimeter signifies that ClimbPro is obtainable, displaying a visible graph of the hill you are climbing and the way a lot additional there’s to go.

The Edge 1030 Plus connects to your smartphone, enabling knowledge syncing with Garmin Join, LiveTrack, and cellphone notifications. It is also appropriate with a variety of sensors utilizing ANT+ or Bluetooth and helps indoor coach management. It is fairly paired down from Garmin’s different fashions however supplies all of the fundamentals, making it a worthwhile software for all kinds of riders.

FAQ

Q: Does a biking laptop want Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity?

A motorcycle laptop would not essentially want Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity, however these options will assist you to pair extra sensors like coronary heart charge screens, cadence sensors, and energy meters. Moreover, Bluetooth connectivity will assist you to pair your cellphone with the gadget to sync your knowledge and get cellphone notifications. Whilst you can definitely do with out these connectivity choices, they do add some good options and performance.

Q: What are the alternate options to a motorcycle laptop?

Not everybody needs or wants a standalone bike laptop. If that is the case, you may get a number of bike laptop options in your cellphone. A cellphone mount and cycling app can supply navigation instruments, security options, and fundamental knowledge assortment, although with out the accuracy of a standalone unit.