I finally got my Edge 1040 (non-solar) today. I worked pretty hard to get the tether connected to the unit - I don't think the change to its location is much of an improvement.
Once I got my profiles transferred, and other setup tasks completed, I went out to my bike and tried to mount the 1040 on an existing out front mount. With my 1030 and 1030 Plus, it has been my practice to slide the tether over the right handlebar end and up near the stem, then pass the tether under the out front mount, and finally place the Edge on the mount. This took up just about all of the slack in the tether. (I use the modified mount that has the opening for the External Battery Pack to connect to the bottom of the Edge. It has a lever to tighten the Edge to the mount, rather than being a quarter turn tightening.)
I found that the 1040 tether seems less "stretchy" than the 1030 Plus' tether, and that it is also shorter in total length. The difference is in the length of the small loop that passes through the Edge's case. The larger stretchy loop is about the same size, but less elastic, effectively making it shorter when using it.
