Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)(Oct. 8, 09 2nd and final Update) I will go back to 4 stars! Just rode 150mile ride - I now have about 800 miles using the 705 and i have finally figured the thing out. Once you figure all of the idosyncrasies out and learn how it works I would not ride without it (NO CUE SHEETS ANYMORE)!!! You must give yourself 6 mos+/- to use it, upload maps and figure out the settings that work with how you ride. I also use mine to run although I must carry it in my hand (the data and HR is well worth it). The biggest issue I still have is when plotting bike routes in MapMyRide (MMR) and then uploading those to the 705 I must scan the entire route in the 705's window to look for mistakes in the routing (these don't show up in MMR or Garmin's PC software. If there are errors that you can't live with (e.g. might straighten out a curvy road) then you must replot in MMR or other and upload again. To me it is worth it but if Garmin's mapping software was any good then I would use that and maybe eliminate these transfer issues. Either way, this issue keeps the 705 from getting 5 stars.
(Sept 8, 09 1st Update to my August 16th, 2009 review below which basically says NOT a good GPS for car or motorcycle)
My first review still stands but I have now used the navigation and auto-navigation after just completing a 105 mile (125 turns) and a 40 mile ride on back-to-back days. This is a lengthy review but there is a lot I have found out about the Edge 705. I do not race - I am a century/double century bike rider that rides only about 1,000 to 1,300 miles per year so this review applies to a distance rider.
OVERALL SUMMARY:
I changed this to 3 stars instead of 4 stars since this is still an early stage bicycle GPS solution; really the only bike GPS solution for sale that works for long distance riding. The 705 works but you cannot count on it 100% of the time. It has a very slow processor (works on a bike but you will sometimes pass your turns in a car or motorcycle, especially if the GPS has to re-route (re-routing can take 5 minutes)). The 705 will frustrate you, especially before you get to know it) but for me it is still better than carrying around pieces of paper for cue sheets, keeping track of your mileage between turns and not having a map when the road names are missing or incorrect. I expect that in 3-5 years the bicycle GPS will be working more like a car GPS but, until then, this is really your only option. Just be sure you know what limitations you are getting before you spend $550 on a device and maps - then you should be happy with the 705. When the 705 works, you can't imagine riding without it but, when it doesn't, you want to set fire to Garmin's headquarters.
DETAILED UPDATED REVIEW:
First the good: It was really, really nice not having to use a cue sheet, especially on the longer ride. This in itself makes the device worth it to me since I spend a lot of time formating the cue sheets and then "laminating" them with packing tape so they don't bleed/deteriorate from sweat. The 705 keeps the necessary bike computer information you want on the screen - very customisable and I like this a lot. When navigating, the 705 provides an audible beep alert about .1 to .3 miles before you will be "told" to make a turn and then another beep immediately before the turn; switching to a map that shows how the turn works. The 705 does NOT give any notice if you are continuing straight through an intersection and the road name changes. Since I was use to using cue sheets, I found this limitation annoying but quickly got use to simply riding straight since the device knows what road you are on and where you are located. Also, I like to ride back roads so there were several times when the posted road name sign was missing or posted differently than the cue sheet/mapping road names. With the 705 you can keep going since you are reassured by looking at the next few miles ahead on the 705's screen. I haven't had any problems with battery life (rode about 9.5 hrs on one charge w/more battery life remaining) or data storage limitations but I will test that in a couple of weeks with a double century ride. The 705 transfers information between the computer easily. The mount works well (make the ties tight) and the screen is easy enough to read in bright sunlight. I haven't lost a GPS signal while riding through trees (I imagine you would in a tunnel).
The "needs improvement" or simply bad:
This is not a "set-it and forget-it" device, nor always intuitive to use. There is a lot of room for big improvements, especially if you have previously used a $200+ Automotive GPS(these are far superior to the 705 in speed, accuracy, and auto-routing/re-routing). The software that comes with the 705 is not good for the year 2009 - maybe 1990s. Since it is so un-intuitive, I have not fully explored this software so maybe I need more time with it. It does the very basics and it doesn't even do those well. I used to own a Ciclosport bike computer/altimeter and it captured data and one could export the data to the PC. The software for data analyzation was far superior in the ciclosport. The Edge does give you data to analyze and for most riders I think you will find that it is enough since it is more a novelty unless you are really serious about training. You can also use the 705 to setup training rides to make your training more efficient and productive but I doubt I will ever use those. If you are a racer or serious trainer then maybe you will be able to get more from some of the features in the 705. I did try to ride against myself (a previous ride using virtual partner) but I didn't get it to work. I think that was my fault and I will try that again.
More importantly, I expect one spends all of this $ to use the Edge 705 for navigation...to either pre-route for on-bike navigation or auto-route while on a ride to find a place to ride to (or head home). To pre-route, I won't use the poor Garmin software provided - period. It is not good. I use map-my-ride (MMR) and export everything as a gpx file. The gpx file needs to be opened in Garmin's MapSource software and transfered to the Edge 705 as a track - simple and quick to do. However, all of the early tracks I uploaded to the 705 had 1 or 2 errors in them - produced by the 705 when the GPX file was imported from MapSource. I find the imported track will sometimes "jump roads" where there isn't any roads - especially if you select "follow roads" when you are mapping your route in MMR (everyone will use this or it would take forever to map a route w/out it). This "jumping" may be only once or twice in a track but it is obviously a big problem. The 705 device work-around is to turn on the 705, select a saved track, select "navigate" in the 705 (this alone can take 5+min) and then review it in the 705. This takes some time and is pretty tedious, especially for a 105 mile track. One of the things I started to do was when I map my routes in MMR I click right before and right after a road/major direction change. This seems to help and I did not find any errors in my 105 mile track on the 705 that were caused by the 705 (there was one error but it was created in MMR). Maybe I won't have anymore 705 import errors but as of now I just don't fully trust the 705 yet. Everyone must realize that the online mapping program data isn't perfect - every long route I have planned using google maps, mapquest or mapmyride has given me wrong directions, wrong road lables and/or shown roads that do not exist (not the 705's fault). These online mapping programs have been 99% accurate but that 1% is always frustrating, especially when you have to stop, find an alternate route and often backtrack. Having the 705 will not change these online mapping program errors. However, I don't need the 705 to add more errors. I think I have corrected the 705 import errors by clicking before/after each turn but only time will tell. Also, where I ride (central NJ - Central PA) none of the online mapping solutions or the 705 have avoided gravel roads. The capability to do this is there but the data and companies just don't keep up with it. This is not a weakness of the 705 but simply an industry maturity/capacity issue. Lastly, the on-bike auto-routing capabilities of the Edge 705 is also somewhat questionable. I've only used it 3x and, while it works, it hasn't taken me the quickest way home. It does come close but I'm not sure why it selects some roads over others. And, if you intentionally go off a pre-programmed route (bad weather, closed road, just curious, etc.) you should be careful. If you have auto-recalculate turned on it will not get you back onto the track unless you turn-around. The 705 will eventually just send you back to your starting point. I recommend that you turn on ASK PRIOR TO RECALCULATING setting. It will still ask you to turn around 3 or 4x but you can ignore it and ride back onto the track (it will then continue to navigate using the original track) or you can decide to recalculate and go to your starting destination. Plan on it re-navigating for up to 5 minutes (it says 100% recalculated but then must irritate you by staying on that screen for a minute or so!) If you continue to ride while it is recalculating you will pass roads and have no clue if you should turn or not. So you can pull over and wait but you can't stop your timer if it is calculating a new route (this will increase your riding time/decrease your speed avg. if you are set for manual). To deal with this turn on the AUTO PAUSE feature that automatically stops the timer when you stop and restarts when you ride. The 705 doesn't have a re-routing capability to avoid an obstacle and then take you back to your original track (like closed bridge or accident avoidance). The 705 will simply tell you to turn...Read more›
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Trainer. Navigator. Edge 705 pushes you to do your best, then shows you the way back. This GPS-enabled cycle computer knows no limits.Edge 705 comes with a microSD card slot for adding map detail and storing workouts, courses and saved rides. Also included is a wireless heart rate monitor to measure your heart rate and track your heart rate zone, operating with Garmin's innovative ANT + Sport wireless technology. Edge 705 automatically measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and records this data for your review. Connected to your computer via USB, you can then download your workout data, analyze it and store it. You can even share it wirelessly with other Edge 705 buddies without being near the computer. When it comes to the curve of workout technology, Garmin takes you to the Edge.
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