At a Glance: Quick Ratings
Heart Rate Functions
Fitness / Sport Features
Ease of Use
Battery Life
Where To Get It
A Deep Dive Into The Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500 tested and reviewed by Tristan Haskins aka CardioCritic. The Edge 500 tracks your distance, speed, location and elevation with high sensitivity GPS.
GPS bike computer – Heart Rate & Cadence optional
The Edge 500 with Heart Rate and GSC10 speed / cadence sensor – the world’s favourite GPS bike computer. If you are in the market for a super accurate, easy to use, easy to see bike computer then they don’t come much better than the 500.
With various colours and combinations to choose from including JUST the head unit (if you’ve already got a Garmin HR belt) to a full BUNDLE package with PREMIUM Heart Rate Monitor belt and Garmin GSC10 speed / cadence crank sensor. With multiple FULLY configurable screens – the user gets to see what they want, when they want… Tristan from BHIP Ltd has a screen for HR data, a screen for SPEED/DIST and a screen for ALTITUDE / vertical % / ascent / descent etc.
Best Feature
What is the best feature of the Garmin Edge 500 ?? with so many, that’s a difficult call – but for us here who have ridden the Garmin Edge 500 – it is the COURSES feature.
Most cyclists have a ROUTE that you do maybe once a week or so, a repeated loop to race yourself around. With COURSES you are doing exactly that. You will be paced around the course racing against a shadow of yourself.
Just ride the COURSE once and save it with a memorable name, you can save several COURSES to mix it up a bit. Next time you go for a ride, decide on the COURSE – then press GO.
You are now racing against your shadow, slowing down in the exact spot where you previously slowed down and speeding up in the same places as last time.. you are clearly shown on the display if you are ahead / behind by TIME or DISTANCE… Garmin Courses is a GREAT feature… just don’t do it every time you ride.. otherwise you’ll crash and burn !!
WORKOUTS – in our view, this is one of the most UNDERSTATED features of the Garmin Edge 800 and Garmin Edge 500. Using the Edge unit’s TRAINING setting – simply “build” a WORKOUT. Start with the first STEP. Each STEP has a duration (time based, distance based or until HR / Power (if using Power meter) / calories is achieved).
Within the STEP, you can define a TARGET – HR, Power, Speed or Cadence based. At the end of a STEP, you set the unit to REPEAT or move to next STEP… To put it bluntly, the Garmin Edge 500 / 800 allows you to custom build the PERFECT training session… all you need to do is follow it !!
GPS – enabled super cycle computer displays power data from ANT +™ enabled third-party power meters, barometric altitude and vertical profile, tracks speed, distance, calories burned, average and max speeds.
Track data can be shared online with friends and team member utilising the FREE Garmin Connect service, or stored locally on your PC or MAC. Track data can also be uploaded to free mapping services like SPORTSTRACKLIVE.com etc.
Jumpstart Your Training
It attaches easily to the stem or handlebars of your bike with its low-profile bike mount. The Edge attaches easily to the mount with a simple quarter-turn. When you’re ready to ride, just power on your Edge, acquire GPS satellites and go. The 500 features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix® satellite prediction to calculate your position faster.
Get the Data You Need
During your ride it measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and records this data for your review. For extra-precise climb and descent data, the Edge 500 also incorporates a barometric altimeter to pinpoint changes in elevation.
All 500 versions work with third-party ANT+-enabled power meters to display your power output in watts as you ride. This valuable data shows you how hard you’re working, regardless of conditions affecting your ride, so you can train smarter. Some versions also ship with a digital heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor. Other helpful training features include a Courses feature, which helps you compare successive rides over the same route, as well as Auto Pause, Auto Lap and temperature readings. The Edge also alerts you if you’re moving but the timer is not running.
Track Your Heart Rate (included)
When paired with a Garmin heart rate monitor (included in this package) – the 500 tracks heart beats per minute and uses your heart rate for advanced calorie computation, so you know how many calories you’re burning. Train in a certain heart-rate zone to improve your fitness level or compare your pace and heart rate to past performance over the same ride.
Analyze Your Ride
Once your ride’s done, connect it to your computer with the included USB cable to analyze your performance. With a simple click, you can join a worldwide network of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts through Garmin Connect™, a one-stop site for data analysis and sharing.
What’s In This Box?
Edge 500 unit (choice of colours)
Premium Heart Rate Monitor
GSC10 Speed/Cadence Kit
2 x Garmin Bike mount
Garmin AC charger
USB cable
Garmin Edge 500 Manuals
Top Alternatives
Next Model UP
Is the Edge 810 (Edge 800 obsolete) which has a touch screen, pace alerts, a base map and the ability to add extra maps, you can store waypoints and you can also do interval training.
Next Model DOWN
That would be the 200. It is designed for those who want to keep things simple. No heart rate, no cadence, just speed and distance with upload to GarminConnect.
Alternatives?
The best alternative to the Garmin Edge 400 is the Polar M460. The Polar M460 replaced the brilliant M450 with the addition of LIVE Strava Segments.
If you're looking for more capabilities, check out the garmin edge 1030 here!
