Customer Reviews

Garmin Edge 705 GPS-Enabled Cycling Computer (Includes Heart Rate Monitor and Speed/Cadence Sensor)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As I've read in other reviews, the Edge 705 base map is better than the 305 but no where close to what you would expect from an all-in GPS unit. If you want to obtain map detail on your PC and you GPS unit, don't buy the micro SD card but rather purchase the DVD version. I've confirmed from Garmin that if you purchase the DVD version, map detail can be viewed on your PC and the 705. All you need to do is copy the DVD to a micro sd card which you can insert into the unit.

As some of you may have found out, the micro sd card that comes with map detail can not be loaded on your PC which means you won't see the detail from your rides once you download them to the GTC software. Hope this saves some people money as well as miminizes the frustration.

For me, a bike GPS is primarily interesting because of the possibility of navigating while riding the bike. Having speed, cadence and distance info is nice, but you can get that for a fraction of the price without the hassle of having to remember to keep your bike computer charged. Any Cat-Eye will run for at least a year on a set of batteries. This Edge 705 will need to be charged at least weekly if you are an avid rider.

I like to go out for rides in a random direction and then use the GPS to guide me home. I also like to plan rides carefully at home on the computer, download them to my navigation device and ride a route with turn by turn directions, not needing to ever consult a paper map during the ride. I don't download performance (speed, cadence,heart rate) data to my computer an analyze it. I just don't care about that data. I don't use the heart rate monitor. I used to use heart rate monitors but no longer am training seriously enough to care.

I also find that having a mapping GPS on my bike is entertaining. I get to watch the map as I ride and find out the names of parks and other large green areas around me.

The idea of having turn by turn navigation on my bike has long appealed to me. I bought a GPS 60 CS when it first came out, and then upgraded to the Garmin GPS 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigatorwhen it came out (but more sensitive GPS reception). To get navigation with that device, I had to buy the city navigator DVDs and plan my routes using Mapsource on my PC. The 60CSx only comes with base maps.

Mapsource is functional but primitive and rough around the edges from a user interface perspective. Nevertheless, it gets the job done. The 60 CSx is a wonderful turn by turn navigator on the bike. The screen is easy to read and pretty large. The device is waterproof and mounts to the bike with a solid, if somewhat large, bike mount kit.

I bought the 705 because it promised the same basic navigation features of the Garmin 60 CSx but in a much smaller package, and with an integrated cadence sensor.

The 705 is much smaller and lighter than the 60 CSx. But to get to that size, the battery in the 705 is rechargeable and not field replaceable. What that means is that I need to make sure the device is charging the night before if I want to ride. The 60 CSx takes AA batteries. Not only can I ride at a moment's notice, but if the batteries are near the end of the their life, I can ride with a spare set and just keep on going.

The 60 CSx calculates routes significantly faster than the 705 does, even though the 60 CSx is a 2 yr old design at this point. That mostly does not matter, except when you go off route and need to recalculate the route.

Most glaringly, the 705 only supports 100 waypoints. Yes, you read that right. Only 100 waypoints. Why? I have no idea. It seems like an idiotic limit. I don't know what the limit is on the 60 CSx, but it is large enough that I never hit it.

Routes created in Mapsource use waypoints. In fact, when you download a route from Mapsource, you are really downloading an ordered set of waypoints. The Garmin device recalculates the route every time you ride it. This usually works out fine because the routing engine in Mapsource is the same or similar enough that the actual route is the same on the computer and the device. At least that was true for the 60 CSx.

For the Edge 705, I have had slightly more trouble with my workflow. Sometimes during a ride, I will get a bad cue to take a turn that I know is not needed. I only know that because I planned the route on the computer. I will skip the turn and the Edge 705 will recalculate.

I don't know if this problem is really a problem with the Edge 705 or because of differences between the routing engine on the computer versus the 705.

There is also the concept of course points and being able to plot a route that includes course points. To my knowledge, such courses require you to manually stay on course by looking down at the map, versus get cued for each turn. If you go off course, you are expected to find your way back to the course. This holds no interest for me and I don't use the feature.

I suspect that Garmin expected me to use the course point feature because there is no crazy 100 course point limit built in - or so I hear. I have never created a course, only a route. And routes use waypoints.

The 100 waypoint limit is actually not a huge problem for me. Most routes include fewer than 40 turns, even when they are 40 miles long. And hence, I just upload the route I am currently using. But that is a bit of a hassle I will admit.

I bought the 705 without maps built in and also bought the current US city navigator DVD. That was a bit of a nightmare. First, the software claimed to be mac compatible. So I tried it on a Mac. But the map loader would only load 400 megabytes of maps onto the device because that is what the software thought I had available for use on the device, even though I had installed a 2 GB micro SD card.

The mac install does not include Mapsource route planning software so plotting routes is not possible!

Finally, I gave up and booted my PC and used Mapsource with my 2 yr old maps and was able to deal with the 705 just as I had the 60 CSx. But if those maps worked, I did not even need the new DVD. Oh well.

As anyone who is really into Garmin products knows, computer software is not their forte, and that is putting it mildly. Nevertheless, they have great products and their customers put up with all sorts of nightmares to get their solution working. But you have to be an enthusiast to want to try.

Overall, I am happy with my Garmin 705 Edge on my road bike. But if feels like much more of fussy bike-specific device where navigation is a feature compared to my Garmin 60 CSx.

My Garmin 60 CSx is a survivalist device. It is built like a tank, can run forever as long as you carry your weight in batteries, and greets you with a big bold "Ready to Navigate" after it gets GPS lock. Those words probably best describe why I love the 60 CSx so much. At the end of the day, I want a navigation device on my bike. The Edge 705 is a "bike computer" with navigation. There are compromises there.

Other differences. The 60 CSx has no start and stop buttons. After you reset it, it is running and the clocks are ticking. This is mostly fine for me, especially because it also calculates the average speed while moving. On the other hand, the 705 has a start/stop button. That can be used manually to start your clock when you are ready, or it can be set to auto start and stop when it detects movement. I don't really prefer one methodology over the other.

The 60 CSx has tons of other cool stuff including sunrise and sunset tables, a geocaching mode, one button marking of weypoints, and a dedicated find button that brings up close by way points. The 60 CSx also a magnetic compass, making it useful for Geocaching and getting your bearings while standing still. The 705 does not have a compass.

Note that I would consider the Oregon series of GPS devices for bike navigation, but the word is that they are not nearly as readable in daylight.

If you look at the reviews of the Garmin 60 CSx, you will see that it is one of the most beloved products Garmin has ever come out with. They can't get some customers to upgrade to the touchscreen Oregon devices because people love their 60 CSx so much. That is amazing considering that entering an address on a 60 CSx is like winning a game of Asteroids and having to enter your initials with the roller ball. People of a certain vintage know what I mean.

I would consider getting a 60 CSx if you don't own one and want one device for hiking and biking. They are dirt cheap now and still as wonderful as the day they were first released. It's also interesting that Garmin still sells the thing. Why? Because people buy them. Go figure.

I have used my Garmin Edge 705 for a little over a week now. I upgraded from the Edge 305. When I first received my 705, the instructions stated to charge it before using it. The 705 came with a half charge so I didn't think it would take that long to fully charge it. 2 days later it was charged. Garmin Support told me "The expected time of charge is around 3 hours. The problem you see is a software bug. Let the unit run completely down and once you charge it next time it will show the correct information." Since doing this, the charge times are back in line.

Using the 705 is very similar to the 305. It uses the same handlebar mounts, heart rate monitor and cadence sensor. The 705 is slightly larger in size and uses a `joy stick' located between the Lap and Start/Stop buttons for navigating the menus. So, those with the 305 should have no problems adjusting to the 705.

Mine came with the pre-loaded Navigator maps. Using Garmin's MapSource, you can download waypoints and routes to the 705. The 705 has an auto-routing feature to guide you from waypoint to waypoint. It has three modes to adjust your route from point to point (Car/Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Pedestrian). Using the Bicycle mode, my routes went waaay out of the way and added many unnecessary miles. Even though I told it to avoid unpaved roads, it tried to route me down several. If you miss a turn, it will re-route you back on course. It would be best to use a third party mapping software and download more precise waypoints/routes to the 705. In Car/Motorcycle mode, it looked to route fine.

The battery life is very long (about 15 hours)! I left it on overnight and woke up to it still running. My 305 had problems with turning itself off when going over bumps. The 705 has never experienced this problem. The 705 is also faster to lock on to satellites than the 305.

Overall, I am satisfied with the 705. It would have received 5 stars if not for trying to route me way off course in Bicycle mode and the initial battery charge issue.

An odd mix of positives and negatives:
Pros:
Incomparable data graphs of numerous measured parameters during your ride, permitting quantification of training beyond anything even dreamed of a couple of decades ago.
All the other well-known advantages of GPS to display current location and to be able to plan routes and courses (as well, of course, as showing details of ridden courses).
The variety, choice, and arrangement of displayed measurements (the `fields') are just amazing. Essentially, you can put on the screen virtually whatever you want and wherever you want it, and the screen is high resolution (as is required, to be sure, for detailed maps).
Heart-rate and cadence are reliably detected. Heart-rate is intelligently smoothed (but will detect tachycardia).
Tech support is US based and, therefore, native English speaking (unfortunately, it is needed far too often).
Battery life is good enough for a very long ride - I suspect easily over 10 hours (if back-lighting is not over-used).
Cons:
No temperature sensor
Barometer does not permit user calibration, thereby insuring that it can only be accurate in the accident of exactly the right weather (as atmospheric pressure, which it is actually measuring, varies with the weather). Why the maker would have done this is incomprehensible. Since the weather changes constantly, the indicated `elevation' changes, even though you have not moved. Moreover, because there is no temperature sensor, the barometer transducer cannot be temperature compensated, inducing the inevitability of yet another error in that measurement. Consequently, I was able to watch the elevation drift from plus 150 feet to minus (!!) 200 feet in the space of a few minutes (the actual elevation was 245 feet). Finally, it is quite possible to have the device show a difference in altitude for the beginning and end of the ride of over 50 feet, even when you start and finish at the same place (with no perceptible change in weather)! At the very least, the user should be able to calibrate the instrument at the start of a ride (provided, of course, that he knows the elevation at that starting point). This would help ensure that `elevation' (altitude) measurements at any point on the ride will be reasonably accurate.
The user manual is woefully inadequate. Example: you are told that, at a rate of 1 second intervals for route recordings, the device will begin to overwrite previous data after about 4.5 hours (without warning!). You are encouraged to `reset' the device after 4 hours. What you are not told is what happens to your data in this circumstance (it turns out that, fortunately, it is saved!). Example: There is virtually no explanation of how `calories' are calculated. If you are not using a power sensor, this number has to be interpolated from some algorithm. There is no information about this whatsoever in the manual and, you can obtain virtually nothing on this subject from Garmin tech support even over the phone! (I personally believe - admittedly, without quantitative proof - their calculation for calories burned to be grossly inaccurate, perhaps by as much as a factor of 2 too high.) Example: the `save location' feature has 3 choices: "Avg", "Max" and "OK", none of which is explained in the manual. And I could go on with many other issues.
Copy/piracy protection for their maps is so obsessive that even their own staff cannot easily circumvent it in the (inevitable) case where copying is necessary. In my own case, I had to replace my 705 with another, but since I had already downloaded my (purchased) North American DVD of maps, I was unable to unlock the map without 3 hours (!) of telephone assistance from technical support. ! This is supposed to be called customer service?? There just has to be a better way...
The "Training Center" software, available as a free download from their web address, does not permit any user designation of units to be used in the graph, just how coarse or fine, for example, one can plot any particular variable (such as slope, or what Garmin calls `grade') - it just arbitrarily chooses the ordinate, and cannot be changed. ? Surely Garmin can do better than this.

In sum: I have not tried other competitive models (or even know that they exist). As a cycling computer, this thing is amazing, blowing away the pre-GPS varieties, yet at the same time it is disappointing. With a bit more effort, especially with software and documentation, Garmin could have had something truly awesome. As it stands, it is a major achievement, but the user is made to feel uncomfortably dependent on tech support due to the poor documentation.

The product is great, but the Amazon product description WHAT'S IN THE BOX section clearly states that City Navigator is included. It is not. I confirmed with Garmin that the product # Amazon is shipping (010-00555-30)does not include City Navigator and it will cost you $81.21 to get it on Amazon Garmin Micro Secure Digital North America Map Card. The correct product # is 010-00555-40 or 010-00555-60 (Team Garmin version) - neither available on Amazon as of today.

Other than that, I have been very happy with the 705.

I have used my Garmin Edge 705 for about six weeks on road rides and trail hiking. Before I rant, let me say this GPS unit is almost perfect and I do not know a better solution currently on the market. The seamless integration with the GPS, heart rate monitor, mapping software, and speed/cadence monitor are killer.

As previously commented, the first charge took over two days. Garmin can call it whatever they want. If it is a software glitch, issue a patch. Microsoft does it ad nauseum. However, it charges now in a few of hours and has good battery life. (Sorry, I have not run it down for endurance.)

When mounting the speed/cadence monitor on the stay, the tolerance can be extremely tight (-especially on a carbon fiber bike with aerodynamic stays). The installation guide does not really say, nor does it show, and I was being a knuckehead during installation and did not realize that you need to loosen that screw prior to mounting and swing the sensor arm away from the body of the unit. Test the speed sensor for the wheel and the cadence for the crank arm and then tighten everything down.

The handlebar mount is terrible. Why? It lacks mounting options, has a cheap plastic design with a catch latch that does not release well when new and breaks off quickly thereafter, and does not have the ability to create a safety tether from the GPS to the bike or body (-if hiking/running).

Beware! Garmin and Amazon sell a hardcase that they say is for the Edge 705. Hah! I could fit at least four Edges into this hard shell monster. One of the great features of the Edge for off bike use is its compact size. Unfortunately, no dedicated carrier is made that can be body mounted. A wrist mount would be ideal. The mount for the Forerunners cannot be used. The best solution is an Ipod holder with a completely clear and colorless face with a small hole made for the joystick.

Speaking of which, buy a quality screen protector at the time you are buying the Edge or as soon thereafter as possible. Why tempt fate on a unit this expensive for so little expense?

Do spend the money and buy the map card. If you are not traveling around the United States, buy the Topo card instead of the City card. This only works if you live in an area that Garmin has mapped for the cards and they only cover a couple of states per card. I have both types. My Topo card has all the data I need contained on the City card, plus hiking trails, elevation (contour) lines, etc., associated with a Topo map. If I am outside of the California/Nevada area, I'll pop the City card I also bought back in. There is no "base map" with this unit to speak off. The base map reminds me of my old Garmin 12. You would have to build your own map ahead of time with waypoints and tracks and download it into the unit. If you go off your track, your only reference is your track and waypoints you loaded. Buy the card.

Satellite acquisition is one of the fastest for various GPS units I have had. Accuracy - I would not use it to survey and also pay attention to the degree of accuracy it self reports when I am offroad. But, for most trail riding and road use, it more than meets my needs.

The Garmin Training Center (TC) software and its ability to export to GoogleEarth your ride data is outstanding. The GoggleEarth view creates points (~30 seconds?) along your ride that can pop up and display heart rate, speed, cadence, etc. My huge issue is the lack of ability to export in a normal format. Yes, TC can export into a .tcx file, which is a modified .xml format. This sidesteps Excel's great import ability and I must manually slog through all the data for each ride that is recorded in that history file. Each of those data collection points (~1/30seconds) creates a data row. All the rides are recorded in that one file. AAHHHHH...

As I started this review, I know this was a rant but I do not know a better GPS unit out there for a cyclist. I would not return mine or trade it for a different model. Now if only the Power recording options were within a reasonable price range...

It's difficult for me to find the words to describe how much I love this thing. I use it to track all my workouts, I navigate long and complicated routes effortlessly, I explore new areas - it's opened up a world of cycling in unfamiliar terrain.

I initially hesitated at the cost - but after using the 305 for almost a year and having logged > 3000 miles on it - I did not hesitate to upgrade and spend twice as much to get the 705 for the additional features it provides.

Hats off to the Garmin folks for creating such a great unit.

I highly recommend this GPS.

About me: I'm a casual rider. I ride about 600 miles per month and use the Garmin to track my rides (I visually load my rides onto MapMyRide and into Google Earth), track my progress and data associated with my rides.

I also have been using the unit to help me navigate long, unfamiliar rides. In this case, I load a GPX file on the unit from any number of mapping utilities ([...], [...], etc).

Some of PROS:

- Weather-proof - you wouldn't swim with it, but I've ridden in downpours with it quite a bit
- Sturdy, solid construction - It's survived many drops
- Navigation - Turn-by-turn alerts based on a saved route works well
- Screen - Legible, precise, looks great - beautiful full color maps
- Backlight / Crip display - Very good illumination
- Battery - After over a year of solid use, I still get 12+ hours continuous (without backlight).
- Accurate GPS - works well in almost all parts of Manhattan, for example
- Customizable screens - chose the data points you'd to show across 2 customizable screens
- Heart rate sensor - has worked flawlessly for me (unlike the Polar sensors, which I'd had issues with)
- Barometric altimeter - accurate - love knowing how much I've climbed (even as an estimate) and the % grade is neat
- Support for workouts - intervals, etc and riding against your previous performance

Some of the CONS (the PROS greatly outweigh any of these cons):

- Maps are expensive (I believe I dropped $100 on maps for my cycling trip in France).
- Map feature display priorities - The map name prioritization doesn't make sense to me... I wish the map displayed town names over park names, for example.
- Calorie count is completely wrong (based on distance - does not take into account climbs or heart rate) - but then again, I didn't buy this unit to count calories.
- Packaged Software - It's not great, it's not bad - it does the trick.

Enjoy!

I've have several Garmin devices including: Forerunner 201, 205, 305, eTrex, 60sx but the 705 brings it all together in a small package with a looooooong battery life, sensitive GPS (aquires sats inside my garage), bright screen and enough internal memory for Socal maps (great since 2009 version of maps requires more memory), the 705 includes a micro sd slot but it requires a Garmin card, it did not recognize my Kingston or Sandisk micro sd cards; I haven't used the card slot yet because the internal memory has enough capacity and I've loaded most of the southwestern US.

Cadence monitor, speed monitor installed quickly and have worked flawlessly; I have several heart rate chest straps and the HR monitor recognizes all of them.

The kit comes with two attachment straps so you can orient the 705 on the neck of your handle bar or the handle bar.

Every rider takes the occasional spill but my 705 remained securely attached.

Great device, if it had a wrist strap for running (it is smaller than my 201) it would be perfect; it is the envy of my riding group.

I have had GPS on my bikes for years, yet they all lacked something: namely they were fine for handheld use, but were really lacking in their use on bicycles. Sounds kind of dumb, I know, but they just did not perform as well as you might think. They go overboard on details, but do not give you the info you need.

Recently I got back into riding and decided to take another look at GPS. The 705 caught my eye. Yeah, it does a lot of wacky stuff that I seriously doubt I will ever use (such as sending data back and forth between units), but it seemed that it would do everything that I did want it to do. And it does.

For one, it keeps track of three bikes. I know that is not a lot for some, but it is great for me, as I have a MTB and a recumbent and am thinking about a road bike at some point. This is an important feature just so you can more easily keep track of bike maintenance. Each of the three bikes has a separate odometer, so this feature alone makes it a snap.

There are lots of other cool things it does as well, with the help of the MotionBased and Garmin Connect websites. The Garmin Training Center software is pretty good as well and that lets you keep tabs on your own computer.

My only real wish for this thing would be the ability to ignore certain roads. It will ignore major roads when computing routes, but there are a few roads that I try to avoid (because of idiot drivers) that are not major roads. Not that this is that much of a problem as going a different way would cause it to recaclulate the route.

All in all it is a really nifty gadget.

The unit itself is small, sturdy, lightweight, and very easy to install. The software includes a training program and a mapping program. I bought mine with the Garmin map card, and that's made my club rides a real pleasure (no need for cue sheets). When I get home from a ride, I upload the data into the Garmin Training Center software, and I can compare every aspect of the ride to previous rides (distance, speed, cadence, heart rate, elevation, etc.). If I feel like it, I'll upload the ride onto the Garmin Connect webpage. I can't say enough good stuff about this GPS/bike computer. I haven't used it to figure out routes from Point A to Point B, but I can see where that would be a tough task for any system (how to choose safe bike routes from among the many alternatives?). All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase and would recommend this unit to anyone in the market for a bike computer or bike GPS.