Garmin Edge 705: What’s Next?

The snow is thick on the ground and I am planning my fourth GPS-enabled cycling season. My wallet is open and I am looking for alternatives to my Edge 705. To recap, the main issues were apparent from the very first ride and continue without resolution:

• Handlebar mount continues to be insufficient: I know I am not the only Edge user who buys replacement mounts by the handful. The mounts seem to have been redesigned with more robust plastic in the connecting shoe (part that slides into the back of the unit). The old mount would often fail with some warning: the unit would flop around more than usual when riding over rough pavement. The new mount does not fail as often, but the sturdier plastic does not latch into the back of the Edge well so it is common for the unit to eject from the mount when the buttons on the left side are pressed (Mode & Power). I have three bikes with new mounts and all had this problem.
  

  

  Battle scarred Edge 705 (top)

  

  Battle scarred Edge 705 (right)

  
  
• No leash so any time the mount fails the Edge falls off the bike and into the road. I understand the pros mount the unit on the stem and then use zip ties around the top and bottom of the Edge to ensure that it doesn’t fall if the mount fails (so the zip ties need to be cut every time the unit is removed, i.e. for charging).
• Cue Sheet routing is still not reliable: GPX routes downloaded from MapMyRide or Bikely appear to work, but often give spurious directions (e.g. doubling back to make a turn that does not exist, etc.). It used to be the case that the Edge would be unable to load some GPX files, and this has been addressed with updated firmware: now it appears to load just about any GPX file. I suspect that the bad/broken routing continues to be a software limitation of the Edge unit as some GPX routes work flawlessly and others do not. There is no indication whether any particular GPX route will work or not when loading the file. My local club has recently mooted the idea of using GPX files rather than cue sheets and spray paint, so I sincerely hope to see reliable GPX routing in future firmware or new devices

For 2010 I plan to ride a full rando series and am going to experiment with alternatives to the 705. On the bike I use the Edge 705 mainly as a head unit for sensor data. Off the bike I like to have GPS logs. I’ve never had reliable turn by turn directions from a bar mounted device, so if I can find something that provides turn by turn directions that is extra credit. My main considerations:

• ANT+ Cadence & HRM are critical for me. Fortunately my FR60 watch is easy to reliably secure to the bars, has excellent battery life, and is comparatively inexpensive. Unlike the Edge, its backlight cannot be set to “Always On” at night, so that is a drawback
• Replaceable batteries are a must. Recharging from the dynohub is possible with the new B&M eWerk, but I think carrying some AA batteries is a better idea at this time
• Redundancy is desirable as the Edge has taught me not to trust a single device for everything. If I relied on the Edge for navigation this would be even more of a consideration. Do not want to be off-route at night with no idea where I am on the cue sheet

Potential solutions

• Garmin Dakota or Oregon devices support ANT+ HRM and Cadence sensors but not power. This is OK because I don’t have an ANT+ power meter. They should have the same maps as the Edge 705, and I would hope they offer better support for navigation. Bigger market (than the bike-specific Edge) should mean better support. Benefits over the Edge include: replaceable AA batteries (for long rides), mount point for a wrist leash (prevents unit from falling into the road when the mount fails), integrated camera with geo-tagging support (fun, potentially useful feature)
• Garmin FR60 + Garmin Dakota/Oregon would allow for redundancy and the same head end capabilities I already enjoy with the Edge

As is my habit, I will probably choose the most expensive solution and use both the FR60 and Dakota/Oregon. Will consider other GPS vendors, but Magellan, Delorme, etc. all lack ANT+ sensor support so I will not be able to see my cadence or HR after dark.

Hope for the future

• Google Android smartphones now have all the hardware necessary to be an excellent bike computer. Add a transceiver for ANT+ and eliminate the voice calling features and this could be great alternative. It’s a question of software and repackaging. Google maps is both cheaper and better than the maps from Garmin, so I would be happy to pay up to $1k for a really good Android based device featuring: ANT+ sensor support, GPX data logging, cue sheet navigation, subscription-less wireless data support (for maps, A-GPS, weather info, etc.) like Amazon Kindle, and user replaceable batteries
• iPhone ANT+ peripheral could offer the same functionality as an Android based solution, but the size and battery of the iPhone could be negatives
• Next Garmin Edge Product, whatever it might be. I am,  admittedly, an early adopter but I am less than enthusiastic about the Edge. I recommend less savvy riders wait until something better comes along. Garmin doesn’t need to make these things cheaper, just better. Usable navigation, adequate industrial design, and replaceable batteries would make the Edge a really good product. The ANT+ sensors are really the key to this product. It’s the first working & reliable PAN I’ve ever owned

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