Garmin Edge 520 GPS with HRM & Cadence Reviews

• Review score: 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on 59 reviews

Top reviews:

Does everything I need – and a lot more by ElderSpokesman, 25 November 2015, 27 out of 27 people found this review helpful Opened the box and installed the mount unit, plus the speed and cadence sensors in under 10 minutes. Took another few minutes to figure out how to move through the menus and which options I would / might use. Then off for a spin. When I got back I installed Garmin Connect on my phone and set it up to connect with Strava. Enabled bluetooth on both phone and Edge 520, and by the time i got out of the shower the ride was up on Strava. Since then I have used the mapping functionality – downloaded a route to the Edge – and followed it for 200km in all day torrential rain. During the day it worked flawlessly. The buttons are a bit fiddly but once you know what you are doing they work well (and definitely work better than any touch screen device I have ever used in an Irish winter) Base map and turn directions take a little getting used to (especially when the turn you need is more of a lane than a road). Again, with a little practice its works well. Documentation is OK – but I wouldnt call it user friendly. (I still havent figured out if Im better off downloading a course in GPX or TCX format). The Edge 520 does everything I need. Decent sized screen I can read without my glasses telling me speed, distance covered, time of day and cadence. (and this can be customised to show the info you want). It records all the data I need – and more than I would ever use. It provides turn by turn directions on a base map. Battery life appears to be good (I got a 13hr ride and a 3 hrs outing on a single charge).

A good compact unit, but far from perfect by Ripley13, 6 February 2016, 10 out of 10 people found this review helpful The bundle itself is good value for money, all the ant+ connections worked flawlessly, and the cadence and speedometer were valuable additions for me, having only previously used a HRM. The later automatically calibrates for your wheel size (using GPS) and gives a much better rate of change in speed than relying on GPS alone which can be choppy when looking back over a ride, especially for trail riding in covered areas. The unit itself is compact and looks and feels well made. It is quite a bit smaller that my previous Edge 800, and the display clearer. Buttons are on the edge of the unit (vs on the screen), and have a chunky feel and positive click, but are borderline a little too stiff (too much resistance) for my liking. This wouldn’t be a bid deal, if the UI was better thought out, but navigating the unit is far from intuitive, and i find myself cycling through options repeatedly with some frustration to get to the right menus. Setting up your data screens will take plenty of clicking and Garmin will do well to put some of these settings in their Connect interface. Strava segments for me were the biggest let down. I must qualify that i use the unit only for MTB or trail riding so this may be related, but ignoring the somewhat convoluted live segment setup, the biggest problem I’ve experienced is that owing to GPS accuracy you may be off segment without really being off segment. That in itself is not an issue once you find the menu item to switch off the off-segment alerts, the problem is that you can only be off segment for a number of seconds before the virtual partner is cancelled altogether, and the segment discarded. This is in contrast to being off course (where courses are loaded manually), where getting back on course will revert to virtual partner. I hope that Garmin release a firmware update to address this, but at the moment it doesn’t look likely. I have also experienced an instance where the off / on segment alerts where so frequent, the unit eventually crashed (it shut itself down). Quite annoying to have you ride split in two due to the garmin failure. It seems that Garmin have done a bit of a rush job in getting the unit out, without cleaning the user interface, and getting the strava segments which are so heavily marketed to work well. perhaps the roadies have a different experience.. Pros: compact well made & light good clear screen Cons: poor user interface strava live segments do not work well for mtb documentation is useless.

Options: Colour Black

• • Virtual Partnerå¨ (train against a digital person)
  • Courses (compete against previous activities)
  • Auto Pauseå¨ (pauses and resumes timer based on speed)
  • Auto Lapå¨ (automatically starts a new lap)
  • Auto Scroll (cycles through data pages during workout)
  • Advanced workouts (create custom, goal-oriented workouts)
  • Time/distance alert (triggers alarm when you reach goal)
  • Interval training (set up exercise and rest intervals)
  • Heart rate-based calorie computation
  • Customisable screen(s)
  • Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible 3rd party ANT+‰ã¢-enabled power meters) Yes (records data approx. 1 per second)
  • Temperature (displays and records temperature while you ride)
  • Shock Resistant

• • Here‰Ûªs Your Competitive Edge: Garmin started with the aerodynamic form factor of the popular Edge 500, added in-ride challenges on Strava live segments, colour display, connected capabilities and advanced analysis features. The result – Edge 520, the GPS bike computer that‰Ûªs right-sized for competitive cyclists and packed with the features you crave.
  • Prove Your Edge: Edge 520 is the first bike computer that‰Ûªs compatible with Strava live segments and includes a 60 Day trial of Strava Premium. With this membership, your starred Strava segments automatically sync with the Edge 520 for live feedback during your ride. You‰Ûªll also get alerts for segment start and finish and leaderboard rankings once you complete the segment.
  • Train on the Edge: Need some motivation to get through those lonely miles on the indoor trainer? Edge 520 delivers with a suite of training capabilities when paired with compatible ANT+ indoor trainers. Let‰Ûªs say you want to train at an average power of 240 watts. Just set the target on Edge 520, start pedalling and the trainer will automatically adjust to keep you at your target while the 520 shows your stats. You can also follow a course that you or another rider created and literally race the recorded stats, with the trainer adjusting resistance to match the elevation profile. Pair it with a power meter and Edge 520 offers an additional set of features, like FTP and watts/kg tracking, so you can compare yourself to others, as well as cycling dynamics. A built-in FTP test helps you establish your baseline either on the trainer or on the road. Add heart rate and the 520 can derive your VO2 max estimate and post-ride recovery time, which indicates how long before you should attempt another hard effort.
  • Optimised Display: Edge 520 compromises nothing when it comes to display – 2.3 inches of high resolution colour. We maximised the display so you get the most live area in relation to the compact size of the 520. You‰Ûªll also appreciate the screen clarity in all lighting conditions. 
  • The Connected Bike: Edge 520 is compatible with ANT+ sensors, including Varia‰ã¢ bike radar and lights4, speed, cadence, heart rate, Edge and VIRBå¨ remotes and compatible weight scales. It also integrates with Shimano Di2 electronic shifting systems to display your current gear on the screen. Edge 520 is also compatible with ANT+ power meters, including the Vector series.
  • Smartphone Connectivity: When paired with your compatible phone and the Garmin Connect‰ã¢ Mobile app, Edge 520 offers live tracking, smartphone alerts, social media sharing, weather and wireless uploads. Once your ride is complete, the data can be automatically sent to Garmin Connect‰ã¢, our online community where you can save, plan and share your rides.
  • Off the Beaten Path: The compact, rugged form factor and up to 15 hour battery life of Edge 520 make it ideal for off-road adventures. It‰Ûªs also compatible with GPS and GLONASS satellites, so you benefit from more signal options on the 520 cycling computer, wherever your ride takes you. Use Garmin’s GPS and discover a new world, or at least new routes.

• • Physical Dimensions: 4.9 x 7.3 x 2.1cm
  • Display Size, WxH: 3.5 x 4.7cm
  • Display Resolution, WxH: 200 x 265 pixels
  • Colour display
  • Battery: Rechargeable lithium-ion
  • Battery Life: Up to 15 hours
  • Water Rating: IPX7
  • GPS-enabled
  • GLONASS
  • High-sensitivity receiver
  • Barometric altimeter
  • Smart notifications (displays email, text and other alerts when paired with your compatible phone)
  • Weight: 60g

• Waypoints/favourites/locations: 200
• History: Up to 180 hours