Garmin Edge 305 GPS

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Garmin Edge 305 GPS

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Product: Garmin Edge 305 bicycle computer GPS unit. The BRAT test unit has both heart rate and cadence but we've not worked with either feature enough as of this first posting to throw out an opinion. Test Platform: We've run this on multiple road and mountain bikes. Product Put in Service: December 2006. Reviewed by: Rich Ries. Cost: MSRP $349.99 with cadence OR heart rate; $399.99 with both. Available accessories include additional handlebar mounts ($13.50), carrying case ($32.00), and a car charger ($39.98). Online retailers offer discounts of up to 40 percent. Weight: 88 g. with mount (not including zip ties). Unit Size: 1.75" x 3.7" x 0.9". Display Size: 1.17" x 1.44"; 128 x 160 pixels. Recommended? Yes, if the unit you receive is more robust than ours.

Executive Summary: Data nirvana if you're willing to deal with Garmin's warranty service department.

Ratings

(1 is lowest, 5 is highest)

Comments

Accuracy

5 in X and Y coordinates; 2 in Z

Ease of Installation

Accessing advanced features is challenging, but initial setup is easy

Ease of Sharing Data

Sharing information requires lots of steps

Functionality

Ease of navigating menus only okay; easy to read in all conditions

Style

Unobtrusive, yet techie

Cost/Value

Variable

Depending on how you value its features

I went through three Edge 305s in two years. While the units seemed robust - one survived an especially nasty crash at Cave Run - the first two apparently had aneurysms in their little electronic brains. Both were replaced by Garmin; the first one in a few weeks, the second one in several months. I was sans Edge all of June 2008, which included a week-long road ride in Minnesota and many days of mountain biking in Wisconsin. Not gathering data from these events was particularly disappointing.

While my experiences with Edges were not entirely satisfactory, I love the units when they're actually working. The screen can be split into multiple sections and the user can select which data to display in which segment. Contrast is also user-settable and I find the screen easy to read in all lighting conditions. Run time of the lithium ion battery in the first unit was poor, but that's not been an issue with the second and third units.

Accuracy in the X and Y (horizontal) coordinates is exceptional. Positioning is so accurate that I can look at the resulting map and see which side of the road I was on. Accuracy in the Z (vertical) coordinate is much less, even though the 305 uses barometric pressure to correct the information it gets from satellites. To be fair, even high-end GPS systems can struggle with accuracy and manufacturers have to devise work-arounds such as base stations and reference networks.

At boot-up the 305 takes a minute or so to acquire satellites. Once it's done with that it will tell you the accuracy it can provide under the current conditions. I found that it takes much longer for the barometric altimeter to stabilize, however, and setting off immediately after the satellite signals were captured resulted in some wacky elevation data at the start of the ride. I learned to wait until the current altitude reading settled down before riding away.

My main gripe about the 305 is that having meaningful access to the data provided by the Edge requires a subscription to Garmin's Motion Based Web site. You can store ten rides on the site at no charge; after that you need a subscription - at ninety-five bucks a year! Garmin's Training Center software is included with the Edge, but it's pretty primitive. A Motion Based account is needed to get the full benefit of data acquisition, including mapping, elevation profiles, and weather conditions.

BRAT has an account so we can share ride information, but that's a tedious process. From the time we upload ride data to the time we have useable .jpgs of maps and elevation profiles can easily take an hour. A subscription also allows you to download other users' maps to your Edge, which you can then use for navigating those routes. This would be handy if you traveled with your bike, but it's a feature I haven't used.

Garmin has other models available. The Edge 205 lacks cadence and heart rate and has no barometric correction for elevation. The Edge 605 and 705 have features similar to the 205 and 305 but also offer mapping.

As a tool for sharing information with BRAT members and visitors to our Web site, the Edge 305 is useful. Even if I weren't sharing the info with others, I'd probably have an Edge just for the access it provides to a wealth of data. If you're a data junkie, as I am, an Edge is a worthwhile investment. Like me, you might even consider buying two Edges so you have a backup when failures inevitably occur.