Garmin Edge 820

[Birru]

Let me preface this by saying this is my first dedicated bike computer, but I do have extensive experience with a Garmin Forerunner 230 watch. As far as I can tell the Edge 820 is the least expensive option if you want true turn-by-turn navigation PLUS extensive training features. That’s why I chose the 820 over other options. Executive summary: The user experience suuuucks but it’s an incredibly useful computer and worth keeping. Pros and cons below. Happy to answer any additional questions.

I was expecting navigation roughly on par with my iPhone or even an older Garmin Nuvi car GPS. Based on those expectations there are some HUGE disappointments that initially made me question the cost of the device:

• The touch screen interface is abysmally unresponsive
• Route calculation takes an eternity
• Calculated routes aren’t always optimal for cycling
• POI lookups take quite a while
• The user interface is clunky, compounded by the maddening touchscreen
• Seriously, that touch screen is dreadful

Those disappointments are really significant and make the Edge 820 feel like Soviet-era technology, but it is a very useful device with upsides that make it worthwhile for me:

• The Edge 820 DOES do everything it says on the tin
• The reflective and sidelit LCD screen is very practical for use in bright sunlight
• Battery life is very good
• It’s waterproof, unlike most smartphones
• Once routes are calculated, turn-by-turn navigation works very well
• Since it offers true turn-by-turn nav, you don’t need to rely on cues in your saved courses
• It offers extensive support for sensors (power, cadence, HR, etc) and electronic groupsets
• Training features are very deep
• Garmin Connect is full-featured and can sync data to Strava and Ride With GPS
• Course/route planning on Garmin Connect is easy to use and syncs painlessly
• Connect IQ platform for additional apps and data fields

[Judd]

@Birru 155431 wrote:

[*]Calculated routes aren’t always optimal for cycling

The Garmin Edge 1000 also attempts to murder you if you try to use the onboard route planning feature. It tried to kick me on to major highways the few times I attempted to use it.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Birru 155431 wrote:

Let me preface this by saying this is my first dedicated bike computer, but I do have extensive experience with a Garmin Forerunner 230 watch. As far as I can tell the Edge 820 is the least expensive option if you want true turn-by-turn navigation PLUS extensive training features. That’s why I chose the 820 over other options. Executive summary: The user experience suuuucks but it’s an incredibly useful computer and worth keeping. Pros and cons below. Happy to answer any additional questions.

I was expecting navigation roughly on par with my iPhone or even an older Garmin Nuvi car GPS. Based on those expectations there are some HUGE disappointments that initially made me question the cost of the device:

• The touch screen interface is abysmally unresponsive
• Route calculation takes an eternity
• Calculated routes aren’t always optimal for cycling
• POI lookups take quite a while
• The user interface is clunky, compounded by the maddening touchscreen
• Seriously, that touch screen is dreadful

[/LIST]

I’m with you on everything but the touchscreen. It’s actually kind of a marvel when you consider what it does and the conditions under which it does it….it works with even heavy gloves and doesn’t freak out when it gets wet or cold or hot. My iPhone only works with special gloves, tends to weird out if there’s any water in the screen, and is super sluggish in the cold and occasionally unusable in the hot.

Garmins suck for wayfinding on the fly, but actually do bike computer stuff and pre-planned navigation amazingly well. If I got an 820 as a gift I’d be super happy…of course, I’d probably trade it in for credit toward a 1000, but if that wasn’t in the cards I’d use the 820 without hesitation.

[Birru]

@TwoWheelsDC 155455 wrote:

I’m with you on everything but the touchscreen. It’s actually kind of a marvel when you consider what it does and the conditions under which it does it….it works with even heavy gloves and doesn’t freak out when it gets wet or cold or hot. My iPhone only works with special gloves, tends to weird out if there’s any water in the screen, and is super sluggish in the cold and occasionally unusable in the hot.

Garmins suck for wayfinding on the fly, but actually do bike computer stuff and pre-planned navigation amazingly well. If I got an 820 as a gift I’d be super happy…of course, I’d probably trade it in for credit toward a 1000, but if that wasn’t in the cards I’d use the 820 without hesitation.

Which Edge do you have? The 820 switched to a capacitive touchscreen like on a smartphone, so I do need compatible gloves. This was a real pain on my coldest winter commutes as my “capacitive” winter gloves barely registered inputs (shoutouts to early Spring!). Garmin has also had to tweak the screen’s touch logic with various firmware updates as earlier revisions had issues with rain causing issues with spurious inputs. I think they should have stuck with a low tech resistive screen in this application. Or maybe even buttons.

I do find that the Edge 820 takes a while when calculating a route for a new destination, but it recalculates fairly quickly on the fly when I blow past my turn.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Birru 155458 wrote:

Which Edge do you have? The 820 switched to a capacitive touchscreen like on a smartphone, so I do need compatible gloves. This was a real pain on my coldest winter commutes as my “capacitive” winter gloves barely registered inputs (shoutouts to early Spring!). Garmin has also had to tweak the screen’s touch logic with various firmware updates as earlier revisions had issues with rain causing issues with spurious inputs. I think they should have stuck with a low tech resistive screen in this application. Or maybe even buttons.

I do find that the Edge 820 takes a while when calculating a route for a new destination, but it recalculates fairly quickly on the fly when I blow past my turn.

I have an Edge 1000, so I think the same screen as the 820. The capacitive screen isn’t quite as receptive to my thick gloves as the resistive screen in my 800, but it will still take inputs regardless of the gloves I’m wearing…just have to be a little more deliberate. It’s worth it for me though, as I find the capacitive screen to be superior overall.

[hozn]

Yeah, the capacitive screen on the 1000 works with gloves you just have to tap harder (“more deliberate” is a good way to put it).

Mine does not do well in rain. It tends to switch to “locked screen”.

I like the screen on the 1000 better than the 510, but it could be a lot better.

My issue with the routing has been the opposite. It likely depends on the map source. In Europe with openstreetmaps, it was aggressively trying to route me on bike paths (out of my way) though I wouldn’t have minded just riding on larger roads.

Sent from my LEX727 using Tapatalk

[kwarkentien]

@hozn 155466 wrote:

Mine does not do well in rain. It tends to switch to “locked screen”.

This! And for me, it locks even without rain. But I do like the 1000 overall. Battery life should be better on the 820 though. The 1000 is a battery hog.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Vicegrip]

I have a 1000 also and also get the odd lock screen in the wet. I found it would unlock if did a quick pause/start.

[Author]

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