Garmin Edge 705 - Need Feedback

Tanker

Tanker

New Member
Hi folks,
I know several of you use this device and I have read some interesting reviews on several sites.
Specifically to cycling, I would love to hear what your experiences have been and whether you have found any bugs or issues that made you second guess your decision to buy it.
If I buy this, my intention is to use it primarily as a trainer where I can record/download rides to follow and also crate training routines.
My main goal is to lose weight and become faster on the bike, not necessarily mutually exclusive goals 😀
One thing I have been wondering about is how you carry it during rides; do you mount it on the handlebars? Is it safe to do so, I mean with all the movement, does it stay on? Or do you carry it on your backpack?

I use a Mac although in a pinch I can "borrow" the missus's PC.

And if this device has been discussed before apologies; could not find a reference on the site.

Thanks!

Alex
 
i have the 605. its like the 705, just no heartbeat, and cadence. i think its great. i mounted it on my handlebars, no problems whatsoever. and it's compatible with mac.
 
Hey, I have the 605 also and have it mounted on both my MTB and Road bike w/ no problems. I also use a mac w/ it and no problems either. The ability to DL other peoples rides and follow them is great, i've taken advantage of that a bunch of times already. You shouldn't have any problems, its a great little addition to the bike.
 
On the handlebars. No problems whatsoever and that's going down some pretty rough trails. Being able to download other rides and follow them at places I've never ridden without getting lost is priceless.
 
I use it on all my rides, 5 different bikes, handlebar mount. Never once second guessed buying this.
 
I mount mine on the stem of all five of my bikes. I have never had a problem with it. I owned the 305 when it first came out and I purchased the 705 when that first came out.

I had many issues witht he 305 and sent it back to Garmin several times. They were always great with fixing it, even after the warranty expired.

As for the 705, I have about 10,000 miles on it and i have never had a problem. I can't fathom riding without it now. It has never fallen off or failed me on a ride. The battery lasts as long as it did on the first day I got it in 2007. I highly reccommend this to anyone!!!
 
Thanks for all of your responses. I have been doing more research on the 705 and it absolutely loks like the way to go.
I have owned Garmin and Magellan units before, although not for this purpose, the battery life and reliability of Garmin units is quite impressive.
My main concern was actually dropping it while on the trails, especially for a beginner like me who is still fairly green around handling the bike off-road.

I'll report once I get the 705 (and find a constructive way of "deferring" purchase notification to next of kin, a.k.a wife 😉 )

Alex
 
More questions ...

Wait ... two more questions:

A cadence monitor is not a feature you'd need on a mountain bike I assume? Road bike yes, but I don't see the need for it as cadence is not something we are looking for to maintain? Am I correct here?

Also, maps, I assume you can download those from Garmin and upload into an sD card, any other places where we can download maps? Cost? Any "typical" maps you all have that are good for NJ and trail-friendly?

Thanks !

Alex
 
Tanker said:
Wait ... two more questions:

A cadence monitor is not a feature you'd need on a mountain bike I assume? Road bike yes, but I don't see the need for it as cadence is not something we are looking for to maintain? Am I correct here?

Also, maps, I assume you can download those from Garmin and upload into an sD card, any other places where we can download maps? Cost? Any "typical" maps you all have that are good for NJ and trail-friendly?

Thanks !

Alex
Click to expand...


Check the GPS wiki page here:

http://www.mtbnj.com/wiki/Category:GPS_Instructions

Norm put together a good walkthrough of how to add new maps and such to your Garmin Edge. I used it after getting mine to add topo maps for NJ and a few other states.

http://www.mtbnj.com/wiki/Adding_Tracks_to_Your_Edge's_Map

These should tell you everything you need to know.
 
I purchased the maps on a micro SD card. It was about $60 for the card. I am sure there is a way to put them on a micro SD card, but I am not sure how. I am sure you can google it somewhere.

When I purchased my Garmin, i got the Topo map and the City Navigator maps. I use the Topo maps all the time and I sold the City Navigator maps about 2 years ago. If you are going to buy the maps, I would just go with the topo maps.
 
Garmin Edge 500 ( thumbs up )

I was thinking about getting the 705 but it looked a bit pricey and perhaps a bit fragile given my tendency for constant endo face dabs. So I opted for the Edge 500 with HRM which is tiny and nearly weightless ( no map view) as I strictly use it for upload ( and the configurable display I have typically set to display elapsed time in a jumbo geezer readable size and distance etc smaller ). If my biking zeal continues and I get a cross bike I will get the cadence sensor ( great mount systems allows it to be moved in an instant )
 
Great Idea RC!

Hey guys which ever Garmin you have/buy it's a VERY good idea to put your phone number on a small piece of paper with clear tape over it. I have both the 500 & the 705 and it my number fits on the back of the devise even with the area code. It's very good insurance to do this. I have lost mine before and was called shortly after 😀 Lets hope I don't loose my phone too :cry:

Your friendly neighborhood Racerchick ... 🙂
 
Good idea.

P.S. what maps do you guys use for riding on the road? I just got my 705 and planned to hit the road tonight on the CAAD9 and wanted to track my ride.
 
I have a 705 and 500 and would suggest considering the 500 (if no need for fancy maps) or new 800 as the mount system is far superior to the X05 series mounts. Much more secure and doesn't break easily. That said, I MTB with the 705 and have crashed and no issues. I put a piece of clear packing tape over the screen for additional scratch protection and that has done it's job well. I have mine mounted to the stem, not the bars, which I think gives it a bit more protection on the front end in crashes.
 
JumpinJosh said:
Good idea.

P.S. what maps do you guys use for riding on the road? I just got my 705 and planned to hit the road tonight on the CAAD9 and wanted to track my ride.
Click to expand...

I use the NJ TOPO maps on the road and on the trail. I originally bought both the TOPO and the City Navigator and wound up selling the latter. The topo seemed to have all of the roads the City Navigator maps had.

I checked out the Cloudmade maps and they seem pretty cool. Do I just upload that onto a micro Sd card and insert it into my Edge 705?
 
Hey guys , I know this has been discussed about a billion times , but if those that have been here before could toss out their thoughts and opinions I would really appreciate it .
Trying to decide between the Garmin 500 or 705 . I pretty sure the 500 is the one I need/want .
Cost is factor and the 500 is a much more do able number with no guilt factor .

I'd like to be able to track my rides , does the 705 allow me to see my ride as it's happening ? How does that work when your in the woods ? Does it actually see's the trails or only tracks where I've been ?

The 500 allows me to track my ride but I cannot see it until the ride is uploaded to the computer ?

This will be used strictly in the woods and not on the road .

Do I care that the 500 cannot add maps ?
Do I care that I can't add waypoints to my rides ?

Features I'd like :
Temp
Total time
Total Miles
To be able to upload my route from the day .
The HR monitor is nice , but I think it would tell me I just died after some of the hill climbs .
Calories burned , do I need the HR monitor to determine this ?

Thanks ,
Mike
 
Yeah, you need HR to determine calories.

I don't know anything about the 500. I have a 705 and I like it. Not much more I can add.
 
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