Fantastic! Weight weenies finally get attention after years of post-Edge 500 neglect.
However, I fear that certain marketing decisions are crippling this unit. It seems to be marketed at the recreational market but the 8 hours claimed, 6 hours realistic battery time aren't enough for most century riders. And people at below the century level are likely to be happy with their phones.
What it IS good enough for is road racing. And with the smaller - simpler - LIGHTER design it's ideal for that. However, it's crippled by 2 design decisions:
1. smart sampling only: this is bad for Strava segment timing (maybe Garmin connect timing is better, but nobody I know around here uses Garmin Connect segments)
2. no power meter support, despite ANT+ hardware: this just seems silly. You don't need to to display a full suite of power metrics: just show watts, and absolutely record the data.
I do regret the lack of a barometric altimeter. The above 2 + a barometric altimeter is a sure sale. I'd even give up 10 grams for the altimeter. But that's just my preference. Road racers/hill climbers/Strava KOM hunters don't "need it". However, the smart sampling + lack of power meter support are fatal.
I'd agree, not overly fussed about the altimeter but the lack of power measurement is holding me back. I'd be happy if power was just recorded but not displayed.
Lack of 1-second recording & Tempe support ... However both of those could be added in software (if Garmin were so minded)
Seems silly these aren't options to begin with. Why add it as a firmware upgrade months down the road? Of course there could be an issue with battery life or ... an Edge 30 on the horizon.
Fantastic! Weight weenies finally get attention after years of post-Edge 500 neglect.
However, I fear that certain marketing decisions are crippling this unit. It seems to be marketed at the recreational market but the 8 hours claimed, 6 hours realistic battery time aren't enough for most century riders. And people at below the century level are likely to be happy with their phones.
What it IS good enough for is road racing. And with the smaller - simpler - LIGHTER design it's ideal for that. However, it's crippled by 2 design decisions:
1. smart sampling only: this is bad for Strava segment timing (maybe Garmin connect timing is better, but nobody I know around here uses Garmin Connect segments)
2. no power meter support, despite ANT+ hardware: this just seems silly. You don't need to to display a full suite of power metrics: just show watts, and absolutely record the data.
I do regret the lack of a barometric altimeter. The above 2 + a barometric altimeter is a sure sale. I'd even give up 10 grams for the altimeter. But that's just my preference. Road racers/hill climbers/Strava KOM hunters don't "need it". However, the smart sampling + lack of power meter support are fatal.
I have just purchased and used the Edge25. I would like to think of myself as a little different to "the recreational rider", since I train specifically for racing, and race 30 or 40 times a year, albeit mostly criteriums. This device is near perfect. Beautifully light, easy to read, connects to HRM & cadence sensor. No need for a barometric altimeter, since my last was wildly inaccurate anyway (GE500). The GPS based altimetric recording is pretty good, although at this point (firmware upgrade?) can't be displayed, although at my age (63), I don't care to see it. The GPS fix is quick; the display fields are limited but sufficient for racing - speed, time elapsed, heart rate & zone. The one thing I want that is missing is automatic laps based on GPS position (again the criteriums!) and display thereof. Obviously not a deal breaker; if I feel the need for lap by lap analysis after a C Grade (Cat 3) race, I can always revert to the GE500!
