GARMIN EDGE 830
WEIGHT 81.3g SIZE 85mmx20mmx50mm SCREEN SIZE 52mmx40mm SCREEN TYPE Colour touchscreen, 246 x 322 MEMORY 16gb IN THE BOX 2 x mounts, 1 x out-front mount, micro USB cable WATERPROOF IPX7 BATTERY LIFE (CLAIMED) 20 hours
Garmin has packed in full-colour mapping, tactile touchscreen and onboard navigation into what looks like a mini 1030.
GPS pick up was between 35 and 40 seconds, quick though not the quickest. The 830 is simple to sync with sensors and it had no problem finding our HRM (Garmin Vivosmart HR watch and Wahoo Tickr strap). Once you find a sensor you can rename it to avoid confusion. It also quickly found our SRAM eTap, SRAM/Quarq power meter and the Shimano WU1111 antenna on a second bike, allowing us to see gearing and battery info direct from Di2.
In use, this does everything you could desire with an impressive
battery life of 17 hours when navigating with all sensors connected. Navigation is assisted by heatmaps, which prioritise paths and roads most often used by cyclists. ClimbPro automatically shows the distance and elevation remaining on each climb of your prescribed route.
Lots of other calculations come in regular updates including a whole bunch of off-road metrics, including trail recommendations. Heat acclimatisation is a great feature, too. And it retains one of our favourite functions: virtual partner. Set the average speed you want to achieve on a ride and you get a screen showing you up against a virtual rider.
Routing on the 830 involves manually entering an address, point of interest or map pin. The routes are bike specific (avoiding dual carriageways and major roads). The GPS system uses GLONASS, Galileo and GPS, so that’s all major satellites covered.
Integration with Strava is seamless. Even if you don’t immediately download, the 830 can store up to 200 hours of ride history with its 16gb internal memory. That also allows you to download plenty of add-ons via Garmin’s Connect IQ, and there are plenty of great apps to choose like Training Peaks and Komoot.
It isn’t without some issues. Aside from Garmin Connect’s slick but bare -bones app, on occasion the unit had trouble auto-uploading a ride, and it also ‘forgot’ a power sensor mid-ride when it was broken up with a coffee stop and we had turned t off to preserve battery.
On the plus side, with Di2 connectivity, you can use the hidden buttons on the hoods to control your Garmin – so you can switch screens without taking your hands off the bars.
£349.99
In use, this does everything you could desire with an impressive battery life