Garmin have recently released the Garmin Edge 800 cycle gps unit. I’ve recently perched this unit and in this article will explain some of the key features of the 800 unit and my initial thoughts on the device having used it now for a few days.

Key Features:

First off the main feature that separates this from all other bike computers is the fact that it has a touch screen. I was sceptical about this feature before I bought the device however I am pleased to report that it works much better than expected. The 800s touch screen is very responsive and easy to navigate, even when wear very thick winter cycling gloves.

The navigational capabilities of this unit are another of the main attractions to this device. If you are a keen long distance cyclist the having very accurate and detailed navigation functionality is very important.

The maps bundled with the device by Garmin are very detailed and the 800 lets you plot routes to follow using either an over head view or a turn by turn view you’d usually find with most driving sat nav devices. In short this is just like having a regular sat nav strapped to your bikes handlebars – very impressive indeed.

The bike computer part of the unit combines the best of pretty much every other bike computer i’ve ever used. The unit can track virtually anything you can think of from the usual speed, time right through to elevation and temperature. As the Garmin 800 is ANT+ compatible you can wirelessly connect to other devices that enable it to track you heart rate, power output and cadence.

My Initial Thoughts on the Garmin 800

So far i have been very impressed with the device. It looks small and sleek, is light (weighing in at under 100grams) and sits neatly and securely to the bike handle bars or stem.

A lot of people complained about the poor interface on previous cycle gps units from garmin (particularly the 205, 305 and 705 units). Garmin seem to have gone back to the start and completely redesigned the interface based on the new touch screen. The result is a unit that is easy to navigate and intuitive to use.

There is a lot of flexibility as to the screens that you can configure the unit to display during a ride. Navigating between screens is very easy and only requires a swipe of the finger across the screen.

In addition the ability to pre-plan routes, re-route on the fly or even pre-program interval workouts make the Edge 800 incredibly useful for all types of rides from a leisurely weekend ride in the country to a hardcore training session on a turbo trainer.

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Filed under: GPS Reviews

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