So with the Christmas money I received from my in-laws, I decided to get a cycle computer. I opted for the Garmin Edge 305 because it uses GPS to determine your speed & location, so all you have to do is strap it to your bike. The software it comes with is fairly paltry, but you can upload your rides to motionbased.com and see all the info there (except cadence and heart rate but I am only interested in time/distance/elevation). You can also export to Google maps, Google earth, or other GPS software.
Here is a map of the ride from my house to the water tanks and back:
It came with a cadence sensor, which I put on my Surly Karate Monkey. But I am no pro, so I don’t know what to do with the cadence data. I am not sure cadence is even important on a single speed, as the cranks go round and round about the same all the time (unless I am coasting downhill).
Anyway the Edge 305 is a neat product and it has inspired the geek in me to bike a little more so I can gather more data — data with which I can make more maps, etc …
Note: This is not a GPS that gives you directions! It can, but it’s main function is to track your rides. It is very different from what you think a GPS should be. Garmin makes an Edge 705 that does all the routing, mapping, directional stuff like a car GPS. But the Edge 705 costs $499, plus $89 for the latest street maps.
Product: Garmin Edge 305
Suggested Retail Price: $349
Purchased from Zappos for $249
on Jan 2nd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
I got one of these as well. I haven’t tried it out yet, but I can’t wait to see how it performs. Seems to have trouble picking up satelites.
on Aug 21st, 2009 at 8:17 am
Great review.. I am about to get a YKK mountain bike for my daily nature riding. Maybe this way i can flatten my tummy. Hehe.. Nice article.