Attention All Cyclists: Garmin Edge 1000 and Edge 820 now supports Join Cycling Platform

Are you an avid cyclist that enjoys your early morning spin about town to start your day?  Garmin announced a new partnership with Join Cycling Platform to connect your daily ride on and off your bike. 

The Join application will now be integrated in both the Garmin Connect IQ Store and App Store allowing avid cyclists to connect with peers and share photos and comments.  This new Join Cycling tech is available for both the Garmin Edge 1000 and Garmin Edge 820.

Cyclist enthusiasts will now be able to download specific routes directly with additional software feature updates that include Live Track Auto Start and Strava Beacon.

For those of you not familiar with these two Garmin Cycling computers, here is a brief overview of the two models:

Garmin Edge 820 MSRP USD$399:  An upgrade from the Garmin Edge 520, the Edge 820 is Garmin’s latest GPS cycle computer with a 2.3 inch touchscreen that works great in both wet and dry conditions that cyclists would expect to encounter on the open road.

There Edge 820 has integrated swiping functionality that provides scrolling through your menu options, zooming in and out of route maps, and providing an auto-brightness feature that is brilliant for the changing light conditions encountered through various terrain and city conditions.

The GroupTrack feature connects your smartphone to the Garmin Edge 820 allowing you to receive smart notifications of texts, calls, and tracks up to 50 riders in a 10-mile radius which is a great feature to see where you sit with fellow cyclists on the road during group rides.

The Garmin 820 has a safety feature that utilizes the built-in accelerometer detecting if you have had an accident or crash on the road.  The device can then send a message for assistance with your location to your designated emergency contacts which can be a lifesaver if you are cycling off-road or on solo rides through rural areas.

Cyclists will appreciate the 15 hour battery life and the Ultratrac battery save mode that can extend that life to 24 hours.

Garmin Edge 1000 MSRP USD $499.99: This is a great cycling computer if you like a large touch screen and enjoy following pre-designed routes with turn by turn navigation with alerts given for upcoming changes.  The Bluetooth Smart Connectivity feature pairs the Garmin Edge 1000 to your smartphone allowing fast map uploads via the Garmin Connect App.  This is certainly one of the biggest selling points or pros for this model.

There is a remote for your handlebars that allows for scrolling between data pages, setting laps, and a customizable button for your individualized function of choice.  So if you prefer not to utilize the touchscreen on an intense hill or in heavy traffic, this will certainly do the trick.

You can also decide to just wing it and decide where you want to go on the fly while still utilizing the Garmin Edge 1000 map-on-mode feature.  You can use the “Route Planner” to add more than one destination to your daily plans which is great if you have multiple stops like your favorite café, point of interest, or joining riding partners on your route.

There are multiple “Activity Profiles” that you can create allowing for various map options you can change up for city vs off-road terrain routes for different activity types-so pretty much covering all your bases.

The Edge 1000 has a “sensor pool” that allows the user to pair multiple bikes with multiple sensor settings.  If you like to swap around with different bikes for different rides, the transition is seamless while retaining your customization settings (data/screen, ride customization etc.).  This also allows pairing of multiple heart rate straps, power meters, and personalization with the added feature of being able to name specific sensors.

The Garmin Edge 1000 also has a temperature feature that allows for both display and recording which comes in handy when assessing your training level.  It also has a barometric sensor that senses altitude that provides increased accuracy verse a GPS based altimeter.

So bottom line, each individual cyclist needs to determine what functionalities and needs are priorities in selecting the right cycling computer for themselves. 

If you like a larger screen and turn by turn navigation, then ponying up the extra cash for the Garmin Edge 1000 would be a perfect fit for you.  But if you are after great functionality without all the latest upgrades, but still great performance, the Garmin Edge 820 would fit your list of requirements.

The good news is whatever decision you make, they are both supported by the Garmin Join Cycling Platform which will ensure many enjoyable days on the road.  Happy Cycling!