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 decisions for a variety of budgets and wishes, so you may make positive to seek out the Garmin bike laptop that is greatest for you.

All of Garmin’s head models present at the very least primary trip and efficiency knowledge, together with mapping and navigation instruments. Nevertheless, relying in your chosen mannequin, the show kind, dimension, specific features, and worth will, naturally, fluctuate.

Finest Garmin bike laptop total

Garmin’s newest bike laptop is a critically spectacular system with an extended checklist of options, making it my favorite bike computer throughout any model. To start out, Garmin lastly addressed some of the frequent complaints about Garmin bike computer systems: the outdated show expertise. The newest Garmin bike laptop incorporates a vibrant and brilliant liquid crystal show that appears way more trendy. The touchscreen may be very snappy and responsive, making it really feel quite like a smartphone.

Past seems, 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 due to crowdsourced info, very similar to Waze does. There’s additionally an Incident Detection characteristic and the power to be notified if a member of your group trip has an incident.

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

The one draw back is the intense show does influence battery life, however it nonetheless offers 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, however it’s laborious to beat for severe cyclists searching for a feature-rich, exact instrument.

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 strong checklist of options for navigation, efficiency, and security with an enormous show that makes it simple to see info throughout your rides.

Execs

• Wonderful battery life with photo voltaic charging
• Comes with a number of equipment
• Massive show is straightforward to learn in all circumstances
• Plenty of efficiency and navigation options

Cons

• Photo voltaic charging is simply helpful in particular conditions
• Show seems 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 by way of 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 system 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 evaluation

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic offers intensive battery life with an extended checklist 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 power to sync routes from Strava and different platforms simply. It additionally warns you should you’re coming as much as a busy street or tight flip, even should you aren’t following a route. Just like the Edge 1050, it options multi-band GNSS for extremely correct location knowledge and the power to pair coronary heart fee sensors and energy meters.

As anticipated from a top-tier Garmin bike laptop, you may have entry to a strong checklist of efficiency and coaching instruments. That features stamina insights, so you may get an concept 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 every day recommended exercises and may even add an occasion to get adaptive coaching instruments. It is a dear instrument, however it’s value it for these severe about efficiency.

Finest Garmin bike laptop for most individuals

Garmin Edge 540

A stability of options and worth

The Garmin Edge 540 is a mid-tier bike laptop with a shade 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 course of the Garmin bike laptop lineup. It presents a stability of worth and options that’s excellent for many riders. It offers much more knowledge than the smaller Edge 130 Plus, with full restoration and coaching load lined. You will have loads of metrics in your trip, 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 offers LiveTrack, telephone notifications, and way more, whereas connectivity consists of Wi-Fi for updates and syncing with out a telephone connection. Plus, there’s Bluetooth and ANT+ for connectivity to different sensors, including to the instruments you possibly can make the most of. It offers as much as 26 hours of battery life, which is loads lengthy for most individuals.

The largest 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 large variations between this unit and the dearer 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 funds Garmin bike laptop

Garmin Edge 130 Plus

Primary 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 dearer choices, it presents all the required trip stats and coaching options for cyclists who do not want something fancy. 

Execs

• Compact and light-weight
• Navigation with flip prompts
• ClimbPro characteristic 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 trip. It has a GPS and altimeter, so it presents route monitoring and a few navigation. Nevertheless, it is not multi-band, so it will not be fairly as exact as dearer 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 system, so it is a breadcrumb path solely from imported routes, with notifications of when to show. It is going to route again to the beginning, however there is no re-routing supplied if you enterprise off track. The altimeter signifies that ClimbPro is obtainable, displaying a visible graph of the hill you are climbing and the way a lot additional there may be to go.

The Edge 1030 Plus connects to your smartphone, enabling knowledge syncing with Garmin Join, LiveTrack, and telephone 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 offers all of the fundamentals, making it a worthwhile instrument for all types of riders.

FAQ

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

A motorbike laptop would not essentially want Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity, however these options will can help you pair extra sensors like coronary heart fee displays, cadence sensors, and energy meters. Moreover, Bluetooth connectivity will can help you pair your telephone with the system to sync your knowledge and get telephone notifications. When 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 motorbike 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 telephone. A telephone mount and cycling app can provide navigation instruments, security options, and primary knowledge assortment, although with out the accuracy of a standalone unit.