The bicyclist's new best friend

THE GARMIN EDGE 1000 is a sophisticated but fun to use cycling computer that can improve your riding performance and help you navigate unknown routes.

It has all the wireless connections – Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ and GPS – so you can enjoy riding while staying connected with friends online even as your cycling activity is being recorded.

A compact device at just 5.8x11.2x2cm and 114.5 grams, it’s easy to operate with a three-inch touch screen at 240x400-pixels resolution. The lithium-ion battery can last about 15 hours. 

The Edge is waterproof to a depth of one metre – in case you take a plunge on your bike and even if you stay underwater for half an hour. But just think of its as being safe to use in the rainy season.

Among other things, the Edge 1000 measures riding distance, time elapsed, calories burned, average speed and acceleration speed. It displays the current temperature, and can be linked to a Garmin heart-rate monitor strapped to your chest. All the data are easily uploaded to the Garmin Connect server for sharing with friends.

The computer comes with two bike mounts – standard and out-front. Tack in onto the handlebars with the elastic rings provided. It took me less than a minute to attach it and connect online.

Get started by pressing the start button at the bottom right corner. Notice the lap button, too, which will mark laps on a circular ride. The Edge 1000 recognises when the bicycle starts moving and prompts you to hit the start button. Immediately you see the five most-used data – elapsed time, speed, distance, time of day and calorie loss. There are five screen choices with different combinations of data.

To ensure accuracy when it counts calories burned, you must first customise your profile by entering year of birth, sex, weight and height. Add your heading (compass direction), elevation, lap distance and current lap too, if you like.

Swipe the screen to see other information, including a map, elevation gain and a chart of how you’re performing compared to a virtual “competitor”.

After your ride, press “stop” and the computer asks if you want to save the data. Now you can upload the data to Garmin Connect for an analysis of your performance. Your need a free account. Connect the bike computer to your desktop or notebook computer and use the Garmin Express software to upload the data or to add Wi-Fi connectivity to the bike computer. Then, when in the range of Wi-Fi routers, it will automatically synchronise its data with Garmin Connect.

On my test I rode 12.26 kilometres and had an accurate map the whole way. GPS satellite data came in fast, so there was no time wasted waiting for a satellite connection.

On my Garmin Connect page I could see that I covered those 12 kilometres in 45.15 minutes at an average speed of 16.3kph and at an elevation gain of four metres. I burned 317 calories amid an average temperature of 33.6 degrees Celsius. This was about 11am.

On the ride I also handily connected the Edge 1000 to the Garmin heart-rate monitor on my chest. My average heart rate was 116 beats per minute and the maximum 140.

It’s nice to use as a route-planner as well. Set your current location and destination and it will recommend a route. You can search for your destination according to coordinates, street address or nearby points of interest like shopping, lodging, entertainment, recreation, attractions and hospitals. The recreation category even has sub-categories like parks, gardens, arenas and tracks.

The Edge 1000 will display the average distance to the destination. Press the “ride” button on the map and it will guide you, turn by turn.

The computer’s functions can be expanded with the addition of more ANT+ sensors, including speed, cadence, heart rate and compatible weight scale. This is the first Garmin bike computer wirelessly compatible with the Shimano Di2 electronic shifting systems, which will display all the gear you’ve loaded.

You can also tap into ANT+ power metres such as Vector, which is Garmin’s pedal-based gadget for measuring total power, left/right balance and cadence. A preloaded power-based workout on the Edge 1000 allows you to calculate your functional threshold power (FTP), from which you can base your power training zones. 

With more sensors hooked in, you can, for example, set a range of heart-rate alerts by keying in data about your minimum and maximum heart rate. You can set the cadence and power alerts the same way. You can have the computer alert you when you reach a specific goal, whether in distance, time or calories burned.

A training calendar, compatible with advanced workouts, can be uploaded from Garmin Connect.

Invite friends to compete with you – and not necessarily at the same time. Just use Garmin Connect to create a route segment on the map from your previous ride and invite your friends to download it and try to do better. Everyone can monitor the chart to see who’s in the lead.

The Edge 1000 can be Bluetooth-linked to your smartphone. Then you can use the Garmin Connect Mobile app so you’re notified of incoming call and text messages, can upload wirelessly and swap courses and route segments. 

The app has LiveTrack so your friends and family can follow your races and training activities in real time. 

Invite them via email or the social media to tune in on the Garmin Connect tracking page. Your stats and location on the map are just a click away from them.

The Garmin Edge 1000 Performance Bundle retails for Bt23,400 from Garmin dealers and at most IT and gadget shops and department stores. It includes the GPS bike computer, Speed/Cadence Sensor, Heart Rate Monitor and Out-front Mount.

 

 

n Dimensions: 5.8x11.2x2cm

n Display: 3.9x6.5cm, |three-inch diagonal

n Resolution: 240x400 pixels, touchscreen

n Weight: 114.5g

n Battery: Rechargeable |lithium-ion 

n Waterproof rating: IPX7

n Add Maps: Yes

n History: Up to 180 hours

n Waypoint/favourites/|locations: 200

n Automatic sync: Yes

n Garmin Connect: Yes

n Virtual Partner: Yes

n Courses: Yes

n Time/distance alert: Yes

n Interval Training: Yes

n Power-metre compatible (displays data from compatible third-party ANT+): Yes

n Barometric altimeter: Yes

n Temperature: Yes

n Wi-Fi: Yes

n On-device segments: Yes

n Smart notifications: Yes

n Additional: Glonass, round-trip routing, route planner