Garmin Edge 840 Unboxing
Anjali Reyome
The good news here is that the Edge 500 (like the Edge 705) uses a barometric altimeter instead, so the elevation readings are generally very very accurate. This data is recorded within every track (activity), and presented in virtually all sports applications out there:
A new feature added is the ability to set known altitude location points. For example, if I knew the altitude of my house, I could set a elevation point for this coordinate, which the Edge 500 can use as a basis for determining other elevations.
After returning back to weather above 5*F (Washington DC), I continued to see how the thermometer would react. And time and time again I found it takes about 10-12 minutes for things to settle out, depending on the temperature outside. Though I did find the temperatures still seemed a bit high in almost all cases (night or day).
Personally I prefer to leave this off as I find I like to manually set the laps myself by simply pressing the lap button. These then better correspond to my actual workout. Also, keep in mind that software applications like Sports Tracks allow you to overlay virtual laps on top of any file. So for example I can tell it to simply overlay a lap every half a mile, and then change it and show it every quarter mile:
The Edge 500 uses an LED backlight to illuminate the screen in darkness. You can adjust both the contrast as well as the brightness using a simple menu system. The Edge 500 is pretty bright by itself, though not quite as bright as the Edge 705:
I suspect this issue manifested itself with Team Garmin and the team car, and being able to quickly re-pair power meters and sensors on a slew of closely located bikes without having to manually go through the entire pairing process. You can do this for HR, Cadence/Speed, and Power Meters.
On Garmin Connect, they support a very basic and rudimentary power data output that you can use to quickly look at your overall power profile. However, most serious cyclists will choose to use some other software application to do in depth analysis. Check out the software section above for more details on applications out there. Below is a screen capture from Garmin Connect for a single ride.
The above is actually a course of the Longhorn 70.3 bike course that my Coach created using MapMyRide for me to ride, and then I simply transferred it into the unit. I use the option to export it to the right Garmin format (below), and then from there I can import into GTC and then send it to the device.
But just as a bit of background, WKO+ is the installable version of Training Peaks that offers incredibly detailed analysis of workouts. Heavily focused on managing workouts with power meter data, WKO+ is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to detailed power file analysis.
The kit is basically three pieces. The first piece is the wireless sensor and transmitter. This sits on the frame near the back wheel using included zip ties and pickups up rotations from both the wheel, and your crank (where your pedal is attached):
Below is a quick photo of what the Quarq Cinqo looks like. But to understand power meters and how they all work, check out this Power Meters 101 primer post I wrote a few months ago to get a good understanding of their value.
Great Review. I have used the 500 for several years and I see I have only scratched the surface on what I can do with it. Like it. I want to get the 500 Neutral for my wife. Someone said the neutral is the old version they had problems with. Is the Neutral, purchased today, the same as the blue or red? Thanks for the feedback.
Hi, I have a garmin edge 500 and sometimes when I have not downloaded between rides, the next days will be combined as one on the first date. Can there be a control on this. I have stopped and turned it off overnight and next day the distance starts where I left off yesterday.
Also in the initial setup; settings,system,initial setup,? run at next start up Y/N? Is this controlling the above problem.
kind regards
Sue
Thanks Ray ! An Edge 500 it is ! Keep up the good work with the site ! If ever needed I can always do the ant+ to Bluetooth translation with the heart rate strap you reviewed some time ago. Best regards from Brussels !
question i have, im onto my second edge 500, the course function shows different information as to what you displayed above, my previous one is the same as above, the latest one is different, is it possable to change the info listed on the screens? as you would do with your data fields.
cheers
Hi Ray,based on your comprehensive review I got the Edge 500 about 2 years ago and it is great bit of kit. Im now looking at a long dustance walk/hike challenge so my training is goibg to include running.im considering the xt310 but wondered if you thought the 500 is suffucient for running?mainly i want gps,distance and Hr tracking
concerning Virtual Partner functionality, I need some clarifications : Virtual Partner is an average speed course or not ?
I read that if you upload a course from a previous activity, VP will act as if you race against that previous activity. Pace of the partner will vary like what happened during the previous activity.
But if you upload a course from Garmin connect, you choose a pace and VP will keep that same pace during all the activity.
Did you manage to work out if the Edge 500 just use average pace in the Virtual partner or can you load some sort of a previously ridden GPS segment as a route in your 500 and race against the varying pace (for example slower uphill, faster downhill) rather than just an average speed? I am stuck between buy the 500 or the 510, but I am leaning towards the 500.
my general impression of the unit is that its a reliable tool for time and distance trip recording , it will even perform the more sophisticated funtions most of the time but is prone to lapses when performing at the edge of its capability.
Hello, is worth of what it is going to be a matter of me have it from no edge of 520 gives of investing in the shame no one foot of power? manufactured is still on edge of 500? to replace the came from the 520?
There is one spot on one route that is about 18% for about 300 metres. On some rides, the slope just goes to zero and sits there or near there for perhaps 20-30 seconds. I also experienced this on a really steep route on another trip and have experienced it before on this same climb. Do you know any reason for this?
I have holidayed in Maui four times in the last 16 months. There are two rides I do each trip, often multiple times. One is always the same route (sometimes in opposite direction but usually clockwise). That route reads between 1253 and 1578 metres of climbing in 94.3 km. Half my six rides there have been between 1253 and 1278 metres, two of the others around 1350. Map my ride shows the route as 1306.19 metres of climbing.
With 3.30 firmware out of the box, it locked up twice on the very first ride! I fiddled around pressing buttons and reset it somehow (turns out you need to hold 3 buttons) in about 400km of use it locked up on pretty much every ride, except one i think. I replaced the battery in the speed/cadence sensor, no change, turned off the sensor, didnt work either (hey maybe it didnt like the wahoo fitness?) on another occasion it did even better, on top of locking up it also corrupted the .fit file while doing the ride reset, temperature is also way off, absolute garbage for such a high price.
Trying to help someone sort a problem with their Edge 500. They are trying, & failing, to connect one of the newer crank mounted cadence sensors. I wondered if there might be a compatibility issue with the newer separate sensors. Has anyone successfully managed this as I know they only came out several years after the 500?
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In any case, within any of the ride profiles, you can customize a slew of data screens (at least four custom ones, plus map, elevation, group track for LiveTrack, lap summary, ClimbPro, and eBike pages). Each custom page can have from 1 to 10 data fields on it.
Meanwhile, back in the activity profile settings, you can create alerts for things like distance, time, calories, heart rate, cadence, power, eating, drinking, turn-around, and even Connect IQ alerts. Plus configure bits like Auto Pause or automatic timer start.
If you need to go *REALLY* long with a Garmin Edge device, this snap-on/under weatherproof battery pack basically gets you double your battery life. It snaps under your existing Edge with an included mount. It can also be used as a standard USB battery back too (for your phone/etc...).
This wifi-connected scale will track your weight and related metrics both on the scale display and in Garmin Connect (plus 3rd party apps like TrainingPeaks). It'll also then sync your weight to your watch/bike computer, to ensure accurate calorie data.
The Garmin Varia radar alerts you to cars coming up behind you, well before you see them. It's awesome for quieter roads (country roads/mountains), especially on longer rides. It's less useful for city riding.
The HRM-PRO Plus is Garmin's top-end chest strap. It transmits dual ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, but also transmits Running Dynamics & Running Pace/Distance metrics, stores HR data during a swim, and can be used without a watch for other sports. Also, it can transmit XC Skiing Dynamics as well.
Yes, electronic shifting support is a significant feature Garmin has left out in Explore series. Sadly. Otherwise I would consider Explore 2.
I do not understand this Garmin policy of deliberately not supporting different sensors in different products. And it is really not an easy task to find out which device supports which sensors.
And even if it supports electronic shifting for both Di2 and AXS, it only displays Di2 data in Garmin Connect, but not AXS data.