I'm really surprised so far that Garmin is releasing this soon with so FEW details on how the Trailforks data actually works, or how it actually LOOKS for that matter. The only screenshot I've found is here.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-...computers.html
To me, it looks like they're overlaying the Trailforks basemap data on top of the standard OSM cycling map for Garmin.
I've been doing this same thing already by donating $15 per state to local trail orgs and downloading them from Trailforks. They offer a transparent version and I throw it on top of the garmin maps. I've just not been super crazy about this because the trails more or less follow 'closely' to the OSM trails and can get cluttered with duplicate text from each source (TF and OSM).
The screenshot above looks like it's just doing the same thing. Not that that's really a 'BAD' thing, but in my case I just want to verify if it's the data I already have access to.
The trailforks non-transparent basemap downloads I've downloaded from them actually look much cleaner, but they lack the OSM maps that haven't made it to Trailforks yet. That's a no-go for me as I need those old-school trails listed in OSM (already in the Garmin basemaps) that haven't made it to Trailforks yet. That's why I was eager to try an Edge 830, but if it's no different than overlaying maps the way I've been doing on my 1030, then I'm not sure I see a point in down-sizing. There just isn't really any footage out there on what the maps look like.
For reference, Garmin support has told me they do *not* plan to bring the Trailforks data to the 1030, which is why I was looking to switch to the 830 in the first place.
So this leaves me in a bind as to weather or not it's even worth switching. Because the new 530/830 features *other* than Trailforks integrated data should eventually be on the 1030 anyway.
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So let's assume I decide to go ahead and get the 830. The lack of legit details out there is pretty confusing for consumers. See below.
The wording on Garmin’s own sale page:
mountain biking model has integrated Trailforks data
--This implies the stand-alone unit may not have it??
The wording on CleverTraining’s sale page:
All Versions: MTB dynamics (no mention of Trailforks) .
Bundle Only: mountain biking model has integrated Trailforks data, including trail difficulty ratings
Mountain Bike Bundle Only: integrated Trailforks data includes trail difficulty ratings
--So based on this, it would appear that the stand-alone 830 / 530 do *not* come with Integrated trailforks data.
But according to DC Rainmaker, this data *does* come on the stand alone unit.
This is what was explained on his forum.
A) Trailforks CIQ App (same one as last year) – remains as the core way to get info from *your account* to the device
B) The Mountain Bike Dynamic Metrics are available on all units as-is (530/830, bundle/no-bundle)
C) The Trailforks trail/map data are available on all units (530/830, bundle/no-bundle)
D) *However*, on the non-bundle Edge 530/830 you have to do a one-time ‘unlock’ by simply signing in once with a Trailforks account (free, throwaway one is fine). It’s done once, and there’s no visible tie on the unit itself. My guess is that this is how Garmin knows how much to pay Trailforks on a per-device basis.
If this is the case, why has Garmin not made this clear? I've even reached out to them to ask them to clarify this, as the product page REALLY needs to be updated for the public to know exactly what they are purchasing.
I mean, if they can't even get the product details right on launch or give resellers the correct details on a 400+ dollar computer, that's pretty surprising.
Can anyone from Garmin chime in on this and just confirm for those of us on the fence, that the stand-alone unit does come with everything in the unit that comes with the bundles? If so, the store-front really needs to clarify this.
