Garmin Edge 705 Review:
Garmin Edge 705 comes with a built-in basemap, plus it has a microSD card slot for adding map detail and storing workouts, courses and saved rides. Just plug in detailed MapSource City Navigator street maps on a preloaded data card and get turn-by-turn directions on a sunlight-readable, color display as you pedal. This GPS-enabled cycle computer knows no limits. Get heart rate, cadence, turn-by-turn directions, power data (from ANT + Sport™-enabled third-party power metres) — the works. Even share your data with other Edge 705 friends after your ride. All wireless with a colour display, this is no ordinary cycle computer.

The Edge 705 combines (take a deep breath) GPS maps and navigation, heart rate, cadence and power output into a palm of your hand wireless unit. It can display up to 16 separate metrics during the ride and combined with the included software and web-based apps it becomes an incredible tool for social networking, exploration and serious training analysis. A GPS cycling computer captures a lot of data, including tracking your route in detail, your speed at all points along the ride, your average and maximum speeds, your elevation, and in the case of the Edge 705 version tested here, your heart rate and pedaling cadence.

The Edge 705 has a generous, 1.4″ x 1.7″ display (2.2″ diagonal) that provides ample room for the moving map display, and the multiple mode displays you can customize.

The Garmin Edge 705 Cycle Computer isn’t just a new product – it’s a new type of product. Before the Edge 705 and and the lower-cost Edge 605, cyclists didn’t have the option of a color moving map display, let alone turn-by-turn directions, every road in North America (or other continents) at their fingertips, and a database of six million points of interest.

But let’s start at the beginning. Garmin upgrades its cycling-specific GPS line in 2008 with the introduction of new Edge 605 and Edge 705 models. The Edge 705, reviewed here, features a color screen with moving map display, an accurate, high-sensitivity satellite signal receiver, and wireless installation and operation. The Edge 705 is positioned at the top of the Garmin cycling line, with the color-screen Edge 605, and the black & white screen Edge 305 and Edge 205 below it.

Garmin’s full accessory map set is available on micro SD card to be popped into this unit, so you can take your pick of City Navigator North America, with terrific detail of even small back roads across the U.S. and Canada; City Navigator Europe; or maps specific to the Alps, New Zealand, and more. These maps include “points of interest” also, such as restaurants, campgrounds, emergency services and more.

Display: The new, larger color display is gorgeous. Improvements include removing the “title bar” present on the Edge 305 and using every pixel of this larger screen for displaying data fields that you select. The display is easy to view, without backlighting, during the day. For early morning or night rides, just a click or two to engage the backlight provides plenty of clarity while providing long battery life.
Battery: So far, it’s handled 2-3 hour rides with very little battery drain (including about an hour of riding at night with the backlight set to “stay on”). I see no reason, at this point, that the unit would not meet its stated battery life of 10-15 hours.

Maps: The ability to see where you are and to actually navigate using the Edge 705 continues to impress me. It provides detailed routing optimized for bicycles. It does this by optimizing the route to avoid major streets and other hazards. On a recent ride it routed us as far as possible on low-traffic side streets before taking us to the main street in town where we only had about 1/4 mile of riding in traffic before arriving at our destination! Very impressive and a powerful ally for bicycle commuters.

Size/Weight: The Edge 705 is physically larger than the 305 and a tad heavier. Kudos to Garmin for making the 705 compatible with the 305 mounting system.

Usability: This is a measure of how intuitive and user-friendly the device and its internal software is. Here the Edge 705 scores BIG. The inclusion of a “joystick” type input device makes entering information, changing data, etc. much easier than the 305. Nice touches include customizing the color scheme of menus and having the ability to actually NAME your various bike profiles

Overall, the Edge 705 is a well-thought-out, well-designed, well-built and feature-rich cycling GPS that is a pleasure to use. If you’re used to running wires around your fork and frame to mount a conventional cycling computer, you’ll welcome the totally wire-free GPS cycle computer.

Pros:

• Sharp color moving map display.
• Numerous GPS features to help you find your way.
• Keep a detailed online/PC training log without writing a thing.
• Wireless.

Cons:

• To get detailed street maps, you will need to buy an optional map of North America on SD card ($99) or buy the $650 version of the Garmin 705 (there are three versions of the Edge 705) that comes with the map, heart rate monitor, and cadence monitor. See more detail on versions on page two.

Garmin Edge 705 Features:

Navigate Your Ride

Lose yourself in the ride without losing your way. Garmin Edge 705 comes with a built-in basemap, plus it has a microSD card slot for adding map detail and storing workouts, courses and saved rides. Just plug in detailed MapSource® City Navigator® street maps on a preloaded data card and get turn-by-turn directions on a sunlight-readable, colour display as you pedal. Add optional topo mapping for your off-road adventures. Edge snaps easily into the included bike mount to guide you to your destination.
Get the Data You Need
Available in 2 versions, Garmin Edge 705 comes bundled with different accessories to keep you on top of your ride. Edge 705 automatically measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and records this data for your review¹. For extra-precise climb and descent data, Edge also incorporates a barometric altimeter to pinpoint changes in elevation. It features a high-sensitivity receiver that holds a signal under trees and near tall buildings, and comes with a click stick for easy screen navigation.

“The Garmin Edge 705 gives cyclists the most effective tools they need to train efficiently and share data easily,” said Andrew Silver, Garmin Europe’s Product Manager, “and these new products are further proof of how innovative technology can enrich people’s lives and help them better enjoy their exercise and recreational activities.”
See Your Power

Garmin Edge 705 works with third-party ANT + Sport-enabled power metres to display your power output in watts as you ride. This valuable data shows you how hard you’re working, regardless of conditions affecting your ride, so you can train smarter. Get a competitive advantage by viewing power output along with Edge data all on the same display and storing this information to analyse your workout.
Measure Heart Rate and Cadence

Garmin’s innovative ANT + Sport wireless technology means you get heart rate and speed/cadence data with no strings attached. All versions of Edge 705 include a wireless heart rate monitor to measure your heart rate and track your heart rate zone. Some packages also include a speed/cadence sensor to monitor your pedaling cadence and wheel speed as you ride. You can even use it to train indoors because the sensor attaches to your rear wheel.
Swap Rides Wirelessly

With Garmin Edge 705 you can share your courses, workouts and saved rides wirelessly with other Edge 705 users. Now you can prove that 20-mile uphill climb with a 2000-foot elevation gain. Better yet, send it to your friend to ride. Sharing data is easy. Just select “Transfer Data” to send your information to other Edge 705 units within a 3-meter range.
Share, Store and Analyze
You rode hard and now you want to store and analyse your workout. With a simple connection to your computer, you can join a worldwide network of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts through Garmin Connect™ — our new, one-stop site for data analysis and sharing. Also upload to optional Garmin Training Center® software for further analysis.
When used with Garmin Connect — Garmin’s new and improved online training site — the Edge’s benefits continue long after the workout. By pairing the Garmin 705 or Edge 605 with Garmin Connect, users can join a worldwide network of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts and log their workouts, track their totals, share workouts and participate in an online community. They can also search and download routes uploaded by other users.

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