The Garmin Edge relatives is quite proven at The pinnacle of your cycling GPS Laptop table – and the Edge 500 took a position as the firm favourite For some time. Occur 2013, an update eventually arrived – in the form on the 510. The contact display screen functionality on both equally the 510 and 810 didn't impress, and the new creation was later on replaced by its significant brother: the Garmin Edge 520.

I’ve been Using with this design for just about a 12 months – while the small critter is filled with lots of characteristics that I’ve in all probability not used every one.

Wherever the Garmin Edge five hundred was revered for its basic presentation of the basic metrics: speed, distance, time, elevation – furthermore electricity and heart rate with suitable monitors – the 520 does all of these and so considerably more.

Garmin Edge 520 display screen, buttons and mounts

The Garmin Edge 520 is light and compact, taking up little room on your handlebars

At Edge five hundred degree, Garmin personal computers have generally been recognized for presenting a compact handlebar companion that’s big adequate for simple viewing, still small enough that it doesn’t appear to be an all singing, all dancing ‘the way to journey a bike’ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bike computer guide bouncing on the handlebars. The 520 iterations follows suit – measuring four.9cm huge, seven.3cm tall and a pair of.1cm deep.

The buttons are simple ample to barter without the need of paying any time looking through the Directions – a general marker of results in my e book. ‘On/off’ and ‘scroll up/down’ within the remaining, ‘Okay’ and ‘back’ on the appropriate. ‘Lap’ and ‘end/pause’ are alongside the bottom in the device. This will present occasional challenges when endeavoring to mount the Garmin to your shorter stem – say 90mm – For the reason that ‘pause’ button may be nudged by the best cap, while only actually when fidgeting with buttons in other places.

Talking of mounts, the 520 comes along with a collection of tiny plastic attachments which might be placed on the bike with two powerful elastic bands, or you should buy an out-front mount.

I’ve listened to criticism of Garmin mounts not holding up properly in crashes – and it’s accurate that my very own Garmin 520 screen is scuffed from the crash wherever it did turn out to be dislodged through the bicycle, skidding throughout the gravel (along with my decreased overall body). On the other hand, Garmin do provide a tether that you can use to loop the mount and Garmin alongside one another.

Info Screen and transfer Using the Garmin Edge 520

Plenty of data screen options on the Garmin Edge 520

Progressing with the Garmin twenty/twenty five or in truth any primary biking GPS Laptop or computer, and into the earth with the Garmin 520, end users enter an entirely new landscape With regards to information Screen.

You can create a number of profiles – and select the trip metrics you’ll Display screen for each. You can also opt to implement a different colour plan to each profile.

Set up individual profiles for different bikes and riding styles on the Garmin Edge 520

Garmin provides a massive preference of information readings. All the fundamentals: length, speed (in all its guises),coronary heart level, elevation (and in some cases normal quality), cadence, energy burned. Then there’s each of the education metrics – proportion of your time put in in training zones, electrical power meter metrics which include TSS, normalised energy etc.

Should you’ve got Garmin Vector pedals, it is possible to see a host of personal readings for each still left and right leg, you can find info screens for Garmin Varia lights, connectivity to Di2 gear units suggests you'll be able to look at battery level and gear ratio.

Pair your Garmin Edge 520 with a smartphone for two way connectivity

Speaking of connectivity, You may as well hook your Garmin up to your Android or apple iphone – making it possible for cable free of charge transfer of rides (this means quick Investigation of Strava efforts come write-up-trip-coffee) and If you need you'll be able to look at phone calls and texts – no less than in summary variety – out of your handlebars. Handy Should your lunch time ride has in some way extended to the afternoon.

Concerning battery lifestyle, Garmin states fifteen hrs – And that i did discover with the monitor brightness at a smart degree, it would past weekly https://garminedge520.com/ of fine riding with ease.

Strava segments over the Garmin Edge 520

Strava Live segments can be presented on your handlebars with the Garmin Edge 520

I’ll move from the moral argument all-around Strava’s dominance of the simple pleasure (or brutal self destruction) of cycling: in order to, you are able to set your Garmin 520 up using your Strava profile.

You’ll get a warning whenever a Strava section is approaching, and find out your progress – in addition to a even further on display screen notification in the event you’ve reached a PB, claimed a KOM/QOM or topped the leader board with your biking club.

Of course, There are plenty of Strava segments in existence – so if you don’t want to spend your entire trip evaluating your effects towards the rest of the environment, it is possible to star important segments.

Irrespective of resisting Strava’s dominance originally (didn’t many of us?), Garmin as well as orange giants are Evidently batting for a similar team now, along with your device includes a two thirty day period trial period of time with Strava Top quality.

Measuring V02 Max and FTP within the Garmin Edge 520

New for the Garmin 520 is the opportunity to routinely track for V02 max and FTP – offered you’re employing a coronary heart rate keep track of and ability meter.

The V02 max (the maximum quantity of oxygen you can consume per minute for every kilogram of human body bodyweight) measurement can be an estimate – and it’s hard to evaluate its precision without having finishing up a complete on V02 examination. On the other hand, the Garmin 520 did flash up with ‘New V02 max!’ following some tougher sessions And that i suppose nevertheless we can’t affirm the accuracy of the particular selection, Garmin is comparing apples with apples so it’s a helpful measure of Physical fitness.

You'll be able to tell the Garmin 520 when you need to complete an FTP test – in fact, it's going to even supply on display screen Guidance for the way to do this (warm up, ride for five minutes at zone 6, 10 minutes zone 2, twenty minutes check, neat down) – and it'll keep track of your FTP after some time.

Plenty of training data feedback from the Garmin Edge 520 with V02 and FTP measured

Once you’ve identified your FTP and recorded your zones, you may obtain schooling periods created on Garmin Hook up and observe them on the display screen. And when you don’t have a power meter, it is possible to set your zones using your max coronary heart fee, and perform from Individuals.

These functions ended up most likely my most underutilised – Possibly as a result of relatively unstructured method I’ve taken to schooling during the last twelve months. Even so, In case you are following a structured strategy, they offer a wonderful Resource – taking the center-guy out of you finishing up a examination independently, then storing it by yourself instruction platform in other places and mentally making use of your zones to subsequent sessions.

Restoration notifications are a tiny bit bitter sweet. Image this: You’re lined up at Cyclopark in Kent, Using the preceding day’s race attempts nonetheless hefty in your legs. Since the commissaire barks instructions, your Garmin beeps from your handlebars. A big red circle along with the message ‘Restoration: Poor’. Yea, many thanks mate.

Garmin’s 520 is clever ample to analyse your initiatives, and evaluate the recovery necessary for the best possible overall performance – supplying you with a Restoration time in hours while you strike ‘halt’. Any time you following switch the unit on, it’ll Enable you are aware of if that Restoration window will not be completely entire.

Other than occasions wherever you actually didn’t want to be reminded within your bad preparing, This is certainly unbelievably practical – providing a handy reminder of when it’s time and energy to back off.

Mapping and navigation utilizing the Garmin Edge 520

The most important difference between the Garmin 520 and its huge brother, the Garmin 820, is that the smaller brother of The 2 doesn't incorporated specific maps and navigation. The 520 arrives setup with a ‘basemap’  – and that is just about the epitome of missing depth.

However, you may download a route on to your Garmin, and get ‘change remaining’ / ‘transform suitable’ navigation alerts. The maps and navigation function – Nonetheless they’re not to a similar common like a Garmin 810 – Therefore if that’s important to you then it might be really worth investing somewhat more.

Verdict

A handlebar pleasant sized bicycle Computer system that gives all the data and information you may need. Fulfils all primary needs, as well as offering some really clever coaching resources - though not your best option for that navigationally challenged.