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Garmin Edge 305 + Heart Rate GPS Cycle Computer | 
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| Category: CE
Buy New: £144.03
New (4) Used (1) from £144.03
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 39659
Media: Electronics
Fragile: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
Model: Edge 305 (HR Monitor &Cadence Bundle)
UPC: 753759054915
EAN: 0753759054915
ASIN: B000FMNY9M
Release Date: May 5, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Worth every penny! August 9, 2008
Tricky (Sunderland, UK)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have to agree with the previous reviewer, this is the best thing I've ever bought for my bike!
I had the funds available for the colour versions, the 605 & 705, but they didn't offer anything that I actually needed. So I bought this one. The virtual training partner is good, so you can race against yourself and try to beat a previously recorded route.
Although it's not a satnav you can create your own routes/journeys on a site called bikeroutetoaster dot com and then upload them to the 305. Then, if you've set waypoints, it'll tell you which way to go etc.
I did a lot of research into a bike computer before buying this one and a lot of reviews/opinions etc on various forums didn't seem to like the software that comes with it, so I've never used it at all. I use one from Zonefivesoftware called SportTracks, which is free and brilliant. You download your trips onto your computer and view virtually every single piece of data you can imagine as graphs, bar charts, squiggly lines etc. It even overlays your route onto a satellite map, you can click on any part of the route and see what your heart rate was, how fast you were going, what elevation you were at etc etc.
Anyway, back to the 305. You set up your profile when you first switch on, tell it your age, weight etc and it works out your maximum heart rate and heart rate zones (You only have to do this once and you can change it at any time. Handy for when you lose weight etc). So if you intend to train using your 'zones' you're sorted. You can change them and re-configure them as you see fit, add on more zones or take some off, change the heart rate range for each zone etc.
You can set alerts for just about everything. Don't want to go above or below a certain speed? Don't want to go above/below a certain heart rate? Don't want to go futher than a certain distance? You can set up audible alerts for all of these plus more.
You can configure the screen to show whatever information you like, only want to see 3 or 4 bits of info on the screen? Or would you rather have 8? Not a problem. On the 305 you can configure just about everything.
Above I mentioned that you input your info when you switch on, age weight etc. Well you also input your bike info, weight etc as 'Bike Profile 1' then if you've got 2 bikes there's also a 'Bike Profile 2'. I have a hybrid which I use for commuting and a road bike for proper training. So I can switch between profiles depending on which bike I'm on. You get 2 mounting kits with it as well, complete with cable ties etc so to change bikes it's just a simple case of unclipping it from one mount and clipping it onto the other. Simple.
You can set it up so it stops the 'timer' when your speed drops below a certain speed or when it reaches zero. This is handy if your journey involves a lot of stopping & starting, ie my trip to work when I have to go through 11 sets of traffic lights in only 3 miles!
I can also vouch for its waterproof capabilities, having been caught in torrential rain a few times. Another point worth noting is that it looks like it would shatter if you dropped it, but it doesn't.
Since buying this I've also bought the GSC10 cadence sensor from Amazon. It's worth noting that it's 42 on just about every cycle website you can find.... Apart from Amazon. They're selling it for twenty seven pounds, which is a considerable saving.
All in all, given the choice again, I'd definitely buy the 305. Well worth the money.
If you have any questions about it I can try and answer them before you buy if you like. Just leave a comment on the review or start a discussion off at the bottom.
 Close to the Edge. October 30, 2007
LegendaryMrDude (Essex, UK)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
After 18 months and several thousand miles, I can safely say that this is probably the best thing I've ever bought for my bike. Let's get a few things straight from the start though the Edge 305 is NOT a satellite navigation system. There are no base-maps, no streets, no post-code searches and no turn-by-turn directions.
It IS a GPS-enabled cycle computer that can keep a track of your speed, distance, elevation heart-rate and cadence over a fairly significant distance. But it's more than that - it's also a great training aid, and significant source of motivation.
For such a small package, it crams in a huge range of features. GPS is extremely sensitive and I've only rarely had problems with it loosing signal. Two programmable cycle-computer displays with up to 8 data elements on each, a map screen showing your breadcrumb trail at variable scales and an elevation profile of your trip so far. You can record your lap-times and race against your personal best. You can create training regimes based on all kinds of intervals and targets. You can even use it to tell the time. And all in a package smaller than most mobile phones that mounts neatly on the handlebar stem. I've used it on and off-road in variously foul conditions and have never had a problem with dirt or water.
Connect it to your PC by a USB cable and you can download your performance data into the supplied Garmin Training Centre software, or view your routes in Google Earth. As a way of keeping track of where you've been and how well you did getting there, it really is great.
The accessories - hear-rate strap or cadence sensor - work well. the hear-rate strap is one of the more comfortable ones I've used and doesn't need "wetting" before it will pick up a signal. The cadence sensor is a bit more of a novelty so if you're in the market for one of these, go for the bundle with the heart rate monitor over the cadence sensor.
On the down-side, I have found that the battery doesn't typically last anywhere near the claimed 12 hours. More typically it will get 8 - 10 hours on a full charge. But the bigger problem is the amount of memory available for recording a route... whiel the battery may last the distance, you may find that the older arts of the track get over-written. Older versions of the software used to be ratehr flaky but upgrading is a doddle and the most recent version has been rock solid. If I really have to think of other down-sides, the mount can be a bit fragile with the retaining clip having a tendency to snap. I suspect Garmin are well aware of this as new mounts are available but not cheap.
So if you want something to help you get the most out of your cycle training, the Edge 305 is certainly going to make a big difference. The price now is better than ever. BUT...
If you can wait a bit longer and afford the extra cash, the new Edge 705 will be out soon and that one DOES have stree-level mapping and it will even integrate with some cycle power-metering systems, making it a truly comprehensive training aid.
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