Garmin Edge 705: GPS Cycle Computer at the Cutting Edge

(Price: $433 - $650, depending on options/configuration)

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 705 (there are three versions of the 705) that comes with the map, heart rate monitor, and cadence monitor. See more detail on versions on page two.

2,000-mile review update.

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.

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. Also, there's no need for pesky wheel calibration routines, because you're getting your position data from satellites, not your wheels on the road. This feature also makes it easy to switch the unit between bikes without sacrificing accuracy or recalibrating.

When I reviewed the Garmin Edge 305 last year, I liked its features, but noted its simple, black and white map screen was of very limited use for navigation. Garmin fixed that, and added some nice new touches with the new Edge 605 and Edge 705 models.

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.

You control the Edge 705 with a mode button (cycles through displays), a menu button, lap and start/stop buttons, a rubberized thumb stick, and a pair of zoom buttons. That sounds like a lot of controls, but they are quite intuitive in the way they interact with the screen, and I mastered them with just a little practice and browsing of the quick reference guide. All of the buttons were easy to locate and use during a ride, even with a lightly gloved hand.

The Garmin Edge 705's full specs and feature set are listed on page two of this review, but I'll hit the highlights here. The color moving-map display is a "wow" feature that will have your riding buddies looking over your shoulder and asking for demos. 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. The North America version, for example, includes six million (that's right, "million") points of interest. Amazing what they can put on a chip.

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.

You can use the Edge 705 to create a detailed training log without writing a thing. It comes with software that lets you log and chart your workouts, or you can get even better data display and data/route sharing capability from the online MotionBased or Garmin Connect training log and analysis service.