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Garmin has really upped the ante on the entire cycling computercategory with it's two new gps-enabled navigator/computers, the 705 and its younger sibling, the 605. These are true navigational aids with full-color maps and turn-by-turn directions in addition to advanced route-planning and saving capabilities. On top of that, the 705 adds heart rate and cadence monitors, a barometric altimeter, and wireless capability that lets you share routes and workout data with other riders instantly. Sleek and waterproof, with a 2.2-inch color screen that lets you customize what data you see and how you see it, these two devices help make the most of every ride.
The Power Of Location-Based Data
Anyone who has used Garmin's original Edge 205 or 305 already understands the power that attaching location data to traditional measurements like distance, speed, time, calories burned, and heart rate can provide. Knowing exactly where you worked hardest, rode fastest (or most slowly) lets you tailor your workouts to improve to improve your riding skills for specific distances, conditions, and types of terrain. It gives a complete picture of how you interact with every portion of your ride.
Altitude is recorded using a barometric altimeter for the Edge 705. This accurate altitude data makes it much easier for cyclists to match their altitude profile with their speed, cadence, and heart rate during post-ride analysis. The Edge 605 gives a somewhat less precise altitude measurement via the GPS positioning system itself.
A First-Rate Bike Computer
The Edge 605 automatically measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned and altitude. The 705 also track your heart rate, cadence, power (from optional ANT + Sport-enabled third-party power meters), climb and descent. Other nifty features include the following.
- Virtual Partner lets you race a virtual competitor over a specified distance and speed.
- Courses let you race against a previously recorded workout, so you can compare your current and past performances over the same ride.
- Auto Pause pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride.
- Auto Lap automatically starts a new lap each time you pass a specified location or travel a preset distance
- Click stick helps users navigate through the various options.
The Edge 305 Screen (actual size) The larger color screen (actual size) on the Edge 605 and 705 shows you your surroundings more clearly and supports real turn-by-turn navigation.  |
Both devices come pre-loaded with a built-in basemap, and a MicroSD card slot you can use to load new maps or store workout, course and ride data. Garmin has lots of street and topographic maps available for purchase and you can download courses and rides from Garmin or other riders at the Garmin Connect website.
Both feature a high-sensitivity receiver that holds a signal under trees and near tall buildings and have a click stick for easy screen navigation.
Connectivity and "ANT + Sport"
One of Garmin's most ambitious decisions has been to approach fitness devices as a total platform with their "ANT + Sport" connectivity system. All of Garmin's new fitness devices, including the Edge 605 and 705, the Forerunner 50 heart rate monitor watches, will interface wirelessly with any devices that are compatible wiht the "ANT + Sport" protocol, including devices from other manufacturers. Currently, Garmin the devices will pair with power meter from SRM or Quarq to measure power – torque and cadence for each leg at the pedals – which is often cited as a true indicator of an efficient ride. It's unclear what other manufacturers will buy into the ANT + Sport platform, but this kind of open connectivity with products from other companies offers a great deal of potential flexibility.
The wireless function also makes it easy to connect one Edge unit to another to share rides, courses and workout data.
Heart Rate and Cadence Monitors
The Edge 705 heart rate monitor uses a robust wireless technology that eliminates cross-talk and interference and delivers real-time heart rate data exclusively to the user’s device. This data is stored with each track point for post-workout analysis. The Edge 705 with speed/cadence sensor incorporates a self-calibrating, wireless speed/cadence sensor that mounts to the rear chain stay of the bicycle.
Be Part of A Community
In 2007, Garmin acquired Motion-based, the largest shared repository of customer-generated gps-based routes, courses and maps. This was a significant move for Garmin to support the gps user community and bring a wealth of route options to gps users. With a simple connection to your computer, you can join a worldwide network of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts through Garmin Connect our new, one-stop site for data analysis an sharing.
You can also upload to optional Garmin Training Center software for further analysis. Garmin Training Center stores large quanities of workout and ride data. Some of the things you can do are
- Review your workout data, including pace/speed, distance, time, calories burned; and if available, heart rate, cadence and detailed elevation.
- View a detailed graph of your workout data, plotted over time or distance.
- View a map of your workout that shows the exact path you traveled.
- Categorize your workout history according to type of activity.
- Review previous workouts, which are saved by day and week.
- Create customized workouts with specific goals and rest intervals. Then send them to your fitness device.*
- Schedule workouts for a specific day with calendar.
- Get custom workout templates designed by the experts at TrainingPeaks.com
What's In The Box
Edge 605 GPS-enabled cycling computer, bike mounts, AC charger, USB cable, owner's manual on CD-ROM, quick reference guide
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Technical Details
- GPS-Enabled Cycle Computer- Sunlight-Readable Color Display
- Features A High-Sensitivity Receiver That Holds A Signal Under Trees & Near Tall Buildings
- Virtual Partner(R) Lets User Race A Virtual Competitor Over A Specified Distance & Speed
- Courses Allow User To Race Against Previously Recorded Workouts
See more technical details
By Biff Bechenschnifter (College Park, MD United States)
The unit itself is small, sturdy, lightweight, and very easy to install. The software includes a training program and a mapping program. I bought mine with the Garmin map card, and that's made my club rides a real pleasure (no need for cue sheets). When I get home from a ride, I upload the data into the Garmin Training Center software, and I can compare every aspect of the ride to previous rides (distance, speed, cadence, heart rate, elevation, etc.). If I feel like it, I'll upload the ride onto the Garmin Connect webpage. I can't say enough good stuff about this GPS/bike computer. I haven't used it to figure out routes from Point A to Point B, but I can see where that would be a tough task for any system (how to choose safe bike routes from among the many alternatives?). All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase and would recommend this unit to anyone in the market for a bike computer or bike GPS.
By Andrew Erlichson (Princeton, NJ)
For me, a bike GPS is primarily interesting because of the possibility of navigating while riding the bike. Having speed, cadence and distance info is nice, but you can get that for a fraction of the price without the hassle of having to remember to keep your bike computer charged. Any Cat-Eye will run for at least a year on a set of batteries. This Edge 705 will need to be charged at least weekly if you are an avid rider.
I like to go out for rides in a random direction and then use the GPS to guide me home. I also like to plan rides carefully at home on the computer, download them to my navigation device and ride a route with turn by turn directions, not needing to ever consult a paper map during the ride. I don't download performance (speed, cadence,heart rate) data to my computer an analyze it. I just don't care about that data. I don't use the heart rate monitor. I used to use heart rate monitors but no longer am training seriously enough to care.
I also find that having a mapping GPS on my bike is entertaining. I get to watch the map as I ride and find out the names of parks and other large green areas around me.
The idea of having turn by turn navigation on my bike has long appealed to me. I bought a GPS 60 CS when it first came out, and then upgraded to the Garmin GPS 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigatorwhen it came out (but more sensitive GPS reception). To get navigation with that device, I had to buy the city navigator DVDs and plan my routes using Mapsource on my PC. The 60CSx only comes with base maps.
Mapsource is functional but primitive and rough around the edges from a user interface perspective. Nevertheless, it gets the job done. The 60 CSx is a wonderful turn by turn navigator on the bike. The screen is easy to read and pretty large. The device is waterproof and mounts to the bike with a solid, if somewhat large, bike mount kit.
I bought the 705 because it promised the same basic navigation features of the Garmin 60 CSx but in a much smaller package, and with an integrated cadence sensor.
The 705 is much smaller and lighter than the 60 CSx. But to get to that size, the battery in the 705 is rechargeable and not field replaceable. What that means is that I need to make sure the device is charging the night before if I want to ride. The 60 CSx takes AA batteries. Not only can I ride at a moment's notice, but if the batteries are near the end of the their life, I can ride with a spare set and just keep on going.
The 60 CSx calculates routes significantly faster than the 705 does, even though the 60 CSx is a 2 yr old design at this point. That mostly does not matter, except when you go off route and need to recalculate the route.
Most glaringly, the 705 only supports 100 waypoints. Yes, you read that right. Only 100 waypoints. Why? I have no idea. It seems like an idiotic limit. I don't know what the limit is on the 60 CSx, but it is large enough that I never hit it.
Routes created in Mapsource use waypoints. In fact, when you download a route from Mapsource, you are really downloading an ordered set of waypoints. The Garmin device recalculates the route every time you ride it. This usually works out fine because the routing engine in Mapsource is the same or similar enough that the actual route is the same on the computer and the device. At least that was true for the 60 CSx.
For the Edge 705, I have had slightly more trouble with my workflow. Sometimes during a ride, I will get a bad cue to take a turn that I know is not needed. I only know that because I planned the route on the computer. I will skip the turn and the Edge 705 will recalculate.
I don't know if this problem is really a problem with the Edge 705 or because of differences between the routing engine on the computer versus the 705.
There is also the concept of course points and being able to plot a route that includes course points. To my knowledge, such courses require you to manually stay on course by looking down at the map, versus get cued for each turn. If you go off course, you are expected to find your way back to the course. This holds no interest for me and I don't use the feature.
I suspect that Garmin expected me to use the course point feature because there is no crazy 100 course point limit built in - or so I hear. I have never created a course, only a route. And routes use waypoints.
The 100 waypoint limit is actually not a huge problem for me. Most routes include fewer than 40 turns, even when they are 40 miles long. And hence, I just upload the route I am currently using. But that is a bit of a hassle I will admit.
I bought the 705 without maps built in and also bought the current US city navigator DVD. That was a bit of a nightmare. First, the software claimed to be mac compatible. So I tried it on a Mac. But the map loader would only load 400 megabytes of maps onto the device because that is what the software thought I had available for use on the device, even though I had installed a 2 GB micro SD card.
The mac install does not include Mapsource route planning software so plotting routes is not possible!
Finally, I gave up and booted my PC and used Mapsource with my 2 yr old maps and was able to deal with the 705 just as I had the 60 CSx. But if those maps worked, I did not even need the new DVD. Oh well.
As anyone who is really into Garmin products knows, computer software is not their forte, and that is putting it mildly. Nevertheless, they have great products and their customers put up with all sorts of nightmares to get their solution working. But you have to be an enthusiast to want to try.
Overall, I am happy with my Garmin 705 Edge on my road bike. But if feels like much more of fussy bike-specific device where navigation is a feature compared to my Garmin 60 CSx.
My Garmin 60 CSx is a survivalist device. It is built like a tank, can run forever as long as you carry your weight in batteries, and greets you with a big bold "Ready to Navigate" after it gets GPS lock. Those words probably best describe why I love the 60 CSx so much. At the end of the day, I want a navigation device on my bike. The Edge 705 is a "bike computer" with navigation. There are compromises there.
Other differences. The 60 CSx has no start and stop buttons. After you reset it, it is running and the clocks are ticking. This is mostly fine for me, especially because it also calculates the average speed while moving. On the other hand, the 705 has a start/stop button. That can be used manually to start your clock when you are ready, or it can be set to auto start and stop when it detects movement. I don't really prefer one methodology over the other.
The 60 CSx has tons of other cool stuff including sunrise and sunset tables, a geocaching mode, one button marking of weypoints, and a dedicated find button that brings up close by way points. The 60 CSx also a magnetic compass, making it useful for Geocaching and getting your bearings while standing still. The 705 does not have a compass.
Note that I would consider the Oregon series of GPS devices for bike navigation, but the word is that they are not nearly as readable in daylight.
If you look at the reviews of the Garmin 60 CSx, you will see that it is one of the most beloved products Garmin has ever come out with. They can't get some customers to upgrade to the touchscreen Oregon devices because people love their 60 CSx so much. That is amazing considering that entering an address on a 60 CSx is like winning a game of Asteroids and having to enter your initials with the roller ball. People of a certain vintage know what I mean.
I would consider getting a 60 CSx if you don't own one and want one device for hiking and biking. They are dirt cheap now and still as wonderful as the day they were first released. It's also interesting that Garmin still sells the thing. Why? Because people buy them. Go figure.
By Linda Sigismondi (Gallipolis, OH USA)
I have had the Edge 705 a little over a week and am enjoying riding with it. I did take the advice of several reviewers and bought the city navigator map separately on DVD so I could use it both on my computer and on the Edge. I first bought a 4GB microSD through Amazon to put the maps in the Edge. The card would not work on the Edge - my computer would not recognize the Garmin and I couldn't get beyond the opening screen on the Garmin. I then bought a 2 GB microSD at Walmart which did work. I realized afterwards that the 4GB was an HC card (it took 6 minutes to load the maps versus 48 minutes). I am not sure if it was the size or the HC that prevented the microSD from working with this unit.
One Week Later - I learned yesterday that Garmin just released a Firmware update. I updated the Firmware to 2.9 and the 4 GB HC card does work.
By gadgetmaster (Austin, TX United States)
Wow, I'm usually pleased with Garmin products, but this is a real stinker.
On Mac Training Center the device is unable to load ride data into computer due to profile conflicts. The software keeps asking which profile to use and upload fails. No progress bar or percentage to help you know when to give up. The ride data and laps are all visible on the 705, but never make onto computer.
The square blocky fonts from the 70s are out of place, their legibility (of lack there of) is really evident if you set the device to display just a couple of data fields.
For the size and cost of this product the screen should be 20% larger.
Designed/programmed by people that have never ridden with a cycling computer. Unit fails to poll the speed sensor until after the satellite signal has been lost for many seconds. Consequently auto stop doesn't work. Every time the unit drops satellite reception the software assumes you've stopped, but you're actually going 30 mph on the drops of your bars with your head creating a reception shadow. Accurate determination of stopped/moving is a basic function of any cycling computer and this unit fails.
Average cadence data is useless as it fails to account for coasting.
Lap history viewed on the unit fails to show ascent/descent totals. You must plug into computer to see those numbers.
The buttons are confusing and poorly labeled. The unit does not effectively display start/stop status and you'll lose miles of data because you pressed the stop button instead of the lap button. The button labels are too small and are all white.
The PC Training Center software is incapable of loading waypoints (favorites) to the unit. This and other basic GPS functions are inexplicably absent.
By Keith Miller (Flemington, NJ)
(Sept 8, 09 Update to my August 16th, 2009 review below which basically says NOT a good GPS for car or motorcycle)
My first review still stands but I have now used the navigation and auto-navigation after just completing a 105 mile (125 turns) and a 40 mile ride on back-to-back days. This is a lengthy review but there is a lot I have found out about the Edge 705. I do not race - I am a century/double century bike rider that rides only about 1,000 to 1,300 miles per year so this review applies to a distance rider.
OVERALL SUMMARY:
I changed this to 3 stars instead of 4 stars since this is still an early stage bicycle GPS solution; really the only bike GPS solution for sale that works for long distance riding. The 705 works but you cannot count on it 100% of the time. It has a very slow processor (works on a bike but you will sometimes pass your turns in a car or motorcycle, especially if the GPS has to re-route (re-routing can take 5 minutes)). The 705 will frustrate you, especially before you get to know it) but for me it is still better than carrying around pieces of paper for cue sheets, keeping track of your mileage between turns and not having a map when the road names are missing or incorrect. I expect that in 3-5 years the bicycle GPS will be working more like a car GPS but, until then, this is really your only option. Just be sure you know what limitations you are getting before you spend $550 on a device and maps - then you should be happy with the 705. When the 705 works, you can't imagine riding without it but, when it doesn't, you want to set fire to Garmin's headquarters.
DETAILED UPDATED REVIEW:
First the good: It was really, really nice not having to use a cue sheet, especially on the longer ride. This in itself makes the device worth it to me since I spend a lot of time formating the cue sheets and then "laminating" them with packing tape so they don't bleed/deteriorate from sweat. The 705 keeps the necessary bike computer information you want on the screen - very customisable and I like this a lot. When navigating, the 705 provides an audible beep alert about .1 to .3 miles before you will be "told" to make a turn and then another beep immediately before the turn; switching to a map that shows how the turn works. The 705 does NOT give any notice if you are continuing straight through an intersection and the road name changes. Since I was use to using cue sheets, I found this limitation annoying but quickly got use to simply riding straight since the device knows what road you are on and where you are located. Also, I like to ride back roads so there were several times when the posted road name sign was missing or posted differently than the cue sheet/mapping road names. With the 705 you can keep going since you are reassured by looking at the next few miles ahead on the 705's screen. I haven't had any problems with battery life (rode about 9.5 hrs on one charge w/more battery life remaining) or data storage limitations but I will test that in a couple of weeks with a double century ride. The 705 transfers information between the computer easily. The mount works well (make the ties tight) and the screen is easy enough to read in bright sunlight. I haven't lost a GPS signal while riding through trees (I imagine you would in a tunnel).
The "needs improvement" or simply bad:
This is not a "set-it and forget-it" device, nor always intuitive to use. There is a lot of room for big improvements, especially if you have previously used a $200+ Automotive GPS(these are far superior to the 705 in speed, accuracy, and auto-routing/re-routing). The software that comes with the 705 is not good for the year 2009 - maybe 1990s. Since it is so un-intuitive, I have not fully explored this software so maybe I need more time with it. It does the very basics and it doesn't even do those well. I used to own a Ciclosport bike computer/altimeter and it captured data and one could export the data to the PC. The software for data analyzation was far superior in the ciclosport. The Edge does give you data to analyze and for most riders I think you will find that it is enough since it is more a novelty unless you are really serious about training. You can also use the 705 to setup training rides to make your training more efficient and productive but I doubt I will ever use those. If you are a racer or serious trainer then maybe you will be able to get more from some of the features in the 705. I did try to ride against myself (a previous ride using virtual partner) but I didn't get it to work. I think that was my fault and I will try that again.
More importantly, I expect one spends all of this $ to use the Edge 705 for navigation...to either pre-route for on-bike navigation or auto-route while on a ride to find a place to ride to (or head home). To pre-route, I won't use the poor Garmin software provided - period. It is not good. I use map-my-ride (MMR) and export everything as a gpx file. The gpx file needs to be opened in Garmin's MapSource software and transfered to the Edge 705 as a track - simple and quick to do. However, all of the early tracks I uploaded to the 705 had 1 or 2 errors in them - produced by the 705 when the GPX file was imported from MapSource. I find the imported track will sometimes "jump roads" where there isn't any roads - especially if you select "follow roads" when you are mapping your route in MMR (everyone will use this or it would take forever to map a route w/out it). This "jumping" may be only once or twice in a track but it is obviously a big problem. The 705 device work-around is to turn on the 705, select a saved track, select "navigate" in the 705 (this alone can take 5+min) and then review it in the 705. This takes some time and is pretty tedious, especially for a 105 mile track. One of the things I started to do was when I map my routes in MMR I click right before and right after a road/major direction change. This seems to help and I did not find any errors in my 105 mile track on the 705 that were caused by the 705 (there was one error but it was created in MMR). Maybe I won't have anymore 705 import errors but as of now I just don't fully trust the 705 yet. Everyone must realize that the online mapping program data isn't perfect - every long route I have planned using google maps, mapquest or mapmyride has given me wrong directions, wrong road lables and/or shown roads that do not exist (not the 705's fault). These online mapping programs have been 99% accurate but that 1% is always frustrating, especially when you have to stop, find an alternate route and often backtrack. Having the 705 will not change these online mapping program errors. However, I don't need the 705 to add more errors. I think I have corrected the 705 import errors by clicking before/after each turn but only time will tell. Also, where I ride (central NJ - Central PA) none of the online mapping solutions or the 705 have avoided gravel roads. The capability to do this is there but the data and companies just don't keep up with it. This is not a weakness of the 705 but simply an industry maturity/capacity issue. Lastly, the on-bike auto-routing capabilities of the Edge 705 is also somewhat questionable. I've only used it 3x and, while it works, it hasn't taken me the quickest way home. It does come close but I'm not sure why it selects some roads over others. And, if you intentionally go off a pre-programmed route (bad weather, closed road, just curious, etc.) you should be careful. If you have auto-recalculate turned on it will not get you back onto the track unless you turn-around. The 705 will eventually just send you back to your starting point. I recommend that you turn on ASK PRIOR TO RECALCULATING setting. It will still ask you to turn around 3 or 4x but you can ignore it and ride back onto the track (it will then continue to navigate using the original track) or you can decide to recalculate and go to your starting destination. Plan on it re-navigating for up to 5 minutes (it says 100% recalculated but then must irritate you by staying on that screen for a minute or so!) If you continue to ride while it is recalculating you will pass roads and have no clue if you should turn or not. So you can pull over and wait but you can't stop your timer if it is calculating a new route (this will increase your riding time/decrease your speed avg. if you are set for manual). To deal with this turn on the AUTO PAUSE feature that automatically stops the timer when you stop and restarts when you ride. The 705 doesn't have a re-routing capability to avoid an obstacle and then take you back to your original track (like closed bridge or accident avoidance). The 705 will simply tell you to turn around and ultimately send you home.
Good luck - I hope this review helps you make a more informed decision. I am sure I confused something above so if you have any questions, post a reply and I will respond asap.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I purchased the 705 with heart monitor and 2010 City Maps DVD only a month ago. I have only used it maybe a dozen times and 4 of those times were in a car. First and foremost this is NOT a car GPS and one should not expect anything more than a very basic point-to-point GPS if using it in a car or motorcycle. The routing is way to slow and if you go off path you need to pull over and wait for it to re-route. Even when selecting the car/motorcycle routing feature (& unchecking the "avoid toll- roads" and "avoid highways" toggles) the device will auto route on less traveled roads. In fact, with my limited experience, I do not trust the device to auto-route yet. THis may be due to me not being familiar with the device yet but I simply asked it for the fastest route from Avalon, NJ to Flemington, NJ and the auto-route suggested I go west of Philadelphia (about 45min out of my way).
But I bought this for the bicycle so on the bike it works as expected, although I am having a "challenging" time entering routes and using virtual partner. Like any electronic device, they all have their idiosyncrasies and I am simply learning how to use this device. Some things are intuitive and some are not but it generally works as expected and I am happy with it so far. Per the reviews I bought the 2010 City Maps on DVD instead of a Garmin card and that is what eveyone should do since I can use the maps on my computer and my Edge 705 (doesn't work the other way around). Getting authorization from Garmin was a little unclear but techsupport showed me what I needed to do fairly quickly.
I am riding some centries and double centries soon so we will see how this unit works. I will update my review after those rides since I expect to push the limits of this device.
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