Garmin Edge 800 - Is it "edgie" enough for the money?

Posted Mar 9, 2013
7,120

This was a review I wrote for a newespaper last summer and thought I would post here in case anyone is looking for a GPS.

I usually would not spend $450 just to see my speed on the bicycle trails, but I was planning a couple 100 mile mountain bike and gravel races this Summer and wanted a GPS unit with enough storage to store all the way-points that a 100 mile route offers. The color maps, touch screen, micro-SD card slot and the mini-USB port was enough to expel my credit card from my wallet ready before I was done reading the specs.

Big things come in small packages. The Garmin Edge 800 is about the size of a credit card and only as thick as a pack of gum, but it is packs a walloping array of features like speed, elevation, location, total distance traveled, calories burned, routes, workout and more. BikeMag.com says "Garmin's Edge 800 is the Pinnacle of technological innovation in the GPS market". It's Garmin's "Flagship" for bicycle GPS units this year.

It took less than 5 minutes to set up the unit. Mine did not come with maps and I was able to find some free maps online and had those researched and downloaded in less than 30 minutes. It boots up and connects to satellites and the bike fast. The mounts are solid, yet still easy to read on bumpy roads and trails. I tried to use a Droid app for the same type of functionality, but all it did was kill my phone battery is record time, and the phone apps don't work well in heavy tree cover.

You can even create and save your own training routes and then race yourself for time. All the data can be uploaded to my.Garmin.com for storage. you can make the maps public and use for other sites too.

Pros

Touch Screen - works with your gloves on!
Battery life - 11-13 hours depending on your settings.
Easy to read screen in day or night
Color maps
Easy to read upcoming road intersections and geo-features
"Distance beeps" and other alerts
Multiple screens to view
Dashboard screens and sounds very customizable
You can buy a heart rate monitor and cadence sensor
Easily switchable between bikes (or take it hiking, running etc.)
Works awesome in heavy tree cover - rarely if at all loses satellites.
Water repellant

Cons

The price - It starts at $450 and with all the extras you'll smack down $650.
Remembering to take it with you when you park your bike ($ee first bullet)
The rubber-band-like straps - they work well, but don't look like they will last forever.

Would I buy it again? you bet! Is it over the top? you bet!
But I'll still give it Two Thumbs up and a Wheelie from this cyclist! Now go ride your bike.

Happy Routing!
Scott Sumpter

UPDATE: Since this review was written , Garmin has release two new GPS Units - The 510 and the 810. If you are not ready to spend the money, the 510 may be a good tread-off.