Garmin Edge 605 Review:

The Garmin Edge 605 Handheld GPS-enabled cycle computer comes loaded with everything you need to make the most out of your ride. Get cycle computer data and mapping detail, all from one compact, easy-to-use device. You can even store, analyze and share your stats for the world to see with Garmin’s online training community. Garmin Edge 605 comes with a built-in Basemap, plus it has a microSD card slot for adding map detail, storing workouts courses, and saved rides. The optional, detailed MapSource City Navigator street maps give turn-by-turn directions on a sunlight-readable, color display as you pedal. Edge snaps easily into the included bike mount to guide you to your destination. The rugged Garmin Edge 605 automatically measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned and altitude. A high-sensitivity receiver holds a signal under trees or near tall buildings while the click stick provides easy screen navigation.

Garmin Edge 605 Features
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 Garmin Edge 605 gives a somewhat less precise altitude measurement via the GPS positioning system itself.

A First-Rate Bike Computer
The Garmin 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.

Full-Featured Navigation

The larger color screen (actual size) on the Garmin Edge 605 and 705 shows you your surroundings more clearly and supports real turn-by-turn navigation.

No more scratch paper paper-clipped to your handlebars. In addition to their cycling computer functions, The Edge 705 and Garmin Edge 605 provide the same robust navigation as Garmin’s vehicle navigators, with turn-by-turn spoken directions (turn left in 500 yards) and a 2.2-inch (diagonal) color display that shows maps in great detail.

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 Garmin 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

Garmin Edge 605 User Review:

Let me get right to the negatives of the product as I see Garmin Edge 605.

1. The route algoritm allows you to select an option where it diverts you around major highways and roads. While this works 90% of the time, every so often it will direct me right onto a major highway or traffic circle when there are better routes available.

2. Backlighting settings not being saved is a pain as the other reviewer mentioned

3. The straps that the Garmin Edge 605 comes with to attach to your bike aren’t strong enough. After a few rides my 605 tends to move around to much requiring constant re-adjustment, especially on bumpy roads. I plan on adding some velcro to the back which should solve the problem

4. The free Training Center software that you can use with the Garmin Edge 605 is pretty much a waste. Outside of storing your rides and keeping a history of ride statistics, it’s not worth the download.

5. The detailed street maps do not come standard with the unit. For $399 I was expecting them to and don’t think Garmin made this point clear on their site.

Outside of the above, I really don’t think that I could not recommend the Garmin Edge 605. Its not perfect but it really does make riding easier when you don’t have to mentally keep track of where you are or worry about getting lost.

By James Schliesske

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