Why a Garmin Edge?

They can get you lost with their 1990s navigation algorithms.

Whilst it is true that smartphones can do many of the things that a cycle computer having a dedicated device still has many advantages.

• 20 Hour battery life whilst using GPS and communicating with several ANT+ sensors.
• Rugged and waterproof
• Sunlight visible reflective LCD display
• Compact size and dedicated mounting system
• Dedicated ecosystem

I much prefer using my dedicated cycle computer to look after all bike related stuff and leave my phone safely tucked in my backpack protected from weather or incident and preserving it's battery for things it is best suited to such calling for assistance if required.

• 20 Hour battery life whilst using GPS and communicating with several ANT+ sensors.
  • I don't do many 20 hour rides, but a USB charging cell the size of an Edge would power a phone for quite a while.
• Rugged and waterproof
  • Just like a good phone case that protects your phone on rides & other places and costs far less than an Edge
• Sunlight visible reflective LCD display
  • Phones have actually gotten really good at being viewable in direct sunlight, or my last couple have at least.
• Compact size and dedicated mounting system
  • Aye, the most Edges are smaller than most phones - but I'll bet everyone's carrying both.  So the Edges are just extra on top of the phone.
• Dedicated ecosystem
  • The ecosystem around the most popular phones is actually far wider than what we have for the Edges; no end of accessories.

I like my Edge.  Or I did.  But the thing I really liked about it was that it was a little box I could keep all my stats and history in.  No worries of viruses or my data being swept up in the constant stream of companies being hacked.  Simple little standalone box.  Plugs into computer and looks like a standard little USB drive so data extraction's easy.

But plugging it into one of these internet-connected systems like Express or Connect, that's a different matter.  I don't understand why Garmin's stopped offering the simple file download. 

Thank you for you reply - I do appreciate it.  It's that I had already considered those qualities and had already ruled out them out.

Sadly, I probably will be giving the Edge away and just using a phone, given the reasons for keeping the Edge around that I've come up with so far.

Steve said:

But plugging it into one of these internet-connected systems like Express or Connect, that's a different matter.  I don't understand why Garmin's stopped offering the simple file download. 

???

You can still download courses and activities from the Garmin Connect website (and other places) and copy them to your Edge.

Express and Connect have been around for years.

The problem's updating the firmware; nothing to do with courses and activities.  From the inception of the Edges until recently the firmware could be updated by just downloading a firmware file from the Garmin website and copying it to the Edge.  Now Garmin's stopped providing the file and the only way of updating the Edges is to connect them to the internet via Express or Connect.

Why is that a problem?

(It’s not a problem.)

I don’t recall anybody saying that’s a problem. 

(Outside of people wanting to load older versions. But Garmin never made older versions available anyway.)

Privacy and it's a serious problem.  For many of us these devices collect very intimate details about us.  Where we live, where we go, our schedules, very detailed information about our health.  And unlike money and things, information is something that can't be taken back.  I'm not comfortable sharing all this with a company and all their partners and hosting providers.

Garmin has been using Express for this for years. Your concern (which is fine) is way too late. 

I guess you don’t upload your activities to Connect. I’m pretty sure you can choose not to upload activities.

As far as I can tell, Garmin is much more restrained/limited about using data than smart phones generally are.

So, if you are concerned, you really shouldn’t use smart phones at all.

Just to be clear, not everything is going to fit everybody’s needs. No one is going to care if the Garmin products don’t suit you.