Garmin Edge 305

Stem mount

Easy to use, easy to export data

Buggy website, USB port cover is less than perfect

Everywhere

Garmin

Recently I became obsessed with tracking the climbing that we are doing on rides, so I sprung for a refurbished Garmin Edge 305. It had the same 1 year warranty and was a fraction of the price of a new unit. I was pleasantly surprised with all you get for the price.

The unit comes with several accessories including both a handlebar mount and a stem mount. I chose the stem mount as it is more "up front" than the handlebar mount. I have noticed that I must grab my bike by the stem often because I notice the Edge a lot when moving/carrying the bike. Also included are a heart rate monitor and a pedal mounted cadence monitor, USB cables and software.

The unit is relatively easy to set up, my only criticism of the software is that you can't use it to configure the unit. All configuration is through the arcane menu system on the unit itself. Opportunity lost. Once configured, strap it on the bike and you are ready to go. It is very easy to turn on and get started. The GPS tracks well within the trees, valleys and terrain obstacles of Austin's trails; I have never lost a signal.

The Edge 305 is waterproof, which is great because the location means it is right in the line of fire for a lot of sweat on hot Texas days. The configuration makes it easy to choose which statistic is the main one, the secondary readings are less readable with quick glances, so they tend to be less useful. The small rubber cover that protects the mini USB port connect is flimsy and sometimes difficult to close. Big thumbs up for choosing a standardized port vs. forcing customers down the path of a proprietary interconnect.

The software is adequate, but not the best. You can also use the Edge 305 unit with Sport Tracks software, a free download that gives you more choices, especially for export. The Google Earth connectivity allows you to replay your rides in Google earth. The Garmin website allows you to upload data from the unit but, so far, I have yet to get that to work reliably.

Score: B If you can find one at ~$150 (refurb) or $179 (recent Best Buy sale) then this is an A product. At the current price, it rates a B. Solid performer, and if you are anal-retentive about your rides, it is a great companion.

Copyright 2009, John Fruehe